Our Georgia Season Finale: Beauty In Community

If my blog and life were a television series, I'd say this moment right here would be apart of the season finale. The series isn't complete. On the contrary, a whole new season is in the works, but I need to wrap up this Georgia season. Now, I may be the writer behind the screen, but the ultimate Writer added some twists to the story that still causes my heart to skip a beat and my eyes to fill with tears.

So my dears, this will be a long one. I hope you'll bookmark this page for when you have a free moment and settle in with me as I share this sweet story...

Tunic Top & Food for Thought...

Bright sunshine and coated skinny jeans, a beautiful combination. Actually bright sunshine goes great with everything. It illuminates your skins natural glow, infuses us with vitamin D and adds cheer to the soul. Now I know we need that rain from time to time; it helps appreciate that sunshine all the more, while giving us, well, water. ;) Happy Monday, my friends! This is what you get today. And this fun outfit of course.

Inspirational Tee & Thoughts

What a fun outfit this was! Was it a little corny that it also happened to be the same day I go to my Bible study? Indeed it was, but I will own it. What started out as a simple inspirational shirt became a walking advertisement. The words "faith," "hope," "love," and "it is well," adorned my neck and wrists. Though I proudly wear them all (they are great reminders), I meant no overkill. The colors just work.

Of course the message I live out is far more important than wearing cutesy, inspirational designs. In full disclosure, there are days when I think, "Girl go put that shirt in the back of your closet!" But according to the Bible, once we know Christ, He is what makes us worthy. On our own, none of us are worthy, even on our best days. So, may I focus on being adorned with wisdom and grace and may I daily try and live out this verse...

"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." Isaiah 61:10

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Outfit Breakdown:

Shirt: Local Boutique

Shorts: Banana Republic

Vest: LOFT, clearance find

Shoes: Clothes Mentor find

Necklaces: Premier Designs

Shades: Maui Jim - Costco Bargain!!

Leather Bracelets: Local & Simply Adored Jewelry

Silver Bead Bracelet & Watch: Premier Designs
Linking up with Not Dressed As Lamb, Michelle's Paige, Fashion Fairy Dust, Classy Yet Trendy, Shelbee On the Edge, The Pleated Poppy

*** A few extra thoughts ***

Do good days start with coffee and Jesus? If you're a coffee lover you'll enjoy the daily comfort found in sipping on that morning mug of goodness. Cut that coffee out of your life and you're going to experience headaches, sluggishness and what feels like total misery for about a week (at least I did the last time I cut out caffeine).

If you're a Jesus lover, you'll know peace, joy, forgiveness, freedom from bondage, hope that is everlasting, and times when you feel so full and loved you can hardly stand it. Some days will also be filled with mystery and surprises. When you seek Him and pray, you feel an unseen hand guiding, leading and even upholding you.

Cut Jesus out, or cease to spend time with Him, and life quickly feels chaotic, unsure, hopeless to the point of despair and even worthless. You become desensitized to selfishness, unknowingly welcoming it more and more each day. I've been a believer or lover of Jesus for 19 years, so I can testify to the super high charges as well as valleys so low I thought I'd never return.  And I cannot take the credit for the returns. He has always been there, lovingly waiting for me and gently calling my heart back to Him.

Days are always better when I start them with Jesus, but I love that I can catch Him any time of the day or night if the morning has slipped away.   Are there days when I skip entirely? Yes. How much I miss when I do! Are there days when I treat time spent in prayer and reading as another task to complete? Yes. I'm a work in progress; thankful for His rich mercy and sweet grace.  As for the coffee? They are not even close to being equals or comparable. It's just a sweet blessing to savor as I sit and wait to hear from the maker of my soul.

Have a wonderful day, my reader friends...

Chrissy

Feminine All the Way

 Once again I posted a few pics of my manequinn with different necklaces on the same dress to get extra opinions on Facebook. These are the four options I shared...

The vote was a landslide in favor of "B", top right, so that's what I went with.

"I love your outfit. It looks so feminine!", said a sweet woman at the grocery store checkout. 

Thank you sweet woman. You put extra bounce in my step as I sashayed to my mom-mobile, and inspired today's blog post. I think the floral print and the pleats from the waist down may be what gives this outfit that "feminine" vibe.  Who doesn't love an outfit made easy by a great dress? The jewelry was decided by Facebook friends, leaving me with the simple decision on what shoes and purse to use. It takes a village to help this indecisive girl pick out her clothes! (Not to mention choosing a "brand" for this blog. I'll save that for another day!)

Outfit Breakdown:

Dress: LuLaRoe (by Megan Cook)

Necklace & Bracelet: Premier Catalog

Shoes: WHBM (fun option, fun option 2)

Clutch: Fossil (fun option, fun option 2)

I'd like to close with a reminder this sweet woman gave me.  Words effect others, negatively or positively.  Words can have the power to brighten someone's day or keep them up at night, rehashing ugly criticism or hurtful remarks. I want to make people smile and feel good about themselves. There are those that make it easy to lavish with uplifting remarks and there are those that make it bite-the-inside-of-your-cheek and clench-your-teeth laborious. But I recognize that there are days when I'm easy to love and then there are those other days. Taking a good look at my own shortcomings (where they are "short", they do not lack in quantity) helps me to keep my attitude in check. Work in progress!

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

One more that requires much prayer...

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, James 1:19

Have a wonderful day my reader friends!

Chrissy

P.S. I'm linking up with  Elegantly Fashionable, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Myriad Musings, Style Elixir , Sydney Fashion Hunter

Ramblings of the Heart

Good morning.

It's my favorite time of day. The house is at rest. Only the hum of the fridge and the song of the birds interrupt silence. With coffee in hand I slip on whatever shoes I can find and sneak outside. Though its summer, I shiver from the morning chill. 

We finally planted a few flowers and I want to see their progress. Experience has taught me not to plant an abundance, for I struggle with the discipline of watering them. The sun is still rising and the air smells so good. Was that a hint of our gardenia bushes I smell? I smile to myself and feel at peace. God's with me. He made all this. 

The grass is tall. Too tall. I brush aside thoughts of task and to-do lists and seek out my small cluster of potted plants, while savoring another sip of coffee.

This beautiful bloom awaits me. How does something so small bring me tremendous joy? 

Can I stay here? Live in this moment with time slowed. No trial. No struggle. No pain. No longing. No temptation. Perfect contentment. Perfect peace. Whole. 

One day I will. Heaven. Earth's beauty will pale in comparison. 

But as I live and breathe, my time has not come yet.  Soon the household will awaken. And responsibility awaits. Beyond the home, one will be celebrated while another will be mourned. 

I take one more look (and snap a picture of course) before returning to life inside. I'm thankful for the peace and comfort He brings in these quiet moments. But oh how thankful I am that peace, comfort, joy and guidance is available to me (and ANYONE) whenever I seek Him. Good times. Times of sorrowful loss. Disappointment. He's there. Always.

"Anyone who comes to (God) must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him." (Heb. 11:6)

You Make Me Brave?

Jewelry by Premiere with the exception of the giving key necklace

Outfit Lowdown:
Top: Old
Skinnies: WHBM
Ballet Flats: Nine West
Purse: My fancy purse with a strap being held on by scotch tape. Cuz I'm fancy.

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Soooo, I've been pondering the art of being courageous. What does it mean to be brave? Doesn't that look different for each individual? For some, that may mean death defying acts of what I call craziness such as: cliff diving, bungee jumping, high diving (gather I'm afraid of heights?) and the list goes on. For others it may be speaking in front of a crowd, asking a gal out for a date, sharing your deep convictions and beliefs with another, going to a friend or family member with a conflict that needs to be resolved and that list could go on forever. This leads me to believe that bravery comes in all forms; in many manifestations.

A friend once told me that I'm brave and I must be confident in myself because I can bust out some goofy, ridiculous videos and post them for all to see.  Yeah. I don't think anything of that.  Perhaps I should be scared.

You know something that scares me? Cuz I've been thinking about this. Remember my post on being FEARFUL? Well, these thoughts seem to be building from there. What scares me is that something I consider to be a personal failure will define me. That I will come home from that supposed failure and feel useless, followed by a belief in the lie that others can do what I'm called to do better.

You ever experience failure? You don't forget how it feels. I went to a family member years ago and shared my heart about an issue that concerned me and it was not received well at all. That could be classified as a failure. It leaves a mark. And a fear begins to form when you think about sharing again with someone else down the road. Who wants to relive that?

Or how bout when you put yourself out there and you're not picked? Have you been passed over time and time again?

This is where a whole new level of courage comes into play. When you already know what it feels like if it goes wrong. We talk about the fear of the unknown. What about the fear of the known??

"If I mess this up, I may never be picked again."

Versus 

"I messed that up. They didn't pick me again and it was so awkward being around them."

OR

I'm nervous, but I can't wait to share my ideas with the team!

Versus

No one liked my ideas at the last meeting, which made me feel like a useless idiot. Why should I try to come up with more ideas?

Oh, Wait! This makes me think of a friend of mine that is about to have her 5th baby. Her first three children were born in the hospital, but after research and prayer her and her husband decided they would have the 4th child at home. I remember her being fearful and nervous about going 100% natural. It was the fear of the unknown. And from her telling, childbirth the old fashioned way is quite painful. She remembers it very well and admits to being far more nervous this go round. I think she is brave because in spite of knowledge that comes from experience, a home birth is their plan once again.

 As a believer in Creator God, I know that this is a trust issue. I am called to trust Him with my outcomes, good or bad. When I step out I'm saying, "God you're in control and I trust you to bring glory to yourself however you choose, knowing that may mean success and favor or failure and rejection.

To clarify, I am not talking about failure due to being ill-prepared, in the wrong place, or not working on the right gifts. I'm talking about moving forward with everything you've got. Comprende? (However, God is so good and full of grace that He brings good out of those too. That's a whole other post.)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5,6

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

***Now what? ***

• I accept that what's done is done. There's no changing the past and thank God we are not defined by our past!  
• Then I look back and think about what I can positively learn from history.  What would I do differently, if I could?  
• Keep the Bible close at hand and dig in! (with so many distractions this is harder than it sounds)
• I prayerfully move forward to ensure that I'm headed in the right direction.  
• Allow the mistakes to drive me to improve, by working on my "craft".
• Then I expect different results, but trust God with the outcome.  Every experience is a new one, regardless of how similar it may look.  
• I surround myself with positive reinforcement. Friends that encourage, pray for you and lift you up.
• Prepare to be blessed! Blessings come in all forms and fashions. There are blessings in pain, as well as the good. 

Surrounding myself with prayerful and supportive friends (that I in return support and pray for) is a biggie for me.  A friend dropped this necklace into my bag. It came in a cute wrapping, tied with string. Besides the actual gift itself, there was a note encouraging me to keep on creating.  God knew I needed that boost. He is faithful and proves Himself (though He does not need to) time and time again.

"The Giving Key" necklace 

Encouragement for My Fellow Fearful

IDo you often run from a challenge? Or do you thrive on the thought of surmounting that next feat? Man, I wish I was the latter!! But alas, I tend to avoid, or even run from certain challenges. What if I fail and look the fool?!

But with great quotes (easily accessible with a quick Pinterest search!) such as: 

"You only fail when you stop trying" 

and

"Don't be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try!" 

I should be grabbing the bull by the horns! 

All kidding aside, perhaps a part of maturity is accepting the failures along with the successes, and not allowing either to define who we are. And is it really a failure if we've learned valuable lessons along the way?

For those that do avoid or run, how often are you thankful you've accepted the challenge once it's complete? 

As mentioned in a former post, this year I'm intent on celebrating even the smallest of achievements or accepted challenges. It helps me to be thankful. It gives me more confidence in the God who equips me for every good work (large OR small). And just maybe, this will encourage another fellow fearful; another fighter of self-doubt.

Today's small achievement... 

Recently, our small group at church was challenged to write a letter to our family and come prepared the following week to possibly read it in front of the group. The idea of the letter was to teach us how to encourage, endear, enrich and enlighten our loved ones with the Gospel of Christ.  I fully intended to write the letter. Really I did. However, that week was a week like any other week - busy, busy, busy.  Sunday quickly approached and I no longer planned on writing that letter.  That is until, the challenger-assignee messaged me with the request to read mine if no one else volunteered.  

Coasters made by my talented sister, Lauren

Saturday afternoon came. Nothing. 

Saturday night, I sat down again to write. Nothing. 

Sunday morning I woke up early, sat in front of my laptop and there it was. 

A gift. Words full of His beautiful truths and promises began to flow. The usual cloudy mind, with thoughts bouncing in all directions came into focus. I knew that He honored my acceptance of the assignment. And you can bet, I was so thankful I said yes.  

Oh! Guess how many lovelies volunteered??? Yup. I read my letter to the group that morning.   

I'm copying my letter into this post. I pray it will encourage, enlighten, enrich and even endear you to our one true God. All glory to Him!

And to my Fellow Fearful?  I pray that we will put our confidence in the ONE who knows us, loves us and wants what's best for us, and...GO FOR IT!!

Chrissy

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Beloved family, 

I write to you this day to tell you that God loves you. Even though we are sinners; we want our own way, we fight, we steal, we lie, we cheat, He still gave His only Son and we need only to confess our sin, believe in Him, trust Him and follow Him to receive His precious gift of salvation and eternal life. God IS love. We cannot grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ (Eph 3:18). Is there any greater demonstration of love than to lay down your own life? That’s what Jesus did on the cross. 

Jesus came that we my have life and have it to the full! (John 10:10b) A life filled with the fruits of the spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.  We are called to walk according to the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of our flesh, but our flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit. We cannot do whatever we want and still expect to experience this wonderful fruit and produce fruit. (Galatians 5: 16,17)

So how do we walk in obedience and fight our flesh? This will not always be easy. We must be alert and sober in mind (1 Peter 5:8). Not only do we contend with our flesh. But take care. We have an enemy. An enemy seeking to devour. His aim is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10a). This is not an exaggeration or me being overly dramatic. He seeks to tear apart our family. He lies to us. He will tell you, you are no good. He will tell you the ways of the world are better, easier and more exciting than God’s ways. He will try to lead you down a path of destruction. 

Do not be dismayed by this, for Greater is He that is within you than he that is in the world!

And once we are His, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus. When we fail, we should confess our sins and He will forgive us. His mercies are new every morning. He is full of grace, unmerited favor. 

 Again, Believe in Him!  Fear the LORD our God, walk in obedience to Him and love him, and serve Him with all our heart and with all our soul. (Duet. 10:12).

We must love God and when we love God, we will love one another.

We will read our Bibles and pray. For His word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. When we trust Him and acknowledge Him in all our ways, he will direct our paths. 

We must keep our lives free from the love of money and be content with what we have.  He will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  When we Seek first His Kingdom, He will provide all that we need physically, mentally and spiritually.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. (Phil. 2:14-16)

Finally, we must share and demonstrate these truths to others. For God is sending Jesus once again. But this time it will be to gather His church to Him. We are His church. Oh, God help us to live a life worthy of our calling.

Your loving, dearest, momsicle :)