Challenge Day, Changes & Chips...

....that sums up my week.....

Challenge day was, in a word, amazing. 

I had the opportunity to be an adult participant in Challenge Day this last week.  And let me just say that I was fully prepared to be there as a volunteer in whatever way was needed.  I was thinking that I was so in to just learning about what Challenge Day was all about, and so why not volunteer.  Maybe I could make somebody else's job easier that day.  Maybe I would get a chance to make a difference in somebody's life.  Maybe I would be able to help somebody out. 

Maybe.

What I wasn't prepared for was how much of an impact that Challenge Day had on me.
How much being around the leaders
and students
would impact me.
For the better.

The day was amazing.
Powerful.
And in such simple ways. 

A big thing that I got out of the day was just how much oppression goes on all. over. the. place.
Just when you thing you might be the only person in the world going through whatever it is in the world you are going through....
....you are probably wrong.
Our friends and neighbors are going through the same stuff.

And we all probably want to reach out.
To each other.
But maybe don't know how.

I can go on.
and I will.
nother time.

*******************
Changing things up.....
So I've had some pretty good success with doing some online writing and reporting.
Gotten some decent writing gigs. 
Paying writing gigs.

And a year ago, this avenue is not the way I would have thought that I would want to pursue writing.

Because real writers have published books.
Impressive bylines.
Signature plantforms.
Income.

But life happens.
And priorities cannot always be where the heart is.
I get that.
Cause I'm a grownup. 
(Most of the time.)

So my priority this last year became to produce an income.
While in a neck brace.
While unemployed.
And for some of the time, while I couldn't lift anything over the weight of a gallon of milk, turn my head more than a few degrees one way or the other and not drive my car.

Hmmmm.  that pretty much leaves....
....not much.

So I am thankful for the friend from the Quad Cities Christian Writers' Conference who introduced me to someone who makes her living by writing for online outlets.  She taught me how to do this. 

And even though I don't make a living by writing for the world wide web, I have made enough to make up for some lost income over the year and even to help Santa out a bit. 

I love helping Santa.

And, I have changed the way that I perceive myself.
I.
Am.
A.
Writer.

I'm good at it.
Even the not-so-fun stuff that needs to be written.
Somebody has to write it.
And somebody is gonna read it.

The book deal????

It's on the bucket list.

Along with some other dreams that I am getting a little bit braver about sharing.  And maybe daring. 

Yep.

Me. 

****************

This is because I  don't want to pass up trying new things.

Especially when it comes to carbs.

Or something new at Jeff's Market: