Rachel E. Newman

Living within Your Means

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Living within Your Means

by Rachel E. Newman, ACP 

One of the greatest challenges we face in our culture is living within our means. I’ve never been more aware of this than right now. God is walking with and leading me through a new season in which I’ve found myself a widow, a single mom, and the one responsible for my family’s financial security. In the midst of this unexpected storm, my heavenly Father, now also my heavenly husband (Isaiah 54:5), has been teaching me how to walk in a new level of peace. He’s been showing me how to lie down with Jesus in the boat and just sleep. And the more I meditate on the supernatural life I’m called to live, the more I realize how radical it is.

God calls us to things that are not only counterculture but sometimes seemingly impossible. For instance, he tells us not to be anxious, worried, or afraid (Philippians 4:6-7). He tells us our supply comes from him (Philippians 4:19). He tells us that along with Jesus, he gave us every spiritual blessing (Romans 8:32; Ephesians 1:3). These are truths. Whatever contradicts them is a lie. And when we apply them to our finances, we realize living in intimate relationship with the Sustainer of life comes with significant advantages as a byproduct of being completely submerged in and submitted to his love.

Building on the foundation that God is our supplier and we can safely trust in his love, ability, and willingness to care for us, here are some practical steps to apply in order to live within your means.

  1. Use a program such as Mint.com to create a budget, tracking your income and expenses and upcoming expenses. This clarifies where the money is going and why it’s been disappearing so quickly. In this way, you can curb unnecessary spending and focus your money on what’s important. Remember to include God and listen to his Spirit during this entire process.
  1. Start tracking your time. Some of us hate tracking our hours of work. One of the beauties of freelancing is being able to accept flat-fee jobs and not worry about how much time we spend. But if you’ve been struggling to live within your means, this is a must. You have to determine how quickly you can perform different types of editing and figure out how much money you’re earning per hour. To meet the national average, you should be making between $30 and $60 per hour.
  1. Make it a policy to only accept jobs that will pay a fair wage and provide what’s required to meet your budgeted income. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to say no. As children of God, the only thing we are desperate for is more of him, not our next editing project.

While there are many wonderful lessons we can learn while experiencing poverty, it is never a place God intends for you to stay in. May his grace empower you to live as his child.

Rachel E. Newman holds a BS degree from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. She is a Gold Member of the Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, is certified  with the Christian Editor Connection, serves as a judge for the Excellence in Editing Award given by the Christian Editor Connection, and serves as a faculty member for PENCON, the only conference for editors in the Christian market. She is also a licensed skydiver. When she’s not at her computer diligently editing for her clients, you can find her in the skies flying her rainbow canopy after a jump from 10,000 feet. Visit her at www.RevisionsbyRachel.com or email: Editor@RevisionsbyRachel.com

Staying Current

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Staying Current

By Rachel E. Newman

In this age of information technology, it seems that a new thing comes out every day. If you’re anything like me, you shake your head and wonder, why can’t they leave well enough alone? I mean, Windows XP hit it out of the park. But no, they had to make things “better.” There’s nothing more frustrating than the new and improved whatever actually being way worse than its predecessor.

So it can be very tempting to stay with what you’ve got. You know it, and it works for you. Hey, I feel you. I’m right there with you. I held out as long as I could before getting a smartphone. And now I cringe at the idea of getting a new model. So why upgrade at all? Don’t you have better things to do with your time than learn how to operate a new gadget?

The best argument I’ve heard, and the one that convinced me, is that remaining with the old leaves you vulnerable. Once an operating system or software is replaced by something new and better, it stops receiving support from its maker. It is left to waste away in the desert of the abandoned and obsolete. This leaves you open to attacks by hackers and would-be identity thieves.

The best course of action, then, is to upgrade. Write it into your business model and chalk it up to the cost of doing business. When you receive prompts telling you updates are available, go ahead and install them. This not only applies to your personal computer, but also to your smartphone, tablet, e-reader, laptop, etc.

If you have trouble learning a new operating system or software product, set aside time to walk through a tutorial or enroll in an online class. If you learn better in person, check with the place of purchase or your local library to see if they offer training for that particular program. Don’t let fear hold you back. You have a Father in heaven who loves you perfectly. And His love casts out fear.

Pleasant penning,

Rachel E. Newman, CP
Freelance Editor and Indexer
Certified Paralegal
www.RevisionsbyRachel.com
Editor@RevisionsbyRachel.com

Rachel E. Newman holds a BS degree from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. She is a Gold Member of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, serves as a judge for the Excellence in Editing Award sponsored by the Christian Editor Connection, and has served as a faculty member for PENCON, the only convention for editors in the Christian market. Rachel enjoys, among other things, dates with her husband, swing dancing, reading, teaching, discussing important issues, watching Star Trek, sewing, cooking, Pilates, horseback riding, water sports, playing guitar, and snow skiing.

Does Thankfulness Matter?

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Does Thankfulness Matter?

By Rachel E. Newman

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On May 30, 2016, my husband and I welcomed Maximus Newman into the world of the air breathers. How excited and happy and exhausted I was.

We were as prepared as we could be for something we both knew we could never truly be prepared for. But boy, how unprepared I was! Over the next weeks and months, I survived on short, thirty- to forty-minute naps all night long. I spent my days and nights nursing Max. When he wasn’t nursing, he was sleeping. But if I dared to put him down, he’d wake up immediately, hungry again no less. I was losing any sense of my identity. There was no time for Rachel. None. Zilch. It seemed there was barely enough time for this needy little one, and he was milking what little time there was for all it was worth (quite literally!).

It wasn’t long before my back hurt, my shoulders hurt, my arms hurt, my knees hurt, my fingers hurt, my wrists hurt, my ankles hurt. And often when I was nursing, I’d get nauseated and anxious. Every time the sound of crying jarred me awake yet again, I’d wake up angry. Irritability, frustration, and anxiety became my constant companions. I started to hate my life. At one point, I escaped for a brief period to go to the grocery store, and I realized I had no smiles to offer anyone. Is this why few people ever smile in public? Are they simply overwhelmed by their responsibilities and life’s demands?

As maternity leave ended and I was preparing to resume my editing duties at home, despair overcame me. How would I do it? This baby was demanding all of me. How could I muster up anything to run my business? I’d lost hope. And I questioned God. I realized whomever I’d become was lacking one of my old defining qualities—a thankful heart.

When I had lived thankfully, I could always find beauty in anything. But how could I be thankful under such physical and emotional strain? I didn’t have the power on my own. And so I sought out help. I asked for prayer. When people asked how I was doing, I was real with them. I knew I had a terrible attitude, and I desperately wanted God to change my heart. That little act of acknowledging it and bringing it before my good, good Father was all it took to start the process of restoration. I say process, because my heart did not change instantly. But with the help of the Holy Spirit and my brothers and sisters in Christ, I began the walk out of darkness and into His light.

Things are so much better now. God has brought me through. I wake up smiling at my sweet baby boy, and I find ways to fit editing hours into my day. If you are in a dark place of ungratefulness this holiday season, I encourage you to face it head on. Recognize it for what it is, ask God for help, and be real with people. Thankfulness matters. It puts life in perspective and keeps us humble before God. It’s critical to a joyful life and a thriving business.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, KJV).

Pleasant penning,

Rachel E. Newman, CP
Freelance Editor and Indexer
Certified Paralegal
www.RevisionsbyRachel.com
Editor@RevisionsbyRachel.com

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Rachel E. Newman holds a BS degree from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. She is a Gold Member of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, serves as a judge for the Excellence in Editing Award sponsored by the Christian Editor Connection, and has served as a faculty member for PENCON, the only convention for editors in the Christian market. Rachel enjoys, among other things, dates with her husband, swing dancing, reading, teaching, discussing important issues, watching Star Trek, sewing, cooking, Pilates, horseback riding, water sports, playing guitar, and snow skiing.

The Role of a Support System in the Life of a Professional

Articles for Freelancers, PEN Tips ,

The Role of a Support System in the Life of a Professional

By Rachel E. Newman

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What do you think of when you hear the word professional? Does it conjure the image of a self-made man or woman? Someone who has it all together and never falls short of his or her goals? If this is the image you have in mind, you may have trouble seeing yourself as a professional. You might have problems charging the rate of a professional. And you may have issues displaying professionalism.

Professionals are people, too.

And yes, we expect professionals to conform to the ethical standards of our industry, exhibit a courteous and conscientious attitude, and generally conduct themselves in a businesslike manner. But these traits don’t show up on their own. You can’t give what you don’t have. And you can’t get it without having others in your life.

My pastor recently preached a message about community. He said, after all his years of studying God’s Word and walking with the Lord, he’s realized that community isn’t just part of a church, the church is community. People who try to do life on their own, just them and Jesus, are not living life as part of the church. You can get to heaven with just you and Jesus, but you’re going to have a whole lot more trouble getting there. God intended us to live in community. And this is just as true in our professional lives as it is in our personal lives.

Within the support of a community, we find strength, comfort, knowledge, accountability, and even discipline. Freelancing isn’t an easy endeavor. We can’t always clock out at the end of the day and leave our work at work. Sometimes the business end of what we do can seem overwhelming, and we might be tempted to take shortcuts. It’s during those times we can turn to our support system. We can learn new things and better ways to handle our affairs. With knowledge comes confidence. We can gain courage and wisdom from those who have been where we are. With courage comes boldness to do what must be done. And we can give generously to those who are in need. With giving comes blessing and fulfillment.

A professional is not someone who has arrived on their own. Instead, he or she is someone who is journeying alongside a host of others who hold them up. If you haven’t found your professional community yet, I’d like to invite you to join The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network. This body of online community bolsters itself with grace and sharpens itself like iron on iron. It’s been an essential companion in the journey of this professional. And once a year, we get a chance to meet in person and turn those digital hugs into physical hugs at PENCON, the only professional conference for editors in the Christian market.

When you feel like you’re falling short and you’re tempted to treat your business like a hobby just because it’s so difficult, look in the mirror and remind yourself that all professionals face this moment. And then go find them and be a support for each other.

Pleasant penning,

Rachel Newman
Freelance Editor and Indexer
Certified Paralegal
www.RevisionsbyRachel.com.
Editor@RevisionsbyRachel.com

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Rachel E. Newman holds a BS degree from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. She is a Gold Member of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, serves as a judge for the Excellence in Editing Award sponsored by the Christian Editor Connection, and has served as a faculty member for PENCON, the only convention for editors in the Christian market. Rachel enjoys, among other things, dates with her husband, swing dancing, reading, teaching, discussing important issues, watching Star Trek, sewing, cooking, Pilates, horseback riding, water sports, playing guitar, and snow skiing.

How Talk Radio Can Enhance Your Editing

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How Talk Radio Can Enhance Your Editing

By Rachel E. Newman

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I must admit, I come from a family that doesn’t fit the status quo. As one of eight kids with two strong-willed, passionate parents, my life wasn’t perfect, but it was also never boring! I suppose Mom figured out at some point that she would need some outside support to survive all of us. So from the earliest memories I have, we had a constant stream of Christian radio filling the background of our lives. And I’m not talking about just music radio, I’m talking talk radio.

From 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every weekday, in every room of the house, somebody was preaching a sermon on God’s love, the Holy Spirit’s power, or our faith. And the station played gospel music every other moment of the day. The only time those radios went off was when we had a power outage. Otherwise, Mom had them going 24/7.

So what does this have to do with editing? I’m getting to that. When I left home for college, got married, and started a career in the legal field, I lost the habit of perpetually leaving a radio on. Actually, I’d lost the habit of listening to a radio at all. Television had replaced the background noise, filling the atmosphere with news or syndicated sitcoms. But at some point, I happened to be blessed with a job where I was allowed to listen to the radio station of my choice while I performed certain tasks. This is when Christian talk radio made a new impact on my life. I would tune in to sermons as I could, and I discovered that these short times of hearing the Word became oases in the middle of my days. I experienced a profound refreshing in my spirit, a quenching of a thirst I’d forgotten I had.

As I transitioned into my editing career, I took this new habit along with me. While editing requires full concentration, there are certainly other times in an editor’s life where talk radio can fit nicely. To maintain a healthy body and mind, an editor needs to take hourly breaks to stretch and move. Editors also need to schedule meal breaks and a chance to give our brains a reprieve from the focused analysis of text. And then, of course, there’s a household to maintain around a work schedule—dishes to be done, laundry to be folded, floors to be swept. All of these provide perfect opportunities to feed our spirits with some heavenly bread. And with radio now accessible online, you can easily listen on your computer or smart phone while transitioning from editing to other tasks. The living Word is literally at your fingertips.

I have found there is more joy and passion in my editing when my spirit is quenched with God’s love and His presence. Also, being patient with clients and viewing my services as an act of love become easier. If you’ve never tuned in to Christian talk radio before, if you’ve realized you’re going through a spiritual dry spell, or if editing seems to have become a chore instead of a delight, don’t wait another day. Take that fifteen-minute break before your eyes start crossing and tune in to a station where you’ll get a smorgasbord of sermons to support you.

KLTT 670 AM has a wide variety of preachers and programs to listen to. And besides having so much to offer, they are also supporting our beloved Christian PEN by sponsoring our annual editors’ convention this year, PENCON 2016.

Take a moment to check out their website and programming schedule at www.670kltt.com, where they make it super easy to tune in and listen online. If you have no idea where to start, some of my favorites are Andrew Wommack’s “The Gospel Truth,” Joyce Meyer’s “Enjoying Everyday Life,” and Charles Capps’s “Concepts of Faith.” But these are only a few of the many great options to brighten your day and feed your spirit.

Pleasant penning,

Rachel E. Newman, CP
Freelance Editor and Indexer
Certified Paralegal
www.RevisionsbyRachel.com
Editor@RevisionsbyRachel.com

Rachel E. Newman holds a BS degree from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. She is a Gold Member of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, serves as a judge for the Excellence in Editing Award sponsored by the Christian Editor Connection, and has served as a faculty member for PENCON, the only convention for editors in the Christian market. Rachel enjoys, among other things, dates with her husband, swing dancing, reading, teaching, discussing important issues, watching Star Trek, sewing, cooking, Pilates, horseback riding, water sports, playing guitar, and snow skiing.

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Photo credit: Alex Watson via Flickr Creative Commons

Three Steps Closer to the Ultimate Professional

Articles for Freelancers, PEN Tips ,

Three Steps Closer to the Ultimate Professional

By Rachel E. Newman

When I first entered the workforce right out of college, I had no idea how green I was. Experience truly is a valuable thing. It was my first time to work in an office setting, although I’d held various part-time jobs before that.

As I grew accustomed to my new surroundings, I noticed one of my coworkers, Sherry, went above and beyond what our training required in the area of professionalism. When she put people on hold, she would ask them if she could place them on hold. She dressed above the basic office wear that was accepted. And she showed grace and patience with the most irate people.

As I observed her over the months, I began to realize that her behavior should be the standard, not the exception. And at some point it dawned on me that I could set that standard for myself.

I carried what Sherry taught me throughout my years in the legal field and right on into my freelance career.

True professionalism is a rare find anywhere today. But you can decide to raise the bar in your professional practices and set yourself apart from the other editors authors might select. In the competitive field of editing, your level of professionalism could mean whether you panic to have your bills paid that month or whether you have clients lining up to use your services.

If this sounds like something you want to strive for, here are three steps you can take to get you closer to that ultimate professional you wish to be.

Step 1. Commit to Excellence

As Christian editors, we are a reflection of our Father, God. And God always gives His best. Have you been okay in the past to submit an edited manuscript that’s “good enough”? Have you ever returned a project to a client and thought, Well, I could have done better, but it was at least pretty good. Sometimes you might find yourself sacrificing quality in order to meet a deadline. What’s the answer? Always provide yourself enough time. Bid the job for longer than you think it will take if you have to. And practice saying no to jobs you don’t have time for. If you can’t do it with excellence, don’t take the job. God will bring something else along that is more suitable for your needs.

Step 2. Stand by Your Word

If you tell a client you’re going to do something, do it. Even if it’s detrimental or inconvenient for you, even if you misunderstood or got confused when you said it, make sure you follow through. If you’ve created an impossible situation for yourself, be honest with the client. But do everything you can to offset the inconvenience to him or her. Discount the price, throw in extra services, do some work for free. Whatever it takes.

Step 3. Wait Until You’re Ready

Patience truly is a virtue. And here’s the good news: it’s a fruit that grows effortlessly out of the Spirit within you. People often say they need more patience, or sometimes they even beg God for more patience. But when you realize patience is a part of your new identity in Christ, it takes all of your self-effort out of the equation. How does that apply to professionalism? Never go public with something that’s not ready. If your website isn’t as good as it should be, wait. If your skills are not as developed as they should be, wait. If your business logo isn’t quite what you wanted, wait. Make sure that the product you present to the public is the best of the best.

Mastering these three steps will propel you down the road of ultimate professionalism. Not only will it attract clients who value quality, but it will bring great glory to your Father when you operate like He does.

Pleasant penning,

Rachel Newman
Freelance Editor and Indexer
Certified Paralegal
www.RevisionsbyRachel.com
Editor@RevisionsbyRachel.com

Rachel E. Newman holds a BS degree from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. She is a Gold Member of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, serves as a judge for the Excellence in Editing Award given by the Christian Editor Connection, and has served as a faculty member for PENCON, the only convention for editors in the Christian market. Rachel enjoys, among other things, dates with her husband, swing dancing, reading, teaching, discussing important issues, watching Star Trek, sewing, cooking, Pilates, horseback riding, water sports, playing guitar, and snow skiing.

 

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