The Liebster Award!!!

I was recently nominated for The Liebster Award by Grace over at Don’t You Know I’m Singing! Thank you so much, Grace… I’m super excited about this one.

First of all, here are the rules:

1. First, thank the person who nominated you, include a link to their blog, and add the Liebster Award badge to your blog and/or post.
2. Next answer the eleven questions from the person who nominated you.
3. Give eleven random facts about yourself.
4. Nominate 5-11 fellow bloggers with less than 200 followers.
5. Notify your nominees that you nominated them for the Liebster Award.
6. Last, but certainly not least, ask your nominees eleven questions.

Okay… here we go! Here are my answers to Grace’s questions (which, by the way, were extremely thought-provoking!).

What is one line/verse from one song that you really love, and why?

You can’t know how torturous it is to have to pick only one… but here it is:

“I don’t need to recognize the man in the mirror – and I don’t wanna trade Your plan for something familiar – I can’t waste a day, I can’t stay the same, I wanna be different.” – from Different by Micah Tyler Begnaud and Kyle Lee

This line is from one of my current favorite songs… and it really reminds me of the importance of following and pursuing God when it means going beyond the status quo – or even standing out and looking weird or ridiculous to those around me. Ultimately, God’s opinion is the only one that matters.

What is a song you absolutely hate, and why?

Is this even possible? Haha… I don’t know if I absolutely hate any song… I’m not really familiar with any I strongly dislike.

What are your thoughts on politics, and a Christian’s role in that realm?

Ooh… do you have time for a three-hour discussion???

In a nutshell, I’m very passionate about politics. I am definitely in the conservative category, although I don’t tie myself down too much to specific parties or ideologies. My goal is to weigh each political issue against what I find in the Scriptures, and firmly take my stand based on that.

I believe that Christians are indeed headed to a heavenly country… but that in no way negates the reality and importance of our participation in the government of our earthly country! God desires that His people do justly (Micah 6:8), and I see involvement in politics and government as one way of living that out.

Who, aside from your parents, siblings, and relatives, has been a role model in your life, and how/why did they become a role model to you?

Jim Elliot is one of my role models… I received Shadow of the Almighty, his biography, for my sixteenth birthday, and I’ve been learning from him ever since. I love his fiery passion for the Lord, his honesty, and his complete surrender of his life to God. I don’t agree with the stance he took on everything, but I have learned so much from his legacy. His journals also inspired me to journal more frequently and passionately. I am definitely looking forward to meeting him one day!

Do you celebrate Christmas in your family? Why or why not?

Yes! We have always celebrated Christmas… so partially because of tradition. But I really love all the little things in celebrating the Christmas season that point me to God, His love for me, and the incredible story He has written. And the extra time with family is amazing.:)

What’s your favorite aspect of creation?

Another hard one… can I say every aspect??? To narrow it down, though, the complexity of the human body puts me in complete awe of God… and I really love a good sunrise.:)

If there was one talent you could magically have, what would it be?

Being able to clear up misunderstandings between people every single time. Life would be so much simpler if miscommunications were eliminated!

Do you have any allergies/dietary restrictions? And what are they?

To my knowledge, none whatsoever… I count myself blessed!

If you could time travel into the future or the past, which way would you go? Forwards or backwards?

Backwards, backwards… I’m a history buff.

What movie/book character have you read/watched whose personality seemed to be exactly the same as yours, and who was the opposite?

Hmm… this is another hard one. I feel like I can identify with basically any character in one way or another, but I’ve always sympathized with Jo March from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women – although now I’m more like her personality after she passed the tomboy stage.:) We both love writing, words, acting, and debates, have strong opinions (although she was much more vocal about them than I am) and love our families like crazy.

I can’t think of any characters who seem to be the opposite of me… I guess I never really thought about that!

What are your personal boundaries on what you can/shouldn’t watch or listen to in the area of entertainment as a Christian?

The apostle Paul’s words “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful” comes to mind when I think about this topic. I don’t necessarily have a list of “dos and don’ts” when it comes to entertainment. My desire is to glorify God with the way that I live, and to have my focus on Him and His will for me. So if something I’m reading/watching/listening to is pulling me away from Him or blurring my vision, that’s a good sign that I shouldn’t keep reading/watching/listening, even if the entertainment itself isn’t inherently sinful. If the entertainment is inherently sinful, then that’s a definite no for me.

11 random facts about myself

1. I love strong coffee.
2. I passed out for the first and only time after watching the 2020 VP debate. (No, the two events were unrelated… but wouldn’t that have been exciting?)
3. I am a firstborn and love it. POWER!!! Haha… that’s not the only reason I love it.:)
4. I’ve never gotten stitches.
5. I’m not a big fan of animals… but I do like worms. Go figure.
6. I’ve only finished writing one long-ish story – a six chapter historical fiction piece. I wrote it as a tween, and it was awful.
7. I love Romans 12:1-2.
8. My favorite short story is “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry. One of the sweetest Christmas stories ever!
9. I used to be terrified of operating any piece of equipment larger than a dishwasher. Now I drive tractors and skid loaders for my job!
10. I love fairy lights.
11. Dickens is one of my favorite authors.

And I am going to nominate…

Brianna Harpel

JadeSky

Thomas

Abigail Rehmert

Makayla

And my questions for my nominees:

1. How did you choose the name for your blog?
2. If you could work any job for one week, what job would it be, and why?
3. What is the biggest thing you’ve learned from blogging?
4. What does your ideal weekend look like?
5. Do you set goals for the New Year?
6. What is the best book (aside from the Bible) that you’ve read, and why do you think so?
7. What was the best thing that happened to you in 2020?
8. Which historical figure do you most admire, and why?
9. Where do you hope to see yourself in 10 years?
10. If you knew that today was your last day on earth, how would you spend it?
11. What is your favorite Bible verse, and why?

If you made it this far, good job and thank you.:) Would you like to answer any of these questions? Please do so in the comments!