mid-week randoms

I’m linking up with Megan today.

{one}

Classes start today. I kind of love the beginning of new semesters.

{two}

I’m still going through Kelly Minter’s Ruth study with Eleanor. On Sunday I read ahead slightly and was stopped by Ruth 4:14…”Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today...’” Wow! What a needed reminder that was!

{three}

Ben Rector has a new album out. Go buy it! I’m going to see him in Atlanta over my fall break and he’s seriously one of my favorites.

{four}

Getting to have dinner and hang out with my roomies from last year was the best.

Trying to get a group photo is harder than it looks…

We’re fun. Be our friends? ;)

Happy Wednesday, friends.

friendship & sisterhood

Praying over Janice before her wedding …one of the sweetest moments of our friendship.

Yesterday afternoon I had a facetime date with one of my dear friends, Ketura. Over the summer we’ve made it a priority to have regular facetime dates and I’m so thankful for that. Her accountability challenges me and her pure heart for God spurs me on. Later on in the afternoon, I was able to have a skype date with one of my best friends, Janice. Even though she was just here to visit a couple of weeks ago, we talked and laughed to catch up on the past two weeks. Like Ketura, she challenges and encourages me constantly. We can be totally silly together and at other times have such meaningful conversation. These friendships were orchestrated by Christ and have remained rooted in Him.

After talking with these two girls, it got me thinking about friendship. More specifically about godly friendships that are really more like a sisterhood. I can truly say that having a few godly friends has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. These girls have pushed me to know Christ more. They have encouraged me when I’m discouraged. They have listened to me share my heart. They have prayed with me and for me. They have talked with me about Jesus. They have worshipped God with me. They have kept me accountable. They have pointed me to Christ always. These deep friendships take effort and intention (especially since two of my best friends live in a different state), but they are so worth it. I want to encourage you to invest in the friendships in your life…

plan skype and/or facetime dates

send encouraging texts

write handwritten letters

have coffee dates

pray specifically for each other

pray with each other

talk about what you’re learning in the Word

always point back to Christ

I’m just so grateful to have Christ-centered friendships. They are absolutely worth the investment. So I encourage you to be intentional with the girls you’ve been blessed with.

And just because one wedding photo wasn’t enough…

Photo credit: Jarmon Photography

Off to Tallahassee I Shall Go!

{8th grade}

Good morning, friends! Do you remember when I wrote about being asked to be a bridesmaid? Well, this Saturday is my dear friend, Janice’s, wedding! I’m traveling to Tallahassee, Florida (my hometown) as soon as my 7:45am class is dismissed.

I have so much excitement and joy for this wedding, but more so for their marriage. Their relationship is centered on Christ and I know He will be their foundation as they enter into this marriage covenant. I can’t wait to see Janice marry her best friend. I can’t wait to see his face as she walks down the aisle. I can’t wait to hear them exchange vows. I can’t wait to hear them announced as Mr. and Mrs.

Ahhh! Godly marriages just get me fired up!

Anyway, I’ll be back next week with details about this extra special weekend!

Friendships and Intentionality

Right this very moment I’m curled up underneath a throw blanket listening to this and spending the afternoon catching up on blogs (and writing this post). I’m incredibly thankful for the sisterhood that exists in the blogging community. I never expected the friendships that have blossomed and flourished with you. I treasure getting to connect with girls from all over the world as we walk through similar seasons. I truly adore getting to share in your journey and invite you to share in mine as well.

With all that being said, I’ve been thinking about friendships. And my goodness I’ve been blessed with some incredible young women in my life. I cherish these women that are in my life and the deeper our relationships grow I’m reminded that true friendship takes intentionality. So thank you for taking the time to read my blog…thank you for each and every encouraging comment…thank you for your sweet emails. It truly means more to me than you realize.

Also, I’ve been tremendously blessed by a few of my “real life” friends recently. Their intentionality in our friendship has made such a positive impact. I wanted to share these beautiful girls with you and the sweetness that they bring to my life.
One of my best friends, Vanessa, has challenged and inspired me more than she could ever know. Since I moved to Tennessee to attend Lee University, our friendship has only grown stronger. Since we live in different states, intentionality is a must. We talk about anything and everything and I know this girl will always be a part of my life.

One of our Skype dates earlier this month.

 

Next is my precious friend, Ketura. I actually wrote about the impact Ketura has had on my life a week or so ago. Ketura lived across the hall from me last year and we connected almost instantly. This girl’s heart for Christ spurs me on like no one else! And her intentionality and encouragement has blessed me in abundance…it’s amazing how much a simple text can encourage you.

 

 

My friendship with my friend, Jasmine, has grown exponentially over the past two years. Even though I moved away to attend school and she attends Florida State University our friendship has strengthened with the distance. We text all the time, write letters, and have Skype dates. I’m so thankful for Jasmine and she even surprised me with a package in the mail recently. She sent the sweetest card and coffee from my absolute favorite coffee shop in Thomasville, GA. Before I moved to Tennessee, we used to go on day adventures often and nearly always ended up in Thomasville to visit this coffee shop.

Also, sometimes we even send little video messages to say hello. You may think it’s weird, but they’re so fun and always make me smile. She sent me this one last week…

 

And then I sent her one back…

 

 

So be sure to be intentional in your relationships! It makes all the difference.

Life Lately {Fall Break}

As I sit here and reflect back over the past four days I am just so full. I had the sweetest fall break spent at home. Although classes were cancelled last Thursday and Friday, I had to hang around to work Thursday afternoon. As soon as I got off work, I met up with Kelsie to head home. The short drive home was just what I needed….windows rolled down, radio turned up, and an explosion of fall colors. We spent Thursday night relaxing.

We slept in Friday morning and woke up rested before spending the afternoon in town. Kelsie and I went to Blue Ridge, Georgia to explore a few local thrift stores. We each scored some awesome pieces and the best part is I don’t think I spent more than $12! It was a gorgeous fall afternoon and we drove the back roads to get home. We rolled the windows down and sang loudly to this and this. When we got back home we went on a walk in my neighborhood to admire all the fall leaves. I wish I could accurately describe to you the amount of joy I felt that afternoon.

Friday night was wonderful as well. My dad started a fire so we roasted marshmallows and made s’mores (so yummy!). Later we sat in the rocking chairs on the front porch and talked for nearly two hours. The night air was chilly and we each bundled up underneath a blanket. I’m so thankful for my friendship with Kelsie because she continually points me back to Christ. Our friendship truly is rooted in Him.

I spent all of Saturday hanging out with my parents and my grandfather came up that night. It was so refreshing to just spend time with all of them. On Sunday, more extended family came over for the afternoon. The second photo below is of my mom and her sister…the last photo is of my parents and I.

Although I didn’t want to leave on Sunday afternoon, I came back to school refreshed. This break came at the exact time I needed it and I’m grateful for every second of it. It was just so so good. Now, I’m ready to finish the remainder of the semester strong.

If you’re reading this…

If you’re reading this at 8:30 AM, I am probably stumbling into my kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee. I’ll have messy hair and a huge smile on my face because I’m getting to spend the weekend at home.

If you’re reading this at 9:30 AM, I am probably sitting in the rocking chairs on the front porch with my sweet friend, Kelsie. We may be talking or we may be digging into the Word quietly on our own.

If you’re reading this at 11 AM, Kelsie and I are probably on our way to Blue Ridge, Georgia to explore and shop around at a few thrift stores.

If you’re reading this at 1 PM, the two of us are still off having adventures.

If you’re reading this at 3 PM, we are probably laughing and talking in the car on our way back home.

If you’re reading this at 5 PM, we may be sitting around talking to my parents or off on a four wheeler ride exploring the area (and seeing all the fall leaves).

If you’re reading this at 8 PM, we are probably deep in another conversation while we make smores. Yum!

I wrote this post ahead of time because I’m home in North Carolina on fall break right now! My close friend, Kelsie, is spending the first part with me and my extended family is coming in on Saturday night. I hope each of you has a weekend full of cool weather, friends, and family! I’ll be back next week with lots of pictures from this weekend.

Kelsie and I earlier this week…

Skype Date & Letter Day

I had the best afternoon yesterday. Why you ask? It’s because I had a Skype date with Ameera from The Wandering Theologian. We’ve corresponded all summer and have developed such a sweet friendship. So, it was wonderful to talk to her “in person” for over two hours. Our conversation covered a wide range of topics from silly stories to more serious moments where we shared our hearts. There was a lot of laughter thrown in too! I came away so encouraged and thankful for our friendship.

Now, for a few letters…

Dear Lee University,

I’m coming back tomorrow! I have excitement and expectancy spilling out of me for this new semester. I thrive off of new beginnings.

Dear Keurig,

I’m so excited that my mom doesn’t need you anymore because now you get a cozy home in my apartment. You will get lots of love this semester as I make coffee every morning before my 8 am classes.

Dear "Aftermath",

The truth of your lyrics wreck me.

Dear readers,

It means so much that you would take the time to read about the pieces and parts of my heart and life. I genuinely enjoy sharing with you and hope that my blog is a place of encouragement.

Happy Friday, sweet friends.

Candid Moments

I was looking through the photos I have saved on my computed and I realized that I have lots of candid photos. These moments make me smile and flood my mind with memories of the moment they were captured. Some are as recent as this summer while others date back to my sophomore year of high school. I hope you enjoy these!

This was taken on my 16th birthday! My birthday was during the same week as youth camp and I was thrown a surprise party after service that night. It was completely unexpected and I promise you that I was much happier than I look!

I know this looks posed, but I assure you that it's not. I don't have the slightest idea how we all managed to have these faces...I'm in the middle on the bottom (if you couldn't tell).

This one is posed...it's the picture that we were aiming to get above. I only included it to show that the picture before was indeed a candid. 

I can't help but laugh at how crazy I look in this one! I was having a little too much fun in a bounce house when this photo was captured.

This one was taken during a lunch period...it was either 11th or 12th grade. I love all the different facial expressions.

During a field trip to Skate World, I let one of my second graders hold my camera for a while. She captured this one of me and three of my sweet girls skating around the rink.

I ADORE this picture. One of the best parts about my externship was the friendship I developed with the student teacher, Joy. We forged a friendship during the time we spent together with our class of second graders and we still talk today! This photo was snapped during her goodbye party and it's completely candid. It looks staged, but it's not. (Side note: Joy teaches middle school in La Paz, Bolivia now and you can check out her blog here.)

This was taken during a picnic last fall at the start of my freshman year in college. It was a gorgeous day spent with new friends...I'm the one in the red dress.

Earlier this summer, I went thrift shopping with my parents. At one store, I found my dad dozing off in a recliner...I guess we went to one too many stores for him! As soon as I was about to snap the photo, one of his eyes opened. Stinker!

Oh, my mom makes me laugh! We went to Dollywood earlier this summer and she attempted to entertain me as we waited in line. In result, I captured this.

I already shared these photos here, but I just wanted to share this one again. It's purely candid and makes me smile at how silly we look!

These were taken the same night as these. My mom had control of my camera and many candids were taken. These two make me laugh because of how goofy I look and I can't remember at all what I was trying to explain to her. I was very intent though!


I'm a Bridesmaid.

My heart is dancing with happiness because of this sweet card I received in the mail over the weekend. I’m going to have the privilege to stand beside one of my best friends on her wedding day! Janice and I met in our sixth grade gym class and our friendship was meant to be. I remember sitting on the bleachers and starting a conversation about our matching cell phone cases {we were cool like that}. We became fast friends and grew together throughout those awkward years. We made it through braces, crushes, and funny clothes. Nearly all of my middle school memories involve Janice!

As we started high school together, God got a hold of our hearts at the same time. We both started to hunger for intimacy and relationship with the Father. We were able to encourage each other to pursue Him like we never had before. I can honestly say that God used our friendship to change my heart. We had a strong friendship before, but it became so much sweeter as the Lord became the center of it.

Not long after, the two of us started to learn about God scripted love stories. The thought that God wanted to script our love stories was revolutionary to us! Eric and Leslie Ludy’s When God Writes Your Love Story completely transformed our outlooks on romance. We started to talk about surrendering our future love stories to the Lord as we dreamed about the mighty men of God that would one day win our hearts. Together, we decided to trust God to script our love stories in His timing and His way. It’s a decision neither of us will ever regret!

Although, I’m still waiting for the Lord to script mine, I’ve had the joy of watching Janice grow in love. I remember going on a LONG walk with her before she started dating her guy and talking about her growing feelings. I’m so proud that she guarded her heart and waited on him to initiate the relationship. He has pursued and won her heart ever since! I know that the Lord is the center of their sweet relationship and that He will use them to impact the Kingdom together.

My heart topples over with joy when I think back to that decision we made to surrender our love stories to God! She assures me that it’s worth the wait and SO much more beautiful than she imagined.

Our friendship has withstood time and distance and I’m grateful for her faithfulness in my life. Janice is a red-headed beauty with such a tender heart for God. She has the kindest heart and an infectious laugh. We truly are kindred spirits and I can’t wait to stand by my sweet sister in Christ as she transitions into the newest season of her life!

Here are a few photos from a road trip we took together two summers ago...