wedding weekend

I just wrapped up a great, full weekend, which included witnessing TWO weddings!  

Friday night, I went over to a friend's house for a delicious dinner and even better company.  I shared salted fudge brownies.  

Saturday, I went to a morning wedding at my home church then went across town to see my good friend Elizabeth, whose shower I recently helped to host, get married in the afternoon.  

They both had beautiful programs.  I save all of these for my mom because she collects invitations and programs.  

Elizabeth and I are in the same sorority, and our sorority's shape is the quatrefoil.  I got so excited when I saw quatrefoils on her cake, and I immediately sent my sister in law these pictures.  She is also in our sorority and bakes cakes, so I knew she would love it!

It was wonderful to see Molly!  We were determined to make this picture happen, so I'm glad she got it.  It's only appropriate that at least one COHV married a COH boy.  Elizabeth was a gorgeous bride and Hanna a beautiful bridesmaid.  

This morning, we attended a post wedding brunch, and Elizabeth sent me home with some flowers.  I wish I had taken more pictures of her flowers because they were SO beautiful, but I have arrangements to admire at home now!  

I enjoyed the perfect weather on Sunday by reading outside.  I finished The Ponder Heart and started Men Without Women.  

What did you do this weekend?  Any library book recommendations?  

Bible studies lately

I must say that this hand me down style stuff is really so much bigger than an old Gucci bag or Burberry coat that my mother gave me.  The most important thing my family ever handed down to me is my faith in God.  Now please do not misunderstand this.  I am a believer because I am saved by God's grace.  Jesus lived a perfect life, bore the wrath of God on the cross for my sins, and arose from the dead.  Many years of my parents taking me to church, sending me to Christian camp, and living out their faith in front of me helped lead to that, but they did not simply hand me down my faith.  I am not a Christian because they are Christians; I am a Christian because of grace through faith.  

Isaiah 54:10 His unfailing love will not be shaken

Romans 10:9 and 10 says,

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.  

It does not say that if you attend church every Sunday or teach Sunday school or serve in the nursery, you will be saved.  But,

Romans 10:17 says,

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.  

I am so thankful for my parents reading to me from the Bible, praying with our family, taking me to church, and living out their own relationships with Jesus.  I heard the message, and I saw my parents study the Word.  Now I study the Word.  

Rifle Paper Co. notebook purchased from Design Darling

I take sermon notes and write down prayers, Bible study notes, and favorite verses in little notebooks.  When I filled mine up and had no more blank ones, I ordered this pretty botanical journal from Mackenzie Horan's boutique Design Darling.  

currently making my way through a study on Nehemiah by Kelly Minter

Do you study the Bible?  Do you have a favorite verse, book of the Bible, or Bible study tool?

packing for summer trips

It's time for summer beach and lake trips as Memorial Day is approaching this weekend.  To get started, I would pack:

bathing suits!   I love bathing suits.  Time for Lilly suits and white suits if you're not too pale.
comfortable dresses to wear as cover ups or out and about.
tinted moisturizer with sunscreen.  No need for full make up, but sunscreen is important.  My favorite is this Mary Kay tinted moisturizer SPF 20.
a monogrammed beach towel.  No one can steal your towel if it has your name on it.
running shorts, tank tops, etc. for working out. Running on the flat land at the beach is a nice break from the hills around my house!
books.  This is how I relax.
my Bible and notebook.  Vacation means more time to pray and study the Bible.  Get away from the stress and meditate on God's word.

What are your summer trip essentials?

On another note, I got together with Lauren Winstead this week to shoot some outfits.  They will be coming to the blog soon!

The Vow and The Great Gatsby

Reading for pleasure has been pretty limited since Christmas break, but the one book I've gotten through lately is The Vow.  I received it for my birthday from my brother and sister in law.  I had not seen the movie and did not know what to expect, but I really enjoyed it!  It was interesting to me since my career field deals with TBIs.  Most of all, I enjoyed the true story because it showed how faith in Jesus plays out in life, especially in tough circumstances.  It is really an incredible story, and I encourage you to read it.  

Along with the rest of America, I started re-reading The Great Gatsby this past weekend.  I always claim it as one of my favorite books, but I honestly have not read it since high school.  All of the hype about the new movie has reminded me that I want to read it again, even though I'll probably never see the movie.  

The weather was perfect for laying out on the deck over the weekend.

What are you reading?