If you are anything like me, it takes a gripping title, an intriguing first line, and a convicting read for me to enjoy a blog post. 
Considering the fact that I post on my blog (ideally) bi-weekly, I decided to give my faithful readers a small list of posts from other authors that have encouraged me and inspired me in the last year.

November and December may very well be my favorite months of the year - for two reasons. 1) my birthday and 2) the holiday season. Thanksgiving and Christmas are my two favorite holidays and, lets be honest, Thanksgiving is really just a warm-up for Christmas. My family is already enjoying colorful lights, frosted sugar cookies, Christmas carols, and cozy Christmas movies. 

If you are a regular follower of my blog (or if you happen to know me in real life) you may notice that I talk a lot about "busyness." It seems to be a recurring theme in my life, and one that deserves an entire post all to itself. 
But today, I am popping in between a crazy school schedule, music lessons, winter prep, and NaNoWriMo, to leave you with a few practical bites of encouragement that help keep me smiling even in the busyness. 

Autumn is my absolute favorite season. Scarlet sunsets, crisp breezes, sweet apples after a frost, and a sudden sweep of golden color through the trees as if God just went after the hills with a paintbrush - even just standing outside breathing in the cold Fall air gives me a thrill. 
Most North Dakotans I know see Autumn as the first foreboding step towards winter. To me, it looks a little different.

What happened to August?!
I don't know about you, but summer went by way too fast for my liking, but I filled it up with all sorts of fun and memories with all of my favorite people. 
I officially graduated homeschool, attended my very first writers conference, met new friends, took senior pictures for my sis, and just plain enjoyed life!