5 Tips to a Better Blog

I've been excited to write this final installment to my blogging series: five blogging resources.  These tools and tips have helped me out a lot over the last few years and I can't wait to share them with my bloggie friends.  If you have any tips or resources to add, please do so!

1.) Prettiest blog backgrounds.  Since around 2011, I've taken all of my backgrounds from Shabby Blogs.  This website offers all kinds of pretty, free blog goodies, like backgrounds and buttons.  It's amazing.  Hot Bliggity Blog has some pretty cute backgrounds as well, although most of them are a little loud for my personal taste. 

2.) For making headers (and other photo editing).  I don't know about you, but I was so disappointed when the photo-editing site, Picnik, shut down.  Now there is a nearly-identical site called Pic Monkey.  It offers some great fonts, photo-editing tools, as well as available collages for blog headers and Facebook timelines.  You must pay a membership fee to use some of Pic Monkey's tools, but several of them are free, like these great header collages.

 

3.) Public domain photos.  Images are so important if you keep a regular blog.  My favorite source of public domain photos is MorgueFile.  Some other great websites that offer thousands of free public domain photos are Photos Public Domain, 5000 Free Stock Photos, Wikimedia Commons, and Stock Exchange.  Sometimes all that's needed to add a little color and beauty to your blog post is a pretty nature picture, like what I have above.  These websites offer this for free.

4.) For giveaways.  I'm pretty new to this aspect of blogging, but I've found that Rafflecopter is a great resource for hosting giveaways and allowing all of your readers to apply and support your blog.  Rafflecopter is free, although there are services that you can pay for. 

5.) My favorite blog reader.  I follow a bunch of blogs through BlogLovin and I have for the past two or three years.  It's great.  With BlogLovin, you can organize all the blogs you read and access them in one place.  There's no more need to skip all over the internet to see if your favorite bloggers have posted anything new. 


I hope this helped.  I'm having my blogging Q&A day tomorrow, but I'm still taking questions!  Leave any questions you have about blogging or writing in the comments or send me an email.

Three years ago: Illuminate
Two years ago: Being Like Him

Books and Orange Juice

I borrowed this questionnaire about books and reading from Kelli at She Learns as She Goes.  I've been enjoying reading quite a bit more this year, so this will be fun to share. 

Do you snack while you read?
I normally don't like to eat while I read, except for recently.  This semester has been one of the busiest I've ever had, which means I only get to read during the few minutes I'm home each day... and the few minutes I'm home each day tends to be the only time I get to eat!  Bad, I know.  So the last few weeks, my schedule has been something like: rush, rush, rush, get home around one in the morning, make a bowl of Grape Nuts, and munch while I read a chapter of a good book.  It works out. 

What is your favorite drink while reading?
Lately, I've been an orange juice fanatic.  It's funny, because I don't like oranges, but I'm obsessed with drinking orange juice lately. 

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

I love to mark in books while I read, and I have to be careful when I borrow them or I will accidentally return them filled with little notes scribbled down in the margins.  Once, I enjoyed a book I borrowed so much that I bought a copy so I could write in it. :)

How do you keep your place while reading a book? 
I have a favorite bookmark, as dorky as this is going to sound.  I got it when I was on vacation with my family when I was probably twelve, and I remember this because the bookmark was about five dollars.  My parents couldn't believe I was paying so much for it, so I was determined to get good use out of it.  And eight years later, it's still the bookmark I use, just out of habit.  It's a hologram of a pouncing tiger.  (I'm not sure why twelve-year-old me liked it so much.) 

Are you the type of person who tends to read to the end of the chapter, or can you stop anywhere?
It bugs me so much if I have to stop in the middle of a chapter.  That's where the writer meant me to stop, not halfway through a paragraph. 

Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or onto the floor if the author irritates you?
I think the only time I've ever thrown a book is at the end of reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.  For some reason, I was absolutely not expecting that ending, and it horrified me.  If the author irritates me, I'll easily stop reading the book.  I am busy, so I only take the time to read something I enjoy or glean wisdom from. 

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you look it up right away?
It depends on how much I can relate it to the context in the story.  If it baffles me, I'll look it up using my iPhone.  Modern technology is handy. 

What are you currently reading?
I am currently reading 19 Minutes by Jodie Piccoult.  

What is the last book you bought?
The Purpose of Man: Designed to Worship by A.W. Tozer.  I haven't started it yet, but I'm excited. 

Do you have a favorite time/place to read?
I read when I am at home.  I really like to read in my beanbag.  I used to have a hammock chair, back in the day, and I would spend hours reading in that comfortable spot.  Those were the days. 

Do you prefer series books or stand alones?
I like both.  I'll only finish a series if I love the book though, so it has to be worth it. 

Is there a specific book you find yourself recommending over and over?
Havah by Tosca Lee.  It's amazing.  It's about Eve (from the Bible).  I'm always recommending it to women of all ages.  I even got my mom to check it out. 

How do you organize your books?
I have a ton of books, and I like to keep them in alphabetical order by author, but that doesn't always happen.  They tend to get disorganized.

What are you reading right now? 

Two years ago: Letter to Little Me

One year ago: She is a leader.

Love Song

Love Song

Nothing worthwhile I can offer,

But here I write this song of love.

I yearn for You like air, like water.

My sustenance, You are enough.

Break my heart when Yours is broken.

Spill my life out on the ground.

You've set me free from every shackle,

But for You, my heart is bound.

Take my hand and guide me nearer,

Until my eyes see only Yours.
Fill me with Your words of romance.
Cleanse me on Your precious shores.

4-9-13

Two years ago: Prank War: Poison Cookies and The Clock is Ticking
One year ago: That Rascal.

FKM: Bracelets

Every Friday, I have been sharing memories from my mission trip to Kenya, Africa in 2009.  This summer, the Lord has placed on my heart the call to return to Kenya.  I am raising money to go back, and if you would like to support me on my journey CLICK HERE to donate to Christian Relief Fund and be sure to indicate that your donation goes to "Emily's Kenya Trip Fund."  Thank you so much for your support.

Each Friday memory is taken from a journal entry I wrote when I was in Kenya.

Friday Kenya Memory: July 6, 2009

The Kenyan people sometimes say things that are hilariously funny without even realizing it.  Two nights ago, our server was trying to convince me to take a second portion of the rice he was serving, and he said to me, "You need to eat more so you will be plump, like this girl," and he pointed at another young girl on our team.  It was both terrible and funny at the same time. 

Today Barbie and I separated from the group and went to the bush to interview sponsored children and those who desperately needed to be sponsored through Christian Relief Fund.  These children lived in devastating conditions.  Single-room mud huts, no clean water, little food...  We would ask questions and take pictures for the CRF sponsorship program. 

One family had absolutely nothing but the clothes on their backs and a decrepit mud hut with holes in the walls.  This family proudly gave Barbie and me a fancy tribal gourd they had made as a gift.  They could have sold this piece of art in the marketplace for perhaps two or three weeks wages, yet they gave it to us.  They had nothing in the literal sense of the world, and yet they were giving us gifts. 

One family consisted of a widow named Helen who had ten children.  I met four of the ten: Erick, Shadrach, a little girl whose name I do not remember, and a little baby boy who did not have a name yet.

Helen asked Barbie and me to name her baby son for her.  We named him David, since King David was also the youngest of many siblings, and he also came from a humble family.  I felt very special to be able to take part in naming this child.  David will carry his name for the rest of his life, a name that I helped give him.  I plan to ask my family to sponsor David.  I would like to be a part in supporting him and his family.

One of my friends asked me to find a little boy for him to sponsor.  Shadrach, who was six years old and will be seven this August, I chose for him.  Shadrach is very shy and sweet, and he desperately needs the sponsorship.  It will help his entire family survive.

One of Helen's children, the little girl, sobbed when she saw me.  She had never seen a white person before.  However, I gave her and her siblings all colorful bracelets, and this cheered the little girl up quite a bit.  We were soon fast friends. 

Since Helen is a widow, she has been forced into prostitution to be able to feed her family.  They have no money for fertilizer, so they cannot grow crops.  They have no money to raise animals, so they do not have meat.  They literally have nothing to eat.

Our escort, an elder at the KipKaren Church of Christ, was the one who showed us this family and how they desperately needed sponsorship.  He ensured us that with the counsel of the church and the funds from CRF sponsorship combined, Helen would be able to turn from her dangerous lifestyle and be able to take care of her ten children without prostituting herself.

While Barbie and I traveled around the bush, meeting face after face, there was one very old woman who stood out to me.  She was very wrinkled and elegant.  I knew she had seen many days of suffering.

I brought some bracelets to give to sweet children I come across.  Whenever I go out, instead of bringing whole bags of bracelets, I wear a bunch on my arm, so I pulled one of the beaded bracelets off of my wrist and gave it to this lovely woman.

Instead of putting it on her wrist, the old woman threaded the bracelet through the gaping hole in her earlobe and posed regally so I would take a picture.  After I took the photo, she laughed and laughed.  She was the most precious old woman.

When we were way out into the boonies, a group of several children was following us around, never coming closer than ten or fifteen yards.  I turned around to greet them, but they ran away, screaming with terror.  Apparently their mothers had told them that if they ever saw a mzungu, a white person, then that mzungu would steal them away and eat them.  I was incredulous.

Another group of children asked my new friend and escort, James, if I was a person or a kind of animal.  An animal?!  I gave all of the children candy, and that made them like me a little more.

One little girl started to scream and cry with fear when she saw me.  It was sad to see how the color of my skin brought such fear.

My driver told me that some children had asked him what kind of paint or cloth I was wearing, and he had to explain to them that it was actually my skin!

We went to two different schools to check up on certain children and give one a gift bag from his sponsor.  The children were all so shy and sweet and precious.  I feel honored to have met them, and yet they were so grateful to meet me, even when I was doing absolutely nothing to help those particular children.

We stopped for lunch at a tiny 'hotel' and restaurant called the Sunshine Hotel.  We had chipati and Coca-Cola for around fifty cents per person.  It cost less than fifteen cents for a coke.  We actually ended up purchasing meals for every single person in the restaurant, as many had gathered and hoped for something to eat.

We drank tea at the house of one family.  It is the custom of Kenyans to serve tea to their guests, so they would have been greatly offended if we did not drink it.  However, the tea was made out of water, so it is only by the grace of God that I am not sick with cholera at this moment, as cholera is currently running rampant through communities in Kenya because of the poor water conditions.

Later in the evening, in the city, we were confronted by a crowd of street children who were high on glue and dressed in filthy rags. They held out their hands and said, "Thank you? Thank you?" It made me feel a great sadness to see those little boys.  They turn to sniffing glue and getting high as a way to not feel the hunger gnawing at their empty stomachs. 

Africa is giving me such feelings of both sorrow and hope. It is almost impossible to describe the emotions that are constantly passing through my heart.

Two years ago: Embarrassing Photos of Me and Ali

Send Naana to Kenya

I'm about to brag on my grandma a bit, which might make her feel a little uncomfortable, but I want to praise Jesus for shaping a servant's heart in her and a desire to love others. 
This is my grandma.  I call her Naana, but her real name is Dianne.

My Naana has inspired me in many ways.  She is a prayer warrior.  Her devoted faith in the Lord has encouraged me on many days when I have faltered.

My Naana and Pa will have been married fifty years this summer.  Can you imagine?  About twenty-one years ago, my Pa was in an accident and fell thirty feet.  He broke his back and nearly lost his life, but my Naana stayed faithfully at his side, praying daily for healing.  And my Pa can walk again, despite everything the doctors ever said.  God has been so good to our family.

Last summer, Naana discovered she had breast cancer.  The day I found out, I drove to her house to offer comfort, but instead, she comforted me!  She said, "I am thankful that the Lord has given me the opportunity to be a survivor."  And Christ did bring healing.  Naana survived and is now cancer-free.

There were so many people praying daily for the complete healing of my Naana, even my beloved sponsored daughter from Kenya, Lavin.

When I first started high school, Naana would pick me up from school once a week and take me to an inner city mission to serve and love on the kids of our city.  My sophomore year, after I got my driver's license and could take myself, Naana still picked me up.  She encouraged my heart for missions and loving on needy children.

One day, I got a call from my Naana.  She had heard that a refugee family from a small country in Africa called Burundi had moved to our town.  There were ten children of varying ages in the very poor family and no one could speak English.  That same week, Naana picked me up from school, drove me to the family's house and picked up their children in her minivan.  We took them to the shoe store and my grandma made sure every single child in that household had a sturdy pair of shoes.  And every week for the rest of the school year, we picked up these kids, helped them with their homework, and took them to the inner city mission to learn about Jesus.

When I began my journey to raise money to return to Kenya this June, Naana said a few times, "If you raise an extra $3,200, be sure to take me with you!"  And I'd smile and say, "Of course!"  We share a passion, and I did want to share a journey to Africa with her.  But as much as I wished she could go, I wasn't even sure if I could raise enough money for my own plane tickets, let alone the money for two people.

When my sister Ali came to visit a couple of weeks ago, we both expressed a desire for Naana to go to Kenya this summer.  We felt like the Lord was clearly saying, "I want to send my daughter to Africa."  Although we were certain at the time that we couldn't raise $3,200 on top of what I was already trying to raise in less than a month, Ali and I agreed to commit to praying every day until the plane tickets were bought for the Lord to provide in His good, perfect way.

On Monday, I got a phone call from my mom.  The Lord has recently laid on her heart the same desire, to send her own mom to Kenya, although she was unaware of Ali's and my commitment to prayer.  So my mom and another of my sweet grandmas, Nawnie, have been raising money to send my Naana to Africa.

Naana has always wanted to go on a mission trip to Africa, but it has never been possible.  Now is her chance.

And with complete confidence in the Lord's provision, our plane tickets were bought on Tuesday.

If you would like to donate to Naana's trip to Kenya, you can do so directly through the Christian Relief Fund website.  Just be sure to specify that your donation is for "Dianne's Trip to Kenya." 

I can hardly wait to share my African experience with my Naana.  The Lord is faithful.

Two years ago: Is the Trinity Biblical? and Crazy Memories and Good Times
One year ago: She has a servant's heart.

Letters for Lavin: April

Every month for 2013, I will be sending a letter to my sponsored daughter, Lavin.  Sponsored children love communicating with their adopted parents.  It means the world to them.

This month, I already sent a letter to Lavin, telling her that I would be returning to Kenya in June of this year.  However, I have another card to send to my sweet girl, so I thought I would share it with you to possibly help inspire you of ideas of what to send to your sponsored child.

It's spring in Texas, which means that wildflowers are everywhere.  They grow all around, on the side of the roads, in backyards, in fields.  My favorite flower is the bluebonnet, which also happens to be the Texas state flower.  Because this is the season for bluebonnets, I decided to send Lavin a postcard with bluebonnets on the front, so she could see the beauty of God's creation in Texas.

And on the other side of the postcard:

 

I wrote about: 

• Schoolwork, emphasizing how important it is for my child to work hard in school (I try to do this with every letter. These kids don't have anyone at home encouraging them to study hard, so they need someone to remind them how important it is to work and make good grades.)
• I talked about what was going on in my life, like taking final exams and getting ready to finish this term of school.
• I talked about the weather and flowers blooming in Texas.
• And I mentioned how I am praying for Lavin every day, as well as how much I miss her and love her.

Instead of mailing the postcard by itself, I placed it in an envelope along with a few little goodies.

I sent Lavin:

• Five photographs of my family. I was sure to write names and places on the backs of the pictures so that Lavin would understand what was going on. 
• Four silly bands (and explained in the card that they are symbols of my university and American football)
• A few stickers 

Notice how everything fits neatly into the envelope.  The envelope is flat and lightweight, which is important when sending things to your sponsored child.

Have you sent a letter to your sponsored child today?

If you do not sponsor a child, consider doing so through Christian Relief Fund.  


Three years ago: Show Me Beauty
Two years ago: Easter Egg Hunting is for Big Kids Too!
One year ago: College Q&A Day Part I

Things to Avoid When Blogging

If you're a new blogger, here are five tips to avoid when blogging.

If you are already a blogger and you have some things to add, please do so!

This looked intimidating, so I chose it.

1.) Avoid poor grammar and spelling.  Although your blog posts certainly don't have to be perfect, it's good to at least do a read-through before you publish for all the world to see.  Blogging is informal and you probably won't be judged if you have a little error or two, but too many mistakes can be a major distraction to your readers.  And be sure to stick to basic capitalization and punctuation rules.

For example, which of these do you prefer?

heyyy yalll, my names emily.. i luuuuv bloggin n I relly want to get to no yall better soooo what do yu like to do for funnnn? i like gtuiar and ukulaylee.xx <3 <33

Hey, y'all! My name is Emily. I love blogging and I can't wait to get to know you better. What do you like to do for fun? I like playing the guitar and ukulele.

Makes a difference, right?  While it's great to write how you talk, you should only do so to a certain extent.

2.) Avoid loud backgrounds.  When you're creating the background for your blog, avoid anything overly crazy.  If your background is too loud or cluttered, people will become distracted from your actual writing.   Using my very favorite background creator, Shabby Blogs, as my example, I would consider something like this to be perfectly fine for your blog and something like this to be a little too loud.

This may just be my personal preference, but I encourage you to keep the background behind your text solid white (something like pale blue or off-white would work too) and your actual font a plain black.  When you choose black, pink, blue, or another color, your readers will have to adjust to the bright color contrasts and it becomes very distracting... and it can end up tiring the eyes faster than the normal and expected background.

We tend to skim over all articles on the internet, whether we admit it or not, which is why it's best to stick with certain fonts and plain backgrounds, to keep things easier to read quickly.  If your blog is difficult to skim over, people often won't take the time to focus harder and read; they'll simply leave.  Notice nearly every popular blog or online news blog has a plain white background.  

So basically, it's perfectly fine (and recommended) to add some color onto the edges of the page, but try to keep anything near your writing plain and simple.

3.) Avoid unusual fonts.  For the same reason as what I was saying above, people like to be able to skim quickly through blogs, not read in-depth.  From years of reading magazines, newspapers, and books, we're used to fonts like Times New Roman and Arial.  Anything like Comic Sans, Papyrus, or a flowery script will be distracting.  I come across way too many blogs with distracting fonts like this:

And yes, I did use the same font as what's in my header.  See, there's plenty of opportunities to use pretty fonts... just not in your main body of text.

4.) Avoid using copyrighted photos.  For obvious reasons, using a photo that isn't your own without the creator's permission is against the law and a bad idea.  However, it's easier than it might seem to accidentally post a copyrighted photo without realizing it, so keep an eye out.  Two or three years ago, I accidentally posted a copyrighted image on my blog and it didn't take long for me to get a phone call at my house from the creator.  Yikes.  Just be extra careful about this one.  Got it?  Good.

5.) Avoid trying too hard.  It's perfectly fine to ask questions so you will receive comments.  It's fine to occasionally ask people to subscribe to your blog or buy some merchandise.  However, don't get caught up in trying to people-please through your blog.  From experience, the moment your blog becomes more of a way to gain viewers and commenters than a way of expressing yourself and sharing your voice, it will become a chore and you'll get burned out quickly.

Look at it this way: if people like what you have to say, then great!  If not, no worries.  You're keeping a blog because that's what you like to do.  Readers are a plus.

Hope this helps.

Remember, if you have a question about blogging, ask in the comments below or in an email, and I will have a blogging Q&A day on May 1.

Two years ago: The Body
One year ago: A Weekend of Aggie Spirit

Weekend with Ali

Ali came to visit about a week ago.  We were so excited.  When Ali and I get together after being away for too long, we talk... and talk... and talk.  No one else can understand how there is so much to say, but there always is.  On Friday night, we may have actually stayed up until after five in the morning.  We should have taken more pictures this weekend, but we got distracted and forgot.  Sorry about that.

After sleeping in on Saturday, we dressed up to go to a banquet put on by my organization.  My parents have never come up for family weekend at my school, but Ali usually does.  We completely forgot to take pictures in our dresses, so this dorky in-the-car selfie is the closest we got.

After the banquet, we returned home.  We were talking about some serious subjects, but bizarre music coming from next door kept distracting us.  In a college town, it is typical to have loud parties blaring from all over, but our next door neighbors aren't college students.  They're a married couple in their forties with two young kids.  Music that sounded like it had been taken straight out of a Bollywood movie kept echoing through our house.  Ali finally ran outside to peek through the slats of the wooden fence separating our two houses.  Within seconds, she was dragging me by the hand to look as well.  A live Indian band, as well as four or five belly dancers were performing in front of a fairly large crowd of people.  I'm still not sure why this gathering actually happened.  It was one of the more entertaining moments of this weekend.

I took Ali to her first-ever Ring Dunk.  At Texas A&M, there is a tradition that when you get your Aggie ring, you drop it into a giant pitcher and drink until you get to the bottom and catch the ring between your teeth.  Yes, this is a drinking game and is traditionally played with a large 60-oz pitcher of beer.  However, tea, lemonade, and various colors of Kool-aid are all popular options for the Christian community at my university.  

On Sunday, Ali and I went to church together and then to Cracker Barrel with my roommate and our mutual friend, Rebecca.  While we were waiting, Ali and I played an intense game of checkers.  I won, by far.  Ali was a bit distraught.

When we got home, we spent a sleepy afternoon watching YouTube videos and an episode of Community.  At one point, Ali saw a strange circular object on our mantle.  "What's that?" she asked.

"Oh, it's a portal," was my distracted reply. 

"Really?  What kind of a portal?" Ali asked.

I said, "It goes to Narnia."

Clearly, Ali wasn't convinced.  

But she stuck her hand through just to make sure.

Two years ago: You make me very angry.

CURRENTLY

I am currently...

Listening

to Audrey Assad.  She's a Christian worship artist.  My dad purchased her album a couple of years ago, but I never really got into her music.  These days, I've been searching for quiet study music and I'm loving Audrey Assad.  She has a pure, sweet voice, and lovely lyrics.  Her album is a great way to maintain a spirit of worship even while studying for frustrating classes. 

I am also listening to this lovely rendition of a song I love on the piano.  It's so good.  My goal is to learn to cover this well over the summer.

I've played the piano since early childhood, but I've taken a few breaks here and there, and then I never did bring my keyboard to college, so I only play piano when I'm home.  Over spring break, I picked up the Pride and Prejudice song book and played through "Dawn" without as much difficulty as I thought I would.  Now I would love to improve on piano over the summer and then hopefully bring my keyboard to school in the fall. 

Reading
"Left Behind" by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.  I've actually read this before several years ago, but since Nicolas Cage is apparently creating a movie re-make, I thought I would take another read.  What do you think about the idea of the upcoming Left Behind film?

Watching

Mulan.  A week or two ago, it hit me how much I wanted to see Mulan again, but I didn't own the movie.  After asking a ton of people, driving to four different movie stores, I found and bought the film and eagerly watched it that very day.

In sixth grade, I actually watched Mulan every day after school for a couple of weeks solid.  I don't know what it is about this movie I love so much.  The idea of a Disney movie with an independent female protagonist who needs no man to define her identity, but still ultimately falls in love of her own free will... I love it.

Thinking
about this summer.  In only a couple more weeks, this semester will be finished and I will return to my hometown for a few months.  Last summer was a difficult experience.  Perhaps I'll write more about this another time, but basically, last summer I felt completely stranded from the Christ-centered community I had found in college.  I was lonely.

I actually have so much hope for this summer.  I feel as if the Lord is telling me, "Yes, you will be lonelier than when you're surrounded by a Christian community in college, but you are going to receive the sweetness of my presence over the next three months.  I am faithful and I am a sustainer."  Also, I will be heading to Kenya in June, which is thrilling.  I love where I intern over the summer.  I am trusting that summer 2013 will be a place of favor and rest.

Praying
for my fundraising to Kenya.  I am nearly there, as you can see from the counter to your right.  The Lord has been working so powerfully in advance for this trip.  His love is going to be shared in mighty ways, and I am honored to be a part of it.

If you would like to donate to my trip, you can do so directly through the Christian Relief Fund website.  Be sure to specify your donation is to go to "Emily's Kenya Trip."

What are you listening, reading, watching, thinking, and praying?

20 Weird Facts About Emily

Today I thought I would share twenty weird facts about me.  Some of them you might know; some of them you might not.  In saying this, I expect you to post at least a few facts about yourself in the comments.  This way, we can all get to know each other a little better.  :)

Before we begin, in case you're new to Emily is Smiling and don't know anything about me, I'll start with five basics, so you won't get the weirdest first: My name is Emily.  I'm twenty.  I'm a college student.  I have a huge heart for Africa.  I am an intern for Christian Relief Fund. 

Now that that's over, here are twenty (kind of) weird facts about me.

1.  My middle name is Nicole.  Even though it is a pretty common middle name, I used to like it so much that I would name all of the protagonists in my stories Nicole... especially if they were princesses.

2.  My dream pet is a Morkie.  That's right; a Maltese and a Yorkie mixed together.  Yes, it's a real thing and I want one.

3.  Because I was homeschooled throughout my childhood years, most of my memories growing up are a little bizarre.  I had many adventures conjured up by my big imagination and happily enjoyed by my two younger siblings and next-door neighbors.

4.  For example, I used to be convinced that Peter Pan was real.  I loved the book, and each night, I would wait for him to arrive at my window and take me off to Neverland.  Many of my stories and poems from my early elementary years were about Peter Pan.

5.  I had an imaginary best friend named Space for at least two years.  We would ride around on our imaginary Great Dane.  (Imagine what any sane child or adult was thinking after having a conversation with me during this time of my life.)

6.  My closet is color-coded very particularly.  Two colors tend to take up the most space: maroon and blue.

7.  My favorite crayon color is blue.  Just blue.  Perhaps I'm a little predictable.

 

8.  We have a prayer room in my little college house.  It is certainly a sanctuary of peace and quiet, a great place to hide out after a chaotic day (and I have many of those).

9.  I have been to fourteen countries, including: the USA, Mexico, Canada, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Haiti, England, France, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Holland, and Kenya.  I will be returning to Kenya in June with Christian Relief Fund, if it's God's will.

10.  My worst fear is sharks.  I cannot even look at a picture of a shark without feeling a little sick.  Something about their awful beady eyes gets to me.  Ugh.

11.  I can type 140 words per minute.

12.  Once upon a time, I had blonde, curly hair.  Now my hair is brown and ranges from wavy to straight.

13.  I've taken four semesters of American Sign Language.  I'm fluent enough to hold a conversation, but I'm not nearly at the level of an interpreter.

14.  I don't speed.  I wrote a blog post about this when I first started driving.  On the downside, I get teased a lot by my friends for driving like a grandma.  On the upside, I've never gotten a speeding ticket or even pulled over... and most of my friends have.

15.  I am utterly obsessed with Sour Patch Kids.  Any kind.  I love them all.

16.  If I'm in the car, I'm probably singing.

17.  For Christmas this year, I got a backpack guitar... and I love it.

18.  I could eat the same thing every meal, every day.  And since I'm in college, not the most experienced cook, and in charge of my own meals, I tend to do so.

19.  I have a thing about not touching door handles with my hands.  I wouldn't consider myself to be extremely OCD, but I certainly have my tendencies, and touching public surfaces with my hands is what gets me.

20.  If a car follows me for very long, I usually think they're a murderer following me home.  Many nights, I end up taking weird routes home so the car following behind me won't know where I live.  And then I finally make it home safe and sound and laugh at my own silliness.

What are twenty weird facts about you?

Three years ago: Poverty: Education
Two years ago: Hypnotized Kittens and The Qur'an and the Bible
One year ago: Trust in the Lord

FKM: Such Joy

I am raising money to go to Kenya this summer to serve with Christian Relief Fund.  While I am there, I will love orphans, share the Gospel, and serve the needy.  God is moving in mighty ways in Kenya.  If you would like to support me in my fundraising, you can CLICK HERE to donate to my trip through the CRF website.  Be sure to indicate that your donation is for "Emily's Kenya Trip."  I only have a little over $300 left to raise.  Yes, the Lord is working powerfully!

Every Friday until I go to Kenya, I will be sharing a memory with you about my 2009 trip, to remind you of how the Lord is moving in Kenya and how lives are being changed in that country daily.

Friday Kenya Memory: July 5, 2009

After church, we broke up into small groups so that we could teach the community.  I was with a group that taught the young women.  There were probably forty of them in all.  We told the girls about the book of Esther and how Esther stood up for what was right.  We told them that they could stand up for what was right as well, in any situation.  In Kenyan culture, women often feel as if they have to submit to sex outside of marriage.  They need education to teach them that it is okay to say no.

When I first spoke, I had the girls hop around and dance to get out their "wiggles" before I taught them.  I think the lesson went well.  The girls seemed to respond in the right ways to the teaching.

Right when our friend Connie started to speak, the sky began to pour down rain.  Everyone became distracted, so they all stood up and started singing... and singing... and singing!  Even thirty or forty minutes later, when the rain stopped, these girls continued to sing for more than an hour.

Meanwhile, I was swamped with children once again.  They all wanted to touch my white skin and my curly hair and my face.  "We admire your hair," they would say.  "Do not return to the USA.  Remain in Kenya, with us."

"But I can't stay," I protested.

"Why?  Are you afraid of black people?"  ...Wow.  What?!

"Of course I'm not afraid of black people!  I love every one of you.  But my family is in America, waiting for me."

I became friends with a young lady named Lydia.  She told me about how her parents had died a few years before, leaving her to take care of six younger siblings on her own.  When she is not in school, she takes care of her brothers and sisters in a single-room shack in the slums.

During the service, Francis told us to ask one another if we were happy.  I turned around and asked several of the children sitting amongst me, "Are you happy?"

Their faces lit up with joy that only the Lord could give them as they each replied, "Yes, I am happy.  I am very happy."

Two girls pulled me aside and asked for my email address.  "Today you taught us to have courage," Marina said.  "You are our teacher.  Send us letters of encouragement so that we may have strength."  Few computers are available to this community, mostly through organizations like Christian Relief Fund, but I hope I can stay in contact with these lovely girls.

When it was time to go, crowds of smiling people shook our hands and embraced us and spoke to us one last time.  When we waved goodbye, several children followed behind our matatu, waving and laughing.

I love this people.  They are so welcoming, so hospitable, so joyful, so thankful, so giving, so loving, so trusting, so honest, so kind.  They make my heart ache with a mixture of joy and sorrow.  These sweet people literally have nothing but the clothes on their backs, and yet they cannot help but sing for joy.

Today I saw a house made of sticks, tarp, and newspaper, and the people inside smiled and waved as we drove by in our matatus.  Such joy.

Three years ago: Is hell real?
Two years ago: ROFLing Puppy
One year ago: She relies on the Lord.