{be kind to yourself}

life has been crazy busy and crazy full,

but even in all the craziness of my life during this season

i have to remind myself of this daily because

i've realized some days i can be not very nice to myself...

because when i look back on all these pictures i realize

life might be really hard some days and i may feel lost

but when i stop and look around, it truly is a beautiful

life i've been blessed with.  i'm so very grateful for this

season of learning to take care of me.

 {aw}

{just.breathe}

{consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance}
:: james 1:2-3 ::
sometimes it pays to just stop and breathe.

when life seems to be a little rough, maybe overwhelming, remember this.

 

one thing that yoga teaches me is that your breath is an amazingly powerful tool.  breath can calm us, center us, stretch us.  last saturday i had the joy of taking an in store "boga" class taught by my friend katie of Kadi Fit at our local lululemon and she encouraged us in our breath, that

"sometimes in life, it just takes another breath 

to push us to where we thought we could never go"... 

so take a minute to breathe in life today!  

to remember what a majestic creation you are and remember...

 

{happy.breathing}

aw

(all images via pinterest)

{life}

{via kadi fit}

{love does :: a new book by bob goff :: whimsy included}

hellooooo lovely pages

 

the UPS lady arrived just before lunch today with a fantabulous surprise delivery.

{love does}

the first mention i heard of the author, bob goff, was while reading "a million miles in a thousand years" by donald miller. now don't get me wrong, the whole of miller's book was fabulous, but there was something that i couldn't get didn't want to get past in the words written about this man, bob goff, and his family.  

the spirit of life, depth of joy, and breadth of love was something that my heart and soul resonated with right away.  i wanted the whimsy.  i wanted the "cup overfloweth" of life that bob lived.  i didn't want to sit on the sidelines anymore waiting for life to happen. i wanted to count to 3 and jump off the dock fully clothed too! (you'll have to read to book to get that one)

i started following bob in the social media world and i've been so encouraged, challenged, and enlightened by his 140 characters.  his love for uganda and to find true justice there... his love does just that there and all around the world. his apparent love for others does. this all shines through in 140 characters and others words who's lives have been touched by bob. i believe 18923.8989% that God uses people in our lives to speak His truth and grow us... and i can't wait to see what words from bob that God uses in my life.  

i strive to be a person that does love and does it well... and i fail and always will, but Jesus makes that type of love possible still.  i dream of that crazy type of (sometimes silly and over the top) loving and want my life to be full of it.  i want to continue living OUT my faith. not just owning it, but doing it.  i want to love like Jesus REALLY loved.  the love to the least deserving that made most people call Him crazy.  i don't want to take "the church" in america at face value if it's not the ridiculous type of love that Jesus called us to.  i want to truly be salt and light to a world that always has, and always will, miss the mark.  our world is so desperately in need of that type of love.  we need it in our families, to our neighbors, and to the grumpy lady in line at the grocery.  yes even she needs that type of love.  i want to be a bright light of jesus' abundant love to a dark world.  even if it means it's unpopular, risky, or even hard.  Jesus didn't say this life would be easy following Him, but He did say He'd be with us every step of the way.  i want to walk in the Spirit and "walk in love."

as i sat today at lunch in the sunshine at our old picnic table behind our office, reading the forward and intro out loud to my sweet mama and soaking in the warm rays of spring in NC, my soul started stirring...

i'm excited to dive in and read these pages by bob.  i'll let you know how this adventure of a read goes... but one thing i'm certain, regardless of any words is that...

{love.does}

 simple. as. that.

{aw}

{i was made to live, i was made to love, i was made to know you}

these words are speaking so deeply to my soul this morning.  

the words of c.s lewis from mere christianity, put so beautifully to song by brooke fraser, and then they showed up on pinterest this morning on this beautiful piece of design by baylee heart.

my heart not only connect so deeply to these words, but when they come alive through music and beautiful design, my soul connects in a way that words cannot describe.  

the Lord meets me there.  

i have seen His face.  

the face of Love.  

the face of Hope.  

for THAT i am beyond grateful.

{C.S. Lewis Song}

if i find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy,
  i can only conclude that i was not made for here
if the flesh that i fight is at best only light and momentary,
then of course i'll feel nude when to where i'm destined i'm compared

{chorus}
speak to me in the light of the dawn
mercy comes with the morning
  i will sigh and with all creation groan as i wait for hope to come for me

am i lost or just less found? on the straight or on the roundabout of the wrong way?
is this a soul that stirs in me, is it breaking free, wanting to come alive?
cos my comfort would prefer for me to be numb
and avoid the impending birth of who i was born to become

{chorus}

speak to me in the light of the dawn
mercy comes with the morning
  i will sigh and with all creation groan as i wait for hope to come for me

{bridge}
for we, we are not long here
our time is but a breath, so we better breathe it
and i, i was made to live, i was made to love, i was made to know You
Hope is coming for me
Hope, He's coming...

{music & the rest}

january.22.2012

{he withdrew... to a solitary place} :: matthew 14:13

there is no music during a musical rest, but the rest is part of the making of the music.  in the melody of our life, the music is separated here & there by rests.  during those rests, we foolishly believe we have come to the end of the song.  

God sends us times of forces leisure by allowing sickness, disappointed plans, and frustrated efforts.  he brings a sudden pause in the choral hymn of our lives, and we lament that our voices must be silent.  we grieve that our part is mission in the music that continually rises to the ear of our Creator.  yet how does a musician read the rest? he counts the break with unwavering precision and plays his next note with confidences, as if no pause were ever there.

God does not write the music of our lives without a plan. our part is to learn the tune and not be discouraged during the rests they are not to be slurred over or omitted, nor used to destroy the melody or to change the key. if we will only look up, God Himself will count the time for us. with our eyes on Him, our next note will be full and clear. if we sorrowfully say to ourselves, "there is no music in a rest," let us not forget that the rest is part of the making of the music. the process is often slow and painful in this life, yet how patiently God works to teach us! and how long He waits for us to learn the lesson! ::  john ruskin

{via streams in the desert}

called aside --

from the glad working of your busy life,

from the world's ceaseless stir of care and strife, 

into the shade and stillness by your Heavenly Guide

for a brief time you have been called aside.

called aside --

perhaps into a desert garden dim;

and yet not alone, when you have been with Him,

and heard His voice in sweetest accents say:

"child, will you not with Me this still hour stay?"

called aside -- 

in hidden paths with Christ your Lord to tread,

deeper to drink at the sweet Fountainhead,

closer in fellowship with Him to roam,

nearer, perhaps, to feel your Heavenly Home.

called aside --

oh, knowledge deeper grows with Him alone;

in secret oft His deeper love is shown,

and learned in many an hour of dark distress

some rare, sweet lesson of His tenderness.

called aside --

we thank You for the stillness and the shade;

we thank You for the hidden paths Your love has made,

and, so that we have wept and watched with Thee,

we thank You for our dark Gethsemane.

called aside --

o restful thought - He doeth all things well;

o blessed sense, with Christ alone to dwell;

so in the shadow of Your cross to hide, 

we thank You, Lord, to have been called aside.

{happy.restful.sunday}

aw

{be present}

ohhhh mexico.  

i spent last wednesday through sunday in sunshiny mexico.  it was absolutely fabuloso.  i had the incredible opportunity to travel with almond leaf studios for my first destination wedding where we also got to enjoy a little vacation and relaxation.  it was exactly what i needed after this fall of insanity and i'm so grateful for my time there.

 

 last week also got me thinking a lot about being present.  when you have the opportunity to check out of your so-called reality and just think for a while, it's amazing what your brain can come up with.

{be.present}

this has continuously popped into my mind over the last few months.  i have a tendency to zone out, distract myself too easily, and not. be. present.  i don't want to live selfishly like that any longer.  all my days in mexico i tried my best to be present in the moment, soak up all of God's magnificent creation, the sun on my skin, great people all around, and just be.

it can be challenging to be present and honestly sometimes it feels like an art... one that i tend to fail.  i make excuses. pick up my iphone too easily, get bored, my insecurities creep in about what people around me think about me, so i check out.  i leave the present and try to drift off to lala land... then i had an epiphany... if you're on the receiving end of someone checking out and not being present, it can really, really hurt.  it can feel as if you don't matter and in no way do i ever want to make someone feel that way and take their friendship or relationship that i've been blessed with for granted.  life's too short.

no more i tell ya.  i'm challenging you (and myself) to be present this week. (side note :: i know you can't be "on" 100% of the time so i'm challenging you to be aware and make your best effort)  think about the many, many things you do have to be thankful for, even if your current circumstances aren't the best.  make the best effort you can with the people who you have relationships with even if you see them everyday.  your friends. your family... aren't they the ones we can easily NOT be present with because it can be so familiar?  nurture those friendships and family relationships this week.  discover even more about the people around you, the life that you live, and be present. 

{happy.tuesday}

aw

{a.few.thoughts.on.pain.and.forgiveness}

i felt the bitterness creeping in...  things had not gone my way.  in my mind i had been wronged, forgotten, shoved to the side, received the short end of the stick... yet again.  what i thought was going to happen the way i wanted it to, did not.  my hope was shattered falling all around me in little tiny pieces.  at first the pain was all encompassing and suffocating. i couldn't breath, didn't want to move, didn't want to think, and didn't know what to think for that matter.  it hurt and the pain went deep.  it gashed open a wound that i thought had healed only to go even deeper this time around.  the wound of rejection was not new to me, but this time it hurt far more than i ever remember in my life.  i allowed that pain to paralyze me, question if God was truly hearing my prayers, if He cared, and my light shined a little dimmer in those days to follow...

they say time heals... and i have to think that's true. in the last few weeks i'm starting to feel again.    feelings other than deep sadness or pain.  feelings of restored hope and joy while i hear the Lord gently whisper in my ear "I am with you" as i begin picking up, one by one, those shattered pieces of hope that surround me.  

He has eased my pain through the love and gentle care of family and friends. in those moments that i allow myself long enough to be still and push through the pain... in those moments of quiet and solitude with Him... i am overwhelmed by His presence.  

i'm reminded today that through this pain there is growth, there is personal renewal, there is perseverance, and i'm a better woman for that.  more "me" than i've ever felt before.

 ...but one thing was missing.  

my heart was still holding bitterness.  it would creep in at times and make me angry, but i did my best to stuff it away trying my best not to deal with it.  trying to focus on what was right in front of me... all the goodness in my life...  but the bitterness kept rearing it's ugly head, taunting me.  and then a light turned on. 

forgiveness was needed.  

be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving 

one another, as God in Christ forgave you

-ephesians 4:32 

my heart was definitely not tender.  some days it felt in knots made of sadness and anger, but God would not leave me that way... and oh conviction how wise and sweet you are.  i had not forgiven.  i was holding that grudge in my heart and it wasn't going to go anywhere until i dealt with it face to face.  i wasn't punishing the other person, but punishing myself living day to day with the bitterness.

forgiveness called.  i answered in my heart and took a step forward in mending and making things right.  today is a new day and i walk forward in confidence that God knows what's best.  today is a day full of hope and joy.  hope for a future that will most definitely bring more pain, but i rest in knowing that my God will not leave me, nor forsake me.  He is here and He loves me far more than i can fathom.

grace is amazing and far beyond my understanding, but for that mystery...

i am grateful.

"forgiveness unleashes joy. i brings peace.  it washes the slate clean.  it sets all the highest values of love in motion.  in a sense, forgiveness is Christianity at its highest level."

-john macarthur

{tis.so.sweet.to.trust.in.jesus}

a remake of this old hymn came across my pandora in the wee morning hours last week as i was waking up in my over sized chair in my kitchen, cup of coffee in hand.  these 7 words of this song stuck out so vividly to me and i rolled the words around in my head as it continued to play.

this has been something i've been speaking over and over to myself constantly the last few weeks.  it's a truth i've needed to sink in during this season...

it's on my chalkboard above my sink...

remembering daily the sweetness that is trusting in Him...

hearing that and believing that to my core...

knowing His plan for my life is far better than anything i can create...

just because a door closed does not mean i am not loved...

ultimately His timing is best, not mine...

resting in the absolute peace and sweetness of that is something i don't know that i can eloquently put into words, but it's something so sweet that i never want to forget it and something that will never leave me... and moreover something i pray each one of you will experience through this life.

{tis.so.sweet.to.trust.in.jesus}

aw

{live.your.life.on.purpose}

really thinking on this today...

via sarah jane

{keep.on.hoping... yes.i.will}

::but i will hope continually
and will praise You yet more and more::

 psalm 71:14 esv

digging into my hope in Him

hope in the "impossible."

all things are possible though Him.

tis a rough... yet sweet, sweet season i'm in right now.

leaning into the One who knows me best.

i will rest in my weakness knowing that He is strong.

oh how HE loves me so.

this devotional was in my "streams in the desert" devotional 

by l b cowman and it was spot on what i needed to hear. 

Waiting For Hope

“For we through the Spirit by faith wait for the hope of righteousness” (Gal. 5:5, RV).

There are times when things look very dark to me–so dark that I have to wait even for hope. It is bad enough to wait in hope. A long-deferred fulfilment carries its own pain, but to wait for hope, to see no glimmer of a prospect and yet refuse to despair; to have nothing but night before the casement and yet to keep the casement open for possible stars; to have a vacant place in my heart and yet to allow that place to be filled by no inferior presence–that is the grandest patience in the universe. It is Job in the tempest; it is Abraham on the road to Moriah; it is Moses in the desert of Midian; it is the Son of man in the Garden of Gethsemane.

There is no patience so hard as that which endures, “as seeing him who is invisible”; it is the waiting for hope.

Thou hast made waiting beautiful; Thou has made patience divine. Thou hast taught us that the Father’s will may be received just because it is His will. Thou hast revealed to us that a soul may see nothing but sorrow in the cup and yet may refuse to let it go, convinced that the eye of the Father sees further than its own.

Give me this Divine power of Thine, the power of Gethsemane. Give me the power to wait for hope itself, to look out from the casement where there are no stars. Give me the power, when the very joy that was set before me is gone, to stand unconquered amid the night, and say, “To the eye of my Father it is perhaps shining still.” I shall reach the climax of strength when I have learned to wait for hope. –George Matheson

Strive to be one of those–so few–who walk the earth with ever-present consciousness–all mornings, middays, star-times–that the unknown which men call Heaven is “close behind the visible scene of things.” 

{keep.on.hoping}

aw

{my.new.mantra}

it might be a little extreme for your taste, 

but it's EXACTLY what i need to tell myself every morning when i wake up...

yesterday i took a cycle class for the first time in at least 5 years. my dear friend meredith just picked up an evening class at the Y closer to where i work.  before she taught a class uptown at 6 am and that is an hour that i do NOT function during, but now that her class is after work, i realized i couldn't make any more excuses. i went in thinking i might die.  (that's total wrong thinking by the way) but as mere got me set up on my bike and i started pedaling and warming up i had a total mental check.  i told myself  "you can do this." ... and i did.

daily i HAVE to make the choice to be the best me and if my goal is not to be fat, but fit, then i have to choose.  daily.  i have to choose to go to that cycle class.  choose to put my shoes on.  choose to keep pedaling even if after 10 minutes i don't think i'll make it to the 45 mark.  choose to push harder through that climb.  

choose. every. single. day.

if i'm going to make myself the best version of me, then this is a must.  discipline is tough, but nothing worth having comes easy, that's for darn sure.  one day i would love to have children, teach them healthy habits, but most importantly to lead by example.

yesterday i read this incredibly inspiring post by my friend katie of kadi fit and it addressed my daily battle.  the battle of the body, but as she points out, some things work for some, but not for others, BUT you have to make the choice to work hard at whatever you do and honestly,  it's one of the greatest satisfactions i've known.  running was my start, now i know there's a warrior inside of me just waiting to be unleashed.

{here's to choosing today to be fit and healthy.}

and i'll leave with with some inspiring images i found on pinterest.

 {aw}

{life blueprints :: dreaming out loud}

::we grow great by dreams. all big men are dreamers. they see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening. some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true :: - woodrow wilson

this post comes out of an inspiration that's been stirring for a while from the lovely lindsey nobles's series of posts entitled "blueprints" and overflowed today with my sweet friend, kelly hornberger's post about dreaming out loud.

so here it is.  i'm a dreamer.  some say maybe out of touch with reality at times, but maybe that's just their reality.  i like my "reality" just fine.  it is limitless.  it breeds creativity and feeds my imagination and i will not let the "realities" of this day define me.  for a while i've been wanting to lay out some of these dreams i have for my life.  dreams that i've hinted around, probably talked about, and some i haven't. today i really want to just lay them out there word for word, straight from the heart, no longer ashamed of what i desire.  so here we go!!

- to truly challenge myself in physical fitness and my eating habits so hard that my body, this temple i've been given, has no choice but to be amazingly healthy. 

- live this life full of adventure and always be ready and up for whatever is next.

-to be BOLD in making God's name great and showing how freakin' awesome His love is.  yeah.  it's that awesome.  no doubt in my mind.

- to be a wife and love a husband by this definition of love.  be his eve. his ezer kenegdo.  his helper in this life.

- grow a family.  nourish them.  encourage them.  teach them the art of play.  smother them in love and experience all the joy and challenges of life that come with that. to teach them how to love this world with a crazy love.

- to live on a farm or maybe just in the country.  lots of land would be glorious.  river included.

- get my hands dirty and connect with the earth.  grow an amazing garden and live off the land. (i'm a total hippy at heart)

- buy an old house and totally rescue it.  bring out it's old character and charm and make it a home.

- own chickens.

- dream a dream so big and full of love (don't know what this is exactly yet, but i feel it blooming) that it will fail without divine intervention.

- travel (most definitely back to africa) and see the world and take my family with me. 

- adopt a child or multiple childrens (yes childrens) and love them as my own. i long for my family to be colorful.

- grow my photo and video talents and use them to glorify God in mighty ways, tell wonderful stories and allow those stories to inspire others to do great things.

- to truly live a simple life.  less is more.

- and my one dream/goal that i hope i live out until the day i die... 

to live a life of love every single chance i get.  so much love that it makes no sense to the world.  you know that Jesus kind of love?  yeah that.  live. it. out.

will this all happen?  who knows?  i sure do hope so!  a girl can dream right?!? what are you dreaming of?  i triple dog dare you to dream out loud today.  write it down, even the silly ones you're scared to admit to.  tell someone if you must and get to living!

{happy.dreaming.out.loud}

aw

{i.get.by.with.a.little.help.from.my.friends...}

i'm an emotional one.  i've been told by close friends that i am very passionate and that i feel things very deeply.  sometimes it leaves me in wonder when the emotions are glorious and grand and other times it leaves me in frustration when the painful emotions run deep in my soul, but... i've realized more and more not to fight the emotions.  emotions make us real, make us feel, and allow us to drink deep of the experience of life.  emotions are what make us human and if you really think about them they are quite fascinating.  now i am not saying we should be controlled by our emotions, but too many times i think we try and fight feeling to move past what is, when ultimately it's the feeling that will bring the healing.

jon mclaughlin puts this thought into lyrics in his song "only human"
{after all we're only human always fighting

what we're feeling hurt, instead of healing}

recently i've gained an amazing awareness of how my friends and community around me have helped to carry me through this emotionally tough season of this single life in such an amazing and joyful way.  a few sundays ago my pastor was opening the service and he was discussing phillipians 4:13 "i can do all things through Him who strengthens me" and how we so many times we hone in on that verse that we forget the next part that Paul penned... verse 14 "yet it was kind of you to share my trouble."  Paul not only made it through his struggles with the amazing power of Christ, but with a little help from his friends.  a community that i have no doubt in my mind that God ordained to encourage and lift Paul up when he was in a tough season.

a gospel choir sang at church that sunday and when they broke out the famous beatles song "with a little help from my friends," Jesus spoke so sweetly to my heart and it overflowed with joy and gratitude with the realization that He has placed some amazing friends in my life during this season who have helped carry my load.  friends who may not have realized that their encouragement and love came at a time that God used them to lift me up, to lighten my load... and the emotion was too much to contain.  the tears of overwhelming gratitude came and in that moment, it became an act of worship.  the emotion became a way to be true to what i was feeling. the pain of the season, the joy of understanding, and the thankfullness for the relentless love of my God to help me get through was a feeling i don't ever want to forget.
 
so until my current season ends and a new one begins, i've allowed myself to be ok with the fact somes days will be good and some days will not be so good.  that this season is tough and it will be tough, it's a struggle and it will continue to be a struggle but... it's ok to be emotional and in the end Jesus will carry me through and i'll get by just fine with a little help from my friends.
 
{thank you to my beautiful friends... you know who you are}
aw

{adventurously.expectant}

romans 8 has been all up in my face this past week and some change.  well really the last 6 months, but last week it reappeared at my bible study, then yesterday through a friend's tweet.  last night i jumped into the text and then again this morning and what do you know... a pastor that i follow on twitter felt like he needed to write a blog post on romans 8 today as well {insert sarcasm} 


i've been trying to write out what's going on in my head and heart for quite some time and just can't quite put it into words and that's one thing that is so very frustrating to me. i've had this draft saved for quite a while and when i opened it tonight i was pleasantly surprised to find this...


::this resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!::  romans 8:15-17 {the message}

for the last 6 months it's the perspective i've been trying to cultivate and the way i've been trying to live.  to walk out that "adventurously expectant" mindset every day that i have the chance to wake up.  trying to walk this way during this season of life, this season of waiting,  has been SO awesome as i've jumped in with both feet into new experiences, but SO challenging right along side that when the deepest desire of my heart still seemingly goes unmet.


these past few years of my life have been a season of waiting and at times a season of extreme wrestling with life where i feel like i'm holding my breath for the next shoe to drop, but then i catch myself about to pass out and throw up (metaphorically of course) because that shoe never falls.  i'm still holding my breath, feeling like i might suffocate by the heartache of another rejection ... and i might've tweeted the other night that i wanted to punch this waiting in the face.  i'm not a violent person really, but that's exactly what i felt.  thankfully a wise mentor of mine stated to me this week that "this life following Christ is a constant waiting"  truer words have never been spoken, but man somedays that's tough.  must've been what the writer of romans was referring too when he said "we'll go through the hard times with him..." 

as i run full speed ahead into the age of 28 this week, my prayer is that i will continue to  seek to embrace every moment i have and live it adventurously expectant while pressing into God like romans 8 says " with a childlike "what's next, papa?"
i will also be clinging to this quote that a wonderful, loving friend that i have been blessed with over the past few years, passed onto me this last week...

"listen to your life. see it for the fathomless mystery that it is. in the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace." :: Frederick Buechner

{aw}

{life is short. love hard}

{exhaustion & the love of friends}

{ex·haus·tion} --last night i finally admitted that after a few weeks of running ragged doing many things that i love, i had hit an entirely new level of this word and found that satan, unfortunately for me, loves to prey on me when i'm at this point.  thankfully though, the peak of this experience came at a time where i was surrounded by some amazing women that God has placed in my life.  women who love me even when i'm in a low valley.  women who have seen me cry more times than i'd like to admit and don't get angry with me when i randomly interrupt our study because for some strange reason the water works decided to turn on right then and there, as much as i tried to fight them. 

these amazing women speak truth into my life, lift me up with amazing words of encouragement, and fill me with wisdom that i'm convinced, if it was not for this little community of friends, i don't think i would receive in the way that i do.  a way that is so close knit to my heart, and i'm completely convinced it's exactly what the Lord knows i need to hear. 

i call these wonderful group of women my "lifegroup" not only because that's the coined phrase of our church, because let's face it... we flat out face life together...

the good, the bad, and the ugly.

all this to say, today i stand more convinced that community with people is of the utmost importance in this life.  loving them and being loved in return is one of the greatest gifts i've received in my life thus far.  if you aren't in a community of friends, make sure you get in one now.  yes sometimes it's scary to be open and vulnerable, but that's where true life and love happens.

i was encouraged by this little chart of scripture that backs up this idea...

 Our task, given specifically by Jesus, is to

"love one another", which we do when we..

-build each other up ( 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13)

-look out for each others' best interest ( Philippians 2:4)

-bear one another's burdens ( Galatians 6:2)

-are kind to each other ( 1 Peter 4:9)

-honor and respect one another ( Romans 12:10)

-serve each other ( Galatians 5:13)

-admonish each other ( Colossians 3:16; Romans 15:14)

-confess your sins to each other ( James 5:16)

-forgive each other ( Ephesians 4:32)

-think of one another ( Hebrews 10:24)

-do not judge each other ( Romans 15:13)

-accept each other ( Romans 14:1, 15:7)

-do not stand in each other's way ( Romans 15:13)

-regard each other as more important than oneself (Philippians 2:3)

{happy.tuesday}

aw

can i be totally honest for you for a few minutes?  good.

i have a confession... i'm a hopeless romantic... there i said it.  it's out :) 

with february 1st here and valentine's day right around the corner, i can't help but see this month as the month of love.  granted EVERY month should really be the month of love, but on this month every year we are bombarded in our culture with "love."  from the cute little dishes at target (which i soooo bought... see?  i'm such a sucker) to the lovey dovey cards, gorgeous flowers, & the best of all... chocolate... it's all out there just waiting for us to buy in!

i've always been a dreamer in the love department yet for some reason (and i do NOT believe this is by chance) i have always been single.  yep... that's right, not one boyfriend.  i have these lofty ideas on love & am completely hopeful that one day God will give me the opportunity to play them out and that He will fulfill this desire He's knit so deeply in my heart, but as valentine's day rolls around again this year ... i'm still single and i'm completely okay with that.  now don't get me wrong, i don't want to be single forever that's for sure, but i am single now and that's my reality.  my goal for this single season is to not waste this time God has given me, but to daily search through it's purpose.  whether it's taking the time to better myself or if it's just for loving others well, i'm committed to this day to day.

my pastor david chadwick always says 

"don't worry with searching for the right person, 

but work on becoming the right person" 

and i completely believe this!

this month i'm vowing that instead of focusing on the romantic love that i don't have and long for (which i can easily catch myself doing), i'm going to focus on all the love i DO have! my little furry companion lucy, my amazing family, and my fabulous friends!  i'm going to celebrate each one just a little more this month.  i'm going to relish in all the moments i have with them and take the time to really take it all in and be appreciative of the love in my life right now!

{live.a.life.of.love}

aw

{i.love.handwritten.letters}

there's just something about sitting down and actually putting

the pen to the paper and writing to someone that i just love.

in our current electronic obssesed world that's consumed with email, smart phones, facebook, and text messaging, unless you journal or maybe use writing in your day to day work, writing has become almost outdated.  i have to admit that i'm guilty of relying on technology way too much for communication.  yes it's easy and yes convenient, but sometimes it's just not very personal. 

one of my favorite things to do, even though i don't do it often enough, is to sit down and write letters to people.  not emails.  not text messages.  letters.  there's just something priceless about recieveing a hand written note.  they make me smile, they make me feel special that someone thought enough about me to sit down and take the time out of their day to write me a letter.

i actually have a little secret letter project that i've been working on for about 3 years.  i can't get too detailed because it's secret, but about once a month i sit down & take the time to slow down long enough to put my thoughts on paper and write a letter. i hope one day they'll bring a smile to someone's face just like the cheesy grin i get on my face when i get one.

i challenge you all to write a letter this month.  find some paper that you love and think about someone maybe you haven't spoken to in a while or someone who could just really need an encouraging word.  maybe it's your mother, your father, a friend who you haven't seen in a while, or even that special someone in your life.  then find a quiet spot where you can focus solely on what you're writing without much distraction, and let your thoughts flow straight from your mind and your heart right onto the paper. 

send some personal, handwritten love today!

{happy.wednesday}

aw

{legacy}

today marked week one of the new "legacy" series at forest hill church and it was JUST the start that i needed to this new year.  here's what I took from the sermon today that I thought was worth sharing with all of you.

"we are all leaving a LEGACY... every single one of us.  

the question is... what kind of LEGACY are we leaving?"

::your legacy is tied directly to the decisions you make today::

::you are the sum total of your life choices:: 

::in order to make the best decisions for your life, one needs knowledge 

and then wisdom to know how to apply that knowledge::

   ::this in turn means that a good legacy is directly connected to 

wisdom in the decisions we make day to day::

"if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him" - James 1:5

in 1 kings 3:3-10 God gave Solomon to opportunity to ask God for whatever he wanted and Solomon asked for wisdom and God was pleased.  don't be afraid to ask God for wisdom of how to live your best life that honors Him!

here are the 10 truths/wise teachings written 

by Solomon for us to live by each day!

1. Put God First Always

::the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, 

but fools despise wisdom & discipline:: -proverbs 1:7

::trust in the Lord with all your heart & lean not 

on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, 

and he will make your paths straight:: - proverbs 3:5-6

2. Choose Your Friends Wisely

::become wise by walking with the wise; hang out 

with fools and watch your life fall to pieces:: - proverbs 3:20

3. Manage God's Money Wisely

::honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part 

of everything you produce.  then your barns with grain and 

your vats will overflow with good wine:: - proverbs 3:9-10

::just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower

 is servant to the lender:: - proverbs 22:7

4. Use Your Words Wisely

::words kill; words give life;  they're either 

poison or fruit -- you choose:: - proverbs 18:21

5. Manage Your Anger Wisely

::people with understanding control their anger; 

a hot temper shows great foolishness:: - proverbs 14:29

::a gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh 

words make tempers flare:: - proverbs 15:1

6. Always Work Hard

::as a door swings back in forth on its hinges, so the 

lazy person turns over in bed:: - proverbs 26:14

7. Resist Pride and Seek Humility

::before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but 

humility comes before honor:: -proverbs 18:12

8. Always Protect Your Name

::a good name is more desirable than great riches; to be 

esteemed is better than silver or gold:: -proverbs 22:1

9. Avoid Envy

::a peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy 

is like cancer in the bones:: -proverbs 14:30

10. Always Prioritize the Poor

::he who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,

but whoever is kind to the needy honors God:: -proverbs 14:31

i was really hit hard by 1 and 6.  i'm praying for wisdom that God would show me the best way to put Him first in everything that I do and also that i would always work hard.  as i look forward in gaining more knowledge in photography, i'm going to remember one thing david said today "success is hard work.  avoid being lazy at all costs."  laziness is one of my biggest struggles and i'm learning that it's a choice.  i have to actively choose NOT to be lazy.  here's to an amazing 2010 and i hope these 10 wonderful bits of wisdom are a great way for you to start your year off on the right foot. 

what are your favorite "words of wisdom" to live by??

{happy.sunday}

aw

::p.s. - you can watch this sermon by going to 
www.foresthill.org & clicking on the video message tab::