Why I Share My Life Online

Recently on a slow afternoon I spent some time sitting on the couch scrolling through my social media feeds on my phone. This isn't an unusual occurrence, but I was particularly struck with the realization of how encouraged, inspired, and happy I felt after looking at other people's exciting adventures and beautiful talents, rather than discontentment and inadequacy.

One friend was sharing about the process of making wedding cakes and all the time and planning that goes into it. Another friend was also doing the sitting-on-the-couch-scrolling-through-Instagram thing (yay!). And another friend was shopping around local junk shops to search for unique treasures.

The information I learned from that "couch session" isn't pivotal to my life or well being, I could go the rest of my life without knowing those things about those people and what anyone else is doing with their lives. But I felt enriched to learn about what they enjoy and how they spend their time.. Each of them inspired me in different ways to try new things, look for hidden gems in my corner of the world, and that it's okay to take it easy once in a while and sit on my couch to admire the gifts and adventures that other people have.

I'm grateful they felt free to share their talents and everyday moments with their online community, and I believe each of them did so with the intent to inspire or encourage others.

We talk a lot online about comparison and showing our real lives instead of just the cute, fun moments. And, while I'm all about being real, I do know that sharing a photo of my messy kitchen isn't going to inspire you to go clean yours. So, while we can always overdo and overuse the things we have in life, we can use the resources we have wisely, for encouragement and inspiration rather than as a source for discontentment and comparison.

Inspiration. Encouragement. Community. 

That's why I share my life online.

What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear why you share parts of your life online.

My Favorite Day

Monday.

Yep, the day that is often dreaded as it signals the start of a new week and getting back to work after a (usually) fun, free weekend.

I like to take negative things like this as a personal challenge to turn them into something good. I'm sort of a rebel, but in a good way. :D

So, on Monday morning you can probably find me listening to my favorite inspirational music while I clean up the house and do laundry. Then I sit down with my Bible and notebook and hot cup of coffee for a break. I write down what I need to accomplish that week and some things I would like to get done if I have the time or inspiration. It's like my weekly huddle. 

Why do I bother to make this dreaded day less dreadful?

Because I believe that every day should hold something special for us to enjoy, even if it takes extra effort. I don't want to only live for the weekends, I want to wake up every day excited and ready to live it to the fullest. If I'm too busy wishing for the weekend I miss the little things that I can learn to enjoy in each day.

You are what you are doing right now.

Stop talking about

what you'll be one day.

Today is that day.

You are already something.

What kind of person are you?

What about you, what is your favorite day, and why?

How Living in a Rural Community Has Made Me More Creative

When I was 2 years old my parents moved our family from Central Pennsylvania to Northern Minnesota. Like just-across-the-river-from-Canada Northern Minnesota. And if you know anything about the area, it's fairly rural and removed from "the rest of the world." Think 1 1/2 - 2 hour drive to the nearest mall.
While this area is all that I ever remember calling home (and I really do love it here!), I have occasional longings of leaving it to experience life in a place with more economic prosperity and options. I mean, how could you not wish to live in an area that has a coffee shop a couple minutes in every direction? I may never know what that's like.

But one thing that I have learned from living in a rural community, that I think I would've missed out on otherwise, is to be creative even in the simple things. I can't go on a quick run to Target and sip on my favorite Starbucks latte as I do my shopping. Because of this I've learned to plan ahead and make myself a to-go cup at home instead. I have fun learning how to create my own lattes just the way I like them, and it's also a lot less expensive.

So, we don't have Target, but we also don't even have Walmart. Remember Big Kmart? Yep, that's what we have. That and 3 dollar stores... *face palm*  Trying to decorate a house requires a lot more forethought and creativity when your options are limited. I scan the local thrift stores for items I can repurpose or else try to make something myself. And when I do get to go shopping out of town at all my favorite stores, I feel (and probably look) like a kid at Christmas.

But ultimately, I say all this to remind each of us that life is what we make of it. I know there are unhappy people in the most prosperous of places and there are happy people living in far worse places than I described above. It's a daily choice for each of us to be happy where we are, whether in life or geographically, and find the good that is around us. And most importantly, I'm here and you're there for a reason.

What about you, how does where you live positively affect you?

Guster

Happy first Birthday to our first little family addition. :)

the patio door is his favorite spot to watch us inside the house

Last February we saw an advertisement on Facebook for some adorable Golden Retriever puppies. And who can resist that?? So a phone call and puppy visit later we had one picked out. Now came the tough part of choosing a name. (Neither of us are very good at naming things...our poor future children.)

So, being the resourceful 21st century adult that I am, proceeded to google male dog names. As we were driving home I read through the list of names, hoping one would *jump* out at us. And sure enough, I read "Gus" and Doug said, hey! That's it!

We also call him Goose (thanks to my niece who couldn't quite say "Gus"), Goosey, Goose Man, and Guster ( from Burton Guster on Psych; we threaten to get a black dog and name it Shawn. haha.)

It's been an eventful year learning how to take care of a puppy and dealing with the occasional inconvenient messes, but we knew what was coming.

The most memorable mess was last spring when I was preparing to host a Mother Daughter Tea for Mother's Day. I had the house set up and ready the day before and we went away for the evening. When we came home late that night we found the front door OPEN and Gus no where in sight... Of course I immediately pictured the house ransacked, dirty paw prints everywhere, and the decorations in a mess on the floor.

But thankfully my worst nightmare didn't come true. :)

We found Gus in the back bedroom ripping apart some leftover tulle from our wedding (which I thankfully didn't care about anymore). And surprisingly no paw prints anywhere. (We had a wet spring so I don't know how he managed that... Unless he wiped his paws when he came in. haha.) Other than some pieces of trash tore up in the entryway, the house looked untouched. *huge sigh of relief*

Life would be dull without him around. :)

And now your daily dose of cute puppy photos (you're welcome)...

New Year

I love the fresh motivation that a new year brings, full of wonder and anticipation about what this new year will hold and what might be accomplished and experienced. And this year I've been inspired to choose a word to specifically focus my thoughts and efforts on, and that is VISION.

If I were to name one word that I hung on to last year it would be INTENTION, and I feel like vision is an extension of that. --I had to think of the common phrase we hear "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" and I realized that if that's all I'm doing with my life, it's meaningless.-- So this year I want to focus on planning ahead and establishing a vision for my life, seeking God about where he wants me to invest my energy, and then preparing myself for whatever that is.

Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained;

But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].

Proverbs 29:18

And with that in mind I also want to emphasize that every new day can hold this same meaning for us. We don't have to wait for a new year to start over and do better. We can endeavor to do this every day, reevaluate where we're headed and what we're doing.

So here's to a new year. And may you be challenged, stretched, and encouraged along the way!

What about you, do you have a specific word or focus for the next year? 

I'd love to hear your  thoughts!

A Little About Me + Jesus

This is the last of a 3 week series titled A Little About Me. Each week I talked about one of my favorite things (Jesus + coffee + pretty pictures) and what they mean to me.

I love celebrating the little things in life and finding something in every day to be thankful for and joyful about. I also love setting goals and milestones to track my progress and see how far I've come (...or haven't). And as I look over the past year I see areas where I've grown, fears I've overcome, and goals I've accomplished. And I feel good about that! But then I also see areas in my life that still need extensive work. Things that I'll never fully accomplish in this life but need to strive for every day.

One thing that I find comfort in as I look over the past year, whether I feel like I've failed or not, is that I am His. He put me here at this time and in this place to accomplish a part of His plan. And the road of life is a lot easier when I simply follow His path, rather than try to take my own "shortcuts."

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you

so that you might go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.

John 15:16a

And when I let Him be the Leader of my life, I can't help but want Him all the more.

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, my God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

Psalm 42:1,2

He is the reason each of us can have peace and joy in life, everyday, regardless of our circumstances. And He alone can truly satisfy the deep desire in each of our hearts to be known, to belong, and to have purpose.

I hope this encourages and challenges you wherever you're at in this walk of life. I'd love to hear your thoughts and the truths that you hold close on your journey to keep you pressing on.

Have a lovely Christmas week!

A Little About Me + Coffee

This is part of a 3 week series I've titled A Little About Me. Each week I will talk about one of my favorite things (Jesus + coffee + pretty pictures) and what they mean to me. 

My relationship with coffee is neither dramatic nor significant, I just love it. And it's one hot drink that is always available in our house. 

Starbucks' Caramel Macchiato is my favorite. But with the nearest Starbucks' being across the river in Canada or 1 1/2 hours away, I've learned how to make it at home and it's my go-to cup of joe.

My version is more economical, anyway. :)

Bethany Marie's Macchiato

Half a cup of strong coffee
Half a cup of milk, heated
Caramel Sauce

Poor your favorite hot coffee in a mug. Drizzle caramel sauce in mug and mix with coffee. Heat milk and froth (frothing is optional). Mix milk with coffee and caramel and enjoy!

How about you, what's your go-to drink?

A Little About Me + Pretty Pictures

This is the first part of a 3 week series I've titled A Little About Me. Each week I will talk about one of my favorite things (Jesus + coffee + pretty pictures) and what they mean to me. 

Pretty Pictures.

If you follow me on Instagram you probably already have a good idea about what I mean here. However, I want to interpret myself a little more here and explain what, why, and how. --And for those of you who are picture crazy like me, the last one includes some photo tips. :)

The What:

I like simplicity, originality, and good quality. (I thought 'blank space' would be another good way to describe it but all google gave me was Taylor Swift... not what I was going for.) So with those three things in mind, pictures that are like candy for my eyes clearly portray the subject or point of the image, are unique in perspective and composition, and are not distracted by poor quality or a noisy background.

Here are some of my favorite feeds on Instagram that portray these qualities:

Beautiful Undefined

I always look forward to her neat and unique images of their everyday life. 

Her photos are always so natural and real. And her blog is just as dreamy. :)

Monica Outcalt

A fellow Minnesotan and Believer living the dream city life. 

I love all the white in her photos and I can't wait to go to the cities 

and try out some of the coffee shops she frequents. :)

Cautiously Obessed

More white. And the most beautiful lettering and designs. 

She created a gorgeous free printable calendar last year 

and I hope she has another one coming for 2016. ;)

The Freckled Photographer

Another awesome Minnesotan.

She's a stellar photographer, goes on the coolest adventures,

and her moody edits always leave me swooning. ♡

The Why:

In case it isn't evident yet, Instagram is my jam. (Now if I could figure out how to make it my bread and butter, too, I would be set.) I love taking pictures and getting a glimpse of other people's lives through their photos. I follow many different people, some because I know them and others simply because I enjoy their pictures and encouraging words. 

But something I think all of us struggle with at some point is the assumed glamorous life that is unintentionally portrayed through those photos. For example, I prefer to use Instagram as an outlet for highlighting the parts of life that I enjoy. It's a way of escaping my real life mess for a moment and focusing on the good and beautiful things around me.

So, while the only thing popping up in your feed may be pretty pictures and happy thoughts, remember that these are real people with normal, everyday lives just like you. We all have struggles and weaknesses, but it's our choice to decide what we're going to focus on. And I want to encourage you with these words:

And How:

There are a few rules I keep in mind when taking a photo...

First and foremost: Use natural light. There is nothing you can do that will complement your photos more than this. Natural sunlight will give your photos depth with highlights and shadows and will produce more true colors which is key to a good photo. 

The pictures below show the difference between an artificially lit room at night and one simply lit up by gorgeous sunlight.

8:37pm

12:28pm

While the evening photo appears cozy and warm, it looks stuffy and too warm in comparison to the more natural, true color noontime capture.

Second: Look for a unique perspective. I like to take shots from different points of view before I decide which one to go with. One of my favorite views is from above. (Maybe it's just because I'm short and it makes me feel taller? heh.) My photos are often taken either from above or straight on. Keeping your camera/phone perpendicular to your subject also helps to alleviate any distortion.

Thanksgiving aftermath; proof that my house isn't always clean and neat.

And yes, it might look funny when you're standing on a chair just to get the perfect capture, but life is short and people won't be laughing when they see all your pretty photos. :)

Third: Be mysterious. I like when photographers capture their subject but leave a little mystery. Look for the shot that will leave the viewer wondering and wanting to see more by hiding part of your subject or only showing part of an area in your frame.

Also look for the perspective that will make it more dramatic and tell a story within the photo.

And lastly: Keep it real. Curated shots are beautiful, but so are unique views of your everyday life. You don't always have to have a pretty coffee or a coordinated collection of items to make a pretty photo. Be creative and make your own life beautiful. And take pictures if you want to. :)

I'd love to hear your thoughts, what kind of pictures do you like to see?