Photography Friday #7

Happy New Year! New year, new me? I guess we'll see! (Probably not. I still love a good rhyme time.)

It's hard to not make resolutions come the beginning of a new year. Mine is not to blog more, or even to attempt to blog more. Life stays too busy to allow blogging to take the helm! But I would like to contribute more around here, and especially start up Meditation Mondays again. I've got a few posts in the works!

In the meantime... it's FRIDAY! The very first Friday of 2017. So do something amazing with it. My plan is to bake cookies! I recently started making and decorating sugar cookies and I'm finding it far too fun. It's my newest project to perfect. I guess I will see how tonight's batch turns out! *fingers crossed*

I'm more of a project person than a resolution person, so I am doing the Everyday Photography class offered by A Beautiful Mess. (I have some of their Photoshop actions and love them!) I will attempt to complete the prompt every week. This week's is reflection. Good thing we have shiny ornaments on the tree! (Which we have still not taken down yet... oops.)

Wishing you a very happy Friday and an amazing weekend! Let's start 2017 out right!

Red River Revel

The Red River Revel is one of my favorite things to happen in Shreveport-Bossier every year. It's technically an art festival, but let's be honest—I go for the food. Because the food is the best.

This year I begged Rachel and Sarah to come with me because I really needed some fair food. It didn't take much begging—they were happy to come with! Sarah did my hair all cute because she likes doing hair and I like having my hair done. The hairstyle was Rapunzel-worthy! I tried to recreate it myself a few days later and failed. Miserably. Le sigh. Some people have the hair-fixing gene and some of us do not.

When we arrived, we went to the booth for the new local Puzzle Room. They had a contest to figure out clues to unlock three locks on a box. We managed to unlock two of them!

Then we went to the food section! We got blackened catfish, crawfish etouffee, corn on the cob (slathered with butter, parmesan, and Tony's), crawfish balls, funnel cake, cinnamon pecans, and chocolate covered cheesecake! We left so full and every bite was totally worth it. I already can't wait for next year!

Tutu Cute

top: Forever 21 | skirt: Versona | belt: Versona | shoes: Ross

Tutus are just so fun! Especially when they're PINK! I distinctly remember a morning a few years ago when I woke up and thought, "I want to wear a pink tutu today." But, alas, I did not own a pink tutu. Thankfully I do now! So on the days when I wake up wanting to wear a pink tutu, I can do just that.

Meditation Monday: Why does God let bad things happen?

Earlier today I was messaging a friend who is going through some rough times right now. One of the things she said was “I don’t understand why God lets bad things happen.” And I get where she’s coming from. Why would a God who loves us so much let horrible things happen in our lives?

I have personally asked this question before, along with many others: Why is this happening to ME? I’m the good girl! I obey God’s word! I go to church and I’m involved in ministry and I try my best to live a Christian life and develop my relationship with God. So why should bad things happen to ME?

No one is exempt from rough periods of life. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Christian or not--that doesn’t keep the hard times away from you.

James 1:2-3 (NLT) says, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”

Consider troubles an opportunity for joy? Man, does that sound like a contradiction. To be happy about trouble. But if we don’t go through hard times, we can’t grow. You probably know the cliches. “You can’t have a testimony without a test.” “You can’t have a message without a mess.” And those statements are, indeed, true. If everything were always rainbows and sunshine, we wouldn’t have a reason to learn, grow, and trust.

It’s been through the worst times in my life, through the struggles and the doubts, that I have seen God in the biggest way. Looking back, I can see His hand on me in the dark times, even if I wondered if He was there at the time.

Times of trouble tend to be the times we doubt God. We wonder if He really loves me. If He’s really there for me. If He really exists. So how do we conquer the doubt?

A few weeks ago, my pastor said, “If you don’t understand why you’re doing it, walk in obedience until you do.” Sometimes I don’t understand WHY God asks me to do the things He asks me to do. But I’ve learned to do those things anyways. Every time I have obeyed despite not understanding, God has brought me to understanding. It doesn’t happen overnight--sometimes it takes years. But He has been faithful through every storm.

Another quote I heard a few weeks ago from a friend’s pastor: God is not affected by your storm. You may not be able to get to Him through the storm, but He can walk on the water and come to you.

So I encourage you, when life gets tough and the waters are rough, keep trusting in God. Obey his commands and His Word, even if it doesn’t make any sense. He will be with you every step of the way.

Application:

Going through a rough time? I encourage you to find an uplifting verse that speaks to you. (I’m including some below to get you started!) Write this verse on a piece of paper. In a note on your phone. On the palm of your hand. On your bathroom mirror. Put it on sticky notes all around your house and in your car. Memorize it. The Bible is composed of God’s own words. Allow His words to permeate your brain, and know that God IS there and He is speaking to YOU.

Psalm 91:2
Psalm 119:169
Isaiah 41:10
Psalm 29:11
Psalm 71:20-21
Isaiah 26:3-4
Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT)
Psalm 16:8 (NLT)
Isaiah 43:1-2 (NLT)

Falling

top: Forever 21 | skirt: stolen from Mom | scarf: gift | boots: Wet Seal | watch: Charming Charlie

Fall is my favorite. I'm sure I say that about every season when it begins. I love the changing seasons. But fall, oh fall. The crisp, cool air. Hot drinks like Nutella hot chocolate and caramel apple spice. The Red River Revel, where I can stuff my face with all kinds of delicious food. And the clothes.

Oh, the clothes. Finally cool enough for long sleeves and layers. And in (hopefully) just a few weeks, I get to pull out... TIGHTS! I have a lot of tights. An embarrassing amount of tights. More tights than I can wear in one season of chilly weather. And, oh, how I love them.

In the meantime, I'm pulling out everything that is fall-ish in my closet. This outfit came out a true winner, and my co-workers kept complimenting it all day long. I'm just now looking back at photos of it and realizing that there are a LOT of polka dots. I tend to wear lots of patterns at one time without realizing it. That's when you know your patterns work well together, right?

Here's to more fall outfits! Happy fall, y'all!

Photography Friday #6: Hot Air Balloon Festival

A few months ago, I joined Rachel and her family for an afternoon/evening at the hot air balloon festival, and I'm realizing I never shared the photos! We had so much fun eating junk food and watching the hot air balloons twinkle at night. Riding a hot air balloon is on my bucket list, and this just made me want to do it even more! One day!

Photography Friday #5

It's been a weird week. I've got a children's revival this weekend in south Louisiana (keep them in your prayers--the flooding has been devastating!) and another local the next. Plus I've been trying to get ahold of as many of my friends from south Louisiana as I possibly can to make sure they're okay. I know of several families personally who have lost everything they own. It hurts my heart so much.

It's been a rainy week. And right now, no one in Louisiana is very fond of the rain. 

I've done some relaxing this week. The other night, I spent three hours reading a book in the bath. A reread of a favorite, and man, it was lovely. Last night I made friendship bread then did a deep conditioning treatment on my hair while it baked. So yeah, it's been weird and rainy this week, but there have definitely been some moments of (figurative) sunshine. (Which explains why all of these photos were, um, not taken this week.)