Mention Worthy Monday

I recently discovered a new (to me) author and I wanted to share her amazing work with you.

Her name?

Emily Nelson. Read all about her here and here.

What I've read?

The Locket.

Why was it so great?

"In the end, after time and

breath steal the rest away, some things linger still.

Some memories whisper in your heart forever. 

Love goes on, even when life doesn't."

 Emily is a Christian author. You do not have to worry about encountering foul language, inappropriate scenes or such like when you read her work. The Locket is a beautiful love story. Although it is short fiction, it is a true-to-life story of overcoming hardships and celebrating life's beauty. (I read this in one day. Yes, it was that good.)

What's on my list to read next?

Reflections: A Collection of Poems and Short Stories

When the Church Forgets to Blush

I cannot wait.

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There is a fairly new podcast over at The Light Network called The New You. It's a short, daily devotional and a great resource for new and seasoned Christians alike. And while you're over at TLN be sure to check out The Royal Family podcast. Who doesn't love hearing about what the British royals are up to? Emily does a great job keeping us up-to-date with the goings-on and has wonderful insight to show the similarities between the earthly royal and spiritually royal family. Be sure to give these great podcasts a listen and then go rate them in iTunes to help spread the good work the folks over at TLN are doing!

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When Christians Should Stay Off Social Media - So often people, even Christians think social media is an outlet to voice their frustration over various issues. This post is a good reminder to keep our attitudes in check even (or should I say especially) when using social media-remember that those are words you will answer for as well.

Links to Love

The Royal Family - Who isn't just a little fascinated with the Royal family? I know I am and I've found a kindred spirit. Emily Hatfield is a tiny bit fascinated with them as well...so much so that she is doing a podcast that...well, just read her own words...
"The premise of the show is simple: who doesn’t adore those lovable Brits? Will and Kate? Super adorable and mildly relatable. Prince George? Full on cuteness monster. Queen Mum? Precious and hilarious and always keeping it classy. Fortunately for me, with each of those names, a mental image came up in your mind, because really, who doesn’t know something about the royal family? We probably all know something, and some of us probably know a whole lot. Because we’re stalkerazzi, let’s be real.
While I love the bunch across the pond, my greater concern is for the royal family that I’m a part of, that all Christians are part of, and that’s the royal family of God. We are called heirs, we get crowns—sounds pretty legit to me. And, it sounds pretty parallel to the earthly kingdom we see in the British Monarchy. So that’s exactly what we’ll be doing: paralleling those lovable Brits to the truly important and eternal royal family."
This podcast is awesome. The episodes are short and easy to listen to and once you start you will be hooked. So what are you waiting for? Go check it out!

God's Handiwork - While we're talking about Emily...have you looked at her blog featuring God's Handiwork? Emily had the opportunity to visit several countries (most mentioned in the Bible) and she shares her journey with us through articulate wording and beautiful pictures. Take a moment to visit her blog and travel to another place and time.

From the Mouths of Teen Girls  - The following comments were made by Christian teen girls at an out-of-state retreat.  They were asked some questions in a very casual setting.  I was just an observing visitor, but I was struck by their determination and sincerity so I started writing down their answers...

Southern Snow  - If you watched the news within the past few weeks, no doubt you've seen the south get hammered (rather unexpectedly) with winter weather. You may have even been right in the middle of it. This link is nothing but pictures taken in and around Birmingham, AL. Looking at these photos and reading the story about Chick-fil-A's generosity will warm your harm and remind you that there are still some good people out there.

Links to Love

What Crazy National Holiday Falls on Your Birthday? Find out here and start your Monday morning off with a laugh. (Seriously, some of these are crazy!)

God's Handiwork in Ireland - Admiring photos of faraway places is something I love to do and apparently I'm not alone...don't believe me? Go over to Pinterest and you'll find a plethora (new word for the day) of people who do the same thing. Emily Hatfield (gifted writer & sister-in-Christ) has had the opportunity to study abroad and shares some beautiful pictures of Ireland here in her post: God’s Handiwork. Ireland is one of my personal favorites. It just looks so romantic, doesn’t it? 

The First Day of the Last - This spunky blogger is super excited about being close to completing her college career. She chose to stay home and earn her degree (a choice that is becoming more and more popular. In this post, she lists a few reasons why pursing a degree online was the right path for her.


DON'T Follow Your Heart - This is an older post but one worth your time. It's so easy to get caught up in the "follow your heart" concept, especially when you're young, Hannah Giselbach does a great job of reminding us why that isn't good advice after all.