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Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Little Letters: February's Fascination





Dear revival month at church,
You've been phenomenal! Honestly, so much going on, but the impact has been real! 24 baptized in Jesus name and 23 have received the Holy Ghost. Seriously, how amazing!

Dear Valentine's Day,
This years was pretty perfect. 





Dear NDBF,
Your little unexpected surprises make me do all sorts of giddy happy dances. I miss you!

Dear flu season,
You're seriously doing the most this year. No one is happy about it, so just go ahead and leave already. #nobueno

Dear perfect spring weather,
You'd better be staying, considering I have cleared out the coats and sweaters in my hurried  anticipation.





Dear Mayberry's peach ice cream,
Why am I so obsessed?? I seriously CANNOT get enough! It may be a problem...

Dear gym,
see above...I should really go see you.

Dear watercolor painting,
I am going to try and figure you out. The results aren't always impressive, but I'll be practicing. It's really nice to kick back and have time to do this now. Can we also discuss techniques? So many!




Dear chocoflan recipe,
Thanks for being relatively easy, yet making me look like a master chef. Yes guys, I did cook that all by myself.

Dear spring cleaning frenzy,
You're never that bad until all of my closet is on the floor, and I realize the motivation is leaving me quickly...However, my closet is super neat and organized now, thanks! All matching clothes hangers, and it is also color coordinated in each department: tops, skirts, dresses, coats...doing the most? K, I'm done now.

Dear California,
I'm coming for you soon. Is my life even real? *insert giddiness here*


xoxo,












Monday, February 27, 2017

5 Reasons to Trust God's Timing




EVERY TRIAL AND STAGE IN LIFE REQUIRES US TO HAVE A DEGREE OF PATIENCE.

How many times have we thought we could not bear the pain any longer, carry a load no further, or hold life together no more?
I’ve been there!  
But Jesus is an on-time God, whose timing is always right, never too early or too late. Some days it certainly may feel as if we’re not on His schedule or clock at all, but the Bible lets us know that He is always concerned with the desires of our hearts. At times the waiting will only make us realize that what we were waiting for wasn’t what we needed. Other times, waiting will make us appreciate what we get a hundred times more!
Read on for 5 reasons to trust God’s timing:

1. WHEN WE REMAIN HOPEFUL, IN SPITE OF OUR WAITING PERIOD, GOD REWARDS US WITH RENEWED STRENGTH.


Perhaps we witness His amazing work in another’s life and it renews our hope for what he can do in us. We can fly above the impatience and keep moving ahead of our worry, as long as we continue to wait on God to do His work in us.
BUT THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES; THEY SHALL RUN, AND NOT BE WEARY; AND THEY SHALL WALK, AND NOT FAINT.
{ISAIAH 40:31}

2. EVEN THE DISCIPLES HAD SO MANY QUESTIONS FOR JESUS!

While He did answer many of their questions, He also told them that there were some things they just didn’t need to know. Even for us, there are things we may question God about, that we may never receive an answer for. When we ultimately trust in God, no amount of knowledge can replace the faith we receive.
AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, IT IS NOT FOR YOU TO KNOW THE TIMES OR THE SEASONS, WHICH THE FATHER HATH PUT IN HIS OWN POWER.
{ACTS 1:7}

3. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE ARE QUICK TO WANT TO RUSH A SEASON OR A TIME IN LIFE WHERE THINGS ARE NOT GOING WELL OR ARE NOT PARTICULARLY EASY.

Difficult seasons are fun for no one, but sometimes the most important lessons we learn are taught to us by experiencing these very things. Jesus is never holding you to a certain season just to keep you waiting, he is keeping you there to develop your patience and prepare you for the upcoming seasons in life.
TO EVERY THING THERE IS A SEASON, AND A TIME TO EVERY PURPOSE UNDER THE HEAVEN.
{ECCLESIASTES 3:1}

4. TRUSTING GODS TIMING CAN BE A SCARY THING FOR US TO DO COMPLETELY, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL.

It leaves us with a sense of insecurity if we are unsure of the what, where, when, and how of a situation. However, when we turn over the reins to God and allow Him to lead us, nothing can go wrong. The concept of staying on God’s time requires us to trust Him and simply follow.
BUT, BELOVED, BE NOT IGNORANT OF THIS ONE THING, THAT ONE DAY IS WITH THE LORD AS A THOUSAND YEARS, AND A THOUSAND YEARS AS ONE DAY.
{2 PETER 3:1}

5. THE FEELING OF LONGING THAT NEVER TRULY GOES AWAY IS THE EMPTY SPOT THAT ONLY JESUS CAN FILL.

This is our reminder that we are not yet home, and that this world is certainly not our home. Our souls yearn to be with our Creator. Throughout our lives journey we grow into who He has created us to be, seeking to follow His will, and therefore find our truest version of our self in Him. Oh what a day it will be, when my Jesus I shall see!

HE HATH MADE EVERY THING BEAUTIFUL IN HIS TIME: ALSO HE HATH SET THE WORLD IN THEIR HEART, SO THAT NO MAN CAN FIND OUT THE WORK THAT GOD MAKETH FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END.
{ECCLESIASTES 3:11}

xoxo,







* This blogpost first appeared on daintyjewellsblog.com *

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Little Letters - January Edition






Dear chunky knit sweaters keeping me warm, thank you for being the coziest and making me feel like I'm still in my pajamas while I have to be an adult and venture out into the real world.

Dear Lavinia the cat, this morning you snuggled into my bed as I was on my way to work and I really wanted to just call today a saturday and join your little snoozing party. #mykindofparty

Dear 10:30 PM sleep schedule, it's not you, it's me. You're really nice and all, but I feel like my afternoon time just got reduced by half. I also feel like I'm 8 ....

Dear Gabby, how come we've been too busy to hang out? This busy grown up schedule is not fun without you. Who else am I supposed to give all of my long-winded-but-fully-detailed rants to? I think I need a blueberry muffin now.

Dear Marlene and Eric, I'm SO excited about your engagement and CANNOT wait to celebrate you two! Queremos pastel, y boda, y toda la fiesta!

Dear boyfriend in North Dakota, you're my favorite.

Dear warm windy weather that makes me really happy, can you just stay already and we will call it spring? I'm completely ok with that idea. It would also make my outfit choosing in the mornings a million times easier. 

Dear impending spring break, please hurry.

xoxo,









Wednesday, February 1, 2017

The Minimalistic Heart





THERE IS THIS GROWING TREND AND UPRISING CULTURE OF MINIMALISM THAT IS CONSTANTLY BEING PROMOTED VIA BLOGS, PINTEREST PINS, INSTAGRAM SNAPSHOTS, AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS.

Minimalism is defined as a style or technique (as in design) that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity.
Essentially, minimalism is the idea of living in such a way that you remove the clutter, mess, and “stuff” from your living space and in essence your life.
This trend is beneficial in that it will give you extra space, reducing some of the messes that may induce stress. If you don’t use it often, get rid of it. Instead of collecting things, you focus on collecting experiences. Overall, I really like the idea and this year I am trying to make small changes that will help me achieve a more “minimalistic” mindset.
Yet in relation to our spiritual walk with God, and when it comes to your personal relationship with Jesus, how minimalistic are you? Sometimes it may be easy to do the minimal required for us to feel like we are doing what we are supposed to do.
Praying a quick prayer in the car, simply to say, “I prayed today” isn’t enough. Did you take the time to talk to God? To allow Him to speak to you, and have time to listen, to feel his presence? What about simply handing someone a church card to say you did outreach? How much more effective would it have been if you took the time to approach them like a friend and made a connection? Reading a few verses to say we covered our Bible reading for the day; when we read the Bible without wanting to hear what God is trying to speak to us, we miss out on strengthening soul-food.
One area in life that we should NEVER minimize is the love and desire our souls innately have for Jesus. If anything, with the world’s crazy topsy-turvy ways, we should seek Him out so much more daily!
…BUT EXHORTING ONE ANOTHER: AND SO MUCH THE MORE, AS YE SEE THE DAY APPROACHING.
{HEBREWS 10:25}
Jesus is coming soon and we all need to be ready! When it comes to our hearts, we need to do more to ensure that there is no minimalism in how much it belongs to Jesus. It should be entirely handed over to the creator. Our souls cry out for more because He is the source of our strength — He is our Rock. Let us do the most that we can with what we have, where God has planted us.
BLESSED ARE THEY THAT KEEP HIS TESTIMONIES, AND THAT SEEK HIM WITH THE WHOLE HEART.
{PSALM 119:2}
Darling, this is no time to have a minimalistic heart towards God.  What goals have you set for yourself this new year that will draw you nearer to Jesus? We would love to hear some of your encouraging goals!
xoxo,



* This blogpost first appeared on daintyjewellsblog.com *