Liebster Blog Award

Thanks Angie for nominating me for the Liebster Blog Award.

I feel especially honored, because it's Angie. Who I love dearly. And respect a lot. And she's written a book. (That's actually how I first found her blog, and her. I found the book, Above the Clouds. It was about a person leaving the church and getting out of an abusive relationship and a woman finding herself. And I felt less alone, and I asked her to come visit my blog and share her thoughts, and then I started reading her blog, and we started chatting and then we met for lunch and she's taught me SO much, and I love her, and I know this is a horrible run on sentence, but it's how the thoughts flew out of my head.)

Blogging has been amazing for me. I found my voice. I told my stories. I read other people's stories. I learned from them. I wrote more. It's amazing (and fascinating) to me that I can read what someone across the globe thinks about. Professional writers, stay-at-homes, crazy crackpots, travelers, and those who never leave their basement. Everyone gets an equal forum to write what they think. It's both deeply personal and incredibly public.

I hate having to pick just FIVE blogs. Only five?

These first two were invaluable to me when I was leaving the church. 
Kiley expressed her anger without attacking. She talked about her journey in a very insightful and intensely personal way. I felt so much relief when I found her blog.

Macha thought about things and wrote about things that I was scared to think about. She was (is) intense in her passions. She made me think, and I appreciate that. I also felt a lot of support from her comments on my blog.

Julie writes incredible stuff about loving our bodies, the media, and she is very insightful. I used to follow her blog all the time, but thought she had stopped blogging... I went to go find the link to nominate her, and guess what?!? She is blogging, and it's good stuff, and now I need to read it ALL! (How did I miss her coming back??)

PTSD and Me wrote about his experiences with PTSD. I found his blog in 2008, and it helped SO MUCH. I found a label for the "seizures" I was having at night. All night long, my body would seize up and shake and EVERY muscle in my whole body would contract. Sometimes they came with flashbacks, but sometimes not. I felt less alone when I found his blog. In some ways, he gave me the strength to keep on going... If he could survive PTSD, I could too. He doesn't blog much anymore - he wasn't blogging much when I found his blog. I'm just grateful he left it there for people like me to find.

I also really appreciate the peacewriter (for being a place to talk about all sides of things... lots of different and wonderful voices there), Pure Mormonism (for being willing to be different... active Mormon, and questioning...), Ordinary Courage (for being perfectly imperfect and vulnerable. STRONGLY recommend Brene's book.,  and Single Dad Laughing (for being willing to be a normal guy who just talks... about stuff...), and a bunch of others, but... I feel good that I got it down to eight. I better stop, because a second ago, that said, "At least I got it down to seven," and it went UP to twelve at one point.


For those of you who have received this award, your mission (should you choose to accept it), is to pass on the love.

The Rules are:
1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks for the award and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the blogsphere – other bloggers.
5. And, best of all – have fun and spread the karma.