February is not my favorite month. There, I said it.

It is dark and cold and dreary and the days are way too short.

I like bright things and light things and sunny days and warm weather and yellow hearts Happy, bubbly, sunshine-y things.

February fails at this.

Twelve years ago, I had a precious friend that I met up with from time to time. We went to the gym together, playdates, birthday parties, all of the things that young moms do.

We were complete opposites. She had very dark, jet black hair and tatoos and several body piercings.

I, on the other hand, had bleached out blonde hair, not a hint of ink on my skin and consider a second ear piercing to be risque.

Despite our differences, we were great friends. I admired her so much as a mother. She loved her children, which happened to be the same age and same sexes as my children. One boy and one girl.

Several times when I was with her, I would try to bring up Jesus and salvation, but often chickened out. I decided that until God gave me the words and the boldness, I would just try really hard be a light to her and a good friend.

When our kids became more involved with school and other activities, we drifted apart.

A couple of years later, I got the news.

My beautiful friend had taken her own life.

I told my children at the beginning of this year that I felt a quiet taking place in my heart. A call from God to step away, to ponder more, and talk less.

In the midst of this conversation with them, I told them that maybe at the end of this quiet journey, I would write a book and call it “A Quiet Place.”

They both, quickly and without hesitation, said “NO, MOM. You cannot name it that!”

“Why?!!” I innocently asked.

“Mom, you cannot call it “The Quiet Place” because that is the name of a very well known horror movie! That would be weird!”

Ugh. Whatever.

So, I will just call this post, a tag along from my last post, “A Quiet Place, 2.”

Leave it to my kids to completely sabotage my grand book name idea.

Do our kids ever stop doing this? (just asking for a friend) ;)

Rise and Shine sweet friends! We have made it through another year.

10 years ago, this idea, this notion to read God’s Word together and grow closer to Jesus stirred my heart.

I took a baby step in December of 2011. On the first day of January 2012, God did IMMEASURABLY MORE than I could ever think or imagine.

He grew this little space and He drew others to His heart through our original site, Shine Girls.

If you have been here since the beginning, 10 years ago, God bless your sweet bones.

It certainly has not always been pretty. You have watched me literally grow up before your very eyes, and I have gotten the most incredible view into many of your lives as well along the way.

My writing has changed a lot since those early days. He continues to stir my heart for His Word and His people, even when I stubbornly refuse to move forward.

He, the Gentleman that He is, whispers faintly into the deepest parts of my heart. He pursues me even when I am the most undesirable pursuit.