A little over a week ago, I was nominated for the Bloggers Recognition Award by Beautiful Southern Heart’s own Kristen Walker. I’m incredibly humbled to have received this nomination, and grateful for Kristen’s heart in this world. Her writing is vulnerable and real, and I appreciate her openness. As a Christian writer, I can see the way her faith influences her writing with the purpose of helping others to be better versions of themselves. Kristen, keep it up, there is a hungry world for people like you who have something meaningful, powerful, and intentional to say.

RULES

• Thank the Blogger that nominated you!
• Write a post to show your award!
• Give a brief story of how you started your blog
• Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers!
• Select 9 Bloggers, you want to give this award to!
• Comment on each blog to let them know you have nominated them, also link your post to their nomination!

ABOUT ME

Though I began writing my blog in January 2016, I was writing long before then. I first put pen to paper for the intentional purpose of writing out thoughts when I was a sophomore in high school, soon after my first major heartbreak. Someone important to me lied and broke my heart, which spawned the idea to write expressively. While I started off just rhyming small ideas together, this outlet eventually transmuted into poetry and song lyrics. Writing remained one of my outlets alongside weight-lifting. By the time I graduated high school, I had written hundreds of songs. By then, I thought I was finished, but I couldn’t see my future then the way I can see my past now, in hindsight. My writing continued throughout my college years in Florida and into my life in California, where I would start writing here on my blog.

This blog began with me writing about random subjects (my first article had been about mental pain, and how role models help inspire those in pain—it is deleted now as well as many others) and slowly, over the course of a few months, became a blog about my faith in Jesus. It was after I felt called to write about my faith rather than merely about my opinions about life, that I began focusing more heavily on writing about the impacts of my faith. My blog enabled me to pour faith into places a blog can reach, and where I, physically, cannot.

I believe the entire world needs to know about Jesus (the Bible calls us to proclaim the Gospel to all the nations of the earth (Mark 16:15)), which is why I make this blog public. I am open to answering questions and hearing others’ thoughts, especially with regards to faith.

PIECE OF ADVICE #1

I’ve done a lot of reading in my thirty years, and I’ve enjoyed the challenge from the minds and vernacular of other writers and their thought processes/beliefs. Over the years, I’ve grown fond of finding difficult words and ideas which made me slow down and think, not merely about new vocabulary, but about the complex ability to consider thoughts and beliefs far outside that of my comfort zone. Increasingly, this became something I rather enjoyed, because I equated this “shock value,” if you will, to determining how much there was that I still didn’t know. This transformed the fear of the unfamiliar to unparalleled zeal for the unknown.

My first piece of advice would be to allow ourselves to be challenged and brought “outside of ourselves,” that we would know more than our “self” is already aware of. For me, faith in Christ has renewed my spirit and given me hope for an eternity far outside life on this earth, and I want this hope for others, as well.

PIECE OF ADVICE #2

There is a plethora of relevant, important minutiae we have the capacity to learn in this lifetime; such as how to change the tires on our car, how not to stain or shrink clothes in the laundry; how to balance a checkbook, maintain an interesting, engaging conversation with another person—but none other is more important or more pivotal than our understanding of love. Without this, we will find the rest of our knowledge intake has significantly less importance in the bigger picture.

My prayer for each of us is that we will continue to seek Jesus above all else, accepting God’s grace and the love He generously bestows through the Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:1 and 1 Kings 2:3).

NOMINESS

The Beautiful Rebellion – Mara, although she hasn’t written in a while, has phenomenal posts about such sentimental and engaging subjects, and her delivery is both personal and tangible. I love reading her posts as she has an amazing eye for what matters and the heart to help us to see why.

theclippedbutterfly – Ann writes short and sweet or short and moving/powerful, and I love this about her posts. They are beautiful, sometimes poignant in a meaningful way, and they are always engaging. Ann, bless you as you continue to seek God as He works in your writing!

Triumph