October Challenge - Post #1 - "ALIVE!"

Day 1...and so it begins!
I'm challenging myself to write a blog post each day in October...uh - starting now, I guess.  I needed a "good habit" with which to challenge myself for this month's Game On competition and I thought this might be it - - - and then I realized that I had been procrastinating some important projects so this will be just "extra" and will probably become, at best, an every other day project but that's besides the point, right?  Anyway, in reading one of my "usual" reads, I ran across this challenge to pick a topic and write on it each and every day for the entire month.
'Course, I ran across it very late (aka. yesterday) so I haven't done the prep work that I maybe should have.  The creator of this challenge suggests that you spend time making lists in preparation.  While I AM a giant list maker, I think I'm going to try to be a bit more spontaneous than that. 

I took the girls to church on Sunday and as always, I got something powerful out of the sermon.  The overall discussion was a basic overview of the program that the church has been following for the last 3 years...not incredibly inspirational but the senior pastor DID say one thing that really struck me.  He commented that when he was growing up in his church community, everyone was always asked the question "are you saved?"  He challenged us to ask a different question, "are you alive?"  The underlying idea being that everyone who believes is saved but that doesn't require any kind of action on our part.  Answering affirmatively to the question, "are you alive?" means that you must be actively seeking to better yourself, to strengthen your faith, to interact with the world around you in a positive way and not just sit back watching and waiting.  I am most certainly not prepared to take this simple blog down a religious, theological road.  I'm not ready to share THAT with the world just yet because my faith is not "average", is still being figured out and I might just make some people uncomfortable.  While I DO like to challenge others, I'm not sure I'm quite ready for this particular challenge just yet. 

I love a Minnesota fall!  If only it lasted longer!
Sitting in the sun, with THIS view makes me
feel VERY alive!

BUT - I CAN write about being alive!  So I am challenging myself to write a post every day (I won't promise that they will be lengthy or especially brilliant...)

I'm curious!  What makes YOU feel "alive"?  What PROVES to you that you ARE "alive"?  How do you challenge yourself to be more and more "alive"?