The root of self is pride

We all have special talents and gifts that God has blessed us with. For me, one of those gifts is creativity and I am so honored that the Master of art and design gave me a tiny, microscopic snippet of that. He blessed me with this gift and I soon found that my pride got in the way of using it for His glory. A few months ago I took the plank out of my own eye to realize I was using my precious gift for my own recognition, attention, approval, favoritism, and my own selfish pride. It's so sad to say but I was so wrapped up in my own awesomeness and self greatness that I felt God was further from me than ever in my life. Deuteronomy 8:14 says, "Your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God."  Praise the Lord this lesson God was teaching me only lasted a few weeks and not months, or years. But for some it does last that long, maybe even a lifetime. In a world full of self-seeking attention, acceptance, selfies, followers, and all about me, me, me its so easy to slip into the pool of pride and some don't even realize they are in it. Pride leads to so many insecurities, broken friendships, family issues, letting go of that one grudge, and so many other problems but at the end of the day are all those things worth losing over our own pride?  The best news is that breaking the chains of pride is much closer than most think. 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." Having the true love of God in your heart defeats pride. Pride gets pushed to the side and trampled when you seek Jesus and when you give God the recognition, attention, favoritism, honor. Gods' love and faithfulness will never leave your side. I pray to always have the true love of God in my heart and instead of seeking honor, preference, approval, attention, (the list goes on and on) from people. I want to seek them from God and give that attention to The One who deserves them ALL.  Lay pride down at the cross and see how God will work in your life! 
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.  James 4:10

A year of Praise

At the beginning of 2016 I chose a word for the year. I prayed God would lay a word on my heart to help me get closer to Him and meditate on throughout the year. The word I chose for 2016 was "Praise". This past year was a year where I really learned to rely on God by praising Him. It was probably the most challenging year I've faced in my life. It was a year where at times I felt so alone even with a loving husband and kids around me at all times. I remember there was a day where the kids were throwing tantrums all at the same time and all I wanted was silence! They pushed all of my buttons beyond measure and I just fell to my knees in the middle of my living room and cried out as loud as I could, "GOD, HELP ME!" All of the sudden they stopped with the tantrums and there was complete silence as I wept with my face buried on my knees. Looking back on that day, I think God created that moment for me to just call on Him like never before. To remind me that I am weak and He is strong. The spiritual warfare that was going on during those dark, emotional days where so real I could just feel God pulling me close and whispering in my ear, "My Praise will be on your lips."  Praise God, for He will always be there to comfort those who PRAISE Him.  I'm so thankful for the word "praise" and I truly learned what it means to have praise on my lips.  The new word God laid on my heart for 2017 is "thankful". I'm looking forward to seeing how God will use thankfulness to bring me closer to Him. 

Lord, you are my God;

I will exalt you and praise your name,

for in perfect faithfulness

you have done wonderful things,

things planned long ago.

Isaiah 25:1 

Light Summer Soup

 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 

- 1 Corinthians 10:31

When the weather starts warming up and the days get longer, we like everyone else, fire up the grill and eat a lot of manly meals like steak, burgers, grilled wings and more. I love grilling out, but after a few days I find I need a light summer soup that is very easy on the stomach. This soup is also great if you're getting over a stomach bug and need to give your body a little boost. I'm speaking from experience since we all had a crazy week of the stomach bug circling our family.  I whipped this soup up in no time with ingredients I had in my fridge and I loved it so much I decided to write a post and share it with you!  Light Summer Soup 
Ingredients: 1 Tbs olive oil 1 med. chopped onion  2 small yellow squash (small chunks) 2 chopped carrot sticks 1 garlic clove minced 4 cups low sodium chicken broth  2 cups water 1 tsp Vegeta seasoning juice of 1/2 a lemon 2 Tbs freshly chopped parsley salt & pepper to taste

Instructions: In a medium pot, heat olive oil and add chopped onions, sauté for 3 minutes. Add chopped carrots and cook for 3 minutes. Add squash bits, cook another 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2-4 minutes. Add chicken broth, water, and Vegeta seasoning. Bring to a light boil on medium low heat. Cover and reduce heat, simmer for 40 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Add a splash of lemon juice and finish with freshly chopped parsley.  Enjoy!

DIY Fall Burlap Wreath & Decor

Summer has come to an end, and Fall has officially arrived here in the beautiful state of Georgia. I was really looking forward to decorating my front entrance this year, because we recently finished building a patio. 

For this year's fall wreath, I decided to make something simple; I have a lot going on around my door with a nice sized hay stack, pumpkins, and beautiful mum flowers. I didn't use the monogram letter or the chevron ribbon because the entrance was already so full and lush. 

Here is how I made a fluffy, bubble burlap wreath:  

Start by taking a handful of pipe cleaners and cut them in half with craft scissors.

Start with the main burlap ribbon. Scrunch one end of the ribbon, bring it up from underneath and around the clamp. Secure with a pipe cleaner.

Start weaving the burlap through each clamp and secure with a pipe cleaner. 

Repeat the steps above until you get something like this. 

For the bow, you'll need to cut 2 strips of burlap at 21 inches long.  

I have no idea what happened to the colors in this picture....Sorry 'bout that.

Fold the two strips of burlap in half (separately, not together) and bind together with hot glue.

Pinch the middle and secure with pipe cleaner.

Ignore the green paint on my arm.

Cut one yard of burlap and scrunch in the middle. 

Bring the 3 pieces of the ribbon together. Secure everything with a pipe cleaner, and add a small strip in the middle. 

Slide a pipe cleaner through the back of the bow to easily attach it to the wreath.

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I hope you have a warm and cozy Fall season! 

Have you seen last year's fall wreath? 

Bourne Southern Shop + Coupon Code

I'm always very flattered when I get asked to review products, but this review is unlike any I've done because what I got sent to me was handmade by a sweet friend of mine, Megan. If you haven't visited her Etsy shop --Bourne Southern, you are missing out on some great handmade pieces of decor. Megan is a loving wife, sweet momma of 2 adorable little boys. She works hard to cater to their needs and runs an awesome Etsy shop. I promised her I would give you a true and honest opinion on all the things she sent me so, here it is. 

I LOVE EVERYTHING! Honestly! 

She made me a personalized family sign

Extra large scrabble letter tile

&

Large scrabble tiles 

Here is some info about each piece and what Bourne Southern can do for you! 

The personalized family name signs are completely customizable, you can choose from different background colors, font colors, and fun fonts that can be found in the shop. 

Extra large scrabble tiles are my absolute favorite! I love them because they are rustic and modern at the same time, no matter what style you like they will look perfect in your home. For $20 you can finish up a wall gallery, add a monogram initial to a bedroom, or add it to that corner in your kitchen that needs a little personalization --like I did!  

Last but not least, are Bourne Southerns' famous large scrabble tiles. These wooden tiles are so fun! And what's even more fun is the price. They are only $5 each! Perfectly cut, stained, and hand painted by Megan herself. You can spell any word or phase. They make such great wall decor, baby or wedding shower gifts, and photo prop! 

I was also informed that Bourne Southern will start carrying Scrabble Racks, which will allow you to display smaller letters on a mantle or table rather than hang on a wall!

Doesn't all that sound so fun!? Here is the best part about this review. 

I get a coupon code to share with all of you! 

Through September 28th, use coupon code "OXFORD10" at checkout to receive $10 off any $60 purchase or more. 

Extra Large Scrabble Tiles

Personalized Family Sign

Large Scrabble Tiles

Shop Bourne Southern: http://www.bournesouthern.etsy.com 

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/bournesouthern

Email: bournesouthern@gmail.com

Remember to use coupon code "OXFORD10" at checkout to receive $10 off any $60 purchase or more.