Cape May “Diamonds” |
On Mother’s Day…
“Never could it be possible for any man to estimate what he owes to a godly mother.” -Charles Spurgeon
I have had the great honor of being surrounded by godly mothers. As I grow older, I realize it is a wonder and a rarity to never question the support you’ll receive from your family. I can’t imagine how different my life would have been if even one of these women had not been a believer.
I am grateful for my mom, who always taught me to finish what I started, and to give without condition.
I am grateful for my mom-in-law Shannon, for welcoming me into the family so easily, and for serving her family so well.
I am grateful for my grandma Cheryl, for teaching me to give my best to people and to do all things well.
I am grateful to my great-grandma Irene, for showing me how to be hospitable, and the joy of a handwritten letter.
I am grateful to my grandma Marcia, great grandma Pearl, and great-great grandma Haws who gave me an example of a life well lived, of seeking the Lord until the day you see Him face to face, and living your entire life loving God and people.
I am in disbelief that I have not one, but several mothers in my life, pointing me to Christ, and teaching me about His beauty.
Happy Mother’s Day to every Mom out there, serving God by raising up your children to love Him. What you do has lasting impact, for generations your children will reap the blessing you’ve sown. The hours and days you’ve poured out will receive the harvest you’re due.
May you be reminded of the faithfulness of God on this beautiful spring day, and if you have a mother who has blessed you, don’t just buy her a card. Buy her three and make sure that they are funnier than the ones your siblings buy.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Our Story: A Tale of God’s Faithfulness
WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU LIBBY
Wow. That’s all I have to say about the past 3 years. Are you wondering where I’ve been? I’m not nearly conceited enough to think that my absence been thought about. Nonetheless, I’m back, and thrilled to be here on the old blog once again.
I bet you are wondering why on earth I stopped blogging. I bet you have just been treading water for month, hoping I will start writing book reviews again. Therefore, I shall give you what you are longing for, a full explanation on my whereabouts this past couple of years.
First things first, I went to a Bible college. For 2 1/2 incredible years, I studied theology, took voice lesson, furthered my piano playing abilities, and met many incredible people at the International House of Prayer University. Between reading school books, taking tests,
hanging out with friends, and going to classes, I rapidly abandoned all hobbies. Blogging was the first activity to be cut out: when you’re writing so many papers, extra-curricular writing is no longer fun.
You may be wondering, “Gee Libby, why the heck did you do 2 1/2 years? That’s a really weird number!” My dear friend, you are correct. No one does just 2 1/2 years. Except me. For I am unique, and something more important came up… I’m MARRIED!
I am celebrating 5 months in June of being married to this fantastic man! Now, I am here in Minnesota for him to attend college and seminary. I am so blessed. God has been so faithful to me, and I can’t wait to see what He has planned!
Ruth the Moabitess: A Heritage of Grace
(Source:pinterest.com) |
Sabotaged: 10 Questions I Would Ask Reef McKenna
At one point in the book, Kirra and Reef have to make an eight hour drive to Seward. Now, if you have ever been in a car with someone for an extended amount of time, you know that awkward silences are inevitable. Now, if I were Kirra, I would have spent some of that time getting to know Reef a little better. Here are 10 questions I would have asked Reef on an eight-hour drive, and what I imagine his answers would’ve been.
Reef: I have always thought it would be cool to talk to Gunnar Kassen. I always thought it would be so incredibly stressful to have to deliver a life-saving serum through Alaska!
Reef: Definitely Risk. My siblings don’t even like to play with me anymore, since I can get so competitive
Reef: As far as a book, I would choose the Bible. What other book can you read again and again and still find new revelation? Obviously, I would choose Lasagna for my food. There is nothing better in the middle of a cold winter snowstorm than to come home to a hot plate of lasagna. As far as a movie, I would have to say Vertical Limit. No movie keeps me quite as close to the edge of my seat!
Reef: Near Denali, there is a small town called Talkeetna. There is this fantastic restauraunt called the Denali Brewery. Everything is delicious, but the absolute best thing on the menu is their sweet potato wedges. Crunchy on the outside, and soft, but not mushy on the inside, and it is served with this spicy mayonnaise sauce. One of the most delicious things I have ever put into my mouth
Reef: My brother Cole. He has remained so strong in the Lord, even after our parents died, and he is such a good husband and father.
Reef: I can’t stand frozen chimichangas. I know it’s weird, but I got sick off of one once. Threw up all night. Frozen is fine. Chimichangas are fine. Frozen chimichangas are terrible.
Reef: I have always loved eagles. To be able to soar above storms, above what other people think, that would be incredible.
Reef: Hmmm, there have been so many that have impacted my heart this past year, but I would have to say that my favorite one is Psalms 25:6-7,
“Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to your mercy remember me, For Your goodness sake, O Lord.”
This scripture has been such an encouragement to me, that the Lord sees me through the lens of His mercy, all my past transgressions, all my future, everything is seen through His lovingkindness!
Dani Pettrey is an amazing author, I was so blessed to be able to work with her through all five books in this series. Although I was heartbroken to finish this series, I know that Dani’s next books will surely be just as good as this series. If you have never read any of these books, I urge you to pick up a copy next time you are at a bookstore, or you can even order one online!
Book Review: Take This Cup by Bodie and Brock Thoene
I loved this book. I read the entire thing in two days. Again and again, Bodie and Brock Thoene have constructed a gorgeous story, based on threads of tales in the Bible. I do not know how they manage to weave together these beautiful tapestries they call books. Using bits of several stories in the Bible, they create an intriguing tale based on fact. I will never stop reading their books!
Cole and Bailey’s Wedding: Wildflowers and Simplicity
I don’t know about you, but I look forward to every book Dani Pettrey has written since Submerged. In her most recent book (Silenced) the two main characters from the first book get married! In honor of this grand event, I decided to post both a review of the book, and what I think Bailey and Cole’s wedding would have been like.
1. Bailey wants to wear a very simple, stunning gown. She didn’t want to have a gown that was so big that she’d have trouble wearing it on the beach, but she also wanted a traditional wedding gown, rather than a shorter one.
2. When picking out her necklace, Bailey wanted one that meant a lot to her. This single pearl necklace reminds her of Jesus, her pearl of great price. (Matthew 13:46)
3. Bailey desired a gorgeous, braided bun for her wedding day,
4. Keeping with the simple + stunning theme, Bailey decided to wear a lovely, but understated bracelet.
5. Not wanting to go completely barefoot like the groomsmen and groom, and not wanting to wear sandals like the bridesmaids, Bailey decided to wear barefoot flip-flops; they allowed her to walk barefoot with class!
6. Bailey decided to wear her favorite earrings to her wedding. They always reminded her that no matter what other people thought about her, God thought she was a precious gem.
1. Bailey wanted a dress that would be simultaneously flattering on all her bridesmaids, and one that reminded her of the Alaskan ocean in the summer.
2. Beach waves for all the bridesmaids, duh!
3. Bailey gave each of her bridesmaids a single pearl necklace to remind them to chase after the pearl of great price.
4. Bailey asked the bridesmaids to pick a simple, classy shoe. Obviously the perfect choice was a pair of white flip flops!
1. Cole and Bailey decided to have a laid back approach to their wedding, and so their groomsmen wore rolled up khakis, and white dress shirts, untucked.
2 . Bailey decided at the last minute to nix the boutonnieres, but if she had asked them to wear boutonnieres, they would have been these lovely wildflower ones!
3. After deciding that cuff links would seem too fancy for the overall theme,Cole decided to give them to his groomsmen as a gift.
1. Cole and Bailey, while looking for chairs at thrift shops, stumbled upon a jumble of old lights. see the opportunity as too good to pass up.
2. Because of her past, Bailey loves seeing old things being given new life, That’s why she wanted all of the dinnerware to be thrifted china.
3. Filling mason jars with wildflowers is on of the pre-wedding events that Kayden missed because of her investigation.
1. Bailey knows that sometimes sitting through an entire wedding without anything to drink can be difficult for the children at the wedding, so she decided to have a lemonade stand before the ceremony started.
2. Bailey can’t get enough of theses wildflowers near the aisle.
3. Cole and Bailey found dozens of old chairs at thrift shops, and then Cole fixed them up so that they could have a shabby chic wedding.
4. Obviously Bailey wanted all the bridesmaids to carry wildflower arrangements!
It is not often I find a book that I read in one sitting. Or one week. It is even more unusual for me to find a series of books that I like enough to keep reading, and reading quickly at that! I love how all of Dani’s books are so well written. It is rare to find a series where the second, third, and fourth books are as good as the first. Sometimes I wish she would have made the McKenna family have 18 kids so that I could keep reading them! There is the perfect mix of suspense and resolution, and the books are perfectly timed. I always finish reading them the day (or sometimes 2 AM the day after) I start reading them. I literally have no criticism, none. I love everything about the McKenna family. They are imperfect humans trying to do what God wants, so the characters are relatable. Overall, I hope Dani keeps writing books for a VERY VERY VERY long time.
I hope you enjoyed this post, and feel free to pin any images!
Birchbox Review: February 2014
I have been really looking forward to receiving my Birchbox in the mail. I have heard about it so many times, I was too curious to resist trying it out. I have watched and read several reviews for Birchbox, so I couldn’t wait to get a box and try it out for myself! I have also ordered an Ipsy box, but I have not received it yet, comparison to come!
I was really excited to find my Birchbox in the mailbox, and I had to persevere throughout my family’s dinner before I opened it. For anyone unfamiliar with Birchbox, it is a beauty subscription company. You can pay $10 per month, and they will send you high quality samples of beauty products that match a beauty profile you fill out online.
I loved the packaging, it was so cute and definitely caught my eye!
Once I opened my box, I noticed something was awry. It seemed that a small bottle of hair oil had broken open. I was really sad, but still excited to see the rest of the box.
The box also contained a truffle face serum, two lovely tea bags, a cute perfume sample, and a OPI nail polish sample.
(Let’s ignore the carpet, aye?) |
The truffle face serum:
So, I am definitely not a anti-aging serum sort of person, but this smell SO good. Like a baby angel. Since it says it is also to renew skin, I have just been dabbing a little bit on my neck as perfume.
The “Hello” fragrance:
I think it is the cutest bottle ever. Not that perfumes need to be cute, but it does increase my likelihood of putting it on in the morning. It smells OK. Not the worst, but I am not sure how often I’ll be wearing it.
The Teas:
I haven’t had the teas yet, but I have never disliked a tea, so I am not too worried.
The OPI Nail polish:
You can’t see it very well in the picture, but the polish is a clear purple. I am in LOVE with it. I am going to have to purchase the full size. I love how subtle the color is. On the information card, the instructions said to either paint alone or over another color. I haven’t tried the latter, but the former is my new favorite.
The Hair Oil:
As I said before, it was broken when I received it. I definitely wasn’t mad at Birchbox, they didn’t hand deliver it to me, but I thought I would email them anyways, just to let them know. I was very impressed when they emailed me back within 10 hours, and they even offered to send me a replacement box. Their customer service is top of the line.
Overall:
I loved the information card and nail polish, the customer service was great, and the only thing that Birchbox could improve on would be making more personalized boxes (i.e. not giving anti-aging serum to a 19 year old. Ha.)
I would recommend Birchbox if you want to find new beauty products, not as much makeup as hair, skin, etc.
This review was not written for compensation, I paid to have the product sent to me, and all opinions are my own. I did include my referral links in case anyone signs up.
Beginning Anew.
There is a season for everything. A time and place for everything. This is a new season, and I felt the need for a new blog name, if only for a time. This is a new season. I have been out of high school for almost two years, I have been at my current job for over a year and a half, and I am rapidly approaching my twenties. Woah. Feels weird to even say that. I know that this next season is going to be one that solidifies God’s faithfulness to me. The new name came from one of my favorite songs, “Explode My Soul” by Jonathan and Melissa Helser. This song is what I felt God is showing me for this next span of time.
Hello Promised Land.