The Joy of Mondays??? Yup. You read it right. Mondays can be joyful. Every December, as soon as Christmas passes, everyone gets SUPER excited for the New Year. Because with the New Year comes a second chance, a hope that things will be different this year. It’s a time for resolutions and goals and dreams. Why then, if we look forward to the New Year, do we not look forward to the new week? Mondays are the start of the… Read more »

...giving thanks to God the Father through him... Col. 3:17

Gratitude. Thankfulness. Counting blessings. AKA- ideas mentioned around the time of November, when everyone becomes excited about turkeys and football. As I’m sure you know, being grateful isn’t just for Thanksgiving. It’s a way of life. It’s finding joy in the hard times, and giving thanks even when things look bleak. Counting blessings should be as natural as breathing. Unfortunately, I often choose the path marked by discontentment and complaints. And this is something I want to change. I don’t want… Read more »

Ah, the ever debated question: Do I want to attend a local university… or do I want to see the world? At least, it’s a debated question among high school students in my town, because there’s an amazing university right here on our doorstep that often looks overlooked. Not a junior college, but an actual university… that happens to be in our town. And I ended up at said university. Thus, today I’m discussing the pros and cons of attending… Read more »

Happy birthday Dad!

Dear Daddy, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Thanks for always helping me… …such as when I need you to drop off something I forgot at home in my car, …or when I have car trouble, …or the WiFi isn’t working, …or when I just need a stick of gum. You’re always willing to teach me something new… …like when I was little and asked what the solid and dashed lines on the road meant, …or how to vote, …or how to make banana… Read more »

You are worth more than sparrows

In a small village, there was the custom that whenever a young man wished to marry the girl he was courting, he would offer the family a dowry composed of as many cows as he deemed equal to the worth of the girl.  And in this village, there was a decidedly plain girl. She wasn’t extremely ugly, but she wasn’t beautiful either.  She was completely ordinary. There was nothing special about her. And everyone whispered that this young girl would be worth only one… Read more »

The Story of My Not-Purity Ring

No, I’m not engaged. Now that we’ve cleared that up, I want to share the story behind my “purity” ring. Because, it’s not really a purity ring, as in a ring I wear until I’m married to show that I refuse to have sex. Nope. In fact, I plan on wearing this ring even after I get married (and have sex). Instead, my ring is a reminder. …A reminder of what? Glad you asked :) But first, some background info:… Read more »

My thoughts on having a blog.

I have a blog. A beautiful little piece of the internet that I love. A blog which contains the word “coffee” in her title. I don’t even really like coffee. The only types I like is a white chocolate mocha or a mocha cookie crumble frappuccino from Starbucks. I don’t think drinking only two types of coffee classifies as a coffee addict. I honestly prefer hot chocolate. With a pump of peppermint. Yum. But “Hot Chocolate with Kara” doesn’t quite… Read more »

Instagram Recap Feb 2015

So, I recently saw a fantastic idea to publish Instagram roundup posts (via Betsy Gettis’ blog). I decided I would start doing a monthly Instagram recap, just for fun and to share some snapshot moments from my life that month. So, I think these posts are basically just going to be pictures, with the captions from Instagram. Here we go…         That’s the end of February’s recap :) Until next time! You might also like: My Trip to… Read more »