Good news everyone, I just got nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by Juni Desiree from Sapphire Life Writer! Her blog is awesome and I would totally recommend checking it out!

The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to bloggers who are positive and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.

Here are the rules:

Thank the person who nominated you
Answer the questions from the person who has nominated you
Nominate 11 other bloggers for this award
Write the same amount of questions for the bloggers you have nominated
Notify the bloggers you nominated

Now, without further ado…The Questions! 

What has been the greatest lesson you’ve learnt in your life?

I’ve honestly learned a lot of things over the course of my life, but the biggest one would probably be to trust God. As I wrote about in a recent post, I struggle with wanting everything to happen my way and in my time. Nonetheless, I’ve found that when you trust God, he can make even your craziest dreams come true in a way that’s better than you ever could have imagined. And, when he closes a door, there’s probably a really good reason.
What song has impacted you the most and why?

Hmm, this is another hard one, but I’d have to say Ready Or Not by Britt Nicole. I first heard it in the 9th grade and at the time, I was pretty shy and still searching for myself. Her song encouraged me to live confidently and not be afraid to speak up and let my light shine for God. Her other songs have also been really encouraging and her albums were pretty much the soundtrack of my high school years.
What movie has impacted you the most and why?

At different points in my life, different movies have impacted me. In middle school, my favorite movies were Soul Surfer and The Left Behind movies, because they encouraged me in my faith. I was a new Christian in middle school and movies like those helped me to solidify my faith. In my freshman year of high school, I saw the movie Lemonade Mouth for the first time, which encouraged me to use my voice and be more confident. Currently, I’d have to say the God’s Not Dead movies, as they all speak about being a Christian in a non-Christian environment, something that I’m experiencing for the first time this year.
What book has impacted you the most and why?

There are a lot of books I could mention here, but I’m going to go with the Sunday School answer: The Bible. The Bible is sort of my manual in doing this thing we call life. Because it has so many accounts and so many different lessons, different parts of it relate to me at different points in my life. Recently, I was talking with my pastor’s wife and she noted that my situation with college was a little like Daniel in the king’s palace. I had never thought of it that way before, but I now find that account relatable in my own life. I have also been leaning heavily into passages about being “strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:9) and “trusting in the Lord” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
What quote do you resonate most with?

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” – C.S. Lewis. There are a lot of quotes that I like, but as I’ve grown in my faith, I feel this one to be more and more true every day. My faith informs so much for me that to take it out would leave my life a fragmented mess. It informs everything from my dreams, to my views, to my perception of life itself. It is also the common thread that ties otherwise very different personalities and lives together – something I find very cool.

What are your 10 most important core values?

1. Faith in God
2. Respect and love for people
3. Staying true to myself
4. A good work ethic
5. The importance of family and friends
6. Having a purpose in life
7. Loyalty
8. Courage
9. Helping those in need
10. Living out my faith

How can you most help others best at this time in your life?

Probably through helping out at different charity organizations and donating to charities like Salvation Army and Operation Christmas Child (Yes, my mind is already on Christmas).
If you could only write one book in your life and were guaranteed to succeed in it, what would you write?

I truly wish this said series, but since it’s saying only one book, I’m going to have to say the first book of a series that I’m writing. I don’t want to say too much about it online before it’s published (Hopefully by the end of my college career) but it’s about a group of teenagers at a local church youth group and how their lives impact one and other. I’ve already finished the first book, and I managed to incorporate some of my core values into it and tell a story that I believe will inspire people. It’s my dream to see it on a bookshelf one day.
What do you want to be known for?

The short answer is, I want to be known for sharing my faith with others and inspiring others to live confidently in Christ. When people know God and live for Him through their own lives, personalities, and situations, amazing things can happen. The more technical answer is that I want to be a writer. My goal is to go into professional journalism, become a successful author, and publish my song lyrics (I’ve already written a lot). I want to leave my mark through writing things that will inspire others and make the world a better place.
And taking this opportunity to possibly get some help with the book I’m working on: what message of encouragement would you give to survivors of sexual abuse?

Your life is worth living. You were not created for someone else’s pleasure at your expense. You were created to do big things and God isn’t finished with you yet. He has a purpose in your life, and you have to keep moving forward. What happened wasn’t your fault – you were a victim. But, you won’t always be a victim. You can and will rise above this.

Now, the new nominees are

Saved By Grace 2009

Dainty M. 

Fearfully Wonderfully Me

Nora Elkins 

Julian For Jesus 

Passion and Pixels 

Concealed Foundation 

Papberry 

Mandie’s World  

Ever Changing In Christ Jesus 

Unfiltered Freckles 

And the new questions are…

1. What is your testimony? How did you find God, or if you were raised Christian, when did it really feel real for you? 
2. What has God been teaching you lately? 
3. What is your biggest dream? 
4. What is one quirk you have that you don’t mind sharing? 
5. Where do you see yourself five years from now? 
6. What do you believe the purpose of life is? 
7. What is one piece of advice would you give your younger self? 
8. What has 2016 been characterized by for you? What things stand out about this year? 
9. What was your hometown or the city you grew up in like? 
10. What have those closest to you taught you about life? 
11. What was a defining moment for you?