make a difference

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Five Years Later - Almost to the Day!

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For the past five years, one of those highlights in my life has been to connect with a group of creative, soul-searching writers and artists who gather in Franklin, Tennessee for the TRIBEWRITER Conference hosted by founder and creator of the Tribewriter community, Jeff Goins.

I value learning new skills by listening to those who have already done what I want to do as they share what has worked for them or tips of the trade. But more than that, I love having the opportunity to rub shoulders with the men and women who are using their voice, their stories, and their talents to make their difference. 

This is my 5th TRIBE Conference. It will also be the last TRIBE Conference that Jeff Goins will be hosting. I will have attended all of them.  Each year brought with it new challenges and insights both as a writer and as a person.

Each year there are those who say to me, “Don’t quit. Keep showing up.”

  But mostly they say “Own who you are and do it with all your heart.”

 The importance of this year’s TRIBE Conference in relation to my writing journey is significant. You will understand more at the end of this post.

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EnVision YOU: UnStuck and Confident

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What does it even look like to live and work confidently to make a difference in our world?  What does it feel like to step into our uniqueness, our beauty that forms the foundation for our confidence?

I imagine it feels something like a butterfly must feel as she spreads her wings for the first time and finds freedom to soar higher than ever before.

Can you put yourself in the wings of a butterfly? Imagine what that moment must be like?

What does it feel like to take bold next steps with that kind of confidence?

That thought came to me …

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So what made him cry?

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Ren and I are part of an apprenticeship class studying Nehemiah. An assignment we have each week is to identify one thing that stands out to us from the study of the scripture.  

What I noticed immediately was Nehemiah asks some men who had just arrived from Judah how things were going in Jerusalem for the Jews who had returned there from captivity. The news wasn't good.  The walls of Jerusalem had been torn down and the gates destroyed by fire.  The people are in great trouble and disgrace. It's in shambles. 

Then verse 4 says

4 When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted,
and prayed to the God of heaven.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah+1&version=NLT>

 

That thought caused me to ponder.  Why was his grief so strong? what made him cry?