A Christian Calling Boot Camp!

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1)

Boot camps are all the rage nowadays in some physical fitness circles. At fitness Boot Camps, many of the goals are similar to those of Boot Camp in the U.S. Army: to grow skill, grit, adaptability, confidence, and character during a specifically focused time period.

Four and a half months ago, I started Challenge 44, because I sensed God wanted to ramp up my Christian calling though it. The blog you are now reading is the last assignment of Challenge 44. While the experience was admittedly less intense than Army Boot Camp, or even civilian fitness Boot Camps, God did indeed grow my own skill, grit, adaptability, confidence, and character in my Christian life and calling.

Here’s what’s in this blog:

• Why I started Challenge 44
• What Challenge 44 was
• 12 lessons I learned in Challenge 44
• How leverage these lessons in your own Christian life and calling
• Additional resources for “growing forward”

Why I Started Challenge 44

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said. (Mark 1:17)

I got the idea of Challenge 44 from Shane Melough’s online course, Audience from Scratch. This course teaches people how to grow an email list of subscribers for a blog, podcast, YouTube channel, business, nonprofit, hobby, or any other interest. Integral to the course is how to write and/or speak better.

I’ve been blogging for several years about Christian calling and growing in Christ, so the course was a natural fit for me. Also, I already knew, liked, and trusted Shane Melough, because I used a product he created, Thrive Architect, (Thrive Theme Content Builder is the newer, fuller product) to build my website. Plus, I had already taken many of Shane’s free online courses, all of which helped me to grow as an entrepreneur and content creator.

At the end of “Audience from Scratch,” Shane upped the ante with the most valuable part of the course: Challenge 44. He challenged the students in the course to create 44 pieces of content—blogs, podcasts, or YouTube videos, etc.—in 90 days, using what we learned in the course. Shane uses this method to ramp-up his own employees, so it works!

I easily adapted Shane’s methods to my own blogging. Little did I know when I started Challenge 44, that God would not only grow my writing skills, he would also transform my life and calling.

What Challenge 44 Was

For my own Challenge 44, my purpose was to grow my writing skills by completing 44 blogs in 90 business days, in the following three Phases:

• Phase 1: Write 30 blogs in 30 business days (1 blog every day).
• Phase 2: Write 10 blogs in 30 business days (1 blog every 3 days).
• Phase 3: Write 4 blogs in 30 business days (1 blog every week).

Below were the purposes of the three Phases:

• During Phase 1, I wrote and published 30 blogs in 30 business days. That’s a 4-hour blog every day. After every blog, Shane advised picking just one thing to improve in the next blog.
• During Phase 2, I wrote and published 10 blogs in 30 business days. That’s a blog every 3 days. So now, I had 6 hours to write each blog instead of just 4 hours. But Shane advised making each blog better, not longer.
• During Phase 3, I wrote and published 4 blogs in 30 business days. That’s a blog every week. Now I had 10 hours to work on each blog. But again, Shane advised making each blog better, not just longer. 

Challenge 44 was about learning and growing, not necessarily about creating content that would gain followers.

Shane built accountability into Challenge 44. He required not only creating frequent content, but also publishing that content. Even if the content ended up being awful, that was okay. The goal was to get it done, publish, and learn.

What I Learned During Challenge 44

In this section, I’ll list three lessons that I learned during each of the three Phases of Challenge 44. After each lesson, I’ll list some questions you can take to God for your own Christian life and calling.

Before I Started Challenge 44

Lesson #1: Say Yes to God’s BHAG (Pronunciation: "BEE-hag")

Who knows if perhaps you were made … for just such a time as this? (Esther 4:14)

A BHAG—a big hairy audacious goal—is a clear and compelling goal to strive for. Jim Collins coined the term “BHAG” for the corporate environment, but it’s equally daunting for the Christian life.

For me, writing 44 blogs in 90 business days was indeed a BHAG—a big, hairy, audacious goal!

Before Challenge 44, it took me at least a week, usually a few weeks, just to write one blog. It was a huge stretch for me to believe I could write a blog every day for 30 days during Phase 1 of the Challenge.

However, Shane’s course gave me a strategy for how to do it. And more importantly, I clearly heard God calling me to do it and giving me the courage to do it.

You Talk with God:

• God, how have you made me “for just such a time as this”?
• God, are you prompting me to do something that I know I can’t do myself—but you will do with me? Please give me courage to follow you into that adventure.

Lesson #2: Make Time for God’s Priorities

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

As with any major assignment from God, Challenge 44 required a huge,10-hour-per-week time commitment. Therefore, I could not just add Challenge 44 onto what I was already doing.

What God told me what to give up shocked me. He prompted me to drop out of a couples’ small group that I helped to lead. Later, in Phase 2 of Challenge 44, I dropped out of a women’s small group that I led.

Temporarily dropping out of small group membership and leadership was the hardest decision I made about Challenge 44. I used to be a small groups pastor, so small groups are very important to me! However, both small groups continued without me, and I know it was God’s timing. I’m sure God has another small group in my future. 🙂

You Talk with God:

• God, what do you want me to stop doing so that I have time to do what you’ve called me to do?
• God, how do you want me to seek first your Kingdom and your righteousness?

Resource: See this blog about setting priorities: Time Management Extreme Makeover

Lesson #3: Plan in Advance to Stay Healthy

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8)

I had a blast during Challenge 44, but it was also stressful. I knew about some of the stresses before starting Challenge 44, such as my husband’s cataract surgery and dealing with a pandemic already in progress. Other stresses were unexpected, including some of my own minor flare-ups with allergies, headaches, and muscle strains.

I have not always handled stress well in the past. In fact, several years ago, I handled it so badly that an unexplained health crisis forced me to resign my career as a pastor of discipleship and leadership development.

However, I’m delighted to report that I handled the stress of Challenge 44 quite well. I planned a vacation both before and after Challenge 44. And I kept my weekly Sabbath days.

I did not, however, manage stress perfectly. For example, during the first couple of days of my vacation before starting Challenge 44, I obsessed over the topic of my first blog. And throughout Challenge 44, I sometimes spent more than the allotted time on some of the blogs.

A few times during the four and a half months of Challenge 44, I’d get stressed out and grumpy. Near the end, I was so exhausted that I slept through most of an entire weekend. Complications beyond my control, such as Internet and other technical difficulties, prompted some of the angst. But sometimes, I brought stress upon myself, i.e. wanting blogs to be perfect before publishing!

Another important way I stayed healthy during Challenge 44 was to blog only on business days, taking weekends off. Shane Melough, who designed Challenge 44, advised not taking weekends off. But I firmly believe in “Sabbath and sanity,” so I took weekends off, and I was glad I did.

Resting is trusting in God! Refusing to rest is refusing to acknowledge that He is in control!

You Talk with God:

• God, how am I doing with trusting you by taking rest and Sabbath?
• God, how do you want to give me rest?

Resource: See this blog about Sabbath: Sabbath: Why It’s Relevant and How to Do It

Phase 1 of Challenge 44

Lesson #4: Focus on God’s Priority of Growth, Not My Own Priority of “Success”

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

During Challenge 44, God’s focus was to grow ME, not yet my ministry. Yes, the eventual goal would be to grow my email list. But first, God needed to grow ME.

So also, Shane Melough designed Challenge 44 to grow writing skills, not the email list. In fact, he said some of the one-day blogs in Phase 1 would be junk. But the point is to keep making improvements for the next blog.

You Talk with God:

• God, how do you want to grow ME at this time in my life and calling?
• God, how are you guiding my steps?

Lesson #5: Have Fun!

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 34:4)

Phase 1 of Challenge 44 was so much fun!

I didn’t think I could write a really significant blog in just four hours. Therefore, I felt completely free to just learn, grow, experiment, and have fun!

Near the end of Phase 1, I sensed God wanted to give me a bit of wisdom about something, but I wasn’t sure what. Below is my conversation with Him about that:

Me: God, what wisdom do you want to give me? I’m unclear about that.

God: […something about priorities…]

Me: I’m not completely hearing you. Help me hear you.

God: …

Me: I think I’m hearing something from you. Do you want to give me priorities that I don’t normally think about?

God: Yes!

Me: About…

God: About having more fun! Doing things you enjoy. Doing things with your hubby. Everything!

Me: Really?! That’s awesome! … Are you sure the priorities aren’t about calling, character, disciplines, etc.?

God: You’re doing okay there. Really.

Me: I don’t think I heard you quite right…

God: You’re doing well in those areas. I’m proud of you.

Me: Really?!

God: Yes! Have more fun! Don’t miss out!

You Talk with God:

• God, how do you want me to have more fun in my life and calling?
• God, show me how to delight in you more!

Lesson #6: Become Who God Has Created Me to BE!

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. (Psalm 139:13-14)

In Phase 1, I didn’t have time to research blog topics, because I had to churn out a blog every day. Therefore, most of the time, I just shared my own struggles, learnings, and triumphs, and what God did through them. I broke out of the academic mode in which I normally write, and I wrote authentically in my own voice, more often than ever before in my life.

And because I was more authentically myself, I sensed God in uniquely personal ways. Here’s an example of my conversation with God one morning:

The Bible verse I read during my morning devotional time: He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)

Me: God, this has always been an encouraging and inspiring verse to me. I see it at work now, during Challenge 44. You are showing me that I have a unique voice for helping people find and fulfill their calling in you. I don’t have to completely research and teach every topic. Often, what is needed is my own perspective, born of personal experience, especially through struggle.

God: Yes! You got it! You have uniquely valuable contributions to make to the Christian calling field. Don’t just rehash or embellish what others have done. Write Dr. Scherba’s Opus! [This was a reference to the movie, Mr. Holland’s Opus.]

Me: Thank you! ...

God: So, what fun will you have tomorrow on Friday?

Me: Uh…

God: 🙂

Me: Focus, dream, learn and make good progress on the next blog. I’ll have plenty of time for that, because I don’t coach clients on Fridays.

God: Great! I look forward to having fun with you!

Me: 🙂

God: What else?

Me: I’ll ask my hubby about starting a weekly movie night at home, with a simple meal.

God: That’s what I’m talking about!

[Ron and I do now have weekly movie nights!]

You Talk with God:

• God, what do you love about the way you have “marvelously created” me?
• God, how would you like for me to BE more authentically and courageously who I am?

Phase 2 of Challenge 44

Lesson #7: Get GRIT!

Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

Surprisingly, ideas for blog topics came fairly easily during Phase 1 of Challenge 44. And I never did get a serious case of writer’s block during Phase 1. I knew I had to publish a blog every day, so I just powered through it.

Then, in Phase 2, I started running out of good blog ideas. Ugh. My husband would ask me after breakfast what I was going to blog about, and I had no idea, even though it was time to sit down and write.

But do you know what? I published 43 of the 44 blogs exactly on time. (The one exception was an especially lengthy blog in Phase 3 that ran into multiple technical difficulties. I published it a day late.)

Challenge 44 vastly grew my GRIT—my ability to persevere through the lack of ideas, organization, and writer’s block. I did my part, and God—of course—did His part!

You Talk with God:

• God, here’s how I’m struggling right now in my life and calling. What do you want to say to me in that?
• God, how do you want me to “soar on wings like eagles”?

Lesson #8: Intentionally Plan to Grow My Christian Calling Skills

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and people. (Luke 2:52)

I’ve been writing for a long time. In elementary and middle school, I wrote short and even a police novel. I wrote scientific papers for fun in high school. I’ve written multiple discipleship manuals for churches. And I’ve written a personal journal during most parts of my life.

Challenge 44 reminded me how much fun it is to learn and grow in the skills that I do best—especially in the writing skills that God has given me and called me to use for His Kingdom purposes.

Below are just a few of the ways I grew as a writer during Challenge 44:

• Story drives content. Share transparent, personal stories to illustrate content.
• Use mostly active voice, not passive voice.
• In a short blog, focus on only one point. Don’t try to cover everything about the topic.
• In a longer teaching blog, show as much as I tell—illustrate with plenty of examples.
• Don’t just write more. Instead, write better.
• After Challenge 44 ends, get a plan for continually growing as a writer, because God has called me to write, so I want to steward that skill well!

You Talk with God:

• God, how do you want me to grow in the skills that I use in my calling?
• God, how do you want me to grow “in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and people”?

Resource: If you want to grow an email list, or if you want to learn how to create great blogs, podcasts, or videos, I highly recommend Audience from Scratch.

Resource: If you want to build a website, I believe that Thrive Theme Content Builder and Thrive Architect are the best products available for doing that.

Lesson #9: Work with Instead of for God

The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. (Exodus 33:11)

The fact that I did indeed write 30 blogs in 30 days filled me with tremendous confidence that when I do my part, and I trust God to do His part, He comes through big-time! That was especially important as I prepared to enter Phase 3 of Challenge 44.

You Talk with God:

• God, how do you want to speak to me as you did with Moses, “face to face as one speaks to a friend”?
• God, what would it look like for me to work more with you, instead of just for you?

Phase 3 of Challenge 44

Lesson #10: Allow God to Push You into the Next Stages of Your Calling—Especially When You Know You Can't Do Them without His Help

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

With each successive phase of Challenge 44, I got more nervous:

Phase 1, writing 30 blogs in 30 days, seemed impossible. But I just jumped in, God provided so wonderfully, and I persevered. Surprisingly, I wasn’t really nervous during Phase 1—because the stakes were low, and I knew God had called me to do Challenge 44. The point wasn’t to write epic blogs, but to learn by doing one blog at a time.

Even in Phase 2, writing a blog every 3 days, the focus was still on learning and improving.

But by Phase 3, Shane Melough challenged us to try writing epic blogs that would “move the needle” for getting email subscribers, and would even begin ranking highly in Google searches. He advised improving some existing blogs, and perhaps writing one new blog. But as always, he encouraged, focus on quality, not length.

So now, obviously, the stakes were higher! Could I really write blogs that Google would land on?

I wrote four significantly meaty blogs during Phase 3 of Challenge 44. Two were revisions of previous blogs. One was a revision a seminary paper I wrote years ago. You are currently reading the fourth and last blog of Challenge 44. All four blogs of Phase 3 were extensive and exhausting. But I believe that God prompted me to write them, and I’m trusting Him with the results.

You Talk with God:

• God, how are you making James 1:2-4, above, true in my own life and calling?
• God, how are you leading me—and sometimes even pushing me—into more challenging stages of my calling?

Lesson #11: Trust God with the Unknowns

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

During Challenge 44, I learned the most, and I had the most fun, during Phase 1. I wrote a lot of blogs about my own life, imparting what I hope to be divinely inspired wisdom through story. I got the most comments, emails, and social-media shares from those blogs.

When I had more time to write each blog, during Phase 2 and especially during Phase 3, I reverted a lot to my former style of teaching more and telling stories less.

I had a lot of conversations with God about that. At first, I thought I depended too much on myself when I had more time to “make it perfect” by doing lots of research, organizing, teaching, and polishing before publishing the blogs.

However, I now believe that God wanted me to explore writing many different kinds of blogs to hone my writing style and voice. Yes, he did teach me the value of story. But He also validated the unique ability I’ve always had to research and teach complex topics. I have grown to do both authentically and well.

You Talk with God:

• God, in what areas of my life do you want me to “trust in you with all my heart and not lean on my own understanding”?
• God, here are some scary or unsetting unknowns in my life. How do you want to encourage me through them?

Lesson #12: Believe God for Seemingly Impossible Results!

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)

I can now write much better blogs!

One of my blogs, “Christian Self-Confidence: Why It’s Essential and How to Get It,” now appears at the very top of the page when people do a Google search for “Christian self-confidence.” Several other blogs now appear further down on the first-page search-results when people Google various other phrases about Christian calling and growing in Christ. And wonder of wonders, a Google search of “coaching for Christian calling” returns my website’s home page and one of my Challenge 44 blogs.

I say these things certainly not to brag, but to show that skill training inspired by God’s guidance yields results in Christian life and calling!

However, I will also say that such delightful results don’t always happen according to our timing. I’ve been working on Google search engine optimization (SEO) for a long time. God had to bring me through some deep valleys to grow my character and calling before I saw these results. I’m ever so thankful to Him for blessing me in these ways, and now for blessing others through me.

Very late in Phase 3 of Challenge 44, immediately after I slept through most of a weekend because of exhaustion, I bemoaned the fact that I still struggle to come up with blog topics, develop them, and write about them.

But I heard God clearly say to me, “My child, you struggle with writing, not because you’re not a good writer, but because writing is hard! You struggle with Christian calling, not because you’re not good at your calling, but because your calling is hard! Be strong and courageous, because I will finish the calling I have given you. I love you, my child!

Also, sometimes Christian calling seems to go backward before it goes forward. For example, during Phase 1 of Challenge 44, almost as many people unsubscribed from my blog as subscribed, with an overall net gain of almost zero. But then, during Phases 2 and 3, the net gain shot up. And that was even though the goal of Challenge 44 was my own personal growth as a writer, not necessarily growth of the blog! What a throughly unexpected but deeply encouraging blessing!

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

You Talk with God:

• God, what seemingly impossible thing do you want to do in me or through me?
• God, here’s an area of my life where I need strength and courage. Show me how you are with me in it, wherever I go.

Resource: See this blog: How to Do Impossible Things with God

God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6)

By the way, in case you're wondering: Even though Challenge 44 is done, I'm definitely not done blogging! Blogging is still a significant part of my current Christian calling. So stay tuned for many more blogs in the future ... Lord willing, and for His glory!

What Did You Think of Challenge 44?

I would love to hear your feedback about Challenge 44! Please comment below!

Click here to see all of the Challenge 44 blogs.

A Huge Thank-You!

I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to my wonderful hubby, Ron Scherba! Ron completely and enthusiastically supported me all the way through the four and a half months of Challenge 44. He endured late dinners and a grumpy wife when technical difficulties messed with my otherwise sunny attitude! 🙂 Ron also read every single blog in great detail and caught dozens of mistakes by the time I published this last blog of Challenge 44—the blog you are now reading. Thank you, Babe! I love you!