Happy 21st Birthday To Jay!

Happy 21st Birthday Jared Fisher! 

Thank you for being...

• my very best friend, 
• my constant rock, 
• my prayer warrior, 
• the arms that catch me when I fall, 
• my source of joy, 
• my laughter, 
• my love, 
• my source of uncovered nerdvana 
• and one of the biggest and BEST parts of my life! 
• Oh, and so many more things too! ;-)

May HE bless you in the coming days as you continue to walk with HIM. I hope that I may always be counted blessed enough to walk alongside you both to the end of my days!

Love, Red

a little of this, and a little of that

     I'm back! It's been a great, albeit a very busy week, but nevertheless a great one so far. I have really been enjoying my new job at the Family Christian Store. I mean it's always a pretty good day when your boss hands you a book that is no longer listed in our system and gives it to you FREE of charge (if it's not in the computer system we have to throw it out....wait, throw out a BOOK? I think not!)  Oh, and I get to talk to people about Jesus and sniff books all day long while listening to NEEDTOBREATHE over the stereo, and I even get the chance to pray for the customers which is an amazing thing in this day and age! It's wonderful.

     I had Thursday off this week from work so I decided to go spend some time up in Asheville visiting with Jared and his family (who were up visiting from Rocky Mount for a few days). On Thursday we went to Best Buy and picked up a few dvds (because I had a $25 gift certificate), and then we went out for lunch at Taco Bell. After lunch Jay decided to take me to the Western North Carolina Nature Center for the day...oh, and did we ever have a blast! The coolest animals at the Nature Center (for me) were the Otters, Snakes and the Hellbender. The wolves were pretty cool too, but I must say that the Otters had this gal's heart! hehe The chickens and goats however totally frightened me! I think Jared was just excited to see that I was SO INTO learning and checking out all of the animals just like him, big zoology and crypto nerd that he is! ;-)

    After seeing loads of adorable, and quite kooky I must say, animals at the Nature Center Jay and I decided to head to the downtown area of Asheville so that I could capture the sites with Lila, and so we could peruse through some of the best bookstores ever together! I am absolutely in LOVE with the downtown area! The smells of Patchuli and Seared Steak...the noises of Dobro's and birds melodious chirping filling the crisp breezy air...the myriads of lovely used and new book shops...local art sculptures displayed alongside the streets...all of the beautifully different people...artists wielding coloured canvases for sale on the side of the pavement...beauty and unexpected adventure at every turn. Sigh. One day I will live there, I assure you!

   After our busy day we had dinner with Mammaw and Pappaw Fisher and then Jared's parents and brother stopped by to visit for a while. We talked and laughed a bunch while catching up with one another. We watched a Youtube video that made me and the rest of the family (okay, well only the guys and myself thought it was funny) laugh so hard we all nearly fell over and died laughing!! (See video above PLEASE.)

Casey Abrams - {image via: blog.babble.com}

After laughing ourselves silly we all sat down to watch the American Idol results, which I was totally displeased with I must say!! I will miss you being on the show, Casey Abrams! Really, I was upset and couldn't help but saying (ahem, slightly screaming) aloud "NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" when I heard that Casey was to leave the show. Jacob should have left. That's all I have to say about that!

     Yesterday we celebrated Jared's 21st birthday (a day early) by going out to a wonderful little Greek and Italian restaurant called Bellagio's. After eating a scrumptious Chicken Parmesan Sub and laughing some more while talking at the table with Jay and his family we headed over to Jay's other set of Grandparents' house to have cake and watch Jay open up his birthday presents, which consisted of the new TRON: LEGACY dvd and a KINDLE! Jay was excited about his gifts, as was I! Shortly after all of the cake cargo-ed-ness hit Jared, Seth and I headed out in the back yard so I could take some photos of the silly brothers! Then I had to drive back towards home to get ready for work last night, but only after giving Seth a piano lesson and spending a little more time with my love.

    And, yep, that's pretty much my week in a nutshell. I am so thankful that I was able to spend some time out in the beautiful nature with the young man I love dearly, and that we were able to celebrate his birth alongside his family! God is so good! Oh, and after I got home last night after work I checked my e-mail and found out that I had won the Garbaje Eco-Friendly Bracelet on Shannon's Below The Plateau blog! How cool is that?

     Well, I hope everyone is having a GREAT SATURDAY! I'll be heading off to the good ol' FCS here in a little while...here's to hoping that I don't find any more books in the Clearance room to spend more of my paycheck on today! Haha! Seriously though, I did manage to snag some great deals last night. I got three novels and two folders for $4.50. All I have to say is this: If you go to your local FCS PLEASE make sure to check out the Clearance room before you leave! There are treasures in there just longingly waiting to be found by YOU! =D

Happy Saturday Blogger Lovelies!!
P.S. -I'll have more photos up on my photography blog soon, so be sure to keep an eye out for more photos!

a Good Friday prayer

"Lord, I want my life to be a love letter from Christ, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. Not on tablets of stone but on the tablet of my heart. Holy Spirit, remind me that I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." 

{{Renee Swope from her book 'A Confident Heart'}}

     It's a very grey day outside, as I sit here and write this post. While thinking about living as Christ I remembered that I am so very thankful for grey days. So many wonderful things have come out of grey days for me. Jared first came to visit me on an extremely grey day, and because he came to see me on that grey day our lives have never been the same. 

     I also think of the day my Saviour, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for me, and it was a very grey day indeed (or so it seemed.) There in that grey day of death was also much joy and hope to be found. The grey had gone on the 3rd day and the light of the world once again shone brightly. He was made alive in His resurrection. That beautifully rolled back stone and cold empty tomb could be seen...and it was then known... My King was and IS ALIVE! 

     When you or I are going through a "grey day" in our every day life perhaps we will both begin to see it quite a bit differently now. Through the greyest of days so long ago, that very grey day has granted you and I eternal life and the opportunity to be crucified alongside Christ. Now we live as the redeemed; Christ within us for the world to see.

Happy Blessed Good Friday To You,

Beauty {free blog designs} - Giveaway

     Hannah Rose is having a Spring Giveaway at her blog Beauty {free blog designs}. She is giving away two blog design packages on her blog and I am really excited....and hoping that I might just win...because her blog is beautiful and the packages which she is giving away are of EPIC proportions! To enter: visit Hannah Rose's  blog and answer the questionnaire that she has posted. Have fun entering! =)

le questionnaire:

1. Do you like being outdoors or indoors? I love being indoors while reading, playing piano, writing, scrapbooking, quilting and watching movies. However, I also equally love to be outdoors taking photos, gardening, running through the grass barefoot (in Spring and Summer of course), going white water rafting (I need to go again very soon!) and taking long walks.
2. Hot or cold weather? I love the milder seasons. My favorite being Autumn, closely followed by Spring. I am a Spring baby, so naturally I love spring-time! =)
3. Favorite color? Purple. It is rich, deep, emotive and the color of a dusky sky intermingled with a glimmer of orange before Summer twilight comes upon us. My name means "Princess" and royalty and purple go hand in hand, or is that robe in robe? 
4. Favorite song, and why? Are you asking what my favorite song ever is? Yeah, I could never just pick one. Right now though my favorite song is "Patience" by And By Love. It's a really beautiful song about a young woman finding the Lord in her moment of brokenness through patience and crying out to God. A close second would have to be Flyleaf's song "Okay" from their newest album "Remember To Live."
5. One word that describes you. Eclectic. 
6. One song that describes you. "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield
7. What’s your biggest goal in life? To be a Proverbs 31 Woman, inside and out. I want to be the best daughter, woman, wife and mother that I can be for God and myself.
8. Sweet or sour foods? Pickles are the bomb! Then there's this awesome thing called CHOCOLATE. Now, do you see my dilemma? 
9. Favorite movie, and why? "Howl's Moving Castle" It's a lovely story, brilliantly animated, the score is amazing, and did I mention that it has this whole steam-punk neo-victorian vibe going on? Yeah, it's awesome. Also you must know that for the past few years my answer would have been "The Phantom of the Opera" but over the years it's seemed like I will only rarely change my mind and decide upon another fave movie that will dethrone the current long time running fave. So there you have it, my dethroned old fave and my newest fave movie!
10. Greatest accomplishment so far? Choosing to live as Christ, as a Daughter of the most high King!

amazon Kindle freebies {{april}}

I was super excited to find this on the Amzon Kindle FREE list! I just bought a New Testament Message Bible last week at work for $5, but I am super stoked to have an eBook copy on my Kindle too.

I think it will be fun to dig into this one...with the notes!

In the past I've always opted not to read these types of books, but the older I get the more it seems that I am drawn to these types of stories more and more.

I love novels with a strong female lead (and NO this does not mean I support Feminism in any way shape or form.)

Supposedly Karen Kingsbury is a really great and popular authoress right now. We sell a lot of her books at the Family Christian Store where I work at; but I am not sure if I'll like this story or not. I guess we'll see!

This one looks like a super easy and quite adventuresome read. Perfect for the Summertime.

I have to be honest, the only reason I really even got this book is because the cover photography was so pretty...and because it is by a Christian author. I hope it's good.

Now this is a book that I am REALLY excited about reading. This one is a new release (2011). It's a story of two sisters who take very different life paths...one staying on the Ranch and the other becoming a seller of antique books. Antique books...sisters...redemption...prodigal daughter story...enough said, really.

Brit Lit. Good stuff.

A young woman starts renovating an old Victorian home, and then mysterious things start happening. Mystery, a Victorian house, yes please do tell me that story! 

13 Little Blue Envelopes. Doesn't that just sound dreamy? It does to me. A romance filled European adventure. Sigh. Just what the Doctor ordered.

A Faerie story. Oh, how I love me some Fantasy books to read! I actually found out about this book on the blog Concrete & Grace this morning. Thanks for telling us about this Kindle freebie, Siriana! 

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Well, blogger lovelies, you can find these books on Amazon.com for FREE for use on your Amazon Kindle, iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone. If you don't have a Kindle like I do then know that there is an APP for you to download these books. Happy searching...and reading...

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{{Note}}

 I am not getting any kind of payment from the authors or publishers for talking about their works or for discussing these particular books on my blog. I simply found these eBooks for FREE on Amazon and wanted to share with you about these titles. Also, I have not read any of these books as of yet, so I cannot endorse them or their contents (their appropriateness) fully as of yet. 

of television & of books

Listening To: Tron: Legacy (soundtrack)

Currently Reading: 'Breath of Angel' by: Karyn Henley

Quote Love: "There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are." {Ernst Haas}

{image via: therecycledlibrary.blogspot.com}

     I must say that my new work schedule (at the Family Christian Store) has been an awesome change for me. I am now working in the afternoons into late in the evening, which totally works for me, seeing as how I am not an early morning person at all and rather am instead a cutsie little night owl. ::hoot hoot:: The only thing that has changed for me really with my new work schedule is that I don't get to watch my television programs (as Jay would say) anymore like I used to because I am at work when they come on late in the evenings.

    At first I was kind of like "Darn, I am gonna miss watching American Idol and Survivor!" Now though I am really excited that there isn't that much room in my life for television. I think going through my day without tv as a distraction is a beautifully brilliant awesome thing for me!

     I mean if you think about it, what do we really watch tv for anyway? For me it was for a false connection with tv character "friends", filler of time to be wasted, and a way to totally veg out and escape from life for a bit. Now I am not bashing tv shows in their entirety, honestly. I just think that for me I really could use my time more wisely by doing things that fill me up and make me a better and far much wiser young woman.

Things like: reading my Bible more, reading tons of books to expand my ever growing mind, spending more time with my family, playing piano, writing poetry, blogging, going for a long walk, taking photographs, editing photographs on my laptop, etc. The list goes on...

     I absolutely love watching films, still, and for me I don't see that ever changing. In fact, even though I have not been able to watch tv lately I have taken the time to indulge myself in my love affair of BBC films and other films as well by spending time watching them with my love (Jared) and my family. I watched "Daniel Deronda" with Jay this past weekend, and I absolutely LOVE it and I think Jay really liked it too. I also watched "Arthur & The Invisibles" for the first time the other night with my family, and surprisingly it was a really good movie, and it was a lot of fun to watch with my whole family. All this said, I will not stop watching movies...ever. However tv and I seem like we have been departing from one another, and for me, well, that is quite alright.

     So if I may dare ask, has anyone been reading anything really smashingly great and exciting lately that you'd love to share with me and the readers of Daughter of the King? What about YOU suggesting my next movie marathon line up for me? I'm game and all ears for now...

Here's what's coming next...
In my next post I'll share with you a few of the awesome new books that I just scored on Amazon.com for my sweetly-fantasticly-amazing Kindle...for FREE. Don't worry! If you don't have a Kindle,well, there's an App for that! ;-)

when visions and dreams come to life...

  
     This morning I wanted to purpose myself to spend some time with God, in prayer and in reading His Word. Let me interrupt myself and tell you that purposing myself to be still and quiet is a HUGE struggle of mine because my mind wanders so stinkin' freely most of the time while I am awake, and also because I do not like to sit still for very long, unless of course there are snuggly blankets, a mug of tea (yes, I do not use tea cup) and a slew of BBC movies to be watched, I do not like to sit very still for very long.

    Whew, okay, ranting aside for now...

     I didn't know what to read in my Bible at all this morning so I decided to grab my Bible anyway (I ended up reading Psalm 42...as the deer etc...), a journal, a pen, a devotional book and see where the Lord would lead me after prayer with Him. The hardest task this morning was finding a journal...the right journal. For whatever reason I have like 1,000 7 journals to write in. They house many random notes from cute little romantic things Jared has said to me, to Bible verses sloppily jotted down. I finally found one that hadn't really been written in all that much yet, and as I read the 3 filled pages of the journal a smile began to spread across my face. The first page in my journal said "The Vision Page" and the 2nd and 3rd pages contained "The Perfect Man" pages. Those pages held my dreams from way back when; all my hopes and desires at the time.

     I've never been huge into journaling, mainly because my handwriting isn't that pretty. After having read through my vision page and my perfect man vision pages this morning I really didn't care all that much that my handwriting was just only sub par, nope, I was glad that I had written those visions of my dreams out for myself to revisit and read through for such a time...well, as today. I think I may start journaling more frequently. I believe that seeing my faith stirred on paper, and then later on to see prayers and dreams answered would be such an awesome experience...just to look back at how greatly God moved in my life and on my behalf you know? Anyway, below is my vision page...

On my vision page was written 

(in no particular order): 

A job selling books

Friends

Leading a Bible study for Teen girls

Teaching Piano

My own car

A boyfriend

A wife...someday

A mother...someday

     Today as I sat there and read through the lists in my journal...all about my "visions" and my "perfect man"...I rejoiced in the Lord for taking my dreams that I had way back in 2008 and turning them into a beautiful reality in 2011. I am so very blessed! 

• I just started my new job on April 9th...selling books...at the Family Christian Store in my town. 
• I have lovely friends. Blogger friends and friends who I see face to face alike. 
• I have worked in youth ministry with young women before and I hope to do so again in the future. I guess this blog of mine is a way to reach out and minister to young women (and young men too?) 
• I am still teaching piano after having been doing so for the last few years, and even though I only have one (super-fab) piano student (alaythea c.) currently I trust that if it is the Lord's will for me to gain more students then He alone will open the doors for me to do so. 
• I got a (fairly new {2007}) car a while back and just paid it off last year. PRAISE THE LORD!
• I have a wonderfully handsome and very loving boyfriend who is the best friend I have ever had, and who means more than anything in the world to me!!

     ...and I guess the last two things on my vision list will have to wait until a later date I suppose, but I can rest assured that the Lord will hold those dreams in His hands until He is ready to release them into my life in His sweet time. Isn't it so great that not only does He hold us, but He also holds everything...the WHOLE WORLD...in His mighty hands? That gives me such comfort, hope and joy! It really does. How about you?

     As far as my "Perfect Man" page, well, that list is kinda silly, so I'm not all that sure I should post it or about it on my blog (unless you all MUST know or something). I will tell you that I am, emphatically and ardently so, in love with my perfect man, who may not seem to be the perfect man to everyone, or to the eyes of the world, but he who is my love is indeed the perfect man for me! I love you so very much, Jared! 

     I encourage you to go grab a Bible, a journal, a pen and to begin to release your dreams to God. It is so freeing when you do. When you look back on those days (through the eyes of your journal pages, or your memories) when you didn't know where to turn to next, the days when you tightly held onto "your" dreams, and after you have released them and returned to find them once again you will begin to see how amazing and loving our Father is who orchestrated your life in His impeccable timing. So, why don't we get to dreaming, grabbing, writing and going...?

life update - many blessings

    
     Hi there blogger dears! It's been such a long while since I've been on here, hasn't it? I've missed talking to you all so much! Anyway... I've been away from my blog because God's just been moving like {{CrAzY}} in my life, and that is what has been keeping me super busy and away from all of you. I also recently got a doosy of a computer virus on my laptop the other day, that sadly took it out of commission for the time being, so I am hoping that the Geek Squad can get it fixed as soon as possible! Hopefully I'll get my laptop back this week sometime, but until then my posts will just have to remain short and sweet and picture-less, sorry girls and boys!

   I hope you all won't mind if I quickly share with you a few of the crazy awesome blessings that have been happening to me over the last week and a half? Okay, here goes...

{1}

I am going to the She Speaks Conference 2011 because of a very special and generous gift given to me by someone. I promise you that I am the most excited young woman alive! I was so blessed by this extravagant gift, that after I read the e-mail saying that I'd be able to go I burst out into tears of pure joy. I am ready for July 22nd to get here already!!

{2}

After God shut some doors in my boyfriend's life he began to open up some windows for Jared. I am so excited...like I am seriously bursting at the seams (if I had seams that is) excited...to say that Jared is no longer 5 hours away from me! Yep, you heard right. Jared moved only just yesterday up to Asheville, and he will be settling into his new hometown which is only an hour away from me while going to a new college and finding a job. Please pray for God to open doors for Jared to find a job very soon, if you all don't mind.

{3}

My back is doing so much better. Thank you so much for your prayers everyone, it really meant a lot! I was in so much pain, but after going to the chiropractor for a few weeks now I am no longer in pain every-day-all-day-long and my headaches have slowly been easing off and going away almost completely too. Before I started going to the chiropractor's I had a headache to accompany my super bad back pains every single day, and I am now happy to report that I've only had 3 headaches since I started getting treatment and adjustments done on my back. I only just finished round 1 of my chiropractic treatment and I start round 2...the corrective part of my chiropractic treatment...next week.

{4}

I had been praying that the Lord would use me in some sort of ministry over the last few months, and I had also been praying that I would find a new job where my God-given talents would be made of better use...and where I could get more hours at than the hours I was currently getting working at the Preschool. Well, God has answered those prayers! Everything happened so fast that I simply blinked my eyes and I had a new job that is immersed in ministry in just one week. To make a long story short I now work with Family Christian Stores, and I couldn't be happier! 

{5}

I get to go spend all day Saturday with Jared in Asheville! I haven't seen him in 3 weeks and I am missing him like crazy! Come on Saturday...

Well, I guess that's all for now. I hope you all are having a wondyful Thursday! 

an interview with Jared Fisher {part 2}

{iHeart this pic of Jay!!}

Sarah: What do you write about on your blog, or want to write about on your blog in the near future? Why did you start it?

Jared: Well, shame on me but I have had a very dry period in the blogging world these past few months. At first I simply blogged about whatever hit my head or struck my fancy. Nowadays, I aim for much more spiritual pursuits, both in my writing and in my interests. Honestly I only started it because it seemed fun at first, but over time I realized the advantages of having one and began to take it more seriously. When I get started again, which I plan to very soon, I plan to immerse myself further into this strange and wonderful blogging world.

Sarah: What is the origin of your blog name (This Red Thread)?

Jared: Well, there are a lot of old idioms and sayings about it, but in literature and  a red thread, whether alone or part of a tapestry, signifies significance, redundant as that sounds. Call it a deep moment, but I couldn't resist thinking more about this when I learned it, all the nerdy, deep things the concept contained, but in short I picked it because I liked the symbolism behind it and it just. . .'fit.'

Sarah: What writer's or blogger's inspire you?

Jared: There are a few old writers out there that give me a lot to think about, classics and kindred spirits all. C.S. Lewis, a man I can respect for seeing both sides of the spectrum and yet still choosing what he did. Bill Watterson, a newspaper cartoonist with a real knack for deep thought, who taught me not to underestimate any medium of art and writing for what they are worth, are two that immediately come to mind. 

Sarah: What actions, routines and hobbies fill your days as of late?

Jared: Well, being the nerd that I am, my free time is made up of many things, drawing various subjects and writing about what catches my fancy being two big ones. I am an occasional video game player, no where near what I used to be though. And the biggest thing at the moment, besides the obvious aspect of looking for a job, is that I am in the middle of writing a book, quite different from past projects, though for exactly what it is about you'll have to see my blog and find out for yourself.

Sarah: What do you envision for your future?

Jared: Well, writing for a living, for one. I try not to invest too much into my own plans as God has a knack for changing them, but I hope I can live somewhere where I can have peace of heart and mind, be married to a wonderful woman that completes me, and having my own family to raise and pass the legacy onto. 

Sarah: As a writer how do you hope to inspire and impact your readers? Who do you ultimately write for? 

Jared: As a writer, the readers are among the most important parts of the process, and I hope that I can impact others in that I can make them think. I have already been told I am capable of doing this by people whose opinions I trust, but hey, a bigger audience eventually awaits.

Sarah: What are you currently working on writing, and why?

Jared: As I answered above, exact details require a blog visit on the reader's part, but I can reveal that I am working on a story that honors God and brings a lot of the world into a different sort of light. Let's just say I am praying I can make a positive difference with it. 

{smile...and humor the photographer girlfriend!}

Sarah: Hmmm....now that everyone's been introduced and we've gone a little more serious over the last few questions let's close out this interview with a few more shall we say random questions for you to answer, okay? So...what would be your ideal perfect day?

Jared: A perfect day? Well, I'm not picky, but it would involve waking up next to someone I would be tied to for the rest of my days, enjoying a nice start to the day, doing my honest best in my duties for the day, and getting to go to bed feeling even better than I did when I awoke. What can I say, I'm easy to please.

{yep, this is Jared's nerdiest t-shirt. This is his "Marvel" shirt that he wore the first time I REALLY saw him!}

Sarah: What is your favorite article of clothing and why?

Jared: A good, nerdy t-shirt can make my day.

{Jay can be extremely quirky...after all he was in Drama in HS!}

Sarah: What are some of your quirks....obvious or hidden?

Jared: Well. . . I can be redundant in speech and in my writing I can be redundant. ;) I have trouble sitting still and often need to have something to do with my hands. I crick my neck, knuckles and back to relieve stress, and often grunt and groan almost embarrassingly when doing so. 

Sarah: What are you afraid of?

Jared: In a literal sense, scaled open space and open water. In an emotional sense, failing to earn the respect of those whom I respect.

Sarah: Again, thanks so much MY LOVE for letting us sift through the mind and heart that is Jared Fisher! If there's anything you'd like to say to my readers please go right on ahead and chime in! I love you with muchness....even before you agreed to let me interview you! ;-)

Jared: Don't be afraid to make mistakes, I am still learning this the hard way, and always try to find something to laugh at. 

~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~

Well, that is a wrap on my interview with Jared Fisher, aka "My Love" blogger lovelies! If you have any questions for Jared, or myself, please leave a comment, or two, or three...shoot us an e-mail...or drop by Jared's blogs. You can find Jared's common place blog HERE and his writing project blog HERE. I hope you've enjoyed learning a bit more about Jared...and me too even...through this interview. Thanks again Jared for letting me interview you for my blog! =)

an interview with Jared Fisher {part 1}

Sarah: First off, thanks so much for letting me pick your brain, Jared! I know that I myself know quite a few answers to these questions that I've posed to you already, but I really want the rest of my blog followers, readers and friends to be able to get to know you, the man I love, a little more personally too. Okay, so to get the interview ball rolling what 3 words would you use to best describe yourself? Only three words, okay!

Jared: Out of ordinary

Sarah: Out of ordinary, huh? So what exactly makes you different from every other red blooded American male out there? How do you strive to be different from other guys?

Jared: Now that the 'limited to three word answer' is out of the way, hello readers and fellow blogger-kind! The name's Jared, the lucky sap that is fortunate enough to be in a relationship with Christ and this lovely blog host whose writing you read often. 

To answer your question, well, when I say that it's not just in the expected or usual sense, really. To me, 'ordinary' is a lie, for in all the world that I have seen I have never seen anything ordinary at all, not in nature, not in mankind, not in anything. We're all somewhat unique in life, and I myself am no exception. Now, what about me is out of ordinary, you ask? I've never quite been like a lot of other people I was around when younger. Seeing who they were, how they operated, and such, showed me that I had quite a load of difference indeed. I found myself thinking, 'Is it weird that I see them playing sports and talking so much about it, and yet not feeling a single bit of desire to join them?' or 'Is it weird to think that just drifting from girl to girl like they were company expense accounts isn't quite right? Am I weird for liking the idea of picking one and trying to see it through to the end?' and so on.

Sarah: Would you please share with us a little about your family and friends for a moment or two, for those who may be reading this, but have never read your blog?

Jared: So in other words most of the readers in general? That I can do. 

Well, I grew up in a rather unique way, to start. My parents, my Dad Robin (a pastor at a Baptist Church in NC) and my Mom Tricia (at the moment simply a mom, though she has an eye open) believed strongly to raise me in a very sheltered, Christian home, and that is exactly how my childhood was. I grew up in remote farmlands, my dad pastoring at a church there, and thus I was given the rare experience of living in the middle of nowhere with no one my age for miles and miles, though I didn't know the difference and never really had to adjust. My imagination was my biggest toy back then, got me through a lot, and it still does.

Its been many years since those times, having moved from place to very different place, gaining another member of the fisher bandwagon (my younger brother Seth, 14 years old as of now) and growing into something of a social anomaly, I suppose. I lived in a small town in South Carolina called Ninety Six, (not kidding) in the modestly large city of Charlotte, and recently moved to a city not far from the isolated first home of memories, called Rocky Mount. I've never been the biggest social butterfly in the garden, but I have made my share of friends over the years, each playing a part in my story in getting me where I am, for whatever that is worth. One of my closest connections is a rather fun, extroverted to the max young man from Charlotte named Patrick Binam. Those who don't know us question if we really are friends, because you wouldn't guess at first glance, as 'different' as we are, but that's part of the fun.  

{{1st photo together - taken at FUGE}}

Sarah: Okay, so I have been asked quite a few times on my blog about how you and I met each other and how we got to know one another before we started our Courtship (which to us means Dating with an intent to marry by the way, for those of you who may not know Jared and I very well.) So could you please relay in your own words how we met and how we got to know each other over the four months that we spent e-mailing each other back and forth....and how we ultimately fell in love with one another over time?

Jared: You almost answered the question for me, Red. ;) 

Well, it started quite some time ago, at a much younger time of my life, when my family was pressing me to go to a pretty well-known youth summer camp called Centrifuge. I didn't want to go at the time, even going so far as pulling the 'God isn't 'calling' me there' card, but I was quickly delivered the holy 2x4 of indignificated justice (I like to make words up sometimes) and sent on my way. Arriving there and getting settled as a chaperone for the middle school boys, which at first I only did because I was the only guy that didn't say 'not it!' when asked to, but now I am quite thankful I did, I found my way into the college/chaperone class, where Sarah and I learned under the rather 'explosive' style of Papa Payne. I saw her, and I do admit even then she was quite easy on the eyes, but for some odd cosmic reason I decided to simply keep to myself and spend my time taking in the scenery and walking the grounds of the mountains we were staying in. Ironically, this is what drew her attention in the first place to me. 

At the closing of the week Sarah came up and sat down next to me, something that I did NOT disapprove of, and asked for my e-mail address. After camp ended, it was the usual routine, a few new facebook friends, some fun tagged photos, and the like, but then as I was preparing to write Sarah an email, what did I find but an email FROM HER sent MY way. And from there it began, us sending well articulated, coy but just direct enough to keep a conversation and the fact that we were interested in one another open, emails, for many a month, growing close enough so that I even came and visited her on Halloween of 2009 and spent a day out and about. Not a week after that she sent a rather unusual text my way saying that a friend had 'told me.' (Which this friend did not, I had no idea what she was talking about) so after I inquired I was basically told that I, for the first time in my memory, had a girl that, and I quote, "like, 'like liked'" me. Now I admit, this was awesome news, as I felt quite the same but I was waiting for a proper time to say so, (weather got in the way of my planned time, but I made up for it a few months after) and our courtship began.

Its been almost a year and a half since then, but they have been a blessed time, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Sarah: Could you tell us a little bit about your Christian Faith and how you came to know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour?

Jared: My faith is an interesting thing to me, I was raised in a pastors family, (ergo, I am a PK) and that evokes one of two bad stereotypes, the hypocritical pastors kid overconfident in his grip on people and reality, and the soulless pastors kid that knows things but has no life or faith of his own. I've always dared to be different, which worked to my advantage in the early years, and thus I've always had my own faith, though I had my doubting years, same as anyone. Thanks to those I now know a lot more about myself, and for that I don't regret them in the least.

Anywho, details. I was 'saved' by my father at age 8, a young child with no real idea what I was doing, but I was given the honor of making things right again at a much older, more understanding age, at 14 when I spoke with my father again of how I doubted I really knew anything about what it took. Because of my pastor's kid-dom, I knew the right answers, but despite that I still doubted, until God put my heart in the right place one day, don't recall when, when I received the short simple message of 'Yes' to that prayer-filled question. Since then, its been a thrill-ride, but I am happy I am able to traverse it, no matter what all I have to learn.

Sarah: What has the Lord been teaching you/speaking to you about recently?

Jared: The true meaning of giving my all, how to do what I don't like, and that His plan supersedes my own no matter how noble or how much you don't like it.

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And this my blogger lovelies wraps up part 1 of my interview with my handsome guy! Please, stay tuned for part 2 of my interview with Jared. If you have any questions please feel free to drop either Jared or I a lovely comment on this post or shoot us an e-mail at: EvenstarHeart{at}gmail{dot}com or visit Jared's blog at: thisredthread.blogspot.com


{{I wanted to announce that I have a blog giveaway coming up soon....so stay tuned!}}