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. :-)

The inspiration behind this blog

So, I've had it in the back of my head for months now to start a blog, but I don't want to start one unless I have something to say. After all, what is a writer without a message? I can string words together all day long, but I'd sure like them to amount to something at the end of the day.

The past several months I've been feeling aimless. I'm keeping myself fairly busy with freelance editing work, but the second I have free time I don't have the first clue what to do with myself. And then I wonder if editing is really what I want to be doing with my time. When I'm home by myself, working or not, it is all too easy for me to sulk in a feeling of loneliness. (Two purchases should help to relieve that problem a bit--a second car, which we bought today, and a beagle, which we will be bringing home in the very near future.) At any rate, the same question has been lingering with me for months. God, how do you want me to serve you with my time? I can't shake the feeling that there has got to be something else.

Part of my aimlessness lately has involved wandering around other people's blogs--whether I know the people behind them or not. During today's wanderings I stumbled onto this post, and it motivated me. I took home two key points: 1) It takes as much energy to dream big as it does to dream small. 2) People who write down their dreams are much more likely to actually work toward them and accomplish them. I've always admired the ability of my friends to dream big. Leah's probably one of the biggest dreamers (and achievers) I know, and she writes down her goals.

I'm not a fan of lists, as Justin will certainly tell you, but I started to think this particular blogger was onto something. The aimlessness I've been feeling lately has nothing to do with a lack of options and everything to do with a lack of direction, for which I have no excuse. I've used marriage and change as my excuse to shut off and let someone else take the reigns whenever possible. And I feel a heck of a lot more boring when I let that happen. It's time for me to stop waiting for direction to fall from the sky (or from other people who indulge me in that respect) and start forming opinions and decisions for myself.

This is where everyone reading this blog comes in. Please, leave comments about your inspirations or about anything you would like to discuss that inspires you or others. You could very likely see a post about it in the near future.

So, how about it? What inspires you?