The Crystal Lee Williams blog was nominated for the Liebster Award!

Here's what happened...

A new blogging friend of mine, Dianna, from Wholefully Beautiful passed on to me the honor of being nominated for the Liebster Award. She is a holistic enthusiast ready to help others on their journey to a healthy and whole life! Her newest post on Goals For 2018 is a favorite of mine, because if you don't already know... I'm ALL ABOUT GOALS.

So... what is the Liebster Award and how did I get it?

The Liebster Award is given by bloggers to bloggers with the purpose of helping readers discover new blogs. You get to know more about each nominee as they answer a few questions about their blogging journey.

Now, without further ado, here are my answers to these questions:

1. What inspired you to start blogging?

A college professor and God. In college we were asked to start a blog for a Christian Missions class (shoutout to Dr. Elijah Brown) I took and while I was initially on BlogSpot simply to complete my assignment, I would find myself reading more and more blogs and slowly discovering an online world of writers and incredible stories. I was hooked.

After the class ended, I continued blogging on BlogSpot but created a new blog to document my experience of working at a Christian summer camp as a camp counselor to 6th grade girls. Go Sky Ranch!

That continued to be my blog (titled Crystal Clear - original, I know) until I graduated from college. I then started my second blog titled Gloriously Uncertain, because, well... I was very uncertain as to what would come after college, but was determined to be obedient no matter where life with God led me. I documented life after college there.

UNTIL I got married. Quickly after getting married, my husband and I started praying about feeling led to plant a church in Katy, Texas! Stories of Newlywed Church Planters was born, aka my third blog!

It doesn't end there. Two years into our marriage and church planting, I felt led to continue writing more and about various topics at that. So, I made the decision to branch out into my own website + blog, this one!

Many don't know that I've been blogging for 7 years!!! That's insane.

All in all, life with God inspires me to blog, documenting every bit of it, no matter where I am or what He calls me to do.
I write about it. And many other things.

2. When you have a writer’s block, what do you do to work it out?

I stop. I hit the 'save' button and take a break from it. Sometimes I have to walk away completely and experience a change of scenery or rhythm. Other times, I simply open a new tab and find something to read: articles, blogs, posts online, etc. Other words inspire me. Music also inspires me. With that said, at times I step away and listen to worship music.

One last thing I'll do if I'm really stuck is stop and ask myself if what I'm writing about is truly something I want to write about. If I'm not passionate about it, a draft may never leave my draft box.

3. What advice would you give other bloggers?

Know why.
Are you starting a blog to stay connected with family and friends? Is it to practice your writing? Is it to make money? Maybe it’s because of all those reasons. Just know your why and never forget it. Let it ground you and bring your clarity in times of doubt or confusion.
Make friends!
Connect and collaborate. Meet other bloggers, creatives and influencers. You won’t regret it. And when you do meet another blogger or influencer, cheer them on, don’t compare yourself or envy them.

Quit trying to be like everyone else.
If you’re an introvert, be an introvert. If you’re more honest and bold, then don’t stop being real. If you’re a little more silly than stiff, then be your fun, quirky self! I think readers can tell when you’re trying to be something you aren’t.

My Nominations

This is the fun part! I get to share with YOU, my amazing and faithful readers, about other inspiring bloggers. Some are dear friends, others I have met solely because of this blogging adventure I'm on. Here they are:

Michael & Katie at Budget Bucketlisters – Katie and I worked together for a while and let me tell you, this girl is passionate about whatever she does! Right now, that so happens to be TRAVELING THE WORLD and SAVING MONEY WHILE DOING IT. Is that not enough to make you want to click on their blog and explore? Solid content and incredible photographs is what you'll find if you do.
Bethany at Mental Weigh-in – Bethany is another dear friend with such a great gift with words. I had the privilege of rooming with her for a season and her wisdom challenged me a ton. Her blog posts are no different. Give her posts a read and get ready to be inspired by her amazing weight-loss journey, pursuit of God and adorable twin boys.
Kaylyn at Kaylyn's Knowledge - Kaylyn is a wonderful, God-loving gal that doesn't shy away from sharing truth! Her posts are consistently grounded in scripture and I love seeing her posts on Instagram. This gal knows how to have good, wholesome fun all while inspiring others around her to love God more.
Noelle at Oh Happy Hotalings - Noelle and I met online via a Facebook group! We're certain it was a God thing. We share a love for God and running and blogging! This gal posts about all those things and now as a soon-to-be mama, she is sharing truths about pregnancy and motherhood. Give her a follow!
Carolyn Marie at Song of Happiness - Carolyn is truly a sweet, sweet soul. This is another friend I've acquired thanks to the internet and blogging! Carolyn just so happends to also be an incredible photographer in the Houston area. Check out for blog for great posts and pictures!

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU! Thank you for following along, reading, commenting, liking, sharing and voicing your thoughts on my Instagram, Facebook page and blog! It’s been a little over 6 months now since the launch of my new website/blog and I hope it’s growth, reach and impact has encouraged you all as much as it has me. I’m pumped to KEEP ON in #2018. So, thank you for reading, thank you for following along on my crazy and random IG stories, thank you for your DM’s or texts or emails sharing how a blog post published was just what you needed to read, or how an Instagram/Facebook post encouraged you in some way, and thank you for your questions and prayer requests sent in! I read them all, pray over y’all and do my best to reply!

I’ve truly loved getting to know you and serve you. I’m determined to listen more to what God is leading me to share, to write more consistently and to be faithful in teaching what I’ve been taught in the most transparent way possible. Thanks for being here.

Thank you so much for reading!