Our 100th Post

Defying Shadows has come such a long way over the past year. Today we celebrate a special milestone — Our 100th Blog Post! What better way to celebrate our 100th blog post by showcasing all the people who made Defying Shadows possible so far!

Jane Reed is the author and creator of The Green Tomato Experience blog and the owner of Jane Reed Photography. She spends the majority of her time in the kitchen where she finds peace and harmony in her life. She is known to enjoy Starbucks Frappucinos even though she knows she shouldn’t. Her favorite woman in the Bible is Ruth because she loves her perseverance and integrity. She is currently working on an amazing cookbook that she hopes will bring peace and joy to your kitchens as well!! All photographs are property of Jane Reed Photography and come from Jane’s personal Stele Collection. Check out her blog posts here!

Heather lived in Arizona, Oklahoma, and finally in North Carolina (where she was actually born). So needless to say she is able to pull off a western, mid-west, or southern accent depending on the situation. She was blessed to marry her high school sweetheart (aka the first boy she didn’t think had cooties) and they have now been married for 11 years. Together they have two girls and they welcoming a beautiful baby boy in December. Like most women, Heather wears many hats: wife, mother, homeschool teacher, foodie, blogger, friend, and the list goes on. Although her life is crazy but God continues to show her the beauty in the chaos. Check out her blog posts here!

Jody Thomae is the author of God’s Creative Gift—Unleashing the Artist in You, a devotional book with Bible studies to nurture the creative spirit within. Her passion is for the revelation of God to be made more real through the prophetic use of the creative arts in church and formational ministry. It is her desire to portray the message of Christ’s desperate and unfailing love for His people to help sustain the hearts of the broken and weary. She is particularly interested in the way in which God uses the arts to bring formational development and healing to His people. You can learn more about her book and her ministry at www.jodythomae.com. Check out Jody’s blog post here!

Sorena Eaddy, a native of Wilmington, Delaware, is an author, inspirational speaker, and minister in training. She is the author of the 31 Day Devotional Book “The Word of the Day Transforming you into God’s Exquisite Masterpiece.” She is an instrument in spreading the good news about Christ to young people and helping them transform their lives for the Kingdom of God. She believes you’re never too young, or too old, to live for Christ. Sorena shares her love of service in the community by volunteering with various youth groups and mentoring young women. To learn more about Sorena Eaddy and to purchase a copy of her book visit her website at www.sorenale.com. Check out Sorena’s blog post here!

Growing up in a small town bred a need for an outlet from the humdrum quietness. Writing became Brian’s outlet.  From poetry to song lyrics to short stories, expressing the spectrum of human emotion, paper is his canvas and a pen is his brush.  Introspective and insightful, Brian writes from experience and creative spontaneity.  He collects music and enjoys coffee. Be sure to check out his blog, here: brian.artistmonkey.com. Check out Brian’s blog post here!

Paul is an AFOL (Adult Fan Of LEGO®), his hobby is LEGO® Technic building and collecting. His main focus is MOCs and customising sets. He has an interest in all areas of the LEGO® hobby and he is involved in Brixhibitions across the state as both an organiser and exhibitor. Be sure to check out his blog, here! Check out Paul’s blog post here!

Mrs. Kathleen Cole B.A., E.C.E is a wonderful member of the planet Earth. She shares the love of breathing, eating and sleeping with her fellow humans. She is a wife, mom, daughter, sister, cousin, co-worker, bff, Alpha teacher, photographer, and friend to many. Check out Katie’s blog post here!

Donna Stone blogs at donnastone.me about faith, family, and home. A favorite past time is good conversation, sharing love and laughter with friends. Donna spends most of her time writing, taking care of her family, and crafting novels. Perfectly loved, extravagantly forgiven, and redeemed by His grace, her primary ministry goal is to encourage others through the written word and prayer. You can find her on facebook, twitter, or her blog at donnastone.me. Check out Donna’s blog post here!

David Soemarko received his M.A.T.S. degree (Master of Arts in Theological Studies) from Moody Theological Seminary – Michigan. He had served as a teaching elder for nearly 15 years. He has also taught the Bible in different levels (from Sunday school classes to theological classes) for about 30 years. David is also a computer/electrical engineer (with a M.S. degree from University of Michigan). He enjoys a wide range of hobbies including computer applications, drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, music, piano, gardening, and science of cooking and baking. David blogs at on bible and bible applications. Check out David’s blog posts here!

Melanie Pickett is a writer and blogger and is currently completing her first nonfiction book. She has battled Crohn’s disease and complications, has a now-healthy son who was born prematurely under challenging circumstances, and survived a 15-year abusive marriage and her first husband’s mental illness and eventual suicide. A wife and mother of two, she loves Red Wings hockey, reading, playing piano, and traveling adventures. You can follow Melanie on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and her personal Blog. Check out Melanie’s blog posts here!

Thank you to all of our supporters! Whether you have contributed writing, followed us or prayed for us, we love you and we couldn’t do this without you!

God Bless!

Nichole