Happy Four Year Blogiversary

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:58

I'm celebrating my four year blogiversary today.  My first blog story, Coming Out of the Cave, was the beginning of four years of daily writing.  Can you imagine doing something for 1,461 consecutive days?  On that first day, I made two promises -- to write every day for the rest of my life, and to do something daily to improve my writing skills.  Here are some lessons I learned along the way...

• Start with a picture.  Pictures draw readers into your stories. 
• Add your favorite quotes or Bible verses.  My Facebook friends are always posting positive and encouraging quotes that inspire some of my stories.
• Share from your heart.  You have a story inside you that can help others.  Readers want authenticity. 
• There's never been a better time to connect with others than right now.  Everything you need is at your fingertips.  Investing fifteen minutes of your time every day is enough to learn how to use all the free tools you need to build a social network.
• Google rewards consistency.  The number one reason my stories rank so high on the Google search results is because I contribute one story every day.  Higher visibility draws in more readers which boosts the rankings even higher.
• The best way to find your voice is to use it.  The more I write, the easier it gets, especially when I pick topics I'm passionate about.
• Less is more.  Keep your stories brief and leave your readers wanting more.  Give them a reason to come back every day.  They don't want "War and Peace" in your daily blog.  What they do appreciate is a snippet about your daily challenges.  I like to conclude with a lesson I learned and invite my readers to add their comments.
• Your blog is your cyber-sandbox.  There are no rules.  You have a blank canvass in front of you.  Play.  Have fun.  Experiment.  Invite others to play with you.

Thank you for stopping by today.  These last four years have flown by so quickly.  I really appreciate it when you send me an email or leave a comment.  Some of you out there may feel like the parents of a musician who brings home a tuba and doesn't know how to play.  The sounds you hear through the walls make you cringe, like someone is scratching their fingernails on a chalk board.  Don't worry.  I'm getting the hang of it.  I promise you I will never give up.  See you tomorrow at 8:08.  Don't forget to add your comment below.