10 Tips for a Good Day, Part 2 {A Guest Post by Brooklyne}

Aaaaaaand we're back with part 2 of Brooklyne's 10 tips for a good day! (if you missed part one last week, you can find it here)

Number Six // Make a Manageable List

I like lists. I like making them. I like crossing them off. I’m the kind of person that when I’m in the grocery store and put sometime in the cart that was not on the list, will write it on the list just so I can have the satisfaction of crossing it off. XD

Call me weird, but lists rock! Although I will admit, to-do lists are kinda overwhelming at times. That’s why it’s best if we can keep our to-do lists manageable. Don't put something on the list if you know it’s unrealistic. Make your list, and if you feel it is too long for that day then only pick a few things on the list to do. If you try to do it all, you will be running around like a chicken with its head cut off. We’ve all been there, and it’s not a good feeling.

Number Seven // Conquer Procrastinating and be Intentional 

So you know that thing people call Social Media? Oh… Yeah… that. Sometimes we’d rather be procrastinating online or whatever than to be intentional about what we really need to have happen that day. We are all guilty in this area. We get sidetracked. Then, before you know it, we’re scrolling through Instagram or Facebook or pinning something to Pinterest, or catching up with blog posts or texting a friend. 

It’s hard. To be intentional and to stay focused. But it’s truly worth it. Finding moderation and balance is so important to having a good day.

Number Eight // Don’t Forget to Celebrate

Let’s not call it a bribe… let’s call it celebrating! When you’ve got a lot done on your list and you feel like you’ve been productive, give yourself some free time. Get outside for a walk (or a four wheeler ride!) Have a snack. Watch a short YouTube. Give yourself something to look forward too. Like a mini prize after you’ve worked hard.

Number Nine // Read That Book

Work hard, but never forget to take time to have fun and do something that brings you joy. Many times, when life gets busy, we can so easily edge these things farther and farther out of our days. So make sure to leave room in your day to read that book, watch that movie, create that diy project, take a bath, bake those cookies, etc. 

Give yourself a little bit more than just free time. Do something that gives you joy and fills you with contentment.

Number Ten // Journal and Pray

I love having a journal. I don’t write in it every day, but I love documenting parts of my day, events that are taking place, or just my thoughts. Journaling is something that is meaningful. 

Prayer is so important, and sadly it’s one of the things that I often forget to do. I’m talking about praying more than just before every meal. It’s important to talk to God throughout the day just like we would a friend. Just knowing God has a special plan for each of your days is reason enough to have a good day! So let’s take each day as it comes, and try our best to live in the moment so we can have days that are more than just “good.”

And there we go! Thank you so much for guest posting, Brooklyne!

(And y'all, if you don't already follow her blog, what are you doing?!)

Baby Goat Pictures? You're Kidding Me!

Yeah, yeah, cringe all you want. But I just had to put that pun in there. ;) #sorrynotsorry

Chowboy's goats just finished their kidding season! The babies are so cuuuuuuute *squishes them* and while I didn't get pictures of all of them, I did get lots of pictures of our two bottle goats, Minnie and Emily! 

(Minnie has a twin sister named Pearl. Get it? Minnie & Pearl??)

(Also Emily has a twin sister named Jillian)

Minnie is the black one, and Emily is the red. They didn't really stand still enough for me to take a really good picture, so the result is...well...quite something. ;)

"Did someone say...CHOCOLATE??"

"You're in my spot. Move."

"I'm so photogenic."

"Guys, being a model is too much work."

I'm...not even sure what she's doing here. I thought I had her at a perfect angle, and then...just as I snapped a picture, she stuck out her tongue!

She apparently didn't like me to hold her that way...
(ft. my fabulous double chin)

Emily was either trying to give me a hug...or chew my hair. Pretty sure it's the latter.

It's the CIIIIIRCLE of LIIIIIIIFE!

Were you able to handle the adorableness?? *grins*

Oh, and one last picture before you go as a farewell from Emily:

"G'byyyyye!"

Life As Of Now

HI Y'ALL. Long time no see! (If you didn't even notice I've been absent, tbh I'm not gonna be offended, haha)

So, I started off this post so many times but failed, so let's just skip the introduction and jump right into the life update, shall we?

2019 was a year of firsts.

First public school experience (to take my ACT. It made me glad I was homeschooled, m'kay?).

First time publishing a book.

First time going to a summer camp.

First time mowing the lawn.

First time going to a concert as a VIP (Michael W. Smith is da bomb).

First time meeting Brooklyne in person (which was AMAZING).

First time actually making legit money on my cover design business.

First time visiting the ARK Encounter + Creation Museum in Kentucky.

First time getting Instagram. (Bookstagram is a blast, y'all. *grins*) You can find me @katetheauthor if interested. ;)

There's probably a whole lot more that I'm forgetting but meh.
Ya know, I think every year is a year of firsts. Each year we step out and do new things. But for some reason, 2019 just stood out to me that way.

But anyway. Now that that's all talked about, what's my 2020 looking like so far?

A few random happenings . . .

-My dad & brothers built me bookshelves to surround my walls at the ceiling! *happy sigh* So beautiful.

-I made mozzarella sticks for the first time and they were DELISH.

-I've been taking sooooo many #bookstagram pics...

-Kordell's cows had their babies! And they're so cute!! (I really need to go see them again . . . )

-I bought so much yarn, haha! I've got projects, lots of projects.

So, then, there's the big question: how am I doing during COVID-19??

Honestly? Nothing has really changed for us, hehe! I work at home, we don't go very many places anyway, and since half of my family is made up of introverts, and we see each other all the time . . . we're doing pretty good. ;) The question is, how are you doing? My extrovert sister is about to die, not being able to go anywhere . . . and I know a lot of y'all are the same way. You can do this, y'all!

If you're going stir-crazy, try

-working out (it's actually kinda enjoyable when you do it with someone)

-having an impromptu dance party, even when you're by yourself (because music + dancing makes everything better, gives you exercise, and helps you not be so stir-crazy)

-writing a book (keeps your mind occupied)

-blogging (because, honestly, there's so many posts that you could write that could keep you busy for days)

-starting a journal (getting your thoughts on paper, about anything, definitely helps relieve stress/tension!)

-studying your Bible (if we spent as much time studying the Bible as we did sitting around complaining of boredom, our faith would be so much bigger)

-playing games (*gasp* PLAYING A GAME! What a novel idea! Honestly tho, this could take so many forms—from board games to your own private olympics)

-playing with your hair (might as well learn to look good for when you're out in public again)

-work (yeah, y'know those lil' chores around the house that have been staring you down? Do it today)

See? The possibilities are endless. ;)

Also, random note—anyone else here wear jeans around the house all the time bc they're comfortable?? I see on social media that people are saying "Who would wear jeans when you can wear leggings?! They're so uncomfortable!" Um, sorry, y'all. Not feeling it. xD

So, anyway.

How has your 2020 been so far??

Anything exciting happen for ya?

(Also considering doing monthly life updates again so I don't have to keep doing year-end recaps . . . )

Birthday Memories

Does your family have birthday traditions? Mine does! My sister just had a birthday, and thus the idea for this post was born.

So, when I was little, it used to always be the same thing every year: No school, a special breakfast (in my family, a 'special breakfast' is when Mom buys sugared cereal!) that usually consisted of a peanut butter/marshmallow/Cheerios bar, or coffee cake, or puffed pancake, or muffins . . . whatever the birthday child wanted—within reason, of course. ;)

Then we'd eat the special lunch picked out by the birthday kid. Then, in the afternoon, we'd go over to our grandpa & grandma's house so mom could bake and decorate the cake! Now, the cake was a big deal. Like, we'd pick out the flavor and how we wanted it decorated, and Mom would spend the longest time decorating it just the way the birthday boy/girl wanted it. (When we were little, Kordell and I actually got our own separate cakes! Spoiled, weren't we? *grins*)

Then, we all ate a special birthday supper (can you see a pattern going here?), and afterward, all the grandparents would come over for cake and ice cream (also specially picked out, of course) and presents.

However, everything changed on my 11th birthday. Kordell and I *gasp* had our very first sleepover! I'll never forget that birthday. We each got to choose one of our church friends to have over for the night. (Kordell, remember that huge pillow fight the four of us had? I quit early because your guest hit me in the head with his heavy feather pillow. *shakes head*)

I remember one hear, I had a tea party and invited some friends and cousins over for the fun. We went bowling once. But my two favorite birthday parties were my 6th and my 17th. For our 6th birthday party, Mom went all out—invitations we handed out at church, a theme, everything. (Y'know those themed birthday parties? Yeah, we don't do those.) It was our cowboy birthday party. Everyone wore cowboy boots and hats, and some even wore bandanas! (Our grandma had actually made us kids cloth chaps awhile before that, so I felt so special wearing mine with the princess knee patches!)

Our 17th birthday, however, was much different. By then, two of our brothers were married. So there we were, all eleven of us sitting around the table eating supper (Our grandma had joined us), laughing, joking. Angel food cake with whipped cream and strawberries. Then, when Mom and Dad left to take Grandma home, the kids all split into two groups and played the Farming Game. Now, if you don't know what The Farming Game is, I'm so, so sorry. You are seriously missing out! Comparable to Monopoly, I suppose, only about five times better. We played for, like, 2 hours. It was so fabulous.

Anymore, we don't really do gifts. (My mom gave me a coat like 6 months late last year, haha!) The married siblings might give the others a bag of candy or something. Grandparents give some money. Nowadays, I listen to my friends talk about the gifts they get at their birthdays, and I'm just like, "wait, you get presents?!" But really . . . I don't necessarily miss it.

It's the memories that make birthdays special.

What are your favorite birthday memories?

Bare Feet & Cheez-Its

Bare feet & Cheez-Its.

Infrequent cloudy days.

Sister using blankets as a dress.

Cheesy puns.

Hair blowing gently in the breeze.

Messy buns.

T-shirts.

Waterjugs & ice.

Flip-flops.

It's the little things that make summers whimsical & special. Don't take 'em for granted. Sometimes we don't realize how much they mean to us until we lose them.

P.S. blog tour & ARC signups are OPEN for the 13 Reasons Why Blog Tour! Go HERE to sign up!

Just Do It

No, this is not a Nike commercial. Just sayin'.

If you'd told me a year ago that by the time July rolled around again, I'd be going to camp as a counselor, well . . . I probably wouldn't have believed you. I'm an introvert—we don't like stepping out and doing new things, especially where there's people involved.

So when my sister asked me a couple months ago (okay, no, begged is more like it) to be a counselor at camp, well . . . my initial reaction was no way. No way was I going to go ride herd on a bunch of kids. No way was I going to sleep in a room with 10 other people (not to mention share one bathroom with that many). No way was I going to put that much responsibility on myself when the only remotely similar thing I'd done before was vacation Bible school at church with about 20 kids total.

But something kept me from outright telling her no. I put it off: "You know that's not my thing." "I don't want to." "What's it worth to ya?" "I'd need more information about it first." And I was convinced that stalling long enough would eventually put me past the deadline and it'd be too late to send in my form. Smart, right? I wickedly kept her hopes up (or we could say I was polite and didn't tell her no right away), and impatiently waited for that deadline to arrive.

And then I prayed about it.

You know when sometimes, God tells you to do things that you really don't wanna do? Yeah. The more I prayed about it, the more I felt Him telling me to go to camp. And I wasn't really thrilled with Him at the moment.

So I talked to someone about it, asked questions, and was given the form.

And I went to camp this past week.

I was slightly freaked out; I didn't know what I was doing; what if I did something completely wrong? I was the only counselor for 10 junior high girls; what if they would constantly try to bend the rules? I hated being around crowds; what if all the people freaked me out? I was a picky eater; what if we always had food that I didn't like? (Yes, that last one is totally a legit fear)

So, I'm not going to go into detail and describe every detail about the week. Because that would take forever. BUT. Let's just say that it was both worst and better than I expected. But I will give you some  highlights.

-My first night there, I met a lady who happened to be the sister-in-law of a pastor in our area.
-Said lady (Sara) happened to be a counselor in the cabin adjoining mine, along with another lady, and they both kinda took me under their wings.
-I became super homesick and overwhelmed (I've never even been to camp as a camper before, y'all!) and Sara sweetly offered to trade places with one of my campers.
-The food was amazing. Like, no complaints.
-All the girls in my cabin were epic. I never had to worry about any of them trying to sneak one past me, or about them being anywhere they weren't supposed to be.
-There were so many things to keep all the kids occupied, we were rarely all grouped together at the same time.

What are some things I learned this week? Well . . .
-Going for a week without social media is completely doable. Don't freak out about it, peeps.
-Energizers (Star Trekking, anyone?) are so. much. FUN.
-Counselors learn just as much during chapel as the kids.
-Checking your emails after a week can be overwhelming.
-Carpet ball is actually addictive.
-I like bananas . . . I know that mangos are sweet . . . (c'mon, ya'll, if you know what I'm talking about, let me know!!)
-I never want to go another week without reading more that three pages.
-There's nothing like praising the Creator through amazing music with a hundred other people.

MORAL OF THE STORY: When God tells you to do something, just do it. Even if you don't know why, and you're still not sure why it happened after it's over. Because everything is for a purpose, even if you don't know what that purpose is. He will work through your fear, and He'll work through your happiness. He will work through your tears, and He will work through your smiles. He will work through the rain, and He will work through the sunshine.

Trust Him. In the right conditions, mustard seeds grow to be trees that withstand anything. Water your faith, surround yourself with the right conditions, and watch it grow. (I can't take credit for those lines, though . . . Pastor Bob's messages were pretty epic.)

Do it even when you don't want to, even when it's painful. Because your trust and faith in Him grow best when you're not in your comfort zone.

Do I know why God called me to go to camp? Not really. Maybe it was so I could give hugs to homesick girls. Maybe it was simply to stretch myself. Maybe it was for a reason that I'll never know about. But whatever the reason—I'm glad I went. It was an experience I won't soon forget.

Will I go back next year? God only knows. I have to admit that camp wasn't really my thing. But sometimes God calls us to do things that we aren't comfortable doing.

And that's when we need to take that leap of faith and just do it.

Summer Vibes

I don't know about where you live, but here, summer seems to be making an early arrival. (Oh, who am I kidding? It's nearly mid-June already. I'm in denial.)

What makes it feel like summer?

>>Putting my hair on top of my head, rolling up my sleeves, and sweating to death out in the garden<<

>>Late nights<<

>>Farm equipment driving by<<

>>Screaming (not literally) down the highway in the bro's truck, music blaring (bass all the way up of course)<<

>>80-90 degree weather<<

>>Lawn mower roaring<<

>>Picking mulberries with lil' munchkins and watching them cover their faces with juice<<

>>Shedding puppy<<

>>Bucket calves<<

>>Goatlets shouting and playing king of the hill<<

>>Sno cones<<

There's so much more that I could say . . . but that's the gist of it. (Also I'm kinda writing this last minute so I don't have a lot of things right off the top of my head so yeah)

What kind of summer vibes have you been getting?

You Might Be a Farmer's Daughter If...{Spring Edition}

Wow, it's been a long time since I've done one of these posts. About time I wrote another!

You might be a farmer's daughter if . . .

. . . rather than everything smelling fresh, spring rains make your yard smell like manure. Very wet manure.

. . . when you hear the words "it's time to start planting corn," you know the relaxed, slow days of the year are gone until winter. (That lil' thing called Summer Vacation? Yeah, we don't do that)

. . . driving in the dark and seeing fire on the horizon isn't horrifying—it's beautiful, and that means pastures are being burned so that fresh, clean growth can spring up. (pun unintended, but you can go ahead and laugh.)

. . . trucks & trailers are a common sight on the road outside your house, hauling cattle out to the pasture.

. . . the perfect place to read is outside with a breeze that doesn't tear your pages.

. . . nearly half of the meals you cook need to be taken outside.

. . . sometimes you think summer has arrived because it's just as hot and busy.

. . . the end of school is bittersweet because on one hand, YAY SCHOOL IS OVER, but on the other hand, days are getting suuuuper busy.

. . . baby animals are one of the best things about spring.

Could you relate to any of these? ;)
(Also how's that for entertaining, Chowboy?)

Family Diversity {feat. Kara}

GUYS SPRING IS FINALLY HERE. Kansas has been clinging to Winter for far too long, and I was beginning to thing that we'd skip Spring altogether and jump right to Summer! But joy of all joys, it's here and I'm so happy about it.

So yeah, after that random intro about Spring's arrival (YAY! Have I mentioned that I'm so glad it's here?!), I will now introduce my little sister, whom you might remember from the ridiculous post I did with her last. We're hopping in as a part of Brooklyne's Family Forever Month.

Heya, Squirt (nope, only I'm allowed to call her Squirt, 'kay? You, fabulous people, may call her Kara)!

Hello Kiki

...Wow, it's been awhile since that nickname has been used. And actually, that's a good transition to our topic today: family diversity. Every family is different and unique. Some families are tall, some are short, some like sports, some like sushi . . . but diversity within the families is what really makes things interesting. Like nicknames, for example.

Ohhh I get it, like your annoying and I'm perfect right? *Halo* ... Ok uhh... Don't answer that

. . . I never know what's going to come out of your mind. And no, that's not what I mean (does that even deserve a response?). Such as . . . you're Squirt and I'm, well, Kiki, as you said. Or, as Kordell likes to call me, Pugs (I don't even know why).
There's also other ways that we're different. Such as, even though we're twins, Kordell hates reading (except Hank the Cowdog, ugh) and loves pretty much any animal, whereas I love reading (never would've guessed, would ya?), yet I'm not as much of an animal person.

Man, you sure are talking a lot for the quiet one of the family... talking is my job. But I get your point... Like I'm super extraverted and you super introverted. So much for introverts not talking a lot *Smirks deviously*

Hey, this is my blog. Of course I'm gonna talk a lot. I'm supposed to talk a lot. Besides, like I said in my post about introverts, just because I'm an introvert doesn't mean I don't like to talk. It just means that I generally don't talk a lot around people I don't know very well. Besides, you still talk twice as much as me. Ask our family.
But, I mean, talking online is a whole different ball game.

Hey hey hey, as I said earlier that's my job. And wait a minute I just realized, all those times you say, "I have nothing to say to that." or "I'm speechless." it's not because you're an introvert?! WOW!

Oh heavens no. Usually you just do render me speechless, regardless of my personality.

I tend to have that effect on people... I just take their breath away! 

Yeah, something like that. Anyway, moving on . . .
You and I both love reading. That's one thing we have in common. I, however, loved reading as soon as I learned how, and I love intense books or feelsy books (yeah . . . two different extremes, I suppose. Depends on my mood). It took me years, though, to get you into reading, and now all you want to read about is horses.

That's because not much else is worth reading *halo* and it wasn't you that got me into reading, it was myself. 

Those . . . those be fightin' words. And yes, I most certainly did! But I'll let it slide . . . for now.

We are also alike in that we like writing, but you like killing characters. I on the other hand, like resurrecting them

WHAT! I do not kill them! I only maim them . . . a little . . . but I've only killed one or two out of dozens, maybe even hundreds!

Yeah I guess... BUT STILL I only almost kill them, you make sure you get the job done

Again, I've only killed one or two. And that was yearssss ago. I'm nice to my characters now. So far.

Maybe, but I can see it in your eye, your planning another assassination 

. . . all you see in my eyes are pupils.

Actually I see some pond scum color in the center, a really cold almost white icy blue in the middle, actually it's almost a grayish color, then on the outside you have kind of almost a metallic looking deep grayish dark blue

Wow, I've never heard my eyes described in such detail. And I've never been quite so . . . creeped out by a person studying my eye from an inch away.

Author is as author does... Sometimes you need to get up close to what your doing research about (no I am not officially an author, sorry I know you were all wanting my autograph)

Good grief, Squirt, I think we need to start talking about something else.
Music! That's a good topic. We tend to have very different tastes in music. I love bluegrass (I looooove instrumentals), I don't really like country music (yeah, I know, a farmer's daughter in the country that doesn't actually like country music . . . ), and my favorite singing group is The Ball Brothers. But, I mean, I love Celtic music as well (bagpipes, y'all!), and gospel (Gaithers, anyone??), and . . . yeah. I kinda love music. A lot.

I mostly go for worded music. Andy Leftwich, 2CELLOS, and the Piano Guys [epiiiiic choices, though you should really add Craig Duncan in there . . . ] are about the only instrumentalist I really like, (although non worded soundtracks [YES LIKE MOVIE SOUNDTRACKSSSS] are amazing) Country music (specifically Country Christian) is AMAZING!!!! And I really like a lot of modern Christian music, and a lot of doo-wop. Some of my favorite bands (I have most likely only heard a few from each band) are Home Free, The Gaithers, For King and Country, Crowder, Alan Jackson, Steven Curtis Chapman, Danny Gokey, Aaron Watson, Alabama, MercyMe, Josh Turner, Rescue, and some TobyMac, the Flying W. Wranglers, and the Statler Brothers. *Currently dancing to Home Free*

. . . good grief. You have a lot of favorites. I mean, I do too, but still. I'll leave my list alone on the about me page, thanks.

Sadly, you don't have an about me page for me... so I have to say them all on here, isn't that right peeps?

Um, sure. But anyway, I'm not a huge fan of any of your favorite bands, Josh Turner (one of the very few country singers [and the best bass ever, along with Tim Foust from Home Free] that I like), the Gaithers, and Rescue being exceptions. If only you liked The Ball Brothers. *sigh*

So, all this to say . . . diversity within families can run rampant. But you know what? God made us that way. Pretty genius, huh? I mean, imagine if we both loved TobyMac! *makes face* I'll take my Ball Brothers playlist, thanks. So we praise God that He made us different, and we try to get along in the meantime. ;)

Eeek, you can have your Ball Brothers, they're too jazzy for me they only have two songs I like. (one's their only countryish song of course!) But yes God made us all unique, just ask my siblings, I'm living proof of that! ;D

Mhmm. Definitely. So, to borrow VeggieTales' words . . . God made you special, and He loves you very much. G'byyyyyye!

Things to Understand About Introverts

Sometimes, introverts come across as rude or condescending. Sometimes even boring or stuck up. But the truth? Well . . . let's explore some things, shall we? Being an introvert myself, I can assure you that sometimes even just the thought of talking to people can make introverts shake in their boots.

So first of all, when we stare at the floor or keep quiet during a group's conversation, there's probably one of four things going through our heads: 1) we don't feel like we have anything intelligent to add to the conversation and we just feel stupid if we open our mouths, 2) we feel rude if we butt into the conversation, 3) we don't want attention, or 4) we're tired and want to go home.

If an introvert acts like they want to go home, do not take it personally. It's not that they don't like you—it's just because introverts get utterly exhausted by people, and in order to keep from becoming grumpy and trollish, we have to go home and sit in silence for about 18028 hours (sliiiight exaggeration, I guess. Maybe.) to recharge and be ready to face the world once more. Again, it's not personal. Sometimes we even get tired of ourselves.

If an introvert stiffens when you give them a hug, again, do not take it personally. Well, I mean, if they just don't like you, that could be the case, but sometimes introverts just really, really like their personal space, and they don't like it invaded. I personally love hugs (not sure if I'm in the minority here), but some people don't. And getting hug after hug from someone I don't know well? Ehh . . .

If you meet an introvert online before you meet them in person, you may be kinda shocked at how quiet they can be in person as opposed to online. Do they have two personalities? No! Now, I can't speak for all introverts, obviously, but in my personal experience, if an introvert acts like an extrovert online, it's because we really feel more comfortable being ourselves when people aren't right there staring at us.

*gasp* Introverts are bubbly on the inside?

Actually, sometimes, yes. It's just a lot harder for us to open up and be ourselves face-to-face with real people. So when we act bubbly online as opposed to in person, it's often because we feel so much more confident when people can't actually see us. If that even makes sense.

So, sometimes when we seem to be super stuck-up or condescending, it's not because we actually are (I mean, sometimes, maybe, I guess, but everyone has their moments . . . ). We just feel really uncomfortable and out of our comfort zones, and don't know what to say, do or act. We feel conspicuous just by sneezing in a crowd. So next time you spend time with an introvert . . . be patient, 'kay?

Well, I hope that gave you a bit of insight into why we introverts are the way we are. Introverts: can you relate? Extroverts: does this help you understand us a bit more? ;)

Like a Puppy

Meet Trigger, the newest addition to our home! Isn't he adorable?

Kordell and I took him him with us to check the cows yesterday, and it was so cute how he just sat there at my feet. He didn't understand that we wouldn't let him up on the seat because we didn't want to make a mess. He didn't understand why we made him approach the cows while he was terrified of them. He didn't understand why we wouldn't let him go wherever he wanted. He didn't understand what was going on outside, but he wanted so badly to see it all. He wanted to see everything that was happening when he was stuck in the car while we were out of the pasture. And sometimes he caught glimpses when the door would open. But Kordell and I, we knew why. We could see everything. And Trigger trusted us, and he obeyed.

Sometimes we don't understand why God holds us back. Sometimes we don't understand why we have to face our fears. Sometimes we don't realize that the actions we do today can affect what happens tomorrow, or what happens to those around us. Sometimes we want to see everything; we want to see the future. We want to see the end result. And sometimes, sometimes, God lets us catch a glimpse. When someone tells us that we had the exact words they needed to hear, even though we're convinced that we never have the right words. When we step outside on a Spring day and hear the birds singing, and we realize that God really is in control.

We hope. We have faith that God knows and sees everything. And we trust like a puppy.

How to Find Post Ideas When You're Uninspired {and How to Prevent it in the Future}

You ever have those moments when you're thinking like, all day, about what to post about and you still haven't come up with a good idea?

Yeah, me too.

So, I'm here with some solutions for you, and how to (hopefully) (somehow) (maybe) prevent this problem from occurring again.

First of all, ask yourself some questions: what's a category I haven't talked about in awhile? What are some things that I'm currently extra-passionate about? What has God been teaching me about lately? What are some questions that I've been asked recently that I can answer/explore?

Once you've narrowed it down to a generalization, it's time to pick a specific topic to ramble about. Sometimes, if the topic is big enough (or if you just have too many words to say about the subject than will fit in a nice-sized post), you can turn it into a series, not only writing a post for your current needs, but also having your next post planned out—and possibly even written—ahead of schedule! Then you can congratulate yourself on being a wonderful time manager.

Until your second post is past and you realize that you let time get away with you, and you're back to your old dilemma.

So then, you pick another topic.  How to find the best topics? Well, for one, you can dig into your blog's stats and check out your most-viewed posts. But if you're like me, even this could be a problem. See, my father learned that every time he reloads the page (he's got this down pat—something like 20 times a minute), it puts another view on that post. So yeah, now his favorite post has over a thousand more views than any of my other posts.

Anyway, you could also visit other blogs to see what posts have the most comments, or maybe even ask some people you trust what their most popular posts are, or what they'd like to read.

Or, even better, you could write that post that you've been wanting to read/write. What's that little idea that's been stuck in the back of your head for awhile? (Orrrrrr if you're like me, you basically never have a little idea stuck in the back of your head and you improvise at the last minute.)

What are some more specific ideas? Let's brainstorm, shall we?

-Elaborate one a subject you're currently studying, whether you're actually in school or not.

-Share some thoughts about your daily devotional.

-Get political if you like; rant about something controversial if you want a lot of traffic.

-Share some photography.

-Host a guest.

-Compile a list of common myths and bust them.

-Give a demonstration of one of your hobbies and video it, or do a step-by-step photo tutorial.

-Ramble about a random topic like nicknames or bed bugs.

-Have a sense of humor? Do a comedic post!

-Share some favorites, whether it be music or movies or books or YouTube channels.

-Review a book or movie.

-Give some advice on a subject you know well.

-Post a poll on whatever you think needs it, such as where you should take your next vacation, what posts people like to read, or whether or not you should redesign your blog (I'm actually toying around with the idea of redesigning . . . any recs on a color scheme? Or should the blog stay the way it is?).

Annnnnd there's thirteen post topics for you to choose from!

How can you keep from scrambling to find a post idea at the last minute? The answer is simple, really: schedule ahead. But, I know better than anyone that it's super hard. There's so many other things I'd like to do rather than write blog posts in my spare time. But you really have to just do it. They won't write themselves. Something to keep you accountable is to have a blogging buddy to give you a prod in the right direction, and vice versa.

Another way to (kinda) stay on top of things is to make a post draft with the title of a random idea you come up with. Then, when you have time to actually write a post, just sift through your drafts and see if one of the titles catches your fancy. Then, viola! You're good to go.

I hope this whole post helps you . . . and if it doesn't, well, come back next week, and I'll (hopefully) have a special post for you. ;)
(No, Chow, you probably won't be interested.)

Top Books of 2018 {Plus 2019 Goals}

So, I tried to narrow my favorite books down to one... but there were actually two that just really stuck out to me.
There were several books that I LOVED and rated 5 stars, and they each basically made me speechless (because c'mon, 5 stars?  It has to be good).  But there were two that just... ahhhh, I loved them so. very. much.

What are these two books, you ask?  Well, *grins* lemme show you.

    

Blaze of Glory by Jeff Struecker and Angels Walking by Karen Kingsbury.

Oh. my. word, y'all.  Okay, so I was so surprised by Angels Walking.  I had been told that it was amazing.  I'd been urged by a good friend to read it, but as I knew that Karen Kingsbury writes romance, I was rather hesitant.  I mean... romance.  But.  Wowwwwww, I was kinda shocked at how much I loved it.  Allllll the feeellllsssss.  I've recently acquired an appreciation for feelsy stories and this one is definitely worth a re-read.

So, Blaze of Glory.  I enjoy intense books, and um this book delivered.  I checked it out of the library on a whim because I thought the cover looked cool (and because the author is military so I knew the military aspect would be epic).  Well... it was... incredible.  If I hadn't known better, I would've thought that I literally went on a rollercoaster, it was so intense.  But it was amazing.  And the spiritual aspect. <3

So yes, my two favorite books from the year were actually basically opposites, which is interesting but cool. (Also I got Blaze of Glory—the whole series, actually—for Christmas, and a candle that SMELLS LIKE A BOOKSTORE AND IT'S SO AMAZING)

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Okay, now 2019 goals.

Right about now is the time that everyone is making their New Year's resolutions—a new year, a fresh start at becoming more, becoming better.

I've never made New Year's resolutions.  Why?  Because the definition of a resolution is a firm decision to do or not to do something.  Resolutions take determination, y'all.  And while I get that determination and perseverance can be good things, I didn't want the burden of knowing that if I messed up one of my resolutions I'd feel like a failure, which basically reverses the effects that resolutions are supposed to have.

So, I came up with an alternative: goals.  Because I know I'm a work-in-progress, and by God's grace I'm going to continue to improve every day.  It's the same thing with my goals.  Rather than making a resolution, I made several goals to work towards rather than piling it on top of myself all at once.  So I'd like to share with you a few goals I have for the new year.

1. (Tentatively) Publish Beloved.

Okay, so yeah, this may or may not happen.  But *crosses fingers* Lord willing, I'll put the hammer down and stop procrastinating.  This poor baby has gone through (and is going through) so many changes, it'll be a miracle if I get it ready for publication by 2090.  But I'm going to try. ;)

2. Exercise at least 4 days out of every week.
Those who know me well know that I'm seriously so out of shape, it isn't even funny.  So since Mom got a membership at the local gym, I'll hopefully get going regularly with her, as well as exercising at home.  Because goodness knows I need it.

3. Read at least 60 books.
So according to Goodreads, this year I've only read 76 out of my 90-book goal this year, which is sad, but it also means that I haven't spent as much time with my nose in a book (or I'm just not as fast a reader as I used to be... but I refuse to accept that), so that's good, right?  So I thought I'd let off some pressure and rather than shoot for the stars on this one, I'd shoot for... well, the neighbor's yard, I guess.  (Living out in the country, that's not exactly close...)

4. Blog consistently.
Um maybe by the end of the year I'll actually master this one?  Because while I obviously need help in the consistent blogging department, I've been doing better lately, and maybe I'll just have to designate a few days this year to just write like 20 posts at a time and schedule them and possibly actually publish a post every week.

5. Write at least 50,000 words.
Well, seeing as how I probably wrote barely 10K this year, this might not happen, especially if I'm going to be dedicating a bunch of time to Beloved.  Buuuut we'll give it a whirl.  I mean, hundreds of people write this much in one month alone (NaNo, anyone?) and surely I can do it in the span of 12 months... right?

6. Create a 2019 playlist.
Now, this is an idea that I kinda halfways stole from a blog I follow, but I thought it was a neat idea.  I love music, and I'm constantly listening to music or singing or playing piano or just playing a song in my head over and over (I don't recommend that though, unless you want to get really tired of that song really fast).  I'm not sure how I'll do this, maybe a song per week, or when something significant happens.



7. Finish reading through the Bible.
I started this for school this past semester, and I'm actually supposed to get 3/4 of the way done by the time next semester is over, so I'd hope this would happen... but I guess ya never know.  Maybe I should shoot for reading through the Bible again after I finish...

8. Memorize at least 20 Bible verses.
I don't memorize nearly as much as I should, and I'll hopefully step up my game this year.  I've never really cared that much for memorization (unless it's music that I accidentally memorize by listening to a specific song over and over), so not only will this increase my knowledge of the Bible, it'll also bring me out of my comfort zone.

******

Yeah... that's a lot of goals.  We'll see how I do!  I might write an update post this summer... we shall see.
Do you have any goals/resolutions for 2019?

Why Fruitcake?

Fruitcake is the stereotypical Christmas dessert.  I've personally only had it once (never again), but it's still everywhere this time of year.  So during a conversation with my mother on the subject, and amid speculation, I began to wonder exactly why fruitcake is so traditional and popular, even though few people actually like it.  So, I did some research.  And I was surprised and slightly horrified to find that some fruitcake supposedly has a shelf life of 25 years.

Fruitcake actually started in Rome, where it was almost a delicacy, only affordable to the rich because of how rare fresh fruit was in the winter.  Add liqueur to that, and you've got an expensive dish.  Our American version stemmed from the British form of plum cake, a fruity dessert incredibly popular to eat during holidays.  Obviously, it's not nearly as rare and expensive now, so it's not as popular as it used to be.  But it's still iconic.

My personal experience with fruitcake came 3 or 4 years ago, when we visited a location famous for their fruitcake, and was handing out samples.  I sunk my teeth into a bite, even though fruitcake isn't liked all that well and I'm not a fan of trying new foods.  But I figured I might as well give it a try.

The bread was... very sweet, and the fruit was... well, something I tried not to chew too much.  All this to say, no, I don't like fruitcake.  But if you do—more power to you!

Also, don't forget to visit Faith's blog for the other participators and the giveaway!

Memorable Decorations {Part 2}

Last time I talked about the memories behind our Christmas decorations, we ended in the front room.  I'd like to now take you over to the family room, where more surprises await.

First of all, let's hop to the south side of the house, where windows offer perfect places to drape some greenery.  And what better addition to the greenery than snowflakes?  Probably about ten years ago, my grandma patiently attempted to teach me how to do a simple chain crochet stitch, which I promptly left to do other, more interesting things.  Well, finally, a few years ago, she gave me the idea to make lace snowflakes for my mom.  I readily agreed, not knowing how tedious it would be to learn new stitches and put them to use.  But I'm quite pleased with how they turned out!

A hop and a skip away, and once again, we've got a homemade gift that the guys made probably six or seven years ago.  Mom wanted stocking hangers, and so her sweet husband once again surprised her with eight shining, gold-painted hangers.  I remember that we all gave them to her—Daddy and us kids—and though I didn't do a thing, they were still partially from me, and that was special.  Though it made my brothers slightly irritated.

And let's just take a moment to admire these stocking handcrafted by my very talented mother, shall we?  Not only are they simply stockings, but cowboy boots!  Yeah, have I mentioned her love for western decor?

Now let's take a step back from the mantle (where we put the village every year until we decided to put it on the piano this year) to examine Kordell's fascination/obsession with lights.  The dude seriously finds a new place to string lights every year. (Let's not forget that one year Birdo strung garland across the room suspended from the ceiling... but that's another story.)

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Our house is certainly all decked out this year!  How about yours?