im getting better at photoshop...

so lately i've been thinking that i really need to learn more about editing photos.  i have all the resources, but just no brain behind it (or money to take classes).  so, i've decided to learn a few tricks on youtube. 

i was recently introduced to this blog by my fellow blogger and wonderful friend margeaux.  i noticed some of her editing skills and wanted to make a collage.  i havent taken any photos lately, so here are some photos from coast guard that I put together in a collage. :) 

enjoy...

(i know that this is really basic editing stuff, but i'm learning and we all need to start somewhere)

what i've been up to lately...

a lovely friend of mine, Liz, invited Donna and I to have an authentic Korean dish: bibimbop.  it was delicious!

Kelly made this on Shutterfly for my birthday!

my dearest Margeaux made this for me for my birthday(and Donna helped too).  there's a little bit of an inside joke with this quote but i feel its very adequate for most situations.

falling into fall

i am SO excited for fall.

it's been a lot cooler here in west michigan lately (i'm sure that will change soon) and it makes me want fall so badly.  i'm getting my cardigans out and my skinny jeans in hope that this cool weather will last until fall actually comes!

i've been thinking about things that i'm looking forward to. so, without farther ado...

1. boots, boot, boots

i LOVE boots with skinny jeans.  also, i just bought some much wanted rain boots

2. cardigans

i know i mentioned it already, but love cardigans...especially with t-shirts

3. cool weather 

i love being bundled up with a sweater

4. fall weddings!

i have two weddings this fall and i am so excited.  i love both of these couples and i can't wait to see and be apart of their beautiful day

5. the colors

the trees are so beautiful as they change here in west michigan.

here is one of my favorite pictures that i took a few years ago.  i love all the leaves AND the pretty pup  too :)

update! update!

how could i forget my FAVORITE thing about fall.....

haunted corn mazes! (and other scary stuff)

how could i have possible forgotten that?!?!?

more on trust

i've been doing my devotions via the book "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.  it is so wonderful.  every time i open it, i'm hit by truth and major issues (or the heart of the issue, rather) that i'm dealing with currently.  this book has been a blessing.  i have to give a shout out to ms.donna who gifted it to me for my birthday. thanks :) 

i've been evaluating (based on messages and things i've been reading lately) my life as a christian.  i've notice that i'm spending a lot of time thinking and praying for others.  which is great and all, but i've been spending barely to no time focused on my personal relationship with God.  and this is where the book has been great. 

today i was challenged by fact that i "waste time and energy wishing for a different set of circumstances."  what i need to do is to trust in Him enough to "yield to His design and purposes."

do you ever feel like that?

do you ever wish things were different?

doesn't it ALWAYS take your focus off God and reduce your trust in him?

Isaiah 43:1 

But thus says the Lord,

he who created you, O Jacob, 

he who formed you, O Israel;

"fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine"

Amen to that.

a "good" tired.

i. am. pooped.

i've had such an exhausting week.  event after event, early morning after early morning, i haven't had much rest in the last week, but boy did i have fun.  i spent friday morning giggling and gut laughing with my dad.  whenever we spend time together, we always have fun!  

that night i went to a camping-in-the-back-yard night with some friends.  there was food, fire, and frustration ;) (thankfully i didn't volunteer to put up the tent).  

then saturday night a few close friends and i celebrated a few of our birthdays that fall within three weeks of each other.  we made homemade pizzas (yum!), and then went to see new batman movie.  that was my second time seeing it, and it was still amazing.

sunday night, as a family, we celebrated my aunts 50th birthday.  i hope to look as half as good as she does at 50.  she is such beautiful person: inside and out!

so, it's late sunday night and i am so tired, but i when i hop in bed, ill be so happy with all of the wonderful memories made this weekend.

here are some shots i took...

isn't she gorgeous?

what i've been up to lately...

here are some pictures of my life lately taken from my phone...

downtown gr

yummy banana bran muffins

i picked up some books at the thrift store for my niece lily

trying out some new lipstick

witnessed a beautiful sunset while playing some tennis.  (i won by the way)

kitts :)

anything excited happening your lives?

coast guard

last night was the big saturday night celebration at the coast guard festival in grand haven.  grand haven is such a beautiful city. there were quite a few people downtown, considering there was a lot of rain in the forecast (you'll see the gloomy rain clouds in the pictures.  all in all, i had TONS of fun, got pretty sick for a while, and spend some quality time with some great friends.  i don't think i could ever say often enough how blessed i am to have such great friends.

so here are a few pictures from last night....some of them are not so flattering, but it captured how awful i was feeling (and how others weren't).

 went on some fun rides...

 ...and got really sick.  well, at least some of us did.

 little jake got an owie

 and the night wasn't complete without some fireworks!  there were absolutely awesome!

love and trust

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out all fear.  For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been in perfect love."

1 John 4:18

Do we often embrace the perfect love in which God loves us?  How often do we feel like we need to "clean up" before coming to the cross?

These are just some thoughts I wrestled with the other day.  I'm not letting God's love seep into every part of me.  Usually when I see my inadequacies, I think, "Why? Why do I feel this way?", and often what it comes down to is trust.  So...I need to put all my trust in him (which seems easy, but the act of doing so can be so difficult) and PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!

I'm definitely in need of some more quiet moments with God.  Just listening to Him and basking in his goodness.

Any of you feel this way? 

Do any of you need prayer?

early coast guard

last night after meeting for my college group bible study, we all went down town grand haven to spend some time at the coast guard festival.  the activity for last night was dancing in the streets.  didn't do much of that, but still enjoyed spending time with friends and doing some serious "people watching".  here are some shots from last night...

the beautiful Donna and Ashley

i'm excited for coast guard on saturday when they have fireworks!  this year we have a VERY prime spot to see them all...right on top of building downtown...can't get much better than that!