Printed

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson || Top: VICI

I love a good print, but when it comes to shopping, nine times out of ten I am going to go with the solid color option. However, this shirt from VICI just screamed fall to me. So, I went for it. Bring on the printed shirts… Especially one with colors and patterns that carry that strong “the leaves are changing colors” kind of feeling. I also love how this necklace from Laura Crawford Designs goes perfectly with the top. The single feather is the perfect compliment to this flowy fall shirt. 

While shirts and dresses can be covered in prints, our hearts are imprinted with many different desires. Desires that you can’t shake because they control your every thought and direct your every step. They are your passions and your push to become what your heart is calling you to be. Whatever your heart’s desire may be, it is not put there by accident. There is a reason why you keep yearning towards that one particular thing.
 
Sometimes, those desires can feel next to impossible to achieve. So, we ignore them. We push them away because they seem so far out of reach. Even though that feeling in the pit of our stomach keeps coming back day-after-day, we choose not to listen. We choose to remain comfortable in our current place instead of stepping out into God’s space… His space where He transforms your heart and mind by unfolding the unbelievable plan He has for you. But we must embrace His plan for our lives in order to ever fulfil our heart’s desires. “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” – Proverbs 16:9 

What desires are imprinted on your heart? Have you stopped to listen to what He might be calling you to do? Are you ready to hear where you need to go next? Or, are you too scared to hear the answer to that question?
 
Some days, I really want to ignore my desires. It seems like it would be easier. But, luckily, Jesus always seems to point me back in the right direction. Today, I pray that you take the next step in chasing the desire that God has placed on your heart.  Instead of pushing away, I pray that you inch a little closer to Him so that you can embrace the plan that He has in store for your life.

Interrupted

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson || Dress: VICI

Anyone else struggling with the fact that the calendar says fall but the heat says SUMMER? Well, I am. All I want to do is throw on a cozy sweater, sit by a fire, and take in the leaves falling from the trees. But since the highs are still in the 90s, I don’t see any fire-sitting happening anytime soon. This heat is really interrupting my “fall feelings.” Thankfully, this dress from VICI screams fall BUT can still handle the heat. And isn’t the pink color just so pretty?!
 
Speaking of interruptions, that topic has been on my mind a LOT this past week. As a teacher, I get interrupted at least a hundred times a day by the eager thoughts of little children. But even when I am not teaching, I still get interrupted. We all do! How often do you find yourself focusing on something at work when suddenly a co-worker barges in and totally makes you lose your train of thought? Or, you hit traffic, which completely interrupts your schedule and ability to make it to that important meeting on time? 

Interruptions not only seem to get in the way of our daily tasks, they also seem to prevent us from accomplishing our goals. Yes, interruptions only add to the stress that already comes with being busy. But, are we too busy to hear what God might be trying to tell us?
 
Lysa TerKeurst once told me (okay, she didn’t actually tell me personally, but I promise she was looking right at me when she said this), “When we run at a break-neck pace trying to achieve, God is sitting there saying, ‘I simply want you to slow down and receive.’” The world today is constantly telling us where we need be at every step, age, job, or place; but, WE need to get better at listening to where God is telling us to be. We need to “trust the Lord with our pace and our place.” (Yes, Lysa told me that, too). 

Instead of looking at these interruptions as inconveniences, maybe we should look at them as opportunities… A chance to see a lesson we might be missing because the deadline is fast approaching. Holly Furtick says that “some of life’s greatest invitations come packaged as interruptions.”
 
So, today when you get interrupted (because you will), see if it is actually an invitation from God. It could be something small, but it could also be something REALLY big that He wants you to see. 

"With God's power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of" - Ephesians 3:20

The Details

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson || Dress: VICI

With summer wrapping up, I am getting as much wear out of this little maxi dress as I can. I adore the simplicity of this dress, yet with just the tiniest little detail of some tassels, it becomes something totally different. Without the colors it would just be a black maxi dress. Listen, there is nothing wrong with a black maxi dress. But don’t the colors make this one so much more fun?! 

Lately, I have noticed myself focusing too much on the details. Not the colorful, cheerful tassel details. The bad details. The details that cause me to lay awake at night and question myself. “Did I get my point across?” “Did I say the wrong thing?” “What if this never works out?” “What if I’m not hearing you God?”

You know what those little details do? They cause you to miss the big picture. Getting too wrapped up in the little things that ARE NOT happening instead of the big things that ARE happening. It can turn into a dangerous game of doubting yourself. 

In Present Over Perfect, Shanua Niequist writes, “One of the reasons I believe in God is because I can see so clearly his loving and hilarious hand, guiding us to the unlikeliest of places to find the healing we’ve been searching for all along.”

Wouldn’t it be nice to see the day in review and recognize all that you DID instead of what you DIDN’T do? Noticing the details of God’s guiding hand that show how crazy He is about you. 

I pray that today you recognize those details that are causing you to doubt YOU. And that when you do, you ignore them with all your might. I pray that you see not just the good details, the tassels of your day, but also the big picture God is creating for you. I pray that you trust in His guiding hand to lead you on the right way. The way to the greatest you. 

"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!" - 1 Samuel 12:16