Every year for the past five years or so, I've chosen a word to represent the coming year. Last year, my word was New. I had prayed a lot about what my word for the year should be, and I felt God saying "new" over and over. Looking back, I can see all the ways "new" fit. After living apart for a year and going through some struggles, my marriage became new in 2016. We moved twice that year -- once to Missouri and then to Tennessee -- new areas to explore, new homes to make our own, new people to meet. We experienced loss last year, but we also got pregnant again and have got to see all the Continue Reading
2 Ways to Monetize Your Blog as a Beginner
I had my blog up and running for at least a year before I began to monetize it. But it's honestly never too soon to start. There are two main ways to monetize a blog that are perfect for beginners -- whether a monetizing beginner or a blogging beginner. What I love about these two ways to monetize is that you can get passive income. By that I mean you do a little work at the beginning and then sit back and watch the pennies roll in. I say pennies because I want you to know this is not a get-rich-quick method. I know very very few people -- actually none -- who suddenly made a lot of 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