life lately. {according to instagram}

 beautiful nature.

 dandelion.

 pretty trees.

 another stellar oklahoma sunset.

 reading in the waiting room with a stellar view.

 hot chocolate.

 see the moon?

mcalister's sweet tea. epic.

hey, everyone! the past week has been cuh-razy. my grandma is doing well. thank you all for the prayers. this has been an emotional week. the good, the bad, and the ugly. but i am so thankful for a God who loves me no matter what. i am thankful for grace, for a new perspective, for love. i poured my heart out to the Lord last night via my journal. sometimes i can't say it right, so i write. the Lord knows what's on my heart. He is faithful. His Word is my lifeline. He knows just what i need at just the right time. after a tough week, He poured His words into my soul like a refreshing spring. 

²¹ Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
      and I was all torn up inside.
 ²² I was so foolish and ignorant—
      I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
 ²³ Yet I still belong to you;
      you hold my right hand.
 ²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
      leading me to a glorious destiny.
 ²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
      I desire you more than anything on earth.
 ²⁶ My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
      but God remains the strength of my heart;
      he is mine forever.

 ²⁷ Those who desert him will perish,
      for you destroy those who abandon you.
 ²⁸ But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
      I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
      and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

-psalm 73:21-28. (NLT)

instagram: joyfulamber  

an attitude of gratitude.

today i am thankful for:

• my daddy. he aired up my tires yesterday instead of taking a long nap. he's the best!
• books. i've stopped watching some tv shows and replaced them with books. 
• running water. this is a luxury that we take for granted.
• grace. Lord knows i need it.
• my job. or i should say: just to have a job.
• google. oh, the things i google.
• joy. not the kind made from things. the kind that only comes from the Lord. pure joy.

life lately. {according to instagram}

 

new hair color: chestnut brown.

reflection.

sunlight.

pretty.

fall.

salted caramel mocha frappuccino. addicted.

beautiful fall.

 

CHRISTmas is on its way!



instagram: joyfulamber 

ponderings of the heart.

• as women, we should be supporting each other, not tearing one another down with words and gossip. jealousy rears its ugly head when a woman encounters another woman who may be wealthier, prettier, skinnier, etc. we are all given different talents, abilities, beauty, and uniqueness. at some point, we have all felt less than another. that insecurity can eat your confidence for lunch if you let it. what a revolution it would be if we genuinely support and want another woman to succeed. be the change.

• in the past month, i have witnessed firsthand how not taking care of your body affects you in the long run. if you live off chips, fast food, pop, etc., you are slowly setting yourself up for health problems. and if you smoke, not only do you smell disgusting, but you are also increasing your risk of cancer. take care of yourself. eat right, exercise, drink water. (hey, if i can drink water, i know you can.) and don't forget to take care of your teeth. brush and floss at least 3 times everyday. as someone who hid her smile for yeeeears, i know how it feels to be embarrassed for others to see your teeth. the Lord blessed me with braces and dental care when i was 21. i haven't stopped smiling since! take care of that pretty smile. :)  

•  it breaks my heart (and partly sickens me) that young girls have role models who became famous from a sex tape, or that actin' a fool on a reality show is going to make them the next starlet to grace the covers of those trashy gossip magazines. society is killing the talent and confidence of young girls and women. we are told that skinny is beautiful, sex with multiple guys is okay, and taking down other people is the only way to get to the top. in my opinion, a role model is someone whose faith outshines their beauty; one whose character and integrity are admired qualities; one who respects herself enough to be modest because our bodies are temples. women of faith, like esther and mary. even women like rahab and bathsheba, both with a scandalous past, rose above their mistakes and played a key role in the lineage of Jesus Christ. those women are true role models.

life lately. {according to instagram}

 salted caramel mocha frappuccino. uh-ma-zing.

 so vibrant, it looks on fire.

 strange gray and yellow plant.

 beautiful fall sightings around the property.

 VHS awesomeness!

 pretty trees.

 cimarron river.

instagram: joyfulamber

out with the old; in with the new.

i painted my room today. after weeks of seaching, i finally decided on a color: white. wait, what? yep, white. i haven't had a white bedroom since i was 5. white is classic. fresh. clean. totally different than what i've had in 20 years.

 BEFORE | AFTER

it took me all flippin' day to cover that color. (fyi: buy your paint at a paint store. walmart paint is terrible) i have so many diy projects for new decor. in the past, i've bought tons of color coordinated items and decorated all at once. this time around, my taste has changed. i'm going to mix and match colors. my new duvet will be in next week and i am pumped. it's absolutely gorgeous. i also ordered flannel penguin sheets. they are adorable. i'll post a picture next week of the finished product. this change is a good one. out with the old; in with the new.

life lately. {according to instagram}

instagram: joyfulamber

gobble, gobble!

thanksgiving is two weeks away. (eek!) add a little fun to your thanksgiving feast with these adorable cupcakes i made. they are so easy and fun!

all you do is bake and frost the cupcakes like normal.
use candy corn for the beak, feathers, and feet.
i used candy icing for the eyes.

life lately. {according to instagram}

instagram: joyfulamber

ponderings of the heart.

• your witness is not just face-to-face interaction. it's what you post, tweet, write, blog, etc. your online witness is just as important as what people see in person.

• would we talk to others the way we talk to ourselves? you wouldn't tell someone they are ugly. you wouldn't tell someone they are a failure. so why do we tell ourselves those things? how we think is how we live. if we go around telling ourselves negative things, we will live negative lives.

• i'm not gonna lie: last night's earthquake scared me. i thought Jesus was coming back. 

• i am one of those people who will not listen to Christmas music, decorate, or put up the tree until after thanksgiving. no exceptions. but as i type this, i'm listening to Christmas music. times are changin'. 

•  mcd's vanilla iced coffee is the bomb dot com. seriously.

• there's no such thing as a "little prayer". our prayers are ALL important. He answers all prayers in His perfect time. He cares about every aspect of our lives, however big or small they may seem to us. 

• if Jesus did return last night, do you know where you'd be right now? 

it's fall, y'all.

i have 4 favorite seasons: spring, summer, football, and fall!
{spring flowers, summer nights, sooner football, and fall colors. ♥}