Change is good

     First post of the new year! Back to writing and putting my thoughts down on paper. It's a great form of therapy I have learned. In November I had a whirlwind of events and emotions that took place. Good and somewhat bad. I went through a breakup early November. And I'm not going to lie I was completely broken and shocked. That same week I began a new job. I had to really pray and pull myself together to do the best I could to make sure I was the best fit for this job. While training at my new job it was also finals season. I had so much going on in my head but I made it through with the help of my family and God. Once school ended I could finally put all of my focus into my job and being the best I could at that. I was also learning how to be myself again. I think we often lose ourselves in a person trying to make their happiness our priority. So I began to sit and think what I actually enjoyed doing for myself. I prayed hard every day just to get through. The holidays didn't make things any easier and I found myself in a depressed state once again. Looking back to those days I didn't think I would get through and seeing how far I've come since then makes me proud of myself. Learning how to be happy again wasn't easy. But God placed new people in my life to help me and I am loving the person I am changing into. I've made so many new friends at my job. I've made new friends at school. I am now in my sophomore year of college. God held me and got me through some of the darkest times I've had, and now life is brightening up again. He always has a plan which is not always my own. But I am very trusting that He knows what is best, after all he wrote my book and I am just starting a new chapter. He already knows the ending and it's beautiful. Pray for me as I continue to grow in my walk with Christ and for guidance as I encounter new situations that challenge me and make me a stronger person. He picks up our broken pieces and molds them back together into something much more beautiful than before. And I am thankful for every person who's had a part in my life, big or small, because they have helped me become who I am today. God isn't finished with me yet. This is only the beginning. I thank Him every day for the blessings I have and the strength he's given me. Happy new year to all. It's going to be a great one.

Photo Friday: Week in my life

Week In My Life!

Fall flannel formal with the youth group was so much fun. I love fall activities and spending time with these friends. We carved pumpkins, played games, and had some awesome food.

I found Andrew's flannel at Goodwill for $6. He had to work all day this day but he still got to come for a little bit. I think I'll steal this one from him, he said it was warm.

The next day was the fall festival at Andrew's church where we went as The Joker and Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad. It was his turn to pick Halloween costumes and we had a lot of fun planning and making these. 

Group pic.

Tuesday was actually Halloween of course. I dressed Tiny in her costume and we ordered pizza.

Went to church on Wednesday and braided Andrew's hair since he hasn't had time to get it cut. I think it's a good look on him.

And today, Friday, is my mama's birthday! We went and bought her flowers, a large balloon, and a cake yesterday as a surprise. Her and my dad went on a date tonight, and tomorrow we are going to lunch and shopping. Birthday all weekend long. So excited to see my family and eat some good food.

And last but not least, I have received some awesome news today! It has been a very long process, but I can officially say that I am now a pharmacy technician at a store near me!! State certified and everything😉. God opened this door for me a while back. It sort of fell into my lap. I wasn't looking for this job, didn't think I could even do it at first, prayed about it, and decided it was the best next step for me. I have an awesome boss, and I've already met some great people there. So excited to learn and take on this new challenge. And I get to wear scrubs every day. God is awesome!! I prayed and prayed for a new job, one with better benefits and one that would help me in my future career. And He answered it. It's not going to be easy but I know this is where I am meant to be right now. Continue to pray for a smooth transition for me and that I am able to succeed. Thank you Jesus for blessing me, always.

Open Doors

     Lately I have been feeling unsure about pretty much everything in my life. Where am I supposed to live, what job am I supposed to have, how am I supposed to be as independent as I want to be, am I in the right career path, and many other questions have popped into my head. I've had to sit down and pray about it. Long and hard. And honestly, I feel like I am right where I am supposed to be at this stage in my life. God has opened new doors for me and I have payed close attention to them. He has given me an opportunity to save money in the long run by having an awesome school so close to home. He's made it to where I'm able to pay out of pocket instead of taking out student loans. So many things have fallen into place for His perfect plan, and not mine.
      Back at the beginning of my senior year I had a dream of going off to college in Arizona. I soon realized that the dream was to start a life of my own and get out of the bubble that I've been in for my whole life. The more I thought realistically and prayed about it, the more I realized that I was not ready for that, God was not taking me there yet, and it was unrealistic for the end goal that I had for myself. I am still praying about where life is taking me next, regarding which school I am supposed to be at, but I do know for certain that I will be applying for a nursing program in the fall. This is something I've prayed about for years, and something that I've known in my heart was meant for me for as long as I can remember. Being able to show God's love through my actions, caring for, and showing sympathy and empathy towards others is my calling. It's also just completely fascinating to me. There are so many opportunities and options I can look into once I obtain my degree.
      For now, God has opened a door for me that I've been praying about for a long time. A few months ago I began to feel as if I needed a change. So, I made the decision after some thought and lots of prayer to quit my job and search for something that would help me with my career. A new challenge in life. I feel like I always sink into a more depressed state the more complacent I become. I've taken every bit of experience I have and applied it to some new opportunities. And it is looking up for me! Hopefully by next week I will have the official word and begin my new journey with some amazing people. I'm so thankful that I may not always know what I'm doing, but God does. He was saying to me, "take a leap of faith, don't worry about the money right now and go for a new dream." I have been able to stay financially stable and happy while I've been praying and going through the process of applications for this new job. Continue to pray for me as I embark on this journey and take in all of the knowledge I can to apply it to my career.
      I am super excited that I may not always know what my future has in store, the answers to the questions that pop into my head, or the meaning behind things that happen. I do know that my God is a powerful God that has seen each and every part of my life story, and directs my path wherever I go as long as I trust in Him. (Proverbs 3:5-6). I am blessed with each person that has been placed in my life and has helped me along the way, and I am so thankful for the open doors that God has given me. No matter what it may be I know that I am safe, for everything has a purpose and God's plan is always better than my own.

Weekly Recap! We were in a wreck??

     Long time, no blog! The past week (really two weeks) have been super busy. I planned on sharing pictures from fall break, but there are too many. Fall festivities are my favorite! Not a fan of the cold, but it has been a fun season so far. Last week some friends and I went to the fair and had a great time (it was 90 degrees this day). The next day I woke up feeling super sick. A week later and I am still getting over this cold/ sinus infection. Not letting it stop me from the fun though! On Saturday my mom and I hit up a yard sale (so fun during the fall) and bought the cutest fall wreath. It adds some more color to the house. My brother and his girlfriend had a military ball that night so I helped him do his hair and we were off to take pictures at some water features near us. Then, our day had a little bump in the road as my mom and I were hit by another car as we were going around a sharp curve. Praise The Lord for watching over us and letting my mom have great reflexes. Thankfully, we were only slightly hit head on and we are all okay! Unfortunately, the entire left side, hood, and back bumper has to be rebuilt. It's been kind of stressful dealing with everything that revolved around the accident, but all praise goes to my God who kept us safe. Material things can be replaced so we praise Him in the storm and give thanks for how awesome He is. Plus they still had an awesome time at the ball and looked great. The rest of the weekend was spent pumpkin picking and carving, church, and family time. It was a great weekend over all. Then it was back to college full time this week! God has helped me to stay focused and work hard, and it has payed off. I am so thankful for how my grades turned out this week. Also, I have an awesome job opportunity in the works and I would love some prayers for everything to work out. God has brought me this far so I am praying this is the perfect place for me. Thank you for reading and I pray God blesses you this next week! Happy Friday.

DIY Fall Decor!

     Last night and this afternoon I was in the spirit of fall! I'll be sharing the final pieces of the crafts I did. I spent about $10 on these all together. If some of the supplies are not in your home it could be a little more costly. But, these few items have already added some charm to the home. Hopefully I can do some more crafting throughout the next two months.

     The first is this centerpiece! The basket was purchased at a yard sale. I found the pumpkin with some older decorations. The vase is just an old flower vase that is filled with muscadines in the bottom and some twigs and greenery from the great outdoors. These mason jars were actually used to can homemade pickles that we made a few years ago. The extras that were never eaten or gifted have become my centerpiece. Haha. I took them outside and found some white spray paint and then tried to lightly distress them after they were almost dry.

Next is my wall art that I painted last night. The canvas was actually a gift but I have seen similar burlap canvases at Walmart or Hobby Lobby. I painted the background colors first and then wrote with sharpie.

Then I went to a local church that has a pumpkin patch each year and bought this little guy. This one was $4. I painted it a mix of purples and blues and then painted spooky on it. The perfect size for this table and cute for Halloween coming up.

Thanks for reading today! I've had a little bit of free time since my college is on fall break Monday and Tuesday. Now back to studying...

Dream Trip! Reminiscing on my Senior Trip to California

Can this be throwback Sunday? Because no other trip can top this one, I've decided to share some of my favorite pictures from my senior trip to California. We were gone for so long and there are sooo many pictures so these are pictures from Atlanta to San Francisco. Stay tuned for another post on the rest of the trip! 

On the plane to Arizona

Venice Beach

Malibu, CA

Ventura Harbor

beautiful sunset drive

Big Sur, California

only drove for a few more minutes and went through the clouds and saw this view

San Francisco, CA

I am already planning on choosing one spot from this trip to visit again soon. So beautiful! Probably won't be going back to San Fran due to the crazy amounts of traffic and millions of people. I'd like to stay in Malibu or Big Sur. Amazing views. I hope you enjoyed these pictures and I'll post the rest of this trip soon. God bless and happy Sunday.