Current Mood: Embracing the Slow, Cozy Days of Autumn With Jesus
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Ralph Lauren Hat | Cozy Fall Sweater (similar) | Flying Monkey Black Jeans (similar) | Black Converse | Cross Necklace (similar) | Puppy … Not for sale. LOL LOL LOL
Friend, I am so happy that the winds are shifting to lower temps! My heart is absolutely thrilled to be putting on jeans and cute sweaters again!!! YAY!
We recently took a ROAD TRIP ( YOU CAN WATCH OUR VLOG) to Washington, driving all the way from Sacramento through Oregon, ending up in Richland, Washington, and then back. Through my travels, this outfit was captured, and I wanted to share it with you because I felt like a total FALL COZY VIBE just walking around town. I hope you feel inspired to slow down and get into this new season’s vibes through your future outfits.
Life doesn’t always tend to be what it seems. If you’re a softie for cute puppies, you might have been pulled to click on this photo because of the sheer adorableness of Dodger here. Or maybe you just really loved this outfit; if you only knew the behind-the-scenes, you’d be in tears of crying laughter, thinking, “Oh, her life just LOOKS glam, but it’s a mess and full of tension.”
I was so cold and hungry as buckets. We’d been driving for hours and hours on our trip back from Washington to Sacramento, stopping in the middle of goodness knows where at an oyster bar in a very little town somewhere in Oregon. Where I made the HUGE mistake of ordering a $25 salad that had goat cheese—my most despised cheese of all time, LOL—while my family ordered the greatest burger they’ve ever had. Thanks for the memo, guys! I was completely exhausted, both physically and emotionally, from helping my handsome husband through his, Half Iron Man race! On top of that, I was sick with the WORST cold of my life, and I’m pretty sure that day I started my monthly cycle. Can I get an Amen for the storms of all storms!? And as if that wasn’t enough…
After this photo, we ended up driving to a sketchy hotel on the side of the road in another part of Oregon. Because it was close to 11:00 PM and we couldn’t quickly move accommodations, I had to sleep in my jeans and put my shirt over the pillowcase because I was too scared to touch the bed. I even began to have a panic attack, which I haven’t had in a long time. I felt scared, lonely, and deeply anxious for my life and the lives of my family, worrying about getting bed-bugs or facing real danger.
I know that Jesus loves me, but this night I allowed my fear to win. I’m so sorry, Jesus. I had so much fear in my mind that night that I fell asleep with a worship YouTube channel playing on my almost-dead battery. I realized that speaking scripture to myself made a huge difference to my terrified soul. His WORD (The Bible) is like medicine to my heart when I’m in panic his word leads me to peace and healing. I had a rough day, but this photo would tell you otherwise if I didn’t explain the vulnerable peril of my reality on this fine day.
I am so thankful to Jesus for His everlasting love, especially because I fall short of His glory every single day. As a young Christian, I used to be so terrified of making mistakes, I felt so much pressure to perform WELL and to not make mistakes (that is the oposite of the good news of the Gospel of Christ) it has nothing to do with what we do and everything to do with what Christ has ALREADY DONE by becoming the worst parts of me and dying for it all. I’ve since learned that while I will never be perfect, Jesus’ perfect love + sacrifice on the cross qualifies me for complete forgiveness (OF EVERY MISTAKE, BEFORE I MET HIM. NOW THAT I LOVE HIM. AND IN MY FUTURE ON EARTH).
Now, instead of running away from Him in shame when I mess up, I RUN TO CHRIST and ask for his forgiveness. It’s the deepest rest to my soul to confess my sin to GOD.
Romans 8:1 says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
On the night this outfit photo was taken, I didn’t trust God for my daily covering, and I allowed fear to steal His peace. But He understands why that is challenging for me. He is the kind of God who cares so much that He willingly made Himself unclean to touch my unclean SOUL. He became sin on the cross for you and me to bear the weight of our mistakes. Because of that sacrifice, you and I can enjoy both eternity in Heaven and a deep, daily fellowship with a HOLY GOD.
WOW. That is so incredibly powerful!
The thing I love about style connecting us is that you might have loved the outfit or the photo, but what I hope you love most is the vulnerability to share that there is a real human being behind these images. Maybe you came here looking for inspiration for a cute outfit, but what you might actually need right now is a girlfriend telling you that NO MATTER what you put on your body today, Jesus loves you.
Whether you feel like you are enough or not, Jesus loves you. Whether you’ve had the worst week of your life, the worst day, month, or even YEAR of your life, Jesus died to come and become all your loss, brokenness, sin, and shame. He sees you AS BELOVED, even if you don’t see it yourself. And he is WILLING AND ABLE to take you by the right hand and lead you into healing, change, and hope you’ve never even thought was possible.
I pray that what started as inspiration for an outfit will become a shift in your heart and mind to know that there is nothing that can separate you from the love of Christ—not a bad outfit, not a bad hair day, or even the fact that maybe right now you can’t afford these pants and you’re entertaining the idea of putting them on your credit card.
SIS. DON’T.
Nothing you buy will make you feel content or enough. We accumulate stuff, status, or relationships thinking they will make us feel beloved, worthy, valuable, or important—only to be deeply disappointed when we realize it still isn't enough. So, we keep on searching. It’s not bad to buy a cute outfit, but it’s not good for us to do it in a way that’s out of our means or in compulsion to distract from our hard feelings. Jesus wants to heal you from that; he desires that you find rest and healing in him. To know He is a place to put your hard feelings. A place to feel at home and safe. A place to feel valuable and worthy. And what truly makes YOU VALUABLE?
The answer is Jesus.
We become enough ONLY THROUGH JESUS.
If you would like to receive Jesus into your heart today, you can pray this simple prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that You are the Son of God and that salvation comes through You and You alone. I pray that my shame would be swallowed up by Your love. Let Your Holy Spirit enter behind the veil of my heart to make me truly alive in Christ, made whole and qualified for a personal relationship with God, you and the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, amen.”
When You Choose Jesus, He Promises You These Things:
Eternal Life ( Heaven: A home where you will NEVER experience pain (physical or mental), danger, your period, being scared, or cellulite! Can I get an AMEN!?)
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
— Revelation 21:4
Everlasting LOVE
"The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.'"
— Jeremiah 31:3
Never-ending MERCY
"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
— Lamentations 3:22-23
The Best and Most Consistent BFF
"I no longer call you servants... Instead, I have called you friends..."
— John 15:15
Peace Of Mind
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
— John 14:27
Strength and Endurance
"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
— Isaiah 40:31
The Holy Spirit of the living GOD, better than any AI
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."
— John 14:16-17
A Father and Mother’s encouragement through the Bible
"As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem."
— Isaiah 66:13
A future full of HOPE
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
HIS WORD TO GUIDE YOUR LIFE: It will be a compass for your life.
"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."
— Psalm 119:105
So be glad to know that you can embrace the slowing down of these cozy Fall days. Embrace your everyday, mundane life and rejoice with Jesus, knowing you are fully known AND fully loved.
Thank you so much for reading today. May this post help you, and if it did, please share it with a friend who might need this encouragement today—it can change their heart, too! I love you so VERY much, and I am praying that Jesus will do MIRACLES in your life.
I will talk to you very soon, God willing!
