After all, half birthdays only come once a year!
PENS FOR PRAYER
Don't get me wrong, buying yourself a bouquet of fresh flowers is always a good idea. But sometimes treating yourself to a bouquet of special lettering pens can be just as wonderful (and sadly, equally expensive.)
I've always loved taking notes, pretty penmanship and expensive writing implements. The internet hasn't helped. Who knew there were so many kinds of exotic Japanese calligraphy pens, just a click away? Over the years, I've fallen in love with a couple kinds of pens, specifically ones that are ideal for prayer journaling. My only tip would be to run hard and faster after "Love is blind" when purchasing these pens. Just ignore the price tag and follow your heart.
Prayer journaling is a huge part of my walk with the father. These pens make writing in said journals all the better. Therefore, I have no choice but to take the plunge and purchase them, right? At least, that's what I tell myself. Maybe it'll work for you too.
By now you know full well that anything in French is automatically my favorite. I love these pens because they're fine, small and come in a bunch of colors. The size is by far the best part, as they're very easy to slip into a purse or pouch and hardly take up any space. That being said, the size is also the worst part: they're very easy to misplace. Proceed with caution!
Wow, that's a mouthful. So are these pens. They're bold, bulky and beautiful. I wouldn't recommend these pens as ones to use in church/take notes anywhere, they're a bit excessive and extra for everyday use. I normally use them for writing out verses, highlighting in the bible or jazzing up some sermon notes after reading through them the next day.
HEAR YE HEAR YE, Not all Staedtler pens are created equal. Don't be fooled by the other imposters, these are the best. I once fell for the rollerball pens and wow, big mistake. These pens are a little big to use in church (in my opinion) but I love the color selection so at the end of the day, color normally wins over convenience.
And now, a pen test! Just so you can see how they write. Granted my staedtler's are a little old, so the ink doesn't flow as freely as it did in former years (months, lets be honest) but they're amazing when they are in their prime.
Buying fancy pens for fancy prayer journaling isn't necessary. Obviously Jesus could care less if you used Le Pen, a sharpie or a tube of lipstick to prayer journal. But if you have it in your budget and you love pens and prayer, these three types should be a good start to your Christ-centered calligraphy pen collection.
a skin story (your fave)
I didn't begin washing my face daily until I was 18 years old. How is that for healthy skin habits?!
Growing up I was blessed with PERFECT skin. Like you guys, I don't even know how I got away with it. I ate cake and Cheetos all day long, never washed my face but somehow my skin was completely clear? My skin was proof that miracles exist.
Then I turned 18 and my life got super stressful and well, that was the end of that.
In the fall of 2016 it was getting pretty bad. Now granted, I'll never claim that it was as bad as someone with a serious skin condition but for me and my skin, it was pretty bad. I also wont go into detail about how it was bad, because that's ew. And you've had zits before too, so you know what I'm talking about.
Anyway, in January of this year I really began to focus on taking good care of my skin. I take good care of my computer and my purses and my clothes....but yet somehow continually ignored putting any effort into the largest organ in my body?
Logic....not my best subject.
Here are some of the changes I've made.
1.) SLEEP
This was huge for me. I can immediately tell a difference in my skin if I don't get enough sleep. After a fun weekend of late nights and early mornings, whew. My skin is the first place to check if you want to find out what time I went to bed last night. Prioritizing sleep has been incredible for me. I can easily run off of 4-5 hours. But I'm learning that even though that works, it isn't always best.
2.) CHANGING SHEETS
I try to wash my sheets/pillowcases at least once a week now. Good hygiene all around, but it's especially important considering that any dirt or bacteria on your pillow is probably going to end up on your face.
3.) WASHING MAKEUP BRUSHES
This previously always seemed really daunting to me (and also lets be honest: I mostly just used my fingers to apply makeup for 4 years!) but actually, washing them is so easy and oddly therapeutic? I just use dish soap and a towel and while it may not be the trendy way to clean them, it's cheap and get's the job done
4.) DRINKING WATER
The further I get with this post, the more I realize that these things I switched are actually very basic and you all have probably been doing them for years. Last year, I would go days without drinking a good old glass of water. I'd stay hydrated, per say, but not in a way that fueled my body well. Now days I generally drink 64 ounces a day. It's made a huge difference and my skin (and probably the rest of my body as well) is v grateful for the change.
What's your skin story? How do you help your skin be the best it can be?
FAMILY PHOTOSHOP
Contrary to what my instagram feed suggests, I actually do take photos of things other than donuts and myself from time to time! Granted, it's a rare occasion. But still! These family photos were for a sweet friend and even though it was raining most of the time, You'd never be able to tell from the images.
Photoshop is a beautiful thing ;)
As the remaining days of summer drift away, another semester of school approaches. Depending on your personality, this can either be exciting, intimidating, dreadful or just whatever. I find that on a good day, it's a mix of all of those emotions. And on a bad day, I just want to take refuge in my bedroom with nothing but seven seasons of my favorite netflix show and some Oreos to keep me company.
If only life were that simple.
On quiet summer days, life trickles by at a slower pace. There's more time for reading the Word of God, more time for intentional conversations and meetings with other believers. Prayer doesn't have to be rushed or generic--there's beautiful time to be slow and careful and intentional with every second.
And then school starts and well, I'm lucky if I remember to brush my hair....once a week.
Maybe you too have experienced a summer of spiritual growth. Maybe you've seen God move in unbelievable ways over the past couple of months. Mission trips, helping at church, mentoring younger girls--whatever it may be for you, you've seen the hand of God at work in your life. And maybe you're like me, and you too don't want that to stop.
If our desire is to keep growing in the Word, keep walking in step with Jesus, and keep living out His plan for our lives, we have to be intentional. It's easy to focus on our faith when the distractions are limited. But at college, it's safe to say the distractions (both good and bad!) are unlimited. It can be difficult to hear His voice over the classroom discussion and general clamor of a college campus.
But He wants us to seek Him just as fervently in the busy seasons as He does in slow ones.
We have the potential to grow just as much during the semester as we have during the summer.
Whatever this next season holds --whether that be returning to a familiar place, going somewhere new, starting a new job, switching majors-- my prayer is that we all adjust with grace and the intention to keep growing in Christ. There will be a million things trying to grab our attention (much like the million things in the Target Dollar Section that I definitely don't need, but somehow, always make me reach for my wallet.) but Christ is most important. His worth is far above grades and due dates, sororities and parties, friends and whatever else we may encounter this semester. It may be difficult and require more effort to keep pursuing Christ as earnestly during school - but it will be worth it.
And now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to stock up on an unnecessary amount of spiral notebooks and mechanical pencils. And tissues! Because we all know the effect school supplies have on my tear ducts.
TWENTY-SEVENTEEN: A SUMMER OF SABBATH
Well, every summer except THIS one, that is.
Life, even a simple and well intended one, can be exhausting.
Each week I had to repeat to myself, "Just make it one more day." Everyday. And when I made it to the weekend, I spent every second catching up on sleep, cramming or cleaning and prepping for the next week ahead. I felt guilty going anywhere but class or work related places, thinking I was wasting time. I'd go over flashcards at stoplights. No music during the 39 minute drive to school, just biology lectures....for 3 months. Putting on makeup and driving to church seemed like a waste when I could just watch it at home, so that's what I started doing.
Yeah, I am that dramatic.
It got to the point where rest was just a thing of the past. Relaxation was equally extinct, in my mind. Why rest when you could work? Why relax when you could get stuff done? Why watch Tv when you have a to do list looming? However, over Spring Break I read a book that talked about the sabbath. "HONOR THE SABBATH AND KEEP IT HOLY." is what the bible instructs, yet somehow I had twisted that into "accomplish as much as humanly possible on this one day to be a good person"
The New King Karissa translation somehow omitted the honor the sabbath and rest on the seventh day part.
And so as a result of that, my summer list is quite different this year. Other than my goal of finishing The Inferno, my summer list for 2017 revolves solely around honoring the Sabbath and learning how to keep it holy in this busy, distracting, demanding world. It's hard to turn it all off. To power down on everything in life, even for a day, has its challenges. But I can honestly say that the best way to recharge is to mute the distractions of the world and fully zone in on Christ.
And isn't it great that God made a day of the week specifically for just that?
Instead of attempting to pack my summer full of beach days an acai bowls, my main focus is to spend less time on superficial fillers and more time, specifically The Sabbath, with my Heavenly Father.
And with that, Happy Summer and Happy Sabbath!
Previous Summer Lists:
{2012}
{2013}
{2014}
{2015}
{2016}
Orlando City Irony
Three weeks ago I went to an Orlando City Game. Also three weeks ago, I lost my credit card. Today I uploaded all these photos for this blog post. Also today, I got a text saying, "HAHAHAH OH MY GOSH I STILL HAVE YOUR CREDIT CARD FROM THE GAME."
So that's where it went!
Moral of the story, if you're going to and Orlando City Soccer game, don't give a boy your credit card because he might forget to give it back. It will save you a lot of time and energy (and tears, because misplaced valuables generally result in a mini meltdown) and the hassle of having to order a new one, only to get it in the mail the exact same day you find out it isn't really lost at all.
Alternate moral: life is full of ironic timing. I'm pretty sure we have Jesus to thank for that one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
