THE ONE THING I'M NOT DOING AT ALT SUMMIT

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One week guys!!!!

One week today I will be in Salt Lake City at Alt Summit getting ready to listen to Oh Joy speak!! I know, I know. I've been talking about this for MONTHS! But time has flown by and now here I am, less than one week away!

So I've been checking things off my list trying to get myself ready...

Business cards- CHECK!

Travel arrangements- CHECK!

Finding out where the nearest Chick-Fil-A is- CHECK!

Outfit planning- Getting there...

There are a few more things on my to-do list but I'm not too worried, it will all get done.

I also made a not-to-do list. Well not exactly a list but a determination.

I determined what I'm not going to do at Alt Summit:

Compare myself to others.

For as long as I remember I've struggled with comparison. I remember comparing myself in grade 6 to my friend who decided to be the first to wear a two piece bathing suit. She was also a lot skinnier than me and that frustrated me. In that situation, at that young age, I saw comparison develop into this monster in me who was clothed in envy and bitterness. That monster followed me for years...even after I became a Christian.

For years I found myself thinking thoughts like this...

"I'll never look like her."

"I can't believe she got him."

"If only I was that skinny."

"Well at least I'm smarter than her."

And the horrible thoughts went on and on and on...

Comparison only lead me to be filled with envy and bitterness. Envy and bitterness are NOT kind friends to have. They eat away at your soul. Like Theodore Roosevelt said, comparison steals your joy. Instead of celebrating others, I tore them down in my head and also ended up tearing myself down in the process. This sickness ate at me for years and it wasn't until a couple years ago that I finally started to address it.

I've had enough of comparing myself to others. God created us uniquely as individuals. He created you. He created me. We're different and that is AWESOME. How dare I judge someone. How dare I harbour awful feelings towards someone. How dare I get envious because of someone else's success or joy.

So I have this defence mechanism when that little comparison monster tries to rear its ugly head. When I find myself starting to compare myself to someone else, I start thinking encouraging thoughts. How can I encourage them? How can I affirm them? How can I celebrate them?

I saw this displayed so clearly as I ran my first half marathon in May. I didn't see myself competing against others. I saw all of us running towards the prize, the finish line...together. I didn't compare myself to the other runners, instead I celebrated that they were running the race as well. They weren't my competitors, instead they were my co-labourers. Each person's race looked differently and that was ok because we were all in it together.

And it's the same thing with blogging. I blog to add a bit of sparkle to someone's day. And I know there are a lot of other bloggers out there who blog to make the internet a better place. Some people have 300, 000 viewers a day and some people have 30. And that's ok.

So I made the determination. The one thing I'm not doing at Alt is- comparing myself to others.

When I walk into a room full of successful bloggers, I will not shrink back in insecurity. 

Instead, I will choose to learn from them.

I will choose to be inspired by others.

I will choose celebration over comparison.

I will choose to be a person who encourages and affirms.

I'm kicking that monster to the curb.

over & out,

s.s.♥︎.

ONE WORD 2014 // COURTNEY

I'm very excited to introduce you to one of my favourite people in the world...COURTNEY! I've had the honour of being friends with Courtney for the past four years..the beginning of our friendship was kind of a funny thing but you can read more about it here. Courtney is one of my closest friends and one of the first people I go to for advice, she's crazy wise and just so wonderful so listen up to her one word...!

"I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid." John 14:27  NLT

I started out 2014 with a bang! I turned the big 3-0. And no matter what anyone says, turning 30 does make one look at their life. Most people would head into their thirties thinking about all that they have accomplished and what was in store for the next 30.  However, I was one of those people who started to look at all the things I hadn’t accomplished.  All of the things I had yet to check off as complete.  And then something changed.

When Laura suggested we all pick one word for 2014, I immediately thought my word was “patience”.  I just had to be patient.  If I kept waiting and was patient enough things would fall into place.  Here I was, 30, and there were things in my life I had not yet experienced and its hard not to worry that they never will.  I was convinced I just needed to pray for more patience and to wait for those things to happen. 

It soon became clear that I didn’t need patience.  What I needed was Peace.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7   NLT

A few years back I did the Esther bible study by Beth Moore.  There is a verse in Esther 4:14 that ends with the phrase “…for such a time as this.”  That verse has always stuck with me.  I so often look for what is yet to happen, spending time worrying about where I’m “supposed” to be, I was missing out on an amazing portion of my life.  Life isn't a race.  There are no first place ribbons for being the first person with a degree, the first person with a house and yacht or the first married.

A wise person in my life helped me to realize what a blessing it is to be 30 and in my position.  A position of great possibility.  I have dubbed this year, the year of Courtney (and yes this was stolen from a TV show).   Taking time to live in the now.  And I have found the peace that has turned this year into a time of looking at what’s happening right now, instead of what isn’t happening.  I don’t want to miss out on the moments that life is measured by. Moments like when your bestie buys you a present to show you she's proud of you. Or hearing your nephew tell you he loves you 80,260 times to the moon and back just because he actually does. Those are the moments that make my life meaningful, that make it important.

I’m sure I will have my moments of questioning or doubt.  But I need to have remain confident in the fact that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, that I have been called for such a time as this.  

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.”  Thessalonians 3:16  NLT

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Thank you so much for sharing Courtney! You inspire me. Can't wait till we go to SLC in ONE WEEK!!! LOVE YOU GIRRRRRL!

Check out the previous one words- Amy | Sarah | Tiffany | Danae | Nadia | Micaela | Kristy | Julia | Caitlyn | Elijah | Yemisi | Melai | Me |

Stay gold,

s.s.♥︎.

THE ROAD TO ALT | SSHEART BUSINESS CARDS

If you saw me at church last night, there's a high chance I gave you my business card. As I told you last week, business cards are a thing at Alt (the upcoming blogger's conference that I'm going to a week Tuesday!!!) You meet and network with a lot of people, so giving a business card will help keep the connection alive.

I spent a little while designing my cards a few weeks ago. To be honest, when the cards arrived I was a bit disappointed. They were missing that little sparkle. But upon browsing pinterest, I discovered what I needed to kick them up a notch: a hot pink painted edge. YES.

So I DIY-ed them while James and I watched X-Men and I am SO HAPPY with the result. So ladies (and the gentlemen who read this), I present to you my business cards...!

Who could have known that a simple pink highlighter would give the exact look I wanted!

I'm over the moon with them! It's a good thing, because I got a little eager and ordered 500 LOLZ. That being said, if I see you in the next little while, be prepared to be given a business card or two :)

Happy Monday everybody!

xo,

s.s.♥︎.

ONE WORD 2014 // MELAI

Happy Thursday everyone! Today I have a one word post from a very lovely woman in my church. It's greatly impacted me and I know that it probably took a lot of courage for Melai to share her story. Thank you for being brave Melai. xo

BELIEVE. This is the “one word” God has spoken into my heart.

Last year in July 2013, I was diagnosed with GAD (General Anxiety Disorder). It was the worst situation I had gone through. I could go on for days without sleeping. Anxiety attacks happened almost every 5 minutes; my mind was so anxious. It was heart breaking for me to look at my kids and not be able to take care of them. I couldn’t even look after myself. I was scared and thought I was going to lose my mind and die like that. My life was not normal as it was before. It was so dark, and I was helpless.

I remember calling to God in prayer asking Him to heal me, but I confess that those many times that I got on my knees to pray, I was so proud. I questioned the Lord many times because I could not understand why it happened to me. I thought of myself as a victim, deserving to be asked for forgiveness. My heart was full of anger, and the thoughts of my heart wanted revenge.

I had been stuck in the moment of questioning when one night the Lord spoke to me in a poem I was reading in the book called "The Purpose Driven Life".

It read:

"No, that trauma you faced was not easy.

And God wept that it hurt you so;

But it was allowed to shape your heart

So that into his likeness you'd grow."

I cried as I was reading that poem, but at the same time I felt so comforted knowing I was not alone. God was weeping with me, and He understood my pain and hurt. That "trauma I faced" wasn't because I was being punished as I thought, but was rather allowed because God has a good and perfect plan for me.

Though it was hard for me to completely grasp God's good plan for me in that moment, His presence, and His perfect power and love had kept my heart to keep believing His word when He told me "for I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, “plans

to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jer. 29:11)

I fell down on my knees at the altar, and cried out to God, “Lord Jesus, I surrender all. Have mercy on me Lord and take over my life, for it is yours. Forgive all of my sins and help me to forgive. Have mercy O, Lord, please have mercy on me.” Every minute that I felt like I was dying, I realized that I had no control over my life, and that the very breath I had in my being comes from Him. That same night I felt God’s embrace as a father embraces his child. I was welcomed back into the arms of my heavenly Father for “I was dead and is alive again; I was lost and is found”(Luke 15:24). I was deeply comforted. Suddenly there was light, and I was hopeful.

JESUS is my LIGHT, MY HOPE, and MY COMFORT. I believe.

During those many sleepless nights when nothing seemed to work (scented candles, bath soak, comfort food etc.), God’s Word (my Bible) sustained me; even now His word sustains me.

JESUS is my DELIVERER.I believe.

This is one of my favorite verses... “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”(Philippians 4:6-7).

JESUS IS MY PEACE. I believe.

As I started reading the Gospels, and the stories of miracles that Jesus did, I realized that one thing these people who were healed had in common is that they all had believed –by FAITH they believed that Jesus was able to heal them, and so they were.

I was stumbling in my faith, I had so much unbelief, but JESUS has been MERCIFUL and FORGIVING and PATIENT towards me. It seemed that the Lord was speaking to me directly after I read Mark 9:22-24. I saw myself through the eyes of the man whom Jesus was talking and so I prayed “I believe Lord Jesus, please help my unbelief.”

JESUS is my HELPER. I believe.

In mid-September, my doctor told me that he was very happy with my progress. He actually said that I seemed to get better on my own as it surprised him that he did not have to put me on the whole drug. But the truth is, it wasn’t me but JESUS who had healed me and made me better each passing day.

JESUS is my HEALER. I believe.

I would like to share these verses that God has spoken into my heart. I BELIEVE that JESUS has healed me (Jeremiah 33:6), He has redeemed me and summoned me by name, and I am His (Isaiah 43:1), and that God loves me and calls me His precious daughter (Isaiah 43:4).

I believe - JESUS IS MY REDEEMER, JESUS LOVES ME.

My Jesus has transformed my unbelieving heart and made it NEW. Jesus has made me new (2 Cor. 5: 17 ) . It is Christ who lives in me (Gal 2:20), and His Holy Spirit dwells in me (2 Cor 1:22).

Another thing that the Lord has been teaching me is “believing in prayer”. When circumstances cause me any doubt or unbelief, the Holy Spirit reminds me of one man’s humble statement in the Bible when he said, “I believe Lord, help my unbelief!” This became a powerful prayer for me. I believe that God answers prayers, and “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us”(1John 5:14).

I need Jesus every single hour, for “apart from God I can do nothing”(John 15:5). He is the source of everything –all that I am, all that I have. And I am forever grateful for all that Jesus has done for me, and for my church family who have been constantly praying for me. The Lord has heard their prayers and mine.

JESUS IS GRACIOUS AND COMPASSIONATE. I believe.

Had I not become very sick I would not know who Jesus is to me –my Light, Hope, Comfort, and Peace. Jesus is my Merciful, Forgiving God, and Loving Lord God; my Helper, Deliverer, Healer, Redeemer, Compassionate and Gracious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. JESUS CHRIST has set me free (Galatians 5:1). He is my freedom!

“Everything is possible for one who believes.”(Mark 9:24)

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 1:6)

In Jesus Name, I pray for all who are hurting, lonely and depressed, for those who have illnesses, and are going through a difficult time. And I pray for all the Lord's people in Jesus Name, "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ."(Gal.1:3)

Thank you Melai for sharing your story. You have encouraged me greatly and I know many others will be encouraged through your testimony!

Check out the previous one words- Amy | Sarah | Tiffany | Danae | Nadia | Micaela | Kristy | Me | Julia | Caitlyn | Elijah | Yemisi

Have a great Thursday everyone!

xo,

s.s.♥.

THE ROAD TO ALT | BUSINESS CARDS

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The road to Alt has begun!

I can't believe in two weeks time, I will be there!! So far I've received two packages in the mail from sponsors who will be there (amazing marketing!!). One of them, tiny prints, sent me personalized stationary...how cool is that?!!

Anyways, business cards are a big deal at Alt, so obviously, I had to make some. Mine arrived in the mail on Monday but I need to add a finishing touch and then I'll show them to you!

In the meantime, above are some business cards that I really dig. I'm already dreaming of gold foil for my next batch..ha.

xoxo,

s.s.♥︎.