The Beginning.

The first blog post always seems to be the hardest post to write. For me, a quintessential, ‘perfect’ post is needed to officially start this new endeavor. So, after a couple months of contemplation and procrastination, here is my first post. Perfect? Probably not. But you have to start somewhere, right?

I suppose this is my personal blog. It is not connected to any of my professional positions whatsoever. The opinions expressed will be my own. I’m sure that my experiences, passions, and professional background will play a major role, as they are huge pieces to who I am becoming.

So why ‘The Everyday Activist’?  you may ask. Well, the title originates from a conversation I had over a year ago with a colleague and friend. I attended a book discussion about modern day slavery at my university. The participants engaged in a lively discussion about the book ‘A Crime So Monstrous’ (E Benjamin Skinner, 2008) and the implications of modern day slavery in our world. I am incredibly passionate about this subject, so I was certainly an active participant.

At the end of our discussion my friend turned to me and said“Does Brent (my future husband at the time) know that he’s marrying an activist?” My friend meant it as a compliment and I took it as such. My entire adult life has been dedicated to advocacy, activism and service. Do I mess up frequently? Yes. Do I have the wrong motives sometimes? Absolutely.  Could I work harder, try more, and dedicate more of my time to the causes and issues I’m passionate about? Definitely. I can be extremely selfish with my time and with my motives.

A lot has happened in the past year. I got married, was in more weddings than I can count, graduated with my master of Social Work, moved twice, adopted a dog, got my first ‘real’ job, and passed my social work licensure test. My husband and I have experienced amazing travel and tremendous financial difficulties. We have spent our first year of marriage getting used to each other and figuring out this whole ‘wedded bliss’ thing. But through all of the newness, beauty and chaos of this past year, the ‘activist’ comment stuck with me. So, when I finally decided to bite the bullet and write down my thoughts, ‘Everyday activist’ seemed appropriate.

So there you have it. First blog post. I hope I manage to write a few more, and I hope I don’t completely bore you. But even if I do, that’s okay. This blog post isn’t about me, or you. It’s about Jesus, and the people He called me to serve. Injustice runs rampant in our world, I feel like God put me on this earth to fight it, and this blog will be one of many ways I fulfill this calling.