Liebster Award + Sponsor Highlight

I got nominated for a Liebster Award by Paige over at Moments for the Journey! I have to admit, I was pretty excited! Mainly, because I get to answer some fun questions and then I also get to nominate some other friends and hopefully introduce you guys to some more awesome blogs! Thanks again, Paige for nominating me! Be sure to visit her blog and check out her very own sponsor highlight at the end of this post! :) 

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The Rules 

1. You must link back to the person that nominated you.
2. You must answer the 11 questions given by the nominee before you.
3. You pick up to 11 nominees with under 200 followers to answer your questions.
4. You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.
5. You must tell the nominees that they have been nominated by you.

My Answers to Paige's Questions 

1. What is your dream job? Oh man, you know, I've been asking myself this question a lot lately. I would love to work with a non-profit that works to make a better life for kids and youth (think World Vision, Compassion, etc...). Anything that allows me to hang out with teenagers for the rest of my life and show them that they matter and that Christ loves them is ultimately what I want to do. Right now, at this moment, I'm looking at going to grad school/seminary for biblical counseling. 

2. When and why did you start blogging? I actually started blogging back in 2009 at this blog. (And this was my very first blog post.) I stopped blogging at the end of 2012 and then picked it up again here in June of 2013. I've always loved to journal and write, but never really thought to bring it to the internet world. But, I did! What I like about blogging is that it allows me to talk about the things I want to talk about, advocate for things that are important to me, I get to meet and have a fun blogging community, dab into some creativity and graphic design, and it can act as a scrapbook for memories. 

3. What is your favorite food? Anything Mexican. I could eat chips and salsa every day of my life. 

4. What is one of your pet peeves? It's not really a pet peeve, because I don't get mad when other people don't do it, but it deals with hash-tags. I'm a hash-tag lover, but try to contain them. However, when I write out my hash-tags, each word has to be capitalized. (Ex. #ILoveHashtags, not #ilovehashtags.) For me, it's much easier to read the first way. Oh, I also don't like being single in a small town, because apparently that is code for "please try to set me up with every single guy you know." 

5. What is the one advice that you have received in your life that has stuck with you? There are two sayings that I have written in my Bible. One says, "trust and worry cannot exist together" and the other says, "we are building cathedrals we cannot see." The first is ALWAYS being repeated in my head. I don't know if this means I worry a lot (which I probably do) or what, but it constantly reminds me that if I'm worrying, I'm not trusting God fully. And when I am trusting him fully I'm not worrying about anything. The second is just encouraging, especially on those days when I feel like I haven't done anything for the kingdom. I have to remember that the seeds I've helped plant, I won't always see grow, but that doesn't mean they won't grow at all. 

6. What is the best vacation you have ever been on? I actually haven't taken that many "vacations." I went to the beach and the mountains mostly when I was younger. But, I've seen a lot of places by being a missionary with the North American Mission Board or going on mission trips. I've lived in New Orleans, Mobile, taken a mission trip to Arizona (where I saw the Grand Canyon and cried), and most recently California. While there I got to visit San Francisco (twice), Muir Woods (the redwoods), Calaveras Big Trees State Park (the sequoias), and my most favorite, Yosemite! Also, I was living at Lake Tahoe, so most people would say that was a vacation. But, I was doing work, I promise! :) 

7. What is your favorite season and why? Fall. I just love the weather of fall, the leaves changing, and of course, football is in session. I do love spring and summer so that I can hang in my hammock more and hike and kayak. And winter allows me to bundle up in sweats and sweaters...so basically, I like them all. Fall is my favorite though! :) 

8. What is your favorite movie? Tell us about it. I can't possibly choose just one. There are so many different genres and I love so many. It would take me forever to tell you about all of them, so I will just direct you to their trailers. Saving Private Ryan. Pride & Prejudice. Brave. Les Miserables. Hunger Games 1 & 2. Elf. 

9. What is one thing you want to do in life? Write and illustrate my own children's book. Check out the bucket list for more things. 

10. Do you have a special talent? I don't really know if it is a special talent, but I've dabbed a little bit into archery. Like before Brave and Hunger Games made it really popular. When we moved to Alabama (I was in middle school) my dad got me interested and then bought me my own bow. It's pretty fun and I really think I missed my calling to win a gold medal in archery in the Olympics. Click here for some pics taken by my best friend. 

11. If you were any animal what would you be and why? An elephant just because they are awesome or a bird, so I could fly wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted. 

If you made it through all of those long (and maybe boring) answers, bravo! 

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My Nominees 

Kiki @ In Its Time  
Angela @ Harrells on Hood 
Elle Alice @ Beautiful Hope 
Kari @ The Kari Diaries 
Jessica @ Keep Chasing the Light 
Becca @ She Becomes 
Victoria @ Through*For*By
So, I wasn't sure if any of you girls had over 200 followers, since technically that was the limit for nominees. But, I picked y'all anyways. Also, if you have already done this, I would love a link to what questions y'all answered to learn a little more about you! :) 

My Questions 
(if they choose to participate)

1. What is the number one place in the world you want to visit?
2. If you could have dinner with one person, alive or dead, who would it be?
3. What is one food you could eat for the rest of your life?
4. Who is your favorite character (tv, play, movie, book, etc...)?
5. What is your favorite childhood memory?
6. Reach into your purse or bag nearest you and pull out the 4th item. What was it?
7. Are you organized, messy, or an organized chaos kind of person? 
8. What is your favorite activity to do outside?
9. How many of the states have you visited?
10. Do you have an alter ego? Describe them. (Mine has dreads and tats, but in a tasteful way. ha.)
11. If you could be any animal, which would it be? 

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Sweet Swappers Who Sponsor Highlight | Paige 

When I started blogging the first time, I was surprised by some of the wonderful "friends" I made. Although I stopped blogging for awhile, I picked it up once again. And it still surprises me that I continuously meet some wonderful "friends." This year, I decided to begin sponsoring on my blog. Although I can't financially sponsor anyone, I can swap buttons! I wanted to start using that space on my sidebar to show off the friends that I have been making. These girls are some of the greatest people and we have so much in common! I'm thankful that they want to sponsor me and allow my face to be on their blog!

Paige's blog has quickly become one of my favorites to read. We are alike in so many ways and I bet that we would get along so well in real life. From a love of youth, to dogs, kayaking, Gilmore Girls, and more! I'm excited that we discovered each others blogs and that we are sponsoring one another. Make sure to check out her fun blog and learn more about Paige, her husband, and all their adventures! 

Paige and her husband, Lyle.

1. Introduce yourself to us by telling us THREE words that describe you. Introvert, nerd, organized. 

2. Did you ever go on Spring Break while in school? If so, what is your best Spring Break memory? If not, what has been your favorite vacation in general? I wasn't very social in school so Spring Breaks typically just meant going home and sitting in my pajamas all week watching Gilmore Girls. :) Because of my antisocial ways I don't really have a favorite Spring Break story, but I have taken lots of family vacations. My absolute favorite vacation was my honeymoon. As a wedding present my mema rented us a beautiful cabin in the Smoky Mountains. It was really secluded, rustically decorated, and had a hot tub on the deck! We spent the whole week eating left overs from our reception and relaxing. That week will always hold some of my most favorite memories!

3. What is your favorite thing about Spring? My favorite part of spring is the sunshine! Here in Ogden, Utah by the end of winter everyone has had enough of the smog and inversion in the air. So when the sun finally starts peeking through the wintery haze it's time to get outside. My hubby and I set up our patio furniture as soon as we know there will be no more snow and grill out in the evenings playing bocce ball. I enjoy soaking in the warmth of the sun in the afternoons reading books outside in the backyard. With Spring, my hubby and I also welcome the opportunity to get back on the amazing hiking trails in our area.

4. What are your TOP 3 FAVORITE blog posts that YOU have written? I have been blogging since 2010 (not always consistently) so I have a lot of posts to choose from... 

1. One of my favorite older posts is called "Liar, Liar Pants on Fire" and it's about Rahab. I had always struggled with understanding why she is  regarded as faithful when what she did was lie - I mean lying is a sin right? I wrote this post after reading through her story one evening and finally having an epiphany! 
2. One of my favorite recent posts is "6 Ways I Fall Short As A Wife". I sat down and wrote out ways that I feel I could improve as a wife.
3. With mine and my hubby's 5 year anniversary coming up I decided to write out our story. I divided it up into 5 parts, but one of my favorite parts to write was "Reminiscing Our Wedding"  In the process of writing this post I found our old wedding video and our vows on my computer. It had been a long time since I had sat down and remembered that day, so it was really fun to write!

Follow Paige! 
Blog | Bloglovin' | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest 

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If you are interested in sponsoring Polished Arrow there is space available! Click the SPONSOR tab up above to learn more about how to get your sweet spot on my sidebar. Check out the page above or e-mail me with SWAP as the subject!