I can’t choose just one, but here are my top 5 based on how much I admire them.

5. Laura Ingalls Wilder (my mother got me hooked on history with the Little House series.)

4. Harriet Tubman. She was incredible. (Black and disabled and led dozens of slaves to freedom single handedly.)

3. Cornelia Ten Boom. (Hid Jews during World War II. Survived a Nazi prison camp.)

2. George Washington. (He was a humble and strong leader.)

1. C. S. Lewis. (He’s historical at this point, I’d say. Probably has had more influence on my theology and writing style than any other author has.)

There’s so many more, like Joan of Arc, or Abraham Lincoln, or Harriet Beecher Stowe, who might not have made as much of an impact, but I can credit with inspiring me in some ways to be the person I want to be.

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” is the old saying.

I would add, those who do learn from history will learn the lessons that apply most to their own journey, even if they are not the ones widely recognized by scholars.

Happy learning–Natasha.

I’ve had to face so many fears over the years, since I had a lot of them growing up.

Some silly ones like the fear of the dark. I faced that one by slowly decreasing the amount of light in my room bit by bit, first turning off the nightlight for a while, and then weeks later, I would close my blinds, later I even covered my eyes. A lot of prayer too.

More serious fears like social anxiety–I’m still working on it, but that was exposure therapy. I did more social things and I started to feel more comfortable. I don’t think there’s any other cure.

And then my fear of my father? That had to be a God thing, because he was legitimately scary and he tried to scare us on purpose. But I had a driven need to overcome it. Perhaps to protect the rest of my family, perhaps because it was God speaking to me.

Bottom line, however you do it, overcome fear. Life is too short to spend afraid. I used to spend mine afraid every second of every day, not kidding…it was the worst years of my life.

I can’t imagine going back to it.

Stay honest–Natasha.

Going to the dentist.

I know, common fear…but I have very high sensitivity in my teeth. And my jaw, and to loud, shrill noises, and bright lights. So the dentist is a 3 for 3 unpleasant experience for me.

I’m trying to get past it, but as an adult, I have to kick myself in the pants sometimes and get through it.

And pray. Praying helps.

One top, don’t be afraid to request different accommodation like not using the air prayer, or cold water, or using a different kind of numbing agent if you’re like me, and react strongly to lidocaine. There are a lot of options for people with different sensitivity.

It’s still not fun, but it makes it better.

Also I wear earplugs now for the drilling part. My own idea.

–Natasha.

Daily writing prompt

How do you unwind after a demanding day?

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I like to write, have some tea, and/or watch a movie with my family.

Daily writing prompt

Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.

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My mom. She homeschooled me. Best decision ever. #noregrets.

Daily writing prompt

If you could be a character from a book or film, who would you be? Why?

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Depends on the context and my mood.

I could say Elisabeth Bennet because she gets to be rich and marry the man of her dreams.

I could say Lucy Pevensie from the Narnia books because she is a heroine.

It would be hard to choose from any number of characters I like.

I tend to like characters I can see a bit of myself in, but also have traits I wish I had more of.

I like Winter Schnee from RWBY, Momo from MHA, and an array of characters that are kind of in between those personalities.

Honestly though, I wouldn’t swap places with them. I’ve learned how to deal with my life, I don’t think I could easily deal with theirs. Escapism is not really one of my goals anymore.

–Natasha.