September 2017 Wrap Up

Ah, September, the beginning of fall, when school gets back to normal and the weather drops about 2 degrees… Normally I love reading in the fall months, but this month I only read 2 books. Typically, I would be pretty sad about that, but there are two things that make me feel better about this. 1) They were both awesome, so you won’t see me complaining. 2) I had a crazy, sorta awful month, so the fact I even read these two books blows my mind!

The first book I read  was Crooked Kingdom (link Six of Crows Review) by Leigh Bardugo, which is the second and last book in the Six of Crows duology. It follows a group of teenage cons who pull of the heist of the century and the chaos that ensues afterwards. This book was amazing, I gave it 5/5 stars! I loved the fast paced plot, funny and somehow relatable characters, and the complex, beautiful world!

The second book I read was The Night Circus (link The Night Circus Review) by Erin Morgenstern, which is a stand alone magical realism/ historical/ fantasy novel. It is so beautiful and complex that I don’t even know where to begin… Just know it is one of the best books I have ever read and you are missing out if you haven’t read it yet! I gave this 5/5 stars as well!

What books did you read this month? Comment down below so we can chat about books!

The Night Circus Review

Book: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Genre: Historical Magical Realism and Fantasy

My Rating:

The Blurb: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway - a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love - a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Overall Thoughts: This book was unlike any other book I have ever read. Each page was a work of art, the entire book was a masterpiece. I have never in my life read a book as beautiful as this one. If you are considering reading it, do. I waited far too long, putting it off. I wish I had read this so long ago because I feel like I was missing out on all this world has to offer. It was intriguing and whimsical from page one, the perfect combination of mystery, magic, and romance.

Thoughts on Characters: Almost every character in the book has at least one chapter told from their perspective, so you become very attached to all the characters. While this book is promoted as a romance, there is very little romance in it. The story takes the forefront over everything else, but in a story like this, it is okay. I almost prefered not having the romance as the main storyline. I loved all of the characters, but I especially loved Bailey. His story was fascinating and no spoilers, but I love how things ended for him! All the characters were so well rounded, with complex backstories and motivations. I would love to know any of them, maybe have a midnight dinner together!

Thoughts on Plot: Most of the reviews I have read said The Night Circus was too slow for them, but I don’t agree with that. Sure, it is slower than your typical action/adventure/fantasy novel, but this is not one of those books. For a book based around magical realism, it was rather fast paced. The story kept me turning pages the whole time, I finished it in 2 days! There were so many aspects, so many POVs, I was racing to find out what happened next!

As for the plot itself, it has my all time favorite “trope”: a competition! This competition is slightly different, though. It is like playing chess but only seeing your side of the board. This fascinated me, it was so unique! While this was the main story line, the perspective changed from place to place, year to year, and person to person. There was so much going on in this book, so much to marvel at!  

Thoughts on Writing: I don’t know if I have ever read a book that does description better than this one! I could feel the silk of their dresses, smell the popcorn, feel the heat of the bonfire! Again, many people say the writing was overly descriptive, but it was anything but. I found it to be beautiful, adding to the ambiance of the story, creating the most beautiful images in your mind.

Recommend this to: I have never read a book like this, so fans of circus arts, magical realism, fantasy, or historical fiction!

(Image and Synopsis from Goodreads)

Have you read this book? Comment your thoughts below! I would love to hear from you!

True Undeniable Joy

We all know that person. That person that has an undeniable joy to them. They are always smiling, always putting you in a good mood. The person who is always willing to talk, laugh, or go get you something. Even when something bad happens to them they are oddly optimistic. They plant themselves in the Lord and are sure that he will work all things out in the end. Maybe this person is a friend, a parent, a teacher, someone at your church. No matter who it is, there is just something else about them. Something wonderful.

So, what is joy? The dictionary says something about “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.” If you had asked me this question a week ago, I would have had a similar answer. I would have said something about it being long-lasting happiness that comes from God. But, this past week has changed that. This terrible, stressful week in which I received so many different types of bad news. It is not happiness like we are always told. When someone you love is suffering, you are not happy. When you feel all hope is lost, you are not happy. When someone comes along and ruins your plans, you are not happy. Joy is not happiness. I’m going to say that again. Joy is not happiness. Joy exists in it’s own realm. A realm that can only be understood when you put your faith in the Lord.

You can have joy and not be happy. That is where people get lost. Having joy is not facing the world with a smile on your face and a good attitude. Happiness is fleeting and can be measured, contained. Joy cannot be measured, it cannot be contained. It flows out of you when you are angry, sorrowful, or rejoicing. It is not an emotion, it is a state of being. Just like I am human, I am joyful. Joy cannot be disassociated with me once I have come to know it. It is an integral part of my character. I have been looking for the perfect definition of joy, but one cannot be found. That is because joy cannot be put into simple words. It cannot be described. Even if this blog post were 50 pages long, I would not even capture a fraction of what joy means, but I will try my best to explain what it has meant in my life.

Joy is getting up every morning thankful for another day even when you don’t feel like getting out of bed. Joy is not faltering in your perseverance and pursuance of the Lord despite the hurdles the world puts in your way. Joy is seeing through a bad situation. I often thought that joy was seeing the best in a bad situation. But now, I see joy as being able to see that not all bad situations are forever. It hurts in the moment and it is okay to acknowledge that. But to have true joy is to trust that it will not hurt forever.

Joy is hard. It is not easy to trust God when your world is falling apart. Joy is not natural, that is why we always notice those people who have joy radiating off of them. It does not come easily to many people. Despite this, joy is necessary. If you have any intention of living a life in this vicious world, you need joy. You cannot go through this life without joy. You will fall and you will fail. The burdens, the stress, and the evil will overwhelm you if you are not finding your joy and your strength in the Lord.

I’ve already touched on this a bit, but the only source of joy is God. Joy does not come from friends, TV, instagram, your dog, or anything else that is of this world. The only place you can find joy, true undeniable joy, is from God. He is abounding in joy. His heart overflows with it. My favorite phrase to describe God is exceedingly abounding. He overwhelms us with how much his joy overflows. He is rich in joy. And he wants to share it with you. He wants to ease your burdens. He want to encourage you and carry you through this life.

As seasons in life change, your idea of joy will change. Day to day, week to week, year to year, you will not see it the same. Some days, when you are on a spiritual high, it seems easy. Some days, when you get the worst of news, it grows increasingly difficult. So as this changes, call on the father. His greatest desire is to ensure the joy of his beloved children.

Six of Crows Review

Book: Six of Crows

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: YA Fantasy

My Rating:

The Blurb: Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he'll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist: Break into the notorious Ice Court (a military stronghold that has never been breached). Retrieve a hostage (who could unleash magical havoc on the world). Survive long enough to collect his reward (and spend it). Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done - and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable - if they don't kill each other first.

Overall Thoughts: The number one thing I loved about Six of Crows was that it was not the Grisha trilogy. Don’t get me wrong, I thought the Grisha trilogy was great, but it was not what I wanted from this book. They are set in the same world, but that is the extent of the similarities. I enjoyed this because I was looking for something unique and wonderful, which this book definitely provided! It was a tad bit hard to get into, but once it picked up, it picked up! I was engaged and had to know what happened! All around a wonderful book that I would highly recommend.

Thoughts on Characters: I loved these characters! They are so smart and witty and all around fabulous! What I really loved were the complex backstories that made these characters not only relatable, but gave you a deep connection to each of them. First, there’s Kaz. He seems like just walked out of a mafia film, with his cunning and mystique. Then, Inej with her calming presence and silent grace. Nina, with her loud laughter and beauty. Matthias, with his booming presence, yet caring heart. Jeper with his rambunctiousness and unruliness. Then, finally, Wylan, with his organized mess and shy disposition. All of these characters added up to be the perfect mix of bad and good, funny and serious, ignorant and astute.

Something I came to love about this book was how the romance was put on the back burner to friendship. These people are teenagers and the romance was reasonable for people their age. I really appreciated that and loved the value they put in their friends.

Thoughts on Plot: The plot was all over the place crazy in the best of ways! My mind was racing at 100 miles per hour trying to keep tabs on all of their plans, but I never could! It was complex and engaging and I loved every second of it! Though, I will admit, the first 100 pages were not too exciting, I was so ready to get into the story that I flew through those, too!

Thoughts on Writing: As usual, the writing of this book was awesome! Leigh Bardugo never fails to amaze! Her prose is somewhere in between flowerly and simple, and as always, I live for it! Her fabulous writing kept me engaged even during the slower bits and she managed the multiple perspectives beautifully! I was never confused when it came to her writing, she kept everyhting in balance and in perspective.

Recommend this to: Fans of fantasy, a really great heist, or a fabulous group of friends! If you ever watched the TV show Leverage, it is kind of like that, but even better (if at all possible)!

Have you read Six of Crows? Comment your thoughts below! I would love to hear from you!
Image and Synopsis from Goodreads.

You Need Only Be Still | Exodus 14:14

Recently, I was thinking about what my favorite bible verse was and I remembered this gem, Exodus 14:14. I got to thinking about just what it was saying, and while I always knew it was powerful, the more I looked into it, the more and more powerful it became. This verse is a reminder to trust God and his timing, it is encouragement during hard times, and it is a challenge to give over our plans.

13“But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still.” Exodus 14:13-14

Moses starts off with “Do not be afraid”. I don’t know how much you know about the book of Exodus, but chapter 14 is titled Crossing the Sea. What happened is Pharaoh's son died due to the plagues, so he told Moses to get his people and go. But then he changed his mind. So, the Israelites are running with Pharaoh's armies behind them and they reach the sea. They have no idea what to do. It’s not until verse 16 that God instructs Moses what he should do. Those 3 verses in between might have take 3 seconds or 3 hours, but nonetheless they were all standing there for some period of time having no idea what comes next. And yet, Moses begins by saying “Do not be afraid”. God is here and he will bring us through this.

His first command is “Don’t be afraid.”, which is crazy given the circumstance. Then, his next command is absolutely insane. He tells them to be still. Can you imagine being chased by armies and someone telling you not only to not be afraid, but to be still. To be still is to have faith, to trust that someone else is taking care of it. When you are still, you give God control. When you are still, there are lies that penetrate your mind and can make you doubt the Lord.

1. Despair says that you cannot stand. It is telling you there is no hope and God will not be coming through
2. Fear tells you to retreat. It is saying it is too dangerous and you will be hurt.
3. Impatience tells you to act now. Don’t wait on God, do it yourself. You are here now and can take action.
4. Presumption tells you “God is coming, so jump into the sea before it has parted and he will save you.” It’s like in Matthew 4 when Satan is tempting Jesus and he says to jump off the building for the angels will save him. But you know what Jesus says to that? “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

This is where faith comes in. Despite all these lies you are being told, despite the despair, impatience, fear, and  presumption gnawing away at you,  you must wait on the Lord. One problem I find myself facing, is that I relate stillness to idleness. I think that in my waiting, I’m not doing anything. But if i have learned anything, it is that God makes the most of the wait. He works in you when you are waiting in ways he cannot anywhere else. When you are waiting, you are fully reliant on him to bring you through, which puts you in a vulnerable situation. Someone once said to me, “Periods of waiting are a time to discover who you are. They allow you to grow spiritually. To seek God feely. They help you to learn to think for yourself and become a mature person before making major commitments.”

“You will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.” This is Moses trusting God to come through. He doesn’t know how it will turn out, but he knows that it will. Moses has faith that the Lord will act. He doesn’t know how or when, but he knows it will happen and due to this, he can tell the people not to fear and to be still, for the Lord is with them.

That brings us to verse 14. Moses is putting his confidence in God. He is saying that not only is the Lord here, but he is on our side. Imagine the lord fighting for you. He fought for David. He fought for Noah. He fought for Abraham. He fought for Paul and Moses and Esther. They would not have done any of the great things they did without the Lord. But why did the Lord fight for them? Because they trusted him! They took a step back. They stood still. They waited on the Lord.

So, why this verse? Why, out of the 1200 something pages in my bible did I pick these 12 words to be my favorite verse? This verse was told to me by my bible study teacher when I was in 8th grade. I was constantly worried and had a lot on my plate. And she said to me “The Lord fights for you, Katie. You only need to be still.” It is giving over your fears and your expectations and letting God have control. That was hard for me and it still is, I want to do it all by myself. But I cannot. I cannot go through life alone. Since I heard this and began applying it to my life, I have found so much peace knowing the Lord will take care of me.

Top Picks Tuesday | September 19, 2017

Welcome to Top Picks Tuesday, where I share all of my favorite things from the past week with you! I have had an amazing week full of amazing books, music, and food and I hope that you have too! Enjoy my top picks!

I have been listening to some bomb diggity music this week, including…  

I’ll Name the Dogs by Blake Shelton (aka the cutest song I have ever heard!)

Amen by Matthew West (my #1 Christian Pop Bop for this week!)

Turn by Eyes by Bonray (an awesome poppy worship song!)

Hola by Hollyn (the fun new release from the queen herself!)

Life Changes Album by Thomas Rhett (my favorite country album to exist- so far!)

These Pancakes are the bomb dot com! I eat them with peanut butter and banana for breakfast and they are amazing! They are whole wheat and made with yogurt, so it is super healthy (but still delicious)!

I just finished the Six of Crows Duology and these books are fabulous! It is some of the best writing, world building, and character development I have read recently! I’m working on a full review, so stay tuned for that!

I have been loving the Coffee and Bible Time Youtube Channel since I’ve had a lot of time to watch Youtube recently. These girls are so amazing and encouraging! I would highly recommend going and checking out some of their videos!

What have you been loving this past week? Be sure to comment down below because I would love to hear from you!

(Cover image designed by Freepik. Find them here.)

Abounding Love and Limitless Power | Ephesians 3:16-21

 

16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3: 16-21

For the past year or so, this passage has become one of my life verses. It sums up so well what living should be like and the hope that we have in the Lord. Paul is writing this to the Ephesians, but it should be our prayer for ourselves and all other believers. To me, it is encouragement in how great our God is and how much we can and must rely on him. It is a calling to come back to the Lord, to evaluate his place in your heart. It also gives glory to our almighty creator, who is worthy of all honor and praise.

Verse 16: There are two parts to this verse. The first is that Paul is praying for other people. He is going to the Lord on the behalf of the someone else and requesting that he empower them. That is so awesome! Have you ever prayed a prayer like this for someone else? I don’t think I ever have, but Paul does it in every letter he writes! From this we can see the value and the power that comes when we pray for other people. The second is that Paul is already giving the Lord praise. He is acknowledging how great the Lord is and how reliant we are on his strength. We are just peasants, but the Lord shares his heavenly riches with us! How amazing!

Verse 17: When the Lord shares those riches with us, he is sharing his Spirit. When we accept that gift, Christ is in our hearts and we begin to build our foundation on him. This foundation brings us strength to weather the storms of this life. ( See Wise and Foolish Builders for more on having a firm foundation!)

Verse 18: From this, we are welcomed into the abounding love of God! This love is tangible; it has width, height, length, and depth. It is wide enough to cover all of your sins, high enough to reach to the heavens, long enough to stretch into eternity, and deep enough to root itself in the most hidden corners of your heart! How beautiful is it to be enveloped in a love as great as this!

Verse 19: Paul is praying that the Ephesians would understand even an ounce of this great love. Imagine living a life in response to being loved so greatly! How would you live differently than you do now? Paul says that you will be complete because you are now filled with life and and power! And what does it mean to live completely and fully? It means to listen to God and follow his plan, because if he loves you that much, he surely has a plan for you!

Verse 20-21: These verses gives glory to God. It is saying that he has infinite power that can do anything. One translation replaces “infinitely” with the phrase “exceedingly abundantly”. Abundance is already more than enough, but to be exceeding in how abundant it is? The God we worship is overflowing with power and for that he is worthy of all praise!

So, why is this my favorite passage? I love this because it talks about how great our God is! It is a daily reminder to me that God is powerful and that power is at work in me! It also reminds me how much God loves! I cannot begin to imagine how amazing that love is, all I know is that I am more than covered by it! And because of those two things, I am able to live my best life. I can live free knowing my sins are covered and I can live confidently knowing my power comes from the Lord. I do not wallow in my sin, in my pity, or in my shame. I wake up daily, excited for what is coming with a smile on my face. These things can only come from one place: God. I do not understand it, but I do know it. I cannot comprehend it, but I simply accept this beautiful gift the Lord has given me! Live your best life! Live a life in response to the power and love God pours over you!

Choosing True Friends

In the past year or so, I have been changing friend groups. Before I got into high school, I never had that many close friends and I was never in a friend group. Throughout middle school, I was so eager to be a part of something that I ran to the first people who were friendly to me. I spent much of 9th grade with them and while none of them were bad people, I never felt truly love and truly accepted. I couldn’t talk about anything that was going on in my life or the world without fear of being judged. It wasn’t exactly what I had been dreaming of, so I distanced myself from them. It was scary because I was back in the place I had been for the past 3 years. I didn’t have any close friends at school anymore. I began to question why I left. Wouldn’t it be better to have fake friends than no friends? But now, I realize that was so far from the truth. I took this time that I was away from them and made my blog and Instagram. I worked on my relationship with other people and, more importantly, the Lord. Now, I am with a group of people who are kind to me, accepting, who listen to my ideas. They are fun and have strong personalities, just being around them makes me feel more confident.

I tell you this story because you should be evaluating the people you spend the most time with. Most people have a best friend, but why? Were your parents friends, did you go to the same PreK, were they the first people who wanted you, or are they genuinely good friends? In the Bible, there are many examples of true friendship. One is the story of Jonathan and David. The beginning of their story is detailed in 1 Samuel 18:1-3.

“After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. 2 From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. 3 And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself.”

What are the characteristics you should be looking for in your closest friends? From the lives of Jonathan and David, we can see an example of true friendship.

1. The first is someone who will make sacrifices for you. Not necessarily someone who will dive in front of a bullet for you Captain America style, but someone who will sacrifice their time, talents, or money. For example, you had a bad day and want to talk, so your friend cancels their plans to be with you.
2. The next characteristic is someone who is loyal. Someone who will stand by you through everything and is not wavering or fickle. Sometimes, and we all know it, it seems easier to walk away when things get hard. But a true friend will stick by you. Through your hardest times they will stay with you
3. You should feel free to share with them. Whenever something happens, whether a joy or a sorrow, you feel safe to share it with them. Your friend should be a safe place for you to confide in.
4. Your friend must be forgiving. Romans 3 tells us that we have all sinned and all fallen, but we have all been forgiven and Colossians 3 says, forgive as the Lord forgave you. From those things, we know we are all forgiven sinners who must forgive one another. Find someone who lets you live like that.
5. Lastly, and most importantly, your friend should love you with a love that is founded in the love of Christ. A 1 Corinthians 13 sort of love that is patient and kind, not boastful, envious, or proud. In 1 Samuel 18, we read that Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. And from a love like that, a true Christ like love, all other things like forgiveness, selflessness, loyalty, and feelings of safety will come.

There are a few things to keep in mind when looking for your Jonathan. The first is that it will not happen overnight. You will not suddenly be best friends with someone, so don’t expect that. The next is that your best friend will not always be the same. That is okay. People grow and change and make new friends. You do too. Don’t be discouraged if you feel like you have lost your only friend. The Lord has greater plans for you. And most importantly, friendship isn’t a one way street. Ask the Lord to work in you to be the type of friend someone else would want to have.

How has your week been? Comment below because I would love to chat with you!

OOTW: Homecoming Week | Top Picks Tuesday

  

Hey y’all! This past week was my Homecoming week, so I figured I would do my Top Picks Tuesday on what I wore that week! I had so much fun getting dressed up every day! It made the week 100x more fun! Also, our Homecoming was super early, so hopefully y’all still have time and can get some ideas!

Monday’s theme was Amerca! I wore black nike shorts and a T shirt (from Walmart, I think) that says “All American Jesus Loving Girl”. I wore my chacos with mismatched blue and white socks, a denim shirt, USA mardi gras beads and my cowgirl hat (from a local farm). This day was by far my favorite, mostly because of the hat!

The next day was “When I Grow Up”. This picture is hard to see (sorry), but I decided to be a basic preppy mom! I was wearing navy blue shorts and a white sweater, both from JC Penny. I wore my pearl set and my mom’s leather shoes and belt. It isn’t exactly what I’m striving for when I grow up, but it was fun!

Thursday was decades day! I’m not really sure what decade this ended up being, but I was going for flower child-y vibes. I wore a yellow t-shirt from my church and my overalls from Target. In each pocket of my overalls, I put some fake flowers and I wore my tie-dye boho bandeau with chacos!

Friday was class colors, which are white, blue, and black. My class was supposed to be just white, but I just went for all of them! I’m wearing a baseball tee from a retreat, black nike shorts, and my chacos. I put handprints on my legs with blue and black acrylic paints!

That’s it for the week itself because it was a four day week, but the theme of our game was Space Out. I don’t have a picture, but I got a star wars t-shirt from Target! I got it from the boys section and it was $10 cheaper, so I highly recommend checking to see if you can wear a kids size before buying a more expensive shirt!

Now for the dance! I wore a dress from Dillards that I love! It is blue and sparkly! My shoes are from the clearance section of Macy’s. As you can see, they have a slight heel, but my feet didn’t hurt a bit! Saturday was by far the best day of the week because I got to spend 8 hours with all of best friends, listening to Thomas Rhett’s new album (which is for sure a Top Pick) and eating a lot of food!

When is your homecoming? Comment down below because I would love to know!