I CHANGED MY MIND

In our last home, I needed to set up a home office space. I had a white desk we purchased from Pottery Barn years before, and I always wanted to add several other white pieces to match the desk. I knew I wanted white bookcases and a white and blue desk chair accented with paisleys and silver nail heads. It was my perfect happy space!

About two years later, we moved. I was so excited because my new home offered such beautiful woodwork and white trim throughout, so I was sure the furniture would complement the space perfectly. Instead, it all seemed so small and lost in this space. How was this possible since the new home office was smaller than the previous one? It didn’t fit because it didn’t complement the aesthetics of our new home. Our new house gave a more open and grand feel, so it needed more substantial pieces to flow with the design. (Defining Moment: I didn't want to give up MY plan or idea...). With a reservation, I changed my mind about the furniture and created a new look and design for the space. Now it's beautiful and the perfect home office for my new home!

Like the furniture, it’s the moments in life where you have the vision or the dream in your mind so clear, but removing it would mean removing something that is your statement piece.

What if we allowed God to do His perfect work in our lives, and we chose to trust Him to allow us to shine without our own ideas of a “statement piece”? We would illuminate the room! Fear didn’t compliment the aesthetics of the design God created for my life, so I changed my mind… What is something in your life that you need to change your mind on for God to fully get the Glory out of His design in you?

BREATHE

GOD: “I NEED YOU TO ENCOURAGE MY OTHER DAUGHTERS; SHARE YOUR STORY OF BROKENNESS AND HOW YOU ARE ON THE PATH OF WHOLENESS”

ME:   “I’M NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH”

GOD: “IT’S TIME TO START DOING WHAT I GIFTED YOU TO DO; GO DESIGN”

ME:  “I’M NOT READY YET”

GOD: “LOVE ON OTHER WIVES DURING THEIR SEASONS OF DOUBT BY TELLING THEM HOW YOU HAVE OVERCOME” 

ME: “THEY WON’T LISTEN TO ME; WHO AM I?” 

GOD: “IT’S TIME TO BLOG”

ME:  “UMMMM YEAH, NO THANK YOU!”

Every moment God said “do,” I just politely explained to Him that I was not equipped for my assignments or His plans… Sounds funny, right?

From the time I was a little girl, I always knew what I wanted to do but didn’t know what it was supposed to look like.  How do ministry, interior design, and fashion go together? I chose to wake up every morning and get the paintbrush out.  I would paint a picture of styled perfection in my well-thought-out outfits, accessories, coordinating shoes, and a full face of makeup with a painted smile, too, but inside, I was carrying so much emptiness. I wanted to do so many other things with what I believed my gifts were but didn’t know how to quite make it happen.  As life presented its own unforeseen challenges, I began to get more still in complacency. At least an expected job should win me the approval of success, or maybe I was just too scared to be that transparent with who I knew God created me to be. 

Every time He told me to do anything that was uncomfortable, I would place another hurdle of delay in my path.  I would tell myself that since I didn’t have the blueprint or road map for the entire plan, I should respectfully bow out.  So I did.  I was literally robbing myself of my full potential and the blessings that God had for me!

 I had to make a decision. I could just keep existing in life, keep plugging myself into the expected but safe jobs where I would work diligently to make sure everyone was pleased with me, but the reality was I was settling on the fact that I was only being tolerated. Every day, I would show up to work to walk into a door of emptiness, stagnation, and toleration. It can be miserable to have so much inside of you and walk through a door of complacent, settling fear every day.  I could dream about what I wanted my life to look like but was too scared to trust God or myself to walk it out. 

My other option was to fully surrender my gifts to God so He could fully cultivate His perfect version of me. Matthew 6:25-34 explains how God will provide for us because we are enough. He encourages us to be rooted in our faith in who He is…  Knowing that I am a child of God is wonderful and all, but knowing that I am the daughter of a King changes the whole idea of who my Daddy is and what I can accomplish through Him.

I decided to just let go of waiting until it was the right time, where every little detail is Pinterest-worthy and absolutely perfect! It is impossible to learn and grow if I refuse to move forward in my imperfection and commit to allowing God to perfect His daughter.  As I release a breath full of fear and doubt, Here I am!

 I am ready to receive the promises of God over my life! I am ready to allow myself to breathe! I am ready to learn from my mistakes and to keep pressing forward every day for me! I am committed to building a tightly woven foundation of God's truth and my heart's desires. 

Let’s choose to exhale on every dream and move forward on every vision that you carry in your belly…   Every passion that you are almost imploding to live out. Stop holding your breath on opportunities, ideas, and visions; waiting on the perfect time or scenario. I promise I have learned in this season that as soon as you choose to put one foot in front of the other, God will meet you right where you are and will do the rest!  

Let’s Breathe in life… It’s time. INHALE… Go ahead; Dream, Imagine, Think, Try, Desire… Now  EXHALE...Live, Do, Push forward, Make mistakes, and Try again. We can do this! We can BREATHE!

I LOVE…

I love God. I love my husband. I love being a mom. I love to read. I love to create. I love peonies. I love dresses. I love cookies. I love blue. I love bows. I love clouds. I love ministry. I love cool tones. I love ruffles. I love grace. I love the south. I love family. I love LOVE. I love black and white. I love to go on dates. I love that my husband is still my boyfriend. I love to shop. I love pastries. I love going for walks. I love polka dots. I love laying outside on a quilt. I love the country. I love brunch. I love road trips. I love girl talk. I love jams. I love tea and lemonade; oh Arnold Palmers! I love gingham. I love to learn. I love (like) to cook. I love natural light. I love lace. I love vintage. I love fruit. I love the porch. I love wisdom. I love quotes. I love music. I love to write. I love to sing, but can’t carry a tune... I love balloons. I love red dirt. I love sprinkles. I love to design. I love peach cobbler. I love to sew. I love flowers. I love kraft paper. I love hugs. I love to entertain. I love pine trees. I love barbeques. I love to serve. I love traditions. I love pictures. I love giving. I love color. I love the sound of rain. I love stripes. I love pajamas. I love bread. I love flats. I love to laugh. I love bike rides. I love pockets on my dresses. I love to smile.