*This is Kristen's first post, but expect a lot more from her. She is one of the most genuine, down-to-earth, and loving people I have ever met. When you open up to her, you can really tell she feels whatever you're feeling and can say the right thing to help you understand yourself and what you're going through.* My life is so wonderful. I truly have so many good things going on and so many people that I absolutely adore. Here are some of them. I'm engaged to the best guy I

When it comes to paying tithing, I have learned that it is easiest to not even put it into my budget. That is, I pretend I'm not even making the money I end up tithing. If I make $100 before taxes, I immediately send myself into an imaginary universe where I have only made $90. Doing it this way stops me from ever facing dilemmas like "bills or tithing." In this short Sunday Blog entry, I'm going to suggest we do something similar when it comes to time. Give Your Time to the

After seeing my sister-in-law and her husband begin their struggle with his cancer, I have thought a lot about how couples share burdens. Sometimes one person has to be the strong one for them both, and yet it is always a burden they carry together. However, there are times when one, or both, can feel alone or isolated. It is a seemingly impossible struggle to be a part of, experiencing trials that both pull two people together and make them feel far apart. It's different for

Unlike this cow, I haven't been taking it easy in some serene mountain meadow. Life and work have been crazy. I wish I could just sit and write my stories, blogs, and poems all day, but it's not always like that. You'll see this now and again, but I'll always be back. So now what? Well, a couple things. First, The Boy Who Chased the Sun continues to come along nicely. Second, The Outcast and the Survivor is getting a facelift. I'm reviewing part I and making some tweaks to th