My sunshine series is a way for me to share my joys with you and make myself see sunshine no matter how dreary the week has been. Here are the ways I've seen sunshine lately: Going to my college homecoming. I saw lots of old friends, got to walk around campus reminiscing, took lots of silly/fun photos with my best friend, ate lunch at a delicious breakfast place we always loved, and enjoyed conversations with close friends. I love my alma mater and cherish all the memories from those four years. I love this picture, except for my red eye :( Spending time with my brother -- shopping and Continue Reading
Head or Heart: Which Should I Follow?
I was talking to someone recently about making certain dating decisions. She was stuck in a place where she felt she needed to choose between two things. She felt like her head and her heart were contradicting each other. I've been there before. Your heart says, "Go for it!" and your head says, "Whoa, wait a minute here." Or vice versa. Have you been in a place where you had to choose between your head or heart? It puts you into a chaotic situation, trying to figure out what is best. A lot of times, I think we feel like we have to choose to listen to one or the other -- our head or Continue Reading
Sunshine Part 2
My plan was to keep up with the Sunshine Series every week. It's not a good sign if I've gotten behind already! Oh well, here's a list of all the ways I've seen sunshine since the last time I posted: One night I went over to my cousins house and the three of us laid on top of the roof -- star gazing, drinking hot chocolate, chatting and laughing a lot. It was such a great night. We even saw six shooting stars. Even though it was night, I saw more sunshine during this moment than I have all month — definitely an unforgettable memory. I had a date night with my mom one evening. We went to Continue Reading
Perfect Timing: Encouragement While You’re Waiting
If you follow me on Facebook, you know I have been sick this week. Fever, headache, tissues all over the floor and medicine next to my bed. I've been sleeping with a cough drop in my mouth every night to try and soothe my throat enough for me to get some rest. Monday was the worst day of the week for me. I went to work even though I was sick and did as much as I could that day. I went to the doctor only to find I have the same thing I've had three times now in the past few months. Unfortunately, the doctor couldn't tell me what was causing it or what I could do to prevent from getting it Continue Reading
Learning the Hard Way
Sometimes when I would go for a run my dog Callie would go with me. Sometimes her friend Bella would come along too. It was interesting to see how Callie is still a growing pup, as she loves to explore the world around her. Callie would jump over and crawl under fences to explore new worlds, she would run through the fields and follow scents. Bella, on the other hand, is older and likes to stay on the path. She would walk beside me or just a ways in front of me while I ran. (Yes, I run so slow that she can walk and still keep up.) The problem was Callie didn't understand how dangerous the Continue Reading
Sunshine Part 1
I'm going to start a series called "Sunshine," where I just share with you the joys of my recent life. It will help me look for sunshine, whether it be something small like eating ice cream or something big like a miracle from God Himself. I also want to share more pictures with you guys, so this will be a great way to do that. Here's how I've seen sunshine in the past couple weeks: Playing with my beloved boys Cayden and Reed at a family get-together. Let me tell ya, trying to get a (good) photo with these two rascals is quite the task. Here's try #2 Here's try #4: It was Continue Reading
Final Chapter: Finishing a Journal
Once for my birthday, some of my relatives bought me a journal. I took this journal with me when I moved away to college. My first entry was in September 2007. It's a pretty depressing entry about how I have no friends at college. (Thankfully, that changed) From there, I filled those pages with my handwriting -- releasing my emotions into words with ink. I've filled those pages with updates and thoughts and feelings. I've talked about what I did over the weekend to who I want to go on a date with even though they don't know I exist. I've wrote countless prayers in that journal. I've cried Continue Reading
Church Talk: Advice for the Routine Church-Goer
I went to the same church most of my life. I went there because my family went there. I really liked the pastor and got a lot out of the sermons. Church was routine for me. Then I got older and went off to college. It took me a couple years to find a church I could call home. I found it, though, and fell in love with it. I loved the pastor, the sermons, the ministries and most of all the worship. Church was no longer just a weekly routine, but something I looked forward to. Unfortunately though, college ended. Boy, do I miss it sometimes all the time. And since college was over, I moved Continue Reading
The Best Thing You Can Do for Your Spouse
In my opinion, the very best thing you can do for your spouse, the very best way to truly love someone, is by praying for them. I truly believe prayer is one powerful thing that can change a person deep down into their core. If your spouse is struggling, if you are not getting along, if you are beginning to hate each other, if you are hurt and broken because of something they've done, if you are struggling financially, if your marriage just seems to be spinning out of control: PRAY. Find time to be alone, even if it's just for 10 minutes every day. Take that time to kneel by your bed Continue Reading
What the Bible says about Marriage
I was asked to write a post about marriage, before I was even married myself. I wasn't sure what to write, but as I wrote one post after praying that God would give me the words, God decided to give me enough words to overflow three blog posts. God is kind of cool like that. I shared with you the 10 secrets to a happy marriage, and now I want to share with you what exactly the Bible says about the topic. Because although the Bible doesn't ever talk about dating, which I find really inconvenient (Thanks a lot God!), it does talk a lot about marriage. What the Bible Says About Continue Reading
10 Secrets to a Happy Marriage
Someone recently asked me to write a post on marriage. My immediate thought was, "Me? But I've never been married. I'm nowhere near marriage. I don't know the first thing about marriage, including how to have a happy marriage!" But this person said they needed some sunshine in that area of their life, and I feel like God's given me this job of helping others see sunshine. Plus, I also thought about Moses, and how he felt totally inadequate for saving the Israelites, but God was like, "Yo Moses, I'm a burning bush. Take off your sandals, and go do what I tell you to do because I AM." Continue Reading
If Facebook is Leaving You Jealous
The other day I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed and a certain emotion began to overtake me. I saw couples writing on each other's walls with things like, "I love you" or "I miss you." I felt annoyed. I kept scrolling. Wedding photos. Happy, happy couples who made the big commitment. I felt happy for them, but I could also feel something else crawling its way into me. I kept scrolling. A girl had posted photos of herself looking amazing. "Wow, she's gorgeous," I thought, but also began to think something else about myself. I kept scrolling. Someone's status said they were at the Continue Reading