The Peculiar Treasure Turns 4 + Things I've loved This Year

I find it hard to believe, but my blog is officially four years old! When I started this blog, it was simply a place to write about my life, and I had no idea that blogging was it's own world of community, niches, and monetization. I didn't realize that I would end up finding my passion, and I sure as heck didn't know what I was doing. I just wanted to write without obligation, and without being graded (it was my senior year of college as an English major).

I rarely wrote anything at all for the blog. I would go months at a time without posting. That's not what I am counting as four years. The four years started when I realized I could make something of this little space on the internet. I still had no idea what I was doing (literally no idea!), but that was the start of something that would grow and become my career goal and my passion. So as bad as I was at blogging back then, I am so glad that I started a blog.

To celebrate the 4 year Blogiversary of The Peculiar Treasure, I am sharing my favorite things from the past year, both from my own blog and from around the internet! 

Growing In God

Over the past year, I feel like I have had a lot of great growing opportunities when it comes to my faith. I think the biggest part of that was the Hebrews Bible study I attended at my husband's seminary. This is where I learned Why We Can Come to God With Confidence, what the character of Jesus is (and why it matters), and how to live a life that is defined by God's promises. 

And though my growth was only a meager improvement, it still has helped me grow and learn things like How to Find and Use Your Spiritual Gifts, Why We Should Stop Being So Easily Pleased, and recognizing these 4 Things That Keep Christians From Growing. I have also learned The #1 Reason We Should Love Those Who Hurt Us, as well as 5 of the most Common Reasons Christians Stop Reading the Bible, and How Christians Should Handle Anger (even when we are furious). 

Blogging

When it comes to blogging, I've learned too many important things to count. I think the biggest lesson I learned over the past year though, was to settle into and be at peace with a blog that grows authentically, even if the growth is slower. I've learned to be at peace with my social media accounts, and to not feel the need to do things exactly as everyone else does them. I learned what I don't want to be as a blogger, and I learned how to be myself and better myself in the blogging world.

Ultimately, I learned (and am still learning) that if my blog isn't being written for the glory of God, then something is wrong. I learned that my dreams don't matter nearly as much as God's name being made great. Many times, those things intersect, but the latter is exponentially more important. 

Aside from my own blog, I also found a ton of people and posts worth checking out. So take a peek at those below!

My Favorite People and Posts From The Internet

When I Need to Laugh: Rhett & Link of Good Mythical Morning. These guys never fail to make me smile. You need to have their silliness in your life.


When I Need Encouragement: I recently heard Ruth Chou Simons on a podcast and absolutely loved what she had to say. I actually already followed her on Instagram but hadn't paid a ton of attention. But I have come to find that not only is her feed gorgeous, but almost every post is like a daily devotional. Incredibly encouraging, challenging, and full of truth. 

When I Want to Be Challenged In My Faith: I LOVE THIS LADY! Renee Young is such a sweet soul and I wish we lived near each other because I feel like we would be great friends. I love her Instagram posts so much. She isn't afraid to tell it like it is, with a heart that is so full of love. I always come away from her posts challenged and inspired.


When I Need a Reminder of WHY I Should Take Care of Myself: Marsha Apsley is not only a sweet blogger-friend of mine, she is also incredibly inspiring and encouraging when it comes to merging faith and fitness. She is so good at reminding us that our worth is in Jesus- not our weight, or our looks, or what we ate for dinner- but that's exactly why we should take care of our bodies, minds, and souls.

When I Need to Remember That Weight-Loss IS Possible: Lexi of Fat Girl Fed Up is so inspiring! She has lost 312 pounds over the last couple of years. She did it with diet and exercise- nothing else. I love following her on IG and being reminded that it is possible!

Thank You!

There are so many wonderful blogger-friends and creators out there on the internet who have helped me on this journey, but there's no way I can link to them all in this post. I am so thankful for the community of friends that blogging has brought me, and I am so appreciative of everyone who has helped, encouraged, and inspired me along the way (you know who you are 😉). Thanks, friends! You rock!