Embracing the New Seasons

With a new school year comes a new season, and not just the fall, as exciting as everything it brings may be. A new school year is just as much of a new beginning as a new calendar year and comes with just as many changes if not more.  I know for me personally this new year has come with so many changes both exciting and scary.

As humans we enjoy routines, we enjoy patterns, and we enjoy sameness. We don’t like when our world is thrown for a loop because we feel out of control. But isn’t it funny how the loops we are thrown are the very things we have been wanting and praying for in our seasons of sowing. We spend months preparing and expecting, and it all comes and we freeze. Do we really deserve to finally have that thing or that job or that internship or that opportunity that our heart has been preparing for?

“Isn’t it funny how the loops we are thrown are the very things we have been wanting and praying for”

The answer is yes my friend; you deserve to live to your full potential in who Christ created you to be. You are worthy of the blessings He has given you and He has only given them to you because He trusts you to do His work.

WOW. I wish I had come to that realization these past couple weeks as I am walking into this new season of my life. The Lord can’t grow us if we are always in our comfort zone. I became comfortable just desiring what the Lord’s plans are for me and I forgot that He gave me the authority to walk in everything He created me to be. I am worthy to be on this journey and embrace every new challenge and blessing He has given me. I don’t have to shy away from them or be intimidated.

It is such a gift that we are able to do God’s work with Him. He didn’t have to trust us but He does; knowing that we are going to screw up sometimes and that we aren’t perfect. He just wants willing and faithful people. He will guide us and equip us if we take that step out in faith.

New beginnings are difficult but exciting because with change comes growth, and restoration, and everything that is so sweet about when the seasons change. So be on the lookout for that first yellow and first orange leaf in your life this new school year. Be expecting that first snowfall in your life and get your gloves on because from a few flakes you can build a beautiful snowman.

Let’s get after it this year ya’ll!

 

Real Talk: Body Image

Alright y’all here is the first post of a new series that I decided to start on here: Real Talk. In today’s world where we are bombarded with expectations and “ideal lifestyles” through various forms of media, I think it’s important for all of us to keep it real with each other and remember where our real focus should be! So without further ado here we go!

Body Image: We all have things we want to change

This is something we ALL struggle with. No matter how perfect you think someone looks I guarantee you they are looking in the mirror thinking of one thing they would change. But how do we break free from that? Well that’s something I’m hoping to share with you guys today through my journey of learning to love my body.

Let’s rewind to when I was three. My first dance class. Little did I know this would lead to a 12 year journey with training and rehearsing 20 hours a week by my freshman year of high school. I was a stick; a lean mean dancin machine with literally NO meat on my bones. I burned calories as fast as I was consuming them and I never had to watch what I ate because I was exercising and dancing like crazy.

But all of that came to an end. By the time I was 14 my back had so much trauma from ballet, that I was developing scoliosis. The doctor gave me two options: Quit while you have the option to heal, or dance yourself straight into a brace for the rest of your life. Dreams were crushed that day, and it was the beginning of a long journey of physical therapy.

Ending that chapter of my life not only came with heart ache, but it also came with a lot of physical changes I never expected. I wasn’t able to exercise like I used to, and quite frankly I didn’t want to. So naturally I started to get some meat on my bones.

Dance was my only creative outlet, and it conveniently was an amazing workout. It took me a while to find another way to workout that I actually enjoyed and was able to do. I tried running on the treadmill, and indoor track, neither were my thing. In my junior year of high school I joined the gym and learned how to lift weights, and that was something I could rock with.

I loved lifting weights and it became a great outlet for me, but lifting changed my body shape and I started to gain muscle and fat in places I never have before. I was no longer a double zero, extra small wearing girl. But I thought I had to be. I continued to lift and workout but whenever I would buy clothes I would only buy extra smalls, thinking I wasn’t in good shape, or skinny enough, or pretty enough if I wasn’t wearing the smallest size. This resulted in me squeezing into clothes that didn’t fit right and feeling even worse about my body and the way I looked.

I had the image of a 14 year old tiny little girl engrained in my head, when I was now a 17 year old young woman.

It wasn’t until I came home for the first time after college and tried on all my winter clothes and realized they ALL didn’t fit. I remember sitting on the floor of my closet crying and thinking, “why did I do this to myself? It sucks having to squeeze into all your clothes.”

Friends, you do NOT have to fit societies standards of beauty, the only ones you should be striving to fit are the Lord’s. I felt so free when I started to buy clothes that actually fit my body and flattered my figure. I no longer workout because of how I look, I workout because of how I feel.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made, friends

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that our bodies are temples of the Lord. He bought them with a price and we are to honor Him with them. How can we be honoring God if we are condemning and spewing hate about HIS temples? By loving our bodies and who God created us to be we are loving God, because we are HIS handiwork; fearfully and wonderfully made.

And do you know what the most important part of our bodies is? The heart. 1 Samuel tells us that “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

“It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful. No, your beauty should come from inside you –the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. That beauty will never disappear and it is worth very much to God.” 1 Peter 3:3-4

The first step to feeling beautiful on the outside is to be beautiful on the inside. As our soul is prospering so will our health. So this morning when you look in that mirror thank God out loud for creating you in His image; for buying you and making you His temple, and for the beautiful heart He has given you!

Leave a comment below if you enjoyed this real talk and want to hear more!

XOXO

My Unconventional 4th of July

If you know me, you know that I LOVE the 4th of July. Barbecues, picnics, patriotic outfits, fireworks; they’re all my jam. But mother nature and coincidentally my actual mother, had other plans in store for me this independence day. The past week the Northeastern part of the country has been experiencing a record breaking heatwave, which started to break on the 4th of July with rain, a damper on anyone’s outdoor fun.

Flashback to two days earlier, my mom is on Groupon and finds one to go see 42nd Street at the Bucks County Playhouse. Coincidentally, we had been discussing going to see it one weekend. Sounds too good to be true right? Well it was. It turned out that the Groupon was only for the matinee on Wednesday, July 4th. And did I mention it was nonrefundable?

So flash-forward to Wednesday, America’s birthday. We got dressed to go to the theater, made the drive to New Hope, and enjoyed drinks on the patio before the show, (diet coke with cherries for me), and ended up watching a spectacular production. I really enjoy watching musicals and have seen many on Broadway. This was an Off-Broadway show, but the caliber of the performers, and the tap dancing was outstanding. 42nd Street is in essence, all tap dancing. The storyline is kinda wonky but the dancing carries the show.

After the show mother nature decided to unleash a downpour right as we put the burgers and dogs on the grill. We ended up having a “cook in” with the neighbors, and watched the Philly fireworks on TV.

All in all, it was not your typical Happy Birthday America celebration, but as far as 4th of July’s go this unconventional one ended up being pretty good!

Hope ya’ll had wonderful 4th’s celebrating this great nation we live in, xoxo

P.S. Outfit details are linked below 🙂

Dress | Necklace | Shoes (similar)

19 Things I’ve Learned by age 19

19 years on this earth. Well, time flies when you’re having fun. And although I could go on and on reminiscing about the past 19 years, today I am here to share with y’all 19 things that I have learned and am still learning in my 19 years here! ( I know what you’re thinking, how many times is she gonna say 19 in this sentence lol) So without further ado here we go…

1. Be Yourself

Yeah I know, I know it’s cliche but it’s important. You don’t have to go on some big epic journey to find your true self because life is already a journey in itself. You will go through changes that will shape you and mold you, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay true to you no matter where life takes ya.

2. Take lots of pics

We are blessed in our generation to have the glorious things that are iPhone cameras and Snapchat memories. Use them! One of my favorite things to do is just look back through my Snapchat memories and see random videos and pics that remind me of super fun days. And to go along with the subject of pictures…

3. Who cares about your Instagram “aesthetic”

Post whatever the heck ya want (that’s appropriate of course), but hey if you want to post ten selfies, ygg post them. If you want to post a pic of your avocado toast because it looks poppin then post it! I feel like it’s so easy to get caught up in the whole “omg it’s only socially acceptable to post once a week” kind of thing but honestly who cares it’s your social media so post away

4. Balance

Balance is key. I’ve gone on crazy health kicks where I would work out for hours a day and more recently I’ve let myself go and haven’t worked out for a month, neither of which show any kind of balance, but hey, like I said I’m still learning. So go to the gym a couple times a week, eat those salads, but also eat that Cookout tray or that donut once in a while because food is made to be enjoyed 🙂

5. Say yes to new things

Moving down south I was exposed to a TON of new experiences and things but I have learned to embrace it. For example, something as little as grits. I never had grits before I moved to North Carolina and now they are a fan favorite breakfast food of mine. I also tried doing Purebarre and Zumba this year and they are two of my favorite ways to exercise. The world is full of opportunities people say yes to some!

6. It’s okay to say “no”

If you knew me in high school I was the queen of yes. I was on every single committee and club I could be on and I physically could not say no without feeling guilty. Then I realized that I was not superwoman and I barely had time to breathe and I had stressed myself out to unhealthy levels. You cannot be everything to everyone. Pick a few things that you are passionate about to really invest your time into those things.

7. Invest in a good planner

Seriously it makes a world of difference when you have everything written down all of the time, especially if you’re like me and still working on the whole “no” thing and have a tendency to double book yourself. Usually I get a planner, be really good about the first few months writing in it and then as the year goes on it slowly gets forgotten about. But if you get a planner you really love and get some nice pens I have found for me I’m ten times more likely to stay on top of writing in it.

8. Be a little spontaneous

Spontaneity is not one of my strong suits. I tend to be type A and I like to have a plan but recently I have been working on finding a balance between having everything planned and going with the flow all the time. I will say this, some of the most fun times I have had this year have been random and spontaneous last minute hangouts or road trips.

9. Do something either fun or relaxing the night before a test

Yes, this sounds a little irresponsible but I have proof it works. I’m not saying to go on a crazy road trip or stay out all night before a test, please don’t do that actually. What I have found is if I break up my studying to do a little bit each day and study the day before, I feel ready enough to take the night to grab coffee with a friend or watch a movie and take my mind off the stress of the test.

10. Pick a career path you love because it’s YOUR career

I had huge plans in high school to be a pediatric nurse practitioner and guess what? That’s not actually what I want to do with my life and to be honest I still don’t know exactly what my career will be but that’s okay! Explore different options of things that interest you because you may just find your niche.

11. It’s okay to treat yourself

My big thing is my nails. I always have my nails done or I paint them myself. Me going to the nail salon every few weeks, or splurging every once in a while is actually a good thing, as long as all good things are in moderation. But hey, if you’ve had a rough week or just found out you passed a test you studied like crazy for go and buy yourself a face mask and a pint of ice cream, no shame!

12. Go to a concert on a Monday night

One Monday last semester my friend Camille and I went to a Ruth B concert on a Monday night, despite the fact that I had an 8am the next morning, but it ended up being one of the most fun nights I had ever had. We were literally touching the stage and got to meet Ruth afterwards. All of that just to have to drink a little extra coffee that morning. Worth it.

13. Find a way to sacrifice your time for others

And no, it’s not just so you can feel good for helping those less fortunate, it’s because that’s what we are supposed to do. It is such a good reality to check to go on a missions trip or even just volunteer at a soup kitchen and understand that there are people out there struggling and they appreciate any bit of help we can give them.

14. Make time to read for fun

I know, I know, we do enough reading in school or for work but instead of watching Netflix every night before bed read a chapter of a book. I started reading for fun more last spring and I found reading helps me wind down and relax a lot more than TV does, but that’s probably because I get way too invested in TV shows I watch haha.

15. Celebrate the small things

We reach our big goals by all of the small things we do along the way. It can be so easy to put on the blinders and be so focused on the big challenge ahead that we forget to celebrate all of the smaller obstacles we overcome to get there.

16. The door swings both ways

When it comes to friendships this is key, especially since I am off at college and far away from childhood friends and even at such a big school where I’m constantly around different groups of people. Don’t be afraid to reach out first, you can’t expect the other person to always reach out. Make an effort to keep in touch with your pals because friendship is a two way street

17. Don’t take life too seriously

I’ll never forget when I went to Disney when I was 8 and got picked to go on stage at a show and my mom told me that I looked like I was taking a math test the whole time. For a long time I was extremely performance driven in everything I did and thought that I had to be the smartest or get the best grades, etc… I took life way to seriously and forgot that you’re supposed to have fun! I’m not saying to blow off school but one mistake or bad grade doesn’t define you! Trying your best and having fun along the way is all that matters.

18. You will always have more growing to do

I thought when I graduated high school I was pretty grown up, then I went to college for a year and realized, WOW I had a lot of growing to do and still have a ton of growing up to do. Unless you can find me a human on this earth who is without a flaw I can say in confidence we ALL have growing to do. So be patient with people, were all in process still.

19. ALWAYS take the high road

Forgiveness is a huge key to life. If we all handled situations with the same grace and elegance that we’d hope to receive then the world would be a very different place. The golden rule is a real thing that we should use way beyond the days of learning it in elementary school. I wish I could say I always follow it but I don’t and there have been many times I’ve argued with people and been involved in drama that was completely unnecessary because I didn’t just forgive the person and move on.

 

Well there ya have it folks! 19 little pieces of wisdom from my 19 years on this earth. Wisdom I am still learning to live by. These definitely don’t encompass EVERYTHING I have learned but I feel like they are the most blog worthy and relevant of right now. And with that…

Keep learning and growing friends! xoxo

 

5 of My Favorite Empowering Reads

Summer is in full swing for most of us and that means lounging by the pool or on the beach with a good book. Unfortunately for me I have a 9-5 job this summer so I’m not sure how much lounging time I’ll get, but if you are luckier than me and have that time I’m sharing with ya’ll five of my favorite books that I have recently read that I think most women my age should read!

#1 Girl Meets Change

Kristen Strong

This book was a PERFECT read as I was transitioning into my first couple semesters of college. It is all about embracing life’s changes and how they are a blessing from God, and not something to be angry at Him for. Change is inevitable and ladies, we are constantly going to be transitioning and changing for the rest of our lives. This is definitely a book I will read and reread for years to come because the wisdom in it is truly timeless.

You can purchase Girl Meets Change on Amazon here

#2 Stronger than the Struggle

Havilah Cunnington

In the constant inner battle we face of “why am I going through crap if I’m walking with God” this book brings truth. Our life is a constant spiritual battle. Not gonna lie y’all before I read this book thinking/learning about spiritual warfare scared me. The way Havilah explains it is so clear and such a needed perspective.

You can purchase Stronger than the Struggle on Amazon here

#3 Without Rival

Lisa Bevere

Okay y’all I have read this book twice now and I cannot say enough great things about it or the author. Lisa Bevere has been given a serious gift to empower women. This book is so needed in today’s world of comparison and women tearing each other down instead of encouraging and empowering each other through first creating a deep and intimate connection with the Lord. If you enjoy this book check out any of her other books, they will not disappoint. I personally cannot wait to get my hands on her new book Adamant.

You can purchase Without Rival on Amazon here

#4 Live Fearless

Sadie Robertson

Sadie’s vulnerability in this book is truly inspiring. Being a 20 year old herself her struggles are things that ALL of us go through. The personal breakthrough I experienced when reading this book was unbelievable. I had fear in so many areas of my life that I never realized before. There is also a section in the book of scriptures to help you truly live fearlessly. So I encourage y’all to really reflect on and journal on those scriptures and dig into what they say.

You can purchase Live Fearless on Amazon here

#5 She is Free

Andi Andrew

So confession time; I’m not quite done with this book yet but I’m about halfway through and I am already LOVING it. Seriously I want to underline the whole book its that good. Andi Andrew drops some serious truth bombs. This book is all about living in true freedom. It’s seriously crazy how many lies we believe and how much we let the enemy into our thoughts. This is a must read!!

You can purchase She is Free on Amazon here

As you go through these books underline, highlight, keep a journal and really dig in because there is some GOOD STUFF by some powerful sisters in these books. If you struggle with reading for long stretches of times that’s okay! Read a few pages a day as part of your quiet time.

And with that…. Happy reading ladies xoxo

Another Week at my Favorite Place

Often times when we go to camps or retreats we have a mountain top experience. We are fully immersed in the presence of God, surrounded by fellow believers, and completely disconnected from the real world, literally disconnected though, because theres no cell service in the mountains.

This week I learned that that mountain top experience is still possible even if you spend the whole week working, in fact I found that it is even better. One of my favorite things about YoungLife is the fact that we are a community of believers all chasing after the same thing and that all have the same heart for lost kids. At the beginning of the summer every year each YL camp hosts a work week in which leaders sacrifice a week of their summer to work all day preparing the camp for campers to come.

I did my work week at Carolina Point. A favorite place of mine because it is a) the only camp I’ve ever been to, and b) because it’s the place where I first felt my heart feel drawn to this mission and my first connection with the awesome YL community.

The amount of people who I saw just willingly working out in the rain all week with a smile on their face was truly incredible. The joy of the Lord is truly our strength, especially on the rainy, humid week that we had. The blood, sweat, tears, and prayers we all put into this camp this week was truly amazing. We labored together, we prayed together, we laughed together, we cried together, and most importantly we run after Jesus together.

Weeks like this remind me why I am called to be a YoungLife leader and why I press through even when it’s hard and even when I feel like my high school friends are just not getting it. Ya just gotta press on and bring these mountain top experiences down to real life. We can and should be able to press into and experience Jesus’ love the same way in the real world as we do in those mountain top experiences.

Highlights of this week included: lots of camp food (big cookie and churros), meeting sweet new friends, and peaceful morning quiet times on the lake.

What I Learned from Freshman Year of College

College man. It’s a big adjustment especially if you’re like me and decided to go to a school that is a ten hour car ride from home. And especially if you picked a school where you knew approximately zero people, like I did. But y’all let me tell you, it was the best decision I have ever made. However, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that it was the most perfect year ever and everything was great all the time because that just does not happen, and that certainly was not the case for me.

Like I said, I currently attend a university that is far away from home, and it is also in a city; a big change from the tiny little beach town I grew up in. Not to mention I’m from New England and I’m going to school in the south now. Needless to say this year came with a lot of adjustments.

In middle and high school where I grew up you just had friends handed to you. You’re surrounded by the same 100 and some people from kindergarten to the time you walk across the stage getting your diploma. You have no other option but to hang out with the same people all the time so I guess I never really knew what it was like to actually have to go out of my way to meet new people and make friends. At the same time, however,  I was sick of the small town mentality and those same 100 some people (no offense). I knew I wanted something more but I didn’t quite know how to get there. So I figured the best way to do that was to run.

Boy did I run. I ran away from some of my core values, and ran away from old habits, and ran to people who didn’t have my best interest at heart. I was running away from anything and everything that reminded me of high school and who I was and was running towards this new version of me, who really wasn’t much of me at all. If I can sum up the most important thing I learned this year it would be that you can’t run away from who you truly are.

I tried doing this by choosing a major that didn’t really encompass my strengths, seeking out my validation in boys, and trying to get as many people to notice me and be my “friend” as possible. And then one day it all fell apart. Literally it all. fell. apart. I was miserable and isolated because I had desperately tried to be this new and better version of myself when I really was becoming a new person that I didn’t recognize. But I did’t have to do this. All I had to do was just do me.

Y’all there are no accidents with God. He made you who you are, quirks and all for a reason. I got so caught up in wanting to change and reinvent myself that I did just the opposite: I lost myself. Even then, when I had lost all hope and all identity the Lord redeemed me and revealed to me the sweetness and fullness of life when I followed Him.

I was so worried that I would miss out on the full college experience if I didn’t act and participate in the typical college culture. But I have found this year that I am living life so much fuller by NOT acting like the typical college student. I have true and genuine friendships, I go on frequent late night adventures to Cookout and Waffle House and truly enjoy all that Charlotte has to offer.

So if you’re in college, or starting college in the fall, do not think that you have to change yourself to fit into the stereotypical college mold. Be who you were created to be, be genuine, and be unapologetically yourself and you will find that life is so much more full when you are letting the One who created you direct your steps.

And with that… cheers to the next 3 years!