. memorizing this one .

. i haven't memorized a verse in a very long time, i'm ashamed to admit . but here's one i've started working on . it's good ! so i thought i'd share in case it encouraged any of you .

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:17-19

. good stuff right there !

you've been remade

. i wish everyone i knew could understand this .

makeover and things

. as you see, the personal blog got a little makeover . it had been about a year i think, so it was time . did you notice it's creamy and tan and all soft and pretty looking, just like i said i couldn't get enough of lately .

. and, speaking of makeover, i am working on putting the post together for my living room color makeover that i've done . hopefully i'll be posting it sometime today, so come back .

. i have a ton of blogs bookmarked that i don't read until things slow down and i find myself killing extra time on my computer . apparently that was last night .

. i checked sew liberated and saw this video of this little 20 month old picking up his play dough stuff . this mama is big into training her little fella the montessori way, and although i'm not overly familiar with this, i do get the idea . thought it quite impressive and i thought i'd share . any thoughts from any of you that have used or know about montessori educating ? just found it intriguing .

. i know you're wondering why all of the sudden posts on the blog ? i'm needing to be creative and since photography is slower right now, this is my outlet . so thanks for sticking around (all 3 of you) to check when i do eventually post .

. oh and i've been drinking far too much caffeine lately (but that french toast coffee my mama bought me is gooo-od!) . maybe be another reason i'm super chatty in this moment .

. my last fortune cookie said "work on improving your exercise routine" . how did they know !? they probably have a stash of cookies with just this message that they throw in after you order so many cashew chickens to go !

. design inspiration .

? want some ?

. go check out thrifty decor chick . she redecorates more than anyone i've ever seen, but does it all inexpensively and well . she has a more traditional style .

. definitely watch yourself some design star . the latest season (new york) was the one that inspired me the most, i think i'm going to watch that season again .

. nichole at making it lovely always has great ideas too . i've shared her before so you may already know her, but she's definitely worth mentioning again .

. the nesting place often has good ideas .

. i recently found rare and beautiful treasures . this gal lived in an amazing new home they had built and recently they sold it and are living beneath their means and she's doing it all cute ! enjoyed this new find .

. some cute stuff on evie s too .

. i think that's good for now . if you like what you see and get inspired by any of these tell me about it and show me what you've done .

. if you haven't freshened up your place in a while, do it . challenge yourself to do it cheap and get out of your comfort zone a little . it's so much fun .

. photos of my space {rearranged} coming soon .

. a cute share .

. i thought this would be the perfect place to share this cuteness . i follow betsy's blog, she does great photography and has a cute lil family . her little fella, miles, read a story and they voice recorded it and put it to photos of him reading it, it's precious . though you might enjoy it too .

. a little sharing .

. a few weeks ago i went to women of faith with some friends and had a wonderful time enjoying other women, laughing, talking till all hours of the night, and taking in all that the speakers had to say . this year there was a speaker, andy andrews who seemed to have so much truth in the things he shared, thought i'd share in case these things might help someone else .

. sorry covers mistakes, choices take forgiveness .

. can i do something i don't want to do to get a result i really want .

. forgiveness is a decision, not an emotion .

. forgiveness is about me, trust is about them .

. so many times we ask ourselves 'is this wrong?', when the question should be 'is this wise?' .

. many inspiring speakers there, and i got to see anita renfroe do this .

:)

. in our monday night bible study we're studying john ortberg's book, if you want to walk on water you've got to get out of the boat . this book has been very eye opening for me . we are all on a mission from God . this calling isn't something we choose, it's something we discover .

. the chapter that probably spoke the most to me is the chapter i wasn't even able to attend the discussion . the chapter on learning to wait . i underlined about half of this chapter, i won't share it all with you (you can just get the book yourself), but i will share a few things that may encourage you like they did me .

. 43 times in the old testament alone, the people are comanded, "wait, wait on the Lord" .

. the ability to wait well is a test of maturity . delaying gratification is a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleausre by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with . it is the only decent way to live .

. paul says that while we are waiting for God to set everything right, we suffer . but suffereing produces endurance; endurance, character; and character, hope . God is producing these qualities in us as we wait . waiting is not just something we have to do while we get what we want . it is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be .

. it is not a passive waiting around for something to happen that will allow you to escape your trouble . people often say 'i'm just waiting on the Lord', as an excuse not to face up to reality, own up to their responsibility, or take appropriate action .

. waiting on the Lord is a confident, disciplined, expectant, active, and sometimes painful clinging to God .

. waiting is by nature, some thing only the humble can do with grace .

. what we wait for is not more important than what happens to us while we are waiting .

. the last chapter was so beautiful as well .

. how big is your God ? when our God is small we wake up in the morning in constant fear and anxiety because everything depends on us .

. there is a word for the process by which human beings come to perceive and declare the vastness, worthiness and strength of God . it is called worship .

. worship is not about filling God's needs . God has made us so that when we experience something trancendentally great, we have a need to praise it .

. mindlessness is one of the primary things that keeps us from worship . ironically, we live in an age that seeks to eliminate mystery, and then we miss it . we have caller id; we can know the gender of babies before they are born; exit polls tell us who was elected before we have finished voting; tv shows reveal the secrets magicians have always kept hidden-we destory wonder and then ache for it . but God is too big for the wonder-killers . so we need to reflect for a while .

. i wonder occasionally if boredom in worship (and boredom in general) is not in fact a function of song selection or liturgical style, but rather, at least sometimes, a function of spending too much time in the boat .

. okay, i'll stop there, that was long i know, but these truths really spoke to me and i just wanted to share in case they could speak to someone else . if your Christian walk has become complacent, this book could be beneficial to you, get it !

(words in italics by authors)

. because i like to share good things .

. if you're into photography you'll like these . i've found a few new photography blogs to peruse and i love them so much, though i'd share for any other photo loving people like myself .

. christian cruz .

. promise tangeman .

. indie jane photography .

. pink coffee photoart .

. gail werner .

. nickel city studios .

. one more good thing i should share is a book our ladies bible study is going through right now . if you want to walk on water you've got to get out of the boat by john ortberg . very scripturally inspiring and motivating . here's a few quotes from the book ...

"...this is not a story where some are gifted and some are not . we are all called by God . we are all equipped and expected to contribute" .

. "our lives are not about self preservation and fulfillment, but are to be acts of stewardship" .

. "fear disrupts faith and becomes the biggest obstacle to trusting and obeying God" .

. "our calling is not so much choosing as it is listening" .

. "never try to have more faith- just get to know God better" .

. "growth always involves risk, and risk always involves fear" .

. just a few i thought i'd share with you, check it out .