Many moments happen in a life where one thinks he or she knows exactly what is going to come next. In the moment of whatever is happening, they know nothing can ruin it. Be that a prosperous job, an education, or a friendship, nothing could ever stop it. However, no one knows the absolute future except God. People can guess at what might happen or be even 99.9 percent sure, but no one ever without-a-doubt knows.
I'm learning this the hard way. About a month and a half ago, I was convinced that I would be in a relationship right now. I went on a couple of dates with a guy, and I was convinced that our week together would lead to more time spent time together. And then things changed. I found out a relationship between us was not going to happen. So I had to erase all the plans I had made for us. Yes, I planned things. Guilty. I'm a woman. Women do this.
I look back on the time we spent together and sometimes wonder, "Why?". I know God had a purpose for it, but I wonder why he allowed it to happen when, on this side of it, I've seen nothing good come from it. Yes, I was able to spend time with an awesome person, but I grew attached to that person for no reason. Maybe someday I'll see and understand that reason, but right now, I do not.
If I had seen the future of what would happen between that person and me before any of it happened, I probably would have never gone to coffee with him in the first place. Yes, I would have missed out on a week of fun, but I would have saved myself from about a month and a half of grief (not including what is to come).
I have all these "if's" that keep popping up in my mind. If I hadn't done this . . . If I hadn't said this . . . If I had only said this . . .
But for every "if," God gives me a promise. "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'" "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." "The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still." "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world."
I have been resting on these promises and others to battle the lies and the "if's" the enemy keeps hurling my way. This has not been a fun month and a half, but I am thankful for my roommate and my family who have walked through this with me. All my tears, my ramblings, my questions, my complaints, my sighs, my frustration--they've dealt with it all.
But I'm thankful for my Lord. Even though he allowed this to come into my life and even though I've lost sleep over it and wasted many tears over it, I know--and I've said it once, and I'll say it again--he let it happen for a reason. I may not discover that reason for many months or years, but I'll keep trusting my Lord until I do. I will also keep trusting him to be my first love, to fill me and satisfy me before anyone or anything else.
So yes, I am thankful. I may not be dancing on the rooftop or writing a message in the sky, but in my heart, I am thankful.
Until next time,
God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Trusting Him with the Intangible
About a month ago, I went through something I had never experienced. It didn't last very long, and I wasn't emotionally scarred; nothing detrimental happened. It was just one of those bumps that happen in the road, and I had to learn how to deal with it.
Over the last month, I've been discovering what that looks like. It hasn't been the most fun. From that experience, dozens of emotions have bubbled to the surface, and I'm here wondering from where they came. They are not familiar, and I don't want them, but they are still there.
I've been hashing this out with my roommate, asking her why I still feel certain things when I don't want to feel them. Why, when I ask God to take away certain feelings, do they still persist?
Her answer was that maybe God still lets me feel certain things so I will trust him more. "How else will you learn from this?" she asks me.
I know she's right. It's hard, but I know it's true.
Which leads me to my next question: how do I trust the Lord with something that I can't physically touch or see or will never touch or see? How do I trust the Lord with something that is inside of me? And all those Biblical scholars say, "Well, come on silly, if you can trust an intangible God, why can't you entrust intangible things to him?"
My answer would be, "Well, because I'm human."
So many times I trust the Lord with circumstances outside me: school, the future, car problems, money, job, friends, and the like. And yes from time to time, things in my heart bring me to the Lord, but I've never had this inner turmoil, if you will, that I do now. It's like one minute, I'll be fine, and then the next minute, I'm in tears.
And I keep praying that the Lord would take away these feelings if I'm not supposed to have them. But they're still here. Even after a month, they're still here. My roommate says it's just going to take time, that I need to patient. And I know that's true.
God could take away these feelings in an instant, and that would be so easy and so convenient. But where does the Bible say our journey is supposed to be easy and convenient? If you find that, let me know. I know the Bible does say, "Cast your cares upon him," and "His burden is easy and his yolk is light," but the Lord is doing the carrying for us. And sometimes even with the Lord carrying our burdens and giving us rest, hardship still comes.
This is something new for me. And maybe it's taken me this long and will take longer to be done with these feelings because it's the first time this has happened. But I know my sweet roommate is right. How is God going to grow me and make me stronger except by making me trust him with this, something totally new and different?
So I'm learning to trust him in a new way, again. I'm trusting him with something I can't touch or will never see. It is inside of me, buried away where only he can get to it, guard it, and then someday hopefully, someday soon, remove it.
It's hard, and sometimes crying is the only thing I can do to relieve my frustration and impatience, that and praying. But I know I am not alone.
Earlier in the semester, I was worried about a lot of things, and then one day I was in the bathroom getting ready, and these four words came to me: "No worry. Only hope." My roommate and I keep dry erase markers in our room, and we frequently write scripture and encouraging sayings on the mirror in the bathroom because we see that mirror a lot. I wrote those four words on our bathroom mirror, and they are a constant reminder to me of the truth and goodness of God. I know those four words came from the Lord, and they have been such a constant for me this semester. And so they are now as well.
All of these musings have been in my head for the past couple of weeks. I guess I've only recently been able to put into words what all these musings mean, and I know I don't understand things completely. But someday, I'll look back on this beautiful mess and see the purpose behind it.
No worry. Only hope.
Until next time,
God Bless
Over the last month, I've been discovering what that looks like. It hasn't been the most fun. From that experience, dozens of emotions have bubbled to the surface, and I'm here wondering from where they came. They are not familiar, and I don't want them, but they are still there.
I've been hashing this out with my roommate, asking her why I still feel certain things when I don't want to feel them. Why, when I ask God to take away certain feelings, do they still persist?
Her answer was that maybe God still lets me feel certain things so I will trust him more. "How else will you learn from this?" she asks me.
I know she's right. It's hard, but I know it's true.
Which leads me to my next question: how do I trust the Lord with something that I can't physically touch or see or will never touch or see? How do I trust the Lord with something that is inside of me? And all those Biblical scholars say, "Well, come on silly, if you can trust an intangible God, why can't you entrust intangible things to him?"
My answer would be, "Well, because I'm human."
So many times I trust the Lord with circumstances outside me: school, the future, car problems, money, job, friends, and the like. And yes from time to time, things in my heart bring me to the Lord, but I've never had this inner turmoil, if you will, that I do now. It's like one minute, I'll be fine, and then the next minute, I'm in tears.
And I keep praying that the Lord would take away these feelings if I'm not supposed to have them. But they're still here. Even after a month, they're still here. My roommate says it's just going to take time, that I need to patient. And I know that's true.
God could take away these feelings in an instant, and that would be so easy and so convenient. But where does the Bible say our journey is supposed to be easy and convenient? If you find that, let me know. I know the Bible does say, "Cast your cares upon him," and "His burden is easy and his yolk is light," but the Lord is doing the carrying for us. And sometimes even with the Lord carrying our burdens and giving us rest, hardship still comes.
This is something new for me. And maybe it's taken me this long and will take longer to be done with these feelings because it's the first time this has happened. But I know my sweet roommate is right. How is God going to grow me and make me stronger except by making me trust him with this, something totally new and different?
So I'm learning to trust him in a new way, again. I'm trusting him with something I can't touch or will never see. It is inside of me, buried away where only he can get to it, guard it, and then someday hopefully, someday soon, remove it.
It's hard, and sometimes crying is the only thing I can do to relieve my frustration and impatience, that and praying. But I know I am not alone.
Earlier in the semester, I was worried about a lot of things, and then one day I was in the bathroom getting ready, and these four words came to me: "No worry. Only hope." My roommate and I keep dry erase markers in our room, and we frequently write scripture and encouraging sayings on the mirror in the bathroom because we see that mirror a lot. I wrote those four words on our bathroom mirror, and they are a constant reminder to me of the truth and goodness of God. I know those four words came from the Lord, and they have been such a constant for me this semester. And so they are now as well.
All of these musings have been in my head for the past couple of weeks. I guess I've only recently been able to put into words what all these musings mean, and I know I don't understand things completely. But someday, I'll look back on this beautiful mess and see the purpose behind it.
No worry. Only hope.
Until next time,
God Bless
Monday, October 31, 2011
"Crazy, Stupid, Love"
My roommate and I saw the movie "Crazy, Stupid, Love" last Friday night in a little theater that shows movies after they've already hit the big screen for the first time. We decided to see it on a whim, and I don't think either of us had read any reviews on the movie. We had both just heard it was funny. So we settled into the theater and waited for it to begin.
Before I begin with giving my thoughts about the movie, I will tell you this may contain some spoilers. The movie begins with a husband and wife sitting down to eat dinner in a restaurant. They both look uncomfortable as they try to order what they want. The husband asks the wife what she wants, and she looks up at her husband and says she wants a divorce. The husband is shell-shocked, not expecting that confession, especially in a public restaurant. The scene then flashes to a bar/night club when a very handsome, well-to-do twenty-something man approaches two young ladies sitting at a table in the club. The man comes on to one of the women, but wisely, she says she has to go and leaves the club.
What made me a little upset about the movie was when it started to devalue marriage. The man, whose name is Hal, shows up at work and his coworkers hear him crying in the bathroom. They think he might have cancer, but when they find out why he was crying, they all breathe a sigh of relief that "it's just a divorce." This upset me because many people in this society believe that marriage does not mean anything anymore. Movies like this are a prime example of why marriage does not mean as much in the eyes of the world as it should. Marriage is a union set up by God to be a reflection of Christ and the church. Movies like "Crazy, Stupid, Love" tell the audience that divorce is not that big of a deal when really divorce is one of the ugliest things known to man. It tears up families, friendships, love, relationships, and God hates it.
Throughout this movie, themes of infidelity, adultery, lust, and promiscuity echo in almost every scene. Some of this can be looked at for the audience to "learn a lesson" from. But why do these lessons have to be indirect, basically saying, "Don't do what you see in this movie." Why can't movies be made that are still funny but encourage moral themes? We wonder why society as a whole is going down the drain. Look at what we're watching and spending out time putting inside our brains.
What also makes this movie sad is that, of course, Hollywood has to make it funny. I will admit, I laughed quite a bit in the movie. The whole audience laughed a lot. And I hate leaving a movie thinking, "Well, that was funny, but it was horrible." And I think the topper on the cake that made the movie horrible was something that happened in the last scene. In the movie, a seventeen-year-old girl takes pictures of herself in the nude for a reason I will not name. But at the end of the movie, she gives the pictures to a thirteen-year-old boy who has a crush on her. Peachy, right? I was livid when I saw this. Right now, in this nation and around the world, pornography is a sickness in the lives of so many men, women too, but mainly men. Pornography wrecks the lives of so many individuals, families, homes, marriages, and men who are supposed to be leaders but who are brought down by this awful addiction.
And what did this crazy, stupid movie do? It practically encouraged it, condoned it. It basically told anyone watching, "Well, this thirteen-year-old boy can't date this seventeen-year-old girl yet, but she can give him pictures of herself in the nude for him to enjoy until he is old enough to date her." What the movie doesn't show was how horribly corrupt this boy will be before he is even old enough to date her.
So, yeah, if you're looking for a movie that will counter every moral belief you've ever held dear, this is the movie for you. Yes, in a way, it kind of has a happy ending, but overall, I would never recommend this movie to anyone. I know plenty of movies that are good, clean, and funny and still uphold what I believe. But if you're looking for a movie that will upset you and frustrate you as it has me, leaving you angry with Hollywood, then yep, this is the crazy, stupid movie that will do it.
I hope love never becomes crazy and stupid. I hope love always remains holy and pure as God intended it to be, something not to be corrupted, especially by Hollywood's cheap attempts. Lessons learned: 1. read reviews before watching a movie and 2. God created love in a way that is sacred, and it only comes from him. Thank goodness, because the love that was portrayed in that movie is nothing I want.
Before I begin with giving my thoughts about the movie, I will tell you this may contain some spoilers. The movie begins with a husband and wife sitting down to eat dinner in a restaurant. They both look uncomfortable as they try to order what they want. The husband asks the wife what she wants, and she looks up at her husband and says she wants a divorce. The husband is shell-shocked, not expecting that confession, especially in a public restaurant. The scene then flashes to a bar/night club when a very handsome, well-to-do twenty-something man approaches two young ladies sitting at a table in the club. The man comes on to one of the women, but wisely, she says she has to go and leaves the club.
What made me a little upset about the movie was when it started to devalue marriage. The man, whose name is Hal, shows up at work and his coworkers hear him crying in the bathroom. They think he might have cancer, but when they find out why he was crying, they all breathe a sigh of relief that "it's just a divorce." This upset me because many people in this society believe that marriage does not mean anything anymore. Movies like this are a prime example of why marriage does not mean as much in the eyes of the world as it should. Marriage is a union set up by God to be a reflection of Christ and the church. Movies like "Crazy, Stupid, Love" tell the audience that divorce is not that big of a deal when really divorce is one of the ugliest things known to man. It tears up families, friendships, love, relationships, and God hates it.
Throughout this movie, themes of infidelity, adultery, lust, and promiscuity echo in almost every scene. Some of this can be looked at for the audience to "learn a lesson" from. But why do these lessons have to be indirect, basically saying, "Don't do what you see in this movie." Why can't movies be made that are still funny but encourage moral themes? We wonder why society as a whole is going down the drain. Look at what we're watching and spending out time putting inside our brains.
What also makes this movie sad is that, of course, Hollywood has to make it funny. I will admit, I laughed quite a bit in the movie. The whole audience laughed a lot. And I hate leaving a movie thinking, "Well, that was funny, but it was horrible." And I think the topper on the cake that made the movie horrible was something that happened in the last scene. In the movie, a seventeen-year-old girl takes pictures of herself in the nude for a reason I will not name. But at the end of the movie, she gives the pictures to a thirteen-year-old boy who has a crush on her. Peachy, right? I was livid when I saw this. Right now, in this nation and around the world, pornography is a sickness in the lives of so many men, women too, but mainly men. Pornography wrecks the lives of so many individuals, families, homes, marriages, and men who are supposed to be leaders but who are brought down by this awful addiction.
And what did this crazy, stupid movie do? It practically encouraged it, condoned it. It basically told anyone watching, "Well, this thirteen-year-old boy can't date this seventeen-year-old girl yet, but she can give him pictures of herself in the nude for him to enjoy until he is old enough to date her." What the movie doesn't show was how horribly corrupt this boy will be before he is even old enough to date her.
So, yeah, if you're looking for a movie that will counter every moral belief you've ever held dear, this is the movie for you. Yes, in a way, it kind of has a happy ending, but overall, I would never recommend this movie to anyone. I know plenty of movies that are good, clean, and funny and still uphold what I believe. But if you're looking for a movie that will upset you and frustrate you as it has me, leaving you angry with Hollywood, then yep, this is the crazy, stupid movie that will do it.
I hope love never becomes crazy and stupid. I hope love always remains holy and pure as God intended it to be, something not to be corrupted, especially by Hollywood's cheap attempts. Lessons learned: 1. read reviews before watching a movie and 2. God created love in a way that is sacred, and it only comes from him. Thank goodness, because the love that was portrayed in that movie is nothing I want.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Still Thankful
Just a week ago I posted "Seasons." I mentioned in that post that God has put me in this particular season for a reason. Little did I know how quickly I would come to understand and feel the full weight of those words.
This past week has kind of been a whirlwind for me, a whirlwind of emotions and experiences, some good, some not so good. I know, though, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord was with me and protected me through every moment of it. Sometimes the Lord puts things in our paths that grow us and make us stronger, even if that means letting us experience a little bit of pain. We don't know why these things happen, but they do.
But already, I have learned so much through this past week. I've learned, even though I already knew, how much the Lord really does love me and cares for every aspect of my life, even the things that I wouldn't think he cares about. I've learned how much my family, especially my dad, loves me. I could not ask for a better Dad. I know I've taken him for granted, and this past week showed me that. My dad had the opportunity to throw something in my face and say, "I told you so," but he didn't. He was gracious and loving as usual. I've also learned that I have the best friends a girl could ask for. Friends that have been with me through the thick and thin and who listen to me spill my life, even when it's not pretty. And this weekend, it wasn't pretty. I'm so glad I experienced this now with the people who are around me in this season. I don't why I had to experience it, but I know that I could've been hurt so much more. I know that the Lord had me in his hands the entire time, and my heart was his. I am ever so grateful for that.
Satan would love for me to bottle up and grow bitter and weary. I also know that is a lie. I've said it on this blog quite a few times, and I'll say it again, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:26). Forever. Not just when I want him to be or on the good days but forever. That does not mean any of this is easier. But it does mean that I know it happened for a reason and that someday the Lord will redeem that, and I'll be able to see that. I trust him. I trusted him before this happened, and he took care of me. He proved himself faithful once again. If this happened to draw me closer to him and build my trust in him, then so be it. I learned that lesson, just one of the many I know I have yet to learn.
So yes, I am still thankful for this season. The Lord is good. He has ordained this season. May my focus be on his kingdom and his glory, not myself.
Until next time,
God Bless
This past week has kind of been a whirlwind for me, a whirlwind of emotions and experiences, some good, some not so good. I know, though, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord was with me and protected me through every moment of it. Sometimes the Lord puts things in our paths that grow us and make us stronger, even if that means letting us experience a little bit of pain. We don't know why these things happen, but they do.
But already, I have learned so much through this past week. I've learned, even though I already knew, how much the Lord really does love me and cares for every aspect of my life, even the things that I wouldn't think he cares about. I've learned how much my family, especially my dad, loves me. I could not ask for a better Dad. I know I've taken him for granted, and this past week showed me that. My dad had the opportunity to throw something in my face and say, "I told you so," but he didn't. He was gracious and loving as usual. I've also learned that I have the best friends a girl could ask for. Friends that have been with me through the thick and thin and who listen to me spill my life, even when it's not pretty. And this weekend, it wasn't pretty. I'm so glad I experienced this now with the people who are around me in this season. I don't why I had to experience it, but I know that I could've been hurt so much more. I know that the Lord had me in his hands the entire time, and my heart was his. I am ever so grateful for that.
Satan would love for me to bottle up and grow bitter and weary. I also know that is a lie. I've said it on this blog quite a few times, and I'll say it again, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:26). Forever. Not just when I want him to be or on the good days but forever. That does not mean any of this is easier. But it does mean that I know it happened for a reason and that someday the Lord will redeem that, and I'll be able to see that. I trust him. I trusted him before this happened, and he took care of me. He proved himself faithful once again. If this happened to draw me closer to him and build my trust in him, then so be it. I learned that lesson, just one of the many I know I have yet to learn.
So yes, I am still thankful for this season. The Lord is good. He has ordained this season. May my focus be on his kingdom and his glory, not myself.
Until next time,
God Bless
Monday, October 3, 2011
Seasons
I love autumn. I think the more I am at college and experience this season here, the more I love it. I know I've written about this in the past, but I love watching the leaves change colors. I love knowing that next year those leaves will return and will be made new again, with their striking colors and taunts for the eye.
I'm grateful for this season, this season of fall but also this season of life the Lord has me in. The Lord has a way of humbling me and making me eat my words so many times. He has quite the sense of humor. The Lord has shown me recently just how much he cares about every aspect of my life, whether I thought he did or not. He calls me to trust him with every aspect of my life, so he can prove himself faithful. And he always proves faithful.
Lately, I've been reading through the book of Jeremiah. The book is not one I read often, but I've been reading it since I returned from camp. Over and over again, the Lord sends out Jeremiah to tell the Israelites to turn away from their false gods and destructive ways of living or the Lord will destroy them. Jeremiah goes where the Lord asks him and says what the Lord tells him, although not always without complaint or danger. Jeremiah's life is threatened along the way. But the Lord is always there with him. So many wonderful truths are brought to life in the book of Jeremiah. "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness" (Jer. 31:3). "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future'" (Jer. 29:11). Along with Jeremiah, I've been reading a certain amount of Psalms that have been so ever true in my life. Psalms 57, 62, and 73 have been so true and profound in my life really since the beginning of the summer.
I know the Lord has me in this season for a reason. It's not exactly what I had planned, but the Lord never has the same plans I have, and thank goodness. Just like Jeremiah, I am called to trust, to love, and to go, wherever that may be. The Lord has sweetly surprised me and blessed me in ways I can't recount. He has let my relationship with my roommate blossom, let my relationship with my housemates also grow, and brought a new friendship into my life. It's humbling; I don't deserve this, but I thank him for it.
Well, hopefully soon, I'll be able to update more.
Happy fall.
Until next time,
God Bless
I'm grateful for this season, this season of fall but also this season of life the Lord has me in. The Lord has a way of humbling me and making me eat my words so many times. He has quite the sense of humor. The Lord has shown me recently just how much he cares about every aspect of my life, whether I thought he did or not. He calls me to trust him with every aspect of my life, so he can prove himself faithful. And he always proves faithful.
Lately, I've been reading through the book of Jeremiah. The book is not one I read often, but I've been reading it since I returned from camp. Over and over again, the Lord sends out Jeremiah to tell the Israelites to turn away from their false gods and destructive ways of living or the Lord will destroy them. Jeremiah goes where the Lord asks him and says what the Lord tells him, although not always without complaint or danger. Jeremiah's life is threatened along the way. But the Lord is always there with him. So many wonderful truths are brought to life in the book of Jeremiah. "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness" (Jer. 31:3). "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future'" (Jer. 29:11). Along with Jeremiah, I've been reading a certain amount of Psalms that have been so ever true in my life. Psalms 57, 62, and 73 have been so true and profound in my life really since the beginning of the summer.
I know the Lord has me in this season for a reason. It's not exactly what I had planned, but the Lord never has the same plans I have, and thank goodness. Just like Jeremiah, I am called to trust, to love, and to go, wherever that may be. The Lord has sweetly surprised me and blessed me in ways I can't recount. He has let my relationship with my roommate blossom, let my relationship with my housemates also grow, and brought a new friendship into my life. It's humbling; I don't deserve this, but I thank him for it.
Well, hopefully soon, I'll be able to update more.
Happy fall.
Until next time,
God Bless
Thursday, September 8, 2011
The Room is Done . . . For Now
Well, this last Monday my roommate and I worked all day on our room, and I must it looks pretty good. Pictures don't do it justice, but here you go.
Before: Funky paintings on the wall I did my sophomore year.
Cluttered bookshelf.
Funky weird colors. Poor Audrey had to go, but I still have one poster of her up.
And after: it's so different. The letters of "LOVE" are pasted with pictures of camps and mission trips I've been to.
This is something I wrote at camp this summer that my roommate inspired me to paint. So I did.
A little more organized bookshelf and painted with distressing! I love it.
Found this little wall decoration at a flea market. It's a little small to just hang on a wall, but we'll find something to accompany it.
So that's my room now. I kept to my budget pretty well. I might have gone over by five or so dollars, but not too badly. I still would like to get a few more throw pillows and maybe change the comforter, but those will just have to be as I go things, and when I'm able to save.
I wish you could see it in person. It's so much more fun.
Until next time,
God Bless
Before: Funky paintings on the wall I did my sophomore year.
Cluttered bookshelf.
Funky weird colors. Poor Audrey had to go, but I still have one poster of her up.
And after: it's so different. The letters of "LOVE" are pasted with pictures of camps and mission trips I've been to.
This is something I wrote at camp this summer that my roommate inspired me to paint. So I did.
A little more organized bookshelf and painted with distressing! I love it.
Found this little wall decoration at a flea market. It's a little small to just hang on a wall, but we'll find something to accompany it.
So that's my room now. I kept to my budget pretty well. I might have gone over by five or so dollars, but not too badly. I still would like to get a few more throw pillows and maybe change the comforter, but those will just have to be as I go things, and when I'm able to save.
I wish you could see it in person. It's so much more fun.
Until next time,
God Bless
Monday, August 29, 2011
Time for a Change
My roommate and I were talking last night, and we were discussing how we'd like to be crafty and do some fun things this upcoming weekend as it is Labor Day. I will go home on Friday, but I'll come back Sunday because I'm helping out with my church's youth group, and they meet on Sunday nights. But I don't have school on Monday and neither does my roommate, so we're going to spend the day being crafty.
I was first inspired to start all these crafty projects from Pinterest, a fun little website full of pinboards that you can add and save to and organize so that if you're surfing the web and find something you like, you can just pin it. Well, I've pinned quite a few things lately, and many of them are crafty do-it-yourself projects.
But I've also realized more than just wanting to be crafty is that I'm ready for a change in my room decorations too. See the room I'm in now resembles the leftovers of a freshman girl's college dorm room. Not that anything would be wrong with that . . . if I were still 18, but I'm not. I'll be 22 in less than two months. I want a room that says, "Yes, I'm in college, but not for long." Not that I'm ready to be done with college, I just don't like the colors or style of what I have right now.
So, my roommate and I are going to spend Monday not resting but redecorating our room. And I'm going to try to get all of the things I need for $100 or less. I have about that much from camp that I put back waiting for something that I would need it for. When I go home this weekend, I'll be going to some flea markets and other places to discover what treasures I can find.
Here's my list of things I want to do:
I am super excited for this. I haven't redecorated anything since my freshman year of college, and I'm ready. My roommate and I have similar tastes, and we both have projects we want to tackle. Part of me wanted to stay and work on stuff all weekend long, but this Friday is my brother's last first home game at high school in the band. I want to be there. Plus, my dad and I will have fun antiquing/thrifting when I go home this weekend. But I can't go over budget. That's the key. I'll also be on the hunt this week when I have any spare time in between classes. This town is loaded with thrift stores/flea markets.
I will post before pictures soon, and then you'll be able to anticipate the after pictures. (Well, I don't know if you'll anticipate them or not, but I will!) I'm excited for this week. It will be fun. I wish I could clone myself and the clone could go to my classes, but I could go exploring. How fun would that be?
Until next time,
God Bless
I was first inspired to start all these crafty projects from Pinterest, a fun little website full of pinboards that you can add and save to and organize so that if you're surfing the web and find something you like, you can just pin it. Well, I've pinned quite a few things lately, and many of them are crafty do-it-yourself projects.
But I've also realized more than just wanting to be crafty is that I'm ready for a change in my room decorations too. See the room I'm in now resembles the leftovers of a freshman girl's college dorm room. Not that anything would be wrong with that . . . if I were still 18, but I'm not. I'll be 22 in less than two months. I want a room that says, "Yes, I'm in college, but not for long." Not that I'm ready to be done with college, I just don't like the colors or style of what I have right now.
So, my roommate and I are going to spend Monday not resting but redecorating our room. And I'm going to try to get all of the things I need for $100 or less. I have about that much from camp that I put back waiting for something that I would need it for. When I go home this weekend, I'll be going to some flea markets and other places to discover what treasures I can find.
Here's my list of things I want to do:
- get rid of all colors preceded by the word "hot" (hot pink, hot orange, etc.)
- take down some paintings from my sophomore year of college and replace with something new
- paint a wall decoration with something I wrote at camp this summer (I'll show a picture later.)
- Recover a couple of pillows
- find a new lamp
- paint and distress my bookshelf and nightstand
- maybe take some lace and hang over my bed
- focus accent colors on mustards, creams, browns, and hints of green with whatever earthiness I can find
- reorganize and throw away stuff I don't need
- take clothes I don't wear to a consignment shop
- And if we have time, my roommate and I want to make some crafty stuff to wear as well.
I am super excited for this. I haven't redecorated anything since my freshman year of college, and I'm ready. My roommate and I have similar tastes, and we both have projects we want to tackle. Part of me wanted to stay and work on stuff all weekend long, but this Friday is my brother's last first home game at high school in the band. I want to be there. Plus, my dad and I will have fun antiquing/thrifting when I go home this weekend. But I can't go over budget. That's the key. I'll also be on the hunt this week when I have any spare time in between classes. This town is loaded with thrift stores/flea markets.
I will post before pictures soon, and then you'll be able to anticipate the after pictures. (Well, I don't know if you'll anticipate them or not, but I will!) I'm excited for this week. It will be fun. I wish I could clone myself and the clone could go to my classes, but I could go exploring. How fun would that be?
Until next time,
God Bless
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