December 2 0 1 4

If you haven't checked out my previous post, Modest is Hottest, I would like to encourage you to. The links included in that post are a significant part of it as well. So take the time to sit and read all of them. If you've grown up in the church and think you know what it's going to be about. Don't judge it by the title. It's not what you think it is. That's all I'm going to say about that. Now, moving on...

For the year of 2014, I created monthly goals that were split up by subject area ie. books, organization, etc. If you know me, this won't surprise you because I'm one of those people who lives off her planner, loves lists, and all that type-a stuff ;) At the end of each month I write a little evaluation and reflection on the month. Also, if I'm making any changes to the month I write them down so I have them in ink to keep me accountable.

    Side note: I'm in the middle of creating my 2015 goals so I'll share those with you as soon as I finish them. Then you'll have a better idea of what I'm talking about. But for now, this is what I've got :)

As I was working on my November reflection today, I figured I'd come back to this little space and share with you. The month of November was supposed to be focused on idols and reading leisure books. My church read a book last summer about idols (anything that takes your attention from God) and it sparked my interest so I thought I would go back, reread the book and God would expose some revelation of an idol I'm guilty of worshiping. 

Well, that didn't happen. In fact, Im ashamed to say I didn't even crack the book (or any others). To be honest, I didn't do a single thing on the list for this month. That's not to say I wasn't reading in my bible or having quiet time. It just didn't look the way I planned. But so goes life and now I'm focusing my attention on December. 

Instead of solely focusing on the planned 2014 goals, which are to plan for the future (start looking for a job, decide on place to live after graduation, etc.) I'm going to add January, February, July, and August. I don't want to forget about the December goal (I don't think I could) but I think I need to focus on these four months again. 

January (school) study everyday for each subject; minimum of 2 hours of hw/studying & organizing everyday; no hw Sundays; have all hw done before bed

February (friendships) be more intentional; go out of my comfort zone; write letters; be goofy; make memories 

July (skills) work on computer, learning, and teaching skills 

August (workout) yoga once a week; exercise at least one other time each week; try something new

To sum it all up, I'm praying for wisdom and discernment over my relationships and future (read: staying tuned into God and His Word) for the next two weeks, as well a staying up on schoolwork and fitness. 

I'll be back at the end of December, maybe before then, to let you know how I did. 

Another side note: My computer is currently down so I'm typing this on my phone, hence the not-so-great formatting. I'll fix that when I get to the library this week :)

Modest is Hottest

Modesty and flirtation are somethings that have been weighing on my heart for the past few months. Mainly concerning women and the way we come across to other people, especially the men in our lives.

Some people wonder why I shrug off guys hitting on me. My friends gasp in wonder as I act like I don't care that a good looking guy just complimented me and then later question why I don't have a boyfriend. 

The fact of the matter is I am a tall, thin athletic-looking woman. I know I don't have to work very hard to catch guys' eyes. But over the past several months, thanks to Phylicia's post, I've come to realize I haven't always done good job of dressing in a way that reflects how I want to be treated. Lately, I've been trying to pay attention to how low my shirts are, how tight my pants are (long legs do not make matters any easier), and if my oufits draw attention to those long appendages I've been so graciously been blessed with. 

Linked here is another post from Phylicia titled, "Why I Don't Take Hot as a Compliment". It describes what 'hot' means and the message behind it. I've been reading Phylicia's blog for almost a year now and I really respect her opinions. Check it out. Maybe it will make you reevaluate how you're dressing. I know it was for me. 

If you like what you see there, take a look around her blog. She has a lot of well-thought out and well-written content. I would highly recommend the "Type-A Diaries" linked at the very bottom of her page. It's convicting to the core. 

I would love to hear what your thoughts are on modesty and flirting! Leave a comment below.

P.S. After writing this post, I encountered this which is so, very encouraging after a summer with little girls who ran into this same problem. The few days we spent at the pool taught me two things:
              1) Little girls don't know how to dress themselves and are counting on us to teach them how and why we strive to dress modestly.
              2) If we don't help them dress in an age appropriate manner, they will dress the way they see the girls on TV dress. (That is, if you allow your children to watch much TV, which is a whole other post itself.)

As a soon-to-be teacher, it's encouraging to see mothers taking notice of this, coming together, and fighting it! We need more moms who are willing to do the hard stuff (not that being a mom is an easy feat!) and stick up for what's right and protecting our children's minds from harmful things.

Contentment and Respect

Man, it's been way longer than I expected since I've visited this space! Let's just say senior year is in full swing and time is flying by! I've heard it all through college that it only gets better and goes by faster but wholly-moley! Midterms are two weeks away. Where has the time gone?

It's going to take me a few posts to catch you up on what's been happening since my last post. So you'll have to bear with me. This post is concerning lessons learned this summer and quite honestly, I'm still learning. So let's back up a little bit...

I knew this summer was going to be a time of trial for me. As in I had some things to make right before I graduate college and move out on my own for good. Things like my attitude toward others who have more than me, as well as those who have less. Things like my appreciation for the thick-skinned northerners who don't tolerate any nonsense. Things like spending time with people who will be hundreds of miles away come August. The list goes on and on, but I realized it boils down to two things: contentment and respect.

Contentment by definition is "a state of happiness and satisfaction." As I have come to realize, contentment is more then just those two things. It starts with your attitude, which is something you have control over. You and no one else. The things that other people do can influence your attitude. But it's up to you as to whether that thing changes your attitude. Growing up in the church, I've heard this before. Even to the point that I had forgotten about it. But the Lord has been reminding me of this as I'm heading into a new phase in life.

Respect is usually mentioned in the Christian bubble in regards to wives respecting their husbands. I've always known I wanted to get married, have kids, stay at home as much as possible. The whole kit and caboodle #perks_of_being_a_teacher ;)  As a young woman without a husband, I thought I was free of having to display this character trait. Boy was I wrong! (read: God raked me over the coals with this one ;) Respect is honoring someone. Even if you don't agree with him/her, you can choose to respect them and put their feelings ahead of your own. This is not easy for someone like me who is Type-A and sees a problem that needs solving and not a person to loved (more on that to come.) I have to really work at this and focus on the other person's feelings. It requires a certain amount of intentionality that does not come naturally to most people.

My selfish desires focus my attention on ME. But as a Christian, I'm not called to live a life according to what I want. I'm called to love God and to serve His people. I have to place others interests before my own. Even when I know I can help someone fix a problem in his/her life, I can choose to honor them. To put their best interest before my own agenda. The problem can wait. For now, there is a person that needs to be loved. 

Guess Who's Coming to Town??

Ya'll, I'm SO excited!! Like giddy schoolgirl excited! Wanna know why?

Because these guys are stylish and super cheap...

Just kidding! That IS a great price and I'll keep them in mind as a new apartment awaits me. But the real news is... *drum roll please* .....

My sister, brother-in-law, and this lil guy are coming to visit!!

It's not a clear picture but I think it does the trick ;)  Isn't he cute?! I'm a little bit prejudiced, but just look at that smile. He was very proud of himself catching that ball. He might've had some help from Aunt Stacey, but the important thing is the family that hooped and hollered as he "caught" it. He's one loved little boy! 

Aunt 'Cici' has never left him this long before and it's killing her! (me) Nine weeks is a LONG time in a 19 month-old's lifetime. 

Anyways, that's all this post was about. Just a quickie so you know where I'll be for the next week... aka not blogging ;)

Here are a few more pictures just because I'm so excited and I want to share the joy of nephews with the world :D

This one is my all-time favorites! I'm a sucker for babies and bears :)

 

All bundled up and ready to take on one of the coldest winters ever.

Mom had a near heart attack because she couldn't find him... Do you see him?

...There he is! No worries! Daddy came home from adventure day and went straight to the shower. Lil Nephew loves his daddy and just HAD TO see him again ;)

It's amazing how one baby can love so many people in its one little, baby life. He's captured all of our love and attention... even Uncle Sean ;)

A Few of My Favorite Things

In the spirit of creating my blog, I thought it would be a good idea to write a post telling you a little bit about me. Most of you will already know me and know all the little things I like, but for those that don't here ya go...


1. Weddings

Duh, I'm a twenty-something girl and my college roommate just got married a few weeks ago! ;)  I can't believe I'm old enough to have friends who are getting married already. But I couldn't be happier for them and the great couple they are. Their best man said it perfectly when he said, "You're a couple that not only knows how to live out your faith, but you do it day in and day out" (something along those lines.) I couldn't have been more blessed than to be surrounded by and loved on by these people for the last two years. So thankful!

P.s. Two of our other friends got married this summer and from the looks of it it was gorgeous! Congratulations! (you know who you are ;) )


2. FIFA App

I've recently gotten back into soccer despite a nine year hiatus. Yes, you read that right. Nine years. It might've had something to do with my sisters playing ever since I can remember and being a ball-girl for a good chunk of those years ;) Anyways, one of my friends invited me to go to a soccer game last fall and I uncovered my soccer roots and I've been thoroughly enjoying watching the World Cup this year. Whoever designed the FIFA app is a genius. It's perfectly organized and easy-to-use. It's so easy, I can check scores, points, and line-ups in a matter of seconds. Love it! Here's a glimpse:

3.  Chronological Bible Reading

I got the idea from Nicole a year ago when she started the plan but I didn't really consider it because at college I always have some sort of devotional or Bible reading. But being home for the summer, I knew I was going to need some devotionals and after completing a few others, I decided to go ahead and start this one a couple weeks ago. Obviously it's a plan that has Scripture laid out in chronological order so by the end of the year you've read the whole Bible in order. I don't know about you, but I  1) don't know as much about the Bible as I should, especially the Old Testament and 2) my OCD, needs-things-laid-out-perfectly-in-front-of-me self will greatly benefit from the timeline order you experience with this one. Here's the link to Nicole's post about it. While you're there, take a look around her blog! Hope you enjoy and learn from it as much as I have :) And maybe try the plan for yourself.

4. A Christmas Kiss

Yes, I'm disclosing my guilty pleasure: Christmas movies... even in July :) I ran across it last summer and I watch it every few months. It's the perfect feel-good kinda movie. It tells the story of a young woman trying to make it in the big world while balancing a social life. It's not too cheesy. Not too New Age Christmas-y, you know, the ones that don't even mention the real reason of Christmas...  It's just what the doctor ordered. And if you know me, you know I love the fact that she's a designer :)

P.s. I've been going through an avoid-chick-flicks,they're-from-the-devil phase. But not this one. Maybe it's the fact that the main character tries to respect her boss and doesn't make classic love-struck girl mistakes, but I just love it!



5.  The Nesting Place

I heard so many good things about this book and I just HAD TO get it! I got it for real cheap online so it wasn't a budget-breaker ;) If you haven't read it yet, you should. It's called "The Nesting Place" by Myquillyn Smith. She's a blogger here, a mother of three boys, and her message is your home doesn't have to look like something from Pinterest to be beautiful. It's the things that go on in your house and the impression they leave on you and everyone who enters that matters. It's kind of a similar message to Ann Voskamp's "One Thousand Gifts" but she adds her own twist to it. I've been sketching my new dream dorm room as I read through it and it's been interesting to see how my own personal style is evolving. Not to mention how my perspective is changing.

Well, I hope that gives you a nice lil picture of me and the things I'm enjoying. Feel free to let me know if you're enjoying any of the same things... or different things for that matter that I should look into. I'll try my best :) It took me a little bit longer than I expected to create this post (read: TOO long!) But I'm going to try to keep posting as often as I can, so stay tuned :)

Welcome to Faith Not Fear!

So I'm really nervous about creating my own blog... For one, I don't know where this is going to go. Like am I going to post regularly? I don't know. Am I going to continue blogging when classes start in the fall? I don't know. Am I going to get any followers other than family and close friends? I don't know. Two, you know all those times your parents warned you about scary, old men online? Ya, I'm pretty sure they exist. Three, I'm a math kinda person. Not English... so if you're a grammar junkie and want to inform me of all my mistakes, feel free to keep your comments to yourself or create your own blog  (I mean this in the nicest way possible :) )

But what I DO know is I've been thinking and praying about developing a blog for about a year. I never really considered it until a few months ago. Then, my dad told me the local libraries were offering free (yes FREE!) online classes. Me, having just finished a semester of classes thought, "Ya right like I'm going anywhere near another class." But the teacher in me just couldn't pass up a chance to learn about something new and I caved and scoped out the classes. After a long, deliberating process, I decided to jump on board and enroll myself in the "blogging class"...hence the name, with more on that to come.

So here I am, sitting at the kitchen table at my parent's house, listening to the neighbor plow our field, and counting down the minutes until I have to go to work. Signs of a college student? Yes! (...maybe not the neighbor plowing thing, but anywho...)

If you've made it through this post CONGRATS! I feel like I'm blabbering and deterring all my wonderful readers away. But stick around! I've got some tricks up my sleeves I'm hoping to put into action in the near future. All that to say...

Let me introduce myself! I'm Stacey, the girl behind Faith Not Fear. I'm a senior at Harding University desperately trying to pass my math courses, get my diploma, and teach some kiddos (Lord willing.) I'm a first-time Aunt to the cutest lil boy, one of three daughters, and a sister-in-law to two of the craziest brothers-in-law ;) Just kidding! They're pretty fabulous. And I'm a "fur-mama" to Bella. Without disclosing anymore about myself with one click of a button, there you have it. I'll be back soon with a more put together post :)

[A beach picture with everyone except the baby. Me on far right. We're just a typical family, right? ;) ]