THINGS I'VE LEARNED SINCE MOVING OUT PT. 2

choosing your living situation is important.  

tithing is vital. 

alone time is okay, carve it out each week. 

buy fresh flowers. 

don’t buy more food than you need for the week. 

it’s okay to ask for help. 

life is hard, and by that i mean nothing goes as planned.

find a job that you enjoy, if you don’t it will destroy your spirit.

go ahead, splurge on that candle. 

if you think a spontaneous trip to the tattoo parlor will make you feel better, do it. 

if you get behind on laundry, your life is pretty much over. 

forgive. over and over and over and over. 

stay out late, you WILL regret the nights you don’t. 

don’t stay out so late that you’re useless for work the next morning though. 

invest with your friends, one on one. 

cook often. 

work is important, but it’s not the most important. 

i can’t stress the budget enough, you’ll likely dig yourself in a financial pit without one. 

if you want that third tattoo, GO. FOR. IT. 

enjoy every moment that is put in front of you. 

read books. if you like dragons, read about that. if you like kinfolk, read until your heart’s content. just read. 

going back to school little by little is a victory, not a sign of weakness.

INK'D AGAIN

"then peter came up and said to him, "lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and i forgive him? as many as seven times?" jesus said to him, "i do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven times." matthew 18:21-22

ink'd yet again. 

roughly 10.751 seconds after i got my first tattoo, i had the urge to get more. so, there i was, on a saturday, some two and half weeks ago, with the urge still strong, and an adventurous spirit, sitting at the tattoo parlor yet again. i had been at the market that morning with some friends when i brought up the idea of getting inked that day (i'm that friend). surprisingly they all played around with the idea while we walked around the square, sipped our coffee, and tried not to adopt a puppy (well, the puppy part was just me, it's a real struggle guys). about our second lap around the market, i stopped and just had to make sure they really knew i was completely down to go get a new tattoo. one of my friends, was on board, the others were there to support us and cheer us on. we both went, got cash out, and walked into that tattoo parlor (knight time in fayetteville) absolutely stoked and prepared to get poked. we wanted to get 'seventy times seven' on us, in different ways of course, mine in roman numerals, and her's in my handwriting. since we went to the same place as i went last time, i has already started to build a relationship with buzz, the coolest tattooist around. pause, buzz (justin), is twenty five, completely covered in tattoos (even some on his head and face, eyelids too!), he's been shot a couple times, stabbed, in jail, he's tattooed a horse to help save it's life, he doesn't like the traditional church and how they don't appear to use all their money to help others, he's open to the idea of jesus and who he is. the previous tattoo i got to talk with him about   the church i'm going to plant in colorado, how it's about people. we're all flawed, but jesus came to give us hope and cover us in grace. okay, time in. so we walk in, he remembers me as "that girl who's churching it up in colorado", i introduce my friend and tell her she's helping plant the church too. we small talk a bit, learn more about him. talked to the guy in the front too, (he's been backpacking in europe but got kicked out because his visa expired.) i decided not to mention anything about "church" unless buzz asked. we keep chatting, laughing, investing. my tattoo is complete (praise, because this one hurt), i get up to leave and i say that i will more than likely be back soon, and buzz's response was, "hey, please do. don't forget to come back before you move to colorado, i really do want some information about the church you're planting". i responded with a big smile and an "of course buzz!" then walked out grinning from ear to ear. 

this is ministry. i'm not saying the whole tattoo thing is, but ministry is all about building relationships with people. all kinds of people. we can't expect lost and hurting folks to just waltz into church, we have to meet them where they are. i just happened to want a tattoo, and it was a perfect opportunity for me to talk about jesus soley based on what i was getting inked (hallelujah and LXX•VII). constantly have your eyes open to how you can be on mission to share what jesus has done in your life, and how freakin' good he is. let your actions and your words express your faith. 

as for the tattoo itself, it's something god is for real teaching me right now. i thought i knew what it meant to forgive. i was wrong. i remember asking god a few months ago to show me there areas i was lacking and to reteach me those things i had fallen comfortable with. folks, if you ask, you shall receive. it was difficult. i wasn't actually expecting him to show me all those flaws and habitual actions. geez, that was a little much. yet i'm incredibly thankful he did. i've never been stretched so much in my life. i've never been given more opportunities to forgive. to cover someone in love and grace, not based off my own strength, but the strength i draw from god. it's been an extremely trying season of life, but the most rewarding one by far. i'm thankful for that.  

BONFIRE

bonfire at my friends house, what a great night

i haven't forgotten about blogging, just the opposite has happened really. each day i don't blog it's usually because i'm busy working OR it's because my mind is racing through it's dreams way to fast and my hands can't type out the words fast enough. the second is most common. i'm working hard on some blog posts and a little poetry mixed in. life will slow down a bit soon and i'll get back to posting on a routined basis.  

HAMMONTREE'S

friends and food. this summer I am interning at cross church in arkansas in the media department filming and editing videos! lunch is always a big deal here between my fellow coworkers, around eleven o'clock you begin to have people circulating around the offices asking what you're doing for lunch. most of the time my answer is, "nothing, what are we doing?" and then the respond, "hold on, let me keep asking." we are always going to different places, trying different foods. the group is always different and the group is always down for awesome conversations. 

today the group that went was the girl interns: kayleigh, alexandra, melissa, and myself. we set out down the road towards downtown fayetteville, our first thought was to stop at the food truck court. we got there and realized that most of them were closed and it was a bit toasty out to sit down and eat. so we all got back in my car and drove to the heart of downtown and settled on hammontree's. it's a gourmet grilled cheese place that also has amazing sweet potato fries! 

i love the company i'm in this summer and i'm beyond grateful that god has divinely placed these people around me. i'm learning so much from them, they are definitely pouring into my heart wether they realize it or not!