Blog Hop

I am so glad to have been asked to participate in a Blog Hop. Not familiar with it? My friend Amy Boyd, who lives in Alabama and writes at Living in Harmony invited me to take part in this activity. 

She linked to my blog from hers, making it easy for people to "hop" from her blog to mine. I hope you will continue the hopping when I introduce my friend Kristen to you in a short bit.

As part of this Blog Hop, I've been asked to respond to the following questions. I feel I need to include a small disclaimer at this point: These are great questions to ask people who I would consider to be real writers. I struggle with really calling myself a "real" writer. I'm just posting some thoughts from my little corner of the world. So - that being said - here are the questions and my responses:
1. What am I writing or working on? At this point, I am putting thoughts together to write something later this week about summer coming to an end, the start of the school year, just general ramblings.
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre? Hmmm, my best response for this is simply -- it's mine! I don't set out to write posts like anyone else, nor do I try to *not* be like anyone else. I just.....write.
3. Why do I write what I do? Sometimes it's just a way to get something off my chest. Sometimes it's to help me sort through something myself. Sometimes it's in response to something I've read or seen. Always - it's just to share what's on my heart.
4. How does my writing process work? OK - seriously - this makes me laugh. A process?? Good one. But, OK. With most of my posts, I've just sat with my laptop, tapping out my ideas, then hit the little orange "publish" button. Once in a while, I will sit with what I've written and go back and amend it as needed.
So that's it. That's how I write.

So now the fun part: I get to introduce you to a good friend of mine who agreed to take part in the Blog Hop.  Her name is Kristen McHargue, and she is one of the real life friends I've had for the longest time in my life.  I met Kristen wayyyy back in the day when her family moved to my hometown.  We became fast friends, and I am so grateful that the Lord has maintained our heart connection throughout the past almost 30 years.  
She is an amazing woman.  I know that word "amazing" is used almost to the point of abuse these days, but truly, that word fits Kristen.  Marrying her high school sweetheart Steve, giving birth to their son Corin, opening their hearts to welcome their daughter Izzy, Kristen and her family had incredible adventures: living in Hawaii, sharing the Gospel literally around the world, pouring their hearts and lives into countless young people to inspire them to live full-out for God.  In the midst of these adventures, they have endured hardships and hurts that would have flattened others of lesser faith: hospital stays, debilitating and life-threatening illness, the sudden death of her beloved Steve.  Yet to talk with Kristen today (something that doesn't happen NEARLY enough for me!), what is evident is her faithful trusting walk with her Lord.  In all her creative, whimsical, thoughtful, beautiful ways, Kristen is a daughter of the King.  You will love her, just as I do.  Do yourself a favor, hop over to Kristen's blog.  She writes at A Divergent Life: Living Out of the Box.