If you've ever had a child, you know how the excitement and anticipation of that first baby's arrival mounts as the due date draws near. By the time the baby comes, you're beyond ready. That's a little how I've felt about the new website. I've dreamed and planned and consulted and prayed. I've worked and reviewed and worked some more. Finally, it's here. Well, sorta.
It's not all finished, but it's close enough to let you have a peek and see what I've been working on so hard.
Blake Wages, of Mission Marketing, listened to my dreams, helped me verbalize the picture in my head, then designed and built the website. My part was dreaming, writing, casting vision, and loading most of the blog posts. I had the easy part.
Blake has to be the most patient human on earth. When my hair in the first landing photo looked awful, I did say, "Blake, I can't have a photo on the landing page with bad hair. We have to change it." He didn't roll his eyes. He didn't complain. He just changed it.
He didn't balk at all my "can't we do it this way?" questions. He didn't complain when I went into the webmaster controls and changed things on my own because I couldn't wait.
Blake has been the hands and feet of Jesus to me as I've dreamed about how to make a more up-to-date website that will be attractive to readers of all ages. He's put as much energy and vision into this effort as I. We've strategized together about how to make it the kind of welcoming place you'd want to visit again and again. Blake is as much a part of this website as I am, and I'm grateful for his partnership.
I hope we've achieved all we dreamed.
The descriptions and instructions below may be a little over-the-top, but I want you to have a good experience when you visit my new home for the first time.
On the landing page, you'll see my photo and a welcome. (the screen shot above) If you scroll down a little, you'll see the most recent blog posts. They'll look a little different than my current blog, because you'll click on the photo rather than a title. The display is dynamic, so you'll get a fresh choice if you don't click right away.
At the bottom of that page, you'll be able to sign up for my email newsletter. This will be a twice a month email to update you on my ministry, the website, new books, and freebies to download.
I won't share or sell your email addresses. I wouldn't want anyone to do that with mine, so I won't do it with yours.
We plan to offer some coupon codes from time to time, but I don't know how to do it yet and I'm counting on Blake to handle that project.
You can move to the next page from the top or the bottom of the page.
The second page is the blog. I've limited the "topic tags" to faith, life, culture, and disciple life because they fit most of my posts. Pretty soon, there will be a "lagniappe" tag. (Lagniappe means "a little something extra") That's where you'll find the "new" blog. (I'll let you know when I do the first post.)
All the posts from 2018 are here, and a few from previous years. You can switch from one page to the next below the photos by clicking on the numbers.
There's a mailing list sign-up at the bottom of the page. It's for the BLOG sign up by email. We don't have that working yet, but we will. If you're signed up for the current blog by email, we will move your email address and you'll still get the blog. That may take a few weeks. Until then, you'll get it the same as always.
The new website allows you to comment directly when you read the blog. You don't have to sign in to Google to comment. I hope you'll comment often because I'm looking forward to replying to your comments and having conversations about the posts.
You'll find social media icons beneath every blog post so you can easily share the posts. I hope you'll do more than share on Facebook. Share to Pinterest, Twitter, Google Plus, Xing, and Linked In, as well.
Why does this matter? Because every share gives someone else the opportunity to see what God is doing here, and to learn more about discipleship and how to live the Christian life. Your share might be a part of a divine appointment for someone who's looking for a fresh start or more information about faith in Jesus.
The third page is an "about me" page. Scroll down and you'll see more photos and a little bit about my journey.
Page four is a little tricky. When you hover over "get involved" at the top, the about page will keep scrolling until you make a selection from the drop down menu.
The "Prayer" option will allow you to learn of something I'm praying about and join with me in intercession. This week, I'm praying over a heartbreaking situation that occurred recently in Africa. I need your help.
If you choose "contact" you can contact me via an email message. Soon, we'll have a volunteer option, too, and you can choose from several opportunities to help out with prayer and outreach, as well as help at Global Outreach Home Office.
We'll also have an upcoming events option and you can find out how to sign up for retreats, join me when I speak, and participate in prayer events and our coming-soon virtual prayer walks.
The last page is an online store. You can buy books and find freebies to download. We have a free printable or two ready and they'll be available later this week. I hope we'll have some other cool things on there before long. Handmade greeting cards, t-shirts, etc are all in the works. The money from sales will be used to support my ministry efforts.
There's a link to purchase the new James study. It's only $3.99 on Amazon. You can take a peek on Amazon. I hope you'll consider buying it. (Thanks in advance!)
Before long, you'll probably see an ad or two and some affiliate links. I'll use those judiciously, again with the hope of supporting ministry efforts with the funds they produce.
Please bear with me as I make these transitions. Both the website, and the efforts to support the ministry in this new way are works in progress and significant leaps of faith for me.
Our labor of love is just a tiny baby right now. We expect to have it a little more "mature" over the next week or so, and to continue to grow for years to come. The goal isn't a cool website. The goal is to spread the gospel throughout the world, including to the billions of people in the digital world.
This is Great Commission work, but we'll have to do it together to get it done.
Just this past week, I wrote, you shared, and God brought people from Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Jordan, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom to the website. We've reached the world together, but let's not stop now. There's plenty of work left to do.
With all that said, are you ready to view my new web-baby? I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think. Here's the link: www.leannahollis.com
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 niv
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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Sliding Down the Slippery Slope and How to Stop the Descent
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