Letting God Take Control

For as long as I can remember, I've always been a planner. I plan my days, what I want to buy, my outfits (days in advance), what I want to get done whenever I go out, weekly meal plans, etc. Basically if you can plan it, then there's a pretty good chance I do. Lately I've been realizing just how much I put into planning everything that I do. For example, I plan my days almost by the hour and I'm constantly making a plan of everything I want or need to do when I go out. When I want to go out with friends, I'm always planning everything we should do but. Lately, I think God's been showing me that when I look back on the really enjoyable times I've had, they've always ended up being the ones that happened in the moment. In fact, I'm constantly planning blog posts but the ones that are my favorite are the ones I just ended up writing in the moment (including this one).

A few months ago I was driving home from work and saw a sign that said "Let god take the steering wheel and you take the passenger seat." I've increasingly been trying to apply this to my life. I think as humans, we each have a plan for our life that we want to follow but God always has an even greater plan that sees far beyond what we can imagine. For as long as I can remember, I saw my life having a career in politics but it wasn't till recently this changed and politics was no longer my passion. I've always felt as if I had a strong hold on my life and where it was going up until that point. I realized how lost I was in what I was going to do with my life and in that moment I turned to God. I think we all try to pile way more on our plate than we can handle and then when it comes time to handle it, we aren't necessarily sure what to do. Lately, I've been working on being stronger in my faith and trusting in God. I've been trying to let him take the steering wheel while I take the passenger seat but letting go of that steering wheel has been very difficult as it would be for anyone.

Trusting in God isn't something that comes easy, it takes surrendering your life to God and fully believing he knows whats best. Isaiah 41:10 says "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." When I started to let God really take control of my life, I found myself praying more and I could feel myself becoming a different person in the ways that I treat others and how I carry myself. I found myself doing what I knew was the right thing to do instead of denying that it was right and that I should do it. I've become less judgmental and more understanding. Don't get me wrong though, it's not like I don't feel anxious or hesitant sometimes when it comes to letting God take control. I constantly struggle with an anxious feeling of not knowing whats to come and I'm always reminding myself that God has big plans in my future and to trust in him. I really relate to Psalm 94:19 “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” 

I'm not perfect, nobody is and I'm definitely not perfect when it comes to my relationship with christ. I have my ups and downs just like anybody else but in those down times, God has always been my anchor. There is purpose and there is a meaning in every struggle and every celebration, and God is there along the way. There's a lot of different ways that you can begin to let God into your life and really start to let him take control, here's a few of the ways that really made a difference for me and in my life.

• Try to look at things in Gods eyes. As you go through your daily life, start looking at how you view different situations. The different judgements you make about someone or how you confront an issue in your life. What would Jesus do in that situation? When you do this, it really opens your eyes to how you look at the world but it also helps you to drastically improve the way you've been living and gives you a change of heart and clear eyes.

• Take time and Pray. There isn't a better way to become more connected with God than praying. Pray for the big things and the little things. Pray for the friend who's struggling or the person you see in the grocery store. Pray for guidance in the big steps in life and the small ones. By praying you're not only becoming closer with God but you're also deepening your trust in him.

• Be patient and calm. It's extremely easy to become impatient and anxious when you feel like you have no control. I've found the easiest way to calm my anxiousness is just by opening my bible and reading God's word. You also have to remember that there is going to be tough times and thing aren't always going to come easy. You have to really put your trust in god and know that he's knows whats best, remember good things take time.

Verses related to this post that I'm currently loving: Luke 12:22-26, Jeremiah 29:13, Paslm 46:10, Philippians 4:6-7, Isaiah 6:8

Spring & Summer Swim Favorites

Hey everyone! I am so excited to see the weather finally getting its act together! I can't believe last week it was snowing and next week it will be near the 70's but there are definitely no complaints to that! I have been eyeing all the cute swimwear from my favorite stores and wanted to share my favorites for Spring & Summer. I am loving number 3 from J. Crew; the lemons are too cute! And I love 9. I saw this cover-up from J. Crew last year but it sold out before I even saw it. Luckily, J. Crew Factory came out with it this year! I am so excited for sunny summer weather after this whirlwind of crazy weather we've had recently and I cannot wait to buy my favorite swimsuits (including lots of these)! Enjoy!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Dresses & Shoes for the Graduate

Hey everyone! Graduation is quickly approaching and everyone is searching for that perfect dress to wear on their big day! Last year, I was lucky because for graduation I didn't have to wear a white dress so I had a huge array of options. I ended up wearing a pink strapless one from Vineyard Vines and loved it! Since white dresses are typically a requirement for graduations, I picked out some of my favorites. I am especially loving 4, which is one of the dresses from the new Gal Meets Glam Collection; the ruffle detail is just the cutest! I absolutely love 6 in shoes, they are such a cute and affordable option and 2 in shoes is on sale! I hope this post helps you find the perfect dress or gives some inspiration. Enjoy!

Dresses: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Shoes: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Favorite Recent Purchases

Hey everyone! Since I'm going on a few trips soon (I have one next week!) I've been wanting to get some staples to wear along with a few other things and I am loving a lot of them! I thought I would share all of them with you! Enjoy!

Bags | Skirt | Pom Pom Shorts (sold out buy may come back in stock) | Corkcicle | Kate Spade Sunglasses | Karen Walker Sunglasses | Pajamas

And on Sundays we go to Church

Exactly a year ago, I made the decision to stay in Ohio and go to a local community college for a year instead of going off to college in Virginia. This was a a very difficult decision for me since I had looked forward to going off to college since 7th grade, but I also felt it was the right decision because a year ago, I was a very different person than I am today. Had I decided to go off to college immediately, I firmly believe I would be in a very unhappy and dark place. A year ago I was determined to have a career in politics while also being full of insecurities, mean spirited, and lacking in commitment when it came to my faith. In the past year, I shut the door to politics and haven't looked back; I've learned to love who I am. I have a kind heart and I've really grown in my relationship with God.

A year ago, I had a plan laid out for my life and God showed me that He has a plan far greater than my eyes can see and that I need to trust in Him. As Proverbs 3:5 says, 'Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding'. When I shut the door to politics, I also started my blog. I looked at it as a creative outlet where I can share my passion for fashion. A few weeks ago, God laid it on my heart to take my small Fashion & Lifestyle blog and turn it into a Faith, Fashion, & Lifestyle blog. To be completely honest, I've been putting off adding this to my blog because I've always looked at my faith as very personal and between God and me, but lately it's been weighing very heavy on my heart to add this section to my blog.

I was in politics for over 10 years and when I say I was passionate, what I really mean is that I was passionate about making a difference in someone else's life. I shut the door on politics because God showed me that my focus had stopped being on making a difference. I believe that adding the Faith aspect to my blog could really make a difference for someone and if I could reach just one person and make a difference for them, it would mean the absolute world to me. 

I've decided I'm going to be starting a new series on the blog called Sunday Praise. In this series I'll be sharing everything from devotions to verses to worship music and so much more every Sunday. I hope you'll follow along with me! Stay tuned! 

Jewelry That Means Something

While I love all jewelry, I've always been more inclined to buy jewelry that has meaning to it or helps a certain cause. It's such a great feeling to know what because of your purchase, you're making a huge difference in someone else's life. Here's a few of my favorites that I've found recently! Enjoy!

1. The starfish project has lots of beautiful jewelry, this piece here is one of my favorites. The starfish project helps women escape human trafficking and provides these women opportunities through care programs. These women make the jewelry and provide them with training, shelter, healthcare, counseling etc. It's such an amazing organization and they do so many amazing things!

Katherine Gold & Pearl Necklace

2. This Tory Burch Foundation bracelet is geared towards embracing ambition for women. All proceeds of the bracelet purchased go towards the Tory Burch Foundation which empowers female entrepreneurs by giving them the resources to succeed. It's not every day that you find a designer brand with jewelry like this that means so much so its definitely one to check out!

Embrace Ambition Bracelet

3.  I love this bracelet by Alex & And because 20% of each purchase is donated to UNICEF. This is one of the many bracelets they make that a portion of the money made is donated to different charities. It's nice to see a large brand like Alex & Ani using their large popularity for good!

Alex & Ani Girl Power

4. This wraparound ring is handcrafted in India and each one is unique in color and style. All proceeds of the ring is donated to World Vision to help children in need.

Wraparound Ring

5. Akola has some of the most amazing pieces of jewelry and all of the necklaces have a different story. These earrings are one of my favorite pieces from them. All of the proceeds go towards women in disadvantaged communities and help them to make a positive difference through training, education and holistic care.

Kyra Earrings

6. The survivor bangle is my favorite piece of jewelry I own and I am always getting questions about where I got it. Every time someone asks me where I get it, it's a great feeling to not only be able to tell them where it's from but the story behind it. Kim Corban is a rape survivor who shares her story across college campuses to raise awareness and this bracelet was created to honor her and the lives she's changed. All proceeds go to benefit Kimberly's work to raise awareness about sexual assault.

Survivor Bracelet

I hope that you found some new favorite jewelry pieces and this post and inspire you to buy more jewelry with meaning! I would love to know what jewelry you have that has a positive meaning!

Spring Bucketlist

Hey everyone! While the weather is denying it, it is soon to be the first day of Spring and hopefully the weather will agree for once! Since it's almost officially Spring, I created a bucket list of all the things I'd like to do before Summer time. While I am looking forward to summer with no school work and lots of fun in the sun, spring is my favorite season because all the flowers bloom, the leaves return and the weather is perfect! That being said, here is my bucket list, enjoy!