Jesus is REAL

Today, was so nice. A relaxing day filled with church and nothing else!

 I have been going to a new church somewhat recently and I am in LOVE with it. I have been welcomed with open arms and get so excited about all the new opportunities of things heading my way! Along with that came a young adults(even though I feel like an old adult haha) ministry on sunday nights. I have really learned alot thus far in the ministry and

 have formed some great friendships out of it!

 Tonight, at church Bobby(young adults pastor) really hit home on his message and I just wanted to kinda recap for ya'll what it was about....

I'm gonna be honest...I have been feeling bogged down lately with just life happenings and when I headed into church tonight I had alot on my mind. Everything from diets to direction in my life....haha I know two extremes. 

It was a simple message, nothing to complicated or confusing...black and white. 

But, it was something I have seamed to forget over time. He touched on the fact that.... 

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JESUS IS REAL!!!

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He isn't an idea or a story. He is alive and present. Throughout the books of the bible you hear time and time again about how Jesus raised people from the dead, healed people, helped people....and for me personally I don't stop to let all of that sink in. I talk about him...sing about him...read about him, but sometimes I lack that true relationship. I get caught up in the idealistic part of who Jesus is, that I lose sight of what a friend he is. There have been many times where I think I put him so high on a pedestal that even I can't reach him....that wasn't Gods intent at all!!!! He sent his son so that he could have a true relationship with us, one that would last forever. 

Then, I got to thinking about the relationships I have and the people who I share life with. Friends have come and gone....we've hit different stages in our lives, change direction and alot of times loose touch wither intentionally or not. Somehow I seam to forget that Jesus wants an everlasting relationship with me, with each new life stage I hit he is there. No matter what happens in my life I have the reassurance that I have a best friend that will always be there! Its so crazy exciting to think about!!! I am unsure about what my future will hold or where I will be at in the next 5 or 10 years, but what I do know is that I don't have to worry, i'll have someone beside me every step of the way guiding me into the perfect direction I need to go if i'll just listen! So I guess with all of that said...whenever I read my bible or sing a worship song, I guess I want to become more aware that it isn't something i'm expected to do or something out of routine but rather a relationship with my best friend who I want to know more and more about. 

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Here is one of my new favorite worship songs......

It has been on my iphone repeat all week now, I think the lyrics are so powerful!!! 

Hope ya'll enjoy!! 

And I will call upon your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw

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#59-unlimited amounts of coffee

#60-being cool with the hum of the air-conditioning

#61-apples with peanut-butter 

bits of home-kitchen/dining

KITCHEN/DINING

This is a area of the house I spend ALOT of time....I love cooking for myself! 

I have so many people ask me how I can cook for just one person, SIMPLE you just make it work! 

Sometimes I will cook for two at night, then eat it the next day for lunch. Generally though I try to cook breakfast and supper..then for lunch just snack on whatever I have handy. I have pretty much gotten the proportions right for cooking for one, Its not hard just takes a little practice so you don't have food for an army left over in your kitchen...haha yes this has happened to me! 

As far as kitchen decor....It has the same feel as the living room. Just a fresh clean look! All the little knicknacks on the hutch I have collected from little antique shops mainly around Missouri. The little crystal chandelier pieces are some of my favorite things, My mom has picked them up from little shops in Missouri and around the east coast and has given them to me. Its so fun to have a unique little collection of something I cherish! One of my favorite spots in the house is probably the coffee area in the last picture, haha its not that glamorous but nothing makes me happier then my morning brew! 

Hope you enjoy the preview!! 

HAPPY MONDAY!!!  

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#56-pool days with my nieces and nephews 

#57-sweet potato fries 

#58-water bottles 

Prov. 4:20-23

This sunday has been sooo great!! I got to visit with some friends and just relax and have a little me time which was well deserved!! :) I have the day off tomorrow as well so I will do another "bits of home" posting to show you a little more of what I call home!  

I have been doing something fun this month with my community group girls from church 

as well as my little sister...It has been fun to listen to what the other girls get out of it

...as well as picking up little tidbits of knowledge along the way...

sooooo this month we started reading one Proverbs a day. Because its August 4th,

 its fitting that I would have read the 4th chapter! :) Its crazy that I have read proverbs so many times, and each time I find something new and applicable to my life, so this is just my little breaking down of a couple verses that I felt were super powerful! :) 

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20.My son, pay attention to what I say; 

listen closely to my words. 21Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. 23Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 

Prov. 4:20-23

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Vs. 20- I love how solomon says here..."PAY ATTENTION", I know for myself that sometimes I get stuck in a routine and just go go go without even paying attention to whats going on around me....Or I will have somebody talking to me, but I will zone out and "listen" but not remember a word that was said. He wants us to be captivated by the good news he is sharing and he doesn't want it to go in one ear out the other. 

vs. 21-22- These verses pretty much speaks for itself...Once you hear a tidbit of knowledge, don't let it leave you....meditate on it so that it can be a useful tool in the future. Whenever you surround yourself with the truth, your whole body(I don't believe its meaning physical as much as spiritual) will feel like new and refreshed because it doesn't have sin and temptations holding it down. 

vs.23- This is my favorite verse....guard your heart! Whatever you put into your heart is what will come out, If you fill it with my sinful desires then my heart will long for those things and won't be satisfied til you have them, Or you could guard my heart against those things and store up scripture in it so that whatever happens in life, wither it is a new job promotion....or laid off from work. Your overflow will be pleasing to the Lord, no matter what the circumstances life may throw at you. 

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#53-good workout 

#54-homemade salmon and veggies for dinner

#55-a good church home with people I love 

Bits of Home-Living Room

A SAMPLE OF MY LIVING ROOM

Over the years of living of living on my own I have begun 
to acquire a bunch of little nicknacks and random objects

 which I have thrown together in hopes of it looking somewhat cohesive! I love the decor style to be clean and fresh, Alot of what is in my home is either from antique stores, thrift stores, things I have gotten for free or 
things I have paid a small amount of money for...then redid to fit my likeing. I don't think you need to spend ALOT 
of money to make a house look like a home. :)

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Some of my favorite things. 
1.Owl painting done by my Grandpa Kroese.
2.Wooden Arrows given to me for christmas by my older sister(Ashley). 
3.Quilt...Found it while antiquing with my mom. 
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#51-big glasses of ice water 
#52-airconditioning in the car
#53-fresh new canvas 

SMITH VACATION 2013

I realize it has been a couple+ months since I have been on here, 

I suppose life got hecktic and I put aside the "bloglife" for a while, But I am looking forward to 

starting up again and getting back to typing! :) 

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To catch you up to date....

From the last post I was just packing and getting ready to move into my new place in "The city". I have been living here for a while now and I ABSOLUTELY love it!!! I was a little hesitant about moving into an apartment since I have never lived in one, I got the first floor and I LOVE IT! I think I lucked out with the tenants above me though because I never ever hear them...which some of my friends who also live in first floor apartments can't say the same. One of my conditions to finding an apartment is that I DID NOT want carpet and I found that!!! My whole apartment(including the bedroom) has all wood floors, which is sooo easy to clean and looks alot fresher(in my person opinion). I will take some pictures here soon and give you a tour coming up of the place I call home. :) 

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A couple weeks ago, I went home for our annual family vacation where we spend 

a week on the lake camping. It was soooo nice to not be on a schedule or having to worry about "looking nice", but just a relaxing week full of family fun. We had a few twists and turns throughout  the week....but I think over all, everyone was just thankful for a little time together. I think that sometimes I take my family for granted, throughout the whole week everyone was happy and eager to help whoever needed it. I'm so thankful for a great support system and family who loves each other so much, I know that some people arn't as lucky as I am in that respect and I'm just VERY VERY grateful that God has blessed me with amazing parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Here are a few pics from our relaxing week!!!

 *thank you to david for getting me an AMAZING camera to which I could capture all of our fun times!! 

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#48-An amazing family who loves me

#49-waking up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee 

#50-clean baseboards and fresh laundry 

craziness of life

Things have been crazy over here lately,

So I thought I would fill you in as to what this past week has entailed! :) 

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I found out a couple weeks ago that my sister is moving back to where I live now, and I will be moving into the "BIG CITY" , I'm sooooo excited for this new change of life and all the adventures that will come with it! I will be working at my same salon, just making a little commute in the morning, for which I am actually kind of excited about! Getting to enjoy my cup(s) of coffee on my way to work while listening to music....haha ask me in a year how thats working out for me...my "idea" of a fun commute might have changed! :)  Shortly after the excitement kicked off it was panic mode, haha if anybody has moved they know it entails ALOT!! From packing to switching all your address over, quite a tedious task but I tried not to stress out to much and gave it to God and I knew that he would provide exactly what I needed and wanted...and HE DID! I found a wonderful little apartment thats in a safe area, that I will enjoy coming home to and....it has a pool haha which will be the HIGHLIGHT of my summer. So even if life seams....overwhelming at times, he HAS it under control and he knows us better than we know ourselves.

I sold my washer and dryer this week so I have been without, Monday I spent the day in the laundry mat....I know that seams HORRIBLE on your day off but I actually don't mind, I usually bring a book or my laptop and just take time to set down and rest instead of going a million miles a hour. 

I have a couple friends who are going through some really hard times and struggling with things I havn't had to experience yet. For me though....even though life may seam overwhelming and we ask ourselves the question.."Why would God do this?", Here is the answer....Nobody knows Gods plan for our lives or the people around us, but with faith we need to trust that he is greater and more powerful than even we can imagine. He knows exactly what is going on in each of our lives and he wants to provide us with comfort and healing if we lean on him for guidance. Sometimes I think that my problems are insignificant to him or wonder if he is even listening, but he wants to have a real relationship and wants to hear from our hearts instead of a scripted prayer every night. If we call on him in our times of need and uncertainty, he will give us peace and comfort that far surpasses anything that human words could express. 

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Matt 11:28-30

Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, 

for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=516Qg_1AUok
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#45-with the new move... being next to a "WHOLE FOODS GROCERY"
#46-keylime yogurt 
#47-the girls in my community group 

~Daniel and the Lions Den~

Faithfulness: 

Is choosing daily to follow God,

regardless of our circumstances. 

Today, I spent ALOT of time at church between two services and biblestudy...

so I have alot to think about for the upcoming week but I wanted to share something that really popped out to me today....It was a simple story about

 "Daniel and the Lions Den".

The childhood story is told over and over again in christianity and I think we overlook the 

"kid stories" and don't pay attention to the message that is being said;

 since we have heard them countless times.

(so here is tiny tidbits of the story.....If you want you can go here and read the whole story)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%206&version=NIV

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10.Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

This passage really stuck out to me because Daniel didn't do anything out of the ordinary. 

In this time it was custom to have your windows open toward Jerusalem, He was doing exactly what he had always done, 3 times a day down on his knees in prayer. Daniel didn't close his windows in fear, he didn't pray 3 times a day because he wanted to prove he was holier than the rest....he simply did what God asks of us and that is to steadily follow him regardless of what the circumstances around us. Daniel prayed in pure faith....If he wouldn't have prayed he wouldn't have needed to ask God for help because he wouldn't have been thrown into the den. 

Are we faithful with our prayers to God even when the consequences 

seam hopeless? 

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25.Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth: 

"May you prosper greatly!

26.I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. 

"For he is the living God and he endures forever; 

his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end.

27.He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders

in the heavens and on the earth. 

He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."  

If you've read the story you know about Daniel getting thrown into the lions den and God saving him from the mouths of the lions. Sometimes God works in ways we don't understand at first....we think we KNOW the plan and we think that we can outsmart him. God didn't save daniel from the lions den, he helped daniel through it so that through Daniel all nations and people would learn to know that "Daniels God" is the one and true God. Sometimes we have to go through ruff patches in our life, and God WILL be there to help us and provide us the safety that we need....and through our struggles may our faith be apparent so that Gods compassion and love will shine through us. 

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If you have any questions or thoughts feel free to message me

 have a great monday morning!!!!! :) 

#42-going to the movies

#43-new pillow shams made 

#44-the quiet, still....silence