Inspiration May: Day 6

Over the last year, I have been reading a book over and over to go to for encouragement. Life had me down and I read it, then I stopped. Today, I finally finished reading this book as it has been an inspiration to me over the last year.

You're Already Amazing by Holley Gerth is a book that talks about how we as women can sometimes feel as though we just aren't enough in the world we live in. As a teacher, I see my teacher friends make the cutest decorations and wonderful class projects and I think to myself how I'm not good enough because I'm not that creative nor can afford everything. Well, God thinks I am pretty wonderful the way I am and created me the way I am for His purpose. I may not understand it all the time, and it's not really all about understanding it either. It's all about receiving the gifts and blessings He has given me and fully giving myself to Him in return to glorify Him and to use every part of me (the good and bad) in His way. You may feel like you aren't keeping up with the Jones, but God didn't make you that way. He made you as you are, to fully embrace all that He made you to be, and to give it all to Him.

Inspiration May: Day 5

Well, here we are on Day 5 of our inspirational month. I decided to tap in on my creative side into something that inspires me in many ways.

Paint! I am definitely not the most creative person, but I do enjoy painting. It is very relaxing and I always feel good after I accomplish a painting. If you read one of my previous posts, you will remember that I get many of my ideas for painting from Pinterest. There is just something fun about expressing yourself through many different colors and creating something that you are proud of. I have bought wall art before and some pieces have gotten torn or broken. When you make something, you are able to take ownership in it. I take much better care of the paintings, and crafts, I create because they mean more than just a canvas with paint on it.

This is a painting I made for my sister's birthday when I was in college. It was the first painting I did that I gave someone.

This is a painting I made for my sister's friend that she gave her for her birthday. It was the first painting I made and received money for.

This is a painting I made for my brother. I was experimenting with different medias to use on canvases, so this isn't my best work. But sometimes you just don't know what it will look like until you experiment.

The two pictures above are the first 2 paintings I made when I was in college. I was in the community service sorority Gamma Sigma Sigma. I made one of the paintings to put on my wall at my college dorm and the other was a gift for my little.

This is a painting that my brother, sister, and myself  made for our mom for Mother's Day in 2012.

This is a painting I made for my boyfriend's sweet mother for her birthday last year. It is one of her favorite verses.

I know that when you first see this, you are probably thinking "That's not paint!" I actually painted the canvas using multiple colors so that the background would be the blue I wanted. I got the idea for this canvas from reading Proverbs 31. This chapter in the Bible talks a lot about how to be a Godly woman. I cut out words from magazines (a great way to make a witness out of secular magazines) that went along with what Proverbs 31 said and modge-podged them down. I also used various stickers to add a little sparkle.

This is my latest painting. Chevron is the new pattern, so I really wanted to try it out along with using a Bible verse. This was my first experiment using paint markers, so I hope to improve as I get used to them. I used this verse with my boyfriend in mind. :)

Inspiration May: Day 4

Today is Day 4 of Inspiration May. I find my inspiration from a very special person in my life. We have been through a lot over the past year we have been together, but I am so glad to have my best friend by my side through thick and thin.

James is my wonderful boyfriend that I have been dating (off and on) since April 27, 2013. Sure we have experienced lots of rough patches, but having us both refocus on God and putting Him in the center of our relationship has gotten us through the trenches and has brought us to the happy place we are at now together. He is my best friend who I can go to for anything. When I don't feel good or have a bad day, he cheers me up. When I am happy, he rejoices with me. He is always there for me and spoils me silly.

I mean check out these gorgeous flowers he gave me for absolutely no reason except for that he just wanted to show me that he loves me. I really am a lucky and blessed girl to have him as my boyfriend. He inspires me to work hard and achieve my goals as he always has my back. I know I don't express it much because I am awful at the mushy and gushy, lovey-dovey stuff, but I am glad that I am in love with my best friend.

Inspiration May: Day 3

Today my inspiration comes from a little guy who has brought me happiness for the last 2 years.

Meet Charlie, my funny, witty, goofy dog. It was around March/April of 2012 when my family brought him, and another dog, home. I was a Junior in college and stressed out about projects I was working on. My sister was going to pick out a dog, and my dad was feeling bad about me getting stressed out, so they came home with 2 puppies. We no longer have the other dog, but Charlie has stuck with us and is the sweetest dog and is very obedient. He will sit for me and just adores being loved on by anyone. Whenever I am sad, he will come sit with me and cheer me back up. The innocence a dog has is one to bring comfort or joy to anyone. They are so carefree and live life to the fullest to please their owners. For example, Charlie hates water. This makes giving him a bath a challenge. Today, he did give somewhat of a fight but stuck it out better than I thought he would because he knew I wanted him to have a bath. It has been 2 wonderful years with this crazy puppy that I wouldn't have traded for any other dog.

Inspiration May: Day 2

Today is Day 2 of posting something that inspires me! I am going to go a little out of the ordinary, but it is probably going to be cliche once you see it.

My inspiration for Day 2 is Pinterest! There are so many reasons why I love it.

I can find lots of recipes to try out. Some have been awesome and have become a regular in our house. Some haven't really been our favorite and ended up being a one and done ordeal. Some I tweak a bit to add/subtract ingredients. But overall, it is a great place to store so many recipes instead of writing them down and storing them in a recipe box and trying to find them. Before I got my iPad, I would do that so I wouldn't have to have my laptop on my kitchen table.

Crafts, crafts, and more crafts! I am definitely not the craftiest person. A more accurate description would be resourceful because I am the kind of person, especially when I was in college, to never go out and buy supplies for projects unless it was absolutely necessary. I would find some way to use whatever I could find in my dorm. But, Pinterest has expanded my crafty hands. I love to paint canvases and do Bible verses. I used to free hand everything I wrote, and now I'm learning different medias to use while painting. I definitely don't plan on becoming an artist, but painting is fun for me and I like the feeling of accomplishing crafts. I also used many crafts from Pinterest to make VBS crafts when some of the crafts that came in the packet didn't seem too appealing for older children.

Teacher resources galore! You can literally find anything you need for any subject, grade, standard, activity, unit, etc. I am certified in elementary education, so most of my stuff is geared that way, but there is still so much for preschool teachers, high school teachers, college professors, homeschool parents, and parents who just want extra support to help their children. Not everything is free, but you can get some great deals on stuff even when it's not free. Another thing I love about the teacher pins is that I have found so many organization tips, ways to decorate a classroom, DIY tips, and so many more geared just for teachers.

I'm not even engaged, but I think I have practically planned out my wedding. Even before I had a boyfriend I was find cute and creative wedding stuff. You can find anything from traditional wedding ideas to being as out of the ordinary as you want to be. There are also so many pins that give you DIY ideas and tips on how to save money, as we all know weddings can be as pricey as you let them. I have found great websites where it gives you tips on how to spend under $5000 and even $1500 on a wedding. I know people who spend that much on a dress. And if you have the money, all power to you! But it is a great tool to help in any wedding whether it be a small and inexpensive wedding to grand expensive weddings. I don't know of a single girl who doesnt want at least one touch of her wedding to be special and creative with thought put in to it.

Another great thing I love are the ideas and saving money tips you can find to apply to your house and different areas of you life. I have become obsessed with wreaths and cannot wait to get a home so I can make/buy wreaths I have found. I have also stumbled across what I call "life tips" (others may call them "life hacks"). There are so many that I couldn't possibly fit them here. You can make your own beauty supplies, tips on cleaning, how to organize different things, how to save money, etc.

Just a few more reasons it inspires me:

- lots of food and decoration ideas for holidays

- fashion tips ranging from hair/make up to clothes/shoes

- funny jokes that you will want to go back and read from time to time

- encouraging Bible verses

- travel ideas of places I have added to my bucket list

My ultimate reason that Pinterest inspires me is because (don't laugh) I could organize my pins into categories so I could easily find them and am able to move my boards around in alphabetical order. I am pretty sure I have a touch of OCD, but you wouldn't be able to tell if you walked in my room. :)

If you would like to check out my Pinterest, click here to view all of my pins and boards!

Inspiration May: Day 1

It has been 2.5 months since I last updated my blog here. Lately, I have been dealing with different emotions as I am back on the market looking for a teaching job closer to home. Sometimes it becomes frustrating filling out 6+ pages of applications and printing out other things to go with it all to end up being turned down or never to hear back from schools. So, I reached a stuck point in my life. It isn't the first time and more than likely won't be my last. I was browsing some apps on my iPad (obviously the free ones lol) and stumbled across one that was very interesting to me. It is called Unstuck. It will ask you questions about your "stuck moment" and give you feelings and scenarios that best fit your situation(s). I went through and answered all the questions, and the picture below is a snapshot of one of the tips it gave me to help me get unstuck.

I have realized that I am getting more frustrated with myself because I don't have something to keep my busy. When I was in school, I remember dreaming of a day when I didn't have deadlines to meet or loads of work to complete. Over the summer, I experienced this some, and it just didn't make me feel any better. I needed a "to-do list" or a deadline or a form to fill out. So, I went full on in looking for a teaching job practically anywhere in Central and North Alabama. Now, I have narrowed my searching field to being close to home. Honestly, there just isn't much here. So, I reached my stuck point again. Lately, I have been filling out more applications as more jobs start opening and have felt a sense of accomplishment once I can check everything off my application to-do lists. But still, I have felt just stuck. Many of you may have experienced this before or might even be going through it now. So, this month I am going to do my best to apply the tip above and look for things that inspire or encourage me. I challenge you to do this with me. You may just be stressed out and feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Sometimes I feel that way, and this week God reminded me just how blessed I am. 3 people in this Great State of Alabama lost their lives from tornadoes and severe storms. One rotation was heading directly this way, but once it crossed the county line it took a northwestern turn. I was truly worried about my grandma because she is in her 90s and lives alone just a couple of miles from us, so I believe God moved the storm just enough to the West to bypass us. Maybe you are feeling stuck and need encouragement. Whatever the case may be, just take 5-10 minutes each day to find something that inspires/encourages you. Take a picture of it. Keep a journal for this month and write down what it is or how it makes you feel. Draw a picture. Be yourself. God gave each of us different gifts, so use your gifts to express your feelings in whatever what best suits you.

To inspire you to get going, I am sharing my first inspiration to make things easier.

The Bible is my inspiration I can go to at any time to find what God wants to say to me or what I need to learn. I can find comfort when I am sad, answers when I am confused, and happiness knowing that God loves me. Being a preacher's kid (PK for short), I have quite a few Bibles. I guess you can say it is a weakness of mine to buy a Bible whenever they have them on sale at LifeWay, especially when it is a version I don't have. I'm not sure if we are supposed to have a "favorite" Bible, but this one is mine! It was on sale for like $5 at LifeWay one day, so I just bought it to add to my Bible collection. Once I was home, I scanned through it to see what it looked like and noticed how different it was from other daily Bible readings I had used before. I love to read, but I have always had trouble staying focused and motivated to finish them. Anyways, I was already intrigued because this is a chronological outline of the Bible in how the events actually happened and the daily readings were very short. I have learned so much from what I have read so far and after reading only one chapter in Genesis, I started writing down questions, comments, favorite verses, etc. on sticky notes and putting them in the Bible. I'm far from perfect and sometimes I don't read every day, but I look forward to reading the Bible now because I am really digging deep into it and looking for answers and learning new things I didn't know before. (Did you know that Job actually happened before Moses? I didn't until I read it!) Not that I am trying to get anyone to go out and buy this Bible, but if you are looking for a daily read that is interesting I recommend this one. You can find it at Amazon, Christianbook.com, LifeWay, or at your local Christian book store.

So remember, find things that inspire you! During this month I will not only have things that inspire me through my faith, but also other things that inspire me. At the end of the month, I hope to compile a list of my top 31.

Also, I encourage you to send me some of your favorite inspirations. Feel free to comment below or e-mail me at jaechelseadutton@gmail.com, and please feel free to send pictures, too! I would love to create a post of what inspires others! I believe when we allow God to show us the small (and big) things that inspire us that we can use them to encourage others. I hope you have a blessed day and find something that inspires you!

Microwaveable Religion

Let's say you have been stranded on an island and have not had access to food for quite some time. (I have been watching way too much Gilligan's Island with my family lately.) You are starving! Would you: a.) Want to wait 1-2 hours for a home cooked meal? or b.) Opt for a TV dinner that will be ready for you in less than 5 minutes? Some of you may say, "I've been stranded for a long time, so I can wait a few hours for a wonderful meal." Kudos to you. God has sincerely blessed you with the gift of patience. If you are like myself, you are so hungry you will give in to the halfway good dinner that you can just microwave right away. Now by all means, you can cook that home cooked meal, and I'll eat it once it is ready! (If this is you, don't be ashamed because this is also myself.) It's how society is changing. We want instant everything. Songs should download in under 10 seconds. Dinner should be ready in under 5 minutes. Our drive home from work needs to be as fast as possible with the fewest inconveniences. Phone service should be faster than light so we can check Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Snap Chat, etc. ASAP. Unfortunately, we have allowed this insta-life to roll over into our spiritual life. We want a, what I call, "microwaveable religion." We want our relationship with God to be faster than AT&T and Verizon combined. When we text Him, He needs to respond in under a minute with the answer we want. Sometimes He might respond back fast, but it isn't the answer we want. God gives us three answers when we ask of Him: 1.) Yes, 2.) No, and 3.) Just keep waiting. Yes is the answer we always want to hear. No is sometimes like a hard pill to swallow, but we can usually come to accept God's plan. (After all, He knows us better than we know ourselves.) The hardest answer for us to hear is "just keep waiting." If you can handle waiting, that is so awesome! But, there were so many amazing people in the Bible who struggled with waiting on God's timing or following His Will in His time.

Abraham & Sarah
Abraham and Sarah were getting old in their ages when God made a promise to Abraham that he just couldn't fathom happening. God told Abraham that he would become the father of a great nation. I am sure Abraham was thinking, "Lord, you are crazy because Sarah and I are getting older and have no children!" But God promised Abraham a son despite Abraham's disbelief. Sarah laughed at this because let's just say she was far beyond the 35+ age of having children. In modern day, they would be getting letters everyday about joining AARP and investing in Life Insurance. They took matters into their own hands, and Abraham became the father of Ishmael through their servant Hagar. While their intentions may have been good in trying to answer God's promise, this created more problems than before. Sarah grew to be jealous of the relationship Abraham had with Hagar and Ishmael. It became so bad that Abraham sent them away to make his wife happy. (This is why Arabs nations and Israel nations have constantly had feuds.) Eventually, Abraham and Sarah were prepared for the promised son, Isaac.

Moses
Moses was a Hebrew, and when the Pharaoh went around killing young Hebrew boys, Moses' mother wrapped him up and sent him down the river where his sister watched him be pulled in by Pharaoh's wife. Because he was Hebrew, she asked for a Hebrew to take care of him in his young age before living with her and the Pharaoh, so Moses' mother was able to keep him a little longer. Anyways, Moses grew up Egyptian, but always felt different. One day he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, and he felt that it was God's timing to act then. Well, Moses was trying to do the right thing, but his maturity with the Lord was not fully developed. He spent the next 40 years in the wilderness caring for sheep while God prepared him to free His people to the Promise Land.

Another instance of Moses impatience, after walking through the Red Sea and being deserted for quite awhile. Many of the Hebrews were grumbling and complaining about the lack of food and water. Moses was frustrated and took the complaints to God. God gave him an answer of what to do, but Moses did things his own way and cost Moses all of the blessings he was promised to receive from the Promise Land.

Lessons Learned
Only God can answer His promises. When we try to take His work away from Him and take matters into our own hands, to say it bluntly, we will mess it up. We are human. We sin. Simple as that. God is perfect, and His plans are perfect for us. We struggle trusting the unknown, but if you take a look at history with God, it has repeated itself and proves to be pretty good when we follow God's plan. God knows we are impatient and will give us test that He knows we can handle. Sometimes we just have to prove that we can handle the small tests before He gives us the final exam.

As for me, I have been struggling to figure out what God wants me to do in a few situations I have going on in my life right now. I want that instant answer, whether it be yes or no. But maybe God just wants me to wait. Maybe He has bigger and better plans for me that I do not know about yet, and He is preparing me now for them. It is hard to wait, but God never said we have to wait alone. We are to put our trust in Him. We are to talk to Him about everything. Whenever you have a problem, you usually seek advice from your most loyal and trusted family and friends. Why don't we seek God in the same way and stop trying to do so much on our own? Sometimes God may lead you to a person who will guide you and maybe He has a different plan in store. The same goes when good things happen. When someone does something good for us (such as a family member giving you money for your birthday which is just the right amount you needed to make your loan payment), we truly thank them. Shouldn't we be thanking God as well? When good things happen to use, we usually tell our family and best friends to share the joy. God loves when we share our happiness with Him. After all, He is our Father and loves us in good times and bad times. Ultimately, we (and I am including myself here) have to take a deep breath and know that our life is in His hands and that we can find comfort in Him while we wait.

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. -Romans 8:25
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act... - Psalms 37:7
For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. -James 1:3