Fall- "A time for everything"

There is "season for everything"

In the Bible God teaches us that there "is a time for everything".... a season for every activity under the heavens... a time to plan and a time to uproot, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to speak and a time to be silent, a time for war and a time for peace.

Don't you enjoy fall so much? 

 The beautiful leaves changing, the cool air around us, the pumpkins, the new flavors of coffee, going to Wal-mart or grocery stores and seeing all the "fall" goodies to bake, having to wear a jacket, smelling the air, and just taking in every bit of the season that has changed from summer?

I took this picture of a tree that I pass everyday, and so much brought me joy from it.  It looked like a rainbow.  But not only was I reminded of the rainbow & God's promises after rain, but it also reminded of the season's of change in our lives.

This tree reminded me of so much when I passed by it today.  Simple.  "There is a time for everything".  I pass this tree often.  And it wasn't until today that I realized it was a tree that had changed.  I drove by this spot & sat there thinking, "Wow"... it was so beautiful.  It took my breath away how the colors had changed so vividly on it through the last few days...

I went home and thought about that tree.  I took a picture of it, looked at it again and started thinking about how this tree relates so much to our daily lives.  We see things we drive by, or experience everyday in our lives that are just like this tree.  Whether we are coping with loss, friendships, family issues, life, not being able to have kids, career change, etc.. We all are going through "change".  What would life be like without change? We would never grow. Just like this tree that I pass by almost everyday, in life, we go through change, hardships, you name it.

But, God gave me this tree specifically on my heart today to remind me that just as these season's change, so do our lives.  Someday's are promised to be better than the last.  Someday's will not be better than today.  But, as the leaves change, so do our lives. Do these trees each winter lose their leaves and then in spring re-bloom?  YES!  Just as this happens to nature, it also happens to our lives.  We may experience loss, hardships, even just simple stress.. but God always promises new blooms.  Always.

I love looking at my Daddy and seeing how God has placed "new blooms" in his life.  God has given him a job outside of Wal-mart after 35 years of  hard work, to now sit at a Marina with little to no business most days to just stare into the open air at His beauty, to think & to talk to people he may not have ever encountered....  To be still.  To think of Him.  To pray.  To watch sermons on reaching him better for Christ, to think back on our past, to think of better for our families future and to just be in the moment.  After a year of being heart healthy with a new  healed heart, God has given him this job right now for him to be still.  To realize that "there is a time for everything".  And to think just weeks after his heart surgery I was so distraught and he sat me on his bed to discuss Ecclesiastes, "a time for everything".. He was healing and I was the the one hurting, and he explained to me the truth about "a time for everything"...  God is good.

Today I am so thankful for the new leaves, the new season.  I am so desperate to start my new family with Chad, to expand what we have & have another baby.  God is working HIS hand just right and already knows my needs before I could ever dream of them, and for that I am so thankful- thankful for THIS season of my life...thankful for patience, thankful for love, for faith, for God's love, and hope & grace in Him.

There is a time for everything.

XOXO!

Hallween & Fall Decor is up!

My home is finally Halloween/Fall ready! Enjoy the tour of my home!

Breakfast room- Fall fun!

Formal dining- Halloween ready!

Kitchen & randoms!

Avery's room!

Fall Wreath for our front door!  I will do another post on our outside!

My mantle is my favorite! I need to take more pictures of the entire thing, will post that soon as well!

We are so ready for Halloween in our house!!!!  

A story worth reading....Sarah Wolff

This past week of my life has blessed me beyond measures more than I could ever explain- even through writing about it.  God has a perfect way of webbing each of our lives together in ways we just don't see possible; yet it is just that.  His perfect web, His perfect timing, His perfect touch.

I have been blogging for about 5 years now.  I first started blogging when I found out that I was pregnant with Avery.  I started my blog to record the "day to days" of my life and through my pregnancy to remember every single little second of what went on during the process.  Eventually it turned into something much bigger than I expected & I began speaking of my day to day life, and also of things that I am passionate about- Jesus, decorating, party planning, life, & my family!

Through my blog I have had the ability to meet so many wonderful woman, & people in general.  I have met many people through town that read my blog, out of town folks, as well as just distant friends that we can e-mail & chat & relate to each other on day to day life issues.

But...

One day, through blog I read about a girl "Sarah" that had been coping with the loss of her husband.  I had never met her before but knew she was in my town.  I had heard through our town that a girl had lost her husband during/before a knee surgery & my heart broke for her.  I had heard that she had 4 children.  I immediately began praying for her and my heart ached for her so badly; all while not knowing her face, who she was, or anything about her.

...A few months went by and one day my friend Amanda & I were at a local water park and saw 2 girls with a swimsuit on that were so cute!  I told her to go ask them where they got them because they were so adorable! After speaking to them we ran into them at another area of the water park and began talking while all our kids played in the pool.   Sarah realized that I was "Ashley" & then I realized she was "the Sarah that I had been praying for".  We talked for awhile about how she had read my blog for years, and how I had been praying for her on the death of her husband- both knowing & realizing that we had never met before. Completely ironic how our paths had crossed but completely God. . . .

Six months after her husbands passing I had the pleasure of meeting her again in person.  On a different level.  My friend Amanda who leads our Bible study group had her speak at our class because we are currently studying, "Jonah, a life Interrupted"... We were so excited to have Sarah speak,  even though we hated the circumstance, because we knew that her story would impact so many woman in our group & would be such a witness to many.

Meet Sarah.  A woman of God.  A woman of joy.  A pleasure & a ray of sunshine.  A woman of hope during loss, a woman of grace during tragedy, & a woman of joy in the midst of a storm.

Sarah is like no one I have ever met.  I truly believe that God brings people into our lives and most definitely joy in the most trying times of our lives.  Sarah spoke at our woman's Bible study class about the events of her husbands death.  I sat there for 45 minutes with tears down my cheeks barely able to contain myself.  Not only because of the loss of her husband and the stories she told up to the day it happened, but because of God's grace in the midst of the huge storm of her life that she was enduring.

I learned this day of God's perfect timing.  My friend Andrew Pray passed several months prior in November 2012 & I found out this day through her testimony that her husband is buried at the feet of my friend Andrew.  I spoke about him HERE.  I to this day keep in touch with Andrew's wife who I went to school with, and now her & Sarah are both in touch as widow's grieving together alongside my friend Julee who lost Matt in October 2012. You can read about Julee & her story HERE. They all three talk now & are in touch with each other through the loss of their husbands all within months of each other.  Crazy how God web's His perfect timing together & gives woman each other during the midst of that storm.  Only Him.  

And now, I know Sarah.  In a years time I have known 3 woman well who have lost their husbands.  It doesn't seem fair. But God's timing is grace even during he hardest times of our lives.  He gives us what we need to survive.  

Sarah mentioned this verse while she spoke to us about her life & where God has her now.  It means so much to me even though I am not going through it with her, I feel it with her.  I ache with her & love her passion for life during such a hard time.  A mother of 4, a widow, a woman who loves Christ & knows that HIS plan is sovereign, perfect, & is.  She chooses JOY in her storm.

Psalms 30:11-12

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth & clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent Lord, my God-I will praise you forever.  

She chooses joy, will you?

I love you Sarah & am so thankful that our paths crossed.  God is so good.  Oh, so good.

A little get away in Memphis...

Two weeks ago I went on a little get away to visit my best friend in Memphis! We had such a great time! She always spoils me rotten!  She took me for pedicures, we enjoyed yummy goodies at her beautiful home, went to dinner at some of her favorite spots in Memphis and enjoyed being with some of her lovely best friends who I am helping throw a shower with for her in just a month from today!

Funny- but before I left I had to baggy up all of Avery's outfits for Chad!  Why not?  Made things so much easier for him with no question on what to do while I was one, haha!

The first night the girls came over and we enjoyed some appetizers and Lindsey time...

Goodness this southern bride girl know's how to work some food for our guests!

We woke up the first morning and I was treated to an "A" coffee bug from her that she had on my bed upon my arrival.  She has the same mug so we enjoyed talking over coffee and getting ready for our pedicures.

I loved her patio so much, so perfect and great for the fall weather!

Being treated, her treat- was so special!

That evening we went to one of her favorite spots to eat, "Elfo's" for dinner.  It was amazing! Great friends, good food, amazing atmosphere!

We enjoyed some fun days of shopping & our favorite- sushi!

On our dinner date just the 2 of us like old times!

Loved this store she took me in!  So many great finds!

On our shopping trip!

 I just love Lindsey's style- her modern twist of classiness in our home suites her just perfectly!  So clean lined, so Lindsey!  I enjoyed being with her & of course being spoiled in her beautiful home!  So blessed by her!

Can you believe that she is 6 months pregnant?  Wow!  She looks amazing!

Thank you for a fun weekend!  Much needed!  XOXO

Halloween Decorating in the works!

Hi friends!  Well, it's that time of the year for me.  The time of the year that I am in my element!  I am SO busy over the next few months booking up weekly for some amazing opportunities in decorating homes around NWA.  I can hardly believe that it's happening but feel so blessed & that is the only way I know to describe it.  I am hoping the stress will help me lose 10 lbs during the Holiday's verses my normal gain- HAHAHA!

So I am decorating my home early!  I won't be spending a ton of time here over the next few months but still want my time here to be cozy so I wanted to get a head start this evening on my main table.  I will be finishing the rest by the end of next week & post my goodies & share details.  Start shopping at your local Dollar Stores, Wal-mart, Target etc... on your pumpkins & pretties!  There is so much you can do, & for a very reasonable price!  I am a girl of detail- and to have that you don't have to break the bank.  Be creative & shop everywhere!  My motto is "if you like it, buy it"- especially if it's a great price, you can ALWAYS find a home for it in your home.  

I love cheveron & while it's going out of style slowly, I still eat it up.  I have been adding it everywhere especially into my wreath & my overhead centerpiece...

I made my outside wreath last week and loved how it turned out!  I just need to finish my Halloween porch & add fall into the mix!  More to come!

I am also busy planning my best friends baby shower in Memphis and am traveling a ton the next few months while trying to plan a Christmas Tour of Home in our area.  Pray for me- fun stuff but pray for me!  I will need it!  Be back soon with more Halloween & introductions to FALL....

Here is my last year Halloween!  I like to change things up a bit each year but still loved my last year look too!  Just for options to help you decorating too!!!!  Please feel free to e-mail me with questions!