two year anniversary.

yesterday was our two year anniversary. we packed up our things and off we went on a little get-away...

before we left, my awesome momma brought us a basket full of goodies to take with us...fresh coffee, fresh bread, oil, strawberries, chocolate, and lots of other goodness. moms are the best. 

so we arrived at this adorable little place about an hour north of us. this place is a ministry to christian leaders and allows anyone in full time christian ministry to stay for FREE! we are blown away by the generosity of the couple who runs this ministry and how God has provided and blessed so many people through them. 

we met an awesome missionary couple from turkey who were staying there as well. once we got settled and walked around the gorgeous property (lots of land, several little ponds, a prayer chapel, trails, and a swimming pool!), we cooked dinner and ate pasta & fresh bread with bruschetta oil for dipping and ate outside. the weather was perfect. 

i was beyond thrilled when i saw that there was a hammock...how gorgeous is this?! i may or may not have flipped over a few times... brian may or may not have laughed.

later last night we made these scrumptious goodies and watched some movies. 

we slept in this morning and spent the majority of our day here where we got lots of sunshine (and a little burnt ;), played a cross between water polo and football, and....

had a nerf gun fight! (which i won, btw...i'm just a teensy bit competitive...in his defense, he kicks my butt at a lot of things.) here is boo loading his gun. 

i also have this new thing where when i wear vintage inspired swimsuits, red lipstick is a must, even if i'm just laying out at the pool...or playing football and having nerf gun fights...

i am so happy i married this man! the Lord is so good to me.

it was a perfect little get-away with a relaxing celebration...just what we wanted! 

memorial weekend.

what a blast this weekend has been! friday night we went to one of our favorite date night spots: the loveland bike trail to eat and walk around. we ate on the patio of the works, an old firehouse that has been restored to a restaraunt. they have the best pizza and salads! 

dessert was at an old candy shop where they make their own candy and ice cream! we had a little birthday cake ice cream and boo got peanut butter chocolate bark, while i got dark chocolate bark with espresso beans...yum! 

we ended the evening with some more walking around the area and watching "the princess bride" at home. 

so friday was splendid and the rest of the weekend was filled to the brim with graduation parties, birthday parties, and memorial day parties. i always love memorial weekend because it officially feels like summer. i am so thankful to the soldiers who make the sacrifices they do for our country! happy memorial day everyone. 

"leaping with joy"

just a few family pics a sweet friend took for us

malachi 4:2- 

But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.

confidence & an identity in Christ.

happy saturday friends! for this series on confidence, i wanted to get wisdom from someone older and wiser... so i decided to interview my grandmother. her answers are very direct and to the point, and sometimes that is simply the best thing... btw, i LOVE her answer to #3. hope this encourages you ladies! thank you grandma for sharing your wisdom with us! 
_________________________________________________________________


1. Have you struggled with insecurity? What kinds of insecurities have you struggled with?

• Yes, most diffinitely have struggled with insecurity. Mine have mostly been low self-esteem and fear of failure to live up to expectations I think others have for me.

2. Look at the culture now and the present generation of teen girls and young adult women. Do you think that much has changed since you were that age? Are women currently more insecure, less insecure, or is the level of insecurity about the same since you were in your teen and early adult years? 


Okay we are talking about a big age gap here. I would have to say that this generation of teens and young women would be under so much more pressure because the culture has changed a great deal. I grew up in the 50's. Women were not expected to go out and compete with men for jobs. We dreamed of getting married and raising a family. We were not bombarded with the same type of movies, tv etc. that comes today. The family unit was much closer and the world was a safer place (or so it seems). There were no cell phones or computers and people actually talked to each other face to face.

3. What does it mean to have an identity in Christ?


I am His child liberated and depending on His power.

4. How does your relationship with Christ cultivate confidence? 


 I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.

5. Does confidence get easier the older you get? 


Yes and no. Yes because we are more mature (hopefully) and our experiences help. And no because it still takes keeping my eyes on the Lord. When I start thinking about me then I have trouble. I must depend on Him day by day.

6. Do you ever struggle with letting other people or other things define your worth as a woman? How do you only let the Lord define your worth?

When I was much younger I was what I would call a people pleaser but I finally came to realize I must please only the Lord. I want to be obedient to Him.

7. What is the biggest thing you think young women need to know when it comes to their value, worth, and confidence? 


Your questions have touched on the answwer to this question and that is knowing who you are in Christ. We are certainly of great value since He gave His life for us. We need to realize that God is Who He says He is and can do what He says He can do and we are who He says we are in Christ. Read, study and meditate on His word so we know this.

8. Do you have a scripture to encourage women who are seeking to be confident and defined by the love of Jesus and not defined by the world?


 I will share with you the verse He gave me a few years ago when I was dealing with an insecurity. 2nd Tim 1:7 says "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of 
power, of love and of self-discipline." He has brought this verse to my mind many times.


_________________________________________________________________

a picture of my grandma and grandpa at our wedding...isn't she lovely? 

morning love.

breakfast in bed + jersey sheets + a snuggly husband = the best morning ever. thank you boo for my wonderful breakfast! 

diy anthro inspired tea party lamp.

here is one of the projects that i have been working on this month. i am so excited to show you this anthropologie inspired "tea party" lamp, as i like to call it :) i have been obsessed with anthro's "one- lump-or-two" lamp forever now, but didn't believe in shelling out the cash for it. i did some research and asked my wonderful, handy dad if he would help me make one. i am so happy with how it turned out...i think it looks just like a whimsical little tea party! 

here is what you'll need:

1. various sized plates, bowls, tea cups & saucers, and a tea pot. 

2. ceramic and tile drill bits

3. a cup of water

4. epoxy gel

5. a lamp kit

6. a dad who can literally do anything...not mandatory, but definitely an advantage :)

first, you will need to spend some time arranging your dishes to get your desired layout. (a little side note...your top dish or two will be hidden by your lampshade... my silly little brain forgot this part and now my cutest teacup is hidden)

next, you will need to spend some time drilling holes through your dishes. this is definitely a two person job. i held the dishes in place while my dad did the drilling. it's important to drill slowly, but steadily, and to dip your drill bit in the cool cup of water every now and then so the bit won't overheat and crack your dishes. also make sure you drill your holes fairly large so your lamp cord can go through the finished base without any issues. make sure all your holes in each dish line up!

your top dish is what will hold your lightbulb. once all your holes are drilled, insert the part from your lamp kit that holds the lightbulb in your top dish. make sure it is screwed in tightly. 

next, apply epoxy gel to the bottom base of your dishes, one at a time (starting with the bottom dish). place the dish on top of the previous dish and let sit for a minute for two before applying the next dish. it might help to do this part in segments. we built the bottom half and the top half separately, then applied the top half to the bottom half with the epoxy gel. 

i recommend not touching your dishes once the base is built and letting the epoxy bond the dishes together for 24 hours. after 24 hours, add the wiring from your lamp kit. finally, add a lightbulb and a shade! :D

my silly dad didn't want anyone to know that he helped me with such a girly project, but i wouldn't feel right without giving him some credit. i couldn't have done it without him and i owe him a peach cobbler or something for all the time he spent helping me ;)

i adore it! i cannot wait to put it in our living room. 

im thinking i want to make more?!

after writing this, i can see that i should've taken more pictures of the building process to make the directions more clear. sorry! here are some other great teacup lamp resources that helped me:

dream book design blog

vintage revivals

confidence though Christ's standard of grace.

hi everyone! continuing the series on confidence is my friend natalie, from heart stirrings. when i started blogging, natalie was one of the first people i met and i am so thankful! i always love reading her posts...she is so incredibly wise and loves Jesus, coffee, and BOOKS! sometimes i read her posts and think we are kindred spirits :) thanks for guest posting natalie!  
_______________________________________________________________


When Courtney asked me to share about my personal insecurities, I had to mull over it for a few days. Every time I tried to jot something down I kept thinking about fears. And then I began to see that insecurities really are byproducts of the fears that have taken root in our hearts. Three fears and insecurities I wrestle with came to mind quickly...

I Feel Inadequate in My Relationships. I'm talking about my relationships with family, friends, and even acquaintances here, not a dating/romantic relationship (because that's a whole can of worms of its own that I don't have time to dive into). It would make sense that I'd feel inadequate to varying degrees in different relationships when I have "fear of man issues." Fear of man issues usually play out two different ways for me: I constantly feel like there's this standard that other people have of me that I have to live up to in order to win their approval. And let's just admit it, deep relationships get messy, making it hard to be transparent, vulnerable, genuine, and honest with one another. I can't remember which author wrote it, but basically she said that as women we have this fear of being too much, all the while feeling like we're never enough, and I can totally relate to that.

I Feel Inadequate when I'm around "Religious" People. Religious people bother me. Mainly because they have little comprehension of what grace is. If we read the Bible Jesus wasn't to particularly found of hanging out with the religious folks; He preferred the company of tax collectors and prostitutes. Jesus didn't condone their sins, but He didn't sit around, condemning, or tossing them a do's and dont's list either. He radically changed their lives by showing them grace, love, and truth. As Christians we're to do the same. You see, for many people who look at me they see a facade that reads something along the lines of "Good Christian Girl," when in reality that's not my story to tell. It's true I grew up going to a Christian school, and have been surrounded by godly people for the majority of my life, but I've done some pretty wicked and sinful things in my past as well. I've got my some pretty heavy baggage, and trust me, I don't want any ol' Tom, Dick, or Harry going through it, especially if it's going to be used as "ammo" against me in the name of Jesus.

I Feel Insecure when My Livelihood is Threatened. I like, no love, feeling safe and secure. I really do. I'm not into hoarding money and I believe in giving generously, but I also like knowing that at the end of the day bills can be paid. When that's jeopardized I get stressed out. I'll be honest and say that this has particularly been a struggle for me for the past 6 months because both my parents have been out of work, I'm in college, and my sister will be as well this upcoming fall. It has been incredibly hard for me to trust God to provide during this season. I worry about how on earth I'm going to afford tuition, books, and a much-needed car. I worry about how my sister is going to pay her way through this upcoming year. I worry about my parents finding work, when it's going incredibly slow with little to no success. I feel this constant instability with my livelihood (by livelihood, I mean the necessities of life).

So the question I'm left with then is, "How do I fight against my insecurities?" Honestly, I'm not entirely sure, but I'd stake it on the weapons of truth and grace. In the moments when feelings of insecurity began to rise up, I have to "preach" to myself what Christ has shown and told me to be true or let godly friends, family, and mentors have a little pulpit time (as weird of an analogy as that may be), as fighting off fears and insecurities should include being in community. For the three specific insecurities I just listed it means...

-Yes, relationships are messy, so treasure those who stay by my side through the good, bad, ugly, and everything in between. They're a gift from God.

-Holding myself to a standard of grace. Christ's standard, not everyone else's standard.

-Religious people make bad friends in the first place. I need to quit listening to them and giving them more "authority" in my life. Jesus has full authority and calls me His redeemed child.

-Trusting God is good and provides exactly what I need.

-I'm already safe and secure under His care and sovereignty. I need only rest in it, and take each day at a time. I'm called to live in the present, not to worry about the future.

Beth Moore put it simply in her book So, Long Insecurity: "We're going to have to let truth scream louder to our souls than the lies that have infected us." Let us encourage one another to ward off our doubts and uncertainties, and allow our confidence to be found in 
the truth Christ has spoken to us.

via