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Everyone responds differently when making an impossibly hard, life-altering decision. Dramatic people resort to tears. Smart people make a list of pros and cons. The confident ones make their own decisions right away, while insecure people wait until the last possible moment to decide. And then there’s me. I avoid Susan for the rest of the day, hoping she doesn’t notice how nervous I seem. And as soon as my shift is over, I clock out and take the scenic route home so I can

You know that feeling when in reality, only seconds are passing, yet hours’ worth of thoughts fly through your head? It’s like when you trip, and somehow have time to decide whether to fall on your right or left side, if you should put your hands out or step forward to just make a really awkward almost-fall. That’s exactly what’s happening as I stare at Anika Clemmons in shock. What could Will’s mom possibly be doing at Delamore Funerals? I don’t recognize any of the adults i

One good thing about working for Susan Delamore is that she’s super flexible. So when I call to ask if I can switch my Saturday shift to Friday, I’m thrilled (but not too surprised) to hear an enthusiastic, “yes!” Because while Ryleigh sees herself as a secretive person, it’s really not that hard to get her to spill. Especially when she gets excited. Besides, what’s more fun than being excited with a friend? It takes all my willpower to make it through Friday at the funeral h

Like any sensible teenage girl, I naturally don’t go home after leaving Karl’s Cars. I go to Will’s house. I can’t think about anything except how bad it would be if he tells anyone else – or if his mom tells anyone else – that I work at Morning’s Glory. It doesn’t matter what it takes, I have to tell him the truth. Now. Because being humiliated by fessing up to one person is a thousand times better than having to talk to a hundred people. I’ve never actually been to Will’s h

Previous snippet -- “This one is my favorite.” Ryleigh giggles, holding up a selfie of the two of us throwing coins into a fountain outside the Sage Grove Community Center. I’d been trying to take the picture and throw my coin at the same time, and it resulted in a forever frozen memory of my comical, grimacing-with-my-eyes-half-closed pose while Ryleigh’s in the background looking like she belongs on one of those “Come Visit Sage Grove” brochures. I groan, covering my face,

Previous snippet -- The only reason Ryleigh told me about her plans for Wednesday, two days after I’ll start work at Delamore Funerals, was because she felt bad about the whole thing with Will. I didn’t tell her about admitting that she’s trying to set me up with Will, but I did tell her about the slippers. In her defense, she was so focused on fixing my hair she didn’t even notice my choice of footwear. She wanted to keep the next thing on her bucket list a complete surprise

Plus, the cover art for Summer of Golden Sunflowers! Previous snippet I'm so happy to be sharing Emma's art for Summer of Golden Sunflowers with you this week! She is a super talented artist and I'm really grateful for her work on this beautiful painting. If you only remember one piece of advice you ever hear in life, this is the most important one: When your stylist asks, “are you sure?” do NOT say “yes.” Under any circumstances, do not say “yes.” Although in my defense, I d

Previous snippet -- With everything that will be different (and better) about this summer, there is one thing that has stood the test of time every summer for at least the past ten years. Ryleigh’s Terrifyingly Amazing Summer Bucket List. (In case you were wondering, I added the terrifyingly part and she added the amazing part.) The thing with Ryleigh is that to her, summer can’t be complete without trying (and usually failing at) ten new things. Every year, we talk about sto

Click here to see my intro post for this snippet series! -- You know that moment when life takes a drastic turn and you’re paralyzed in disbelief? Then you go through the various stages of denial, and – if you’re anything like me – search desperately for a different solution. And, even if that solution manifests itself in a teeny tiny flicker of light on the other side of a deep, dark, scary (and possibly enchanted?) forest, you’ll go chasing after it with abandon. But then,

This summer I'm launching my first ever snippet series! Every Saturday over the summer starting the last week of May, I'll post a chapter (or snippet) of Summer of Golden Sunflowers. I've been working on the rough draft for several months now but I'll be editing and polishing each snippet as I post it. It's pretty cheesy and definitely cringy at times, but very summery and lighthearted, and I'd love to hear what you think of each chapter in the comments! Synopsis: Ella doesn'

This week I (Olivia) am featuring a poem by my good friend, Francesca Lambert. It's an acrostic poem, which means the first letter of each line spells out the theme of the poem. Francesca is a talented writer and I'm honored to be able to share her work with you! Spring is Here Spring's beauty, oft renowned Perhaps hides glories left unfound Rivers crystallized into stone Imprints of hooves left in gloam New-fallen snow, soft and sweet Gathers round the tenderly asleep In thi

Papa couldn’t be gone. It seemed like just yesterday he and Nana last visited our family, even though it had been months earlier. We’d laughed and talked as we dreamed about the future. Papa asked me about my salvation, and told stories he made up on the spot. I watched, mesmerized, as he played “Turkey in the Straw” on his violin, and hung on every word as he patiently taught me to play my own smaller instrument. If only I’d known I would never hear him play that violin agai

What makes you feel inspired? You know, something that stokes the coals of your creativity and makes you want to go out and do something. Maybe it's a specific song, a place you love to go to, or even a type of weather. This week, I asked a few friends this question and thought I'd share some of their responses! "I find inspiration while hiking . Seeing the light change from pre-dawn to early morning, taking pictures of rosy gold light on the rocks and cacti, looking down fr

With Mock Bananas Foster Sauce This is my go-to recipe for the perfect French toast. It only uses a few ingredients and is so simple you can whip it up in just a few minutes, and the homemade bananas foster takes it to the next level. While it tastes best right after its made, the French toast and bananas foster can be stored separately in the refrigerator. Time: 20 min total Yields: 3 pieces French toast and about 1/4 cup bananas foster; 1 serving Ingredients: French toast 3

Have you ever considered how many books, movies, and songs revolve around love as a central aspect? It's hard to name a fiction book that doesn't have some sort of romance in it. But is a romantic subplot really necessary? And why is it such a huge part of literature? Since Valentine's Day is just past us, I thought I'd share my thoughts on this, and I'd love to hear your opinion in the comments! In John 15:12, God commands us to " Love one another as I have loved you ." Obv

My week had been a nightmare. Between sickness spreading, friends in the hospital, funerals, gloomy weather, and appointments, it felt like nothing good was happening. I was also nearing the end of a fun online writing program, which meant that week I’d have to say goodbye to my new friends and go back to writing whenever I wasn’t busy – which lately, wasn’t often. More than that, I felt like God wasn’t answering any of my prayers. From the beginning of November, I’d been pra

Plus: 3 Must-Read Books This fall I've been super busy with school, work, and events, and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to write a post for this month. But I recently created this recipe for a delicious pumpkin-bread-in-a-mug and it's super quick and easy! It goes really well with a thick layer of foamed milk or whipped cream. I also have three book recommendations and I'd love to know what you think of them! You can leave your thoughts in the comments. Ingredients:

This poem just came to me as I was thinking about how much I love summer. I saw a picture that just said "Dear Summer, you are my favorite" and kind of built the poem around that. I hope it reminds you of all of your fun summer memories and all the memories you'll make next year! Dear Summer, I miss you. I miss your sun shining on my face. I miss your breeze blowing through my hair. I miss the feeling of calm I get on starry nights And the excitement that comes with each new

I decided to try my hand at writing poetry, so I connected with some people who write poetry and asked them for tips on how to start. I got a bunch of advice from really helpful friends, including: read poetry try different styles it doesn't have to rhyme! meter doesn't have to be perfect you don't always need to be perfectly understood with the first read-through don't get stressed about whether it'll sound great just start writing it and see what happens So I took their adv

“Could you please repeat the question?” Her voice was barely above a whisper. He leaned forward, his silhouette illuminated by the red lights behind him – the only light source in the room. “What is the FDIC?” She struggled to keep her breathing steady. Out of her peripheral vision, she noticed a sign to her left. Red letters illuminated the message WE WILL FIND YOU OUT. No, she reminded herself as her heart rate sped up. Stay confident. Don’t let them get to you. You can’