The Lovely Little Introvert

     It was dark and cold. Everything had an orange glow. We were crammed together, waiting. We knew the outcome was inevitable. I could hear breathing, slow and shallow. I heard an odd crinkling noise as someone shifted. Any minute now....And in a moment everything changed. Bells rang constantly. Some of us were grabbed and taken away. Others were left to watch in terror. We saw very little, just flashes of color. It was the noises that got us. The near constant screams and shrieks were chilling. In my whole life I had never heard anything like it. We were warned it would be terrifying, but we were in no way prepared for that horrible night.      All was quiet for a time. We thought perhaps it was all over, that we had somehow escaped. But the bell rang out once more, crisp and clear. I was taken, along with a few others. We were put into the hands of another. We knew we were now at their mercy. Our captors transported us to an undisclosed location where ...

     A very popular topic of discussion over the last few weeks, as a result of all the hurricanes/earthquakes/fires, etc, is that the world is ending and Jesus is coming back. Welllll....I hate to break it to you, but the world has always been ending. Ever since He left, Jesus has been "coming back." Yes, I know what the Bible says about how the earth will groan and there will be all sorts of signs and whatnot. I know, but I want to challenge you to think about a few things...Do with it what you will.      1. Using a fear tactic isn't bringing people to Jesus the right way . Yeah, okay, I said it. Telling people the world is ending and Jesus could come back any second isn't how we should be sharing Jesus with people. We should be telling them that He loves them and has a plan for them. That He died to save them from their sins. We should be loving on them, not scaring them into salvation. I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem the most genuine ...

     Since I've started getting ready for this craft fair in October, I always have my eyes open for anything I  can paint or repurpose. A few days ago at Goodwill I found a small stool for 3 dollars. It had a little boy's name on it and a big, smiling hippo. My hope when I bought it was that I would just be able to spray some white primer over it and paint what I wanted. Upon getting home I realized it would take several coats and might not even cover it fully. I dug through Jake's toolbox until I found some heavy duty sandpaper and set to work. At first it was slow going, but soon enough I had one full side done. It was hard. After a few consistent hours I had only managed to finish half the top and the edges and I was covered in paint dust. My fingers were raw and the sandpaper was all worn out, but the stool didn't look the same- even though I wasn't finished with it yet. Suddenly it wasn't just a stool with a hippo anymore. I could see all the possibility o...

    A while back I promised to do a post about a Jesus moment I had when we were on our honeymoon. It's been a long time coming, but I finally wrote it! Enjoy! I'll try to keep it short.      It was probably the third day or so when the lady running the place we were staying suggested a we visit a special beach. She called it Norman Beach. It was a private beach and a little odd at first. It was hidden away behind all kinds of crazy twists and turns we took precariously in our golf cart. At the bottom of a steep hill was the entrance to Norman Beach. We walked past a hollowed out house with old items left inside, down some rocks  and a few rickety boards, past a paddle boat and some other washed up items. Then there we were, standing in our own little private paradise. To the left was big rocks and beautiful trees, a few vines and flowers. Above, the warm and glorious sun. To the right, nothing but ocean and island. The beach itself was unlike anything I ...

      Most of you know this already, but about a week ago I finished the last classes I needed to complete my bachelor's degree. It's been a very long process, but I am so thrilled to be done! Now I just wait for my diploma and cap to come in the mail. Whenever anyone hears I've finished my degree, their favorite question to ask is : "Well, what now?" No matter who asks, I try to answer honestly. "You know, I'm not really sure. I'm just taking it one day at a time." The following are my favorite responses:  You have to get a Master's degree. A Bachelor's degree will do you no good. Become a teacher. I hear they make a lot of money. Just don't be one of those people who wastes their degree.  So...why English? You mean, you don't have a plan? English majors never make any money. Now that you're done, when are you planning on leaving Starbucks? You really need to go live overseas and teach English. Like in Japan or so...

    Believe me, I do realize I've only been married six months, but I have learned a few things in that time that I wanted to share. :) I'm sure all my married friends can relate.     Here are the Top 10 Marriage Lessons in the last six months. 10. Your spouse doesn't always appreciate your sleeping position. Especially when you take up most of the bed and the blankets. 9. Sometimes you have to step into their world and do what they love, even if you're not that interested. Like eat sushi or play Pokémon Go. 8. You don't have to do everything together. In fact, time apart is a great idea. Like, honey I love ya, but I need some quiet time. 7. Have tickle fights and wrestling matches. :) 6. Be little kids together. Eat too much ice cream. Watch Disney movies. Swing on the swings at the park. Have a good old fashioned foot race. 5. Talk about the hard stuff . This has been one of the hardest for me, but something I'm working on. 4. F...

     When I was little we watched Little House on the Prairie all the time. I used to want to live in the 1800s just like them-the clothes, the cooking, school, chores-I wanted to do it all. After that, I pretty much fell in love with that whole historical period. One Halloween my Nanny even made me and my American Girl doll dresses with bonnets. For the longest time that was all I would read and write, too. So much historical fiction! I always pictured myself as the heroine and could get lost among the tall grass for hours.      Deep in my heart I always had that desire to be a Laura Ingalls Wilder wife. You know, the really wifely, home-makery kind of wife. While I haven't tried my hand at making homemade bread yet and I don't have a spot for a vegetable garden, I try do what I can. Recently I've gotten into making my own cleaning supplies (thanks to Pinterest). Seriously, if not for Pinterest, probably none of these creative, homey, wifey things would h...