Happy Blogiversary ~ Celebrating with a giveaway!

I started blogging in 2005.
I was a 28-year-old girl.
I had a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old.
Adam and I were running youth group at our house.
I was training for my first marathon.
And, by the sounds of my writing, I was a bit sleep deprived.
You can see theses posts here.

I decided last year (and I'm still not exactly sure why) on this day that I would attempt to write a post every single day except for Sundays.
I did that for quite a while, and then decided that I would take Saturday and Sunday off of writing.

My goals with my blog are to be able to share my faith in a way that is easy to read, but at the same time is straightforward and honest. Ok, ok...all-up-in-your-grill and blunt.
Call it what you may.
And also to open the door for me to be able to speak more.
I really desire to be able to get more speaking engagements...can you tell I like to talk?

Running a photography business sure makes it a little easier on the days when I feel like there is nothing to write, or I'm just plain tired!
I can just fill a post with pretty pictures and not a lot of words!

Writing every day has definitely showed me that I can do what I put my mind to.
I try to live like that anyways.
Running a half marathon when AJ was 6 months old (long before the days when I could post to Facebook and instagram and get all kinds of inspiration and go-get-ems!) definitely defined me to a great degree.
Running hundreds of miles with my dad in training, and then 5ks, 10ks, half marathons and marathons -it teaches you a lot.
A lot about perseverance.
A lot about doing things you say you are going to do.

And when I say I am going to do something...I just have to do it.
A nice way of putting it would be that I am iron-willed and uncompromising.
haha...or you could just say that I am obstinate, stubborn and willful.

Anyways...
I wanted to thank you for reading my thoughts.
I wanted to thank you for the friendships I have gained all because of this blog!
I wanted to thank you for the messages, texts and letters from people saying that I have helped them see things differently, or that I have encouraged them in some way.

Truly.
Your kindness means so much to me, and believe me -

there are a lot of insecurities that comes with putting yourself out there the way I have chosen to!

You never know what people are thinking, or saying behind your back.
So when I do get a comment, or an email?

It means more than I can say. And it never gets old!

So as a thank you for your support I wanted to do a giveaway!
I was lucky enough to get this incredible roommate my junior year of college named Amanda.
She and I became super close and I really can't imagine what my year might have been like without her.
She owns this amazing online boutique and I thought the perfect giveaway would be a

$25.00 gift certificate to Luvi's Closet!

(I know that while a lot of my readers are female, I do have some loyal male readers as well! You can still enter, and be the coolest husband, boyfriend, brother or friend on the planet by gifting it!!)
I wish I could win it, because I love her stuff!


So...It's pretty self-explanatory. There are 4 ways you can get points.
Do what ya gotta do, and I will be drawing the winner next Thursday.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

And did I say thank you yet?
Because really. Thank you for being a part of my life.