the cramm award | what do I want to do to change the world?

Hello, everyone! I was tagged by the wonderful Bubbles @ A Tween's Twitter Chatter for theCramm Award! I think that this is a sweet little award that's not too long and not too short and focuses on only a few things at a time. Some tags are just too...busy, you know?

​This award was created by theCramm to help get savvy, awesome bloggers recognized, which is run by Olivia @ Your Rose Awaits. Unfortunately, Olivia does not post very often (if at all) anymore, but you can go back and read all her old posts. :)

• Include that little tidbit about who created this (epic) award (with a link to the website)

• Mention the person who nominated you

• Share three things that motivate you to blog

• Share three people who inspire you to blog

• Share one thing you hope to do to improve the world

• Answer your challenge question

• Nominate 10+ bloggers and give them a fun “challenge question”

Ok, are you ready? I'm ready. No, I'm definitely readier than you are. I'm so ready you wouldn't even believe how ready I am. No, no, no; I'm readier than PIZZA IN A TO-GO BOX (beat that *smirks*)!

three things that motivate me to blog:

My friends. I have made SO many amazing friends while blogging this past year and a half (WHAT IT'S BEEN A YEAR AND A HALF ALREADY???!!). I can't even get them all into one post, but thanks May, Evy, Sophie, Julia, Soleil, Sarah, Mary, Allie, Megan, Savannah, K.A., Abi, Chloe, Jade, Christine, Emmaline, Haley, Maris, Rebecca, and Misty (her blog is private) for just, well, being my friends and encouraging me. It's so fun to chat with you guys over emails, in the comments, or on chats about just...stuff. Lots of silly stuff :P Thanks for making this blogging journey so much more fun. :)

Myself. I blog for myself, because if I couldn't blog anymore, I would go crazy. Where would I go to share little tidbits of my life and writing with? My journal? Well, I'm not gonna let anyone read that, so...

God. I know, I don't post as much "God stuff" as I would like to, but I am planning on writing more Christian based posts. I am also very satisfied to be providing a God honoring blog amongst some of those...not so God-honoring ones (AKA blogs with swearing, bad images, videos, etc.) for people of all religions and races to read. And, if you want to read more "God-posts" by yours truly (or any of the other girls on the blog), head on over to YLFC. Megan and I just redesigned the site and it looks BEAUTIFUL (thanks, Megan!).

three people who inspire me to blog:

God. Yes, I know: what a predictable answer. But, it's true. God (or, sometimes, the taggers of tags :P) is one who puts all the posts (or answers to questions in the posts) into my mind to share with you guys. Thanks, God, for your wide-spread imagination that brings these thoughts to my brain.

My followers. Yes, yes: so predictable. But, you guys are the gas to my truck, the motor to my scooter, the accessories to my favorite outfit! What would I do without you? Who would I be writing these posts for if no one read them? Well...no one. So, thanks. :)

May. Mhm, yep, I know; also predictable (although now really...?). But, May, you have only been blogging for a short time and you are already SO good at it. It's like, during the first few weeks your blog had that "Hi, I'm new" kinda feel (you know everyone has had it), but then, BAM; you turned up the music and changed that to the "Hi, I am an expert and have been blogging for 25 years" kinda feel! Overall, I love you and your blog and how much it has grown over...five months. Wow.

-

Ok, so, my challenge question was what do you want to do to change the world?, but I'm also supposed to share one thing I hope to do to improve the world, so I'm gonna just combine the two into one #questionmeshing.

what i want to do to change the world:

I want to spread God's love to those who don't know Him yet to change the world. I want to show His light to those who need it. I want to love the people in the world as He loved us. I want people to feel and see His light shining through me. I want to give people who need it as much love as I can possibly muster.

May \\ Forever and Everly (you knew I would, didn't you...)

Megan \\ A Barefoot Gal

Allie \\ The Depth of my Faith

Abi \\ Author of my Hope

Sophie \\ Lunar Reflections

Evy \\ Evy's Little Corner

Savannah \\ Scattered Scribblings

Clara \\ The Zephyr

Soleil \\ Thoughts from a Daughter of God (I spelled your name right!!)

Daisy \\ Caught Daydreaming

my question for the nominees:

Here's my question for anyone I nominated - What is one dream you have that you would give anything to make it come true?

Have you ever done theCramm Award? What do YOU want to do to change the world? I am now going to be trying to post every other day; what do you think about that? Does it seem like too much or too little?

ten books that SHOULD be on your our TBR | and of course i've already read them all

My To Be Read pile is growing so much I can't keep up with it. My Already Read pile...well, it's takin' a little longer.

I've read many amazing books in my time. I haven't read as many horrible ones as good ones. It's mostly good ones. That's why it was actually quite easy for me to come up with ten books that SHOULD be on your TBR. Keep in mind that I am a fangirl of all of these books and that I may rant for a while on each one. You never know. Sometimes I'm so shocked I'm speechless and others I could talk for hours about that book. I am unpredictable.

1. Dana's Valley (Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan)

I've always been a fan of Janette Oke, but seriously. Dana's Valley blew every other book she's ever written out of the water and into the desert.

I cried, I laughed, I fell so in love with the characters that when something bad happened to them I would tear up. When I was half-way through the book I felt like I'd lived with the characters forever and when I was finished I was crying because I wanted more. I wanted more of the book but it was over. I had read it all. And it all broke my heart.

Yeah. Read this book. Right now. I DARE you.

2. Keeper of the Lost Cities Series (Shannon Messenger)

No. Words. Mouth. Paralyzed. CANNOT SPEAK OF THESE BOOKS' EXPLICIT AWESOMENESS. I'm sure you've read them and if you haven't well...go read them now.

3. Left to Die (Ivy Rose)

This is only one of the books by Ivy Rose that I just HAD to feature in this post. It is about a missionary in China who discovers a baby left to die in the trash. It's very heartwarming and a good read for all ages. :)

4. Dandelion Dust (Faith L. Potts)

Another book that made me cry...I made that mock cover up there for this post because she doesn't have an official one. Dandelion Dust will be release in June sometime and I am SO EXCITED!!

5. The Old River Road (Ivy Rose)

Another book by Ivy Rose (yayayayayay!!!). This one was released a year earlier than Left to Die, and it is about her great grandmother and how she got married and traveled West.

6. A Question of Honor (Jesseca Wheaton)

And...words have failed me again. This is an amazing book set in WWII about a grown man and a little girl. I beta-read for Jesseca for this book, and even before it was edited and everything, I loved it.

7. The Mysterious Benedict Society Series (Trenton Lee Stewart)

Ok, ok. Maybe I haven't read all the books in this series (yet), but the first one was very good. This is more of a middle grade kind of series, but I think YA readers would like it, too.

8. The Tales of Faith Series (Amanda Tero)

I beta-read for the first book in this series, Befriending the Beast, and have already read an Advanced Review Copy for the second, The Secret Slipper. The Secret Slipper will be releasing on May 25th.

9. Martin Hospitality (Abigayle Claire)

*major fangirling* Martin Hospitality is such an amazing book!!! I advise you all to read it at once or suffer my wrath. *brandishes sword* GO BUY IT NOW. IT CAME OUT IN FEBRUARY. YOU SHOULD ALL HAVE IT IN YOUR HANDS RIGHT NOW. IF YOU DON’T GO ORDER IT. All the characters are so real (if only they were real...), the settings made me feel like I was actually in Kansas with the characters, and I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH. Abi. You are an amazing writer. Martin Hospitality will definitely be on the NYT Best Selling List. Yup. It will. Because it’s awesome. And you’re awesome. Just. Plain. Awesome.

10. The Samantha Sanderson Series (Robin Caroll)

These are middle grade books as well, so I don't know that you would like it if you are used to YA books. I read them when I was eleven and I loved them, so if you're around that age I think you will too. :)

Have you ever read any of these books? Which books in this list would you like to read? What are some books on your TBR list?

a life updates post | no, i am not dead

No, I did not unexpectedly take a two week break from blogging. No, I have not completely rejected my manuscript since late April. And no, I have not been reading blog posts and books all month and completely neglecting the glorious blogging universe.

GOOO JUDGE JUDY!!!

#lies

Yes, May along with April have been crazy busy. My dad graduated from college with a Bachelor's degree in Aviation Management on the 13th, both of my grandparents, my great grandfather, and my great aunt came up to where I live to celebrate (some of them from the Bahamas), and I became Allie Taylor's assistant and, I guess what you would call the "boss" of Young Ladies for Christ while Allie is on hiatus. Believe me, running a blog with ten other girls on it is not easy. HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU DO IT ALLIE??? TELL ME HOOOOOOWWWWW!!!!!!

No, that was definitely not a desperate cry for help . No, I am not complaining and yes, I love my girls <3

Anyway, May has been crazy, April has been crazy, and June, July, and August WILL be crazy. I thought I'd give you this life updates (AKA April and May recap) post so that you know that I have not been tragically devoured by a dragon. I am still breathing in books like a vacuum and eating up every word (as always) and have not abandoned you poor creatures. What you would do without me is still unknown.

this guy looks like he's saying "seriously?" which is probably what you are saying so...

#morelies

{ LIFE LATELY }

\\ My dad graduated from college

\\ I have bought at least five cold coffee drinks in the past two months (which has actually never happened before)

\\ I became the assistant of YLFC and the current manager of sorts

\\ I spent quality time with my dad (which rarely happens so "whoop whoop!!")

\\ I talked to my Bible Study leader about relationships and whatnot (and she gave me some very valuable life info: it's not a good idea to date in High School)

\\ I walked into a brick and mortar book store for the first time in my life (don't blame me: Amazon is just as good a book store as any brick and mortar one)

{ WRITING LATELY }

Nine. Nit. Nada. Not today. AKA: I have not written in fifteen days and I am enjoying the break immensely. You know how you just love to write but at some point you're just like I NEED A BREAK OR I SHALL DROWN IN WORDS. Yep. That's how I felt after NaNo. Sorry my beautiful alpha readers for the delay of words but...you shall see more in a few days. Probably by Saturday which is a week away and technically not a few days...

{ READING LATELY }

Ok, ok. I need to remember all the books I have been reading. *checks Goodreads* I haven't been reading as much in the past two months as I usually do, but it's been some. I have been reading a lot more blog posts lately and trying to catch up with the 100 and something blogs that I follow.

\\ favorite book \\

Ummm...definitely Dana's Valley. It is such an amazing story...my heart nearly broke at the end and I actually cried. But I felt so refreshed in the end. Like everything happened as it should even though it made me feel...something. YOU MADE ME FEEL, JANETTE OKE. IT IS AN EMOTION I HAVE NEVER FELT BEFORE. HOW DARE YOU.

\\ least favorite book \\

Umm...I think the one I enjoyed the least was Rainbow Valley. It was not nearly as good as the first few Anne of Greene Gables books, and it seemed to stretch a bit so that it could be long enough. I also didn't get enough of Gilbert. I mean, seriously? He appears, like, two times in the whole book and there's no joking, cute, curly headed Gilbert there. They call him Dr. Blythe. It just seems...wrong. :P

{ POSTING LATELY (yes, I have not written a post yet in May besides this. *cringes* }

In which I do a tag.

In which I focus on my WIP.

In which I do a writing link-up.

In which I was tagged twice for the same award.

In which I win Camp NaNoWriMo.

So, yes, I am not dead. I am alive and able and willing. I hope you didn't miss me too much. I shall post again this week. I promise. I am working on another tag and something...well, let's just call it a surprise (and, no, I am not switching blogs again :P).

So, how are you? Did you miss me? Did you not miss me (I highly doubt it...)? How crazy has your life been lately? Can you guess what the surprise is?