Has it really been a month??

Thanks so much to those of you who wrote to share your insight (a month ago!). It's interesting how we can all get caught up in the same dry cycles, and I love knowing that none of us is alone in that...and that we can push each other to cycle right on out of our funks. How's that going for everyone else?

Well, February has still not brought me much editing work, but I have been busy. I ended up at the volunteer office on base looking into ways to volunteer, and then I just never left. Turns out the volunteer office actually utilizes volunteers! Who would have guessed? I come in two mornings a week, and so far I've done some oh-so-exciting refiling for the financial aid office and am currently helping edit/redesign a volunteer handbook the coordinator has put together. I also looked into helping to teach ESL and agreed to help out at a class that meets for two hours twice a week. I showed up and found out the class was actually an Adult Basic Education/GED class. Oh well. That works too. The people there are working independently in reading and math books, so I just help out whenever someone needs it. I have a lot of respect for the people taking that class. I think I would find it hard to swallow my pride and come learn basic math or how to read (or to read better) after getting along without it for so many years. I think I mentioned this before, but I've been wanting to find some way to serve for quite a while now, I've just had no idea where to start. I still don't know if I'm on the right track, but it's a start at least--something to try. I feel like it's all still kind of a grand experiment, though. And although I haven't felt any lightning bolts from God booming, "Lisa, this is what I have called you to do!" at the very least I feel confident that I am being a better servant now than I was while sitting on my couch doing nothing of consequence. And that's a good feeling.

One more update and then I'll be done. I've started working part time for a resume service, critiquing resumes for free. The job is purely based on commission, and while I've always been skeptical of such jobs, I'm confident this one is on the up and up and I had thought it would be a good use of my skills. However, so far I'm making almost no money. I've had more "Thanks but no thanks" responses lately, which is at least a step in the right direction, but still hardly any actual sales. We're lowering our prices this month, so I'm going to stick it out a while longer and see if things turn around, but the jury's still out on my opinion of this job. Basically, concerning volunteering work and "paid" work, I'm still in need of some discernment, and I'm hoping that will come with time.

Thanks for the support guys. Hope this finds you all cycling up rather than down. :-)