On hardships and adversity.

Ohh hey there blog. Its been awhile!  Between travels, planning a couple of events at church and a mess of other random things, I haven't been feeling very inspired to do much in this space. 

Last weekend we had our Spring Women's Conference at Church and this years theme was "Uncomfortable Grace" { the hope of Jesus in the midst of adversity} At different times in our lives we all face hardships and adversity, but we may not be so familiar with the word Grace and what that looks like during suffering. One reason we go through suffering is that so we may truly know God. You can not grow in relationship with someone if you never go through anything difficult or hard together. Our relationship with Jesus is the same, he longs for us to focus on him and who he is. 

//Nothing can separate us from the love of God. 

//God is sovereign. 

//God is good. 

//God is the same always.  

These simple truth's are life changing when in the middle of adversity. 

      The speaker also had us make a list of things that our heart finds delight in and then challenged us to do at least one thing a day from our list. It may be as simple as hot cup of coffee or conversation with a dear friend. In the midst of hardships its so easy for me to retreat and not share whats really happening in my heart.  Anyone else find that? I never want to burden anyone with all the yuck in life. But really during the hard times is when we need community the most! 

My heart was so blessed/encouraged/challenged by the weekend and it couldn't have come at a more perfect time considering life has been filled with many challenges/hardships recently.

" Rejoice in hope. be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. " Romans 12:12

For a beautiful story of hope and grace check this story out. Be prepared for the tears to flow :]

On less serious note I am joining Beth over at Oak and Oaks today and in celebration of her 26th birthday we are giving one wonderful person $250 in Paypal cash! Go check out the fun!

Happy Friday! 

Spring Fashion

I am so ready for sunshine and warmer weather. This winter has just been dragging on and on!

I cant wait for sandal's and short sleeves and all things spring. 

I am obsessed with naturals, lace, pointy flats and gold accessories right now and thankfully it all says spring to me! 

What are you excited to wear this spring? 

Friday Five

Its Friday. Why is it that Fridays are just awesome? Maybe because the weekend is right around the corner and I am pretty excited about that! 

one// I've been busy in the office this week playing catch up from being on vacation for two weeks. It looks like we are finally catching up! And the laundry and clean house is also making me pretty happy! Cheers to catch up weeks!    

two// Husband has been home this past week and while that wasn't originally our plan for the week, I gotta say its been pretty great! He even brought me coffee one morning from Caribou! Score! 

three// I've been reading You're Already Amazing by Holley Gerth this week and its pretty much awesome! Nothing better then a good, challenging book! 

four// We decided last weekend to start juicing again and well its been pretty great! I've had go to the grocery store like 3 times this week to stock up on veggies. 

five// Nothing says spring is here like fresh tulips! love!!

Happy Friday Friends! 

Journey To Freedom..

 

        Do justice to the afflicted and needy
Deliver the poor and needy
Free them from the hand of the wicked
Psalm 82:3-4

The Exhibit is up and running this week. After so many months of planning its just been so beautiful to see the reaction as people from the community walk through. Its such a hard issue and I wish this was something we didn't have to have conversations about.

For more details about Journey to Freedom visit our website or our facebook page. 

Recently on Instagram.

     In reviewing these photos it looks like we drink lots of coffee. Its true we do. Some days I feel like its thee only saving grace in this dreadfully long winter. It just seems like it will never end. The long winter does make for some good cuddling time and when the sun does shine, well it just makes the whole day a little brighter.  I've also been been pretty faithful about working out the past month. Already I can tell a difference. It feels so rewarding and its becoming almost addicting.

I also recently opened a little instagram shop with clothes I no longer wear. You can check out my closet here.

Happy Thursday Friend! xo.

Slavery Still Exhists.

A couple years ago a few friends of mine and I embarked on a big epic adventure. We packed our bags and flew across the ocean to Thailand. Little did I know that my life was about to be changed in some big ways.

 I came home from that trip with a lot more then I ever had when I first got  left, but what made the biggest impact on me was the staggering number of women and children that are being trafficked. 
 My heart was gripped as I heard horrific stories of these women being sold and being forced to do/experience horrific things. 

 I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that many men from all over the country travel overseas to take advantage of these women. I still cant wrap my mind around that thought, I cant imagine being treated like a thing, instead of a real person.
 I came home and after some research realized this wasn't just a problem in Thailand.  It was happening in my country, my state and even my own town. 

A21 

Fast forward a few years and I've asked God many times what can I do? How can I use my voice?

  Recently I"ve had the opportunity to be a part of bringing an experiential walk-through exhibit looking into the reality of human trafficking.

 This exhibit will journey you through the stories, lives and situations of millions of people -- people who do not have complete freedom, whose lives have been taken captive and whose stories need to be heard.
You can check out more details for the Journey to Freedom Exhibit here or here.

The reality of slavery is not only physical, but spiritual as well. The God we serve has a heart for justice, and he wants to see each person experience freedom. Freedom from physical bondage and abuse, as well, spiritual freedom from lies, fear, sin and so much more! 

How will you use your voice? 

Beauty.

                                                                                   via.

                                                                             via.

                                                                             via.

I crave beauty in my everyday life.

 I crave clean lines and white space's in my life. 

I crave to create beauty around me, to inspire other women towards beauty.

 I crave less drama and more beauty and inspiration in relationships in life.

 I read this post The Ache for Beauty and my heart said a thousand amen's. The writer put my thoughts into words so much better then I ever could, but I feel like I hear this cry so much from women around me. We all want to beautiful, we want to be noticed, to be a part of something bigger then just our little lives, to leave this world having made a difference. 

True Beauty comes from within, a reflection of the gentle and quiet spirit that God so values. 
1 Peter 3:3-4

This year I am purposing to stop believing the lies and to go after true beauty. 


//For more beautiful inspiration check out this online magazine! //

Habits

¹hab·it

noun\ˈha-bət\

: a usual way of behaving : something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way. 

I made a few goals for this year, but I decided to really focus on developing some good habits. I feel like good habits will empower me towards excellence and I want more of that in my life this year. I was reading today that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. This challenged me as I thought about all the bad habits I've formed without any thought.

I also was reading that the goal of creating habits is to create long-lasting behavioral changes that move you towards big goals. I know I have some big goals this year and I need healthy habits in place to accomplish those goals.

So habits for this year..

drink more water. I fail at this one so much. 
spending daily time in the word. 
getting up earlier. I like sleep. 
taking vitamins daily. 

What are some habits you want to form this year? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Merry Christmas

"For a child has been born for us, a son given to us;

authority rests upon his shoulders;

and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His authority shall grow continually,

and there shall be endless peace

for the throne of David and his kingdom.

He will establish and uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time onward and forevermore."

Isaiah 9:6-7 

Merry Christmas to you and yours! 

xo. 

n&J

Christmas in the apartment.

I had so much fun decorating and getting our little space in the holiday spirit this year. at times I get annoyed with how little space with have and start to feel dissatisfied, wishing for a bigger space to spread out at. but this christmas I just feel really thankful to be here in this space we call home and to able to enjoy it with my husband. my heart is breaking today for this family. two days before christmas and 2 months before his first baby boy will be born his family is putting him to rest. my heart cant fathom the emotions his young bride must be feeling. 

 this christmas may your heart be filled with JOY that only comes from Jesus, the real reason we celebrate christmas! 

Currently.

Currently | I am feeling like I am barely keeping my head above water. I adore this season, but why must it always be so busy? Between now and next weekend there are like a million and two things that must be crossed off my to do list. We are hosting two parties at our house next weekend which I am so excited for, but it just means I have so much to do to get ready.  And the end of the year is right around the corner, which means that I have projects that must be wrapped up for the business.  

Currently | I am excited about singing in the Christmas choir at church this weekend. Its going to be so great! 

Currently | I am loving this Cinnamon Tempest tea. Its like Christmas in a cup. 

Currently | I am feeling so grateful for the gift of life. We had a harsh reminder this week that life is truly a gift and it ought to be celebrated and valued. I am looking forward to being with family this Christmas and treasuring my time with time with them. I also think I'll be doing some unplugging! 

 Happy Friday! 

Thankful.

       

I love this time of the of the year, the hustle and bustle of getting ready for the holidays, the time with family, the food, playing games with cousins and maybe even a football game or two. And this year for the first time in awhile I get to go black friday shopping with my mom and sisters. For the last several years I've always had to work and have never been able to join the mobs. 

This year I am thankful for so much and yet my heart is also sad.

 I can't help but think about my dear friend who just lost her mother this week. 

I can't help but feel sad for all the families who lost their job this year and cant afford turkey and all the fixen's

I can't help but think about all the homeless people freezing in this cold winter weather.

There is so much brokenness in this world and sometimes I find it really hard to deal with all of that! Anyone else feel like that? 

Enjoy the holiday. 

ps. this is a great read for your thanksgiving. 

 he brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. 

2 Samuel 22:20 

Cara Box Reveal

 For the first time I did the Cara Box exchange this fall hosted by Kaitlyn at wifessionals.  The theme for Cara Box was fall and since I am somewhat crazy about all things fall I knew it wouldn't be very hard to have some fun with this exchange.

 I was paired up with the beautiful Ashley and Lauren and I really enjoyed getting to know both of them over emails and through their blog posts. 

To see what I sent Ashley you can go here. 

 This was the amazing box I received from Lauren.  I adore Trader Joes, but rarely get to go since the closest one is 2 hours away, so when Lauren sent me all these lovely items from TJ I was just delighted. The pumpkin spice tea is simply amazing and I've been using the Vitamin E oil almost daily since getting it. I am waiting for just the perfect time to try the Pumpkin Muffins. Maybe this weekend?!  And check out that cute owl plate! So darling! 

 One of my favorite things about blog world is all the wonderful women you get to 'meet' and the relationships that are formed through blogging. I was so reminded of that again and felt so blessed and encouraged by these lovely new women I had the pleasure of getting to know. 

If you haven't ever signed up for the cara box and want to give it a try, the next sigh up period is December 2-4! For more information on how it works, Kaitlyn explains it all over here. 

The Thankful Project | Day 14

  Linking up with Chasing Happy  for day 14 of the Thankful Project. 

So in my last post I talked about how grateful I am to be able to work from home and the flexibility that brings for saying yes to opportunity's in the community and church.  Well I am still really thankful for that, but somehow I've found myself in a place to where I've said yes to one to many things and I am feeling a little overwhelmed. Things have been just a little on the crazy side for me this week and there have been moments of panic wondering if I can get all these projects done in a timely manner. 

I asked myself if there was anything I could say no to this week and I found its so hard to say no to things that you really enjoy doing and really feel passionate about. Anyone else struggle with that? 

So today I am grateful for the blessing of being able to serve and say yes to dreams and passions!

Speaking of passions.  I and a group of women from the area are working to bring something really exciting to the community early next year. Its a cause that I feel so passionate about and its so exciting to be able to join forces with other women who are just as excited as I am to bring awareness to this cause. Stay tuned for details coming on that! 

What blessing are you most grateful for today? 

The Thankful Project | Day 7

                           Linking up with Chasing Happy  for day 7 of the Thankful Project. 

I've had my fair share of jobs, some I really loved and some I really hated. The most recent job I had was one of my favorites, I adored the company I was working for and what their mission was  as a company. I had tons of opportunity to grow and move on up in management. But after getting married and quickly realizing that if my marriage was going to be priority I would need
 to quite my job. It just wasn't going to work for both of us to work 50+ hours a week and still have a life. I also have aspirations of having my own business someday and I saw that if I invested my time and talents into helping my husbands business be successful  it would be much easier for us to start a second business. 

It was a really hard decision at the time, but looking back I am so grateful I made the choice I did and I am so grateful for the job I have now. 
I work out of our home for our business + I do a bit of volunteer work for our Church.
I love the flexibility I have now. If I want to take time off to travel or schedule coffee dates or other appointments isn't hard to arrange that in my schedule.  

While there are many perks to working from home, there are also some downsides. I struggle with being self motivated and its so easy for me to get side tracked. Just this morning I read a really great blog about staying organized and getting things done.  Go check it out- regardless if you work from home or outside the home its just good practical stuff. 


Do you work from home? Would you like to? What tips do you have to stay motivated and on task? I would love to hear your thoughts!  

Happy Thursday Friends! 

The Thankful Project : Day 5

I am back for day 5 of The Thankful Project. I fell off the boat for day 3 & 4. But no guilt, I had real life stuff happening :)

Today's prompt is "a talent you have" and well I'll be honest I thought about just skipping day 5 as well. Because often I feel like I don't have a lot of talents. But one thing that came back to me numerous times was my passion to be creative and create beauty around me. I grew up in a home where creativity was encouraged and so I attribute my love for creating beauty to that. For as long as I can remember my mom has been a collector of items that many would call junk, but with a little love she often would turn it into something beautiful. Also growing up my mother made almost all of our clothes and I remember she would pick out fabric with a little extra edge and add a little ruffle here and there to bring a little beauty to our somewhat plain and boring clothes. (we were in a church that had rules on how to dress) She told me once that she had been accused of being to fancy ;)

Our bridal table from our wedding, that I had so much fun creating.

In the past few years I've been busy pursuing a career and have not always had the resources to pursue my creative side, but since getting married I've been blessed to have the ability to embrace that more and the more in touch I become with my creative side the more alive I feel as a women. I really believe God created us as women to not only feel beautiful but also to create beauty around us in our homes, our clothing choices and in so many other areas of life.

So today I am grateful for creativity and the ability to create beauty in this world!

The Thankful Project : Day 2

Linking up with Chasing Happy today for day 2 of the Thankful Project. 

As the firstborn I played the role of older sister to 5 siblings, 1 deceased. 

And I am really grateful for that role, while it was full of challenges growing up, I learned how to be responsible and care for my younger siblings. It also taught me how to be a leader and role model for those around me. 

I am so proud and thankful for each one of my siblings and my prayer for all of them is that they could truly be all that God has created to them to be and live out his purpose in there lives. 

The Thankful Project : Day 1.

                      

   So I recently stumbled upon the blog Chasing Happy and Kenzi put together The Thankful Project for the next 28 days. Its all about intentional gratitude and community. 

Kenzi had this to say about The Thankful Project 

"The motivation behind The Thankful Project is this: an attitude of thankfulness can help us push through and overcome just about anything. It can keep us afloat when our world crashes down around our shoulders. It can help us be content with who and what we are right now, at this very moment. It can boost our self-esteem, strengthen our relationships, give us motivation to persevere through tough stuff, and give us perspective when we're so busy we can't stop our heads from spinning. Being thankful, and taking the time to express that gratitude, makes us happier, healthier individuals. And by sharing our gratitude, we have the power to encourage and build each other up. We even have the potential to change lives. It might sound hokey or idealistic, but it's true. Intentionally cultivating an attitude of gratitude will change your life." 

And I so connected with that statement. I am fighting some tough battles right now and it would be so easy to really discouraged. But I want to chose gratefulness. I have so much to be grateful for! 

So today I am so grateful for my husband.  I love and adore many things about him, but the biggest thing that I am so grateful for is how he lives in grace and is able to love and shower my life with so much grace. From his example I've learned what it means to love on others even when its hard to love at times.   I am also grateful that he encourages me to pursue my dreams and explore my creative side as a women. 

And let me just throw this in for whatever its worth. If your single- Do not settle, for anything less then a man that will love you and shower you with grace like Christ loves his bride. It isn't worth it! 

be blessed!  

Lately On Instagram.

flying to Pennsylvania this past weekend. 

on the way home in Chicago. one of my favorite airports.

 a couple weekends ago we picked apples at the local orchard. i love a good apple! 

                                                               fall fashion selfie.

  just another cup of delightful coffee. and on the other side of that coffee was a friend. whats better then coffee and rich friendship?!

Follow me on Instagram here and if you don't have instagram, well you should get it now. Its the best! 

And you should also check out this song Your Grace Finds Me.   I've just been basking in the message of the song. Its powerful friends! 

be blessed friend.