Hmm..

There are quite a few things that I enjoy but let get squeezed out of my schedule. Occasionally I rediscover those interests, but I usually let them go again. Writing is one of those things. I think I've always enjoyed it, but never realized it, even when I received recognition for it. (I always made good grades in English and writing, but who ever says they like English class? :) Remember starting the day with Channel One? In seventh grade (I think) there was an essay contest for female athletes sponsored by Channel One and Reebok. I wasn't the grand prize winner, but I did well enough that Reebok sent me a pair of shoes and I think my name came across the Channel One screen. During my senior year my English class was assigned to write a poem. There were no restrictions or themes we had to use--we just had to write. After the assignment, our teacher encouraged us to send our poems as entries to be considered for publishing in Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans. We did it without much thought, and then. . . mine was chosen! (You didn't know you had a published author among you, did you? ha! My mom, of course, bought about 10 copies, so if you don't believe me. . . I have proof.) I went to college on full scholarship. The final stage of the scholarship application? A timed writing that actually used that poem as an outline. We didn't know the topic of the writing until we got to the classroom to write. When I got there and realized I had already worked through this idea and was ready to write. . . well, God's plan is amazing, huh?

My family has come to me for help in wording their writing on applications and in letters and such, but I hadn't really seen writing as a part of my future until we got to Korea. Korea was an amazing experience, but still difficult. I think blogging about our days helped me keep some balance. At first I didn't know if anyone by my mom was reading the updates. . . and then I started getting comments from people I never would have guessed would be reading my little blog. My mom emailed me updates and told me that my blog had even been read as part of WMU. I looked forward to each chance to write and received so much positive feedback that I really began to consider writing as something that could be in my future.

I didn't have to wait long. I thought Todd wanted to include devotions in the student book for camp and I had some ideas. I finally mentioned to him that I wanted to give it a shot and he let me go for it. A week and a half later I had five devotions that were used by two youth groups and a group of adult student ministry volunteers at a camp in Panama City.

I'm asking God for more opportunitites. I never pictured myself as a writer, but I can see how things in my past could be leading me that way. And if that's part of the plan the opportunities will come and I want to be ready to take them.