Welcome, Cindy.

Jo: What is the mission of ChristianDevotions.us?

Cindy: First, it is our belief that a devotion may be someone's only Bible for the day so we strive to put quality, relatable and touching devotions into view of internet surfers. We work to encourage individuals to develop a daily relationship with Christ and learn to draw from that relationship every day, not just in times of need. 

The second mission is to provide a platform for Christian authors and writers to have their work seen--to promote the art of Christian writing to a very secular world

Jo: When did ChristianDevotions.us first appear on the internet?

Cindy: God placed the idea for ChristianDevotions on the heart of Eddie Jones, my friend and co-writer; Eddie jotted the idea down but did nothing to initiate it. Eddie did eventually follow through and check for the domain name of ChristianDevotions.com but it was taken. The URL .us was not. So he registered it and posted a devotion.  The site itself came on line as a blog in August, 2007.

Jo: So, what were you doing when Eddie started this blog?

Cindy: I was managing my own small ministry called Mountain Breeze Ministries, which began four years prior to ChristianDevotions. God had me writing devotions five days a week and sending them to a small group of subscribers. Mountain Breeze was picked up by a newspaper in Knoxville, TN in the spring of 2007.

Jo: And how did you and Eddie become the co-founders of ChristianDevotions; what brought you together in this field?

Cindy: Eddie and I met briefly at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in Black Mountain, NC about four years ago, then again in 2007. We chatted a little and laughed a lot. I'd made another friend who I'd probably see once a year at the conference.

The two of us ended up in Penwrights critique group. Eddie saw a prayer request I posted into the critique group that they would pray God would lead me to an agent who could help me pitch a manuscript of devotions. Eddie emailed me asking if I'd like to contribute to his website and I agreed. Three months later I pitched the He Said, She Said devotion idea to him. This devotion would be written by Eddie and me: One Bible verse, two perspectives, his and hers. These devotions would deal with relationships and would also help readers to see Scripture from a gender specific viewpoint. Eddie and I wrote one devotion a week together and began posting it as the He Said, She Said devotion in October, 2007.

In January, 2008 the site visits jumped to nearly 1000 and we melded Mountain Breeze and its email distribution list into ChristianDevotions giving ChristianDevotions a voice both online and via email. Hence, we became co-founders. From May, 2008 to November, 2008 the site grew from 1000 hits a month to nearly 7000. Our email lists are near 1200. God is growing the ministry.

 Eddie and I share the same warped sense of humor; we joke like siblings and share a vision for ChristianDevotions and for the future of Christian publishing. I am blessed that God moved this wonderful Christian influence into my life. He is my best friend, my mentor, teacher, my brother, co-writer and my ministry partner. We plant, God waters and tills.

Jo: Do you foresee a world-wide reach for ChristianDevotions.us?

Cindy: As humans we tend to think small and it never occurred to us that we were being read world-wide. Eddie pulled up the monthly stats in May and learned we were being read in 49 countries. We get email from all over the world . . . Japan, Tibet, Afghanistan, Russia, Australia . . . . all over.

Jo: Do you hear from readers who have received a blessing from the devotions?

Cindy: We do hear from folks. We've been blessed over and over to hear how the words of our writers have saved lives, touched hearts and renewed hope. We hear from our soldiers in battle, from moms, from ministers and from the elderly. The devotions are written from a deep personal place and folks relate to them. They're not generic. You can read a devotion and say, "I had that happen to me, I know how they feel." So readers connect.

Jo: How important is your faith in your writing?

Cindy: My faith is everything in my writing. I am who I am because of Christ, and when He looks at me, He looks past my inabilities and my faults. He loves me anyway. So my faith is grounded deep into my writing. In fact, Eddie and I pray daily for this ministry. Each morning I send him via email my prayers and I know that when he does his personal devotions, he prays my prayers too. This is one reason I believe this ministry has catapulted to the heights that it has. We pray about it and for it EVERY day. Our faith--mine, Eddie's and the faith of our spouses and sons--is everything in our writing. We are blessed to have supportive families who join us in the ministry.

Jo: Do you and Eddie have new goals or expanding goals for ChristianDevotions.us?

Cindy: Yes, we have plans to help our writers on their paths to publication and we want to expand ChristianDevotions to also include a speaking ministry. Eddie and I would like to expand the ministry of our Friday devotions, He Said, She Said. We've found that our light-hearted bantering draws a crowd and folks tend to fall into the jovial spirit along with us, so that tells us our chemistry as a ministry team and co-writers works.

However, Eddie and I are only two people and we are praying for provisions. We need individuals who are willing to serve the Lord. We need a good PR person, and someone who is willing to help us manage the site posts. We continue to seek new writers, both published and non-published. And for the first time, the site is beginning to have expenditures. We pray that God will provide for us financially so that we can put the ideas we have into action.

Let me say this, ChristianDevotions.us would not be where it is today without the prayers and support of those who read us. God has taken this ministry as His own and we have given it freely. He alone gets the praise and glory. Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are simply the tools that make a ministry. God has taken us from two writers to 45+ authors and writers. Logically, the growth and expansion we've experienced should not have happened. It is here and successful solely on the hand of Christ.

I'd like to publicly thank Bennie Jones, Eddie's darlin' wife, and Tim Sproles, my sweet husband, who share us. They support us and love us as we work a ministry together. God is good to us.

Jo: Tell our readers how we can get these daily devotions online.

Cindy: The website is http://www.ChristianDevotions.us. At the site you can read the daily devotions posted for each week and if you like you can have them emailed to you daily by clicking on one of the link boxes and signing up. The devotions are free. Our writers are unpaid. They tithe of their talents and time back to God and He blesses them fully. You can write for us by clicking on the page that says Write for ChristianDevotions. We do have guidelines and unfortunately everything we get does not make the site. So pay attention to the guidelines.

I will add one other thing--please pray for this ministry. Encourage your churches to post our link on the homepage of their church websites so their members can click and read daily. Encourage your friends to attach our link to their websites. This is how we grow and spread the ministry.

Go to ChristianDevotions.us and check us out. And remember, a devotion may be someone's only Bible for the day.

NOTE: Cindy and Eddie will be teaching at the Delaware Christian Writers Conference in Newark, DE http://www.delawarechristianwritersconference.com/ April 24-25  and also the Blue Ridge Mountains Writers Conference, Ridgecrest, NC May 17-21  http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D152237%252526M%25253D201125%2C00.html

Thank you, Cindy, for being with us this month. Perhaps we've stirred interest in ChristianDevotions among our readers. Thanks again.