Spotlight on Stigma... Welcomed but Not Accepted

Nothing has changed in the last 24 hours. I haven't had anyone insult my photography or writing, tell lies about my character, or leave my life. Actually, it's been a pretty good day. No, the change has been in me. I've hit another low cycle. Being in a low cycle has made circumstances that normally would be neutral extremely negative. But I can't blame my low cycle for everything I'm feeling. I have realized how arrogant I've been over what I've accomplished lately. Yes, I've worked hard. Yes, I've gotten experience through hours and hours of practice. Yes, I've analyzed my work to see how it could be better. But none of that is how I've gotten to where I am now professionally. It's been God. Some might call it circumstances; some might call it luck; some fate... but I believe in a Higher Power and my Higher Power is God.  You might be wondering why I titled a post about my arrogance   "What If It All Goes Away?"  It was one of...

I don't know your definition of "later," but my guess is that it's not over four months. Yet, that's how long it's been since I wrote the first part of this post. If you want to read about some of the other apps that help me each day, look for a post with the same title on November 10, 2021. So... I'm finally getting back to sharing more about this idea.  On a side note, if you want to read something really ironic, read my post from February 5, 2022. You'll see why almost immediately after checking it out. Let's go back to the topic at hand (or at a magnetic stand, as that's where my phone is right now.) GOOGLE CALENDAR... Like Chrome, I found the wonders of Google Calendar years ago. There have been several times I've tried to switch to something newer and flashier, but I've always gone back to it. The best part of this calendar for me is that I can divide schedules into who is affected by them. I'm a very visual person and I can a...

Yesterday I interviewed a man who works with the International Justice Mission (IJM) in order to write an article based on his work.  I am always amazed by people who work on the front lines dealing with such horrible atrocities as human trafficking - and their stories. This man had two which really affected me.  He gave me the figure that there are 40 million held in some form of slavery today. 2022. That blows me away and seems completely overwhelming. Sometimes it can also be hard to remember these victims are individuals who have been created in God’s image, not simply a number. A young man named Godwin is one such individual. Like many others, his family was deceived into sending Godwin into what they thought was a safe environment - where he could get the education he craved and learn a trade. He ended up being trafficked to Lake Volta to work in their fishing industry. Instead of fulfilling his dream of advanced schooling, he was in a nightmare of 12-14-hour days of har...