Tina Yeager: Showing That God Provides Nourishment (Part 2)

John FarrellBy John Farrell11 Minutes

John Farrell: Regarding your podcast, where do you see it going in the future? Are there any pie-in-the-sky guests you would love to have on?

Tina Yeager: It’s tempting to say famous Christian people like Max Lucado would be a pie-in-the-sky hope as a guest. However, is it really more important to the kingdom of God to interview someone who’s Christian famous like Max Lucado, which would be great, or is it just as important to interview the person who’s a local business owner starting a new ministry that can reach the poor or the homeless? To me it would be my temptation to want to say Max Lucado, of course.

JF: Because he has the big name.

Tina: Yeah, because it’s a great big name. However, if I’m really being genuine to what God is calling me to do, the pie-in-the-sky is to interview the people that God wants to be heard. That’s truly more important than anything else.

JF: Turning our focus toward your blog, your blog has been around for quite some time. I think your first post was from August 2011. Obviously, if you look at today’s world and juxtapose it to what this world was ten years ago, a lot has changed. What’s the secret to your success when it comes to keeping your blog relevant in today’s world? How has your blog adjusted to make it still relevant because a lot of blogs don’t last ten years?

Tina: Where I started and where I’m at are in similar places in some respects because I’m a therapist and a life coach. So, I gear most of my blog posts in the direction of healing, inner healing, self-help, and self-improvement, according to what I feel is a felt need in the world, but also what is a felt need within myself.

If I know I’m struggling with something, the truth is I’m not the only one. So, I can share from a personal level and hope that I’m blessing someone else. If it’s successful, then maybe that’s why.

JF: Would you say that’s your overall goal for the blog in terms of reaching people?

Tina: Yes. And I would also like to feature other guests on my blog as well. That is something that’s a goal too … to include more voices in my blog. Not just mine, because I really don’t like just highlighting my own voice. I’d rather promote others’ voices because like I said, with Flourish-Meant, I believe it’s richer with diversity and stronger when we include more voices and more people.

JF: Is there a chance in the future where you would merge the two media: your blog and your podcast?

Tina: Yes. I would love to make those consolidated. It would save me time first of all, but I also would love to have that be kind of one media.

There’s also a possibility of adding video back. I used to use live video in the blog so I’d like to add that back in.

An “Inkspirational” Resource for Writers

JF: Regarding your weekly devotional, “Inkspirations,” I know it’s an email devotion, but beyond that I’m curious to learn more about it.

Tina: It’s online and email. If you subscribe to it, you can get it via email. But you can access it anytime you want. It’s a devotional by writers for writers. It’s also a shared platform. Since it’s an online publication writers can submit to me as a publisher. I put it out to my team, they review, and we edit. And then we publish that article – that devotional online – for that author so they can say when they’re submitting a proposal to a publisher that they’ve been published.

It helps the author in that respect. But it also helps other authors because each devotional is meant to encourage a writer for the week … to center their writing journey in scripture.

It’s sometimes discouraging to be a writer. That’s something that occurred to me when we were talking about shared platform opportunities. I thought, ‘There are so many blogs out there for writers.’ There really isn’t a need for that, but is there a devotional that helps encourage the writer? I don’t think so. So, I saw a need and that’s why I started writing Inkspirations.

JF: I think that’s a great resource. In terms of the weekly newsletter, is there a theme every week that people are asked to focus on or can they just write on whatever they want and submit?

Tina: They submit to me and we’ll review it. If it fits the theme of writing and is Christianity centered – obviously, it has to fit those themes and our format — we’ll send it to the team. We edit and publish it for you and get it up there. So, every Monday there’s a devotional to start your writing.

JF: Can you give me an example of what readers could expect from the devotional? Is it more nuts and bolts writing tips or more encouragement?

Tina: It is definitely spiritual and scriptural based. It’s not a blog. It’s not a how-to. This is more about how do I continue to follow the call to write? How do I continue to keep my heart pure as I’m writing? To help them remember it’s not about numbers, but the things we struggle with as writers, spiritually and emotionally. That’s what it’s centered on.

Asking God for Direction

JF: In addition to your book, podcast, blog, and weekly newsletter, you’re also a speaker, a life coach, and offer writing services. Considering everything you do, what do you hope is your legacy? Do you hope people remember you as something different from any of these titles? Or are you an author first and foremost? Or are you a podcast star?

Tina: There was one time when I was walking with Jesus, just taking a walk around the neighborhood, and I asked, “Lord, what do you want me to do? What do you want me to be?” He said, “I want you to bare my image.” I think that needs to be first and foremost what I hope my legacy will be. Am I baring the image of Christ? Am I being a servant who leads people to see Him more than they see me?

As much as I love doing online conferences, I love speaking. I love doing podcasting. I love being able to share messages through words, whether it’s writing in a physical book or online devotions. I love being able to be that vessel that God works through. If it isn’t about Him and sharing His image, then it doesn’t mean anything

JF: What’s next for you?

Tina: Well, I’m praying about that. There are some new book ideas. God has given me some manuscripts that I’ve got that are completed. I’m just praying about what He wants me to do in media next because I really do enjoy that.

I’m involved with the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association and their Arise Esther movement where we’re calling the women of the church to rise up for such a time as this. We are equipping them with tons of workshops through Arise Esther University. People can go to ariseesther.com and find where our next workshops and conferences will be.

JF: Is there anything else you would like to say that perhaps I didn’t ask you or is there something you want to reemphasize?

Tina: If you’re a writer and a speaker, there are some wonderful organizations to help support you in addition to Inkspirations Online. Word Weavers International. I’m head mentor over the traditional groups with that organization. It’s a really great community for support and prayer. There’s also the Christian Authors Network. I’m a board member with them. That’s a really great place for people who are a little bit further along and are traditionally published as authors.

JF: How can people connect with you?

Tina: TinaYeager.com. That’s pretty simple. Everything is there.

Order a copy of Beautiful Warrior: Finding Victory Over the Lies Formed Against You by Tina Yeager