RVA adventures: carytown

galavanted around possibly my most favorite place in all of RVA with the Lovely. 
we had a splendid time.
see for yourself.

 ^^testing the waters.  hoping to get a dlsr camera for Christmas.  any tips for a newbie?^^

 ^^slice of heaven right there^^

 ^^we just got a Mellow Mushroom in RVA.  rejoice!^^

 ^^one of my favorite restaurants in RVA^^

 ^^came so close to getting this. . . for the second time.  honestly don't know why i didn't.^^

 ^^one buck.  quite the steal.^^

 ^^i want on so badly!  man, i'm stuck in the 90s.^^

 ^^cutie pie.^^

 ^^ahh!  she is so beautiful!^^

sunshine + summertime

last week i went to the beach.
we all had a grand ol' time.
i went with my friend K, but we met up with the brother, his girlfriend, and the moms.
i had a ton of fun with K, laying on the beach as we soaked up the sun (i read a book, she fell asleep), swimming in the ocean, eating yummy food, and catching up on life.  she is the best!  it feels like just a short time ago that we were at preteen camp together, where we became best friends.
it's crazy how time flies.

here are some photos from our time there!
i wouldn't mind living at the beach one day.  just not this one.  a small, cute beach town.

God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good

the Lord has really been teaching me what it means to rest in Him.  it is so peaceful to rest in His presence, even when there is chaos going on all around you in the world.  we don't know what the Lord has planned for our futures.  i've been learning not to focus on the past, and the things i wish i could change, as well as not focusing on the future, the job i will have, raising a family, the ministry i will be a part of.  God instead, has been teaching me to focus on him right now, in this moment.  i need to focus on where he has me RIGHT NOW.  if i am open and willing, he can use me right where i'm at.  i don't have to be married, live in another country, be a teacher, or in a titled ministry to be used by the Lord.  i am first and foremost a disciple before i am anything else.  as i go along and may obtain new titles in my life, i want this to always be my first and foremost title, a disciple of Christ.  He will equip me for the challenges that will come along the way.

lately, i have been so eager and anxious for things that my future may hold.  i know though that the Lord's timing is perfect and that his timing is a protection to me.  he meets me in the present moment, right where i'm at, so why am i so eager to know what my future will hold if He is here with my right now?  if i only ask, He will refresh me in the light of His presence.  i want to enjoy him every moment, not spend my life being anxious for the "next step."  He is with me and watches over me wherever i go.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  Isaiah 55:8-9

i have tasted and seen that the Lord is good!  i get to experience his living presence every moment of everyday.  he has given me a inheritance and a promise.  the longer i walk with the Lord, the more i see his goodness.  it is so easy to doubt his goodness when we face trials and adversity.  his ways are mysterious to us, so why do we try to understand if it isn't even possible?  his ways and thoughts are higher than our ways.  why do we even try to fathom his ways?  let's learn to enjoy him and experience his goodness at all times. 

ramblings

- i have realized lately that i have become too dependent on that cup of coffee that i drink in the morning. to get out of bed and also to function at all like a human.

- on the plus side, i have been drinking a lot more water over the past several days.

- i think the shorts i'm wearing right now might be from the little boys section, but for the record they were in the women's section. . . at goodwill.

- you know friday nights, the night everybody goes out with friends and have lots of fun and adventures?  yeah, those are my grandma nights.  knitting and Friends episodes galore!

- i simply cannot wait to start my dance class in august.

- this post is totally unnecessary, but i just felt like writing and rambling. 

photo credit: Abbey Deer Photography

happy fourth

i hope everyone had a splendid fourth of july filled with grilling, friends and family, and of course, fireworks.  mine was a little more low key this year.  there was sadly not loads of delicious food available at my fingertips as in years past, but i still had a great day with the fam and my friend, Em.  here are a few photos from our day.

 i broke my sparkle rule. . .

 one word for this kettlecorn: addicting.  and the bag is HUGE!

 watching the sunset while waiting for the fireworks.  my neighborhood is beautiful. 

 my sweet friend, Em and I.  my whole outfit was thrifted.  those were jeans that i cut into shorts and the shirt was short sleeve that i cut into a tank.  getting crafty lately apparently. 

 cuties.

 the boys knew how to do fireworks the right way. 

 the one semi-decent photo i got of the fireworks.  they are not easy to capture, as most of you know after yesterday.  my lame camera doesn't help the problem either.  oh, how i long for a slr camera.  one day, one day. 

so thankful for our country's freedom and all the men and women that fought and continue to fight for us.  even more so, i'm thankful for true freedom from sin and death that is found in Christ and Christ alone!  

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

dependence

everyday i am constantly reminded of how much i need to depend on the Lord for my strength, patience, the ability to love, and countless other things.  lately i have often been convicted of not giving him my full attention.  don't ask me what has been distracting me, because honestly i'm not sure.  one thing i do know is that i want more then anything else to be persistent in pursuing him.  even more importantly, i want to constantly remember and know that he is still pursuing me.

i'm reminded everyday that i must continue to put my trust in the Lord.  it is much more then a one time commitment.  it is a daily decision and prayer.  i've asked the Lord to let me be more conscious of his presence in my everyday life, and boy, when i am focusing on his presence, it makes decisions of my words, actions, and even what i do in private much easier.  i've been studying more about what the light of God really means.  he is the ultimate light of the world that casts out darkness, we are just privileged to be able to walk in his light and spread it to all the world.  we were designed to enjoy this light, Christ Jesus, above all else.  he only can fulfill the deepest desires of our heart.

he only can cast away every fear and anxiety in our lives.  he only can lift his people out of the darkness of the world.  dependence in our world is often seen as a sign of immaturity.  fully depending on God is the single most mature and wise decision(s) we will/can ever make in our lives.

tidbits of my weekend

Such a glorious weekend.  A summer-lovin, spontaneous adventures, bike-riding, Lynchburg kind of weekend.

The trip started off right with the best coffee in the world, Wawa of course.  Coffee and good music are musts for road trips.  After arriving in the ol' Burg, I had dinner with a precious friend.  We had yummy gourmet pizza, I told her about India, and she told me about her wedding and married life.  Such a sweet, sweet time with a cherished friend.

On to Saturday!  I got up at the crack of dawn to head to the Farmer's Market and breakfast with my future roomie and my RD.  So fun!  I tasted one of the best apples I had ever had in my life, but sadly couldn't get any produce since I was just staying for the weekend.  Afterwards, we went to Market at Main for breakfast (one of my favorite restaurants in Lynchburg) and I got sweet potato pancakes.  Delicious!

Of course when I arrived back to the Squirrel's Nest, Abs had an adventure planned, up her sleeve... but of course there were several spontaneous adventures, which is bound to happen if you spend a day with this lady.  First, we went to the flea market we both had been so curious about for quite some time.  Well it turned out to be redneck's paradise!  Abs did get a polaroid camera thought for a great price and she told me that some company bought them out so will be making film for them again soon!  Rejoice!

After our only two coffee shops in town being closed, we searched for another cafe, but it turned out to be an Asian cafe.  Just our luck.  Gonna start praying for a hole in the wall coffee shop in Lynchburg very soon!  We then went to a few thrift stores and got a several great finds!  I finally got a pair of high wasted jeans that I cut into shorts and they are super cute!

We then went to lunch at a new restaurant that we had been wanting to try.  It was a deli downtown and it was absolutely delicious!  Abs got a turkey sandwich (given) and I got the caprese.  We scarfed them down like champs.

The next part of the day was my absolute favorite.  We went on a bike ride on Blackwater Trails.  Beautiful!  Everything was so green, we went over two bridges, and there was a gentle breeze.  It was pretty much perfect.  I forgot how much I love riding bikes!  It had been so long since I rode one and man, was I feeling it in my bum on Sunday!

We took it easy the rest of the day, baking coffee cake, cutting of the hairs, drinking of the coffees, and snacking on the kettle corns.

Sunday I went to my church and it was the first time I had been to our new location!  It is meeting at a club now (kinda strange, but it's actually really nice).  I got to catch up with my sweet friend Cas, who I went to India with.  It was so great to see her and I can't wait to spend more time with her when I get back to school.  Loved hearing a great message from Pastor Andrew and worshiping with my church!

Sunday afternoon, Abs and I ate a yummy Italian lunch (spaghetti and leftover pizza), and then painted a frame she had found on the side of the road.  See what I mean?  Spontaneous adventurist she certainly is.  We took the "day of rest" thing pretty literally and were kinda bums the rest of the afternoon before I left.

I of course had to make one last stop at Joe Bean's before leaving town (I went twice), and then back to RVA I went.  Snickerdoodle coffee and belting out Citizens are how you survive a rainy roadtrip.  Slightly more specific then your everyday roadtrip, I might add.

More thoughts (and pictures) later on cameras, photography, and blog ideas :)

PS: Abs took that stellar photo.  Well, except for her half, I took that.  But Kevin (her camera) is a talented guy.  Check out Abs facebook page here.