Hitting the wall

This week I realized that I like to push my limits, but most of the time in all of the wrong ways.

When I go on a run I get to a point where I break through a wall and I feel like I can keep running for a long time and nothing matters anymore. Before I get to this point I whisper to myself again and again, "hit the wall, hit the wall, hit the wall." I let this thought echo through my mind as I feel my heart thump within my chest as it adjusts to my physical exertion. This particular act of hitting the wall is a good one.

However I have noticed I have been repeating this mantra to myself in other areas of my life. I tell myself when I am getting tired at 9:30pm and feeling a little yucky, "Hit the wall." I know I will a hit a point in the evening where I will get my second wind of energy and I'll be fine. Or at least fine until I wake up the next morning feeling exhausted and sleep deprived. I repeat this mantra to myself at work, "Just get through the next half hour and everything will be okay. Hit the wall." I tell myself this in conversations and while I am sitting at the computer, "Do what you want to do. Say what you want to say. Push yourself past the point of guilt. Hit the wall."

Soon I realize I am stripping my life of its vibrancy.

When I get writer's block, when I feel stuck in my relationship with Christ and others, when I can't seem to spit out what I am thinking verbally, I say to myself, "C'mon! Hit the wall!" But this time the result is not the same. I can't push past this wall, I can't make it go away. It looms over me causing me to feel weak and helpless. I get angry inside, "Why can't I do this?" Then in my anguish and frustration I hear a voice quiet and strong. It says to me,
"Just wait, I'll give you what you need. Just trust me. Just fall down at my feet. Stop fighting the allied forces in your life. Let me lead and I will not lead you astray."
Every time I hear these words from my heavenly Father, in just the right way, at just the right time, without fail, my Savior renews my strength. And I hit the wall, breaking through it in the best of ways. As victory pulses through my veins I realize I have not broken through this wall by any means of my own. This breakthrough happened through the power of Jesus Christ. All I have to do is be faithful and wait for Him to break through for me.

This is the promise of God's perfect love.
Daily I will wake up and run the race set before me.
I will grow weary but I will never be alone.
I will never have enough strength on my own but Jesus will always seek to be my strength.
Jesus will always fight for me.
He will never back down.
He will never allow me to be overpowered beyond what I can handle.

I Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Thank you Jesus!!!
Humble me.
Break me.
Be my strength and my all.
Consume me with a passion for You that cannot be quenched.
You are good and Your love endures forever.
Amen.

The Utmost Jewelry Giveaway

Today I am hosting a giveaway in honor of reaching 50 followers! Meet my dear friend Alyssa, the wonderful girl behind The Utmost Jewelry. Today Alyssa is giving away this lovely pair of earrings made with Starbucks and Target gift cards! These earrings are valued at $18 and they feature petite dangling turquoise hearts. All of Alyssa's jewelry is made with at least 75% recycled materials and the proceeds from her shop go towards supporting her and her husband as they work towards being launched into the mission field as long term missionaries in India. So head on over to Alyssa's etsy shop and check out all of her beautiful work!

To enter this giveaway fill out the form below.
A winner will be announced on Saturday, May 14th.
{This giveaway is now closed}

My weekend

This pretty much sums up my busy and lovely weekend.
I spent Thursday, Friday and Saturday with my dear friend Erin who came for a visit.
We wandered Downtown Glendale while Erin snapped some wonderful pictures for me, watched Benny and Joon (hooray for Johnny Depp!), went to the opening night of my siblings show at our youth theatre, and stayed up till the wee hours of the morning talking. Thank you for being such an inspiring and encouraging soul Erin! Saturday, after Erin headed back to So~Cal, I went thrifting and landed a booty load of goodies!

In other news, I am so very excited to have reached 50 followers on my little blog. In honor of this occasion I am going to be hosting a giveaway this week so stayed tuned!

Happy Monday!

The Turquoise Streak

Here is my lovely turquoise streak. I have been dreaming up this turquoise streak for a very long time. As it turns out I was looking through my old sketch book with David and we stumbled upon this illustration I had done back in 2009.

I guess some dreams never die.
This little dream was also on my 19 before 20 list of goals.
(more on that to come)

Soon after dying my hair I knew I needed to create a challenge for myself. This challenge needed to empower me to embrace the full experience of having such a colorful addition to my hair. I decided to document it by photographing it daily and posting about it on a separate little blog titled "The Turquoise Streak Project."
Click on the button below to view my new little side blog.

On the evening of April 11, 2011 I bleached my hair using the Beyond the Zone Radical Bleach Kit from Sally Beauty. It worked really well though I would suggest leaving the bleach in your hair for at least 2 hours if you have dark hair like mine. I learned this the hard way. I left the bleach in for the suggested 60 minutes rinsed it out and proceeded to apply the turquoise dye. Sadly my streak turned green, so I re-bleached the streak for another hour rinsed it out and went to bed exhausted.

The next morning, April 12, 2011, and dyed my bleached out streak turquoise. This time I had success! I used Beyond the Zone Color Jam Tripped up Turquoise (also from Sally Beauty.) It worked like a charm.

On April 13, 2011 I realized my streak wasn’t as vibrant as I wanted it to be so I re-dyed it. Normally if you want your color to stay better you apply heat to the hair you have applied dye to. I discovered with this turquoise color you get better results just leaving the dye in for a good hour or so and letting the dye dry onto your hair naturally, after that just give it a thorough rinse and voila, beautiful blue hair. Surprising I know.

And there you have it. My turquoise streak dying adventures!

Today

This has been my day. Patching some holy jeans I picked up at a thrift store and putting together my turquoise streak post.
Happy Monday!

My life this week

This has been my life for the last week,
1) Work, work, work.
2) Spending a night making an amazing salmon dinner with the lovely Kierna.
3) Doing my friends hair for prom.
4) Dying a streak of my hair turquoise. (a post all about that is in the works.)

Making dinner for my family. I made our secret family recipe for the best salad ever, mushroom salad, and salmon burgers! Yum!

And lastly I had the best thrifting day ever with Kierna! We hit up so many amazing places and got so many gems! More on that to come!

Tomorrow I am going on a vintage prom dress hunt with my darling friend Melody. It should be a wonderful day!

April Vintage Etsy Update

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Today was spent updating Found, my vintage etsy shop! Check out the lovelies and pick out some for yourself if you like what you see!

Write about your dreams and goals as a beautiful women

It has taken me a really long time to post this last Project 31 post because I have been deciding what to say and share. When I think of my dreams and goals as a beautiful women I have a hard time deciding what they honestly are. Most of my dreams and goals I keep tucked away in the secret places of my heart and take them out to look at them when I'm feeling blue. Sometimes I catalog them in my mind and forget that they are even there. These dreams that haven't seen the light of day are my forgotten treasures.

My grandmother always told me to have a 5 year plan. I always wondered to myself "how can I even plan for 5 years from now?" Now I know the "planning" bit isn't what's important, what's important is to have goals that you want to accomplish. Goals that you keep constantly fresh in your mind to motivate your choices and decisions in a way that will propel you into your dreams. I so often find myself so swept up in the moment and so easily forget what I really need to be working for. I feel like this is a constant test, one I know I will experience all through life. I will fall flat on my face, I will make mistakes, but I will learn again and again to refocus on the goals and dreams God has placed in my heart. Through this refocusing I will learn to work hard daily to accomplish the will of the Father

I wrote this 5 year list of goals (which I need to add to) last December. It's exciting to look at it and realize I am already accomplishing some of my goals. These are just a snippet of the short term goals God has placed in my heart for this new season in my life.

There, Project 31 is over for me!
I can't believe I worked through this entire list!

THE LIST:

Day 1. What does beauty mean to you?
Day 2. What makes you uniquely you?
Day 3. Who is someone you know who inspires beauty?
Day 4. Style 31. Post a pic of you in your favorite outfit.
Day 5. Write a blog thanking someone who has made your heart come alive.
Day 6. Jaded beauty. Has the world's definition of beauty ever jaded you?
Day 7. Write a blog to encourage another beautiful woman.
Day 8. Have a beauty secret (e.g. hair tip, make up tip)? Share, please!
Day 9. What virtues do you value in yourself?
Day 10. What is Jesus teaching you as a wife, mom, or friend? (Or just woman in general?)
Day 11. Post a recipe. Or if you don't cook, try a new recipe and write about how it turned out (pictures please!).
Day 12. Write about what wears you out as a woman.
Day 13. Write about something you would like to change about yourself for the better.
Day 14. Style 31. Post an outfit pic!
Day 15. Write to encourage a friend. Inspire her beauty.
Day 16. Write a letter to your daughter, or a young girl in your life. Tell her what beauty means.
Day 17. Write about 3 things that make you happy.
Day 18. Describe your personality.
Day 19. Write about your favorite comfort food (we are women- we ALL have comfort food!)
Day 20. Write about your job and why you love it or hate it.
Day 21. Write a letter to your husband to encourage him (or if you are single- your future husband.)
Day 22. What are some needs that need to be met in your community? Blog about how to extend your hand to those who need you.
Day 23. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
Day 24. What is Jesus teaching you presently?
Day 25. Style 31. Post a pic of your favorite comfy clothes.
Day 26. What do you hope your grandchildren will say about you someday when you are gone?
Day 27. Write a blog to encourage someone and build their confidence!
Day 28. Write about your insecurities as a woman.
Day 29. Write about "a day in the life of me." (Pics are great!)
Day 30. Who is your role model as a woman?
Day 31. Write about your dreams and goals as a beautiful woman!

I want to end this post by saying how grateful I am for Project 31! Thank you Mandy for creating this inspiring project! This blogging journey has been so wonderful! I have learned a lot about myself and been so encouraged by the online community of faith based women! Thanks to each and everyone of you who has left a kind comment on my blog! Your words of encouragement have meant the world to me!

P.S. My lovely friend Alyssa has offered to host a giveaway on my blog when I get to 50 followers!