yay! it’s out of my control!
there’s such a lot of the world to see! we’re after the same rainbow’s end! (moon river - audrey hepburn)
hey there & happy tuesday morning! I hope you had a very happy week full of love & memories. thank you for being here! if you enjoy my content, please make sure that you are subscribed to get weekly updates straight to your inbox:
the week recap! week of: 3/5/24 - 3/11/24
⛅️ something to celebrate: failure! I have always been afraid of failure. as a struggling perfectionist & people pleaser, the idea of failure has always been my worst enemy. I have always tried my best to not get in trouble or do the wrong thing! unfortunately (but fortunately!) for me, I failed some this week. I am proud of myself for failing! looking back, I think it was the Lord trying to remind me that making perfectionism an idol is dangerous & I should be trusting His plan regardless of my human setbacks. I want to share with you two examples of failure that I experienced this week: I wore the wrong uniform to school on a Wednesday chapel day & our car got stuck in the mud on the way to prom on Thursday. looking back, they’re funny memories, but it felt like the end of the world at the time because there was a chance I could have gotten in trouble for my uniform (I wasn’t!) & we could have been late to prom (we weren’t & the car is okay!). next time an event of failure occurs, I need to practice patience & trust. when you’re going through life with God, it will always be okay in the end because His plan is simply way more fruitful than yours. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 states, “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” despite our failures/disappointments, we should always carry the good news around with us in our ordinary lives. we may not be sure of what to do, but the Lord sure does! being perfect is an impossible standard because we are all sinners, but that doesn’t mean that God will ever leave our side. He will always pick you back up when you fall down. it’s all in God’s control & that is so freeing to me. yay! it’s out of my control!
this year, I was named a Mississippi Christian Living Leader of the Future by Mississippi Christian Living Magazine! this title is such an honor, & I am so grateful to have received it. praise God! He deserves all the glory. the ceremony was on Tuesday, & I made so many new friends/memories there! I also heard some amazing speeches that I learned a lot from. it was so moving. I got to wear a new dress, which made me really happy! thank you all for your support!
despite our car getting stuck in the mud on the way, we made it to prom safely & on time! thankfully, we did not let this disappointing event get in our way of having a good time! (I think I even pulled something from dancing too hard.) dressing up, going out with your good friends, & dancing the night away is always fun. even though I didn’t have a date to the dance, I still had the best time of my life because I bonded with some of my friends! it was so sweet. also! I wore such a cute dress! & my mom got me a bouquet of pretty flowers to take pictures with!
a fellow classmate & friend of ours actually ended up getting our car out of the mud on his way to the dance! he got his suit a little muddy, but he saved the day. a true act of kindness!
the Friday morning after the dance, Elyse & I joined our good friend Julia for a Bible study at a local coffee shop! I absolutely love fellowship over coffee. sharing our different perspectives on chapters & ideas of the Word/faith with one another is so important because it helps us grow in our own personal relationships with Christ. it is also important to hold one another accountable in love. I am so thankful for my like-minded friends!
⛅️ something out of my comfort zone: starting a self-defense jiu-jitsu class! I have never been the most athletic person, but I do enjoy the feeling of moving my body. also, it is important for me to feel strong, empowered, & capable as I go off to college - for safety reasons. I have never done anything like jiu-jitsu before, but it was so joyful. Elyse is doing this class with me! the Lord has given us the ability to move, so let’s move (& have fun while doing it)! Proverbs 31:17 says, “she dresses herself with strength & makes her arms strong.” God has blessed me with the power to learn how to protect myself & make my body strong. other than Elyse, I really didn’t know many of the other girls in the class. although, I am thankful for this because there was no big expectation placed on me when I walked into the room; I didn’t need to prove myself to people I already knew. I just had fun!
⛅️ something I’ve learned: the four! at the start of this week, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization team came to our school because they started this really cool mission of trying to put a Bible in the hand of every athlete in our county. since I am on the dance team, I got an FCA Bible! in his speech, the FCA leader, Coach Slay, taught us about a simple, digestible method that helps tell people the good news called the four. it’s the Gospel explained in four simple truths: God loves you (💝), sin separates you (➗), Jesus rescues you (✝️), & lastly, will you trust Jesus (❓). as believers, we are called to the great commission of making more disciples. sometimes, it can be challenging to know what to say to others, but this should help! I am going to leave you with Mark 16:15-16 which states, “go into all the world & proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation. whoever believes & is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” announce the good news to all! everyone deserves to hear it!
⛅️ something I’ve read: Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson. this is the second book in the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series. this is a YA thriller trilogy! I just started this second book - I am on page 24 of around 400 pages (7%). I just love the witty writing, the connections, & the main character. this was a big reading week for me! here are all the books I read (& how I rated them!):
from last week’s blog post, I completed The Silent Patient, & it ended up being a 5 out of 5 stars!
then I started & completed A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. this is the first book in the Holly Jackson trilogy! it was fantastic! the ending & romance subplot were perfect. a 391 page, 5 star read. no doubt, this book is one of my all time favorites.
after the first Jackson book, I picked up Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. this is the first book in a fantasy romance duo. specifically, it involves the enemies to lovers trope. this book was so good that I literally finished it in one sitting. also! one of my new favorite books! a 357 page, 5 star read. I can’t wait to read the next one, but the reviews aren’t that great…
the second Jackson YA thriller book makes 20 books for the year! make sure to check out my goodreads (linked on the blog’s homepage)!
one of my all time favorite movies is Breakfast at Tiffany’s starring Audrey Hepburn. during the movie, she sits on the edge of a window & sings a cover of “Moon River.” it’s so raw & so beautiful. my favorite line is, “there’s such a lot of the world to see, we’re after the same rainbow’s end.” the earth is no one’s permanent home. we are all just passing through to get to the other side of the rainbow. so, be kind! fail! laugh! cry! love! chase your dreams! call your friends! & most importantly, pursue the Lord!
I pray you all have amazing spring breaks - tell me where you’re going! currently, I’m off to Disney World (for the 18th time)! keep up with the blog so you’ll be able to see some pictures of my trip on my next post.
this week, I challenge you to identify your “ordinary” ministry field & ask the Lord to show you who you can be a witness to. teach someone about the four method! thank you for being here & I hope to see you again soon! 🕊️
“therefore, encourage one another & build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:11
precious precious post this week. missing you right now and proud of you as always!
Even our failures can be turned into successes by the One who controls all things and who strengthens us in our weakness (Philippians 4:11-13). ✨ We can turn our weaknesses into our strengths and our failures into our successes through perseverance, positivity, and unwavering faith in the Lord our God.