finally.

I've always had a thing for longer skirts, but I've also struggled with finding ones that are long enough. I mean, if I want to wear a maxi skirt, I want it to at least go to my ankles. This is a surprisingly hard thing to find. 

A few months ago, I started seeing these maxi jersey skirts all over the blogosphere and Pinterest. At first, I just wrote it off as a fad. It would be easy enough to sew one if I really wanted to, and I didn't want to spend any money on something I could sew for myself. Plus, I probably would just get one and end up hating it like everything else "maxi" that I own. So, I decided that it wasn't worth the effort and filed it into the back of my brain for a few months.

Fast forward to June and I'm living in Roswell. While I don't necessarily have to dress up too much for work, I try to at least look like I'm putting some effort in to things. Plus, I packed mostly dresses and skirts, so it works out nicely. But, there are definitely some situations where I'd like to wear something a little longer. I mean, it's kind of hard to sit on the side of a stage and give a talk when you're more concerned about how you're sitting. So, I started looking for the ever elusive jersey maxi skirt. I looked all over this town. Most stores had one or two, but they cost more than I wanted to pay (really Kohls, $50?) or they didn't have my size. I found one I really really liked at Target, but they only had XL and XXLs left. That just wouldn't work. I found a black dress at Plato's Closet for $8 that kind of works (if you fold the top down and then use a hair tie to make it not as big), but I wasn't happy with that. So, I kept looking.

Today I was shopping at Target, picking up a few last minute items for the Middle School Mission Trip that I'm chaperoning next week. I didn't need too many more things, but there were a few things on my list that were still missing. While I was there, I took a quick glance through the clothing department and saw that they had gotten a new shipment in. I tried not to get too excited, but I saw that they had some of the striped ones (opposed to just solid colors). Then, I saw MY SIZE. And then I tried it on. 

Can I just tell you that this is my new favorite item of clothing. Seriously. You might see me in it every single day. It feels more like yoga pants than a skirt (and has the same kind of comfy waist band that I love oh-so-much). It was $18 (which is more than I normally spend on clothes- I'm super cheap), but I think it was totally worth it. It's a navy stripe (they only had the big sizes in the black stripe), but I really like it. 

So yes. I finally found my perfect skirt.
(And since I'm a super impatient person, I definitely changed into it as soon as I got home. Not just for the pictures. I'm wearing it right now. And I LOVE IT!)

"these are a few of my favorite things..."

My dear blog friend Faith did a post on her favorite items of the summer last week and I loved it. I'm going to go ahead an say that the reason the EOS lip balm is on my list is because she told me to try it (and because it's so cute!). Since I really enjoyed her post, I figured that I could share a few of my favorite things (because I know that you all really want to know!). Obviously, I'm not a super famous blogger, so please know that all opinions below are just mine and I'm so not getting paid to say any of this. They're just my summer favorites. :)

Summer Favorites by laurenadam 

1. Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer- Okay, so there are definitely some days (okay, more often than not) that I don't want to get up super early to look cute. But, I don't exactly want to look like a twelve year old, so I want to put some effort into how I look. I love how this moisturizer goes on and I don't have to deal with foundation, concealer, etc. Is it perfect? Not exactly. But, because it saves me five minutes, it will do! Plus, I don't walk around all day feeling like I have a mask on my face (that just makes me feel icky and gross). And it has sunscreen, so I won't get skin cancer and my face will still look like I'm twelve when I'm five hundred and seventy (or something like that). 

2. EOS Lip Balm- I just discovered this stuff, and it's pretty much amazing. Faith, I'm indebted to you forever. I have two of these. The strawberry sorbet one has a smell that reminds me of "little girl chapstick/lipstick" (you know what I'm talking about) that isn't so amazing. But, it actually makes my lips not all cracky and doesn't dry up in 2.4 seconds. I went and got the yellow "lemon" one today, because it has SPF *and I'm all about SPF* and I like it alot better. It doesn't have the weird smell. 

3. Yes to Cucumbers Body Lotion- I have super sensitive skin that breaks out after I put just about anything on it. Except for this magic lotion. It's hypoallergenic, so it's great for people with sensitive skin, but it also smells great. Yummy cucumbers. Too often us allergy types have to put up with stinky shampoos and not fun scented body lotion. No longer. I think we should rename this lotion "Yay for Cucumbers!"

4. Pink Sparkly Toms- Based on all my posts and instagram pictures of these things, you should already know my love for them. They're pink. They're sparkly. They make me feel like a princess. Thus, they are amazing.

5. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen 100+ SPF- This is my favorite favorite favorite sunscreen. It smells okay. It goes on clear and thin and you don't have to rub it in. Plus, I don't get burnt with all of it's magical SPF. I still have some from last summer. I did buy some cheapo Target 50 SPF in case it's all expired and doesn't work and all, but it just doesn't compare. I love this stuff. 

6. ELF Hot Pink Nail Polish- I love Essie nail polish. I really do. But, I so don't love the price. I really can't find a reason why I should spend $8 on a bottle of nail polish when my nails are left undone 75% of the time. So, when I discovered ELF a year ago, my day was made. This little bottle was bought on sale for ONE dolla. Now that I live down the street from a Target where ELF is sold and I don't have to go online, this love could spiral out of control.

7. Goody Head Wraps- I get it, my head is big. No matter what, I've never been able to find a headband that goes around my whole head (like the soft kind) that didn't slide off. These aren't perfect, and I have to put my ponytail in a certain spot if my hair is up, but around 80% of the time, they stay on my head. Plus, they come in pretty colors. :)

father's day.

It's no secret that I love my Daddy.

I am so thankful that I have a Daddy that mirrors God the Father in his actions and love. He has taught me so much about what it means to be a Christian, how to live a Christian life, and how to truly love others. I know that there are people who don't have this kind of relationship with their dads, but I am so blessed to have a father that I look up to so much in this regard. God's love is so much easier to see in my life, because I have a Daddy that models that here on Earth. I'm so blessed. 

I'm so thankful that I have a Daddy that loves me and treats me like a princess. If you are a boy and you're reading this- please know that my daddy has set a pretty high standard, maybe an impossibly hard standard. Know that I'm used to being treated like a lady -ahem, princess.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy! I love you so much!

For those of you that didn't see my tweet earlier (you really should follow me on twitter @laurenadam!), my church back home did a sweet Father's Day video. My daddy was in it, and to be honest I'm a little glad I wasn't there. That might have been embarrassing. My daddy's the one on the lawn mower (wearing a bandanna because he thinks it looks cool). He'd like me to tell you that he's more "thug gangster, yo" than my mom and me. I'll let you decide that for yourself. :)

rest and margin

I feel that the theme of "rest" has become a recurring theme in my life. It's something that I struggle to find, but it's something that I desperately seek. I'm not talking about the "sleepy" kind of rest- I enjoy plenty of that. I'm talking about an inner peace, a resting of the mind. A resting of the worries of "what may happen". A resting of all of the thoughts that bombard my brain. I feel like my mind is constantly racing. There is just so much going on, so much that I'm trying to let sink in. The first few weeks of my summer internship, I really wanted to find peace. Last week, I started seeking rest (we are only on the fourth week of the summer- so rest needs to be found-quickly!).  I feel like every conversation I'm having, every devotional I'm reading, every thing in my life keeps pointing me towards rest. Rest isn't just intentionally setting aside time to yourself. I'm pretty good at that. It's also not just taking time to sleep- though I'm pretty good at that, too! It's putting margin into our lives. It's putting space between where we are and the breaking point. It's taking the time to process and evaluate what we are doing. C.S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity that “if you have taken a wrong turn, then to go forward does not get you any nearer […] progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road.” If we continue down the wrong path, then we just get farther and farther away from our intended destination. If we continue to head the wrong direction- towards the "other side" of our margin, we aren't doing ourselves any favors. But, I've found that stopping periodically and evaluating where I'm at tends to keep me in a healthier place. It's how I find rest.
 All of this work to find rest may seem a little counter intuitive. I mean, when I think of rest, I tend to think of doing nothing. I tend to equate resting to relaxing. But, the soul doesn't find rest by laying in bed trying to fall asleep. The soul doesn't find rest when it's relaxing by watching television while also letting millions of thought race though your mind. I think sometimes the only way that our souls can find rest is to take time to process what's happening. Something that I'm really enjoying this summer is taking time on Sunday afternoons to have lunch by myself. I used to refuse to eat at a restaurant by myself. It just seemed weird and anti-social. But, my Sunday lunches are my time. After a morning of Sunday School and big church, I need that time to process what happened that morning.

• What did God do this morning in worship? 
• What did I do at church today?
• What were the good things that happened?
• What would I do differently if I could have a "re-do"? 
• What do I need to work on?
• How did God speak to me this morning? 
• How did I respond/ how should I respond?

Sunday lunches are a special time for me to spend with my creator. If you come across me, you might find me reading my Bible (or another book). You might find me doing my devotional reading or writing in my journal. You might find me on my computer reading blogs or checking/ sending emails. You might even find me on Facebook (but, I promise it's only for ministry-related purposes!). I love the time that I get to spend processing what happened. I've discovered that by taking this time, it's easier to find rest later. I'm not continuing to dwell on the planning side of things for hours and days to come, and it's easier for my planning/analytical mind to move forward. After I take this time, I'm able to find rest. While reading yesterday's Jesus Calling, it struck me how important it is to give my mind a break sometimes.

Rest in Me, My child. Give your mind a break from planning and trying to anticipate what will happen. Pray continually, asking My Spirit to take charge of the details of this day. 

Take time in your day to be still and cease striving. Let go of your worries and allow God to transform your mind and give you peace and rest. I truly believe that this is so important. Yes, "time off" of work is great. Fridays and Saturdays that I can sleep in and stay in bed reading books all day are wonderful. But, I think that setting aside time to process is an important step in the process. I've found that the only time that I can "shut off" my mind to sleep at night is when I've taken the time to resolve all of the day's events. I need that time to correct my errors in my margin. I need that time to say "Oops. I messed up. I need to work on this." Otherwise, I get caught up in rambling thoughts bombarding my mind and it ends up taking me hours to fall asleep- even when I'm totally exhausted. Take time to process and take time to find rest. Seek to keep that margin space nice and empty- and try to avoid pushing yourself to the breaking point. That's what God's been teaching me this weekend/week.

Summer Playlist

Oh yes. The Summer Playlist has returned.

Since seven is my favorite number, we have seven songs on this edition of Summer Playlist: 2012. 

1. Carly Rae Jepsen- Call Me Maybe
Um, this girl is seriously my new idol. I'm working on a summer bucket list (that might be posted later this weekend!) and one of the items might possibly be to slip a "call me maybe" note to a cute boy at the pool (If I ever went to one. I might have to find another location. Who wants to join me on this adventure?). Possibly. But, don't tell my daddy. Shhh.

2. Justin Bieber- Boyfriend
I have no idea why this song is on my list. It's not my favorite Bieber song ever, but I think it's because one of the lines is "I could be your Buzz Lightyear fly across the globe" and I think cheesy Disney pick-up lines are cute (just don't tell me that you want to be the Woody to my Jesse. Too much Toy Story, people). 

3. Britt Nicole- Ready or Not
I feel like this song is kind of out of place. But, Lecrae is my homeboy (haha) and I love Britt Nicole and the message of this song. :)

4. Miley Cyrus- Party in the USA
I used to be a huge Hannah Montana fan. And since Miley went and got herself engaged, I thought that my party-dance song needed to be on the list. 

5. OneRepublic- Good Life
This song makes me think of a happy commercial with a happy family and it just makes me smile. 

6. One Direction- What Makes You Beautiful
I discovered One Direction due to working with Middle School girls this summer. I think that it has a really good message about self-confidence- I mean, it makes me feel pretty special. And I'm just saying that even though I'm not a middle school girl, I kind of really like this song. :)

7. Boyce Avenue- We Found Love
Um, Boyce Avenue. Do I really need to say more??!

pride.

I am such a planner. I have always had this exact way that I thought my life should play out. I never thought of it as an issue of pride, but I've realized through sermons and conversations this week that pride is exactly what it is. It's a lack of faith. It's thinking that my way of doing things is better than God's plan of doing things- and that is so not right. Deep down inside, I want to seek His face in everything that I do.  I want each and every moment of my life to have that special "God mark" on it- so that everyone (myself included) will know that this was only possible because of God.

I had this "vision" of sorts last night (that sounds really weird- I promise it wasn't like that- it was just a special "God moment" in my quiet time). I became so convicted that I needed to hand God my plan for my life- my lists, my goals, my plans of how things "ought to go" and have him rip them up into teeny tiny pieces. Then, I felt a comforting feeling come over me and I felt a small voice whispering to me. He said,

Precious child, you have no idea what amazing things are headed your direction. My timing is perfect. It is never late. Trust in me that I can handle your unique situation. Let go of your impatience. Live free from the bondage of plans and goals that enslave you. Life free from this world, focusing only on me. Let me lead you down a path of righteousness where you will prosper and do great things for my kingdom. Allow me to control your future, and do not worry about what it may hold. Live for today- live in this very moment I've blessed you with right now. Who knows what marvelous opportunities may come from living completely in this moment. Fully invest yourself where you are right now- with these people, in this situation. Allow me to reign down my blessings on your life and allow me to be sovereign over my beautiful creation. TRUST ME. HAVE FAITH. I WILL KEEP MY PROMISES AS I ALWAYS HAVE, BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, MY SPECIAL, CHOSEN, TREASURE.

It was such a reaffirming moment. God has been speaking so much in my life recently. He has been anything but silent. Sometimes it's through people, sometimes it's through His Word, and sometimes it's in a small voice. I think God knows that the big, booming one might scare me a little- so he uses the quiet one like a daddy talking to his daughter. :)

I have no idea what my future holds. I don't know where I'll be living, what I'll be doing, or anything like that. I know that I've had some doors that have slammed shut this week. I've realized that seminary/grad school is not in God's plan for my life at this moment- maybe at some point in the future, but not right now. It's something that I want, but I've realized that it's a matter of pride. I don't want to be left behind! Learning new information sounds fun. I like school, school is comfortable and delays being a big girl a little longer. But, I'm realizing that God has placed a call on my life to love his people- especially the younger ones. Children's and Youth Ministry is something that is so close to my heart, and I really feel that God doesn't want to delay this any longer than possible (ahem, I still have a semester of college left and God seems pretty okay with me finishing that out). So, when you ask me what my plans are for after graduation, be prepared for an "I don't know", because at the moment, I have no idea where God is going to lead me. I just know that it will be in his plan...which makes it amazing! :)

favorite fonts: part 2

Way back in April, I did a favorite fonts post. I've been meaning to post my follow-up post with fonts M-Z for awhile now, but I never got around to making the graphic and gathering all of the sites to download from. Most of these fonts come from either MTF or Fonts for Peas. Those are my two favorite sites for finding cute fonts to download. 

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Things to note:

• Three Dates One Night only has letters, no numbers or symbols.
• Tw Cent Mt came on my computer and is a Microsoft font. So, chances are you already have this one on your computer and don't need to download it! I think it's actually called "tw cen mt", so check the spelling if you can't find it. 
• Skinny Jeans also has a "Skinny Jeans Solid" version that you should also download. It's just like it, except solid (the letters are filled in). 

my mom is gangsta.

I'm fairly certain that my mother has decided to embrace her inner gansgsta.

I mean, we do listen to a lot of Lecrae around our house (and even went to one of his concerts), but I didn't expect this. I didn't expect her to start tweeting random Lecrae lyrics (three times this week). Mom- I want to inform you that "wit" is not an appropriate way to say "with". This is a little embarrassing. Read the following conversation (from bottom to top- Twitter is kind of weird) that happened a few days ago.

Before you get any ideas, I do want you to know that I AM more "gansgsta thug, yo" than you. my dear mother. And I would SO win that rap off. Challenge accepted.

Note to the rest of the world (not my mom): My mom is actually really cool. And even though she doesn't rap real good, she does use big words like "systematic theology" and "eschatology"- and that wins major coolness points in my book at least. :)