technicolor {on a cloudy day}

Yesterday I took a little trek around the neighborhood for a dose of fresh air. I needed to get out of the house, so I took Aaron's camera with me in case I saw something worth documenting. I didn't have high hopes on such a cloudy day. 

I was mistaken. It's amazing how much color there really is even on such a grey afternoon. 

Little pops of color were everywhere! Special surprises waiting to be found if you just took the time to look around. I'm sure the passing cars thought I was crazy-- sitting in the middle of an alley to take a picture of the asphalt, hiding in a bush to capture a colorful pipe. But in the end I think it was worth it. 

So worth it. 

Have a colorful day! 

B

Meredith | Portraits

Photography has definitely been the name of the game around here lately. My Aaron is such a talented guy {it was one of the first things I liked about him} and I have loved supporting and encouraging his dream to start his own photography business. {As a quick note, if you haven't yet, would you please "like" Aaron Mallory Photography on Facebook? Thanks!!} It's been such a blessing {and learning experience} to play the role of "behind-the-scenes support," and unemployment has given me a lot of extra time to help out, but recently I realized that wasn't quite fulfilling enough. So I decided to stop just living vicariously through A. and start learning the ropes for myself. 

My education began today when my sweet friend Meredith and I went on a little adventure. We packed up our cameras and headed to Crozet for coffee at my favorite place {the Mudhouse} and some exploring. Meredith is not only one of the most talented young photographers I know, but she is also so generous with her knowledge. She was a lovely subject for today's little adventure/lesson and I hope I did her beauty justice in my {beginner} photographs.

Isn't she beautiful? We had such a blast! Make sure to take a look at the photographs she took of me at her blog and "like" her Facebook page, too!! Okay, enough marketing for now. 

I hope you have a great day and get a chance to enjoy the beauty around you. Sometimes we have to leave comfort for an adventure, and sometimes we just need to open our eyes and look around. {I just hope you don't nearly lose your fingers and toes to frostbite like us! Stay warm my friends.}

Love,

B 

Unity

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Romans 15:5-6

What's next?

I am not a quitter. But sometimes enjoying life is worth more and means more than just sticking it out. So this month I took a leap of faith. I had been feeling restless at work for some time now and it had begun to affect the rest of my world. I felt like the joy was seeping from my heart. My days were a little bit dimmer because of the heavy burden on my shoulders. Not fun and definitely not the way I wanted to live my life. So I walked away.

My last day at Chick-fil-A was January 11th. I gave a lot of myself and my life to that business over the last two and a half years; and I was able to build relationships with a lot of great people along the way. And while leaving was definitely bittersweet, it was time to go.

So a lot of people have been asking me: What's next? And the real answer is: I don't know... but God does. So I'm trying my hardest to trust. To wait patiently and be still.

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14

If you have any ideas or opportunities for me, I'd love to hear them.
Thanks for the support.

Love,
B

Kisses from Katie

I think it is so fun to spread the word about things I love or am currently passionate about via blogging. It blows my mind the way things get passed around and grown through social media!

Just before Christmas my roommate, Lisa {I told you, a lot has changed around here! I'll share that story another day}, headed to Uganda, Africa, to spend the holiday with her boyfriend who is a missionary over there. As she packed and prepared, she shared a little bit of the itinerary for her time in Africa. One thing on her list was to visit a girl named Katie. Katie is my age (24), born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, lives in Uganda, and has adopted 13 Ugandan girls. Yes, you read that correctly- at 24 years old, she is "Mommy" to 13 precious girls born and orphaned in Uganda. Katie has a unique story to say the least so she wrote a book- a New York Times Bestseller titled "Kisses from Katie." After Lisa told me about her book I told Aaron {okay maybe "nagged" is a better word} that all I wanted for Christmas was "Kisses from Katie." And he delivered.

"Sometimes working in a Third World country makes me feel like I am emptying the ocean with an eyedropper. And just when I have about half a cup full of water it rains... I am not here to eliminate poverty, to eradicate disease, to put a stop to people abandoning babies. I'm just here to love." -Katie Davis (pg.13, 16)

I've only begun to break the surface at 6 chapters into the story but words like that are enthralling. Her story gives me goosebumps as I read about the tragedy, the sorrow, the pain, the rejoicing, the love, and the God who knows- and cares about- every hair on their {white or 'coffee bean-colored'} heads. Katie's words are an inspiration and a kick in the rear! Every other page makes me ask, 'what in the world am I doing with my life?' and simultaneously gives the encouragement that the God of the universe wants to bless me. When we ask 'why?' she says, "Because the God who created us loves us. Because He created each one of us for a purpose and he wants us to fulfill that purpose. Because the God who knows every hair on my head desires to lift me out of this dust and into His glory." -Katie Davis (pg. 56)

I get so caught up in my small town and my selfish worries that I forget just how enormous this world really is and how enormous the need is. The need for food, clothing, and shelter, yes, absolutely, but so much more than that- the need for love, redemption, and Jesus. The need for one person to enter the world of another. The need for willing hearts and open hands. I've never felt particularly called to serve overseas, but that's where we get it wrong. The need for love, redemption, and Jesus is just as enormous right here, in our own country, the towns we live in day-to-day, in our own backyards! My life is to be spent fulfilling the purpose God created me for.

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him..." 
Philippians 3:7-9a

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."
Philippians 1:21

Do I live like that? No. Do I want to live like that? With every fiber of my being.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4

Don't give me what I want, Lord. But make the plans you have for me the very desires of my heart. Make your will the cry of my inmost being. Allow my hands and feet to further your kingdom.
"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news" (Romans 10:15).
Amen.

So I challenge you {and myself} to put your entertaining novels on hold and turn off the television for just a minute to read about a life surrendered to God. A life that is all about sacrifice and giving God the glory. What am I? A salesman? For right now I am! Buy the book, buy the e-book, check it out from the library, visit Katie's blog at kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com, and let's start 2013 thinking outside ourselves and seeking God's perfect will for our lives. He thinks we're pretty fantastic and has a lot planned for us.

Here to love,
B

serenity

This is the prayer of my heart on this gloomy day:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
{Reinhold Niebuhr}

Amen.
B

long time, no see

It's been a while. A lot has happened in the past 2 1/2 months. A lot. In the Bible, Luke tells us that when Mary gave birth to Jesus, instead of giving a huge speech in chapter 2 and letting everyone know exactly how she felt and what she thought about everything, it simply says, "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). I have a hundred things running through my head and heart, so I decided to take a page from Mary's book, and instead of laying it out for all to see, I am choosing to ponder it and try to decipher what it all means for my life first. I think God has things he wants me to learn before I decide to use my experiences to teach someone else {astounding thought, isn't it?} 

In the meantime I saw this sweet prompt on my friend Meredith's blog and thought I'd play along. 

"Things that say a lot about people:
The way in which they treat a waiter/waitress
How they feel about the weather

Whether they dog ear pages or highlight in books
Fingernails
And hands in general
Their preferred creative outlet
How much they dread/enjoy talking on the phone
Whether or not they drink coffee
If they ever forget to eat
How honest they are with themselves (and others)
If they correct your grammar
And whether or not they get nervous before haircuts."

(Via Carlotta's blog)

>>The way they treat a waiter/waitress>>

I waited tables through college so I am very sensitive to the way I treat servers when I go out to eat. That being said, I am also very aware of good vs. bad service at restaurants and I will tip accordingly. I don't like a server to hover, but I also don't want to have to send a search party when I need more water or I'm ready to leave. I try my best to treat my waiters as though they have a story outside of taking my order and bringing me my food. I'm in the food service business now and I know how awful it feels to have someone treat you as if your only purpose is to serve them. Yuck. 

>>How they feel about the weather>>

The weather and seasons have a direct effect on my disposition. Winters are tough on me with less sunshine to enjoy. The rain may be calming for some, but when I have too many days of clouds in a row I start to feel it deep in my soul. 

>>Whether they dog eat pages or highlight in books>>

I'm a major book-writer. I need my own copies of books so I can underline, highlight, and write notes to myself in the margins. I feel like I can't truly dive into a book without a pen in my hand. Words are so important to me, so when I read something that stands out to me, I need to capture it somehow before it slips away. I do not dog ear books, though. That's what a bookmark is for. Duh. 

>>Fingernails>>

Currently my nails are pretty short with chipped purple-grey nail polish on them. I do a terrible job of keeping them presentable. Terrible. 

>>Hands in general>>

I have pretty cute little hands. {Did you hear a little bit of pride in that statement?} I wear a ring on each ring finger which often leads to the question: "Are you married?" Nope... just a placeholder for the real deal one of these days. 

>>Preferred creative outlet>>

Yes. Okay, okay there is more to the story than that. I love all things creative but I'd say my current top 5, in no particular order, are: writing, mixed media, crocheting, decorating a room {inexpensively}, and dressing myself. Unconventional? Perhaps.

>>How much they dread/enjoy talking on the phone>>

That really depends on the day and my mood. Sometimes I love a good long phone chat, other times I can be known to politely "decline" a phone call. That seems kind of shameful, but for the sake of being truthful... there you have it. 

>>Whether or not they drink coffee>>

Lately I've been drinking coffee like it's my job. I meet friends for coffee, I drink coffee in the mornings to wake up, I drink coffee to warm up, I have a cup just about every time it's offered to me. Coffee is definitely my friend. 

>>If they ever forget to eat>>

Never. Never ever- I love to eat too much. Sometimes I find myself wandering into the kitchen and rummaging for food when I'm not even hungry but I want to eat. Eating is fun and I'm sad for people who don't enjoy it the way it was intended. Because food was definitely intended as a gift. 

>>How honest they are with themselves (and others)>>

I try to live a transparent lifestyle. I don't think it's very fun to experience things {good or bad} and not share them with other people. I'm a pretty open book. I like to say "I don't lie" and while I'm sure I mess up like anyone else, I try to make that statement as true as possible. {If I didn't, I'd be lying, right??}

>>If they correct your grammar>>

The only thing I find myself correcting on a regular basis is the correct use of "your" vs "you're" and "their" vs. "they're" vs. "there". Those mistakes can drive me nuts.

>>Whether or not they get nervous before haircuts>>

I love to get my hair trimmed. I love having someone else shampoo and rinse my hair for me. It feels fantastic. But big changes make me nervous. I like to wait for the perfect moment to make that commitment. Yes, hair does grow, but it takes a while. 

I've missed sharing the workings of my mind on here. Maybe I'll search for more prompts like this one to get my creative juices flowing and when life starts to feel too chaotic to pause and reflect I'll have a guide to spur me on. If you know of any fun ideas let me know! Have a beautiful week and if you see me out and about, remind me to stop and take a deep breath. That would be such a blessing! 

Love,

B