This week’s post is a tad late due to a writing deadline. But I’m here!

My little corner of the internet: 

FMF this week

Nothing else, but have a few blog posts coming this week… stay tuned!

 

Words from the internet I liked: 

17 Things You Should Stop Putting Off Until After You’re Married:

YES. All of this. So many times I think culture tells us that being married is the end all be all of the things. It’s the end goal, the best thing to happen to us.

Y’all, I have a college degree from an awesome school. I have a (very early stages) career doing something I LOVE. I’ve traveled and been a dog mom and have good friends and fun hobbies and a God who loves me.

Those things matter a helluva lot more than a wedding ring. I’m not waiting to live my life until marriage. Why waste the time I have now pining and waiting for something that might not happen?!

Joy Beth has a few I’ve definitely either done or have thought about (getting to know myself/figure out my outlets; start good habits; relocate; have nice things), and she points out a few I hadn’t thought of (buying a house-yikes; Learn healthy confrontation-ughhh.)

 

I’m on the launch team for Joy Beth’s book, and so far it’s great– both funny and really honest. Bonus: you can download the first chapter of the book fo’ free by reading the article! (orrr preorder and get the first 3 sent to your inbox+ other goodies!)

Small Talk is Trash:

Yes, please. Small talk is of the devil. STOP IT.  It’s pointless. If you want to have a legit conversation, let’s have coffee. Don’t ask me about the weather in the checkout line.

(language warning)

For the Anxious at Christmas: 

Lore’s writing, again. So beautifully said.

“I wept when I heard that because there are a lot of memories in my life I’ve tried to run away from. A lot of feelings I’ve neglected to feel. And a lot of emotions I’ve stuffed to the bottom. I’m in a season where those are being dug up and stared at, by me and others, and I have to remember the dark before the dawn.”

Advent Resources:

Sarah has rounded up a few great Advent resources, including some great blog posts of hers on advent. This year, I’m using Sacred Holidays and Emily P. Freeman’s Quiet Collection for Christmas  (more on this below). I’m also doing candles for the first time! (… if I can get the lighter to work. That’s another story for another day).

 

Why You Need to Surround Yourself With Warrior Women: 

Gah. Community and people and friendship is such. a. hard. topic. for me. And it keeps popping up EVERYWHERE this week! This guest post by Amena Brown was really well-said, even if it hurt to read because I don’t feel like I have this. At all. I don’t have a person. I don’t have a group of girlfriends I can do all the things Amena writes about with. But I need one. I really do. Because I feel myself slipping again into loneliness and isolation and I don’t want to go down that road again right now.

As much as I love Amena’s words, they break my heart a little. Or a lot. I’ll let you decide.

“It is a fight to believe what God says about me, to love and accept the way God made me, to do what God called me to do, even when it’s not convenient or easy or applauded.

I don’t fight that fight alone. I walk with a squad of women warriors I would be honored to enter any battle with.”

Maybe someday I won’t fight the fight alone…

 

Cool things to buy on the internet: 

As part of my advent study I’m doing Emily P. Freeman’s The Quiet Collection for Christmas. It’s a 14-day audio devotional, sent one day at a time. Emily’s always been one of my favorite writers (one of the first bloggers I really followed, and her books have been saving graces in my life!), but y’all, this series is breaking me wide open. It’s making me think and feel things. And it’s forcing me to start my day being quiet and still, something I usually hate, but have been craving lately. It’s a $10 purchase for 14 devotionals (plus transcripts), but it’s only available until the 12th– go get it now!

40 Gifts for Anyone Who Likes Harry Potter: That HP dishes set WILL BE MINE.

I want to buy all of these BabyLit books for all my friends with babies. Or maybe just for me. The Emma and Little Women ones are my favorite.

I’m not a good journaler– which is quite funny being a writer, isn’t it? My day-to-day life isn’t all that writeable. I write when I need an outlet– some seasons that’s daily, others that’s whenever I think about it. (I’m in one of the latter seasons). I’ve seen a lot of friends write about the One line a day 5 year journals (one line for each day of the year, with five years in each journal). I’ve yet to get one but it feels right up my alley. I like this one and this one!

Also looking at Buzzfeed’s Nifty Adulting 101 journal. Anything with prompts to tell me what to think about= winner in my book.

Sophie Hudson’s journaling devotional All in All is on sale right now– I’ve been thinking about getting it for one of my cousins.

 

I’ve had a Val Marie Paper prayer journal for a few months and really love it. It’s helped me slow down and write my prayers instead of mumbling something incoherent as I go to sleep! I’m also paying attention when people ask for prayer now, because I take the time to write it in my journal and pray right then. I’ve been debating getting a yearly journal (currently use the undated 6-month journal) when I have a little extra money (from articles and/or dogsitting next week). It’s bigger, has more space, and overall I just really like it.

I need a crocheter/knitter in my life to make one of these for me. Stat.

Thomas Nelson is running a great deal if you gift Lysa TerKeurst’s book Uninvited (one of my favorite books of last year) to someone for Christmas!

 

Jen Hatmaker and Nichole Nordeman are coming to Nashville! (or Brentwood, but STILL). Who’s going with me?!

Thanks for reading, y’all!

 

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