REFRESH :

Two weeks into the new year. A list of twenty-six goals is sitting on your desk. One checked off.

Once we've passed through the Christmas coma, we come to the "how many plans can I make in one week" phase. We set unrealistic goals, we make goals of things that really shouldn't count as goals at all, and we make plans to plan (What? Yes, we all do it). Post-checklist week, we role into the new year. A time filled with stress about new semester and excitement over the fact that you've made it through one day of the thirty that you promised you would stay away from Starbucks. Initially, it's the little wins that fuel our drive to continue pursuing goals. And then, life gets hard. Holiday breaks end and those checklists get shoved in drawers. Instead of recreating the impossible goals we set, we throw them aside.

What this whole process lacks is intentionality.

We so desire instant gratification-an end result- in all of our lofty goals that, in our tunnel vision, we forget the power we have to restructure things! These lyrics by Gungor are so full of hope "You make me new, you are making me new". We easily lose site of the fact that being transformed means work is currently taking place. Right now, in these moments, He is purifying and challenging you. You are being made new! We have the hope of a fresh heart and mind every morning. That means our goals can and should shift and grow along with us! We can intentionally recreate our goals as the new year progresses without losing site of our initial intent.

 If you're coming to a frustrating place due to unmet goals and little headway, check your heart, dive into scripture, and breathe. Sometimes we need a refreshed and a renewed heart and checklist.

Although these checklists don't define you, they can be spectacular tools for cultivating a rich life, one that is purposeful and filled with promise. Find those crumpled pieces of paper, pray desperately over them, rewrite or throw some goals out, then work. It's a process, pray, write, work, repeat. Sometimes we need to cull through, trim the excess, and recreate our plans in order to get down to the relevant, refreshing change that needs to take place.

Cheers!
Mackenzie

Beginnings & Adventures

The creative industry has so rapidly evolved over the past few years that sometimes we feel our rate of learning or growth should continue at the same speed. It's so easy to compare skill levels to those close to you in your industry. The truth is, we don't all learn and grow at the same rate, and beginning something new does not make you an expert. Don't let comparison steal the joy out of new adventures. I have been guilty of this lately as I've been toying with the idea of shooting more editorial work... I so easily fall into the trap of comparison or doubt. What we need to remember is that with new beginnings come fresh eyes to see new concepts and an excited, motivated heart. So, begin anywhere and know that you're not the only one growing.

Happy Monday, friends! 

Mackenzie

Vlog Three // Diligence

Vlog three, Sarah and Ciera share their hearts on the topic of diligence, what areas in your life are you most diligent in and how are you diligent in them? What areas in your life are you not diligent in and how do you plan on becoming diligent in them? Share your heart trails & triumphs with us as we pursue diligence in our everyday lives!

"Patience and Diligence, like faith, remove mountains." William Penn

Sweet Serenity & Incomprehensible Glory

A slow breeze & a steady rain.

     Sitting on a black rocking chair with an assortment of flowers to my right & a tiny red tricycle to my left all underneath a covered, wooden, patio. White, french, doors open & close with new faces coming in & out. There is a soft thunder in the distance.. or maybe it is a plane.

     While the birds chirp & splash in all their delight I feel as though I am starring into a reflection of what I desire my spiritual life to reflect.

A slow breeze & a steady rain.  

     Tiny rain drops find their way onto vibrantly red flower petals while the pesky, little, pup nibbles at my toes. Gearing my eyes to Jesus all around me, it is a beautiful thing.

// Sweet serenity & incomprehensible glory //

     Letting Jesus breathe in the weakness of my lungs & rain on my thirsty heart. Slow & steady. Constant & never ending.

Until I finish my race.

xoxo,

Sarah Delanie

Recipe // Fruit Infused Water by Dejah Lynn

Instructions:

1. Put cold water in a cup and then stir in honey if desired.

2. Cut up your fruit then add it to the water. If you want a stronger fruity taste, squeeze the juice out of the fruit. 

2. Put in refrigerator for 1 hour.

3. Add ice and enjoy!

Favorite Combinations

Do you have a favorite mouth watering combination? Let us know in the comment section below!

Recipe + Images by Dejah Lynn

Equipped

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." 

- James 1:2-4 (ESV)

     This past week has been a real eye opener for me, as I watched my town lose a young man who just graduated from high school. He was a friend, brother, son, grandson, nephew, and much more. I watched as we all grieved his loss. As I was studying my bible this week and continuing a study in James I came across this verse that touched my heart and it was no coincidence, Gods timing is always perfect!  It's easy to count our blessings as joy, but to go through trials and count those as joy?! I was sitting there in awe thinking how crazy is that? Then I realized I want this steadfast faith and without the testing of my faith I would never grow my steadfast faith.

      As I prayed that day, I prayed as I went through trials I'd be equipped with steadfastness. My reminder to all of you this week, whatever you're going through and whatever various trials you're dealing with, count it joy. Grow in steadfastness, strengthen your faith, read his word to propel you forward, and simply ask Him to grow you through your trials.

In His love, 

Elleigh Ann

Road Trip Ramblings

Road Trips.

     It's been a few years since I hopped in a car for a 14 hour road trip. Don't get me wrong, the smell, atmosphere & adrenaline of an air port fires me up like no other, but there is something so simple & raw about a long drive. It's like going on a journey through different worlds. Each state, city, & town all exuding different lifestyles. Different stories.

     Each car passing by, driven by someone with utter purpose, accomplishing a divine task assigned to them from the Almighty. Life moves quickly & it is easy to forget to just BE. I myself find it simple to check out of a conversation even while seemingly present. My mind goes & my heart follows suit.

     It's finding that fine line of discernment between just being a "doer" vs. being a "doer, driven by faith." There is a difference. It calls for discernment & a perfect teacher.

 >>> Jesus <<<

xoxo,

sarah delanie

Make Your Own Journal + A Giveaway!

Have you ever wanted to make your own homemade journal? Well you easily can! And Elianna (a contributor to our Spring Issue) has put her DIY skills into showing us how to make one. And if DIY's aren't your thing, stay tuned till the end of this post to win the journal Elianna use as an example :)

This DIY project is great because it costs about the same or a little less than a regular book, but is made with a ton more love. Its a lot easier than it sounds and most of the items necessary for the project can be found around the house. Since I already had a glue stick  a small piece of canvas, a needle and thread, cardboard, and some patterned card-stock  I didn’t add these into the overall cost. The most expensive item is the remnant fabric. Even this item doesn’t need to be that pricey. You can substitute the remnant for fabric from Goodwill. You could also cut up an old shirt or pillowcase to save even more money.

The Price Breakdown

Remnant Fabric: $6.66
Cardstock: $3.99
Satin Ribon: $1.99
Inside Patterned Cardstock: Found around the house
Small Piece of Canvas: Found around the house
Needle and Thread: Found around the house
Gluestick: Found around the house
Cardboard: Found around the house

Approximate Total Cost: $12.64

To start with, you take your plain card-stock paper and fold it in half. The size of my paper is 8.5 x 11 so the size of my book will be 8.5 x 5.5. Once you’ve folded your paper, divide them into signatures. (a group of 3-6 pieces stacked on top of each other) The thickness of the card-stock will determine how many pieces should be in each signature.




After gathering, stack the signatures on top of one another.

Now that you’ve done that, determine where the holes need to go for sewing. This part is tricky so practice on some printer paper before doing the real thing. You need to have an even number of holes. Since my book is going to be 8.5 inches high, I measured an inch and a half in on each side and then one more inch from that.

After you mark where the holes should be located, use an awl or other skinny pointy object to make them. Again, practice on scratch paper. This next part is the most difficult part so take your time so you don’t make mistakes. Take your needle and thread and your first signature. When sewing, remember to go from the outside of the folded paper. Keep your thread tight!

An inside look...

Once your done with the first signature attach the second signature, like so.

When sewing, you can hold the signatures together with a binder clip.

Once you’re done, then tie off the ends. Completely cover the spine in glue, then place it under something heavy until its fully dry. If you want a book marker, also glue this to the spine. (That’s why you have the skinny ribbon)

Now that the spine is totally dry, glue the canvas piece on as well. The piece should be shorter than the book and have extra on each side. I recommend that you cut your canvas 1 inch shorter and 1.5 inches wider than the spine. Glue on spine over book mark and let dry completely.

Now take your cardboard and measure the covers and spine of your book. My book is 8.5 x 5.5 and I want the pages inside, not flush with the cover so the amount of cardboard I cut out for the spine will be 8.75 x 1.00 and both of the covers will be 8.75 x 5.75.

Glue it onto your fabric with about a .25” space between each piece. Cut your fabric so there’s about a .5” border around the edges. Be careful when cutting!! Especially the corners!!

Glue the edges of fabric over the cardboard, put weight on it, and let it dry.

Put glue on both sides of the canvas (attached to the book) and glue it to the front and back covers. For this part you’ll want to use stronger glue. I forgot to take a picture of this step. Close the book part, while making the sure the canvas has been glued in place and let it dry under some weight.


Take your patterned cardstock and measure both (front and back) to be the same size as your original paper. For me, this would be 8.5 x 11. Fold it in half and make sure it fits nicely between the cover and first page of your book. Lightly coat the back of the page with glue. Attach it to the cover and first page of the book, then close the book to make sure it stays in.



Any questions on this project? Email me at: dancingstar98@toast2.net!

There you have it y'all. How to make a lovely journal for your prayers, plans, or dreams. But for those of us that can't sew/glue to save our lives, we are giving away this journal that Elianna made for us. You have a week to win it ;) And you have no reason not to!

------
May 9th: The winner is....Sarah Holmes! Expect an email from us within 24 hours, Sarah! Thanks everyone for entering!
-----

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Red Shoes // Hannah Simmons

I am a people pleaser. All of my life, I have been in constant fear of crossing lines and breaking rules, of disappointing anyone because I lived off of their approval. Growing up, the mere knowledge that I had even indirectly cause anyone unhappiness was enough to turn me into an amorphous pool of teary guilt. Every thought process I had and decision I made was completely dictated by how it would affect someone else. How I was perceived was more important to me than who I actually was, and since I could never be sure of anyone's true opinion, I was never sure of myself. This insecurity carried itself into every area of my life, and it showed up most obviously in the way that I dressed. I worried so much about conforming to everyone's wishes and wasted so much emotional energy on what they would think of my choice of clothes every day that I had no real idea what I even liked. But whatever it was that I liked, it was definitely not what I was wearing. No matter what I put on, by the end of the day, I hated it and felt ugly. This was just an outward representation of my heart during this time: inept, unhappy, and paralyzed by looming mountains of expectations that would never get out of the corner of my eye long enough for me to have an independent thought. But one night, God would send a woman who, with no clue that she was doing it, would change everything.

I was sitting at a church gathering my family attended each week. Having recently started coming to this church, my introverted, awkward personality made these evenings my weekly torture sessions, as I sat for hours in a corner, simultaneously wishing someone would talk to me and terrified that I would be noticed. But by some miracle, tonight I was talking to someone. This girl was, and still is, hilarious, amazingly confident, and all around way to cool for me. And all of the sudden, she was sitting there with me and my sister, showing me her favorite Instagram pictures and just talking about life. I must have mentioned something about my problems with style, because I remember she looked at me and said "No matter what you wear, somebody is going to hate it. You will never be able to please everyone, so dress in what makes you happy." And then something clicked. I realized that I didn't want to be a cookie cutter version of someone else anymore. So the next day, I bought these bright red shoes and wore a purple sweater and went out and felt amazing. And I never looked back.

Now, my family has made a game of counting the colors in my outfit on any given day, and the sum is usually about twelve. My wardrobe includes royal blue jeans and coral fedoras, which may or may not have been worn together before. And once again, my style is a reflection of the inside of me. I know who I am now. I am Hannah Simmons, sometimes known as Frankie. I am a huge nerd. I love music, Butterfingers, and Harry Potter, and I'm not afraid of fuchsia lipstick or Shakespeare. No matter what kind of situation I'm in, if there is music on, I will be dancing. I'm still just a ditzy, geeky introvert, but I've stopped caring who finds out about that.

But this story is still missing something. Because, if I stopped right there, this would all be a victory for the world. If I stopped right there, they could make a Disney Channel movie out of my life, and goodness knows there are quite enough of those already. Because the reason that I'm okay with being different is not that I got a self esteem boost and started following my heart. I love being different because God made me a diverse, unique and weird person, and I would be repressing his glory if I didn't let that shine through. And guess what? That goes for you too.

Jesus did not call you out of the world so that you could be just like everyone else. He didn't die for you so that you could be hemmed in by the opinions of others. And He didn't save you into a life of inoffensiveness and popularity. If you are intentional about living in the mission field that God has placed you in, you are going to rub some people the wrong way. You have been given a job in this world that only you can complete, and I'm sure you've heard that before. So what makes it so hard to accept that, if you are the single person in the world who can possibly do what God wants you to do, then there has to be something about you that is completely and utterly different from anyone else on the entire planet, and you are going to have to be cool with being that person before you can fulfill your purpose. Maybe your different doesn't wear orange hipster glasses and have an obsession with Doctor Who. Maybe your different sets an example in modesty for a generation that has forgotten what clothes are for, or discovers a cure for cancer.

Whatever it does, it will be unlike anything the world has ever seen, and it will cause others to praise God, and it will be totally and beautifully you.

The Beginning

We're SO excited. One, it's New Year's Eve, and two, it's launch day of this gorgeous baby! We hope you love it as much as we do. Much more is coming as we start blogging a couple of days a week and start full force on our Spring Issue! Wooohoo for new beginnings!

Happy 2013 y'all!