Wrapped Up In Love

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson || Top:Hadley Rae || Jeans: Madewell

I recently teamed up with Hadley Rae Boutique and had so much fun shooting looks for her website. But the best part was making a new friend in the process. If you haven’t paid Hadley Rae a visit, I HIGHLY recommend you do so. Like, TODAY.  It is your one-stop shop for affordable and adorable pieces. Yes, you read that right… AFFORDABLE! Seriously. Amazing prices.

I fell in love with this little number, which comes in 3 colors… Or should I say, 3 PERFECT colors for fall. You can find them here. I love how it flows. It gives you that comfy, cozy feeling that we so desperately crave as the cool weather moves in. This is one of those looks that I KNOW I will wear over and over again. I can’t wait to wrap up in it when the crisp days of fall arrive. 

There is nothing like the feeling of being wrapped up in a loving embrace. It is a feeling of protection and peace that cannot be replicated. However, the best embrace is not one we can feel with the touch of a human hand. Indeed, it is only the hand of Jesus that can truly touch our souls and comfort our worried minds. He has a strong hold on our heart. And, thankfully, he isn’t in the business of breaking those hearts; rather, he is in the business of building them into loving hearts like His own.

So, as the days cool off and the air gets a little drier, remember that your heart will always have a warm place to call home. 

"He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield." -Psalm 91:4

Street Smart

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson  ~ Outfit Linked Below

This dress is one of those need to have, must buy looks that will last you all summer and into the fall. It is good for work, church, play, party, or whatever. You can dress it up with some cute summer booties, or you can dress it down with a pair of slip-ons (which, by the way, I am currently obsessed with slip-ons – I wore them all over NYC last week). 

Whether traveling through a big city like New York or the streets of Nashville during CMA Fest, you need to wear the correct shoes… shoes that you can walk in, stand in, and even dance in. These shoes need to last for hours and not provide discomfort. You need to be smart about your street shoes.

We have all heard about being “street smart.”  Specifically, it is defined as “knowing how to deal with potential difficulties in an urban environment.” Thankfully, Nashville isn’t the most “urban” of cities, and I think my level of street smarts is up to the level it needs to be here. At least in certain parts of the city… Right?

Most of us are able to gauge our level of street smartness. We tend to have enough commonsense and awareness of our surroundings to know how to handle most any type of situation. But do we have this same sense of awareness when it comes to our faith?

Everyday, we recognize that there are different situations where we need to lean on our faith. But do we? Do we consult God? Do we pray about it? Or do we just confront the situation—without thinking—and hope for the best.

Take a moment today to think about how you handle each of your faith driven decisions. Have you prayed about it? Are you putting your trust in God? These moments could be life changing, or they could be small. Maybe it is as easy as making a phone call to a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while. Or maybe it is as big as finally beginning the search for a new job. But no matter how big or how small, each moment should be valued. Each moment is worth a prayer… or a praise. 

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

Jump Into Something New

Photography by Madi Floury Henderson

You know that feeling when you find a new trend that works for you and suddenly all you want to do is buy more of that same look? Well, that’s how I currently feel about jumpsuits. At first, I didn’t love the idea. It was a fad I couldn’t quite get on board with. Then, I tried one on and fell head over heels for it. Why did I wait so long to embrace such a fun style? This jumpsuit found me at Nordstrom, and I knew it would be a perfect addition to my collection.

Sometimes we jump into new things, like a new hobby, relationship, job, or pair of jeans. But, sometimes we jump into these new things and forget to jump out of the thing we left behind: our past.

We all have something in our past that impacts our present. It can also impact our future because it is so overpowering that we can’t seem to move on. We allow it to control our hopes and dreams and even relationships. And that’s not what the past is supposed to do. 

Your past is a part of you. It helped shape and mold you into the person you are today. But it doesn’t have to define you. We need to learn from our past but not let it stop us. 

I am not a risk taker. Nine times out of ten, I play it safe. This is probably due to something I encountered in my past: a moment where I failed or didn’t live up to expectations. I let that “play it safe” mentally really define me for a long time. I talked a lot about the things I wanted to do; but, whenever it came time to tackle it, I would back away in fear. I would tell myself that I was content with where I was and what I was doing. Everything was fine – why change it?

But there have been a series of events over the past year or so where I can really feel God pushing me to go for it – to accept the fact that these thoughts can’t just be vivid images in my mind anymore. It’s time to take action. I can no longer let the fear of my past prevent me from living out my future.  

So, whatever it is that you are jumping into these days, I pray that you are doing so knowing that God is jumping in with you. He isn’t worried about what might have happened in the past, He has already forgiven you for that. He is focused on shaping you into the person He created you to be. Just go for it.  

"He has made everything beautiful in its time." - Ecclesiastes 3:11