thoughts.

This life is full of endless possibilities.

I feel like there is so much out there.
Sooo much I’ve yet to experience.
My body, mind and soul craves to experience the unknown.
I haven’t always been like this.
I’ve always been the shy little girl.
Always hidden within my comfort zone.
Afraid of change.
Sometimes, I surprise myself how much I’ve truly come out of my shell.
Experiences will do that to you.
Good and bad ones.
They change you.
I have to say though, I’ve fallen in love with life.
My life.
Trust me, I’m not saying my life is perfect.
But…I’ve reached a point where my heart is somewhat content for the moment.
I no longer dwell in the fact I’m nowhere near where I thought I’d be at this point in my life.
Married…baby…house.
One day, I’ll have someone to share a life with, and it will be right.
Someone that will make his home inside my heart and stay a while. (forever)
And of course I would love to be a mother.
What better honor than to carry another human being and them love you unconditionally?
I don’t pray the same type of prayers.
I feel like God knows.
He just knows.
He planted these desires in my heart.
This year, I promised myself to just roll with the punches.
Just to be present and not stress so much about the future.
Every day brings something new.
That’s the beautiful thing about life.
Change.
Growth.
And all that other gushy stuff.

thoughts that should probably stay in my head. oh well.

Random people that tell me how awesome my big ball of curls are.
Lets trade?! Pluh-leeeze.

Early morning workouts.
You will be the death of me.

My heart.
Please make up your mind.

Healthy eating.
You are changing my life. Thank you.

January 2014.
I'm counting down until you make your grand appearance. #bigthingspoppin

His voice.
Lawd have mercy.

People who make me laugh.
Like holding my belly, almost pee in my pants laugh.
I love you.

Wishy washy people.
#aintnobodygottimeforthat

My sweet baby nephew, Gabriel.
Seriously. This kid melts my heart.

Mean people.
There's a special place in youknowwhere for you.

Squats, lunges and dead lifts.
You betta make this ass grow.

Sleeping in King size beds every other week.
I'm selfish, and don't ever see myself sharing a bed.
Like, ever. Again.

Fitting into my size four pants.
Booooo--yaaahhhh!!!

 40 year old people that are still clubbing.
God, I hope that's not me.

People who use social networking sites to send subliminal messages.
Grow the eff up and just talk to the person.

Kettlebells.
The best thing slice bread.

Hearing from someone you haven't spoken to in a long time.
Hello rush of emotions.
Damn you, heart, damn you.

 Delta Airlines.
Layovers. Suck big balls.

life of a traveling girl.

My life is about to consist of living out of suitcases, talkin' to random strangers, and becoming verrryyy familiar with multiple airports across the country.

This will occur every other week, y'all.

Let’s get a few minor details outta the way, shall we? Technically, I’m an auditor. Yes, what a glamorous job! Jealous, right?

The company I work for has store locations in 28 states. Twenty-friggin'-eight. Luckily, I’ll get to travel to states I’ve never been before. I guess that’s the plus side of my job. Along with rackin' up on frequent flyer miles and those sweet Hilton Honors points. Pretty soon, I’ll be taking vacations at no cost at all. Hawaii, here I come!! Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Hells yeah!!

These are the states I’ll be traveling to: (red)
AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY.

Doesn't that make you exhausted just thinkin' about all of that traveling? My lawwdddd. 

I'm pretty excited to step into this role and learn lots of new things. Yes, the traveling part sounds fabulous at first, but trust me it gets old. At least this is what I hear from all the veteran travelers. Whatevers! Ha! How in the world am I suppose to meet Mr. Right?! Ha-ha.

I've had the privilege of meeting three gorgeous, talented and sweet fellow blogger gals.
Ashley, Amie and Brandi. Maybe you know them? Gosh, I adore these chicas.

Hopefully, I’ll get to meet up with some fellow bloggers and friends during my trips. I'll be traveling to Texas alllotttt, so maybe I'll get to meet some of the famous bloggers we all know and love. Jenni and Shay? We’ll see. (fingers crossed)

the test of patience.

One thing I’ve learned in the past year and half is patience. No, I have not mastered the art of patience. I don’t think that’s humanly possible. However, I am a firm believer that God gives us “life lessons” that sometimes require patience.

I entered a new period or chapter (whatever you want to call it) in my life in September 2011. This is when I truly became an adult.

For the first time in my life, I was living completely alone and had to learn how to be independent. Several hours away from what once was all I knew, I had to learn to walk again. I like to think this is when my walk with the Lord truly began. I’m still learning balance and what it means to be an adult. Most of my life, I lived at home with my parents and for almost two years lived with an ex-boyfriend. I feared that I would never get to experience living on my own, but He had other plans.

Since living on my own, I’ve discovered an appreciation of the process of being an adult. You’re forced to learn how to manage money and be independent. This was something I never knew or understood in the past. This whole process required patience. At times, I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. You can imagine what an eye opening experience this has been for me. I love my little apartment, although I’ve yet to really decorate. That could be because I’m rarely home, but it’s mine. Life of a traveling gal. 

I often think about making a house a home with my future spouse one day. Sometimes, it does get kinda lonely living alone, but it’s nice at the same time. I wouldn't take back this experience for anything! I think it's important for everyone, especially women to have the experience of living on their own. This is where that little thing called patience comes in. I feel like God’s working through me and in my life as I continue to grow into the best version of who I am now. I’ve always been told that He will never put a dream in your heart that will not come to past. Sooo until then, I'll continue to be patient and enjoy my little nest. At least, I'll try my hardest. Ha-ha.

So many life lessons. Everyday. You gotta laugh sometimes, but what an amazing teacher we have.

I want a man that...

loves God more than he loves me.

will make silly YouTube videos with me.

knows I'll love him as much as humanly possible, but God will always be my #1.

has goals for himself, us as a couple, and dreams big.

plays golf with my dad.

is kind and respectful to others.

understands my obsession with Lifetime.

knows I’ll be his biggest advocate.

will take me to sporting events and explain the rules of the game to me.

can make me laugh until I pee my pants.

likes to brag about what a good woman he has. (I promise to do the same)

knows how to use a set of tools.

knows his way around the kitchen.

pays attention to my wants and needs.

will love my huge head of messy, curly hair.

won't get mad when he sees strands of my curly hair on the wall in the shower.

opens doors and my chair for me.

will hold my hand when I’m scared, or just because he feels like it.

let’s me put my cold feet on his, so mine can get warm.

has manners.

will tell me I’m beautiful, especially on the days I feel ugly.

will let me sleep-in on Saturday mornings sometimes.

prays with me.

be understanding that I am not a morning person whatsoever.

can handle my corniness.

will stay by my side during the good and not so good times.

cuddle with me. everyday.

can deal with my crazy family during the holidays.

will understand he should have expectations of his own.

knows i will always respect him and those expectations.

will workout with me.

lives a healthy lifestyle.

won’t be afraid to open up his heart to me and let me in.

will accept my friends as his own.

fixes me breakfast in bed.

will support, motivate and challenge me.

respects my mind, body and heart.

understands my obsession with taking tooo many pictures, and doesn’t mind being my subject sometimes.

realizes I’m human and will make mistakes sometimes.

will forgive me when I make these mistakes, and I promise to do the same.

will just love me for me.


------
being that i'm currently not dating anyone, i frequently get asked what kinda man i want.
i'm a simple gal and i don't ask for much. these are just a couple of my thoughts...

a thankful heart.

1. laughing so hard my belly aches
2. strawberry pancakes
3. my Savior, Jesus Christ
4. full tank of gas
5. six hours of driving through four states just to see my love ones
6. my health
7. experience of living in another state
8. home cooked meals
9. making new memories and remembering the old ones
10. my job
11. traveling to places I’ve never been
12. seeing old friends
13. passing the Mason-Dixon line
14. my co-workers that make me laugh all day
15. tight hugs
16. first loves
17. daily conversations with my Heavenly Father
18. singing at the top of my lungs while driving
19. cup of coffee first thing in the morning
20. all the bloggers I’ve connected with…y’all are seriously amazing
21. someone telling me that my loud, annoying laugh is contagious
22. long, hot showers
23. making new friends
24. baseball games
25. dance parties in my kitchen while doing the dishes
26. freshly brewed sweet tea
27. my sweet Baby nephew, Gabriel
28. having dinner with my family
29. freshly painted nails
30. my first apartment
31. my sisters awesome sense of humor
32. answered prayers
33. possibility to relocate this year
34. gentlemen that open doors and pull out chairs
35. honest and genuine friends
36. spending time with myself
37. getting lost in a really good book
38. discovering a new blog
39. feeling the suns warmth on my skin
40. a good hair day
41. butterflies when you begin to like someone
42. skype/facetime dates 
43. sharing a laugh or smile with a stranger
44. barbecues on a nice summer day
45.  quotes I can relate to
46.  road trips
47.  falling asleep listening to the rain
48. freshly made guacamole
49. cupcakes
50. my past, my present and my future

life lately.

my first trip to San Francisco via instagram pictures.

although this was a work trip, i got to do tons of sight seeing. #win

 1 // my nautical themed hotel room
 2 // chili topped with mac-n-cheese
 3 // Napa Valley wine country
 4 // Alcatraz island
 5 // delicious seafood restaurant
 6 // IN-N-OUT (my first one)
 7 //breakfast of champions
 8 // cute lil' boats
 9 // silly little me

annddd my precious lil' nephew, Gabriel.

i miss this little fella like whoa.

life gets in the way of blogging. or maybe i just haven't been in the blogging mood lately. hopefully, my love for this blog will rekindle soon. ehhh...i dunno. for now, i'm just keeping my thoughts to myself. we all choose to share what we want on our blogs anyways. my mind and body are just physically exhausted from traveling and this is just the beginning. overall, i'm anxious to see what the future holds in my current position. on another note, i'm just keeping hope, faith and my fingers crossed that He'll answer my prayers with whats going on in my life right now. we all know His timing is the best, so that's what i'm holding onto right now.

Just call me Auntie Ashley...

My little nephew finally blessed us with his presence.

Mommy and baby are doing just fine :)

I'm sooo in love :)

New Years Eve.

Happy New Year, y'all!

Cheers to a fabulous new year filled with endless opportunities :)

christmas eve.

we are family.

i'm countin' down the minutes, ok maybe seconds....until i see 'em.

they all kinda have my heart.

i pray y'all have a wonderful/safe Christmas and Happy New Year with your loved ones.

peace out, i'm north carolina bound :)

broken heart.

My heart aches.

It aches for Newton, CT.

It aches for the parents that lost a child.

It aches for our country.

 

I’m not a parent, but my heart is deeply saddened by this tragic event.

 

Like most of you, I’ve shed so many tears.

Like most of you, I’ve prayed continuously for Newton.

Like most of you…my heart is completely broken to pieces.

 

I pray our Heavenly Father will bring comfort and peace to those hurting.

I pray our Heavenly Father will heal our broken hearts and restore our faith.

I pray our Heavenly Father will work in the hearts of those who need Him the most.

a little weekend trip.

Wow! Does anyone else feel like 2012 has flown by?

My birthday is right around the corner. Yikes!!!!

I've definitely put blogging on the back burner, but I have so much to share. 

Ok, I'll take it one post at a time.

Soooo...back in October, I went to Williamsburg, VA. 

It was just a little weekend trip.

Of course, I took a zillion pictures, but here are just a few. :)

i'd tell my younger self...

Listen…don’t interrupt…just listen. Sometimes people just need you to listen to them.

Talk TO people not AT them.

Always hug when you see them and leave them.

You don't get a second chance to make a first impression.

Bite your tongue...some things should remain unsaid.

If he wants to be with you, he will.

Being emotional or senstive is not a bad thing…god created you this way…embrace it.

 Don't whine and complain about every single little thing

Embrace your BIG hair…bigger is better after all ;)

Take time to learn how to speak Spanish fluently

Don’t have serious conversations over text messages.

Be in the moment. Embrace the present…stop worrying about the future.

Lean on His understanding and not your own.

You are exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Are you in an uncomfortable season in life? Good…don’t run…sit tight…God is up to something.

Don’t burn bridges!

Think twice before making a decision that could change everything.

Be yourself. Stop comparing yourself to others.

Speak up!

Manners go a lonnnggg way!

Don’t put your business on facebook!

Don’t tell your parents everything.

Don’t talk about your relationship to your friends.

Don’t keep score.

Don’t worry about what others think about you. Do you!

Believe you’re beautiful…because you are.

Learn how to take compliments.

Look at who you call your friends... 

Save your money!

Don’t drunk dial.

Embrace your multi-racial background….it’s a beautiful thang!

Choose your battles.

Fake it till you make it!

Smile. Life is full of endless opportunities!!

Don’t buy that! You’ll never wear it and end up giving it away!

Date a man that opens doors for you, pulls out your chairs, has manners, and has a relationship with Christ and his mother.

A little time apart can be a good thing sometimes

 

Everyone’s fairy tale is NOT the same.

Don’t make decisions based on assumptions.

Know when to walk away and when to try harder.

Hang around positive and happy people.

Talk to strangers. Sometimes, those are the best conversations.

Thank God every day for everything.

Open your eyes….God’s blessings are everywhere!

 

Stop making excuses. The mind can trick you into thinking it is impossible, but anything you can imagine is possible. It’s called faith.

Don’t let your emotions rob you of your joy!

Be happy…you’ve got a roof over your head, food on the table, clothes on your back, family and friends that love you…life is good!

What would you tell the younger verison of you?

truth moment.

A fellow blogger inspired me to write this post…a post I've neglected to write out of fear. Megan wrote the most honest post a blogger could. She talked about how real the devil truly is. He exists.

She said… “The devil knows us inside and out. He knows the doubts that we have about ourselves and the insecurities that we are facing. He waits for moments when we are weak and hurting, and then tries to launch an attack, making us question ourselves, our friends/family, our world and our God.”

Megan asked her readers to comment with any lies/lie the devil tells them. The devil often tells me the same things…his deceitful ways try to get a hold of me and often tug at my heart, making me question God’s ways...

...I’ll never be as pretty or skinny as her

...I’m not smart enough

...I’m not qualified enough for that job

...I’ll be single forever

...I’ll never have the chance to be a mother
...I ruined my one chance of true love in my last relationship

...Moving away from North Carolina was the worst decision

...I’m not strong enough to be alone

...I’ll never truly love myself

...My heart will never fully heal

...God doesn’t care about my needs and wants

"The quickest way to change your attitude toward pain is to accept the fact that everything that happens to us has been designed for our spiritual growth."

- M. Scott Peck

I know the devil is very much so alive and he uses my mind as his playground, but sometimes I forget how powerful he really is. He feeds on my weakness and insecurities and desperately tries to steer me away from God’s amazing grace. In the past two years, my heart has ached to know God and have a relationship with Him. God saw the strong hold the devil had on me a couple years ago, and He spoke into my heart…asking me put all of my faith in Him. Let me tell you…I’m not the same woman I was three years ago. No, I haven’t changed…I’ve grown. I’ve grown spiritually. And, that is an amazing feeling...

When this job offer was presented to me last July, I didn’t whole-heartily want it. I knew it was a wonderful career move, but I was scared to remove myself from my comfort zone. I prayed about the decision to accept the job offer or not. A whole week I heard nothing. I asked God to give me a sign…do I take the job or not? During these couple of days the devil tempted me with his evil thoughts…you can imagine what lies he told me. Finally, the day before I had to give the company my decision, He spoke. He told me to move. This was the first time in my life where I truly felt God’s presence in my life. When He tells you to move, you move. Honestly, it was kinda scary at first. Shortly, after I felt peace and sense of calmness. God was trying to answer my prayers…He knew I craved an imitate relationship with Him, and the only way to have that was to make this move…alone. I had to learn to rely on Him.

God was rescusing me during a time I allowed my feelings to rob me of my joy and happiness. As I’ve of said before, this move hasn’t been easy. Honestly, this was the hardest thing I've ever done. I left everything I knew to come to the unknown. I left my family, my friends, my first love, job...everything. The first couple months the devil certainly had a hold on me. It was so difficult to ignore Him. I have never spoken to God so much in my life. I have never pleaded with Him so much…crying my eyes out every single night. I felt like He had abandon me after telling me to make this life changing decision. Looking back, He was there all along. All the nights I cried myself to sleep...He was there. He knew moving me to this new place would be a beautiful struggle. A struggle I desperately needed.

I’ve learned to trust God in sooo many new ways, despite what the devil tries to tell me. The devil caused me to question God’s glory and love for me. God removed situations/people in my life for my own good. At my weakest moment, I realized God wants to be a part of the growing process with me. He wants me to lean on His understanding…not mine. He knows how uncomfortable this season in my life has been, but still He remain present in my life. He is molding me into the woman He created me to be. There’s a sense of peace knowing I’m where I’m supposed to be. Don’t get me wrong, every day is no walk in the park and the devil tries to stray me away from the man upstairs…I refuse to give into his evil ways. It’s a struggle as you know, but God always remains faithful.

I’ve learned to embrace this season I’m in and have faith that God’s will be done in my life. The devil often tells me, I’m all alone and will be single for the rest of my life. I’ll never experience God’s gift of becoming a mother. All lies, but these lies hurt. God knows what my heart desires and in His perfect time…he’ll either answer my prayers or reveal something much better. He is the only person who can truly fulfill us…bring joy, happiness, and love in our lives. If only we let Him. If only we trust in His ways. He knows this can be difficult for us. Of course, He knows…He created us. Sometimes, I forget God knows every detail and every inch of me. I will never forget how much He loves me, forgives me and continuously gives me countless opportunities to learn the lesson He has set before me.

I am so thankful for the people God has placed in my life. Especially, all of the beautiful Christian women whom inspire me and help me grow as a Christian. Thank you!

My amazing co-worker and friend said this to me this morning… “And, for what it’s worth, I pray for you and all of my friends every night….that you always find what you seek, and receive what you so richly deserve.” And, this is what I pray for all of you.

more of Him...less of me.

just reading this brings tears to my eyes. so beautiful. so true.

just wait.

wait and listen to Him.

  

i'm really trying.

lately, i've been really struggling with this.

especially, during this season where i've been trying

to quiet my thoughts, and just wait on His guidance.

honestly, i've never whole-heartily tried...until now.

for the first time in my life...i can honestly say the Lord has truly humbled me.

i mean...

knock me to my knees,

spending weekends in bed,

crying at the drop of the hat...

i could go on, but i'll just stop there.

this is the real, raw and uncut verision of what i've been dealing with.

 i am forever grateful for this season, although it's been extremely difficult at times.

i have never felt this way.

 ever.

i remain faithful in knowing He hears my prayers, cries, and will guide my steps.

 i'll admit...i've probably cried and pleaded with Him more in the last seven months.

i've learned He needs to be the center of my life.

that's all He wants from us.

amazing, how it took me moving to a completely different state,

being all alone for seven months...to realize this.

but, this was probably His plan all along.

my heart yearns to hear Him and desperately wants to wait on Him.

this is tough.

i guess this is what happens when you pray for patience.

this is something most of us struggle with. right? i can't be the only one.

this blog ALWAYS speaks to my heart.

especially, during this season in my life.

The value of consistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will hear him.

- William McGill

20 Principles Of Success Not Taught In School.

we could all use some good tips, right?

L.O.V.E the twenty tips below.

good stuff.

check it out!

mmmmkay? ;)

********************************************

1.The only thing in life you have control over is your perspective. No matter what happens, YOU control what the meaning is, and what to do with the meaning you give to the circumstance.

2.Have more fear of regret than failure.

3.Failure is only part of the journey to success. There is not one success story out there that hasn’t experienced failure. The reason you are hearing about it as a success story is because those people saw failure as a tool to get it right.

4.It’s not about what you want to do for a living, it’s about you who want to be. What is your purpose and legacy? I believe the age-old question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is wrong. We need to be asking, “Who do you want to be? What footprint do you want to leave in this world?” From there, you will have your answer as to what you should “do.”

5.Stay focused on your race within. When you are too busy looking behind and around you, people are passing you by.

6.True leadership comes from good energy. Worry more about what your energy is like than the firmness your handshake.

7.Life will give you the same challenges/problems over and over again until you learn your lesson.

8.Until you jump over your inner roadblocks, your outer ones will stay firmly in place. We spend so much time focused on all the exterior obstacles around us, letting them be our excuses. But the more clear and aware we are of our internal roadblocks, and dissolve them, the external roadblocks will begin to disappear, too.

9.The most successful people are the ones that work on themselves first.

10.Do not judge—be inspired. If you are too busy judging everyone and everything around you, you are not remaining open to find inspiration in everyone and everything around you.

11.You are not allowed to complain about something unless you are going to do something about it.

12.Surround yourself with people you want to be like.

13.Learn to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. The more fears you face, the more you will grow.

14.Always ask, “What if?” and, “Why Not?” Instead of thinking, “What if I fail?” ask, “What if I succeed?”

15.Creativity is your unlimited capital. Understand and harness its power.

16.“I only have good days.” If you start off everyday with this mindset, even when challenges emerge, your positive mindset will help you overcome them more readily.

17.Create your own footprint. You do not need to do what others have done before you.

18.Hit the “mental reset button.” When you are thinking negative thoughts, envision hitting the “delete” button in your mind and begin to rewrite a better story.

19.Abundance is everywhere. You must choose to see it and believe it in order to fully experience it.

20.There is a lesson in everything that happens to us—wisdom to be gained and gratitude to be given. Begin with gratitude and everything else will reveal itself.

The beauty of success is that it can have many layers. Success doesn’t need to be limited to one aspect of life—but as many aspects as we desire to succeed in. The critical part of being successful is to be aware of what you want. Define it, write it down, and reflect, every day, on which steps are necessary to write your own story of success.

Positively Positive