Of A New Addiction, My WIP, and The Blog

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I have a few unrelated announcements and whatnot today...

Bloglovin'

In case you haven't already seen this, you can follow my blog via Bloglovin'! This is just an option as a way to keep tabs on this blog once Google Reader is out, if you'd like. And I'm just posting this link here because I apparently have to do so in order to "claim" my blog on Bloglovin'. So there you go! ;)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Pinterest

Yes, I did it. I created an account on Pinterest! I was a little hesitant to join the craze at first because of potential copyright issues (not to mention that Twitter, Goodreads, and blogging were enough to keep me busy, LOL!). But I've been trying to give credit where credit is due through links and such, so hopefully I'm doing this right! 

Anyway, my cover designer (the lovely and talented Lena Goldfinch, who's also now on Pinterest!) decided to create a "secret" board for us as an easier method for communicating cover ideas, and let me tell you, it's been fun! But, of course, as soon as I got into that I just had to keep going with other boards...

You can find my main page on Pinterest HERE. And if you're interested, I've created boards for my WIP! There's one for the characters and setting of the book (etc.), and another for the "soundtrack" to accompany the reading experience. Hope you enjoy browsing them!

(Speaking of Bleeding Heart, I just got edits back a couple of days ago!! I'm so blessed by Elizabeth Ludwig's assistance and friendship, and I'm excited to fix and polish BH so it's ready to present to others. My current hope is to have a cover reveal in June and a blog tour at the beginning of August, but we'll see how it goes! Do feel free to e-mail me if you're at all interested in being a part of either of those when the times comes: amberstokes@corban.edu)

Blog Design

Lastly, I noticed my dear blogging friend, Rissi, updated her blog's look:

Doesn't her blog look snazzy? And so cute!

Her update reminded me that it was high time my own blog got dressed up for a new season! It's been wearing its spring clothes since mid-winter, LOL. So I've given it what I hope is a more summery look!

The new background and color scheme speak of sunny days and clouds made for dreaming and floating upon through one's imagination. The main picture above is one from our trip last summer to Sunriver, Oregon - the Big Obsidian Flow near Bend. I like the matching blue sky and clouds (hope they fit pretty well with the background!), but I also like the symbolism in the picture. It speaks of adventure and new territory. There are rocks and shadows that suggest struggles during a journey, but the whole scene is one of hope with the expansive sky and the brightness in the distance. I'm hoping that, if it's the Lord's will, my upcoming journey with self-publishing will be an exciting adventure, with the shadows and rocks along the path only strengthening my trust in Him and the sweetness of His gifts.

Well, that's all for today! Hoping to have some new book reviews to share with you soon! In the meantime, how are you all doing? Any fun new addictions, blog designs, or what-have-you that you'd like to share?

Welcome, 2013!

As I've probably said on this blog many times before, I love a new month and a new year! I'm the kind of girl that derives much pleasure from flipping the calendar page over to the next month. And this year I have a happy, lovely Disney calendar featuring Thomas Kinkade's artwork hanging by my bed:

I'm looking forward to enjoying those pictures all year long!

Blogging in 2013

What else am I looking forward to in 2013? Well, I'm excited to announce that I will be hosting the Contentment Reading Challenge again! I started the challenge in 2011, Katie from Legacy of a Writer was kind enough to host it in 2012, and now it's back at "Seasons of Humility" for its third year! Click on the page link in the upper right hand corner (or at the beginning of this paragraph) to learn more and to sign up, if you're interested!

As for other 2013 posts, while I can't say for sure what the days will bring, I'm hoping to cut back on the review books I request (in the past I have tended to go WAY overboard on my requests)... So the idea is that there will be 2 to 3 full reviews a month. That will force me to pick the books I really want to read, as well as open up more time for re-reading for the Contentment Reading Challenge (as well as catching up on my TBR stack!). =)

But for those of you who follow me on Goodreads or Shelfari, you know how I generally don't review the books I don't have to review? Well, my hope is that by reducing the pressure of writing so many longer reviews, I can share some mini reviews of books, movies, and music!

I was inspired by Juju's "Wham-Bam Reviews" at Tales of Whimsy. I love the idea of two-sentence reviews that share general impressions of various items without taking a ton of time to put together!

To keep the "seasons" theme here, I'm going to call those posts "'Season'-ed Snack Size Reviews." The "season"-ed part comes into play because I'll still be giving my seasonal ratings along with the mini book reviews. There might also be some mini music and movie reviews thrown in, "unseasoned." ;)

Hopefully, there will also be some personal posts and other non-book stuff occasionally on the blog, as well!

One Day of 2013 at a Time

The year 2012 was full of great joys and lots of challenges for me. One of the big things I had (and will still have) to keep learning over and over again is trusting in God. One year ago today I made "to trust God" my New Year's resolution (you can read that post HERE), because I knew that with college graduation would come some important questions about my future, as well as some worries and uncertainties.

This year I have some resolutions I'd like to try and generally keep regarding exercising, getting my driver's license, reading, and writing. But I think the most important thing I need to resolve to do, through God's grace, is still to trust Him - to wait on Him, to believe that His eternal perspective is much better and broader than my limited one, to rest in the moment, and to do what He would have me do each day and not worry so much about what I can't know right now.

There's a lot I have to work on, but God is so good, patiently walking beside me one step at a time! No matter what 2013 brings, I truly am blessed.

Blog Design

Lastly, I always enjoy changing the blog design for each new season (thank you, Ashley, for giving me that idea back when I started the blog!). I love this particular background from Scrappin' Blogs, because it shows the cold and calm of winter as well as the bright and blooming hope of new seasons to come. I took the header picture on a walk at Corban University last winter, and it, too, shows the starkness of winter in contrast with lightness and brightness.

I look forward to celebrating this winter season and this new year with you here at "Seasons of Humility"! Thank you all for your friendship through the seasons! God bless!

'Tis the Season!

...for craziness, and food, and family time, and Christmas concerts (our choir is singing next weekend!), and shopping, and decorating (well, at least the blog is dressed up!), and so on and so forth...

My grandma's delicious apple pie and a lovely table decoration make a nice pair! Although fall colors will soon be gone until next year...

It's all good! I've been having a great time with family and friends lately, making fun memories and gaining new experiences (including driving!). There was our Black Friday (Black Thursday?) experience late Thanksgiving night, where my mom and I went to Target around 1:00 AM and bought potatoes and a toothbrush, neither of which were on sale. Yep! Definitely gave us a good laugh! (But my mom did find a few things on sale at Sears, so it wasn't a complete wash.)

Anyway, I'm sorry I've been a bit scarce lately! I'm hoping all of us have been/will be enjoying life outside of the blogosphere, though. =) With the end of the year within sight, I've been contemplating my reading/reviewing habits and wondering about different blogging directions. I've still got some thinking to do... But I just wanted to let you know that there might be some changes ahead. We shall see!

Also, if you haven't already noticed the blog button in the sidebar, there's a special feature coming next week called "Celebrating Crafts and Christmas!" I'll be hosting a few blogging friends, and there will be some great interviews and giveaways that week, so I hope you'll stop by! And not to ruin any surprises or anything, but I'm wanting to give away a discount on one of my editing packages - so if you're a writer who has been a bit hesitant about paying a lot for a freelance editor but would like to find some assistance, perhaps you'll consider entering that giveaway and seeing if a reduced price at Editing Through the Seasons might be the route you'd like to go? I'd love to be of service to a writer friend!

So, how about you? How was your Thanksgiving? Have you been keeping busy with family time and other social activities?

(P.S. I always have fun decorating the blog for each new season! I add an extra season for December - the "holiday season" - so I can have fun with Christmas-themed backgrounds and such. The header is a picture I took last spring when we got some snow on Corban University's campus. Isn't that the sweetest prayer chapel? Corban has a beautiful campus, and I was blessed to go to such a great school!)

Summer Comes Early!

With school over and graduation complete, it's summertime for me! So the blog is dressed in some bright new clothes with a touch of sunshine, which will hopefully remind us of the stunning beauty and warm peace of the summer season of humility. As I enter this transition between college life and whatever is to come next, I am definitely in need of a reminder to trust in the Lord and to be humble before Him - to let go of my worries and uncertainties and dreams, and to seek God's will and patiently (yet actively) wait for His guidance.

So here I am at home once again, probably not quite through with processing the events of this past week. Pictures should be coming soon, along with more details about graduation and such! Until then, I think I'm going to enjoy some sleep...

Looking Ahead to 2012

I love the start of a new month and a new year! In the words of Anne of Green Gables:

"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"

Yes, it is very nice indeed! And what's nicer still is to know that God's grace is sufficient for me (2 Corinthians 12:9), even when I fail.

Before I talk more about 2012, I thought I would share a few pictures from Christmas 2011:

Aren't these pajamas fabulous?? A reader/writer's delight! Love 'em! (Thank you, Mom and Dad!)

Oh, nothing beats my grandma's Texas cake! And isn't this one just beautiful? A wonderful Christmas Eve treat!

Muffin Man had such a fun time with the wrapping paper and boxes!

Here comes 2012!

Now, ready or not, 2012 is upon us. Last year in my Countdown to 2011 I wrote separate posts to talk about my blog plans and my New Year's resolutions.

Today, I'm avoiding the specific.

Thinking about this coming year is sometimes scary. I'll be graduating from college in May - and before you ask me what I plan on doing, the answer is that I'm not sure. It feels like 2012 will be full of uncertainty.

But the truth is, no matter what day or month or year it is, there will always be uncertainty, because we just don't know what tomorrow will bring:

"Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that."
~ James 4:13-15

I take comfort in God's sovereignty, as well as His love for me. He has a plan (Jeremiah 29:11), and in all things He is working for the ultimate good (Romans 8:28).

So, without knowing right now how busy I might be or where God will lead me in the coming year, I don't want to commit to hosting certain blog events or posting a set amount of times a week. I'm hoping to write more devotional posts and maybe do some themed weeks - and of course more books reviews! We'll see how it goes, one day at a time. =)

I really appreciate your friendship, and I hope you'll enjoy the ride this year, wherever we end up!

As for resolutions, while I'm hoping to get back to more writing and exercising, I think the one resolution I really want to make is to trust God. I don't have to be afraid of 2012 and what it might bring, for I have hope in God, and the future is bright indeed through an eternal perspective. I hope the new blog design for winter 2012 conveys excitement for the journey and peace in God's guidance. (The main picture is one I took at Fort Humboldt here in Northern California.)

So, 2012 - I'm ready when you are!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

...at least on my blog, anyway!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm so grateful for your friendship, your encouraging comments, and your willingness to take time out of your busy lives to visit and read my posts. Thank you for being my friends!

And now we are heading toward the next holiday - Christmas!! I'm sorry if I'm a little too early for some of you... Hope you don't mind my enthusiasm!

The Scrappin' Blogs website has so many lovely blog backgrounds to choose from, and I love this one with its gentle backdrop and cheery splash of color. The main picture is from last winter at my school (I think this was in February, featuring a very rare dusting of snow). I really am blessed to have such a beautiful view! May the picture remind you of the peace to be found on His path for our lives no matter the season or weather.

P.S. Don't forget that the "Love Finds You" blog party starts on December 4th! Just a little over a week to go!!

New Season = New Design and New Schedule!

Today I'm heading back to school for the fall semester of my senior year at college. (Classes start on Wednesday!) In the meantime, there's lots of "new" going on around here!

New Design

As many of you have already noticed, I've changed the blog design to fit the upcoming season. I was browsing the Scrappin' Blogs website, and I came across this template in their Autumn/Fall Layouts. It's called "Festival of Fall Template 1." I fell in love after I tried it out, so I didn't have to browse long! And how fitting to celebrate a new seasons with a "Festival of Fall!"

Some of you may recognize the main picture from our hiking trip during Camp Humility 2011. This was a picture my mom took at Prairie Creek State Park in California. I believe it was either part of or near to the short Revelation Trail.

What I love about the template combined with the picture is the contrast. In the Seasons of Humility (click HERE to read the poem that inspired my blog title), fall is a time of letting go. It's the beginning of a new cycle of humility, as it's a time when we realize that we have to humbly let go of having to have our own way and timing, and trust that God's plans are best and right. The template shows the autumn leaves, beautiful and yet still sad in their dying state. But the main picture shows the redwoods - constant, firm, and lasting - just like God's love and Presence.

New Schedule

Along with the new blog design, I have a new schedule for the fall, one that will hopefully keep me posting regularly, but also not too stressful to maintain (since I'll be back at college). Here's the plan:

• Mondays for the Military - I'd like to keep this feature going for now. My hope is that it encourages those who are in the military or are part of a military family, and that it inspires all of us to live a sacrificial and loving life. I have some book reviews, author interviews, and giveaways scheduled for the rest of September. Hopefully there will be more to come!

• Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and/or Thursdays - These days will mostly include book reviews and college news, but be prepared for anything in-between, as well!
  

• Moved by a Movie (Fridays) - I love contemplating movies and finding something meaningful and inspiring to take away from my time watching them. Sometimes these posts will be like a movie review (discussing the whole movie) and sometimes I'll just take one aspect of the movie and expound on that. Mostly, though, these posts will be more devotional than review. I hope these posts will encourage you and help you to critically think about the movies you love and what they have to share. (My semi-recent posts, It Will Be All Right (Emma) and The Polar Express: A Journey of Faith are a couple of examples of what this feature will be like to some degree.)
  

Don't worry! I also have a couple of events up my sleeve...

• October: "Heartsong Presents" Tribute - A week of reviews, interviews, discussions, and giveaways pertaining to the "Heartsong Presents" books. This line will be discontinued soon, so this is our chance to celebrate the great books in this series and thank the authors!

• December: "Love Finds You" Blog Party - This is another celebration of a special line of books from Summerside Press. More themed author interviews, giveaways, and fun awaits - just in time for Christmas merriment!

• Plus, we still have our monthly Contentment Reading Challenge posts for the rest of 2011!

Final Thoughts

Of course, these plans are subject to change off and on, but I hope you like the overall schedule! I like to think of the weekly schedule as the season of M&Ms - "Mondays for the Military" and "Moved by a Movie" posts, that is! ;) I think I'm going to include my "Moved by a Movie" posts on my Movie Reviews page, but I'll denote them by adding an "MM" after the link.

Please feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions!

Sunday Among the Lupines

Last week my mom and I went off on the great lupine hunt, which has now become an annual summer tradition. There is a place about an hour from where we live where beautiful patches of lupines carpet the hillsides in the summer. I guess this year and last year my mom and I were a bit eager, because we went in May and the lupines weren't quite as numerous as we had hoped!

However, we were still able to find some of these beautiful flowers, and one of the pictures my mom took has become this season's main picture here on my blog. (Summer has come a little early to "Seasons of Humility," I suppose! But this is a wonderful season to enjoy, and since Camp Humility starts tomorrow, it seems like this is a good time to welcome summer!)

In the Seasons of Humility, summer represents a time in one's life when one is humbly following God and trusting in His guidance and purpose, through His grace. It is a season full of hope and joy. I want this literal summer's blog design to remind us of this "season of humility."

One book I have had for a while is called A Handful of Flowers by Cookie Lee. This book discusses the various meanings of flowers and is full of lovely pictures and poetry/quotes. The symbolic meaning of the lupine flower is "imagination," and it is listed under the category "Ambition & Success." How very fitting for summer!

What I mean is that "imagination" is fitting both for the literal and symbolic summer. In the literal summer, all the colors of creation, all the vacation time in the sunshine, and all the reading (and writing, etc.) time is an open invitation to use our imaginations and to celebrate creativity--both God's creativity, as well as the creativity He has given us!

And in the symbolic summer of humility, when we are humbly walking with God there is so much "scope for the imagination," as Anne of Green Gables might say. ;) Ponder these words of Scripture:

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." ~ Psalm 139:14

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." ~ Ephesians 3:20-21

God's creativity and purposes are beyond what we can ever imagine! Note Ecclesiastes 8:17--

"Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it."

I found this quote on Goodreads from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery that sums it up so well:

"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?"

May this season's blog design encourage you to use your imagination for God's glory and to praise Him for this mysterious, amazing life He has given us! In Jesus we can have hope for an eternal life with God that is beyond all imagination!

Happy Spring!

As you can probably tell by the new background, color scheme, and banner picture, a new season has come to "Seasons of Humility!" It's always fun redecorating the blog for each new season and thinking about the seasons of humility in conjunction with the seasons of nature.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the poem I wrote that inspired the title of this blog, feel free to click HERE if you're interested in reading it. The "spring" of the seasons of humility is a time when "new trust blooms forth"--a time when we have gone through the painful process of letting go of our own dreams/plans and waited to see God's plan, and now we can catch glimpses of His work in our lives. The "rain and tears" have given way to new blossoms, and growth is starting to become evident in our lives. Through God's grace may we come once again to the "spring" season of humility!

I think the banner picture captures this season of humility well. It shows the barren trees leftover from the time of waiting and faith in the "winter," but it also shows green grass and bright yellow daffodils--reminders of "spring" and new life. There is a joyous sense of expectation and hope. (The picture is one I took on my field trip last weekend to Fort Vancouver; that is the garden right outside the front of the fort. Doesn't it look inviting?)

As for the background, one of my favorite children's books is one my mom used to read to me (and one we quote off and on!) called A Picnic in the Woods. In the book Mickey, Minnie, and their nephews see a lot of plants and wildlife while they're in the woods, and one of the plants they see is the Black-eyed Susan flower. Now, I'm not completely positive (as I'm not a horticulturist) but I think that's what these flowers to the left (in the background) are. I mostly picked the picture because it matches with the banner picture and it goes well with spring, but I do also like that it reminds me of that cute book! ;)

Anyway, happy spring to you all, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the new design if you'd like to share!

The Holiday Season

In the past I've waited to change blog backgrounds until the official change of seasons (or thereabouts). However, I wanted to change the blog design early this time, before the official start of winter in late December, because the "holiday season" is upon us! I think this "season" should have its own blog design for now. I just love this time of year!

As a college student, my heart is singing "I'll Be Home for Christmas." I'm so excited for Christmas and New Year's Eve, and being home with my family in California! So I hope you don't mind that I've kicked off the festivities early and started celebrating Christmas-time here on my blog. It would be hard to keep that autumn background all the way up until a few days before Christmas, when winter officially begins! Maybe I'll have to keep this blog design up for the month of December, and change to an official "winter" background at the start of the new year. We'll see how it goes...

By the way, the picture above is of my sister's cat (Muffin Man) at our home last Christmas sitting on the window seat looking intently at a present. Isn't he cute? (Don't be fooled, though--he's still a feisty kitty!) I would love to hear your thoughts on the new color scheme, background, picture, etc. I think the picture above is fitting: a picture of the comfort of home, with the gifts a reminder of how blessed we are and what a gift blogging and meeting all of you has been for me! May the Lord use me to be a blessing to all of you, and may the picture above remind me to be generous and share love with others.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling! I am having a marvelous time with a group of my relatives here in Texas! They have welcomed me with open arms, and I have been making such sweet memories with my dad's side of the family. I love them so!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and now may the countdown to Christmas begin!

On Vacation with Hannah

I have a lot to share with you today! =) So find a comfortable spot (like the one pictured above, which was also taken at the home we rented in Sunriver, Oregon last summer) and enjoy the scenery!

Yes, I have a new blog design! Thank you to Ashley over at After All....... Tomorrow is Another Day for helping inspire me to really revamp my blog for each new season! Since yesterday was the first official day of summer, it made sense to make the switch now. I'm hoping that the new background, the picture above, and the color scheme all convey a sense of "summer."

I would love to hear your thoughts on the new look for my blog! And I thought I would share my thoughts on it, as well, particularly the picture above. =) In the "Seasons of Humility," summer would be the time when we are humble before God and seeking His will--not our own. We are sinners (and therefore not perfect), so this season in our lives won't be perfect either. But, as much as possible, it will be a time when we let go and truly trust God and His plan for our lives. It's hard to come to the place where we surrender all that we have to Him. But, as paradoxical as this may sound, that is when we reach the mountaintop--for we are seeking to see our lives from God's higher perspective. The more humble we are, the more we are able to see God's powerful working in our lives and the more open we are to following Him. I hope that the picture of the mountain above (along with the tranquil and green, "growing" colors on this blog) will encourage you. May we, through the Lord's grace and strength, be coming ever closer to the summertime of humility!

Now, coming back to "Vacation Week," it is my great pleasure to welcome Hannah from Project Journal as our guest! Little did I know when I asked Hannah if I could interview her that I was talking to a world-traveler! Here's a list of the places Hannah has been:

• Ireland
• Isle of Jersey
• Isle of Guernsey
  
• France
  
• Belgium
• Luxembourg
• Germany
  
• Wales
  
• Canada
• Holland
• Nassau (in the Bahamas)
• Over half of the United States
• And soon . . . London!

That's some list! And I thought I was quite the traveler! ;) So please join me in welcoming world-traveler Hannah!

Amber: What is your favorite vacation destination?

Hannah: I would definitely have to say that my favorite vacation destination so far would have to be Ireland or the Isle of Jersey. My family always travels together (mom, sister, aunt, grandma, grandpa, and myself), so it's always interesting. Ireland was our first international trip together. Hence, one of my favorites, I think. I believe Kav had said that you don't know green until you go to Ireland. Boy is she right! Ireland is beautiful. Plus, they don't have any snakes!! The Isle of Jersey, for those of you who don't know, is in the Channel Islands, which are part way between France and England. It is a beautiful, tiny island where the Jersey cow originated. My grandparents used to be Jersey farmers, so we like that little history about it. It is only 9x15 miles or something like that, but interestingly you could never walk it in one day. The island is full of beaches, castles, and very friendly people. I would recommend that everyone gets there at least once, then you'll probably go back like we do! Lol....

Amber: If you could travel to anywhere in the world you have not been, where would you go and why?

Hannah: I have been many places, but I really would love to go to Italy. My dad's side of the family is very Italian; his grandparents came over from Italy. So, I have some ties. I mean, my last name is Cerasoli! Lol! They have gondolas, lots of history, and good food. Why wouldn't I want to go? I'd love to track down some of my family history also.

Amber: What setting would you choose if you were writing a book?

Hannah: My story would probably take place in a small town. Then, depending on the story, it could be a small town mystery/murder or a small town romance story! It leaves my options open.

Amber: What is one thing you love about your hometown?

Hannah: I live in a relatively small town (especially compared to others), so I love how everyone knows everyone. I know that sounds cliche, but it's always fun when news gets around. *A bit of sarcasm* No, really though, it is fun to have nosy neighbors sometimes and little old church ladies that want to know all your business, because you know they care. It's not like the city where everything passes everyone by. You stop and take the time to listen and tell stories because you all care about each other.

Amber: Thank you, Hannah, for sharing some of your experiences with us and for visiting "Seasons of Humility" today! Here's to many more wonderful travels!