Lady Friends

Here come's another Monday! Hope your weekend was a great one. Mine definitely was. One of the ones that I walk out of just simply praising the Lord for this beautiful life He's blessed me with. 

I was always a girl who wanted a boyfriend, who didn't feel complete without a second half. Or rather, who didn't feel complete without a second half to fill her mind with reassurance and affirmation. 

I'm so thankful for how things played out in my life. I'm so thankful that I'm 24 years old and still 100% single. I never would have imagined feeling so happy, fulfilled, and complete without a relationship. 

You know why that is, though? I'm about to gush on the seriously amazing lady friends in my life. But as amazing as they are, they aren't the reason that my life is fulfilled. I went through a season of looking to my friends for that, and it wasn't any different than turning to a relationship. Just put a heck of a lot more pressure on my friendships. 

The reason is because that's just who our God is. He truly, truly is all-sufficient. He truly can satisfy every single craving or need in our little human hearts. He really does fulfill our ever desire. Sometimes, we just can't realize that because our hands are busy grasping things we can find down here. Like relationships. Or friendships. 

Having always been a girl who was terrified of being alone, I am so thankful that the Lord radically restored my heart to see that no relationship can fill me like He can. It allows me to truly enjoy singleness, and all of the blessings that come with it. 

Like these seriously amazing lady friends that I was talking about. 

Saturday was filled with time with these incredible women that I am blessed to call friends. A group of us took a morning hike, trekked up to the top of a workout-of-a-mountain, and enjoyed the gorgeous view of Inspiration Point. 

After a good shower and some party prepping, we opened our doors to a dozen+ of our gorgeous lady pals to enjoy a "We Love You Too Much To Only Celebrate Once" Post-Valentine's Party. 

When we were looking for places back in the holiday season, we would simply dream of a perfect house. One of the main dreams we had was to have a place where we could entertain and host others. This has been the third big event we've hosted in less than 2 months of living here, and each time our living room and kitchen are packed to a brim, I can't help but praise the Lord for how perfectly He brought all this together. 

I looked around at all of those women in that house, and felt thankful for each one. Some I've known longer than others, and some I may know more about. Some I may see weekly, and others not as much. But I am thankful for each one. 

I'm walking into this new work week full from a weekend packed with friends, fellowship and fun. I hope your weekend was packed with all sorts of good stuff, too!

Thankful Thursday // Week 2

Haaappy Thursday! First thing I'm thankful for is the fact that today is my Friday! Thank goodness for flexdays. (If you're wondering what a flexday is, check out this post). 

But besides that wonderfulness, here's my Thankful Thursday list:

One // Holiday flavors at coffee shops. 

Really makes it feel like the Holiday season. And when it's still in the 70s, you can use all the Holiday feel you can get.

Two // Lipstick. 

I'm so glad I got over that "I can't pull off lipstick" self consciousness. Trying out new colors is really fun! I'm especially thankful when the lipstick is free. {Thank you, Influenster!}

If you're a lipstick fan like me, you can check out the above color right here.

Three // Fellowship. 

This week, I got a lot of sweet fellowship in. Whether it's a lunch date, a dinner date, or getting together with a community group, I just love fellowship. 

For so long, I tried to do the whole Christian thing without Christian friends. There's something so special about getting together to talk about how good our God is, and to share all of the crazy things He's doing in our lives. I need it, I crave it, and it keeps my heart right with the Lord. 

So to all my fellowship pals, thank you. I love you a whole darn lot. 

Four // This verse. 

It's been speaking some powerful truth into my life, lately. There's been some changes going on in my neck of the woods, but change that brings a whole lot of peace, and excitement. 

I'm starting to learn about what it really looks like to walk in the freedom of the Lord. And I like it, I really do. 

Five // You guys. 

Yupp, you. You who took my pictures for this post {ahem, Madeleine}. You who blasted the post out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. You who prayed. You who offered to give away an item. You who gave your hard earned money to help support this dream. 

I can't even list the way that you guys have blessed me in the past 48 hours. Almost $500 have been raised in those 2 days alone, and I officially have less than $2,000 to raise! 

That may still sound like a lot, but I know God is so ready to do this. It's my prayer that this doesn't just bolster my faith, but your's too. Some of the moments I have heard the most clearly from the Lord were when He was calling me to give financially. Those moments are so special to me, they remind me that God absolutely does talk to His children. 

I pray that everyone who hears about this Uganda fundraiser will see God through it. And you know how they're gonna see it? Through you guys. 

Thank you for showing God through you. You guys bless me more than I can say. 

What are you thankful for? Erin & I would love to hear!

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Thankful Thursday {link up}

Hello, lovelies! 

I am so excited for today's post. My beautiful friend (who I'm sure you all know!) Erin & I will be co-hosting a link up, Thankful Thursday, every Thursday in November. With Thanksgiving coming up, it seems quite fitting that we take some time to appreciate all the wonderful things that God has blessed us with. Big or small, we wanna hear em'! So get your lists, add your blog to the linky tool, and tell us what you're thankful for! 

Thankful Thursday

If you follow along on Instagram (@sweethomesb), you probably already know that I went home this past weekend. Visiting my family always leaves me feeling thankful, so you may sense a trend in this week's list. Today, we're talkin' my people. 

One // This woman. 

I would not be where I am today without my Mom. She is incredibly intelligent and analytical, and she so graciously passed down a portion of those genes to this lucky girl. I would not have been able to major in Math/Economics had it not been for her gift with numbers. 

But a good brain can only get you so far. My mom is the most hard working person I know. She is dedicated to her work; if she says she will do something, she'll do it. She taught me what work ethic looks like, putting me on the road to success from the moment I started to walk. I don't think I'll ever be able to adequately thank her for all that she has done to help me succeed in this life. 

Two // This man. 

My dad has a servant's heart like no other. He never complains about getting his hands dirty, putting in manual labor, or killing spiders. He also never complains when I take blurry photos of him. He always checks to make sure my car is in tip-top safety condition, and I'm fairly certain our pets would starve without him. Either that, or become obese from lack of walks. 

I'll be the first to admit that he doesn't get thanked nearly enough for all of the ways that he serves our family. I will never forget in college, when he drove up to Santa Barbara on Father's Day to help me move. It was the one day of the year that a father is supposed to get served, and here he was, serving me. 

Three // This guy. 

My brother is honestly, one of the best guys I know. For the majority of our pre-18 years, it was just the two of us. I've gotta say, he made growing up fun. We have the same sense of humor, which is a pretty awesome one if you ask me. He is generous, kind, and loving. He may try to pull the "I'm a cool guy" act, but I see the inner softy. 

When I was in elementary school, I had a friend over to do homework. I got thirsty, so I called out to my brother. "Mike! Will you bring me a glass of water?" I hollered through the halls. "Sure!" he called back, and just like that, water was delivered by my 5 year old brother. My friend was astonished at this behavior. "You're brother is so nice!" she said. And she's reminded me of that many times since. 

He came to visit some friends in Santa Barbara not too long ago. We got lunch, and as we were eating, I got up to get a glass of water. "I'll get it for you," he said. And just like that, he got up and did. He never grew out of that. I'd say he got my dad's servant heart, and it's gonna seriously bless some lucky woman one day. 

Four // This little lady. 

This girl. There really aren't words to describe our relationship. It is so special to me, and it inspires me to be the best role model that I can be for her. I feel like every time I go home, there are so many moments where she blesses me. 

She is constantly giving me gifts. Things that are special to her, she gives to me in a heart beat. This past weekend, she went on a camping trip with my dad. As a part of Indian Princesses (which I did when I was her age!), they exchange beads. She came home with a bag full of beads that she was so proud of. 

Before I left, she told me to pick a bead to take home. These beads were so special to her, and here she was, letting me pick one. I want to be like that, I want to freely give away the things that are special to me.  

Five // This place.

Walking the beach with my mom this weekend, I was just amazed at the beauty of this place that holds such a special place in my heart. San Diego holds so many memories, and it will forever be the place I call "home".

Not quite sure how I got lucky enough to have such an amazing family, and such a beautiful home, but I am certainly thankful for it!

What are you thankful for? 

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Mornings

Weekend mornings hold a special place in my heart. There's just something beautiful about waking up without the dreaded sound of an alarm, isn't there? 

This past Saturday, I woke up to a dark sky. It wasn't so much the open my eyes -- stretch a bit -- roll over to go back to sleep type of awake. It wasn't even the open my eyes -- stretch a bit -- reach down to check my phone -- roll over to go back to sleep type of awake. 

It was awake awake. 

And it was also 5:26 AM. 

Now, I'm gonna go ahead and guess that a lot of people would be legit pissed at this point. It's kind of an underlying truth of adulthood, isn't it? You're never able to sleep in when you have the time to. 

But I wasn't pissed. I've come to really appreciate mornings like this. Mornings where I have hours ahead of me with no commitments. 

***

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I often find myself dreaming of future seasons. After all, the saying "the grass is always greener" got popular for a reason, right? 

Right now, there are a lot of future seasons ahead of me. There's the season of dating, embarking in a committed relationship with a man of God. 

There's the season of engagement. Making it official that I have limited days as Miss Amy Reed ahead of me, and marking that I will soon be making vows to spend the rest of my life with another. 

There's the season of being a newlywed. I'm sure this season will entail a lot of awkwardness as I start living with a man for the first time in my life, but it will also mark an incredible season of love. 

And of course, there's the season of parenthood. The sleepless nights, soccer practices, dance recitals, and I'm sure a lot of pulling my hair out. 

Will all of these seasons happen? God knows the answer to that. 

But am I left with a lot of potential future seasons to dream about? You bet. 

***

This particular Saturday morning, at approximately 5:30 AM, I realized something. I realized how priceless these mornings are to me, in my current season. 

These mornings where it's just me and God. Where I can immediately start my day without distractions, in prayer with Him. Where there's no stress, only peace. Because it's just me. Getting ready for whatever the day has ahead of me. 

These weekend mornings where I can fill those first few hours with whatever my little heart desires. Whether it's reading the Bible, journaling, or catching up on my favorite tv shows. 

I'm a big believer that there is beauty in every season. And it's important to recognize that, and appreciate it so you don't miss that beauty. 

Because before you know it, you will wake up and find yourself in an entirely different season, rejoicing over something entirely new. Or, facing new struggles. 

***

So I made a vow to God this past Saturday morning. I vowed that I want to try my darn hardest to wake up every single morning, and immediately give thanks to God for this season. 

To thank Him for these mornings. And to really, truly appreciate them. 

Because I know it's only a matter of time before I'm waking up to a snoring husband or screaming children. 

So in this season of singleness, I will walk in thankfulness. 

Thankful on a Humpday

Last night, after a wonderful phone convo with this girl, I hopped into bed only to be joined by the sweetest cuddle buddy I ever have seen. 

I found myself feeling quite thankful. And figured it was only appropriate to continue the thankful spirit to get through this Humpday. 

What I'm thankful for:

This tea // It's friggen amazing. Seriously. Thank you, Coffee Bean, for making a zero calorie tea that tastes nearly as awesome as a chai tea latte. 

It's rocking my work week. 

My job // The fact that it challenges me, uses my favorite parts of my major, and no matter how stressful things get, my coworkers are always hilarious.

Oh, and I'm most thankful for our flex day schedule. Especially when this Friday is a flex day, yahoo!!

Almond butter // I treat this stuff like it's frosting. Have officially come to the conclusion that I can only buy it on special occasion, because I can eat the entire jar in one sitting. 

Gchat // It gets me through my work days. Not to mention helps me keep in touch with some of my long distance besties, and helps me make new besties out of blog friends!

Ever see me on gchat? Say hello! I dare ya.

This lock screen // Or rather, learning how to make my own lock screens. I love being filled with truth every time I turn on my phone, and it's fun getting creative and making my own!

Worship music // Turns even a 7 minute car ride into the perfect worship sesh needed to get my day started on the right foot. 

And you best believe I'm gonna be needing that worship music to keep me pumped through the 15K that I'm running this weekend. 

You guys // All of you. I am so thankful for you all!

Happy Humpday, dears!

What are you thankful for today?