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I seem to be in the mood for inspirational stories this morning. Here’s one about a boy who survived after his dad tried to murder him and found strength in Christ.

Then there’s the story of how a style blogger’s brother has miraculously lived 21 years when doctors said he wouldn’t make it to a month.

On a somehow related note, Kevin deYoung reminds us that there are worse things to fear than death.

Somehow also related, RC Sproul explains why we should pray even though God is completely in control of everything.

Defense for gay marriage is actually not as popular as we think it is.

Speaking of marriage, if I could re-do my wedding it would look something, but not completely like, this.

Isn’t their pinwheel photo area lovely? Here’s a tutorial on how to make paper pinwheels!

What comes after marriage? A baby carriage, of course! And even though I’m not yet expecting, I’m saving these photos for future kids’ room inspiration.

Given my current obsession with Gothic architecture and stained glass, I couldn’t help but fall in love with these lovely drawings.

Enjoy your long weekend! Go out somewhere and enjoy life!

Added: The was a pony at the Apple store!

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Design Sponge posted an awesomely easy Coffee Filter Flower DIY. It’s definitely something I’ll be trying soon.

Ali is traveling around the world! You can read her blog for amazing journal-like updates and great photos.

Although I really used to take pride in my sarcastic ways, thoughts like this made me think about whether my joking was really just mean.

Jon Acuff wrote about our tendency to make bad trades. Read it for yourself here.

Are college professors out to convert students? Apparently, a lot of them are.

Kevin DeYoung posted an extremely helpful three part series on giving and taking rebuke.

Have a happy weekend!

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It’s been a while since i last wrote on of these posts, mainly because I’ve been busier than I ever thought I would be. I thought I would have more free time after quitting my job, but school has somehow managed to take over those 40 hours and then some! I’ll try to be consistent and have a post every Friday, but we’ll see how it goes.

We all tend to be hypocritical about some things. A Boundless post challenges us to dig up those areas in which we “engage in moral licensing.” For me, it seems to be evangelism.

Ali has access to 600 names that represent people in desperate need for prayer. These are potential patients that the medical ship she lives on in Africa just couldn’t help.

Chris Larson shares a simple explanation of Christ’s substitutionary atonement.

So this is why waking up early helps me pray! Josh Harris writes about the importance of self-control and sober-mindedness in prayer.

I might just try my hand at making this lovely chandelier instead of waiting to have enough money to buy one.

This map post was another source of inspiration! So many craft ideas!

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There are so many awesome links to share this week, I have no idea where to start!

I quit my job this Monday and I'm going to have a full week and a half free of both work and school! Can you tell I'm excited? I've been filling my tentative schedule for that time with house projects, DIY's and seed starting plans. Can't wait!

Aside from excited, I'm also a bit scared. Relying on just one income is going to be a huge change for Richie and me, but I keep reminding myself that I'm doing this whole school thing and taking big risks for the sake of our family, including our future monkeys. And thinking of future monkeys, of course, reminds me of this post in which a mom of four explains to her beautiful kids why she doesn't want them to be happy.

It also reminds me of Jen Lula's lovely maternity photos. Her blog is on my list of daily reads and her pregnancy posts so far have been wonderful to read.

While we're on the subject of children and pregnancy, Albert Mohler wrote about the 100 million baby girls that have been killed either in the womb or shortly after birth in countries such as China and India. Its truly heartbreaking to read about parents' hatred toward their own helpless baby daughters.

So how successful was the controversial Focus on the Family Super Bowl ad? Boundless shares a letter.

What if the ad had only reached one person? Would it have been worth it? Jon Acuff reminds us that numbers don't really matter.

So I guess the focus of today's links is obvious and it couldn't be more appropriate. With Congress positioned to vote on a health care bill that would allow our tax money to fund abortions, we need reminders to stand up for the helpless and pray for our leaders.

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Ali's African Adventures documents Ali's life onboard a medical ship that sails the coasts of Africa. Her tenure in Togo just started and now would be a good time to start following her story.

Its a sad sign of Biblical illiteracy when church-attending women get offended at the "new" call for wives to be submissive. That's exactly what happened here.

A story about young marriage is something I can relate to since I got married at 18. Marrying young is seen as risky at best and stupid at worst. David Lapp shares some of the pros to marrying before 25.

Out of all the times that someone's come to me for help at a bad time (when I'm tired, moody, sick, stressed), I've probably done the right thing about 5 times. Boy was this convicting!

On a lighter note, Jon Acuff offers a few options for those times when someone apologizes for letting a bad word out in conversation with you.

Richie and I are taking the youth group out to the snowy mountains tomorrow, so expect some fun photos next week!

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These photos of beautiful curved stairs and houses cut into stone have forever convinced me that architecture is art. Kudos to photographers, too, who capture these breathtaking images in such unique ways.

Looking for a sweet simple Valentine's gift? This heart-shaped box of flowers is a cute DIY project you can give to co-workers and friends. It looks super easy to pull together.

Jon Acuff of Stuff Christians Like always makes me laugh. This week, he posted the things he wishes he'd been told when he got married. They're here and they're hilarious!

Kevin DeYoung writes about the mistakes we make when we consider the Holy Spirit.

Boundless featured an article on the female struggle with pornography titled Its Not Just A Guy Problem.

Tim Challies writes beautifully about every Christian's calling in Called by Name.

Although its far from our minds now, Haiti is far from recovery. These photos capture the country three weeks after disaster struck.

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Office Inspiration This set of photos collected by Oh, Hello Friend got me thinking of things I can do in my currently disastrous office. I have to find time to get working on it!

It's a Boy! My favorite photo shoots to work on were maternity sessions. There is something truly amazing about capturing such a complex and wonderful thing on film. Evie shares beautiful photos from her past pregnancy

Hanging on to Hope Suzanne explains how she got through her single years without losing hope, a lesson that applies to any difficult situation you may need to go through.

1/3rd of Women in US Military Raped There are a few people in my political science class who have served in the military and have spoken about their first-hand experiences discovering its flaws. Its truly saddening that our military is such a terrible place for women and no one seems to do anything about it.

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Mommy, Are You Happy? Many people treat depression like its merely a mood issue that you're not willing to risk. I know firsthand that depression isn't sadness you can just push aside to make room for sunlight. Its a spiritual issue and disorder. If you think you suffer from depression and don't know how to handle it, please seek the help of someone you trust.

Caring Too Much About Failure How many times have I not even tried to do something for fear of failing? Probably too many to count. This is good encouragement to kick this fear to the curb and take some risks!

Public Passion VS Private Devotion Although this is written by a church leader for other leaders, I think its common for all Christians to fake being alright through struggles. Why do we do this?

Like An Electric Current Warning: this is a bit graphic and extremely heart-wrenching. Kevin DeYoung comments on a story in which former abortion workers explain why they are now pro-life.

Spare the Spanking, Spoil the Report Card? The Wall Street Journal (yes, really) features a story on why spanking may after all be a good thing.

Why Are Professors Liberal? Rethinking the question provides a good answer.

Seen But Not Heard? Back in my punk-rock rebellious teen years, I was sure my voice was powerless and considered insignificant. How wrong I was and how right this article is! 

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For My Good? from Ligonier A good reminder of how God works in even through difficult things in the lives of his children.

Guilt, Grace, Gratitude from Challies.com Stop and think about the implications of salvation.

An Unlikely Anti-Depressant from Boundless With so many people suffering from depression, this is a good call to seek the best antidote.

Acting surprised when God doesn't seem close from Stuff Christians Like This really hit close to home. For months I struggled to find out why God felt so distant.

Snow Crystal Photo Gallery How can man still deny the existence of God when faced with the marvels of even his simplest creation?

Dear President Obama #360 from AC360 Maybe what our response to Haiti lacks is the same as what our response to many failed challenges lack.

Pat Robertson's Remarks from Between Two Worlds Putting Mr. Robertson's unwise words into perspective.