Liebster Award – Growing

I’ve been nominated for The Liebster Award by the wonderful dogs and humans over at Whippet Wisdom.  I have been enjoying their blog very much and you should head over and check it out.

When I first received the nomination I was, of course, very much flattered and honored.  But my next reaction was panic.  I wanted to decline, not so much because I had to answer questions or tell about myself.  Even coming up with questions, while intimidating, didn’t make me want to run and hide.  No, it was the nominating part.

I haven’t been blogging for long and I’ve finally just started to comment on posts.  Approaching people is not my strong suit.  I have lots of issues with what Lysa Terkeurst calls “inside chatter“.  After talking through my thoughts with my husband, who is really great at letting me make my own decisions by answering a question with a question, I remembered that this blog journey was about growth.  And so today, some growth is going to happen.

These were the questions posed to me:

1. Do you believe in miracles? The short answer would be: Yes, I believe in miracles.  Merriam-Webster defines a miracle as:  an unusual or wonderful event that is believed to be caused by the power of God; a very amazing or unusual event, thing, or achievement.  I think the very fact that our bodies and planet function in such  amazing, symbiotic ways is a miracle.  As to a specific miracle in the  standard sense, when I was about 9 or 10 I had a friend who was bitten by a 6 ft diamondback rattlesnake in the woods near his home.  He said that an angel carried him home.  The amount of venom injected into him was a lot and to have made it home and up the stairs of their stilt home would have been an arduous journey with precious time passing and the venom spreading.  His brother heard a knock at the front door and opened it to find him lying at the door. I believe his story was featured in Guidepost sometime after it happened in the late 80’s.
2. Is there someone you would like to thank who said the right words to you at the right time?  I’m sure there are lots of someones who said the right words at the right time.  By naming any, I feel as though I will be forgetting someone else and don’t want any hurt feelings.  Those who know me, know when I appreciate their words.
   
3. What is your favourite walk? I don’t know that I have sought one out here in Virginia.  My favorite walk overall is to walk along the shoreline hunting sea glass and shells, feeling the ocean breeze, smelling the salt in the air, and having conversations with God about everything I’m thinking about.
   
4. What are your favourite creations in nature? Another tough one.  This can change daily as I find something new that I love everyday.  I love to watch a dolphin frolicking in the waves.  I love to watch a deer standing still, its eyes telling a story of a thousand thoughts.  I love the smell of orange blossoms and night blooming jasmine because they remind me of my childhood.  I love stars-when I was a kid I would lay out in the grass at night and imagine what it must be like out there.  I could go on and on, but who really has time for that 🙂
5. If you could be an animal for a day, what would you like to be? Well when I was a kid I dreamed of being this animal.  If I had to choose today it would be a bird.  A large bird of some sort.  I have watched them as they hover in the air, letting the wind catch beneath their wings and propelling them higher.  They seem as if they just enjoy that feeling of letting go.  
6. What makes you happy? Having people to care about and who care about me.
7. What do you treasure most in your relationship with your pet(s)/best friend? Honesty and the ability to be “me”.
8. What inspires you? People who are able to find their purpose and brave enough to pursue it.
   
9. What makes you laugh? Usually wildly inappropriate things or very random things.
   
10. Do you have any advice for newbie bloggers? I consider myself a newbie since I’ve only been doing this a few months.  But I would say don’t get discouraged if its something you feel passionate about.  And you are allowed to change your mind about the direction you want to take.  The blog will sometimes evolve as you find your thoughts (unless, unlike me, you already know all of them).  The wordpress daily post ended up being very helpful. It really helps you find blogs that you like and helps people find you.
11. What question would you love to answer, that we did not ask? My life verse right now as I spend time on this inward journey is : “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future” -Jeremiah 29:11.  Life can be decidedly chaotic and I just keep trying to be sure that I’m listening. When there is fog ahead, I know that everything turns out at it should in the end.

Eleven random facts about me:

1. I graduated high school at 16 (not something I recommend)
2. I drove a manual transmission (stick shift) vehicle until I had kids
3. This was because I liked to race
4. But I am a rule follower so I just beat them in the takeoff until I hit the speed limit (we are talking about from red lights with a straightaway, not some organized thing)
5. My grandmother used to listen to the police scanner and heard my car type and color mentioned in a drag race (I plead the 5th-just kidding, I won in the takeoff, didn’t squeal my tires and let off the gas when I hit 5th gear and the speed limit so I was never stopped)
6. I now have a 16 year old boy (enough said about my dreams of racing cars)
7. I don’t like being cold.  Like…really, really don’t like being cold.
8. I enjoy yoga. It helps me learn to be in the present.
9. You will almost always see me with a twisted topknot??.  I don’t like needing to throw my hair out of the way when moving from forward fold to mountain and other such movements.  But it must be high enough to not mess with my neck alignment during savasana.  Plus it makes me about 3 inches taller!!
10. I rarely wear makeup.  Mostly because I’m lazy.
11. I rarely blow dry my hair (see #9). See #10 for the reason.

It was really hard to decide who to nominate.  There are so many wonderful blogs out there.  I only nominated 5 because, hey, good growth is slow growth!! 🙂  I have nominated:

The Year of the Daffodil

Everything, Everywhere

Lonna Hill Prayers and Musings of an Expat Mom

The Sky’s the Limit

Way Crunchy (disclosure: this is my niece, but it was her going for it that pushed me over the edge of my comfort zone into the blogging world)

I chose these blogs for a variety of reasons, whether it be the photography, their words, their ideas and thoughts, or the awesome vibe they send out, but they are all definitely worth checking out.

The 11 Questions I pose should you choose to accept:

1. What is your favorite quote?
2. What is your favorite book?
3. What is your favorite movie?
4. Do you have a hobby that you enjoy?
5. Has anyone ever given you any great advice that you’d like to share?
6. Is there significance to your blog name?
7. Why did you start blogging?
8. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
9. What do you most hope that others remember about you?
10. Do you have a favorite post that you’ve published?
11. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

This is a time consuming post and I completely understand should you not have the inclination or the time to accept 🙂

 

Let your light shine!

Amy