Every Sunday for the past few months, I've been at the shooting range trying to learn how to better protect myself and I've ended up finding so much more!

While I realize being a proud gun owner won't make me popular with certain people, I believe in the right to bear arms and protect myself. I think we can all agree we live in crazy times.

I took a Concealed Carry class several years ago and not long after received my permit. However, I didn't carry, because I didn't feel confident to safely carry a handgun. Since then, a lot has changed. I'm single now and while it sounds sexist, I am now the one responsible for defending my home.

So, I started heading to the range at Bodcau on Sundays and since then, I've found so much more. Not only have the employees there been completely open and friendly, they even offer free instruction, so now, my friend and I get FREE tactical lessons each time we're there. We're talking real-life instruction on how to handle a potentially dangerous situation.

In essence, I'm learning how to protect and empower myself and it's become a weekly time of fellowship for myself and my friend Stacy. When we post our pictures after we're done, because after all, we are pretty proud of our growing skill sets, we get multiple people every week asking to join us. So, we figured why not? We've started a private group on Facebook called 'Girls with Guns.' Here's our mission:

As women, we need to have confidence in our surroundings and in how we protect ourselves as we go through our daily lives!  We are women empowering ourselves by making ourselves stronger through fellowship. Making lasting friendships and learning to protect ourselves is vital in today’s society. So is spending time with like-minded, positive women who have a passion to feel safe. This is a group where women can come together and learn the basics of protecting themselves.  We would like to have regular activities that will allow us to spend time getting comfortable with a firearm and allowing us the ability to choose a gun that is right for us, while also having instruction on how to become comfortable carrying a weapon.

Would you like to join us? Our group is hidden on Facebook, but here's the link. Happy shooting!

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