Questions and February is Coming - SUIT UP!

So... I was already tagged in the 11 Questions meme that's been floating around the blog-world lately. Then I was tagged again by Kayleigh! (I love feeling cool!) I won't do all of the "rules" again, but I will answer the questions Kayleigh posted. Which totally works since lately I've been lacking in ideas for the blog lately.

Also, remember that February is in 2 DAYS! Which means that I'll be needing a new Sponsor Swap Friend and next month's topic will be ready to go. February's topic is: How I See Love.

For more information about either of these check out the pages:

Contribute
Sponsor Swap

Slump

I am in a slump.

Ever gone through those?

I go to work. I sit on the computer planning things for my job, organizing, making phone calls....

Want to read the rest of this post? I'm guest blogging for my Sponsor Swap Partner today! Check out A Million Little Somethings.

Trees- Guest Post

Emmy's Note: Today's guest post is from my friend, Ginny! We went to college together and last year she worked at a church in my area so we got to hang out A LOT. Right now she is working at a camp up north (and actually is looking for another job, so if any of you have suggestions for her let me know and I'll pass the word on!). I was really excited when I got her email yesterday with this post because it's cool to see my real life friends getting into the blog, and it shows that you don't have to have your own blog to contribute. If you would like to contact her let me know and I can share with you her email. 

Also, a special shout out to Lozz. She is my 100th follower! So go check out her blog. :)

Source

My unusual inspiration is trees. For anyone who knows me would probably say that’s not unusual at all, but hear me out. It is true that I very much enjoy being in the woods, but the peace I get from hiking through a bunch of trees is not the unusual part.

Trees are pretty amazing. They can create they’re own food, their roots dig dip, they get to hibernate in the winter, and produce lots of seeds so there can be more trees! Besides all that they give us shade, fruits, tree houses…this list could really go on for ever and it’s not really the point.

The point is that I have learned a lot from these plants. The deeper your roots (whether in God, family, or friends) the better you will stand up to the storms that come your way. You plant seeds all over the place, whether you know it or not, but you may not always get to see it grow. Trees provide shelter and food for animals and people.

So next time you're out enjoying nature, try to think of something you can learn from the experience and always have fun!

Magic- Guest Post

Emmy's Note: I'm so glad that my sponsor for January decided to write a guest post for the theme of "Unusual Inspiration!" She is so wonderful and if you haven't checked out her blog yet you really need to! Don't forget that if you want to post for January you still can, just email me. Also - February is right around the corner which means I am open for a new sponsor swap partner AND the next theme will be coming up!

Since Emmy posted her great idea of having themes and guest posts for 2012 I have been trying to think of what unlikely inspiration to write about for this month.

My problem? I have trouble not being inspired by everything. I think I have this way of looking differently at the world that causes my thought processes to just be so different. Just this morning before I blogged, I was greatly inspired by the fact that sunflowers follow the sun as the day goes by. Things that some people would not see or see and just say "cool" are the things that I find making my days better or changing the way that I think about things.

Magic doesn't exist in the same way that it does in fairy tales, but I like to think that when God can take one thing...one tiny little thing...and use it to make me smile, impact my life or make me think that is the magic of my life. I think the fact that I see things that most people miss is a great gift from God. I can pull a metaphor out of my cloche hat and I keep allegories in my back pocket. I love being able to explain things using anecdotes based on my little inspirations. 

I think the trick about being inspired is being open to taking the time to see what life has to offer, even when you don't feel like. Because if you are you never knew when some of the little inspirations will make you day or could change your life. My blog is called A Million Little Somethings. I called it that because I realized that if you take the time to see the millions of "little somethings" in your life you may come to find that they make up everything. 

So take time to see something you weren't looking for today...you never know when it will be the inspiration you ARE looking for!

~~~

Now I'm Like- Supermagafoxyaweseomehot Cool

Last week my friend Jessica, of Faith Permeating Life, gave me a blog award!

The Liebster Blog Award goes to people who you want to thank for all of their hard work on their blog, for being themselves, and the impact they have had on your life. Thank you so much Jessica! I am so honored and touched that you gave me this award!

How Small Christian Universities Messed Up My View of Marriage and Happiness

A little over a week ago I came across a blog post via The Good Women Project. Then, as I tend to do with posts I like, I shared it on Facebook. Holy crap that started a discussion.

If you want, you can read the post here. It turns out, a lot of my single friends (and some of my married friends, actually) really resonated with this post. One of my friends who was part of the conversation added this:

The short answer?

Free At Last

Freedom

It's one of the first words that come to my mind when I think of Martin Luther King Jr. 

What's awesome is that - it's not just about race.

Freedom is for all of us.

MLK stood for the freedom of all people. 

We are all called to be free. 

For we were all baptized by one Spirit, into one body- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 1 Corinthians 12:13 NIV

The thing about freedom though - is that there needs to be action on our part. Yeah, we're all free. So let's LIVE IT. 

Brothers and sisters, God has called you to freedom! Hear the call, and do not spoil this gift by using your liberty to engage in what your flesh desires; instead, use it to serve each other as the Liberator taught through love. Galatians 5:13 The Voice

Please remember that you can still contribute to this month's topic of "Unusual Inpiration." Email your posts to lovewokemeupthismorning [at] gmail [dot] com

Stig- Guest Blogger

Hi, Love Woke Me Up This Morning readers! I'm Kathy from That's What She Said and I'm really happy to share my unlikely inspiration with you today.

Hey Look - I'm Cool Now

There's been this little 11 questions thing I've seen floating around the blog world lately. I usually don't think much of them. They are cute and you get to know the blogger a bit. But I don't pay them much attention.

Then I got tagged in one!!!!!!!

I get it now. When you get tagged - you feel cool.

So thanks, Sarah (from Shades of Shayes). You made my Saturday a little happier because now I feel like I'm one of the "cool kids."

Here we go! (And pay attention - because I might tag YOU next!)

A Million Little Somethings

I want to introduce to you all my January Sponsor Swap partner - Kayleigh! She is one of my newest friends here on Love Woke Me Up This Morning, and so far I've really enjoyed getting to know her. Kayleigh is even going to contribute to the topic of the month and I might do a guest blog on her site as well. We will keep you posted!

Hello dearies!! My name is Kayleigh and I am currently trying to get used to the frigid Wisconsin winter. After 24 years, you think I would be used to it . . . but whatever!! For a day job, I work as a caregiver for adults with special needs. I love what I do but it is really high stress and I work a lot. So to relax I love to write!! I started the blog as an outlet for my writing . . . and found a dear friend! I write about my life, my thoughts, my faith, what I am reading or watching . . . just about everything! I spend my free time talking to friends, reading, watching movies/tv and trying to cross things off of my before-30 list! I live in a tiny little apartment that doesn't allow pets so for now I am content to crochet (sometimes), paper-craft (if I feel like it) and water my plants (when I remember). I am very committed to growing in my relationship with God and trying to figure out what He has in mind for my life. But until He moves me, I will keep living the life He has given me . . . and blogging along the way. I like to look at life as being made up of a million little somethings . . . join me as I blog and try to take time to see the little somethings that make up everything!

Blog: amillionlittlesomethings

Twitter: tonsofsomething

So go check Kayleigh's blog and send her some love!

Likes Girls

Inspire

Dictionary.com defines inspire as:

1. to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence
2. to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.)
3. to fill or affect with a specified feeling, thought, etc.
4. to influence or impel
5. to animate, as an influence, feeling, thought, or the like

That's what I want to talk about this month.