Forgive me, please?

I know it's not REALLY an excuse for my 5 month disappearance, but it is the only possible explanation I could come up with for being such a blog slacker!  But, whether the blogger world is ready to forgive me or not, I AM BACK!!  AND ready to unload the 5 month's worth of inspiration that has been piling up...so I will ask you again, Forgive ME lovelies??

Thursday theme song

Life has got its problems

She's not trying to solve

 anyone of them right now

Rhythm is a romance, let her have her own dance

patient boy wait it out

Dance Alone by Matt Vaughan

words to live by

Just in case you missed it in my novel of a post yesterday :)

Happy Tuesday Lovelies

two words

Two words...

that's it!  that is the very essence of our being. two words resolve the search for the fullest life. two words promise an overflowing cup of joy. two words humble and bring people to their knees. two words suffice for a love that we most certainly do not deserve. and two words are exactly what the Creator longs to hear.

Thank you

These words are simply common courtesy, especially for those raised in homes of Southern hospitality.  You open a present and you are writing a "thank you" note at the very same time.  You happen to get a very hospitable waitress at a restaurant and expect to see a big "Thank You come again" at the bottom of the check (right beside the blank tip line!)  These are two words that have become a part of our everyday vocabulary, and because of their commonality, how often do we belittle the importance of these words?

I just finished a book that asked me this very same question.  Ann Voskamp, the author of One Thousand Gifts, challenged me, one of her readers, to begin on a journey that took her dull, self-centered life and transformed it into a beautiful wellspring, overflowing with joy--she had found the key to gaining the fullest life that the Lord truly intended for her, and for all of us, to have and she wanted to share it with everyone.  I was intrigued from the moment I read the plea on the front of her book-- "A dare to live FULLY, right where you are".  Who doesn't want that--the full life?  In a world filled with brokenness, who doesn't yearn for contentment?  To travel back to Eden, a time before hurt became reality.  So, in the middle of Sundog Bookstore in Seaside, Fl, I said YES!  While, at that moment I didn't know exactly what I was saying yes to, I knew that I too wanted to drink from the same water as Ann Voskamp.  To have my thirst quenched by a fuller life.

Without spoiling the book for whoever plans to read it, I will put into essence what I learned and the importance of those two little words.  Voskamp believes that in order to find joy (and I don't mean the temporary kind that only leaves you longing for more, but the joy that is never ending, which is only found in Christ) gratitude must become the cry of our heart and the foundation of our lives.  If everything in our lives are lifted up in thanksgiving (no matter how small the graces seem) how can our gaze not be constantly looking up.  Learning the art of gratitude in every aspect of our life, teaches us how to let the Lord become a part of every aspect of our lives.  And that is what HE truly longs for.  An intimacy with us that can only be formed when we are living in constant recognition of the grace-love that He is always showering down upon us.

To see His love through everyday blessings, makes it a little bit easier to see the blessing in the hard times as well.  When we see the immeasurable amount of gifts that God has placed in our lives, we begin to realize that His love for us is in fact great enough to cover the times of suffering that we all inevitably face.  If anything, we should feel a comfort that such a loving God is the one in control, and that He longs to hear our thanksgiving and have us receive with open hands and open hearts pure, unfailing joy.  Yes, it is always easier to feel God when things seem to be going good, but He is just as present in the storms of our lives.  Knowing His love through gratitude we learn to trust.  To trust that He has our best interests at heart, and that He will show us a rainbow after the storm.  

So, here is my challenge to you today.  The same challenge that is breaking me free from the chains of sadness that have had their wicked hold on me, and entering me into a joy that is like none that I have ever known before.  Ann Voskamp, challenged me, to see if I could write down 1000 things that I consider a blessing in my life.  I grabbed a pen and some paper and began my gift list...a list of gifts from God that I wouldn't normally think twice about.  My morning cup of joe, the sprinkler that gave me a cooling relief on my mid-afternoon jog, and the stranger that shared with me his love for Jesus Christ in the middle of a crowded coffee shop.  This scavenger hunt to find gift after gift, has brought so much joy into my life, that the only thing I wanted to do was share it with others that they might be able to seek and find the same joy that I have found in the Lord.   

It only takes two words...

Say Thank You today and let God give you joy in return.

Oh, and pick up Ann Voskamp's book!  

You will not be disappointed.  

Find it here on Amazon

   

food for thought

Well that's something to feed your brains with, lovelies.

Thank God for the storm in your life today.

And rest in the promise that a 

rainbow is coming

soon.

I got a little "Carried" away...

It must have been something in that New York City water... Because lately I have felt the overwhelming sense to embrace my inner Carrie Bradshaw.  ONLY in the fashion area of her life, of course.  Thankfully, I have not wanted to embrace any of her other actions too:)  She is one who does fashion and she does it well!  And, I am besides myself at the fact that the outfits that would result in stares in my case, only seem to make her, well, more FABULOUS.  Not to mention, she is pretty much the bomb.com at her/MY dream job as a writer for Vogue.  She is a fearless fashion icon, she has a closet that makes me hyperventilate at its sight, and she lives in the most wonderful place on Earth!  Need I say more!  OK ok, so I know that Carrie Bradshaw is merely a fictional character in one of my favorite tv shows, but a girl can dream that life one day could only be that fabulous, right?  This might be crazy talk, but for now we will blame it on New York and E!'s marathon last Saturday of "Sex and the City"...

Now, I feel it only necessary to commemorate my inspiration.  Have you met your inner Carrie yet...

Manolo Blahnik. Enough said.

I took a picture in front of this exact sign!  Of course, my rendition is slightly less fabulous. 

Who wouldn't give up food for shoes!  Kidding, kidding.  But seriously, Carrie would.

OH, just going to work.  No Big Deal.

I could play dress up in here all day LONG!

And apparently so could she!

Now, this is one of the outfits that would result in my mockery if I wore this in Starkville, MS.  Or better yet, anywhere!

Girl Power?  I am SURE she is yelling at Mr. Big! You go girl!

Girl's Night Out...Every night of the week :)

I just love them!

And there you have it!  Now GO embrace that inner Carrie!

Have a Happy Monday

                                                        

 

 Have a wonderful weekend :)

Window Shopping

Window Shopping.
It's something that I have never been very good at... Why would I put myself through such torture. But, seeing as my current income is labeled as "unpaid", and I am being paid in experience rather than money, the window is as close as this broke girl is allowed to get at the moment.  So, as my list of "must buys when not broke" continue to add up, I am left to dream of that glorious day when those fabulous clothes will be welcomed into my closet!  But until that day, I guess I will just have to use my eyes and not my credit card.  Let the swooning, and not purchasing, begin...

My two favorite things: lace + toms

Pleats! Pleats! Pleats!

I think I may need to go to Morocco for
one of these...with airfare included, this
might be quite an expensive little bag!

And if I can't make it to Morocco for a bag, I guess I will
just have to settle for a longchamp le pliage :)
I guess Kate had to settle too!

What is ONE more piece of lace added to my
closet! 

The perfect sequined crepe top

+

Adorable scalloped shorts

=

Pair it with a navy blazer and you have this
perfect ensemble!

Now if only the stores could just help a broke girl out...

This needs to become my new window shopping!

Have a blessed Thursday :)  

Life lately

Hold the phones...I am BACK! And with so much to report... It has been a whirlwind of emotions and events from the moment that I stepped off of my plane from New York City.  And, it was reality that was waiting to greet me at the gate, welcoming me home.
Two weeks.  That is all it took for the Lord to completely flip my world around and shake up my comfortable little life.  It is weird to think that we can work for years to build a life that the Lord can take away in only a few seconds...and that is where this life (this temporary home that we are residing in here on earth) is brought into perspective, and believe me that concept will change your life.  It has already started to change mine!

I have tried for over a week to write this post, and I have yet to successfully put into words the great work that the Lord is doing in my heart right now.  While I may not be able to find the exact words to say, there is a song that does a pretty good job at doing that for me.  For all of you who do not listen to K-LOVE, you are truly missing out!  This station fills my car with encouragement every day on my commute to work.  One of the songs that they love to play, and once you hear it you will know why, is a song called "Blessings" by Laura Story.  Listen for yourself!  But be ready for this song to pull on your heartstrings.  And, if you are a sappy goob like myself, I would have a tissue close by!

Every word in this song is filled with truth.  Why is it that we are always asking the Lord to bless us in our situations, and, then we get angry with Him when we feel like all we get is a whole lot of suffering, with little to no blessings in sight?  I KNOW that I do this.  I did this all last week.  I was hurting and to my miniscule, little brain I could not comprehend why I must be put through the ringer, when my life was perfectly fine just the way it was.  But, THAT'S where I was wrong.  Without trials, I didn't have a reason to fully rely on the Lord, and it was evident in the way that I lived my everyday life.  How can you know if something is a blessing if you haven't seen what pain is first?  I think it is all summed up in the last verse of this song:

And what if trials in this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights,

Are your mercies in disguise?

Whatever storm you are facing right now, know that you are not alone.  Suffering is everywhere and no one is exempt from its wrath.  But, with the Hope that we have in the Lord, how can you not see the blessings in the midst of the rain?  Because, those are His true mercies, just in disguise :) 

Destination Revalation

And where will this BIG JET PLANE be taking me in t-minus 24 hours....

Drumrollllllllll please.... 

Ladies and gents! Tomorrow I will be on a plane to

New York City!!!

Shall I repeat it?

I, Lindsay Botwinick, will be fulfilling my lifelong dream and going to NEW YORK CITY

Words can not contain my excitement, but pictures sure CAN!

Enjoy the montage loveys :)

Au Revoir, Memphis...HELLO NEW YORK! 

Free at last...or almost :)

Well, it is the last OFFICIAL day of Maymester.  The last day of 3 hour classes.  The last day of world record note-taking (seriously, I think my right arm muscles have gotten slightly bigger than my left).

NOTE to SELF: If I must take another Maymester class in the future, 

I will need to learn the art of ambidexterity, 

just to even things out :)  

And last but not least, today is the last day that STUDYING is in control of my social life for the summer!  Yes, after today ( or more like 10 a.m. tomorrow)
I will be a free woman...

And where do all of the free women go, you may ask?  Well my actual destination will be revealed to you tomorrow, but today I will leave you with a video that gives a hint as to what my transportation will be :)

Listen and Enjoy

Today is the day that the Lord has made

 

Once again, I have been amazed by God's ability to read my confused mind and ease my worried heart.  Why this surprises me?  I have no idea, but this morning He presented me with a message that my ears and my heart desperately needed to hear.  The first line from my favorite devotional book (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young), said this....

"APPROACH EACH NEW DAY with desire to find Me."

As soon as I read this, God had my full and undivided attention.  

It went on to talk about how before I had even gotten out of bed, God had already shaped the path that would get me through this day.  So, as I hit the snooze button 10 times to delay the inevitable reality of  getting up and being bombarded by a busy day, the Lord waits with excitement for me to roll out of bed and see all that HE has been planning!

Well, if that didn't make me feel bad for still laying drowsily in my bed, it sure did wake me up! Ok, now I am eager to see what God has been planning, because I am struggling to just find a place to breath on my to-do list for today.  

I continue on with my reading, and it is not but two seconds later that my question is answered...

It reads:

"There are hidden treasures strategically placed along the way.  Some of the treasures are trials, designed to shake you free from earth-shackles.  Others are blessings that reveal My Presence: sunshine, flowers, birds, friendships, answered prayers."

While I was worrying about how I was going to fit GOD into my to-do list, He brings me back and reminds me that He is always present in our lives no matter how busy our schedule is.  We shouldn't even have to wait for His trials or blessings to remind us that He is there.  We should constantly be aware of His presence, and seeking glimpses of His Holiness daily. 

The message of this devotional was tied perfectly together in this last line...

"Search for deep treasure as you go through the day.  You will find Me all along the way."

This is my prayer for TODAY.   

Maymester...

3 hour classes

10 quizzes

4 tests

  15 days  

It has me wishing for ONE thing...

the BEACH

7 more days.... I think I can I think I can.

Enjoy :)

Have a blessed weekend

Remember when...

What in the WORLD did we do before cell phones?  I guess this unimaginable thought probably only resinates in my generation, but I honestly don't know how I made it through each day without my trusty little blackberry.  And then I remembered... we communicated through THESE:

NOTES!  Folded with love in a perfect envelope shape.  Pictures drawn on the outside displaying what "kind" of message was hidden inside.  And of course, sayings like "Private!" and "For your eyes only" made a girls heart skip a beat at the thought of a possible profession of love from a shy boy who was too afraid to say his true feelings to her face!  Haha, I guess this means of communication wasn't so bad... Dare I say that I might part from my precious blackberry to have a week of fun-filled notes??  Who knows what exciting things might happen ;)

have a Blessed day 

I love you, Mom

There is a lady who is everything I aspire to be...
                              
                                   she is...

kind

giving

selfless

wise
graceful

beautiful

patient

compassionate
perfect
joyous

forgiving
honest
loving

a hug
a teacher
a cheerleader
an encouraging word
a peace-maker
a master chef

a role model
a daughter of the Lord
a hero
a friend
But, what I admire most about her is that...
she is my MOM.


I love you, Mom.
Happy Mother's Day!

TGIF

Happy Friday :)

Confessions (from) a shopaholic

Lets get real for a minute...

from one fashionable girl to another, can you keep a secret...

You must know that I have not told this to ANYONE...

A secret SO huge, I could only choose to share it with my most dedicated readers...

Here it goes...

I

Lindsay Botwinick

may be,

kinda,

sort of,

a

SHOPAHOLIC!

Ok, ok so its not the biggest secret in the world, I admit!

But with this bold proclamation, it sure does sound like I am making

a step in the right direction on the road to recovery from

SHOPAHOLISM, right??

Unfortunately, it is still something that I battle with each and every shopping trip.  But, for the sake of my (I mean, my parent's) wallet I promise it is something I am really working on!

There is only ONE person, I believe, who can truly understand this addiction that I struggle with... her name is Rebecca Bloomwood (Complusive-shopper extraordinaire).  She is the main character of the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic.  Throughout the entirety of the film, I was amazed to see bits of myself coming out scene after scene.  In one quote, she epitomizes my shopping experience!

"When I shop, the world gets better, and the world is better, but then it's not, and I need to do it again"

Rebecca Bloomwood

Ms. Bloomwood, I could not have said it better myself. 

Let's take a look at an ordinary day in the life of a shopaholic...

 It is the face of determination... chin up and head held high, 

the girl is on a mission to find that perfect piece that will try (but of course fail)

 to complete the never ceasing wardrobe.

Sticker shock as some would say... a deal has been found that

is too good to be true.  There is no backing out now...

ELATION at a new purchase! Who knew the gratification

of one item could feel so good!  Surely this happiness

will never go away...

Oh how far the mighty have fallen!  Elation no more...

all that is left is an empty wallet, too many clothes, too little space,

and REGRET as your only friend.

If this shopping experience describes you...Well, you just might be a shopaholic too!

(Side effects may vary!) 

Au Revoir, my fellow Shopaholics!  May you all have a very Happy Thursday :)

5 things

This week's obsessions...

1. Cloth Covered Classics

I want to put ALL of these beauties on my bookshelf :)

2. Olivia Palmero's Wardrobe (in its entirety)

   

Can I be her, please?? 

3. This very Royal (and may I add adorable) Image

So stinkin' cute!

4. Open Back Dresses

These will be perfect for the
127434202418 weddings that I will
be attending this summer!

5. America

Amidst the Royal clamor brought about by the Wedding of the Century, America is no sooner to forget the recent, pivotal events that took place in our dear country.  Our hearts go out and extend to all who were affected by the tornadoes and the storms.  We ask God to place His hand over the South as the restoration of a defeated community begins.  But, with a nation uniting together to help this affected area, I have never been more proud to be an American.

Our nation was also united this week under a much different circumstance.  A decade after the tragedy of September 11th, Justice has finally been served...with the death of Osama Bin Laden.  Need I say it again... I am so proud to be an AMERICAN.