Meeting Influence.

Today was a glorious day.
I can shamelessly say I still adore Shauna Niequist, but this time around however, I have officially met her and my opinion stands firm: She is fabulous.

To describe today I would have to say in a nutshell, today was a holy and precious day, full of precious moments.  1st the chance to finally meet the woman behind the pages that have literally changed my life and added so much truth and love along with a handful of words to pull me through pain in the last few years of my life.  Then the chance to experience this gift with my girls, Kaylyn, Megan, & Chellie, who have also been such a deep and intimate part of the last couple years of my life. As we have lived life together side by side, reading Cold Tangerines & then Bittersweet and loving each other out loud in such tangible and intentional actions my heart has become intertwined to the point of no return, you girls have such a huge part of me & make me laugh, cry, and experience such joy and pride in the beautiful women you are and are becoming. & Also the chance to gather together with a group of women who all share some sort of interest or inspiration from the lovely Shauna Niequist was truly a gift & a pleasure.

Something about reading a book that changes your life, with 3 other girls, that really grabs a deeper part of you.  A part of you that you might not even know existed or needed to be grabbed, loved, and challenged in any certain way.  That part of you is a part of the heart that the God of this universe molded in His hands and intended to be loved and stretched and encouraged. Just as a girl, in the group gathered for a meal shared with Shauna, said, "[your book] was an answer to prayer I didn't even know I prayed." That statement is the absolute best and most truthful thing I have heard about Shauna's book(s) and I would not disagree with it in the slightest.  That's the thing about reading Cold Tangerines, and Bittersweet with my girls. It has been an absolute answer to prayer that I didn't even know I prayed. I could never have foreseen myself in the place I am today and could not see myself having gotten here without them or those books alongside me. I love the ways God continues to show me His faithfulness and goodness through those He hand picks to walk with me, even through words on a page.


Danielle Nicole.