Roses of Grace

I was tagged by the lovely Annabelle Batie from the blog Pen & Ink for the Get to Know Me tag!  If you're interested in writing, you should definitely check out Annabelle's blog—she posts writing tips and resources that are very helpful.  The Rules Link back to the person who created the tag. (That would be Savannah !) Thank the person who tagged you. (Thanks again to Annabelle !) Share the tag graphic. Tag eleven bloggers. Questions Vital Stats and Appearance Name: Emma Thrasher   Nicknames: "Emma" doesn't really lend itself well to nicknames, though a few of my friends call me "Em" on occasion. I did go by my middle name—Rose, or Rosie—back when I was younger. Birthday: If I tell you too much about my personal life, you'll be able to steal my identity! And that would be terrible. Hair color and length: Brown, and it reaches just past my waist. I'm trying to grow it out so that it reaches my feet, but that'll take quite a while. Ey...

Well. The year is officially over.  Today, it is January 2, 2023. It's the start of a new year, and since it's almost the 1-year anniversary of this blog, I figured I'd do a year in review. Maybe it'll become a tradition, maybe it won't—let me know what you think! So: What happened this year?  Looking Back at 2022 What happened? Blog stuff: I started Roses of Grace on January 20. (Almost a year ago—wow.) I started an email list in which I get to connect with you guys every week!  I wrote almost a hundred blog articles. This is article number 97. Writing stuff: I finished the first draft of my first ever novel! (It's the one I talk about in this post .) I participated in Nanowrimo and finished the first draft of my second novel! Life stuff: I spent the summer in Paraguay, learning Spanish and getting a taste of overseas missions. I hit emotional highs and lows, and my relationship with the Lord deepened through them. I made new friends! :) Favorite blog articl...

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!  Last week, we talked about how the holiday season is a good time to remember how far the Lord has brought you . That's not all the remembering you get to do this time of year, though! Christmas is also a time to slow down and think about the Incarnation.  It's a really powerful mystery. We can't understand the full significance of God becoming man—we can't understand the incredible humility Jesus showed in lowering himself so much, the glory of that night, or just how important the Incarnation is for our salvation.  There's a lot to be said about it, and a lot gets said around Christmas time. But right now let's focus on just one aspect of the Incarnation: the prophecies throughout the Old Testament, and how they prove that the Bible is completely true and trustworthy.    The Prophecies You've probably heard them already this Christmas season. Many Messianic prophecies are commonly read this time of year—passages like I...

Welcome, readers, to a very different kind of post—a blog tag.  In case you're thinking to yourself, "what does that even mean?" I'll explain. A blog tag is a kind of challenge. There are rules to follow and steps to complete, and once you're done, you pick a few friends to do the same thing on their blog.  The "What's your WIP?" blog tag is for fiction writers, and though I haven't posted very much about my writing here, I'll give it a go today.  (A note for the non-writer: WIP stands for Work In Progress.) I was tagged by Rose Q. Addams of Rewrites with a Faerie Pen . Check out her blog for fairy tale retellings, book reviews, and wonderful thoughts on bookish things from a Christian perspective.    The Rules      -   Thank the person who tagged you & link to their blog. (Thanks again, Rose!) -   Link back to the creator and add the tag graphic. (That would be Katja from Little Blossoms for Jesus .) -   List the...