Yay! I Won the Liebster Award!

I am honored and excited to be the recipient of the Liebster Award!  Thank you to Trena, from Classes by Beth!

Now, if you are like I was, you are probably thinking, “What is the Liebster Award?”  The Liebster Award is simply an award for bloggers (with less than 3,000 followers) , by bloggers.  It’s a way of saying, “You’re off to a good start.  Keep up the good work!”  I am honored that people are reading my blog.  I am even more honored when they leave comments and interact.  Thus, I am honored to receive an award saying that people are enjoying the blog and want me to keep going!  Thank you so much for being here!

As the reward recipient, I must:

• post the award to my blog in a post.
• answer the 10 questions provided by the nominating blogger.
• nominate 3-10 other bloggers with fewer than 3,000 followers whom I feel would appreciate encouragement.
• create 10 questions for the new nominees.

The questions I must answer and my responses:

1. What’s your favorite blog post that you’ve written and why? I write a lot of seasonal things because I love the seasons, but I think that A Typical Day in Our Homeschool Life is a great post for any time of the year.  It’s a little unusual because it is written in story format.  I like to step out of the box sometimes.
2. Why do you blog?  I love blogging!  Blogging is a great way to get my message out there.   Families need to be more intentional about sharing Jesus with their children.  I want to provide a resource to help parents disciple their kids and help them fall in love with Jesus.
3. What is your greatest motivation for writing?  This goes along with the question above, but I have always loved to write.  I feel more motivated now knowing that someone will be reading it!  Writing is a wonderful way to express yourself and really let people see into your soul.
4. What’s the first thing you look for when checking out a new blog?  I am a visual learner. The very first thing I notice is the style of the blog and how easy it is to navigate.  Images grab me. Then, I look for content that is inspiring and relevant to our family.
5. Do you follow a specific schedule or just write when the spirit moves you?  I am working really hard to get on a schedule.  At first, I wanted to post every day, but it was taking too much time away from my family.  Now my goal is to post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (or late the night before).
6. What comments are you most thrilled to see from readers?  I love to see any comment that lets me know that something I wrote inspired a reader to action or really made them stop and think.  We don’t always have to agree though!
7. What do you think is the strongest feature of your blog?  The strongest feature of my blog is its message:  Jesus should be the driving force in our families.  It’s up to the parents to make sure that happens.  There are lots of great Christian parenting blogs out there, but they often include lots of other things as well.  There is nothing wrong with adding recipes, natural living and other family-oriented themes, but I want the main focus of Minivan Ministries to remain on discipling our kids.  The key is being intentional with everything we do.
8. What aspect of your blog do you want to improve this year?  I have enjoyed watching Minivan Ministries unfold. Since we are still relatively new (less than 6 months old), I have lots of room for improvement.  Although most everything on the blog is applicable to any Christian parent, I want to include more homeschool specific items as well.  I am also working on a link party, a summer reading program, and a virtual VBS.  Printables should be arriving at the blog soon too!
9. What widget do you find to be the most useful?  I love widgets.  It’s funny that I didn’t know what they were a few months ago!  It’s hard to pick one, so I’ll pick two…Simple Social Icons and the Ultimate Tag Cloud.
10. How often do you read other bloggers’ posts?  I read others’ blogs almost every single day!  I find blogs to be very inspiring.  I have made some fantastic blogger friends too, and I don’t want to miss what they have to say.

Questions for my nominees:

1.  What is your favorite blog post that you have written?
2. Why do you blog?  What is your main goal?
3. What is the first thing you look for when checking out a new blog?
4. What aspect of your blog do you want to improve this year?
5. What is your favorite plugin?
6. Aside from your own, what is one blog that you recommend reading?
7. What is your favorite Social Media?  Why?
8. What advice do you have for new bloggers?
9. What resources (groups, mentors, books, etc.) have you found most helpful on your blogging journey?
10. Where do you see yourself, or your blog, 10 years from now?

Now for the moment you have all been waiting for…my winners!

Each of these winners are bloggers that I admire for their hard work, great content, and dedication. Please take a moment to check them out!

Christina at Thankfully Home

Kristi and her team at Creating a Great Day

Mary at Not Before 7

Helen from Home Spun Hearts

Heather at Adventures with Four (I met Heather through the Solidarity Sisters.  I have participated in the Solidarity Sisters program before, and it was a blessing.  If you are interested in connecting with other bloggers, you should check it out!)

Thank You!

Last, but not least, one more thank you to you, my readers.  This would be a lonely (and pointless!) journey without you.  I wish you all the best and that you are blessed as you make Jesus the driving force in your family!

What blogs do you think are award worthy?  Feel free to leave your own blog too!