The Liebster Award | A Fun Tag

via Pinterest #dailyjoyfulness

A few weeks back I was incredibly honoured and delighted to get nominated by a friend, the lovely Dani Fisher from "A Vapor in the Wind" in a "Liebster Award" to answer a few fun questions! I believe I may have done this tag a really long time ago before, but with different questions, and since it has been a while since I have shared a fun tag/post about my daily life--also I know there have been a few new faces around my blog these past months (Hello and welcome!)-- I thought it would be a fun thing to participate in. Just a quick note, I am not sure how much I will be blogging in the coming weeks as I have a huge overload of studies and tests/exams for a good while, but I will try to keep you updated when I can. I would definitely appreciate your prayers too, as I am starting to stress-out a bit with all the stuff that needs doing. . . (but I am also trying to remember the verse that says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippines 4:13. With God's help, I can do it!) 

. . . Ohh, but the rules for this tag are as follows:

1. Link back to the blogger who nominated you.

2. Answer the 11 new questions.

3. Nominate other bloggers (however many or few as you'd like).

4. Create 11 new questions for the bloggers you nominated.

5. Notify the new nominees of their award.

Thank you so much, Dani, for nominating me! Now, shall we dig right in?

Reading Seven Little Australians in the sunshine,
next to Mama's mandarin bushes

1. What is the driving passion of your life? 

By God's grace, my faith in Christ is the driving passion of my life. To love, fear, and serve the Lord Jesus all my life. That is my greatest longing and passion! Through this passion for Christ, He has given me a love of my family and my friends; my writing and interest in books (as well as all things literary!) are things that I am deeply passionate about. 

2. Where do you see yourself in five years?

That is something I try not to think too much about, because truly the future belongs to the Lord, and I am happy to leave it to His planning :). Also when I try to worry and plan it out too much, I start getting panicky and un-able to trust in what God wants to do in my life! However, I do have a few dreams for the future, if it were the Lord's will :). One of them would be to be happily married to a loving, godly man and hopefully have my own little ones by and by <3. I would truly love to be a published author, though I would be just as happy to have simply written one or two full-length novels and some short-stories/articles. But frankly, in five years time (realistically) I see myself mostly studying and plowing through a University degree!

a photo of Big Ben taken on my phone while
we visited London last year! 

3. What is one thing you believe God has been teaching you this last year?

Oh, so many things! It is truly hard to put them all down to one thing. Things like learning to trust even when I don't understand the things happening in my life; feeling the call to draw closer to the Lord in repentance and prayer; to be diligent/persevering and courageous in the calling God has given me at this time (and not chaff at the "waiting"); learning to live my life wisely and fully to the glory of God; to love selflessly and without hypocrisy, and be thankful in all the blessings of the Lord, thinking positively of every circumstance - always giving thanks. If I could steal a line from the live-action Cinderella-film, it is to "Have courage, and be kind"!

4. How do you deal with Mondays or off-days?

Mondays can be tough, can't they? And they usually shine with so much promise during the weekend! Well, if I am motivated, I try to study and work hard (PACEWORK!); also since my violin lessons are usually on Tuesdays, I like to fill in a good practice on that day. However, being that they are Mondays, they can often be "off-days". How do I deal? I am not sure that I really do. I try not to procrastinate, though I frequently fail at that; I have a nice hot cup of tea, like Forest Fruit flavour, with a fresh fruit and some nuts. . . I might sneak up a little bit of reading time after lunch, and have a plan for the evening in relation to emails, blogging, and any writing I hypothetically hope to work on. . . (again, I often miserably fail at that too, as this blog is a testament to my remarkable planning skills). 

5. What is your Myers-Briggs personality type? Do you think this type accurately summarizes your personality?

I have never taken the Myers-Briggs personality test online, and am unfamiliar with the different acronyms, so I actually don't know. I was thinking about it this morning, and I guess you could say I am an an introverted, shy extrovert ;). I am somewhat out-going and sociable, I think. I laugh and cry and talk a lot; I love being with people and going on exciting adventures - hanging out with my dear family and friends is always such a joy! Yet I have the other side of me that just loves staying at home so much, that appreciates being alone and quiet. I can be incredibly shy sometimes and at a total loss for words in public, stumbling and fumbling over my words :P. I am happiest when I have that time to be alone at least a few days of the week, though it can be really refreshing if it is spent with my family, or in fellowship through email or chat with a dear friend. By nature I am quite laid-back and sentimental, taking it easy and then allowing myself to panic and stress at the last minute (yeah, that type!). I work best under deadlines, though I hate them. I don't necessarily like to please people always, but I do definitely like making them happy and laugh! 

a bay not too far from home

6. If someone made a movie of your life, what actor/actress would you cast to play you?

Oh, that's hard. I don't know. Do any of you have any ideas? My first thought was Felicity Jones who played Catherine Moreland in the film Northanger Abbey (2007). She is dark-haired, for a thing. I haven't seen her play anywhere else, but she played Catherine, and I think Catherine and I have many traits in common. Maybe Anna Popplewell or Georgie Henley? :P

7. What is something that makes you cry (a book, song, movie, etc.) and why? 

I cry a lot in movies and in songs! The themes of sacrifice, love, faith, courage and friendship are all ones that move me deeply; also a scene, a theme or a passage that speaks about the longing for a lasting and true home is one that can get me quite teary-eyed. The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, (both the books and the films) are definitely ones that move me that way through their stories and characters and the themes; there will have to be some-place in those tales that I just sob every single time! Some other stories that pull on my heart-strings and have made me cry on several occasions would be North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens and The Shining Company by Rosemary Sutcliff. For music, I can think of the Les Miserables musical tracks that are just so beautiful and sad, and never fail to make me cry (just go and listen to Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, or Bring Him Home). 

8. What is one blog/blogger that inspires you to write? Please share why and provide a link!

Jolly, I have several favourite bloggers, it seems hard to pin it down to just one or two, so be sure to check out my "Kindred Spirits" page for several links! My Lady Bibliophile by Schuyler and Living on Literary Lane by Chloe are the two blogs that most inspire me to blog, both through their reviews and in their honest, in-sightful and mature writing styles - they are really good. :). I also really enjoy Dani's blog, A Vapor in the Wind - that is just such a lovely blog! But for a blogger who inspires me in my creative fiction writing, I think I would definitely say Jenny's blog, The Penslayer, has inspired me the most. I just get away from reading her blog ignited with a sense of burden to fill my writing with colour and high-beauty, and I also love how thought-provoking her blog-posts are (yes, sometimes, I don't agree with all that she shares, but that is great, because her posts definitely make me think!); if I had the whit and time to do so, I would be writing "inspired by The Penslayer" posts quicker than you could say "Jack!" :). Coming as close-seconds would be Rachel Coker's, Rachel Heffinton's and Anne Elisabeth Stengl's blogs :)

One of our favourite spots to go for a picnic, very close to home!

9. Why did you start blogging and what is the goal of your blog?

I started blogging half-by accident really (not that there are accidents in God's world!). I just created a blogger account in 2011, and started to post privately about little things of my life for several months; when I first read Rachel Law's blog "Covenant Maiden" and Chloe's blog "Living on Literary Lane", and then bumped into Abigail Hartman's blog "Scribbles and Ink Stains" I got hooked, and knew I wanted to have my blog just like those girls, and to be able to write like them! Even more, I hoped I could one day be good friends with these wonderful young writers. The years have gone by, and while I can't vouch for the brilliance of my writing or this blog (though they both have matured and grown in wonderful ways), I can definitely vouch for the friendships I have found through blogging, and the sweet fellowship of dear young ladies who love the Lord Jesus. That has been the greatest joy of blogging! What is my goal in it, however? It is two-fold: it is to have a medium of sharing my thoughts in writing with other people who share like-minded interests and passions, to grow as a writer and reader, and be able to have a place to write non-fictionally about my life and experiences :)). But also it is to connect with sisters in Christ, and have the opportunity to open-my-heart and share the things the Lord is doing and working in my life, in the hope that these posts can encourage others in the smallest way to live closer to the Lord in love and fear of Him, and to be passionate about the calling He has given you. . . and to be encouraged by the words, advice and wisdom of others.

10. What are some of your favorite hobbies (if any) besides blogging and writing?

Ooh, I love music! I love to play the violin, and sing with my sisters. . . speaking of which, I have a violin exam coming up pretty soon; prayers would definitely be appreciated, friends! Music is definitely a big passion of mine (not as committedly or deeply as my sister Mary, but it is still there :). I love playing hymns, classical music and movie-soundtracks as well as folk/Celtic tunes.

I also like to cook, bake, clean-house and decorate (eh, sometimes, anyway :), and I like to imagine myself a whiz homemaker when I grow up ;). I enjoy crafts, and creative stuff, like drawing (though I am not very good at it), and learning how to sew/cross-stitch. I also simply love hanging out with my parents and sisters, and my closest friends - :D. . . a movie-night, or going out to the park is so much fun with them!

I love history, and learning about the past always deeply fascinates me. Did I mention I love to read? Goodness, that should have been first. That is my favourite hobby.

11. What is your biggest fear and why?

Hm. Oh, I do have my fears, but I am asking God to help me lay them all at His feet and not be afraid, for He is with me! 

I am a little paranoid of spiders. Just saying.

*****

So that is it, friends! I hope you enjoyed this fun little tag :). Also share your thoughts in the comments below, if you have any you'd like to share, and maybe what your response would be to some of those questions. I would love to get to know you all, and connect! Thank you again Dani for nominating me! I nominate the following bloggers to answer the questions listed below:

Schuyler McConkey from My Lady Bibliophile

Chloe from Living on Literary Lane

Emily Dempster from Amity 

Joy from Joyness the Brave

Cait from Paper Fury

Jenelle from Jenelle Schmidt

Ana from Butterflies of the Imagination

Emily Ann Putzke from Taking Dictation

Emily Chapman from Entirely Bonkers

Carmel Elisabeth from Carmel

Sarah C from Of Simple Things

Rachel from The Inkpen Authoress
Danielle from Danielle Carey

The Questions: (I borrowed these questions from Dani and other Liebster Award tag-questions. I know. . . I have no creativity to-night. Ho hum! Also, I got totally carried away and put in 14 instead of 11 questions.)

1. What is the driving passion of your life? 

2. What is your favourite subject of study?

3. When you're having an "off-day", what are some of the things that help you snap out of it, or just help you relax and take the rest of the day in your stride? 

4. If someone made a movie of your life, what actor/actress would you cast to play you?

5. If you could go back in time and meet any authors of the past, who would your top 4 be?

6. What is the biggest lesson you have learned during the past year?

7. Do you have any exciting adventures in your life that bring back special, fond memories?

8. What is your favourite non-fiction book? Why do you like it?

9. Do you play an instrument (may include voice)?

10. Have you lived all your life in one country? If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would you wish to live?

11. What is something that makes you cry (a book, song, movie, etc) and why?

12. What is one blog/blogger that inspires you to write? Please share why and provide a link!

13. Why did you start blogging and what is the goal of your blog?

14. What are some of your favourite hobbies (if any) besides blogging and writing?