Estimated reading time: 9 minutes Everyone should go to therapy – that’s something I’ll stand by for the rest of my life. A bold statement, some might think. What if I don’t need help? What if I had a healthy childhood? What if I can’t afford it? At the end of the day, regardless of your testimony or past – we are imperfect people, who adhere to lies from the pain we’ve experienced. If you know Christ you should especially understand: not one of us is exempt from needing help. And I believe therapy is an investment you should prioritize. This subject is on my mind recently because there are a ..read more

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes Hi lovely people! It’s been a while since I popped up in your inbox! I’m truly sorry for not being as consistent as I was before. I’m giving myself grace—but I intend on posting here again because I miss it, and I missed you. It’s been a long winter. Long, not bad (although summer has never felt more exciting lol). Here are a few updates since I last posted! 1. We Moved Into Our Van Dec. 7th We actually did it—we moved into our van! We shared our finished build and entire process here – but I’m excited to share a van tour here soon:) October and November were ..read more

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes:) Marriage is full of surprises. Nathan and I have been married for almost 8 months now (WHAT! Time flies) and we’ve learned a lot so far. Obviously we’re still new at this, so we’re not experts. But turns out, we had some misconceptions before we got married. I wish I had known these simple facts before we got married. Not that not knowing them caused great devastation, but I think I would have been better prepared and equipped for for marriage if I did. No one ever told me these before we got married. Hopefully by sharing these misconceptions, you can better ..read more

Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Hey Fam! Today I wanted to share my first van life-related article – so thanks for coming alongside me as I try something new! Why did we choose the van life? What made us take the leap? Are we bored? Broke? Crazy? The Van Life Story So Far… Nathan and I have been thinking and praying about van life for a few months now, but we first suggested the idea probably 6 months ago. Honestly, we kept it between us two until about a month ago. We wanted to make sure we were making the right decision – and that God was leading us in this direction. We toured quite a few ..read more

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes Hey family! I know it’s been a while since I last posted – I’m sorry it’s been so dead over here at WithAbba! But I’m back and wanted to update you on a few recent developments – God has been tugging on my heart the last few months and I’m excited to share. But before I dive head first – there are some new faces around here! So I wanted to introduce myself. Hey! I’m Annabelle, 20 years old and wearing a lot of hats (I tend to do that lol). I published my first fantasy novel when I was 17, which kicked off my writing career. Last year, I fell in love with the c ..read more

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes This morning, Nathan and I got breakfast burritos and walked around the mall together. It was SO fun. Nathan got off work this morning, so I was stoked to see him. And those breakfast burritos were But anyway, on the way home, I made one of the *dumbest* driving mistakes to date. I was turning left and thought the person coming my way had a stop sign (fun fact: they did not). I realized this in the middle of the intersection and panicked. And because I’m still kind unfamiliar with CO Springs roads, I turned directly into oncoming traffic. I know. Terrible. T ..read more

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes:) One thing I’ve noticed about myself is that it doesn’t really matter if something is my fault or not – I will always feel guilty. Of course, more times than not I’m the one at fault – and thus (in my head) worthy of the guilt. But often when things aren’t even my fault, I still feel guilty for them. Maybe you can relate? Someone says something rude to you – and instead of understanding what they said was hurtful and forgivinging them, you automatically assume you deserved the comment. Or something circumstantial happens, some tough situation – and instead of ..read more

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes:) The resounding lie of my life has been this: “you are not good enough.” I was always the perfectionist, the go-getter, the high achiever. My nickname in youth group was “try hard.” I accomplished a lot at a young age. But if I were to examine my true motivation behind a lot of my greatest accomplishments, I wouldn’t be quite as proud. Because for so many of them, that deep down insecurity was the main voice swaying me to keep striving: “you are not good enough.” “You are not good enough.” So I applied for every honors and AP class I could take. “You are not ..read more

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes:) I hesitated including this part of the abstinence series because *tbh* Nathan and I sucked at it. We were not good at setting boundaries, following through, and keeping each other accountable! We made a ton of mistakes, so I feel really unqualified to speak on this subject at all. But I also know a lot of couples out there struggle with practical, realistic ways to abstain well – and now that Nathan and I are through it, I can at least share what I wish we did better. If you’re struggling to abstain or have slipped up in the past, I have nothing but grace an ..read more

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes:) It was early October. The trees in my parent’s neighborhood were already undressing, but I didn’t think about how beautiful they were. I was walking on a particular morning through our neighborhood trails, crunching over leaves as I went. Every morning for months I’d been starting my day with a “walk with God.” Those fall months had a taken a serious turn. It seemed every conversation I had with Him, I was asking Him about abstinence and what I should do. One morning, in the peak of my frustration, I remember talking with God about how confused I felt. I usu ..read more