"Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There's no better rule.” Great Expectations There is no possible way to do this book justice in one blog post, but here’s a quick review anyway. Great Expectations, one of the greatest classics ever written, is set in Victorian England and tells the story of Pip, an orphan who faces monetary challenges, relationship struggles, and life-changing choices. Pip’s tale begins with much excitement. The opening scene takes place in Kent, ...
From Tropical Mangos to Sunny Main Streets: How Mango + Main Is Making a Difference
Photos | Mango and Main Recently I discovered a boutique called Mango + Main. (Shoutout to Instagram for taking online shopping to a whole new level.) The idea they promote is that products made by artisans in areas where mangos grow can be sent to the main streets of America. When I saw that M+M sells only fair-trade products, my interest was peaked. I'm all for this type of work! Not only do the profits received from the purchase of these products go back to the artisans who made them, ...
Hello, College Football: Tim Tebow’s Book, Shaken
It’s not just that football season is fast approaching. It’s that it's already here. And I couldn’t be happier! If you're like me, you've busted out fall scented candles, and you're hunting for all your orange-y pumpkin decor. (This is especially exciting for me this year since I'm decorating my new place!) And during game days, you can hear the roar of lively crowds, the tunes of marching band music, and the commentary of enthusiastic football announcers in my living room because my TV is and ...
Celebrations of Life: Birthdays
I’ve always thought that having a twin would be really neat. Sharing life experiences and seasons together has always sounded fun, and I probably would have tried swapping places if I’d had a girl twin. Don’t want to go to art class today? Let’s swap, and you can go to science for me. So I don’t have a twin...exactly. My brother and I are a few years apart, but our birthdays are only separated by four days, so we always celebrate them together. I’m not always one for traditions, but this ...
What We Can All Learn From the Summer Months
It seems like only yesterday I was rolling my windows down, listening to Selena Gomez’s “Bad Liar,” and getting ready for the summer ahead. Now I’m bidding farewell to my fun, laidback, and relaxing summer months. I went to Kirklands last week and didn’t even make it in the door before being greeted by orange leaves. Fall wreaths hung on the entrance doors, and pumpkins had moved in and taken over the inside of the place. Then last Saturday I stepped outside to head out for a morning run - and ...
Walking Back to the Right Road: Remembering the First Altar
We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. C. S. Lewis I grew up in my home church learning a lot about Abraham, singing “Father Abraham had many sons” just like all the other VBS-ers out there. (Ok, acknowledge that you just sang the tune in your head as you read those words.) My church just finished a sermon series on Abraham, ...
Obedience That Reveals God’s Will
How often do we pray and ask God specific questions about our lives? Questions like, where should I live? What degree do I pursue? Is now the best time for me to move? Should I take this job offer? Who should I date? The answers to these questions are the ins and outs of our daily lives. They dictate how we will spend much of our time and days. It would make sense then, that we ask God to direct and guide us, waiting for a nudge one way or the other. However, as I was reminded by a sermon at ...
Why We Should Pay More Attention to Quiet Leaders
Photo by Alyssa Joy Photography | website | Instagram This post first appeared in Grit and Virtue. Humility is rare. Much of the reason humility is quite so sparse is because it has never really been a value that has been popularized - ever. Today’s society values individualism, materialism, wealth, celebrity, and competition, just to name a few. The idea of being humble flies in the face of most of what our culture tells us to pursue. But God instructs us over and over to be ...
Practical Lessons from Romeo and Juliet: Part II
Hand-lettering // Hope Hickman @sincerelyhope.designs I realized after writing this piece that it was quite long, so I decided to break it into two parts. In Part I, I talked about four lessons we can still learn from Romeo and Juliet. I also did a bit of a refresher on the play. ;) If you missed Part I and would also like a recap of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, you can find it here. I love when literature becomes practical, when academia meets real life. William Shakespeare might have ...