Favorite Things Friday : Nov. 11

these are a few of my favorite things...


1. this song.
Forever Reign by Kristian Stanfill

Kristian was actually here in Aubs for a event we had Tuesday called Ignite. Louie Giglio spoke and Kristian and Christy Nockels led worship. it was such a sweet time and a privilege to participate in. so cool see true revival in the hearts of over 3,000 students. but I love what this song says. every single word.

such a great reminder that our God is good and He is here and alive! He is our love, our hope, our peace, and our joy. His promises are true and He will always be enough. 

2. these LEAVES!

(pic via pinterest)

I think yellow leaves are my favorite. I love seeing all the changing leaves on the drive back to Birmingham. fall is my favorite thing in the world. everything about it. mmmm..

3. this book.

Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis.

you all know her. you all love her. this sister's obedience to go to Uganda and leave everything behind is so encouraging to me. I just started it, and I can't wait to read more. I had the privilege of hearing her speak at Church of Brookhills a few weeks ago when I went home. her willingness to do whatever the Lord's calls her to is so evident. she is a woman after His own heart, y'all. check out her blog and this book!

4. Nugget.

the word and the car.

this is Nugget. Alex's rental car. he hit a deer last week, and the Honda place so kindly gave him this little baby while his car gets fixed. isn't it precious? and so appropriately named Nugget! it's a tight squeeze for 3 people, but it has a bumpin' sound system. also, the word 'nugget' is quickly becoming the most used word in my vocabulary. like I use it more than I use to word 'kitten'..which is a lot. everyone and everything has become nugget. yay for new words!

5. butter crunch.

Chels and I decided we needed a little taste of home. noone in Aubs is cool enough to have real ice cream. so we went ahead and got some on our first trip to Kroger (and became members..with discounts. wahoover!). JenJen is the best hall director EVER for keeping it in her big freezer for us; therefore, she gets to be in the picture.

what's one of your favorite things this week? 

happy weekend and war eagle y'all! 

it's the...

MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

at least that reigns true in Keller 102.

you see, Em and I are those girls. I think you know what I'm talking about.

those girls get THIS excited to play Christmas music and drink peppermint mochas from red starbuck's cups.

those girls that put up their Christmas trees (yes, treeS!) as soon as the trick-or-treaters are gone.

(this girl was in bed with the stomach bug, but up they went!) 

those girls that sleep on Christmas pillows with Christmas lights and snowflakes hanging above.

those girls that have the countdown clock that tells you how many days, hours, minutes, and SECONDS there are until Christmas.

yep. that's us. 

and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Learning and Trusting

as promised in yesterday's make it monday post, it's time for another life update.

since the last time I blogged, my life has changed quite a bit. three days after that post, I quit zeta. I'll give y'all the spark notes version. after a lot of reflecting on my walk with the Lord, talking to my parents and friends, and praying about it a lot, I decided that being in a sorority might not be the best thing for me. I wasn't happy. I wasn't myself. I just found myself so discouraged. so I quit. I've always been the type to go with my gut with any decision. sometimes this can be a bad thing, but for this I know it was right. however, life didn't magically go back to awesome normalness after I quit..

I have never felt so lonely in my life. honestly, my situation just got worse...I had so much time on my hands. when all the girls in Keller went to their different sorority functions, I was I found myself questioning the Lord and His plan constantly. questioning why I wasn't chosen for a different sorority. why I didn't make things I tried out for. this was all new for me. through high school, I pretty much made everything I tried out for and got whatever I wanted (not in a bratty way, but you know what I mean). needless to say, this was a reality check. and I wasn't too happy about it.

you know James 1:2? "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds." this is SO not easy. it's so hard to rejoice when we're struggling. it was so hard for me to be joyful and draw near to the Lord. and honestly, I didn't even try. I was so caught up in being lonely and down I couldn't even make myself try to focus on Him. it got to the point where I felt like I couldn't even "talk-the-talk" anymore. my faith was tested over and over..and I just couldn't find the joy that I used to find in the Lord.

finally, the Lord kinda slapped me in the face. which is exactly what I needed. He showed me that He IS in control even when it feels like He couldn't be further away. I was so far from Him because I hadn't even really tried to draw near to Him. I was waiting on the Lord to act. and He was waiting on me to actually trust that He would. I HAD to put my trust in Him. not myself. not my abilities. not anyone else. the Lord emptied me of everything in my life that I thought was so great. He is the only thing great in my life. all other great things come from Him.

I am so thankful for this trial. October was the hardest month of my life, no question about it. the Lord emptied me of myself and has filled me again with Himself. I don't have it down perfect. I never will. but I am thankful that I have been through this and have the scars to prove it. they are reminders of the Lord's unfailing love and grace on someone who had to learn to let go and trust God.

LACE

MAKE IT MONDAY: no crease pony tail holders

so..I tweeted about something I made and everyone is spamming me with questions of how to do the same. so, instead of replying to everyone, I'll blog about it. sooo....

WELCOME TO THE FIRST MAKE IT MONDAY, Y'ALL!

I plan to make this a weekly occurrence. hopefully I will keep this blog-promise! I know I've made so many. but this is doing something I love once a week. seems manageable enough. I've wanted to do a DIY or crafty post for SO long now! and this seems like the perfect opportunity. so let's do it!

so, here in Aubs, lots of girls are wearing these new pony tail holders that don't crease your hair. (good solution considering hygiene moves down on the priority list..hehe!) and they were ALL OVER Christmas Village. so naturally, I decided I should be like all the cool kids and get some. so, I spent an entire psych class googling them to find them at a discounted price (as in NOT $8 for like 3 pony tails). my findings did not please me...

so being the crafty girly that I am, I ventured over to Hobby Lobby.

while they don't carry the actual silk-elastic by the yard or by the roll, they do have headbands made from it in the jewelry/accessory/etc. section. not the most ideal purchase, but it'll do..let's get to the making.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Silk-Elastic Headbands (they come in packs of 2)

Scissors

Hands 

WHAT TO DO:

1. get headband

2. cut headband in half on both ends

3. fold halfs in half and tie a knot at the end

finished product! how easy was that?!

I bought 4 headbands for $4 and had one headband already. 

10 durable, non-creasing ponytails for $4. 

I have one in my hair now and I'm excited for it to not be creased..

I am super duper excited about this new Make It Monday thing! hope y'all are too :)

check in tomorrow for a life update..it'll be a good one. I have much to share.