Methodist Blogger Profile: Betty Newman

Betty Newman of Prayerlogue

Since my “work picture” is on my blog and is included when I make a comment most of the time, I’ve chosen to include our family picture that was recently made for our Church directory. As you can see, we “clean up” pretty well!

I’ve been a member of the UMC for about 42 years (since before it was “United”) - joining when I was 10 years old (you can do the math!) I’ve been married to Joe for nearly 31 years now. We’re pretty simple folks. We’ve known each other all our lives, even belonging to churches on the same Circuit as we were growing up. We’ve both been lay speakers since the late 70’s, and have held nearly every office in our local church (still belonging to one of the churches on that same rural Circuit.)

We live on a pretty secluded farm with horses and assorted wildlife. Joe is a systems analyst (who would rather be on a tractor) and I own an antiques restoration and custom picture framing business located on our farm.

We have 2 sons and a daughter (by law). Our older son, Joe, Jr. married Suzanne last summer. He is a welder by profession (and a cowboy at heart) and she is a teacher. Our younger son John is a musician (can you tell?) He is a student at the University of Tennessee with a Jazz and studio music major (check out his web site at www.aeolianjazz.com) He is also in, and writes music for, a Christian Rock Band.

Why do you blog?

Actually I have 2 blogs. The original “Prayerlogue” (http://www.prayerlogue.blogspot.com/) began as a way to have a “searchable” form of my weekly e-mail devotional. The weekly mailing began nearly a year ago by e-mailing a group of mostly teachers and women friends with prayers and devotionals that I had written. It grew in popularity until I had a pretty big mailing list and thought that maybe others would enjoy reading them as well.

The second - “Between a (Theological) Rock and a Hard Place” (http://www.methodistmusings.blogspot.com/) came about because of some of the struggles and thoughts I have about theology - and - I didn’t want to “muddy up” Prayerlogue with sometimes controversial and personal thoughts.

What has been your best blogging experience?

As many others have stated, getting feed back, both as comments and as private e-mails, that something you’ve said has touched another’s life. That is so awesome and humbling as well.

What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?

I guess first of all I’d ask “why do you want to do it?” Examine your reasons “why” and that will give you your “motivation to”. Also, as for practical advice - don’t make them too long. Most folks don’t have a lot of time to read a long treatise. If your piece is long - break it up and give your readers a reason to come back!

If you only had time to read three blogs a day, what would they be?

I am not much of a technical person, so when I found “hotkeys” I was ecstatic! I have 10 blogs saved on “hotkeys” that I try to check every day or so, but the ones I always check are Wesleyblog, Rekindling Methodism (http://rekindlingmethodism.blogspot.com/) and of course Locusts and Honey! Sometimes I check this one several times a day (John just gets on a roll sometimes, ya know!)

Who are your spiritual heroes?

I group my heroes in categories. Biblical heroes include Jeremiah - I both admire him and fear a call like his. John, the apostle for the change in his life - how one could change from a “son of thunder” to one with such love is amazing to me. And I am just learning more about Paul - the man.

Church heroes - John Wesley of course, but Martin Luther amazes me, and I love the writing of AW Tozer. More contemporary - I love to listen to the teaching of R.C. Sproul, and then more personal - my Mother. And the older I get, the more of a hero she becomes to me.

What are you reading at the moment?

I read a lot (you should see the stack beside my bed!) - so, “Blue Like Jazz”, EM Bounds’ “The Possibilities of Prayer”, Barclay’s “The Acts of the Apostles”, as well as trade magazines “The Crafts Report”, “Picture Framing Magazine”, “Décor”, “INC”, “Entrepreneur” and “Fast Company.” (On-going: my SS lessons, “My Utmost for His Highest”, “The Practice of the Presence of God”, “The Pursuit of God”, and of course the Word of God!)

What is your favorite hymn and why?

Oh man, there are so many! Foremost - “How Firm a Foundation” I love the words,

“What more can He say, than to you He has said.

To you, who for refuge to Jesus has fled.

‘Fear not, I am with you. Oh, be not dismayed,

for I will be with you and will still give you aid.

I’ll strengthen and help you and cause you to stand,

upheld by My righteous, Omnipotent hand!’ ”

Wow! What power. I keep a copy of this in my pocketbook at all times. It has strengthened me more than once in difficult times!

Can you name a major moral, political, or intellectual issue on which you've ever changed your mind?

I am a child of the 60’s - ‘nuff said! (I’m an old hippie Republican and a liberal conservative Christian!)

What philosophical thesis do you think is most important to combat?

Man, I have a hard enough time just combating my own daily struggles, but if I had to name one it would be that “man is basically good.” No, he is not!

If you could effect one major change in the governing of your country, what would it be?

Every single thing I can think of - the welfare system, social security, restrictions on small business, the balance between meeting needs and protecting the environment, etc - all comes back to individual responsibility. We are a country that was created for “self”-government. But there can’t be “self-government” until there is “self-control” and there can’t be self control until there is “God-control” in the self’s life.

If you could effect one major policy change in the United Methodist Church, what would it be?

When Joe and I became certified Lay Speakers, we began to immerse ourselves in the Church - District and Conference-wise. We immediately discovered (at least here) the “Good Ole Boy Club” (which included both men and women, by the way.) If you were “new” or “young” it was difficult to break into it. (We’re not much on politics.) So we just sorta kept to ourselves. If I could change one thing, it would be the way “politics” runs our church just like it runs business, the marketplace, and the world. Who you know seems to be more important that what you can do.

What would be your most important piece of advice about life?

Learn to communicate. More problems arise from misunderstanding than any other reason. Great communication is the key to a great marriage, by the way!

What, if anything, do you worry about?

I worry about becoming a “Scribe.” (I learned about this from Tozer.) There is nothing I love more than Bible Study and I have a fear of knowing all “about” the Word of God, and not “knowing” the God of the Word!

If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything that you'd do differently?

I didn’t go to college - perhaps I’d do that. I didn’t know that there was such a thing as “art school” perhaps I’d have gone there. But if I had, I wouldn’t have worked where I did, nor lived here. And would I have married Joe? I like to live by “But who knows but that you have come [to the kingdom] for such a time as this…”

Where would you most like to live (other than where you do now)?

We live on a 65 acre farm that has been in my husband’s family for over 200 years - the only place I’d like to live differently is on another piece of the original farm (a piece which we no longer own) that is right on the French Broad River.

What do you like doing in your spare time?

Hmmm, what’s that? I am so blessed! I live where I love. I own a business that I love, and work everyday doing what I love. I am surrounded by books and resources that support the study that I love, and I have a husband that I love to spend time with, and allows me to be “me!” We work all the time, but once in a while, we sneak off to ride our horses. So, I guess that is “spare” time.

What is your most treasured possession?

Since I consider my wedding band a part of my soul, my treasured “earthly possession” is my laptop. Where I used to have “40 jillion” books and commentaries spread out on my bed while studying, I now have my laptop (and e-sword!) and only a couple dozen books… Plus, my writing has skyrocketed since Joe got it for me.

What talent would you most like to have?

I know everyone says this, but I’d really like to be able to sing and make music. I truly cannot. I am tone deaf (just ask my husband who has a wonderful tenor voice and our younger son who writes music!)

If you could have any three guests, past or present, to dinner, who would they be?

Well, first of all, someone else would have to do the cooking. I’m more like Mary than Martha! But for guests - my Mother, Gran (my aunt) and Mamaw. Man, how I miss these women in my life…