• Life

    WritingReading&MyDirtBike | Blog-tember Day 4 |

    September 4, 2015

    Today’s prompt from Blog-tember is: What are you passionate about?

    Honestly this is something I am just learning how to answer. For a long time I felt like I didn’t really have all that many passions or hobbies. I actually decided one day to pray about this and ask God to help me find some hobbies cause I felt funny not really knowing what I enjoyed doing. I felt like I was too busy stressing about something silly during my free time that I never really took the time to develop hobbies.

    This post could have gone many different ways because I am obviously passionate about different thins, such as Jesus and my friends and family but I wanted to choose to talk about the passions that I am still developing instead. Maybe it will help those of you out there who don’t feel that they really have any hobbies either and encourage you to find the time to treat yourself well and do things that you really enjoy.

    1. W R I T I N G – Obviously, because of this blog, I am slowly developing a passion for writing. I love the idea of helping out others who are going through the same things that I am and getting feedback from them. I love the idea of having a community of girls through this space but am still learning about how to really cause that to be a reality.
    2. R I D I N G  A  D I R T  B I K E – Another hobby of mine that has developed since I prayed that prayer and this one is from the help of Tommy. Riding a dirt bike was something I always thought was really cool and something I wish i could do but never had the opportunity. One of the things that attracted me to Tommy was that he rode dirt bikes and it didn’t take me all that long after knowing him to buy my own and have him teach me. It’s still something that I’m learning to love (because I can be a scaredy cat sometimes) but it’s so much fun. It’s something that pushes me outside my comfort zone. I usually like to stick with safe activities because I’m afraid of getting hurt but it’s really fun pushing those boundaries and I can’t wait to keep practicing and get even better.
    3. R E A D I N G – Reading is something that I always did but not something that I ever really made that much time for. I never realized how much enjoyment I got out of it until recently and I’ve been making more time to do it. I just love how there’s so many options and how it takes you completely away from reality for a time and can teach you so much.

    That’s all I have for you guys this time. I’m hoping that God continues to answer my prayer and I develop even more hobbies/passions. And just a reminder, something God’s been teaching me lately is to remember it’s important to remember to make time for your passions. It’s important to love yourself well so that you are able to love others and an important way to do this is to keep yourself refreshed by indulging in your passions every now and then.

    Read More
  • Life

    My Ideal Day // Blog-tember Challenge Day 2

    September 3, 2015

    So just to keep you guys updated, I got back from the Bahamas Monday night at 12:30 pm and it was THE BEST vacation ever. It was so fun and I can’t wait to write a post about it but until then I’m linking up with Bailey Jean at Brave Love Blog and attempting to blog every day in the month of September (long shot I think but still worth a try). Today’s topic is Your Ideal Day.

    This post couldn’t have come at a better time because quite honestly I have been nothing but a crank-pot since I got back from vacation. Yesterday I was EXHAUSTED from driving home from Pittsburgh (more on that later) and I felt like a zombie and today I think I’m just readjusting to being back in the real world after 5 days away and let me tell you, it is rough.

    But enough on that, now it’s time to think of wonderful things that make me happy so without further ado here’s:
    My Ideal Day:
    Morning:

    So on an ideal day my morning would start out very slowly because I am not a morning person (just ask my boyfriend ;)). I would have time to wake up at my own pace and have time no real duties to attend to all day. I would love to spend time at my desk, with the curtains open and the sunshine shining in. I would have a beautifully scented candle lit, right now something autumn-y would be perfect (so excited for fall to be starting btw). I would have a delicious cup of coffee and would be spending alone time with Jesus to set my heart on Him for the rest of the day.

    quiet time

    Afternoon:

    In an ideal world I would live only minutes from the beach so for the early afternoon, Tommy and I would head to the beach to spend some quality time in the sun together 🙂

    tommy bahamas
    sneak peak from the Bahamas!
    Nighttime:

    At night I would go for a target run with my best friend Kristin, and have one of our awesome life talks while we do it. I would be enjoying a nice cup of tea too. At home I would enjoy baked ziti for dinner with Tommy and our amazzzing dessert that we can’t get enough of – recipe is here if you wanna try too :). Afterwards we would cuddle and enjoy whatever show we are currently addicted to on Netflix until we fell asleep.

    pic collage 2

    And that would be it. It may sound unexciting and very simple but I tend to be a very simple girl and the little things are what make me happiest – like a delicious cup of coffee, my sweet boyfriend, a lovely trip to target, and a warm cup of tea.

    What about you guys? What would be a perfect day in your life? Are you simple like me or would you enjoy way more excitement or adventure in your ideal day? I would love to know 🙂

    Also, join me and attempt to blog every day in September! (This post is already a day late haha I started it last night but got busy so I finished it this morning.. oops)

    Read More
  • Life

    28 hours and 15 minutes

    August 26, 2015

    And I will be in the Bahamas!! I’m so excited guys 🙂 Just wanted to drop in and let you guys know about a trip that I’ve been counting down the days until.

    Back in May of this year, I graduated from college with a bachelor’s in Psychology and one of my best friends and my boyfriend surprised me with this trip for Tommy and I to go on. It’s literally the best surprise I’ve ever gotten and I’m beyond excited to go. One of the best things about the trip is that it’s all inclusive so we don’t have to worry about paying for almost anything.

    Let me just fill you in on a little bit about myself. I don’t know if any of you have visited my about page but my favorite place in the world to be is the beach. I only really ever remember going to a Jersey beach, which I love but will admit there are many other beaches out there that are much nicer.

    So knowing this, my best friend planned the trip for my boyfriend and I because she said that I deserved to “sit back and relax on a really nice beach”. Well boy is that exactly what I will be doing for the next 4 days. I’m also really excited to try paddle boarding because they have that at the resort as well 🙂

    Welp now yah know where I’ll be until Monday, I’ll be back to update how it was when I get back 😉

    Read More
  • Faith,  Life

    True Life: I Hate The Unknown

    August 24, 2015

    It’s true. I hate the unknown more than anything. When I don’t know the details of things that are happening in my life I get anxious. I love to be prepared and when I’m prepared I think that I’m the one in control of what is happening in my life. Obviously this isn’t true in the slightest. God’s in control, no matter how much planning and preparing I do. He ultimately decides how things happen in my life.

    Planning and preparing aren’t bad things in themselves of course, I think God honors us when we are responsible and plan for things that are happening in our lives. But I believe it’s a sin when we plan and plan and plan so much that we think we are out planning God. I don’t know if anyone else struggles with this but sometimes I think I know better than God does. I know what I’ll enjoy and I want to enjoy it when I want it. I can be very impatient at times.

    The most frustrating part to me is that I KNOW Jesus’s ways are better than my own. I know that waiting on His timing will only bring me more joy, but sometimes I still feel that I know better or maybe it’s just that I can be selfish at times and I want what I want more than I want to wait for whatever Jesus has prepared for me.

    I’m having a hard time with this but I know that Jesus will carry me through. What do you guys do when you struggle with waiting on Jesus? I’d love to hear from you.

    Read More
  • Marriage

    Bliss Part 2

    August 21, 2015

    Hi friends 🙂 I just wanted to stop by and elaborate on my last post (if you missed it, you can check it out here). When I wrote that one I was having one of those days where I was so exhausted that I was having a hard time really focusing on getting out what I really wanted to say. I thought I’d try my best to try to explain a little more about my thoughts behind the post today but I’ve also been having I guess what you would call writer’s block. I can’t clearly get across what I want to write about lately and I haven’t really had any great ideas to write about either which has been kind of discouraging. Sometimes I even think that starting this blog wasn’t a good idea and that maybe I’m not all that great at writing anyway but I am going to persevere and see how things go.

    So back to the point of this post (hopefully this one will be a little clearer) – my heart behind the last post was that waiting on God specifically when it comes to a dating relationship is way more worth it than you could ever imagine it to be. Thinking back on the years I went through wishing and wanting and praying for a boyfriend are some what of a blur now. Looking back isn’t exactly a fun experience either because it reminds me of how much more I wanted a boyfriend or husband than I really wanted the Lord but it makes me really appreciate to be in where I am today.

    I took my relationships into my own hands for quite a while and had to go through quite a few heartbreaks before I was willing to admit that maybe God knows a better way. I am just so thankful that the Lord never gave up on me though and kept pursuing me despite my sin and eventually got through to my stubborn heart.

    I wanted to encourage those of you out there who might be in a similar season. Maybe you have taken things into your own hands and suffered the consequences, or maybe you haven’t yet but are really struggling not to. Being on the other end of the spectrum now, in a  relationship that is God-honoring and such a joy, I can honestly say that every moment of the confusion and pain of waiting will be more than worth it in the end.

    Running ahead of God and pursuing a relationship that is not honoring to Him may be fun for a season but usually ends in heartbreak. And even if it doesn’t, I can promise that a relationship outside of His design will never have the same joys that one with Him in the center of it does.

    And I want you to know that I only know this through experience. I’ve been in relationships that were not God-honoring and they do not compare to the one I’m in today. I went through the waiting process (sometimes gracefully, most times not) and on the other end I can tell you the only reason why it is worth it is because in that waiting process you learn that GOD IS ENOUGH. You learn that He’s all you need and how to make Him to be the desire of your heart rather than a husband (or wife). This then sets you up in a wonderful place to eventually be able honor and respect your future husband in the correct way rather than elevate him to be a god in your heart. It sets you up to have such a sweet relationship where you both can love and spur each other on to fall more and more in love with Jesus.

    I am so so thankful for my relationship with Tommy and how God uses him to continually point me towards Himself. I couldn’t ask for a more thoughtful and loving guy. He is always pursuing me and putting my desires before his own and I really don’t understand how I got so lucky. It’s never easy to wait on God, no matter what the circumstances are, but it is always worth it.

    Some things that really helped me in the waiting process was to read my Bible and cry out to Jesus when I was at my lowest. Tell Him how you feel, He is cares and is closer than you realize.

    The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. – Psalm 24:18

    Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. – 1 Peter 5:7

    Something that also helped was reading books written by people who had been in my shoes and had good advice for me. Some of those books that really helped were:

    Praying For Your Future Husband: Preparing Your Heart For His – By Robin Jones Gunn

    Lady In Waiting: Becoming God’s Best While Waiting For Mr. Right – By Jackie Kendall

    Another thing that helped was talking to others about how I was feeling. I know we may be strangers but I have been there and if anyone needs just someone to listen and be encouraged I want you to know that I am here just for that. My hopes in writing posts like these are to help others and I would love to do that on more of a personal level as well.

    Read More
  • Marriage

    Bliss

    August 19, 2015

    A word I would use to describe how I feel about my relationship with Tommy. I’m not naive enough to think it’s because of how great of a guy he is, though that’s true. I also know that it isn’t because we are practically the same person, just different genders – though that’s true as well.

    I’ve been at this dating thing for quite some time now. I’ve always been one of those girls who wished and dreamed of the day that she got married. It’s always sounded like it was going to be amazing, but I also wanted it for the wrong reasons as well. I don’t come from the greatest of families so I used to be on a quest to get married so that I could move out and start my own family. Although God has corrected my view of wanting to get married, it took a lot of pain and heartbreak to get me to where I am now.

    Bliss would be the word I would use to describe my relationship with Tommy and I know the only reason it is this way is because I know that God is with us and growing us towards each other and towards himself.

    I want to encourage anyone out there who is struggling with singleness and doesn’t know if God is even there at all. Struggling to believe if He even cares about your desires to be married. I want to you to know that He is there and He cares. More than you could ever know. He wants more for your life than you do and that’s why He has you in this season. Don’t do what I did and take things into your own hands, it will only leave you more alone and hurt than you’re feeling now.

    Trust.

    God knows your desires and He wants you to know that He hears you and your prayers for the future. He wants you to trust Him to bring to pass whatever is best for you. Use this season to get closer to Him, singleness is only for a season.

    Lay your desires down at the foot of the cross.

    Let God fulfill you like only He can.

    It’s never easy but always worth it.

    Read More