Mystery Blogger Award

Hey everyone, I have some big news to share! I was just nominated by Dainty M. for the mystery blogger award! Thank you so much for the award Mfon, if you’re reading this!

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The rules to this award are…

  • Display the award logo on your blog.
  • List the Rules.
  • Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
  • Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well.
  • Tell your readers three things about yourself.
  • Answer five questions from the nominee.
  • Nominate anywhere from ten to twenty bloggers.
  • Notify the bloggers by leaving a comment on their blog.
  • Ask your nominees any five questions of your choice, including one weird or funny question.
  • Share the link to your best post.

This award was first initiated by the wonderful Okoto Enigma and I think it’s a great way to meet other like-minded bloggers and make new friends.

Three Things About Me 

  1. I’ve been out of high school for about a year now.
  2. My best friend also has a blog, which currently has a grand total of one post.
  3. My dream is to become a successful author someday.

Mfon’s Questions 

What’s your favourite season of the year?

Probably winter. It’s very hot in the state I live in, so cold weather always feels like somewhat of a relief. Plus, it’s the season that holds Christmas and Thanksgiving, which makes it twice as awesome.
What’s the one thing you’d do if there was no stopping you?

Hmmm, that’s a toughie. Probably right now, visit New York City and the Christian Passion Conference with a group of friends. I’ve always wanted to take a trip with friends.

Soda or juice?

Juice. I honestly don’t really like the taste of soda.

What’s your idea of fun?

This is probably going to sound sort of geeky, but I love reading and writing. There’s always something magical about escaping into the depths of story.
One piece of advice you would tell your younger self

Trust God. I know this sounds like you’re typical Sunday school answer, but it’s oftentimes easier said than done. Nonetheless, I’ve found with age that God always works things out perfectly in His timing.

New Nominees 

 

Julian

Angela 

Juni Desiree 

Alex

 

Papberry 

Questions 

What is your favorite movie and why?

Tell about an embarrassing childhood moment.

What would you tell your teenage self (if you’re still a teenager, what would you tell your twelve year old self)? 

If you could have any dream come true, what would it be?

Which would you rather be, a penguin or a flamingo? 

 

 

Blogger Recognition Award

Hey everyone, I have some big news for 1 Timothy 4:12 Girl! I was nominated for a Blogger Recognition Award by afcrocks99! Big thanks to this girl and an apology for not posting sooner.

The rules of this challenge are 

  • Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
  • Write a post to show your award.
  • Give a brief story of how your blog started.
  • Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
  • Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to.
  • Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them & provide the link to the post you created.

How my blog started – Truth be told, a number of things motivated me to start a blog—and a series of events seemed to indicate that this was God’s will for my life right now. I’ve always loved reading and writing, even from childhood, and during my junior year of high school, I got really into reading blogs.

During this time, my faith was going through a lot of turmoil and I wasn’t attending a particularly healthy church. I had a couple of close Christian friends who helped me stay afloat as a Christian during this time, but I was struggling with my faith in a big way. Nonetheless, my faith was largely revived through reading a Christian blog that felt admirably real and authentic. The vision that this blogger presented for life was something that recharged my faith in God and humanity—it was about restoration, hope, and community in Jesus—a vision that I soon began to adopt in my own writing. It helped me own my faith in a way that I previously struggled to do and shaped my view of God and life.

Also during this time, after a few months of reading blogs—and soon thereafter, Christian magazines, I found out that a close friend of mine had a blog, after he told my mom and I about it. You can read it here if you want to check it out for yourself. That same afternoon, I launched my first post on 1 Timothy 4:12 Girl. It’s all been downhill from there.

Advice I’d give to a new blogger – If I had to give a new blogger two pieces of advice, I’d tell them to write from their heart and get plugged in with like minded bloggers. In blogging, staying true to yourself is vital—it’s the thing that makes your blog stand out from other blogs and draws others to your writing. I believe that everyone has their own voice and their own story that God has blessed each one of us with. Our stories are likely filled with both ups and downs, but it’s through those times that character is formed and we find out what we’re made of.

It’s also important to make connections in blogging. As unlikely as it may sound, I believe that friendship is nearly inevitable if you’re an active blogger and make a conscious effort to explore other blogs. For the Christian blogger, the WordPress blog-o-sphere is literally filled with fellow believers, and through forming connections, we can grow alongside fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Definitely be sure to take advantage of this opportunity.

The people that I would like to nominate are

Dainty M. 

Fearfully Wonderfully Me 

Saved By Grace 2009 

Sapphire Life Writer

Papberry 

Julian For Jesus 

Wally Fry 

Passion And Pixels 

Ready. Set. Write!

Sunshine Blogger Award

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? 

 

Thirty Day Blogging Challenge: Day 17

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Today is a very special day in the challenge, as I get the awesome opportunity to give a shoutout to my favorite blogs! I have enjoyed reading so many of your posts, but since I have to choose only five, I’ve narrowed it down to the blog websites below. 

Dainty M.-Not only is Mfon a good friend/pen pal, but she’s an awesome blogger! Her posts are very inspiring and provide a lot of wisdom. She writes some great stories and even writes poetry sometimes (A triple threat, y’all!😉). Definitely be sure to check her blog out if you don’t already follow her.

The Dream-I found Immanuel’s blog a couple of months ago and it is very good! His posts are incredibly deep and always leave me thinking. He writes a lot of really great Christian posts and my faith has been strengthened through reading his blog. I’m sure you guys will enjoy reading his posts as much as I have.

Fearfully Wonderfully Me-Emily is a longtime follower and her posts are always incredible! She writes a lot of insightful posts about grace, self image, and the gospel and her blog is very inspiring. She also does fashion posts sometimes, where we get the chance to see some of her personal style. Keep up the good work, Emily!

Sapphire Life Writer -As a fellow aspiring writer, I can often relate to Juni’s posts and love of written word. Many of her themes are universal and I can pretty much guarantee that something on her blog will tug on your heartstrings. She writes very eloquently and sometimes even shares her awesome artwork. I have just started following her recently and look forward to reading more of her blog entries.

Saved By Grace 2009 -AKA, my mom’s blog. She is new to the blogging world, but catching on fast! Her posts are very insightful and she has a lot of interesting topics on her blog. She also writes very, very in detail articles, so you’ll find a lot of great points packed into one post. Definitely check her blog out!

*Note: You are all amazing and I would nominate all of you if I could. I love you guys and appreciate your faithful reading! 😘

P.S. Be sure to check out my friend Angela’s blog, she just joined the blogging world last night and her site is called passionandpixels.wordpress.com. I know you guys will give her a warm welcome! 😊

The Liebster Award #2

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Big news guys, I have just been nominated for the Liebster award by my friend Papberry! I’m super honored to have won this award and I can’t wait to nominate some of my awesome readers! 😉

The rules are

  1. Answer the 11 questions you are provided with by the person who nominated you.
  2. Nominate 11 new bloggers who have less than 500 followers.
  3. Post the Liebster award to your blog.

The questions are

1. What is the funniest thing that has happened to you?

Hmm, I’ve had a lot of funny things happen to me. One that sticks out in particular is a time a time involving a squirrel and a cupcake. I threw the wrapper away (Which still had some icing and crumbs in it) and watched a squirrel retrieve it from the garbage can. He began eating the icing out of it, and the more he ate, the faster he licked the icing remnants, as if he had a a sudden energy boost. His tail began twitching at rapid speed and he seemed to be completely loving that cupcake. Watching a squirrel on a sugar high is definitely an experience that sticks out. 😂

2. What is your dream job?

A writer. You can read more about that here

3. What is your favorite song and why?

I have a lot of songs that I love, but one that seems to stand out right now is Fight Song by Rachel Platten 

4. Do you have any pets and if so what are they like?
Yes, I have a cat named Precious. I got her when I was seven. 🐱 Here’s a picture of her, if you want to see.

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5. Are you a night owl or early bird? How early do you wake up or how late do you stay up?
Not really either, honestly. I’m definitely more of a night owl than an early bird though, as I’m barely coherent first thing in the morning. I usually go to bed around 10:45 and during the summer, wake up anytime between 7:00-9:00.  

6. When you were little did you have imaginary friends? What were they like?
Yes, there was a bunny named Fluffy and a yellow monster named Cutie Pie. Don’t judge. 😂🙈 

7. What is your favorite food? And your favorite dessert?
For food, probably pizza or french fries (I know, real healthy favorites, right?) and for dessert, probably cake. 

8. What are your beliefs?

I like Papberry’s answers, so I’m using those.
I believe in God, creator of the universe and everything it entails.
I believe in the trinity; God the Father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit.
I believe in the Holy Book(Bible)
I believe in love
I believe in hardwork
I believe in friendship
I believe in grace
I believe in Favor
I believe in change
I believe in second chance

9. What are the things you stand for?

Jesus

Making a difference 

Making wise choices

Being a good friend 

Leaving a legacy

Sharing my faith 

10. What is the most important character trait in someone?

Hmm, I think I’m going to have to go with Papberry’s answer and say humility. So many other character traits are encompassed in that one. 

11. Who is your role model in life?

I admire a lot of people, but Jesus is my ultimate role model.

The new nominees are

Dainty M.

Fearfully Wonderfully Me

Sapphire Life Writer 

Saved By Grace 2009

TheyeofBarbie

Mandie’s World 

Julian For Jesus 

TIMI

Concealed Foundation 

Out Loud 1142

Cherry Drop Princess 

Please answer the same questions that I did and keep up the awesome work on your blogs! 😊