First Day of Revival in Cool Casual

Hey y'all! How have you been? I'm finally getting around to doing a post on some sermon notes, so I thought I would start with a Revival series my church did this past week!

We had a guest preacher by the name of Dr. Don Anderson come preach our Fall Revival. Dr. Don Anderson has travelled millions of miles spreading the Gospel, leading churches in Revivals, and preaching God's Word. He's a no-nonsense, fiery preacher with a tremendous passion for serving God and a great burden for the unsaved. I definitely enjoyed his preaching and look forward to seeing him again!

The verse that I will be focusing on is Psalm 119:83.
"For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes." 
-Psalm 119:83

In this text, the bottle that is being referred to is made out of leather and is likely stored by being hung on a string by the ceiling. Now, for a bottle to be covered in smoke, it had to be in the dwelling place of an impoverished family, since those families lacked adequate ventilation within the homes. In this text, smoke is referring to the sinful, immoral things of the world that we often find ourselves wrapped up in.

Now to the main points of the sermon!

• Darkness and Dirty Effect: When the outside is covered in smoke and some dirt, it often turns everybody off to what's on the inside. So, even if the inside contains amazing substance, people are tempted to overlook it if the outside is dirty! Whenever the world looks at us, if our lives are filled with smoke and dirt (sin), we cannot expect others to see us as born-again believers! They need to see change in our own lives and see Christ within us to help them see the incredible change that God can make in people's lives.

• The Oil of the Holy Spirit: In order to condition us, we need the oil of the Holy Spirit to condition us through His conviction and direction in our lives.

• Dryness Effect: Leather is animal hide, and when leather hide is constantly covered in smoke, it gets dried up. Having unrepented sin in our lives will lead us to become Spiritually "dried up": We will eventually not feel as close to the Lord as we once did and we may feel removed from God. Now, the only thing that can combat this dryness is water! The Bible is our source of water that has an incredible quenching effect and cleansing power. It can restore our faith and get us back on the right track! Regularly being in our Bibles and studying the Word of God will keep us healthy- just as we'd die without water, we will suffer tremendously Spiritually without the Word of God.

•  When smoke is covering our vessels and our lives, we need to be able to honestly assess ourselves. If we don't get honest with ourselves and admit when there's sin in our lives that needs to be addressed, how are we ever going to be able to fix it? We should be continually assessing ourselves, giving the things in our lives we need help with to God and repenting, and making a commitment to be more like Him!

• The challenge: Get honest with yourself! Is there smoke covering your life that you need to work on? Give it to God and let yourself be transformed through His living Word and through the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Now for the outfit pictures!

While I did not wear this outfit on for the first night of Revival, I did wear it for fellowshipping at pastor's house last Saturday as it started to get chilly outside :P I love that it is finally beginning to get cool enough where I can regularly wear cardigans and my long denim skirt again! Eeek!

This is an easy, no-fuss, casual outfit I would wear just about anywhere. I wasn't really able to wear long denim skirts in the summer because of the blazing Southern heat, but now that it's finally starting to get cool out, I will be taking full advantage of my long denim skirts! :)

Huge thank you to my pastor's wife for taking my blog pictures! Isn't she awesome?

                                              

Skirt: The Skirt Outlet from last fall

Top: Uniqlo Women Drape Crewneck Short-Sleeve T-Shirt, $14.95

Cardigan: The Loft Outlet, $11 (with my employee discount)

Shoes: The Day Glove by Everlane in Tan, $115

Necklace: Walmart, $28 

Let me know if you like the formatting of the sermon notes points! I was on the fence about doing it this way, but I figured I would experiment with it a little bit just to see what works for everyone. 

Blessings, 

Tiffany

My Minimalism Series: Why Minimalism?

Hey y'all! Today I will be writing about a topic that in full honesty is fairly new to me. I have done a lot of research about minimalism in the past few weeks- be it in the form of YouTube videos, podcasts, posts from other bloggers, and Pinterest, and I finally feel like I have enough of a grasp on it to blog about it.
Many equate minimalism with all white, modern furniture and owning literally nothing (other than baggy neutral clothing), however, that's not what it is at all. Minimalism is about living with only what we need in order to appreciate the things we already have. It aims to reduce our consumption, save money, and helps us to realize how truly blessed we really are and realize how we often take what we have for granted. I have already begun to implement minimalist principles into my travel, my wardrobe, my spending/savings, my beauty routine, and a ton of other areas of my life.

My minimalism journey began in order to save a little money. I was never one of those people that made huge purchases, instead, I've always been one to habitually make small ones- ten dollars here on a cute top, five dollars there on another accessory I didn't need- probably once or twice a week. At the end of the month, I always found myself in the exact same predicament: I didn't know where exactly my money had gone, I just knew I had spent too much of it. In the spring, I sat down and decided I didn't need any of what I was buying. I had too many tops, too many dresses, and not enough savings.

I began purging my clothing- eventually getting myself down to about 75 pieces (more like 80 now) and only keeping the essentials. I did the same with my makeup, my shoes, my books, and my bags. I let go of everything that didn't bring me joy, I hadn't used in over nine months, and I simply don't have use for anymore. Before I purged, I was scared that I would feel regret for getting rid of so many items that I had paid for or items that people had thoughtfully given to me as gifts, but getting rid of unnecessary clutter felt so freeing. I finally felt like I had control over the things in my life rather than feeling as if those things had control over me. I felt more organized, my space felt much more relaxing and it had much more visual appeal, and I felt like each item in my space had a specific purpose.

So why minimalism?

1. Reduces our consumption: As Americans, we have a tendency to be wasteful and over-consume. We buy way too much frivolous stuff for no reason that serves us no real purpose and has no legitimate function. By intentionally buying less stuff, we are reducing our insane consumption rates.
2. Saves money: Buying less means saving more money! The average American household is $137,000 in debt (Sun, 2017). While that debt does include things that are essential such as housing, cars, education, etc., much of that debt can also be attributed to things that are not necessary. Younger generations have become increasingly more comfortable with financing their goods rather than buying what they want/need outright leaving many families in precarious financial situations. By buying less unnecessary items and only buying what is essential, you spend less money, therefore accruing less debt. Eventually when you do need to pay for something important (medical bills, education, etc.), you'll have the money to do so since you saved by not buying what you didn't need. It's a win-win!
3. The most important part: Minimalism itself is definitely not referred to in the Bible at any point at all, however, minimalism is simply a tool that helps you get rid of the things in your life that are unimportant in order to focus on the things that are important to you. In the Christian life, this means we can use minimalism is a tool to devote more of our free time and energy into furthering the Kingdom. 1 Samuel 12:24 says: "Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you." When we serve Him with all of our free time and energy rather than serving the things of the flesh, we are giving Him what He deserves and what He commands: the "number one spot" in our lives. Getting rid of the non-essential things that only remove us from serving Him and hinder us giving Him our all truly makes us able to focus our attention on God rather than worldly things that don't really matter. I feel that minimalism has also helped me really just how good God is and how consistently He provides for us whether we realize it or not. We often take for granted the things that we already have in search of the latest and greatest thing we can possibly have. We replace our phones every two years, buy the season's trendiest clothes, and focus so much on what the world thinks of us that we forget to thank God for the way He has provided for us already. We constantly pray "God-give-me-this-thing-that-I-don't-really-need-but-really-want" and ask Him to give, when in reality, He has already provided and given but we choose to take what He has provided for granted. Psalm 107:8-7 says: "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." We need to be praising God for the amazing things He has done for us!

These are the reasons I chose minimalism! I will include a couple pictures of minimalist rooms for inspiration. I am a very visual person and enjoy seeing how others have incorporated minimalism into their space- so I hope this will be an encouragement to you! I personally like a more rustic or "shabby chic" style, so those are the pictures I have included. I will get pictures of my own re-organized bedroom soon- I have been out of town and haven't been able to take any! As soon as I can, I definitely will. All pictures are courtesy of HomeEdit. I have included a link at the bottom of the post so you can check out more of their pictures!

Do any of you feel like you're interested in trying to adapt a more minimalist lifestyle? Why or why not?

Blessings! 

Tiffany 

https://www.homedit.com/minimal-rustic-bedrooms/minimal-wood-floor-for-bedroom/ (link for more pictures)

First Impression: "Woman By Design: Designed to Influence" Bible Study

Hey there everybody! Today has been another one of those hot, humid, and rainy days us Southerners are all too familiar with. As a matter of fact, it's so hot that all of NE Florida/SE Georgia was under a heat advisory because of how high the heat index has been recently. My phone has been going off like crazy due weather notifications of nasty rainstorms basically non-stop, so the weather has also been pretty bad, aside from being ridiculously hot.  Needless to say, I haven't been outside much (other than for Bible study, church, or going to do stuff I absolutely have to do). 😄
Since I've been pretty stuck inside for the last few days, I began this Bible study that I bought awhile ago and kinda tucked in the corner to do after VBS was over. I haven't gotten through much of it (only the first session) so as opposed to doing a "review", I thought it would be fun to do something called a "First Impression", which is where I give you my initial thoughts/reactions about something new I'm trying. I will also do a review of it once I'm finished with it to see if my initial reactions held up or if my feelings about the study changed the further I got into it. Without further ado, here's my First Impression of the "Woman By Design: Designed to Influence" Bible study!

So first, I'll be talking about the design of the study. I really like the small, compact design of the book. This study is the size of a smaller book, unlike other studies I've done that have been large or awkwardly sized, making this one easier to travel with or stick in my purse. The cover is pretty no-frills as it doesn't have a super creative design or gorgeous font, but that doesn't bother me at all. It comes bound like a regular book, so I went to Staples and had it spiral-bound for a couple of dollars which has made it much easier for me to use.

The interior is a little different to any other study I've done, however. This is intended to be a 13 session study (notice it says "session" as opposed to "week") and the 13 sessions are divided into 2 sections. Sessions 1-8 are a part of section one, and sessions 9-13 are a part of section 2. In my opinion, I think that they are divided as "sessions" so you can more freely go at your own pace- for individual study, you could do a section everyday or a couple times a week, or if this was offered as a Bible study at church the sessions could be stretched out over several weeks. Most of the studies I have done have been divided into weeks, and those weeks are further divided into days with a group discussion at the end of each week, so I thought this format was an interesting twist.








Secondly, I'll be talking about how much I liked the content thus far (without giving too much away before the review (; ). So far, I really enjoy the style of writing by Angie Peters. She makes the content easy to understand, her writing is easy to follow, and she's clearly passionate about her topic. I also really enjoyed the "Quiet Time" activity at the end of session 1- that really helped me put what I learned into perspective and helped me with the real-life application of the concepts we learned. (Bonus: All the verses she used were KJV, so they were compatible with my Bible!! YAY!! #Score)

Finally, I'll be discussing the cost of the study. I purchased this study from a website called www.TheKJVStore.com, which sells all things KJV. The website is a little difficult to use, however, the price for the study was awesome. The study was only $7 and I don't recall  the shipping being more than a few dollars, which puts it at being cheaper than a majority of the studies LifeWay sells. The company is very quick about sending the products too. I have ordered things from them before and will probably continue to do so in the future!

There you have it! So far, my first impression of the "Woman by Design: Designed to Influence" Bible study by Angie Peters is great. I can't wait to finish it up and give y'all a full review!

What's your favorite Bible study that you've ever done? Have you ever tried this one? Let me know in the comments below!

Blessings,
Tiffany

My Makeup Routine!

Happy Sunday y’all! As promised, I’m going to begin blogging every week, so this week’s post is about my makeup routine!

   
 As a freshman in college I wore an elaborate makeup routine all the time. Now, I typically only wear makeup to church on Sunday’s or if I have some kind of event, like a wedding or concert. I also did a complete makeup overhaul where I got rid of a vast majority of my makeup and only kept the most essential, natural-looking product (all my makeup is what's shown in the picture above!), which has worked for me very well! Doing so has allowed me to simplify my routine, further de-clutter my space, and has helped me to embrace a more natural looking version of myself.
     I qualify, I have very fair combination skin with TONS of freckles, mild acne (usually just get a couple of  spots) and redness on my cheeks. If you had oilier skin than I, this foundation routine may not work for you, as it may leave your skin a little too dewy. Without further ado, here’s my makeup routine!

I begin by using this it Cosmetics CC cream in fair. What I really love about this product is that it matches my skin very well, it has SPF 50, and it leaves me with a much more natural finish than a majority of foundations leave me with. I usually use about a pea sized amount and rub it into my skin with my fingertips (make sure you wash your hands first!) and it blends out very easily.

My next step is blush. I use a Milani drug store blush which compliments my fair skin very well.

Following my blush, I put on my eyeshadow. I normally just stick with the lightest color in the palette   (the shimmery baby pink) and sweep it across my lids to add a little bit sparkle and brighten up my eyes. This Lancome palette was a gift from one of my Sunday school teachers!

After putting on my eyeshadow, I put on a coat of mascara. I have been using this drugstore mascara for a few weeks and it's been treating me really well, however, keep in mind that this particular one is not waterproof (I did that purposely so it could just come off when I shower :P) so I don't recommend it for any teary-eyed moments or in the rain!

Once my mascara is finished, I then lightly pencil in my brows with my Neutrogena brow pencil in Soft Brown. The pros to this pencil: it's natural, the color is a really good match for me, and I love that it has a spoolie at the other end of the pencil. The cons of this pencil: I am not really a huge fan of brow pencils that I have to sharpen, I usually prefer the twist-y ones, but it's simply a preference of mine. I line my brows using hair-like strokes, focusing a majority of my effort on the bottom of my brow and around the arches, where I have some patchiness.

The last step: Lips! I normally don't wear lipstick, I just stick with my very favorite Neutrogena tinted lip balms. They add a nice, natural looking color and are incredibly hydrating for my lips. If I do decide to wear lipstick, however, I use the lipsticks from the new Burt's Bees line (they can be found Walmart!) for a little extra color. I will warn you, however, I don't feel that the color you see on the bottom of the lipstick tube is true to the color of the lipstick for this line- so swatch before you buy if you're on the fence about how a color looks on you.

That's it ladies! My makeup routine is incredibly simple and normally does not take me more than 5-7 minutes to do. I really hope you enjoyed learning about what I do in my makeup routine!
What's y'alls essential beauty product that you just can't live without?
Blessings!
Tiffany

My Summer Bucket List

Hey y'all! The semester just recently finished for me and it feels SO good to get back into blogging! Once the semester got rolling I got super busy, the blog kinda got put on the back-burner. But I'm back!! :)

                    
                               Picture Credit: 1Zoom.me





This summer is one of many goals for me. I am getting to a point in my education where I will be applying for internships, taking all courses for my major, etc.. so I was thinking I am in the need for some new good habits, to try new things and to further explore some of the things I love to do! Being a teacher-in-training, I really love to devise lists of goals. It helps me keep my thoughts organized and keeps me accountable. In order to accomplish that, I put together a "Summer Bucket List" of things to accomplish this summer!

1. Read a book every two weeks
I think this would be a great way to learn new things and fall in love with new authors. I want to tackle all kinds of Christian books- fiction, non-fiction, poetry, traditional, and everything in between.

2. Do a new Bible study.
I have found a website I really love called the TheKJVStore. All of the books, studies, tracts, and literature they sell have KJV Scripture in it, which is great since that's the version I use ;) I was able to find a Bible study called "Woman By Design: Designed to Influence" which consists of 13 weeks worth of study material. I am so excited to start it!

3. Blog once a week.
Because I miss blogging and I love to connect with others through my writing!

4. Take a road trip.
I'd really love to visit Alabama, Mississippi, or Tennessee in the near future! I've also wanted to visit small Independent Baptist churches along the way to see how the Lord is working in other churches.

5. Get 3-4 sewing projects done.
I've already started (and almost finished) one, so I am making good progress already!

6.  Throw some kind of a summer party.
I think a summer pool party with cute "mocktails" and friends would be so much fun!

7.  Start a new TV series on PureFlix.

8. Learn new baking recipes.

That's my list of things I wanna do this summer! Do y'all have any fun ideas or goals for summer this year?

Blessings!
Tiffany

My 3 Spring Accessory Essentials!

        Tomorrow’s March 1st... you know what that means! Spring is near!

        While my blog is primarily focused on clothing, accessories are just as important to the cohesion of an outfit as a good, fitted shirt! Accessories can help bring together shoes and a purse or can provide a pop of color to a normally fairly bland outfit. 

         Here’s a couple accessories that I personally know I won’t be able to live without this upcoming  spring. 

Bright, tassel jewelry

I think that these pieces would look so nice with a white/light colored dress to add a pop of color and make things more fun for spring. I really love tassels right now (can you tell??) and the turquoise adds a nice touch.

Pink Tassel Necklace: Baublebar for Target

Long, turquoise tassel necklace: Off Fifth Avenue

Shorter tassel necklace: Loft Outlet

Tassel Bracelet: Gift

Cuff bracelet: Mark and Graham, gift

Sky Blue Bag

This Kate Spade bag is actually from last year's collection, but it's still my favorite color they've produced so far, so I haven't bought one since :) It's generously spaced and fits everything I need inside of it. The sky blue color works great for some of spring's more muted tones- blush, light yellow, etc. I've worn it many times, and it's still in perfect shape!

Purse: Kate Spade Outlet

Sassy Glasses

I'm usually one to stick to more classic pieces for clothing, but I really love a pair of fun sunglasses! :) They can really change the whole look of an outfit, and they're great for those increasingly sunny spring days! I normally keep a cheap pair of standard aviators in my car in case I forget some at home, but if I can remember, I like to experiment with how these look with different outfits.

Sunglasses: All from Loft Outlet (they were all under $7!)

There you have it folks! That's my essential accessories list for the Spring of 2018. What accessories can you not live without?? 

Blessings! 

Tiffany

Established in Romans

Hey y'all! It's been such a long time since I've actually written a blog post.. but never fear! I'm back for good!
I have decided to start blogging at least once every two weeks for now since I am in the middle of my sophomore spring semester of college and life surely gets hectic as a result of that. In this blog post, I will be covering a delightful three part series in the book of Romans called "Established". Upon salvation, God gives us the foundations to be a follower in Jesus. He establishes us in three ways:

Established Identity- Romans 1:1-7
My identity in Christ was established in October 6, 2014 when I chose to follow Him. In that very moment, I was established in a new identity as a follower of Jesus. My old identity, habits, and everything else that was attributed with my past had to be put aside because I was called the be a servant for God. As believers, we all have a fresh, new identity that comes along with being a believer, and once that identity is established, each and every one of us are called to be a servant of God.
The title of "servant of God" is not demeaning or undermining in the slightest bit- it is actually incredibly empowering. We, as servants, have the opportunity to show the world what it's like to receive the endless love and mercy of Jesus Christ and show how depending on Him can really transform our lives for the better. We, as servants, get to show the world exactly who God is. What a privilege it is to be a servant for God!
Believers, we are set apart for the Gospel of God as part of our new identity. Now, being set apart comes with responsibilities, too. We are called to lead others to find their identity in Jesus and declare Him to the world around us. (Acts 1:8) There are also nasty habits of the world that we are no longer fit to partake in because of our new identity, too. (Romans 12:2) In doing so, there are certainly going to be times where we feel excluded- even ostracized- from those around us. Keep going. Stand up for your convictions, even if they come with social ramifications. We belong to Christ, and it is far more important to belong to Him than to belong to the world.
As human beings, we are simply bound to fall- and that's where God's amazing grace comes in. We all fall short of the glory of God. Every. Single. One. Of. Us. However, when we run home to God and ask Him to help clean up our mess, we are given so much more than we could ever imagine.
Our new identity comes with responsibilities, but the opportunity to be a serve a mighty God and experience His incredible grace in our journey of growth is more valuable than anything we could ever ask for during our short time on Earth.

Established Gospel Longings- Romans 1:8-15
Once our identity is established in God, one of the actions we begin to partake in is prayer. Our prayers include a variety of desires- we pray for our car to get fixed, we pray for the cute wallet to go on sale at the Kate Spade outlet, we pray for good health- the list goes on and on. God is always available to hear our prayers, regardless of what the desire is. The important thing to remember, however, is that our desires are not always Scriptural.
In this passage, there are three things that Paul desires.

1. Strength- to strengthen each other through mutually encouraging relationships. Relationships where believers can express ideas, talk about and study Scripture, encourage one another, and keep each other accountable are SO CRUCIAL. A majority of our growth takes place with the people we're involved with, which is why going to church and being actively involved offers tremendous benefits for our relationship with God. 
2. Submission to God's Will- Paul prayed the desires of his heart, however, he was open to having his plans changed according to God's will. There will be instances in our lives where God may leave prayers totally unanswered or give us different answers than we may want, but that's such a blessing to us. God's plan is always the better plan. We can only see our lives from our limited point of view, but God truly knows what is best for us. It is so refreshing to know that God's got us taken care of, no matter what happens. 
3. The Harvest- Paul prayed for God to plant seeds in people's hearts and draw them near to Him. Bringing people to Jesus and praying for them to accept God is part of our identity as believers. The Kingdom of God is available to all that pursue it. 

As you can see, Paul prayed for substantially different things than we do today. A majority of us pray for financial stability, good health, and loving marriages (which are all important things and wonderful to pray for, don't get me wrong). However, perhaps we need to broaden the horizon of our prayers. Our first and foremost prayer should be to God. Pray for His purposes, pray for His will to be done, thank Him for the little things that happen. Pray for others. Pray for their needs, pray for their salvation, pray to deepen the Christ-like relationships you have with others. Finally, pray for the desires of your heart, but be open to have your prayers unanswered or even to be given different answers than what you want. Remember the old adage: God first, others second, us last.

Established Power- Romans 1:16-17
What is the thing you are the most proud of? Is it your child, your spouse, your career, or a prized collection? Whenever you meet people, isn't it the first thing you tell them about yourself? Take that pride and multiply it by the largest number you can conceive and that's how proud of your faith you should make you feel.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16)

Being proud of the Gospel and our faith is something modern society makes us ashamed of. Many of us are told to "leave our faith at home", but Christian, we need to stand Gospel proud. The good news of Jesus is meant to be spread to those around us, not confined in the four walls of a church or a home. The Gospel is God's dynamite- it is so powerful, it can't be contained! Sharing Christ is not talent driven by any means. Anybody can share the good news. We have to do our best and let God do the rest!
It is important to note that we should not operate as morality police to those around us. At the end of the day each and every one of us is a sinner, and while it is important to be aware of the sins around us so we can do our best to avoid them to grow in our walk with Jesus, we do not serve as judges.  Christ is not for an elite group of ultra pious people- He is truly for everyone. We all can take part in the life-changing truth of Jesus Christ.
If you are saved, walk freely knowing that you are forgiven, and be proud of the gospel God has given us. Spread the good news to those around you and stand gospel strong.


Now for the outfit!  :P
Jared took these pictures of me many moons ago (May of last year, to be exact) but they're so beautiful, I had to share them with you!

My dress is from Franchesca's.. I can't wait to pull it back out for the warmer months again! When I think of this dress, Christ-like femininity is the first thing that comes to mind. It's so comfortable, flowy, and lady-like. Worn with a tank top underneath it is the perfect outfit for summer. I love it.
Shoes: Walmart, $8
Necklace: Altar'd State (if you haven't checked them out, they're a Christian women's store! They have some modest pieces I absolutely adore)


My next post is probably going to be the halfway point of a Beth Moore study I'm doing (and so far loving!)
Blessings until next time,
Tiffany H

My handsome photographer! <3