Happy new year, friends! Here we are, January 3. Ready or not, 2019, here we come!
First off, thankΒ you for sharing and passing my blog along to your friends! We just hit 41,000 subscribers, and I couldn’t be more excited about that!

Now, before we get into tonight’s post, I have to share with you something that, honestly, has rocked my world recently. With the New Year in full swing, many of you have been reaching about about blogging advice. And my ebook, “My Blogging Tips” goes into full detail and practical advice on blogging. However, I have recently discovered a new strategy that is not yet in the book. And it is this: Pinterest. It’s often mistaken as “social media” in the sense of Facebook or Instagram, but it is actually a searchΒ engine, a la Google! So as bloggers, it really behooves us to get our “stuff” on there!
And I’ve discovered, through personal recommendation, a tool to help me do that. And it is called Tailwind. I like to call it the “crock pot” of Pinterest, because you literally “set it and forget it.” Now let me tell you…I started using Tailwind back a little before Christmas. And when I began, I got maaaybeΒ 100 impressions a month. I started using Tailwind…and when I went back on Monday to check how my traffic was doing, and it had grown to 671,400 impressions A MONTH. 671 Thousand! I almost fell out of my chair. And so I just had to share that with you. You can try it for free for 30 posts by clicking here. So there you go – if one of your resolutions is to take your blogging to the next level, read my ebook and sign up for Tailwind!!
Alright – SO! As I’m writing this, I am barreling down the highway on my way to Indianapolis. I mentioned that I was going to a conference this week in Indiana, but I figured, what the heck — why be buttoned-up about it? The fact is…there’s a chance that I could run into some of YOU there, so here we go!
I’m heading to the FOCUS conference: SEEK 2019!! I am so SO excited about it. FOCUS stands for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. I was involved in that organization in college, and after college, and my family is very involved still to this day. SEEK is this huge, gathering of 20,000 young people who want to grow in faith and fellowship together at the conference!
But I’m so excited! Leah Darrow is speaking tonight. And I haven’t spilled the beans on this yet, but I will be on her podcast coming up in early 2019! We recorded back in December, and I am thrilled to see her this evening!
Plus, Cameron Fradd will be in attendance! And if that name rings a bell, it’s because I was on her podcast, Among the Lilies, this past year, too!
There are so many Christian powerhouses that are going to be in attendance — Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jason Evert, Dr. Scott Hahn, Chris Stefanick. Plus, music by NEEDTOBREATHE, Matt Maher, and others. It’s going to be incredible!
SO! If you’re going to be at SEEK, come say hello! I’d love to chat and meet you!
But as I’ve been preparing for SEEK, I’ve been thinking about the role of young people in the propulsion of our faith as followers of Jesus.
Because ask Kylie Jenner – the youngest billionaire and “lip kit” aficionado: young people have aΒ lot of influence and buying power.
So how do we translate that to our faith?
Because whether we like to accept it or not, we are responsible for the health of our community of believers. We can’t just sit by apathetically and say, “someone else take the lead.“
We are the future of our faith. And “closed doors christianity” just isn’t going to cut it anymore. We cannot be secretly Christian and practice our faith in privacy, behind closed doors. We need to live our faith out loud. Let it infiltrate how we live, how we speak, how we purchase, the media we consume. We need to show up in life, as followers of Jesus.
Because the world, much like the farm land outside my car window, is a spiritually barren place.

We need to show up, and breathe life into this broken and hurting world. Starting with our communities. Our spheres of influence. Our own four walls.
I am so inspired by these college kids that are showing up this weekend at SEEK. They are on fire for Christ, and living their faith out loud, in arguably the most inhospitable landscape to be a Christian: college.
We are not on an island. We are a communityΒ of believers, and we are not alone on our walk with Christ. We have brothers and sisters beside us, cheering us along the way.
It’s time we take our faith out from behind closed doors, and let the world see His light and His love, living in our hearts.
Let’s make 2019 the year we take our faith to the streets!
Because the world needs it.
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137 responses to “SEEK 2019”
Biggest hugs beautiful amazing girl!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Thank you Miguel! Hugs and love xox
xoxoxoxo
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Happy New Year to you too π
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congrats on the 41000, subscribers and thanks for the information on how we can improve on our blogging; would have to subscribe to benefit fully from it
Thank you so much!! Hugs and love xox
I’m proud to sponsor a FOCUS missionary, and grateful for the chance to be involved. Enjoy the conference! — Mike
Oh Mike that is so incredible!! Thank you!!!! Happy New Year! π
Will your blogging tips ever be available on Amazon? I have a Kindle. π
Yes! You can get it through the blurb website! http://www.blurb.com/b?ebook=638982 Happy New Year! π
Wonderful! Thanks!
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Fantastic! You are right on, we need to take our faith out to the world and live it all the time making sure God has His prime spot in our lives. Wonderful thoughts there, keep it up and I pray you will have a wonderful 2019!
Steve.
Thanks so much Steve π yes!! Same to you! Hugs and love xox
I honestly don’t get the Christian powerhouse term (I get what it means) I just don’t get when Christians get a following their is only one person we should be following
That is true. What I meant by that is their faith is on fire!
Amen. We are called to go out to the world and proclaim the good news.
Thanks so much Brendan! Amen to that! Hugs and love xox
Happy new year! Xx
Thank you friend! Happy New Year! π
I live in Indiana! But I’m up in Lafayette near Purdue University, about an hour away from Indianapolis. I hope you enjoy your time there! Let me know if you have any questions about the area. π
Also, I see that Tailwind works for both Pinterest and Instagram; is there a reason you chose to use it for Pinterest instead of Instagram? Can you use it for both, or do you have to pick one or the other?
Oh nice!!! Thanks so much Jalena! Yes! I just havenβt explored insta yet! But yes you can do both!! Happy New Year! π
I just got Pinterest yesterday! So excited! Trying to learn how to do everything
Oh nice!!! It really is super fun and effective! Oh my gosh is it effective. Hugs and love xox
Hey what sizes are you Pinterest images and cover board pics? Because Iβm trying to make my own
Hmm I actually didnt size them – itβs just whatever came up automatically!
Oh ok thanks π
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Congratulations on the 41K followers, Caralyn! Safe travels. πβ€οΈππ»
Thank you so much John! Hugs and love xox
Thank you for inspiring us! ππ»ππ
Thanks friend, that means a lot. Hugs and love xox
Thank you π
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Tailwind sounds very promising! Did you need to have a Pinterest account and a following there before you started? That conference sounds really good, I wish we had something similar in the UK
It really is! Thanks Ash. Creating a Pinterest profile is not difficult at all! But yes I do believe you need to create one for tailwind. And no! I think i had 38 people or something when I started!! Hugs and love xox
Thanks for the Pinterest tip. I won’t be at SEEK. But my fellow priests and brothers of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary will be there. Stop by the booth. There will be a powerhouse of saints.
Thanks so much Br. Jonas! Bummer that you wonβt be at seek! But Iβll definitely try to stop by your booth!! Hugs and love xox
Just a quick visit to wish you a happy new year. I’ll be mostly off line in January setting up my new computer. π
Oh thank you so much Ian! Enjoy the time offline! I love unplugging! Hugs and love xox
Congratulation and happy new year to you, Sist. You have inspired me for me to start living with different view. God bless you.
Thank you so much Jejak! Oh my gosh that means so much π Happy New Year! π
Keeping the faith has never been harder in these days of secular propaganda. So thankful for your enthusiasm and dedication to all things Christian. God bless. Have fun.
Thank you Dennis, that means a lot. And gosh youβre right about that! Hugs and love xox
Happy New Year and welcome to Indiana! May the Lord bless you this year!
Thank you Jim, same to you! Happy New Year! π
Enjoy, and soak, in Holy Spirit Blessings this weekend Caralyn. You canβt keep on giving out continually, you need to sit (worship, sing, dance), and absorb what the Lord is saying to you through others, as well as meeting with our Father.
Jesus went out by Himself often to meet with His Heavenly Father. Also, Jesus, along with Peter, James, and John had times when they ministered to and with one another.
Even at one time, Elijah and Moses came back to meet with Jesus, Peter, James and John.
Godβs Blessings Caralyn, looking forward to reading some of the nuggets you will mine.
Luv. πβ€οΈπΉπ
Thank you so much George. It really is already such an incredible conference. The speakers were incredible tonight. Yes! Youβve got to refill the bucket!! Thanks for your kindness my friend. Hugs and love xox
Keep receiving Godβs Blessings, and be filled to overflowing with Holy Spirit, through others ministering to you.
Luv. πβ€οΈπΉπ
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“… live our faith out loud.” YESSSS!
Also, I really like NeedToBreathe and Matt Maher.
Thank you so much Janice! I canβt wait to hear them!! Hugs and love xox
Welcome to Indianapolis! I hope you have a fabulous experience.
And if you see a tall Dominican student brother named Ben (in a white habit), say hello for me, as he is one of my son’s classmates.
Thanks so much JP! I love Indy! Oh nice! I will keep an eye out for Ben!! Hugs and love xox
Terrific! All that is going on seems like it is right for you. I feel lucky I get to read what you’re doing with your blog.
I am curious about your thoughts on Pinterest. One thing is I have the understanding that Pinterest is favored by women. It makes sense as you are often writing for the ladies in the audience.
I don’t know if you know if there is a male presence on Pinterest, or whether there is a masculine role for gentlemen to play on Pinterest. Great post you’ve written here, and I keep thinking how great it is that everything turned out superb for you! Keep being amazing!
Thank you so much Odell! And oh my gosh what a kind thing to say, thanks for that. Hmm – Pinterest does have a large female user base, but thatβs not to say that men donβt or canβt use it. Thereβs a lot of niche topic areas for the gentlemen for sure!! Hugs and love xox
I hope you have a safe trip!
Thank you Dave, I appreciate that! Happy New Year! π
Happy new year to you and congrats on all the subscribers-you do such a good job!
Oh gosh thank you so much! Happy New Year! π
I’m at SEEK, too!!
– Victoria
Hey Victoria! Oh nice!! Would love to say hello!! π enjoy your time! Hugs and love xox
Happy New Year and thank your for this post. It reminds me of Darlene Zschech’s song GO. And in line with the post, the lyrics go like….
We should go
into all the world we should go
Into every life
With your love
Definitely something to ponder on and include in the years plan. Much love and appreciation
Oh wow i love those lyrics! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs and love xox
Love the blog! If you want to see a Canadian organization that is all about faith in action, please check out operationsharing.ca (I’m part of the organization, so I’m biased, but I think it’s awesome!)
Oh awesome! Thanks so much Eric!! Hugs and love xox
I am a bit jealous of the whole NeedToBreathe thingy.
Haha thanks Johannes! Iβll be sure to instagram it! (@beauty.beyond.bones)
Oh my that is worse. Like torture π
Haha
Congratulations on all of the big things happening for you!
Thank you so much friend! Hugs and love xox
Happy and Blessed New Year Beauty! Continue to blaze across the skies and share your magnificent light.
Godβs Grace.
Thank you Cleo! Happy New Year! π
On Christmas Eve as we all stood in church holding up our candles, the pastor encourage us to look around the sanctuary. He closed the service saying “imagine if we all, unabashedly, took our light out into this dark world..what a difference it would make!” — He’s right of course.
Thank you so much Cindy for sharing that. Wow – so powerful! Hugs and love xox
Thank you for the lovely reminder to “…live our faith out loud.” It is so true!!! I have a hard time speaking to others because of my personality. I CAN demonstrate God’s love through actions though. Happy New Year! Enjoy your time in IN π
Thank you so much Jackie π yes!! And God gave you your exact personality. It was perfectly created! π Happy New Year! π
Have a great time, Caralyn! Man! Lucky to hear Dr. Hahn speak!!! I can’t wait to hear of your adventures!
Thank you! Yeah Iβm so excited about that talk! And my mom is actually a personal friend of his! Thanks for joining along! Hugs and love xox
Safe travels! Enjoy the conference!!
Thanks lady! Itβs going amazing so far!! Big hugs to you xox
XOXO
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This sounds like Passion in Atlanta GA this week for the non denomination section of Christianity. My oldest went twice and I always wanted to go but Iβm too old. Enjoy yourself!!
Oh nice!!! Yeah it is so invigorating to experience the energy! Thanks so much! Hugs and love xox
Congrats! You deserve all of us as followers and more! Hope the SEEK experience will be amazing. And that your year will bring you a lot of joy and be blessed! You have a great energy about you and I love how you write. π Keep it up and can’t wait to hear more from you π
Thank you so much, friend! That means a lot! Hugs and love xox
Caralyn, there is some great information with this post. You are always helping without condition. I will SEEK you for 2019 as you will inspire me to keep my idiocy going. Thank you for being you.
Thank you so much π gosh youβre kind to say that!! Hugs and love xox
You are welcome.
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You have many followers because you are giving hope to so many. Sharing your faith is unusual in these times and I’m clearly seeing with your blog that yound folks are interested in hearing more about God…Many blessings your way
Oh my gosh thank you Alice! What a kind thing to say! Hugs and love xox
Youβre so close to me! Have fun. I hope itβs wonderful.
Aw thanks so much! Itβs such a great time! Hugs and love xox
Prayers being offered for all of you at the SEEK Conference
Thank you so much for your prayers!! Theyβre greatly appreciated π€ Hugs and love xox
Hope you have a great time at the conference girl and be safe! Happy for you as always. It will be a good year π
Thank you Laura!! I hope so! And for you too!! Hugs and love xox
Happy new year!
Happy new year Michael! Hugs and love xox
Have a great time Caralyn
Thanks David!
It sounds good
Happy new year dear and so happy to find you… lots of love
Happy New Year! π thanks so much!! Hugs and love xox
This sounds like an awesome event! NEEDTOBREATHE (however they spell it) originated in the city where I live. Their father pastored a church here for several years, and many of my friends know them. I can’t wait to hear more about it.
Oh wow thatβs awesome! I canβt wait to share! Thanks Matthew! Hugs and love xox
Happy new year, you! Have an intentional 2019.
Thanks Aletha! Same to you! Hugs and love xox
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Have a wonderful experience at SEEK. Congrats on the followers β you work tirelessly at the blog. -Jeff
Thank you so much Jeff, that truly means a lot. Yeah a lot of hours for sure! Haha Hugs and love xox
This made me think back to your post about the night you went to mass and there were NO young people in the church. It is also funny because the post I am sitting down to write has the same thread running through it. Downloaded your book and look forward to reading it. Awesome to hear and see you putting your faith to action this year. May He noticeably be in every step you take this year. Shalom
Thank you so much Tim! Youβre so right – this is so inspiring and encouraging to see 20,000 young people on fire for Jesus!!! Thanks for that π Hugs and love xox
Wise words! Enjoy your conference as you Seek Him! <3
Thank you so much DeVonne! It was absolutely incredible! Hugs and love xox
I love pinterest and often put my blog posts on there. π As always great post!
Oh awesome! Thanks so much! Yeah Pinterest is pretty fabulous for sure! Hugs and love xox
I’d definitely go if I lived in the USA!! Some of my favorite people speak there, and I think the atmosphere must be magic. I hope you’ve had a great time there, I can’t wait to read your impressions and reflections.
Oh amazing! Yeah it was such a moving conference. Thank you Paola! And there were actually 12 different countries represented there! It was amazing. To be in a room full of 20,000 people all worshiping Jesus – it was downright flabbergasting. Haha Hugs and love xox
Beautiful thoughts reflecting on faith.
Thank you subi! Hugs and love xox
Wow this is amazing π I hope you had such a blessed conference! sending prayers your way!
Thank you again π I really did! it was amazing! and thank you for your prayers! hugs xox
Good Iβm so glad π and yes anytime!
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Also my blog is sort of like yours at wonderofourking.org π
Awesome! Canβt wait to check it out!
I am hoping more of my generation will begin to see the importance of living out our Christianity loudly just as Christ did. That we will ALL – from across generations – become His eyes, ears, hands, feet, and mouth. We are the only reflection of Jesus some will see; the only Bible some will read. When we understand this, it becomes so important to love like Jesus and treat people as He did instead of as we have become accustomed to based upon religious practice and judgment. I am excited for the people being raised up and mantles being passed to a new generation of young folks willing to stand up and say βThis is the Jesus I know. Come meet Him!β Bless you!!
Hello again Shell!! Amen to that! That is my favorite thought: that we can be Jesusβ hands and feet and eyes and mouth to others. Such important work! Hugs and love xox
Glad to see an outreach ministry in young Catholics. Thanks for this post. Iβve learned a lot just looking at your blog posts. My blog just went absolutely nuts yesterday and part of it was looking at what you do, part was the WordPress blog for pumping your blog for 2019.
Thank you so much Bruce! Oooh yeah, FOCUS is doing huge things with college kids! Oh gosh thatβs kind of you to say π thank you Hugs and love xox