the land of 10 gallon hats and tumbleweeds.

ok. so i saw neither while in texas. but i did see lots of boots! 
most of you know i just went to dallas for the weekend to see canaan. & boy, what a grand ol time we had! we went to the JFK museum, strolled around ikea, spent some sweet time with prestonwood youth group, ate at in n out, and toured all around dallas. so so fun! i even had an interview at prestonwood thursday. please pray for the Lord's will to be done, whatever that might be! i would love to give the details about the interview, but i want to see if something happens first. please be praying!
but prestonwood was amazing. folks, its huge. but it was so comfortable to be there. i felt instantly at home and welcomed by everyone. it was so neat to sit back and see what canaan does. to finally see where he is everyday and what his life is like there. it was great to see the Lord utilizing him and him be so passionate about it! he loves those kids, and he lets that shine from him. love it. =] saturday night, there was a youth service, and i got to help a little with the kids that came to the youth group that night. the girls i met were precious and made me miss my girls form knoxville so much! after, me and canaan went to big service after. what a good word! sunday, i got to go to the regular service and then hang out with the youth again during their sunday school time. so many kids! it was a blessing to see all of them there. please lift a prayer for their lives, that they will be changed and living for Him!
sunday morning, i got to spend some time at the church on my own, and had some awesome time with Him and in the Word. i was reflecting on the teachings i had heard that weekend. saturday night in the youth service, the youth minister chris talked about acts 3. he spoke about the crippled man and how he had begged all his life. he knew no other way. day in & day out, he begged people walking to and from the temple for money with his head held low. thats all he knew to ask for. then peter offered him something greater than gold or silver. he offered the man something in Christ he thought unimaginable- the ability to walk. he then held his head high praising the name of the Great Healer. this is so parallel to our lives. we ask the Lord for what we think is the best we can get. but then the Lord offers us the unimaginable. life. we then live our changed lives with our heads held to the sky, constantly praising our Savior. 

cant wait to go back! now, here are the pics. =]

 

me & cane at the JFK museum in dallas.

 

where JFK was shot.

 

downtown dallas.

 

wonderfullll way to start the evening.

 

 

just call me crafty cathy.

i know my name's ami. but it didnt sound as good as "crafty cathy". that rolls off the tongue easier than "crafty ami". you see my point?

anyways, ever since pinterest has taken over my life [see last post], ive done some crafts myself. & im going to share them with you today! arent you so so excited?! i know i am. =] ok- here are some fun things. one craft i did will be coming soon. cant post it quite yet. ok here we go.

 

craft 1: coffee filter wreath.

thats right folks. all you need is one of those green styrofoam circles from a craft shop, about a million brown coffee filters [id recommend 2 packs], and lots of pushpins. the thing i like most about this is that it looks so much more difficult than it really is. it was a fun project, thanks to the help of hillary osborne. =]

 

craft 2: baby jar bobby

pin holder.

ok ok. i know this isnt exactly a craft. but i thought it was a novel idea. i found it in my kitchen, and my mom had had it for ages and never used it. it keeps them all in one place and is kinda cute.

 

craft 3: glass shampoo/conditioner bottles

this is an old craft of mine, but i thought id include it. this gives everything a much nicer look in the bathroom. plus i love clear jars and schtuff like that. so i threw out the tresemme bottles after i filled up these glass containers. and these hold a big bottle of tresemme, so you dont even have to keep putting more in until you have to buy new shampoo altogether. genius, i say!

 

craft 4: button heart

isnt this the most amazing thing youve ever seen?? ok- i cant take credit for this one.... yet. i think its neat to take anything youve collected and frame it in a heart shape. i have currency from all over the world, so that what im gonna use. that way its not just under my bed collecting dust, but i can actually look at it and see it. 

thats it for my crafty side. i also have other big news. some of my closest friends are venturing to china today. they will be on a mission trip with my home church, belle aire, and will be gone for about 2 weeks. i dont know what im going to do without them! but im so so excited for them. what an amazing blessing and journey this will be. as children of the God of the universe, we get to share His story and love and Gospel with the world. what a gift! and what peace we have in Him. i pray that this changes them forever and they go share with a people immensely less fortunate than us. they serve a dead god and are held in bondage under this false religion. may our friends and siblings in Christ share the amazing freedom and JOY we have in our Father! it makes me want to dance around just thinking about it! so please be in diligent prayer for them as they are there. to be fed enough to feed, energized, and filled with the Spirit to make His name & glory known. 

psalm 105:12-15

 

 

 

pinterest.

so i have a new favorite thing. my friend lindsey jo told me about this website called "pinterest". its a website that lets you "pin" anything you like from the internet onto your own personal "pinboard". at first i was skeptical.

but now, im not hooked at all completely hooked. this website is amazing. you can pin different recipes you find, places you want to visit, things youd like to do in the future, DIY projects, clothes you love but cant afford, dream homes, funny sayings, etc. 

its so so fun! you are even in a network of people and can "repin" /like anyones pins that they post if its something that interests you. my favorite thing that i pin is things to out in my house one day. so fun to think about & daydream about. loving the place that im in now, but its fun to dream a little. =] i encourage you all to get one now. so so fun & its an organized way to keep all of your ideas in one place, no matter what you want to keep track of. g getcha one, people!

 

UPDATE TIME!

ok. i know i have been the worst blogger ever. but much has happened! and here i am to tell you about it!
- in june, i got to shoot a wedding. it was a beautiful wedding & i was honored to be asked to do it. heres a little sneak peek of some of the pictures..... 

 

needless to say, theyre an amazing couple!

- i am now a sales associate at kay jewelers! so tell your fellas to come see me to get you girls something pretty & shiny. youre welcome.  ;]

- student life camp was last week. i got to be with my small group girls from belle aire. david platt was the speaker and it was an amazing amazing week. the Lord definitely moved and was really present there. we had fun on the beach and an amazing Word all week. i love when the Lord moves and causes people to be active in their faith and for Christ! let us no longer have a casual or cultural faith. if we truly know Christ in our hearts, theres no way we could

be casual.

 

- i got to have lunch/spend the day with lindsey jo. it was so great. we had italian, sweet ceces, & shopped a little. we talked a bunch and laughed even more. so so great. and i got to feel the baby kicking! sweet, rambunctious hank!

- canaan officially leaves for texas in 2 weeks. please be praying for him and this exciting new journey. im so pumped for him and know the Lord has an amazing plan for him!

well, thats my catch up. i promise to blog more frequently in the future. peaceandblessings.

kairos.

so i went to this service tonight called kairos. its at brentwood baptist on tuesday nights, & it was fabulous. great worship, great teaching. the guy that has the website "stuff christians like" spoke. hes hilarious. and an awesome speaker. he knows how to be funny, but deep and relevant too. praise God for people who allow Him to use them for what they were intended to do. 

the series is about "plan b: when things on your life dont turn out how you thought". there were some really great truths and some things the Lord taught me tonight. 
my favorite point tonight was that we as humans and sinners have always had this innate ability to hide when in trouble. we got this from our oldest ancestors- good 'ol adam and eve. what role models, huh? from early years until now, we hide from our mistakes. though as we grow older, the way in which we hide changes, its still hoping that what weve done can be overlooked. in life, we can hide sometimes from the people around us. we can hide a fib, something in our past, etc. we can make it look as though it had never happened. the problem is that we take this nasty habit with us into our relationship with Christ, thinking we can pull the wool over His eyes as well. i take this same action of hiding under the bed from my dad when i was little and in trouble, and take it into situations with my Father. i "hide" from admitting to something or changing something or omitting something necessary from my life that would in turn make my walk with Him stronger because its one less obstacle. one less barrier between me and Him. to give up things in my life that WILL feel sacrificial, but knowing its a must for the betterment of my heart. to be able to glorify Him fully. 

but we cant just look at it as difficult. as the speaker so aptly reminded me tonight- we're putting the Lord in a box by thinking that the only way He can teach us or mold us is in failure or hard times. dont just mourn with Him- He wants you to dance with Him. let Him delight in you. like in zephaniah 3:17, it says He is "mighty to save". not "mighty enough in case something doesnt work out the way you wanted it". this means He might will have to save you. get ready for the plan b. get ready for things to change or work on His timing and not yours. but He wants to save you. thats His job. and it continues to say He "quiets you with love". not screaming or harshness. with l-o-v-e. allow Him that. allow the God of the universe to be with you in your secret place with Him and be quieted by Him. 

remember this- our instinct is to hide because the world sees things we do as shameful. the world tells us when we look silly or foolish. so we tuck away thinking that He will feel the same. instead, He looks at us and says "where did you hear such things? i didnt tell you that.  youre not silly to me. thats not what defines you- I define you. stop hiding".

the old is gone. the new is to come.

this has been a whirlwind of a weekend. first of all, i would like to say that im back in the good 'ol ruth co [thats rutherford county for all you non-hip folk]. i graduated COLLEGE this past weekend. i cant believe it. i feel so old. i might as well go ahead and retire now. sheesh! after i graduated, i hurried on down to chattanooga for kristen teeters bachelorette party. what a fun fun time! we did facials, ate amazing food, had great conversations, and danced a little. yay for her getting married this weekend! what a beautiful time. now im back, sitting in fido with the one & only katie suggs, writing and trying to figure out the next step.

there are a lot of things rolling around right now in terms of plans for the next season of my life. things i cant go into detail here about, but just needing prayer for those of you that dont quite know. and prayers from those of you that do! i love how the Lord makes Himself known in certain situations. theres no way you cant tell its Him. like an artist leaving their signature on their work, so does the Lord leave His fingerprint on all that happens in our lives. in the past few months, the Lord has chosen His own timing for things in my life, and i have no choice but to strap in and learn to have faith in what Hes doing. i wouldnt change it for anything and love seeing the Lord active in my life. but its still not scary at all scary, nonetheless, and i wont lie about that. no matter how faithful we are, we are still afraid of things larger than us. because in the end we are still human and cant see past a day. but thats why Hes here, holding us. because He can. i had a heartfelt conversation with canaan the other day, talking about situations bigger than what we can grasp at the moment. i told him that all truly good things come at a price, and are hard to fully accept because with them comes sacrifice of self. think about abraham and moses and paul and noah and peter. they had to let go of nothing everything. their families, the city theyd known, a comfortable life, what mattered in society. everything. to be considered followers of Christ and bring him glory. what came of it? huge lineages in history. being the only one that survived. being one after Gods own heart. finding the Lords land. amazing things come from not grasping to our measly opinions of what we think will be a decent life. let us run after Him and His plans with fervor. let our hearts beat wild with love for Him and even in the midst of our fears, continue on because we know the One we serve. and with that knowledge, there is confidence and hope and a loss of fear. 

 

theres me. getting my diploma. somewhere on stage. 

 

the soon-to-be mrs. yeargan!

 

 

thoughts.

- i love "the office". it will never get old, become unfunny, or be the same without steve.

- nothing beats cookies & milk in the evening. 

- i cleaned the downstairs today. it felt really good to have it vacuumed and dusted. 

- i got my hurrrr did today. somehow i get blonder and blonder each time i go. if i go at this rate, itll be white soon enough. better calm it down. but for now, the blonde looks good. 

- if you need a good cry, the notebook will sometimes always help you out. 

- pancake night was last night at the bcm. and i had a dinner with my favorite study group at school at downtown grille as a farewell dinner. it was weird because that will be the last time i see some of those people. reminds me yet again of how quickly this season has come and gone. blowing my mind if whats to come. 

- going home this weekend. last shindiggity doo? check. katies graduation party? check. graduations? check. family time? check. soccer games with my favorite people? check. cant wait!

- only one final holding me back from graduation. cap & gown, here i come. 

- one 2 more weeks of awful knoxville traffic. thank heavens! i think its the worst in the country. fix the dang roads already!

- i want a hammock. maybe a trek perhaps? donations can be made if you feel called to do so. =]

- i may have a bike! thanks to the one & only canaan james. night cruising anyone? 

- i love my red nail polish. its called "lollipop" and its the best red ever. 

- graduation makes me wanna travel. i hope i can go somewhere soon that ive never been before.

- favorite passage of this season.... luke 12: 22-34

²² Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

   ²⁷ “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

   ³² “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

i like him. ^ 

 

tacos, easter eggs, & tornadoes.

well, lots of stuff has been going on here since i last posted. first, we had one last big hoo-rah before everyones finals a couple of weeks ago. it not only was our traditional taco party, but we added a fun twist- a mexican fiesta with "bigotes!"- thats mustaches, for all you english-speakin folk. it ended up being a HUGE success. so much fun- pinata included! 

 

my group for everything this semester. such good folks. =]

and not only was the night so fun with my knoxville folk, but my boyfriend and biff, ang, surprised me by coming up just for the party! theyre the best. =] 

 

they make me happyyyyy.

then, last weekend, i had the honor of taking some engagement pictures for friends. they were a beautiful couple. its always an honor to shoot engagement pictures because its such a special time in their lives and it represents a beautiful season in their lives. 

 

cory & kelsey. 

easter was such a good weekend. i got to go home and spend it and see people i care about the most. me and canaan got to go see water for elephants friday. one of my new faves for sure. the cinematography alone was amazing, not to mention the storyline. a recommended must-see! saturday was spent helping canaan move the rest of his stuff back home and then meeting up with mom and the arnold crew for some frisbee and corn hole, followed by easter dinner, easter baskets, and harry potter. 

this week finally just got done with all of my big projects, papers, and presentations. hallelujerrrr praise the Lawd! but my last class of the day ended with my professor leaving us with words of wisdom. i found this sign & thought it was appropriate for this time in my life as well as others. it blows me away that this season in my life is almost over. but how exciting at the same time. 

 

true that.

 

 

 

 

rejuvenation.

can i just tell yall- this weekend has been one of the best weekends ive had in knoxville this semester. thursday, after class, i got to lay out during the afternoon. it was a glorious day and i dont care what anyone says, theres nothing that makes you feel better than a good 'ol tan. 

friday brought a lot of excitement. my girls came in. lindsey jo and anna were in knoxville for the weekend to celebrate our dear friends that are about to get married. it was such a God-given time of relaxation, laughter, sharing life together, and fun. i dont have as much fun with any other group of girls. i just feel like myself with them and can tell them my heart. i pray that everyone has friends like these in their lives. people who are doing big things and thanking God for their season. emily, anna, lindsey jo, and i all started in the same season- we were all new to a big campus. goodness, where the Lord has brought us in 4 years. there have been weddings, babies-to-come, graduations, small groups, sign language, parties, tears, worship, art nights, food, talking to all hours of the night, fire alarms, road trips, dancing, letters, people to hold us up when we fell, people to understand our mistakes and still be there. i dont know if its the nostalgia of almost graduating college or just truly enjoying the weekend with BEST friends, but i am so so thankful for each of them in their own specific and beautiful way. thank you for being weird with me and figuring it out. love you girls. =]

saturday brought such a fun fun time. us girls woke up and had anna's famous pancakes- as good as i remember them. =] and then that afternoon, we set up for beth-ann's lingerie party. that night was a blast! we made beth-ann blush a little, we all laughed so so much, played fun lingerie-party games [wink wink], and talked about marriage and weddings. its a blessing to hear beth-ann talk about how exciting and fun everything has been. that her and jared have had such a God-shaped journey and are truly enjoying their time of marriage counseling and getting ready for their life together. its so refreshing to hear a couple that isnt freaking out but truly relaxed and being thankful for this season instead of rushing it. their testimony definitely had an impact on my life. 

the weekend as a whole was a time of rejuvenation. it was warm, sunny, and full of warmth from good, meaningful relationships. 

heres a more updated picture of us from the last post. 

10 big things.

1. what a wonderful weekend. i got to go home this weekend and see my grandparents! they came in all the way from pensacola, florida for a friends birthday, so they stayed the weekend with me & mom. friday night we had a dinner with my grandparents, aunt & uncle, canaan, and the arnold's. it was an amazing night of first-time meetings, whipped towels, jello in laps, and angry birds. 


2. while being in town on saturday, canaan and i got to spend a day with his family. first, we went to go see his little sister izzy play soccer. then, we got to see his other little sister off to prom! she was beautiful and it was an honor to come along and see her!

...and here's canaan's mom, and his two sweet little sisters, lydia and jayne. they wanted to dress up from prom too. =]

3. im looking forward to this weekend as well. there's a lot going on! my core girls are coming in. its going to be a blast of a weekend! heres a flashback for everyone. yay for lindsey jo & anna coming into town!

4. this weekend is also our friend, beth-ann's, lingerie shower. so so excited. just you wait for the festivities beth. itll be a night worth remembering. =]

5. next weekend, i get the honor of taking some engagement pictures for some dear friends- kelsey & corey! were going to be taking pictures all around knoxville. i am so excited and honored to be doing this for a great couple. what an important time in their lives!

6. april 22 marks a big day. its the opening day for water for elephants! its a film based on a novel. i read the novel over spring break and fell in love. now im super excited for the film- plus its robert pattinson and reese witherspoon. cant get much better than that. 

7. im looking forward to easter. easter candy by far is my favorite. last week, i went into walgreens, and discovered my favorite toy of all time. its a cow that poops jellybeans. i laughed by myself in the aisle for 5 minutes- its the cutest little thing! i wanna get you all one. who knows? maybe i might...

8. also, with the wonderful easter weekend will be an opportunity for another interview! i will be interviewing for a part time event specialist position. im so excited/nervous. hopefully all will go well, as i know it will. 

9. last thursday was refer-a-friend week in zumba. at least, me & lauren made it that. we brought our friends gerica and grant to zumba. it was so so fun! i do believe theyll be returning. let me know if you wanna go too. we always encourage visitors. 

10. no tests this week. PTL!

a life interrupted.

there is a lot on my heart tonight. i hope yall will be patient with me. in my head, the Lord is speaking to me from many different directions that all point to one truth. i just hope i can verbalize them in a way that makes sense to you too. but i guess i have nothing to fear- if the Lord uses this to touch your life or speak to you in some way, then it will make sense. and if not, it wont. 


wednesday night, my high school small group girls [whom i adore and am so blessed to be with] talked about nehemiah. we read nehemiah 1, and we spoke of the destruction of the Jewish people during this time. what amazes me is the emotion from nehemiah when he heard the news. he "sat down and wept" and "mourned and fasted for days before the Lord". that is sadness. for what do we get emotional for these days? our basketball brackets messing up? not getting the guy/girl we thought we were going to end up with? not having our plan work out as it shouldve in our minds? i sense a theme.... 
the mourning of nehemiah was real and raw and faithful mourning. he was mourning the now defenseless state of the people of the Lord and his home country. in nehemiah 1, we see that the city wall is destroyed, which is a huge visual for the state of the city. any city in that time's biggest defense against attack was its wall. with the wall torn down, it was vulnerable and a target of attack for other countries. we see nehemiah mourn for his people and their state and for God's people as they are left in a state of what seems to be hopelessness. 
- this state Jerusalem has been left in is a result of the people's disobedience in the past. i do not believe in regrets. i believe everything that happens is to further refine and prune you to make your life an evermore glorifying reflection of the Lamb. but i do believe that every action comes with a consequence. what states are you in now because of our disobedience in the past? what does your wall look like right this very moment? 
- what does repentance look like in your life? what do you define it as? one of my girls in the group defined it ever so perfectly in my eyes: repentance is not just saying "youre sorry" for something youve done that you know is wrong. its when you have done something that does not glorify God, and you start to see that. in the midst of you realizing you have not been obedient, you look into that action of your life and see God through it. you see what youve done is wrong and that Hes in the situation, as He is in everything, but youve seen what youve done to Him through it. and you cant help but flee from the sin and want to change. because through the sin in your life, you see the broken heart of the Father. i thought that was a beautiful and truthful and tragic  vision of repentance. it certainly brought me to my knees.


as i mentioned before, the broken wall seems hopeless. but we know there is hope. as its said in nehemiah 1:8-9, those that were unfaithful were scattered, but those that obey and return to the Father will be gathered once again and given to a beautiful promise land. we will be gathered by the great Rescuer, Christ. romans 3:23-26 displays this so well. all of our hearts haven been destroyed by sin in our lives. but He is the One that rebuilds us lets us "soar on wings like eagles" if we turn our lives to HIM. not our circumstances. not our desires. not our wants. not our idea of what life should look like. not our plans. HIM. simply Him. 




all of this which leads me to my final point. we have now been given the Gospel. we now know, therefore we are now responsible. my devotional was about waiting on the Lord. now that we know He is the one that rebuilds us and rebuilds us He does, will you continue to live in a life of trust and faith? a beautiful scripture of challenge is lamentations 3:24-26

 "I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
   therefore I will wait for him.”
  The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, 
   to the one who seeks him;     it is good to wait quietly
   for the salvation of the LORD."
is He your portion? so you sit and wait quietly for Him? do you sit and wait quietly for anything these days? do you wait for His salvation? greg pinkner, my pastor, said the wisest thing ive heard in a long time. i think we get so consumed with knowing every little detail about christianity and being the smartest sometimes, but he said "never forget salvation, where youve come from. preach the Gospel to yourself everyday". thats beautiful and challenging and a wonderment to me. do i do that? i pondered this verse because i dont know if i do these things at all. i certainly dont everyday. the most challenging thing to me is to remember the simplest truth- Whose i am and what i was before Him. with Him i am His child and a coheir with Christ. without Him, dust.


live your life according to this. nothing should be a stumbling block to this, even things that seem like they are good things. remember, nothing is good if it isnt in Christ. not even Scripture if said in vain. not even a job that seems divinely appointed. not even a suitable person for a relationship in your eyes. not even a new addition in your life. if you ever feel like something is your right, check your priorities and viewpoint. thats a scary place to be. instead remember and hold tightly to this:
     You make known to me the path of life;
   you will fill me with joy in your presence,
   with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
psalm 16:11
our joy and satisfaction on this earth is in His presence, and His presence alone. He will let you know His path, but in HIS timing, and only if you are walking with Him. if youre constantly running ahead to see whats next or stopped and dwelling on what has happened, how can He take hold of your hand and whisper His intimate and personal plan for your life thats filled with hope and sanctification and joy and discipline and Him? these are my thoughts. i hope it awakens you as it did me. remember the One who is rebuilding your wall. 

catch up. ketchup.

well, im back into the swing of things from spring break. it was an amazing amazing time to be at home. i got to spend a few days in charleston with some good friends and explore a new place- one of my favorite things to do. we rode bikes and enjoyed the beach and i learned how to overhand serve in volleyball and ate the best hushpuppies this mouth has ever tasted and discovered the university of charleston- amazing place. the most beautiful campus ive ever been on. overall a wonderful trip.

yay for beach! side note: there were about a billion starfish on the beach. you never see them in destin, so it was neat. i even touched a starfish belly! it was really weird feeling.

i came back home and got to have a good 5 days at home to see people, relax, ride bikes, and enjoy reading. thankfully, i got to see good friends i dont always get the pleasure of seeing when im home for a quick weekend. my friend lauren turned 20 last week, and so we had a paint party for that. super fun. give me a dance party and im there. 

such a fun night!

life is funny. things never go the way you plan. this has been evidenced in my life and life around me recently. the theme that is constantly evident is that whatever happens, its the journey the Lord deems best for you at the moment. whether its the plan YOU had for yourself or not. its hard for us humans in our limited mindset to understand we have someone who can see the path when we cant. we forget He is on our side so many times. Hes the one who can see it mapped out, and we are to have faith that backwards turns or briar patches or rugged cliffs or points of oasis are all  leading us to Him and His glorious eternity. its a path designed to suit you as His child and what is best uniquely for you to bring Him the most glory. areas in my life right now are unknown and hazy. to me. but He knows. and will hold me and take care of me. please be encouraged by this and take hold of this. He has been giving me reassurance in His word and other various ways such as conversations and songs. there are some i want to share with you. the first is a verse:

 ³ Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,
   and the ears of those who hear will listen. ⁴ The fearful heart will know and understand,
   and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear. 

isaiah 32:3-4

this was given to me today in my devotional and it was about no longer fearing but as children, learning to start disciplining ourselves to turn to Him and rest in Him if we start to fear anything. He wants to take care of us. let Him have your fear and rest in His peace. 

the last thing i want to say is that there is a song that is so so comforting to me right now. please look at the words and realize the promise, hope, and love we have. i hope this is a comfort to you too, whether you are in a place of unknown like me or not. 

My soul is weak
My heart is numb
I cannot see
But still my hope
Is found in You
I'll hold on tightly
You will never let me go
Jesus, You will never fail

My soul is weak
My heart is numb
I cannot see
But still my hope
Is found in You
I'll hold on tightly
You will never let me go
Jesus, You will never fail
Jesus, You will never fail

Simply to the cross I cling
Letting go
Of all earthly things
I'm clinging to the cross
Mercy's found a way for me
Hope is here as I am free
Jesus, You are all I need
I'm clinging to the cross

Even darkness
Is as light to You, my Lord
So light the way
And lead me home
To that place
Where every tear is wiped away
Jesus, You will never fail
Jesus, You will never fail

Simply to the cross I cling
Letting go
Of all earthly things
I'm clinging to the cross
Mercy's found a way for me
Hope is here as I am free
Jesus, You are all I need
I'm clinging to the cross

What a Saviour
What a story
You were crucified
But now You are alive
So amazing
Such a mystery
You were crucified
But now You are alive

Simply to the cross I cling
Letting go
Of all earthly things
I'm clinging to the cross
Mercy's found a way for me
Hope is here as I am free
Jesus, You are all I need
I'm clinging to the cross

Grace's made a way
And lead me to the One
That is higher than none
Lead me
Lead me
Lead me
Grace's made a way
Sent me to the cross I cling
Letting go
Of all earthly things
I'm clinging to the cross
Clinging to the cross

orange.

i honestly hope yall havent been holding your breath this whole time. i told you i would get to it before the weekend, but i guess yall figured out that i didnt. too much to do to get ready for charleston! so here we are, with the long-awaited sequel to my previous post. today is going to be about orange. thats right ladies and gents. an orange-themed post. but not like UT orange [what yall think when you think im going to do orange, im sure], but a much more sophisticated and fun orange. at least in my book...

i guess ill start with a personal picture. this is one i took at UT in the spring. i love taking pictures of flowers. and these were beautiful. first because tulips are my absolute favorite. and second because of the unique color! love it!

ok i know this is a teeny tiny picture, but i couldnt get it the picture to be as clear if i made it bigger, so yall can just squint. some amazingggg shoes from urban outfitters. go take a look! youll agree with me.

yall now know my love affair with owls, and this was so dang cute, i couldnt resist showing the world. it probably has no use whatsoever but to be decoratively pleasing, but thats exactle why i like it. 

vintage. picnic basket. orange. good times are bound to happen with this.

i have a couple of fun watches. none this color, but i would love to add it to my repertoire. so fun.

vera bradley messenger bag. perfect for this post and for my shoulder. 

i want to run a fun household when im blessed with babies of my own. whats funner than mis-matched orange chairs??

again, a fun household means fun prints. and im all for colorful awesome prints.

i hope yall enjoyed this post as much as the last. next post? maybe a little histoire on my spring break visit to charleston.....