Sweet Southern Pearl

So I decided to write a post tonight. I haven't posted in a while. Work has been busy. Life has been busy. I got sick last week... Anyway, I went to get some juice from the refrigerator to enjoy while I wrote, and noticed the grape juice said "refreshingly simple," which perfectly describes what is on my heart to write about tonight. How perfect. Now I'm drinking my refreshingly simple grape juice, thinking about how the same should be said about our faith in Christ. I read on Friday the part of Mark where Jesus talks about how you won't enter Heaven unless you have childlike faith. That means simple, trusting faith. The kind that children have in the tooth fairy and Santa and Mommy and Daddy. (The kind Emery has that I will feed her every day and she won't ever go hungry.) I feel like we get worked up and worry about things that don't matter, therefore wasting our time and thoughts when they could be used in better ways. At least I do. In our girl...

...That's what I keep telling myself. I feel like I FEEL more lately... like I get ruffled by the slightest comment someone makes, even if they don't mean it in a rude way (sometimes they probably do :)). TO REMAIN UNRUFFLED (one of our vocab words this week in ninth grade English), I use this little chart from a book we went through in a Bible study I was in a couple years ago. (The curriculum is L.I.F.E. - Living In Freedom Every day. It's a program from the Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama.) "Six Ways to Stay Unoffended by Studying the Life of Jesus" 1. Take the lowest seat. Consider everyone more important than yourself . Put the needs of others before your own. Strive to please God, not yourself or others. Be the servant, and don't expect anyone to pay attention to you. (Obv this doesn't mean NEVER take time for yourself or do something that makes YOU happy because if you don't, you get burnt out from serving and neglecting...

Looking back through my old blog posts from Februaries past, looking for inspiration to write new posts... I really like to write about love in February because I feel like Valentine's Day has been commercialized to the point that we forget what real, true love should be like.  Anyway, I saw this post I wrote in 2015 and feel led to share it today, adding some "insight" two years later. A lot has changed in two years - I have grown in my faith and as a person. Looking at this post now, I still agree 100% and can add some things: At our church, the youth are doing "True Love Waits" in Sunday school right now. Sometimes when you hear "true love waits" you think of holy-roller Baptists who are firm in their decision to save themselves for marriage and wear rings to show it, am I right?!?! And I would never knock that (I heard someone the other day bashing Jessica Simpson for saving herself before her first marriage and it made me very angry), but...

This is something I wrote in February of 2014, inspired after seeing a quote and spending time focusing on the Lord and not trying to find a relationship. I wanted to repost it today to kick off February! <3  Love/Dating - Run as Fast as You Can! #repost   I saw this e-card on a girl's Instagram and immediately thought, "This is the best dating advice I've ever seen!"   Someone worthy of your time and [[possibly sharing your life]] will seek God just as diligently and earnestly as you do. If you're seeking God with all your might, you don't need to worry about finding the right person. He/she will be  led by Christ  to you. This person will not take your focus off of Christ and His plan for your life. In fact, the right person will  foster  your growth in the Lord. You will grow in Christ together and help each other, not hinder each other.   If this isn't the case in your relationship, you are wasting your time! ...