If What Greets You this New Year Is a Little Scary (An Invitation to Join the #2016ChangeChallenge)

Update: If you’re visiting from (in)courage, an exuberant wave and warm welcome to you! Below you will find details for the #2016changechallenge that we introduced a short while ago. However, I wanted to update this post to include the videos for the introduction to the challenge as well as the first video where Crystal, Shannan, Kendra and I discuss the importance of acknowledging the hard parts that come with change. You’ll find those below. If you like what you see and want to subscribe to the final two video chats for the #2016changechallenge, simply click here and here.

Happy New Year, dear ones!

Well, we have each closed the door on 2015 and walked through the entryway of 2016. For many of us, the New Year is a welcomed fresh start, and we walk swiftly into it with arms wide. For others, the flipped calendar page brings us up close and personal with a hard change or two in our environment, our hearts, or both.

If that is you, you may find yourself moving toward it with arms crossed and steps slow.

I know a thing or two about that kind of difficult change, so well that I wrote a book on it. If the change staring at you is one you don’t want and didn’t ask for, then perhaps you could use a little encouragement to face it head on. Perhaps you would like to find a place where your anxiety about the change meets God’s sense of purpose found in it.

I would love to welcome you to just such a place: the #2016changechallenge.

Beginning January 11 (next Monday!), you’re invited to join me and (in)courage’s Crystal Stine for a change challenge. What will this look like? On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of the next 3 weeks, I will quietly drop an email into your inbox with stories and steps to help you see the change in your life in a more hopeful light. To receive those encouraging emails, simply visit and sign up here. 

The second component of the #2016changechallenge will be 3 video discussions. On each Thursday — January 14, 21, and 28th at noon EST — you’re welcome to join Crystal, myself, and two guests for a BLAB video discussion where we’ll further connect over what we’re learning about thriving through the personal change in our lives. What is BLAB, you ask?  BLAB is a video chat tool similar to Periscope except it is for groups of people. It is a platform for broadcasting live videos between 2 to 4 people. Through BLAB, you can take part in or watch conversations live.

While the first #2016changechallenge BLAB with Crystal, myself and our guests will begin at noon EST next Thursday (one week from today!), you can watch Crystal and I in our own blab conversation tomorrow at noon EST. In this BLAB conversation, we’ll share an introduction to the #2016changechallenge, talk about some of our guests, and point out the different components of blab such as how to leave comments and how to share it. If you are new to this social media tool, it may be helpful to tune in. BUT if you’re unable to tune in at noon tomorrow, then the conversation will be saved for viewing at a later time.

Here is a link to tomorrow’s scheduled BLAB. After signing up, simply click the large purple button seen above to subscribe. Subscribing will ensure you get a notification when the show goes live (depending on your notification settings).

A couple things to know about Blab:

• To watch the conversations live, you must either download the iOS app by searching for ‘Blab’ in the apple app store (or click here). Unfortunately, the app for Android is not yet available, but anyone can access the Blab website blab.im via their chrome browser on their desktop (it is not available on Safari either).
• Unless you want to lurk anonymously, you will need to login via your twitter account. Currently, twitter is the only way to join.

Yes, BLAB is a new thang, so if you aren’t on twitter slash don’t have an iphone slash find this newfangled social media tool just a little too overwhelming to delve into, no worries. You will still receive abundant encouragement and support for your particular life change through the emails.

But if you are able to join Crystal and myself, I would be mighty thrilled to have you.

Let me also mention that since this is not a book club, purchasing Girl Meets Change is not a prerequisite for joining #2016changechallenge. However, I do believe reading through the book during or upon completion of the change challenge will enrich your experience. Consider giving your future self a gift today by purchasing it with any unused bookseller gift cards you received under the Christmas tree.

In short, here are the facts about the #2016changechallenge:

• Begins Monday, January 11th and ends on Friday, January 29th.
• Will include a total of 9 manageable emails, 3 received each week. Sign up for those here.
• Will include 3 optional BLAB videos on January, 14th, 21st, and the 28th. Visit here to join BLAB and subscribe to tomorrow’s “pre-challenge” discussion.
• There is no cost for joining the change challenge.
• Purchasing Girl Meets Change is not a requirement, but it is a helpful resource.

We don’t have to let change give us a shaky heart and sweaty palms. And what’s more, we don’t have to walk its road alone. I look forward to meeting with you next week!

If you have any questions about the #2016changechallenge, feel free to ask them in the comments below. Much love! xo

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