Green and Bling

I just can't believe how quickly the days and weeks have been flying by! This last weekend we look it pretty easy then had a get together with our small group from church last night.  I'm so thankful for the dear friends we have in our life.  It feels so good to live life together.

We have parent-teacher conferences this week, then Grant is going to spend the weekend with Grandma and Grandpa so Brian and I can go out for Valentine's Day, which will be such a treat!

As for today's outfit, I actually wore it last week, but wore it again for small group last night.  I scored the top and necklace at a clothing swap recently and adore them. The necklace is new and from Chelsea Row and I've been wearing it like crazy! The top is unlike anything I have, which is great too.

Getting Ready for Valentine's Day

We're getting all geared up for Valentine's Day at our house.  Grant decided we needed to get Princess cards for the girls and Star Wars cards for the boys.

His Eye is on the Sparrow

Last week on She Reads Truth one of the posts really stuck out to me. It was based around the song "His Eye is on the Sparrow,"here's a clip from Sister Act 2 (you're welcome).  First off, I adore the song, but I'm not sure I'd really reflected on the lyrics before.  Mathew 6:25-34 talks about how God even provides for the birds of the air, so how much more will he provide for us. "His eye is on the sparrow, so I know he's watches me."

The lyrics of the song also say: "I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free." I guess I'd never thought about like that, but Luke 6:45 says "The good person out of the good treasure in his heart produces good, and the evil out of the evil treasure in his heart produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Our words are reflect the condition of our heart.

This really made me think. What's in our heart is going to be reflected in our attitude each day. When I'm spending daily time with God it's clearly reflected in my attitude each day. Just yesterday I was literally "singing because I was happy." It was in the hall and a co-worker "caught me" and noticed my good mood. I was singing praise to God and out of the abundance of my heart my mouth was speaking.

The same rings true on days I don't start with time with God (generally Saturday's when I "get" to sleep in until 7:00). I can catch myself being impatient, and what's flowing from my heart and out of my mouth isn't always the best thing.

This makes me think of medicine, see God should be like a vitamin we take each day to keep us healthy and our hearts in line with Him.  God shouldn't be like a cortisone shot used only in emergencies to shock our systems and get us back in line with God. 

Each day I want to sing because I'm happy, and sing because I'm free. I want to remember who God is and is unconditional love for me and let that be reflected in my words. I hope you're encouraged to do the same.

Today's outfit is inspired by this pin, I adored it and knew I could create my own spin.  My favorite thing here are my new leopard print shoes. They are currently $5 in stores! I had my eye on them all season at Target, but patience paid off, literally. ;) I also can't stop wearing my Gap denim jacket I scored from thredUp.  If you haven't tried thredUp yet, use this link for $10 off your first purchase.

I wore this last Saturday for errands with Grant and then to go to a clothing swap at a friend's house. I haven't done one of these in a while, but it was so much fun.  The premise is you take a few things you no longer wear and trade them for new (to you) clothes.  So fun!

Here I am Lord, Use Me

Back in 2008 a Tornado hit a Boy Scout camp a few hours from where I live. It was an unfathomable tragedy and ended with the death of four boys.  One of them was a boy named Sam, only 13...the same age as my students.

A year later a memorial was held for Sam at my church and one of his favorite Christian musicians came to perform.  Sam wasn't a member of my church, but we had the space for the concert...I wouldn't have ever known about Sam otherwise. Even at such a young age, Sam already had a heart for God and even gave a sermon at his church. Whoa.

His sermon was focused on the life of Samuel from the Old Testament and how throughout his entire life, the good and the bad, Samuel consistently said "Here I am Lord, use me." Sam encouraged everyone in the sermon to me like Samuel, to have the same montra. How powerful would be be to let God use you in the midst of every situation? If we let the focus be on Him and not on us, to let our success be His, and our opportunities be used to glorify Him?

I'm humbled by Sam's words and the power they hold. Even years later this has stuck with me. I want to be like Samuel (and Sam) and let God use me to glorify Him. "Here I am Lord, use me." We are each in this very specific place for a very specific purpose. Why don't we let God use us just as we are.

I would have to say that this vest has been the most worn piece in my closet this season. Anthropologie has a fun option still availble, if you're still looking for one of your own. I recently got this Everly brand shirt for thredUp for $10 and thought it would be fun to pair them together.  I have another shirt I got from White Plum that is Everly, so I was excited to score it for such a steal! If you haven't tried thredUp yet, use this link for $10 off your first purchase. 

How Can It Be

Recently at church we sang this song, "How Can it Be" and it was honestly the first time I really had reflected on the lyrics and how powerful they are. Take a peek:

         

This song really starts in such a low place:

"I am guilty
Ashamed of what I've done, what I've become
These hands are dirty
I dare not lift them up to the Holy one"

I remember this feeling, this emotion.  I accepted Jesus as my Savior in high school, but had a few years in college in which I definitely wasn't living in a way I was proud of. I was drinking way too much, dating the wrong guys, and surrounding myself with friends that were very similar. I was unhappy, but I kept trying to find happiness through fun, friends, and boys...and it wasn't working. I wasn't happy. I felt just like this artist, Lauren, as I entered church for the first time in more than two years. I was beaten down. But I was quickly reminded of who God is and his everlasting love for me. I was also reminded of who Jesus is:

"You plead my cause
You right my wrongs
You break my chains
You overcome
You gave Your life
To give me mine
You say that I am free"

Although the fact that I turned my back on God saddened him immensely, He never quit loving me. Just like Lauren,  I felt like my mistakes were big, too big, but I was reminded of Psalm 103:12 "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." God's amazing grace is bigger than any mistake I make.

God doesn't see my sin or yours once we have Jesus, it's forgotten and with him we get freedom from sin, power unfathomable, and hope for a brighter future.  God meets us wherever we are, that's his beauty. "Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." (Mathew 11:28) I pray you find rest in Him today.

I feel like Target is just killing it with the deals, but what's new. I just got this cardigan for $12. I've had my eye on it all season, but my patience paid off.  This dress is also Target from last year, it was less than $10 and these heels are also from Target, they are real leather and were originally $45 online, but I got them for $12. Seriously, it's hard to shop anywhere else when I can get it all at Target.

Try

Recently I was introducing my students to the concept of mood and tone in poetry and I shared this video with the song "Try" by Colbie Caillat. The purpose was them to determine their mood afterwards based on the words in the song.  If you haven't seen the video you HAVE to watch it.

          

Once the video was over the most frequently shared "mood" was moved and I heard time and time again how important this song is. Days later the kids had some free time on the iPads and girl after girl was pulling this video up on youtube and singing along.  Definitely a very rewarding moment for me as a teacher.

Colbie's message is pretty simple, she says:

"You don't have to try so hard
You don't have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don't have to change a single thing"

Throughout the song she talks about doing all these things so others will like you, then she asks, but do you like you?  It can be so easy to look nice for others or dress to impress. But if we decide to base our value on what others think....good or bad, we're selling ourselves short.

I'll admit there have been more times than I'd like to admit in which I've bought something specially  for this blog and obsessed over how many likes a picture gets on Instagram.  My students were right, Colbie's song is moving and important, and one that we should take to heart.  Beauty can't be wrapped up in a neat package, nor should it be.  We are beautiful just as we are and the second we let someone else define our beauty for us is the second we begin to sell ourselves short.

Ever since the early fall I've been on the hunt for a dark denim jacket.  It seems like the second retailers put them on the shelves they were sold out.  That's one more reason when I love thredUp so much.  I found this brand new Gap on on there for $20 and it was exactly what I was looking for! Use this link for $10 off your first purchase if you haven't tried it before.  I'm also crazy about this dress from Target. I picked it up at 40% off on Black Friday and love everything about it. We've been pretty lucky to have a mild winter so far (just one small snowfall that didn't stick around) so bare legs it is!

Only a Moment

A number of years ago I read "It's Not About Me" by Max Lucado.  I would definitely recommend it, if you're looking for a good read.  One part of it has resonated with me for years.  He tell this story about how he's walking with his four year old son, and his son stops to look at something. Lucado is trying to hurry him along (I can totally relate, by the way). His son responds to him, "It's only a moment." This hit Lucado hard and it's stuck with me since.

You can really look at this phrase two very different ways: First, we are only given some much time here on earth, only a moment in comparison to eternity, yet so often we're like the Lucado, trying to pull our child along (metaphorically or literally).  Rush, rush, rush. "I just want this day to be over."  But this is the only January 28, 2015 we'll ever have. Why do we want the day to end so badly? We have been put on this earth for a purpose...for a reason. We really should make the best of the time we are given, after all, it's only a moment.

The second way to look at this is remembering that whatever difficult thing we are going through is only a moments in comparison to eternity...and an eternity in heaven once you've accepted Jesus as your Savior. Sometimes things can just feel so bad..so difficult..and so hard to overcome. But Jesus says in John 16:33 that we will have tribulation in the world, but to take heart because he has overcome the world. We have Him on our side. We can get through anything, as difficult as it is, with Him. 

I hope you're encouraged by this today, our lives here are only a moment, let's make the best of them!

A few weeks ago J.Crew factory put this vest on sale for $35 and I snagged it up and bought it with a gift card from my mom.  I've already worn it a few times, but wanted to try it using this pin as inspiration.  I really do love the open button-up trend this year and I think the dotted chambray makes for fun pattern mixing here too. Also, let's talk about these  leggings, they're a super thick knit I scored on sale.  I bought one, then went back for another.  I have been wearing them non-stop!

Season Favorites

I feel like I've gotten in the groove of dressing for winter and am also realizing there are certain pieces in my closet I'm constantly wearing.  I thought I'd put them together in a set to show you today, only to realize they make a pretty cute outfit. Of course the pieces I love the most would go together. ;)

First is my fur vest, I've been wearing it at minimum weekly (often more than that). Yes, my students always want to touch it and guys always ask if it's real, but it has been my favorite piece this season. Chic Wish still has a cute one available!

Next is my buffalo check button-down. I would never have realized how versatile it would be.  Mine is from Old Navy, but I love this option and it's boyfriend style just like mine.

I also scored these ponte leggings at Target on sale and can't take them off. They are thick like pants but feel like pajamas. Score!

I picked up black booties at Target (now sold out) but these are similar and I love them with my ponte leggings. I love black boots, but sometimes don't like the bulk of my riding ones, so these are a great option.

I'm also loving all pendant necklaces out this year, and this option has caught my eye. Don't get me wrong, I still love a good statement necklace, but I find myself wearing my pendant necklaces constantly!

So, how about you, what are you loving this winter?

flannel shirt / Chicwish brown vest / Stella Dot necklace / A2 by Aerosoles Women's Ride By Boot : Target / leggings

Being Present

Mindless surfing. Check Facebook...check Instagram....check email...repeat.  Urg, this is the worst and I find myself doing it. All. The. Time. I find myself being so concerned about what's going on within the world of Social Media I forget what really matters.  Please tell me you can at least relate a bit?

Once I get home from school all Grant want's to do is play with me. I'll be busy emptying the dishwasher, starting dinner and starting laundry, which are all valid reasons for him to entertain himself, but once that's caught up it's time for me to put down my phone and truly be present. I could use the excuse of winding down and being tired, but there will come a time when Grant quits asking me to play. I need to soak up the time I have.

The same thing goes for my husband.  Once Grant is finally to bed Brian and I have only about an hour, maybe hour and a half together before bed.  Should I really spend it on my phone??? I think the obvious answer is no. 

I know there needs to be a balance between "me time" and family time, but I'm really trying to make an effort to be present with the ones I love.  Because, you know what? God is always present, always there for us, always available. He has an endless supply of time to listen to the details of our day, our hopes, our fears.  I really want to work to be more like him and unplug from the things that don't matter. 

I never thought I'd get so much wear out of a piece as I have this vest! Today I decided to try it with my striped dress and boots, and I really like how it came together. The flurries had just begun when I snapped these pictures quickly. Luckily, it didn't stick around! Spring can't come soon enough!

Love

Recently I was reading about Jesus' final evening with his disciples in John 13:1-38.  Jesus rose from supper began washing each of the disciples feet. Now, this is an act that is usually assigned to the servants of the house to do, not the savior of the world. Peter specifically had a hard time with the idea of Jesus doing this, but the meaning is deeper than just a simple washing of feet. I think it symbolically shows how with Jesus we are cleansed from the sin we have in our life.  He makes us new. 

I think there is another perspective we can take on this act as well. Prior to washing their feet Jesus knew Peter would later deny him and that Judas would sell him out for 30 pieces of silver....and he still showed himself as a servant to them by washing their feet, even though they would betray him. Too me this is one of the greatest examples of how we should treat others, not just the people we like.

It's so easy for me to take the easy way out and try to avoid those I'm not crazy about, but what good does that do? What if I chose to act kind and metaphorically "wash their feet."  Think of the good that could come from that, from choosing to love on them even when we don't think they deserve it...by the world's standards anyway.  

We have such a great example in Jesus, just as he washed his disciples feet to symbolically show how their sin has been washed away, ours has too once we accept Jesus into our lives.  The old is gone and the new has come.  When we chose to "wash someone's feet" we can choose to forgive, to forget, to more on, and to love. There is tremendous power in that. It frees us from the hurt they might have caused and it shows God's unconditional love. 

I want to keep this as a reminder when things get tough with people. I want to work to not run from  hurt, pain and people I could call "difficult," but to look to them as Jesus looked at Peter and Judas. I hope his example encourages you to do the same.

I feel like winter has been making the idea of skirts just seem painful, but I don't want to see my dress clothes forgotten in my closet.  Other than the shoes, I've had all these pieces for at least a year. I feel like I can have a tendency to show my new things, as there are still links to buy them, but want you all to see I do wear the old too, and I think they should make an appearance on here too. Oh, and don't mind the Beagle hair on my blazer...that's really life.