I’ve been waiting for like 5 years to say the words “I’m feeling 22” as a 22-year old.
May 20, 2018 was the day it finally happened, and honestly just thanks to Taylor Swift for the songs I have been growing up listening to. Anybody else just play any song from any of her albums and memories and feelings just come flooding back?
I remember hearing that song junior year of high school just wondering what life would look like as a 22-year old. I don’t think I’d ever have dreamed I’d be going on 3 years of marriage to the world’s sweetest man, I’d be about to finish up college all the way over in Virginia. I’d have a house with 2 dogs living in it. Also, I’d have a 4 year old little brother (18 years is quite the age difference haha)
Everyone always ask on a birthday…”Well do you feel ______ (fill in the blank with the age you are turning)?” John Luke asked me yesterday “Well do you feel 22?” and I think this was the first year I actually answered yes.
It’s convenient that we take our family beach trip on my birthday every year because I can remember exactly where and what I was doing the year before every birthday. I usually can remember how I was feeling too. Then it makes it easy to compare to how I am doing now. And this year, I just do feel a little older, just a little older, and in good ways.
I see growth.
Growth that I am happy for and thankful for. Growth that solely comes by the grace of God. I thank God for the ways He allowed me to stretch even if in the moments it hurt, because it as in the stretching and being out of my comfort zone that yielded some growth.
I am not perfect, but I see a better version of myself today than I did a year ago. A “better version” I think is simply just a version of yourself that looks more like Jesus.
I am really excited about this year! I’ll finish school in December so a whole new chapter of my life will be unfolding in my 22nd year.
If you’re reading this, thanks for keeping up with us. Speaking of that, John Luke and I are talking about starting a new little project so check back on us to see if we go through with it! I want to hear from YOU though. Why do you like following me? What do you follow me for? What would you like to see or hear more of?
Alright, here’s to my 22nd year!
shop here:
shoes dress, dress, dress (this exact dress is about 2 years old from ASOS, but heres some similar!) purse
I love following you becuase you are so real! You post about the good, bad, pretty, and not so pretty parts of life. You let me know that I am not alone in not being perfect and in struggling through life sometimes!
I would love to see more of just your daily life and more of your thoughts on life, kinda broad but I love your posts on what you’ve learned lately or things you’re working on because most of the time it’s pretty relevant to my life too.
Thank you for being an incredible role to me always 🙂
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
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I enjoy reading your blogs because you show the love of Christ in each and every one of them. Your encouraging and inspirational in a lot of different way. Also, you have great fashion tips and ADORABLE outfits, you show that you can dress modestly but still look super cute!
Thank you for taking time to write these blogs!
On your last post, you had a picture of you with a reddish leather backpack, if you don’t mind me asking, where did you get it?
I love your Blogs
I follow you because I truly think we would be best friends if we lived near each other ?. I admire your heart!! I love your style and photography. I love seeing your adventures and dream of what a marriage like yours would be like one day! I am in college too and I love reading about the ways other believers live out their walks with Christ to their community. Thanks for being you MK! Keep letting your light shine. I hope we get to hang and shop and take pictures one day 🙂
I get so excited whenever I see that you have posted! I have experienced a health journey very paralleled to yours and I love being able to relate and be inspired by you. And even more so I love the godly example you set to all younger woman, it’s hard to find the message you present on today’s social media. You’re a breath of fresh air and I feel god working through you to help bring others closer to him. Enjoy 22 and I’m thankful that you keep sharing your heart on here! Health, travel, ministry, I enjoy seeing it all!
I love reading your posts!! It is always encouraging to hear about where you’re at in life and how God’s working!
You are very inspiring MaryKate! I love your blogs!
You are very inspiring MaryKate! I love your blogs!
I follow you because you are my age living your life for Christ. In college it is hard to live this out daily. I would love to see more of your daily lifestyle, how you incorporate Jesus every single day, and more about your attitude on life and how you spend your time and your daily routines.
You are like sunshine Mary Kate! I hope 22 brings AMAZING things for you!
I turned 22 on May 23! Everyone thought I was so funny for looking forward to playing 22 for so many years! Glad I wasn’t the only one haha? Happy Birthday to us!??
I really first started to like you after seeing you and your relationship with John Luke on Duck Dynasty. I don’t have social media, but I found out about your blog through my sister. I check up every once in awhile just to see what you’ve posted/ what you’ve been doing.
Also, this past April I got married and my husband and I are both 20, so seeing someone else who married young and getting inspired by their testimony/journey is fun for me. Just keep doing what you are doing! Let the Lord guide you with what you have the joy to share. I love that you don’t just do 1 thing: you share tips, crafts, fashion, personal stories, motivation, and just simple praise reports. You are beautiful and you have a heart for Jesus most importantly- that’s what makes your stuff fun to read.
Anyway… God Bless and happy birthday!
First, Happy Birthday, Happy 22!
Well, I like to follow you because you were like a light to me! ♡
I always asked God why people my age are liking (World) more than the Lord, I’ve never been able to look at myself and fit into the acts they did or do, it’s even funny, because for people who’s the “stranger”, it’s me! HAHA
Anyway, when I met you and your blog was a warning that through your posts, I could feel joyful, comforted and hopeful.
I will do 22 too, I hope to accompany you for a long time, regardless of the content you will publish, never forget your words, (beginning or end), this is gratifying, I am very excited to read and feel a friend advice to friend!
Sorry, I’m not fluent in English, but I hope you can understand my message.
Happy birthday Mary Kate. I can’t believe it’s been 2 years since I turned 22 but I remember when I did my coworkers sang the same exact song to me lol. I hope you have a great year and I know God is going to to great things through you and John Luke this year.
I follow you because you inspire me. Seeing someone who is just a few years older than me living a life in pursuit of Christ is really encouraging. Plus your style is amazing. I first started following you because I saw you on Duck Dynasty as I’m sure you get a lot. I love when you post because it just brightens up my day. Your photography skills are also amazing. I would love to read more life updates, faith based encouragement, and just things you like. For example the post about photography was great. Just would love to hear more about your passions and what Gods doing in your life!!
HAPPY Birthday! ✨ Praying your 22 is a year that’s more blessed than ever! I follow you because you are so genuine it almost feels like we’re real friends! You have a gift with words as you share what God has put in your heart and I love that! But I obviously also enjoy all the girly stuff, your amazing pictures, and tips and tricks! Look forward to what’s to come… ❤️
I follow you because I enjoy following women of God, who express their love for Jesus! You are real, you don’t sugar coat things and you share your life generously. I myself am 22 and I like to follow people who I feel are in the same space in life as me. I hope you’ve had the best birthday and that you continue to allow God to stretch you for even more growth! Have a blessed day, dear. ??
I follow you because while you get to live an extraordinary life, you share the ordinary things with us. It makes you relatable and reading your blogs is comforting. Also I feel like you have lived just a little more life then me, enough to be that big sister perspective one sometimes needs! Happy birthday MK!
I hope 22 continues to bring you growth and happiness! I love following you and your blog because you are such an inspiration. I relate to you in so many ways. Whenever I’m feeling discouraged in my faith or when I stumble I love to look back at your Instagram posts or your blog posts and gain some wisdom. I look up to you in so many ways. Your love of life and love for God is such a beautiful thing.
I like when you show us your real and raw sides- discussing you and your families health issues, your struggles, talking about married life, ect ect. I am 21 and will be married here in 4 short months. So I enjoy when you discuss being married so young. I’d like you to share some more guidance and wisdom in this area. my fiancé and I both have our faith lives and actually attend different churches, but sometimes we struggle integrating our faith together as (what will soon to be) husband and wife. I think we both get so busy with life that we fail to take the time to talk about/with God together. Some tips and examples on how y’all practice your faith together would be greatly appreciated. Sending lots of love and blessings from Missouri!!!
I love your blog because you help me draw closer to Christ. My husband and I were also huge fans of Duck Dynasty…and despite having many books and DVDs, we really miss your big family. It was a gift to get to know you all…and like good friends or neighbors who moved away, we miss you all a lot and wonder what you are up to. I still think of your family often….and it affects my life in how I treat my husband…in how we raise our four children….your family helped to shape ours and I continue to turn to you now for helping to shape me as a Christian wife and daughter of God (I find you even more inspiring even though you are 15 years younger than me)…our culture definitely needs strong Christian voices and witnesses—and yours is one of the sweetest, purest, most vulnerable, most authentic, and most relatable out there….enjoy your wonderful family and keep sharing the joy that Christ gives you—Joy our world wants and needs, but so many sadly do not know that He is the only answer and source of Joy… I can’t thank you enough— from a Catholic homeschooling mom in the lovely state of N.C.
Hi Mary Kate! So glad you asked…
I have been a fan of Duck Dynasty since I was in high school, and I’m entering my senior year of college now! Ever since I saw you on the Duck Dynasty episode with John Luke, I feel in love with the two of you! I also watched your wedding episode and I LOVED IT. I LITERALLY CRIED. It was so good…and I just grew to really like the person you are 🙂 How you’re so connected to Jesus and your husband, and it is really inspiring. I also enjoy the personal stories you tell, like how your family has Lyme’s Disease and how you have been going through depression in your life (myself included sometimes). But also, you seem like a really nice, sweet, down-to-earth human being and I hope I have the pleasure of meeting you and John Luke one day! 🙂
I love following you because I get so much encouragement and hope from the fact you’re my age and living for Christ. The way you’ve loved and trusted God through everything is so inspiring and gives me so much hope for my own story. You and John Luke have redefined what relationship goals look like for me, and that’s been so valuable in my current season of life (I loved his book too!) You’re so honest about what your day to day life is like and I get so much comfort from knowing it doesn’t look too much different from my own. I’m sure you get this a lot, but I feel like we could definitely be friends in real life (once I got over being starstuck of course!) I love following along with your adventures, I really want to go to Israel after seeing photos of your trip! Speaking of photography, your tips are so helpful! I’m currently interning as a graphic designer so I’m just getting into photography. Presets are my life right now so thank you for your recommendations. I love your style posts as well, your outfits are so cute and actually reasonable in price and functionality for an average 22 year old’s life. We have the same white high top Vans; I felt so cool when I realized it! Thank you so much for sharing part of your life online, I’m always so excited to see what you have to say whenever you post. No matter what it is, it always exudes God’s love and wisdom.
I love love love following you, because I look up to you and your family for all that you do to spread God’s word through your platform! I hope that when I’m older, my family will be just as God centered, and God passionate as yours. You are also such a fashion inspiration! You are always looking so effortlessly gorgeous! Its like you don’t even have to try, you are just always looking so great lol! Thank you so much for all that you do to spread God’s love!! it has for sure reached me and toughed my heart! <3
I follow you because I really struggle to find Christian lifestyle blogs that are right in the same chapter of life as me. I love hearing your real honest raw walk with Jesus!!
I love following you because you are very authentic! I love your style and your photography (which happen to be two of my favorite hobbies). You are inspiring and grounding at the same time and I love taking a break from my sometimes stressful days to read your blog!
I follow you because I am also a Christian, 22, married, and you are so encouraging! Many times your blog has challenged me in my faith and I appreciate your authenticity. I have had a difficult time finding friends as a young married woman (also with two littles), but it is great to have a Christian influence I can relate to! Also, I love your fashion sense and photography! Happy June and happy belated 22!
P.S. Do you have a “praise” Spotify playlist?
I follow you because I also follow Jesus and am also in college in VA (at VT), and your posts are often super encouraging to me!!
I lead young life in Virginia (specifically Young Life College at VT) which means I go after lost college students on our campus who want absolutely nothing to do with the Lord. It’s super hard but SUCH a gift to be allowed to do this, and be a witness to God!!!! And I think it’s just really cool to see the platform the Lord has given you. I know many girls follow your account on instragm especially who are not believers at all that I care for, which is interesting and cool to see that Jesus is attractive to us—and that’s why so many people follow you, because you so evidently follow Him!
I love following you because you’re an inspiration to me! I love how you share your vulnerable side with us, it has truly helped me overcome some obstacles. I hope one day I can be that ray of light to someone and just know you are to many of us, so thank you for sharing your life with us :^))
I follow you because I love how real and authentic you are in your posts! I have gone through many of the same health issues as you and I truly believe that sharing stories about such instances are real ways to learn to cope and move past these obstacles that we may face. I also love seeing your passion for Jesus and His faithfulness! Keep doing you, girl! ?
I follow you because I feel like I can relate to you because of how real you keep it! I appreciate that so much because that’s not something you can say about many people. I love reading about your life and marriage in your blogs (& seeing your beautiful + awesome pics) because I’m 19, in college at FSU, and wanting to marry my boyfriend hopefully soon! we’ve been dating for almost three years and would have loved to get married like uhhh three years ago but it just wasn’t possible for us and clearly wasnt Gods plan for us, but we are starting to see things unfold and we feel like God is putting on our hearts to get married sooner than we thought! So i love reading your posts about your marriage and getting married young because it encourages me so so much!! Thank you for being real and putting yourself out there on the internet because you truly inspire me. ?
Lol My birthday is on May 20th to!! I haven’t been keeping up but just saw this now!! Happy birthday birthday buddy lol
The only thing is I was in 04 when u were already 8 hahahhaha
Hey Mary Kate! Late to the game commenting on this post, but I was catching up on your latest couple of post. I have been following you on ig and reading your blogs for a couple of years now. I always leave from reading your blogs feeling inspired in some ways. Usually it is to go spend time in the Word! I love your honestly and it encourages me to be open and honest with the people in my life. I have tried or am currently using different products or clothes you suggested or linked. I enjoy following someone who has such similar style to me! Jesus, make up, natural skin products, food, traveling, clothes, and so on are all my faves. Thanks for sharing God’s love with others!
I would love for you to make posts on bible study. Ive been a Christian my entire life pretty much but I’m horrible with self led bible study. I can go to a bible study with other people and get a lot out of it but how do you do it when it’s just you and the Bible? Any tips and recommendations would be so appreciated !
I love reading your blog at night because it helps me to relax and wind down. You have such a blissful big picture view of life that I see in each of your blog posts and it’s so inspiring and uplifting.