WE MADE IT! You made it through reading my WAY too many words (41,500 words, 63 pages single spaced). I made it through this challenge I was determined to complete, even if it wasn’t in the 31 days originally planned.

Good grief this was an amazing journey completely and totally orchestrated by God. I knew the moment He put it on my heart that it was Him. I didn’t know what all it would mean and do for my life, but I KNEW it was Him.

So what did it do? What happened in my heart? Everything!

Firstly, It’s surprisingly terrifying to write about the people you love, to say things about them you’ve rarely been brave or intentional enough to say to their faces, to be scared they won’t read it, to be scared they will, to be humbled when they do. TERRIFYING! Worth it every single time though.

Writing about people and the way they have impacted your story and about HUGE moments in your story, is so raw and exposing. Every time I pressed submit I felt like I was turning a magnifying glass on my heart for the world to see. Any reservation I had about what I was sharing was usually immediately squashed by the overwhelming feeling that it just felt right. Scary or not, it was right.

Pretty early into this journey, I felt God speaking some major things to my heart. #1. I’m a writer. I’m not “just” a blogger. I can’t keep discrediting the call He’s given me and ability He’s given me to do it by saying silly things like, “I’m not a ‘real’ writer. I’m ‘just’ a blogger.” It’s in my soul. I can’t let go of it. I recently read in Annie Down’s book that, “it’s said to be a writer is to have homework every day for the rest of your life.” My work is never done and I don’t want it to be! I never stop wanting to tell a story. #2. The realization made me brave enough to actually pursue things to further my writing journey. I took some online writing seminars. I contacted MANY magazines and publications about freelance writing. I did my first feature article interview and will HOPEFULLY have a feature posted in a magazine soon! I hope to at least have a few published pieces over the next year. #3. I really do believe that I’ll write a book one day. I don’t know how or when or where or what, but I know it’s something I’ve been called to do and that I don’t have to be scared of it.

The moral of this three+ month long story is – LOVE YOURSELF AND YOUR PEOPLE. Believe in you and the calls God places on your life. Believe in them and see the best in every one of them. THANK YOU for reading all of these words. Thank you for encouraging me along the way. Thank you for affirmation that will last a lifetime. You words and willingness to read mine mean so much more to me than you can ever know! Tears are streaming down my face as I say goodbye to this project. It was a labor of love and I’m forever changed by it – the awareness of the wonderful people in my life, the beauty of the God in my life who has given me these people, and the amazing feeling of knowing you’ve been called to and equipped for something. I really do love you!

This is part of my 31 People(s) I Love series. I’ll be writing about 31 people/peoples that I adore! Click here if you would like a list of all the posts in this series.