We were lucky to catch up with Lauren DuPrez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lauren, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

I started my blog, A Beautiful Inheritance, in 2010 because, at the time, blogging was the thing to do. I enjoyed spending Saturday mornings reading various blogs and learning from others. Some of my favorite blogs were by other Christian women who were transparent about their struggles yet remained hopeful in Jesus. I was also really impacted by bloggers who shared their finance journeys and how they worked to pay off debt. My blog morphed into being a space primarily for Christian book reviews as I love to read and at the time, there were many blog programs in which bloggers could receive free books in exchange for honest reviews. I signed up for as many as I could so I would have the opportunity to share with others what I was learning about God and His word through theologically rich books. My blog derives its name from Psalm 16:5-6 which says, “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” In addition to sharing Christian book reviews, I’ve enjoyed writing about how God is growing me. I truly believe that I have a beautiful inheritance in Jesus and I’m compelled to share about Him with others.

I know there are many definitions for success and when it comes to my blog, my measure of success is faithfulness. When it comes to measures like money earned or page views, my blog probably doesn’t seem successful and I’m okay with that. I feel it is successful when readers are encouraged or inspired to know Jesus or become more like Him.

Lauren, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I began blogging in 2010 and initially my blog was hideous. My first post was about polo shirts and was titled, “The Polo Shirt Must Die” (you can still read that post if you search for it!). When I began reading blogs as a hobby, I came across one that focused primarily on Christian book reviews. Since I was receiving Christian books for free in exchange for reviews, I decided to make the book reviews the bulk of my content. Rather than focusing on books, Christians should avoid, as there are many who already do that, I’ve decided to make it my aim to highlight books that make much of Jesus. Discernment bloggers are a dime a dozen and I feel that doing the work of discernment for others has the potential to foster lazy thinking. I also want to be cautious of not binding consciences to my convictions or preferences. I enjoy focusing on books that encourage me and point me to Jesus and help me grow in my relationship with Him by deepening my knowledge of Him according to the Bible.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yes! What drives me on my creative journey is a passage in the Bible known as The Great Commission. This passage is found in Matthew 28:18-20 and it says, “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'” This was an instruction Jesus initially gave to His followers when He was on earth and it is one that applies to His followers, like me, even today. I view my audience as digital disciples (credit for that term goes to pastor and author Dan Darling) and as a follower of Jesus, I view my role as a blogger ultimately as an opportunity to share the good news of the gospel.

The gospel is essentially, “. . . that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). When people turn from their sin and place their hope for salvation in Jesus alone (John 14:6), God cancels the record of debt that stood against them (Colossians 2:14) AND views them as perfect because when He looks at them, He sees the perfection of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21)! As a sinner, I’m not able to save myself but thanks be to God for making a way through Jesus and empowering me to live for Him by His Spirit. In John 4:34, Jesus said, “. . . ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work,'” and I aim to do the same through the content that I create and share.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I’ve had to unlearn is that an online platform is all about numbers. Typically for blogs and social media profiles to be considered successful, one must be constantly watching and improving their analytics. With algorithms changes modifying the way in which analytics are collected, it is almost expected that social media users and bloggers will practice whatever will accomplish the largest reach. I’ve felt the pull to compromise quality for quantity and to feed the algorithm in ways that will gain me certain numerical and financial results. However, when I consider that what I’m doing as a blogger has an eternal impact, it reshapes the way I think about numbers. In actuality, numbers are souls and souls are a stewardship. I consider what it will be like to stand before God and answer for how I spent my time and how I used my words. To me, using my platforms for God’s glory is of more value than any compensation having certain numbers may earn me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.abeautifulinheritance.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenduprez/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABeautifulInheritance
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-duprez-a561177b/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenduprez

Image Credits
Lauren DuPrez