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To begin this blog [again - because the first post was from over two years ago], I thought I should start off with my very first journal entry ever, for humor’s sake.  

I was a fifth grader with an interest in writing “short stories.”  Around this age, I started writing countless tales about a girl named Bernadette who had many siblings. I also wrote a couple of pages about a baseball-loving boy whose fate was to get hit by car while chasing after his baseball.  [The clever title for this little gem was “Getting the Ball.”]  

All that to say… I was in fifth grade when I received my very first journal. My class was doing a Christmas gift exchange.  [Yes – it was called “Christmas” in school back then.]  I don’t remember how the game worked, except that you could pick a present and if someone else wanted it, sometimes they could steal your present.  I remember picking a purple Winnie the Pooh journal and being anxious about someone stealing it from me.  Fortunately, no one did, and here is the very first thing I wrote in my precious Winnie the Pooh journal:

[Well, first, I apparently needed to remember what friends I liked, what "friends" I didn't like, and what boys I had a crush on.  After the two pages of lists… here is what I wrote around Christmas 1998…]

I really, really, really, really like Brian.  But whoever reads this cannot tell Scott.  If you do, you DIE!  

I don't think he knows yet!  So let's keep it that way!

If I had Brian's phone number, I would maybe call him and ask him out.  

We would probably go to the rock-roll arena and couple-skate.  That would be awesome.

[days later]

Guess what, my dream came true!!  I got asked out by Justin!!  

Justin wanted Joey to ask me out.  My face got red.  I was embarrassed.  

Joey couldn't wait for the answer so he said, "I'll give you until 1:45 to think about it."  

Then he changed it to 1:35!  And, well guess what I said.  Yes!

[days later]

I dumped Justin!  It just felt uncomfortable, Scott not knowing.  

Then at the Valentines Party at school, my friend asked Justin out for me when I didn't want her to.  

At recess, Justin and another one of my friends really don't get along, so I dumped Justin again!

That was just a taste of my little fifth grade world.  Boy crazy, I was.

Fourteen years later, I no longer have an obsession with writing about boys and keeping lists of who I like and who I don't like.  As I was perusing through all of my old journals, it is interesting to see how my passions and thoughts changed.  I went from writing all about boys and drama, to writing all about basketball [I played the beautiful sport for about 12 years], to writing about my dreams and fears and passions and worries and et cetera.  It's also encouraging [and not-so-encouraging sometimes] to see how my relationship with God has evolved over the years.  More on all of this later, but, for now...

Allow me to introduce myself.

I married the love of my life, PJ, in August 2011.  We have a dog - MoJo [I will probably mention him a lot].  I am currently in training for a marathon.  I try to cook.  I almost always have to have my morning cup of joe.  I have an unhealthy fear of people, but I crave community.  [Go figure.]  I strive to love Jesus.  I sit in a cubicle for forty hours a week, and I love to paint my nails.  Basketball was a huge part of my life until four years ago, but I'm still an athlete at heart.  I love to play board games and frisbee. 

What is the point of this blog, may you wonder.  

Well, I really like to write, but don't get me wrong - I am far from an aspiring author.  I invite you to join me as I journey through life... learning how to be a Godly wife [hard!], learning what it actually looks like to love Jesus and how to do that, learning how to cook!, learning how to be the salt of the earth!, et cetera.  [I have much learning to do.] 

Farewell, world.