Truth Before Me [With a Free Phone Background]

I forget very easily. I need reminders. Whether it be some profound truth I've learned, or an appointment I've made, I just don't remember on my own. So you better believe that my google calendar is stuffed to the gills and that my reminders app is constantly being updated. But what about those things that are deeper, that need to take root? How can I be reminding myself about those?

One way that I've found helpful is through visual reminders throughout my house—whether it be through sticky notes or index cards or pretty prints. I have a sticky note on my mirror that simply says "us>me" to remind me every morning that my marriage and the unity and team-ness of it is more important than my desires or opinions. I have a framed print in the sunroom that reads "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" (from The Nesting Place) to remind me that our home is a place of imperfection and grace, but can still hold beauty and meaning. 

// download here

These reminders of truth, they help me. They keep me centered on what is important and give me a framework for how I can be living my life. And while sticky notes and pretty prints are wonderful, one of the strongest visual reminders that I can give myself is my phone lock screen. I might see the sticky note 2 or 3 times in a day, whereas I'm looking at my phone all throughout the day. So I decided to make a little something pretty to remind myself of one of the most important truths in my life. One that I want to go deeper than anything else. 

Jesus loves me, this I know. In my heart, my bones, my soul.

I want this truth, that Jesus loves me, to truly be something that I know... deep down in my heart, my bones, my soul. I want it to inform everything that I do, say, think. I want it to drive my prayers, my decisions, my life. I want it to be what people know about me—that I know that I am deeply loved by my savior, my love, Jesus. 

And this truth before me, it will help sink that Jesus loves me just a little bit deeper. It will give me little reminders throughout the day that what I want, what I long for, is to know this truth deeper than I know or depend on anything else. So if you want to join me in this... this truth set constantly before me, download the background here.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Happy Friday! The work-week is over, so let the weekend fun begin! This week I think that these things are...

PRETTY. That couch. (Well, really that whole room). I've been a bit of a craigslist-crazy lately looking for couches. I love the look of these lower, mid-century couches. And the fabric on this one is to die for.

CLEVER. Not only is this display of test tube flower holders clever, it's also oh-so-cute. And as a bonus I think that Loverboy would probably be swooning over this scientific decor as much as I am. (However, I don't think he would call it swooning. Geeking out? Yeah, let's go with that.)

THOUGHT-PROVOKING. The church we've been going to here in the Cities never fails to serve up some hard-hitting truth.

He must crucify our pride so that we will humbly praise the crucified One alone.

—Pastor Jason Meyer, Bethlehem Baptist Church

THRIFTY. Turning an old dresser into a spruced up bookshelf? Yes please!

INSPIRATIONAL. So good, so true. It can be easy to trust God when things are going our way, but what about when they're not? Don't give in to the temptation to doubt when you believed it when things seemed better. (Amen, sister! Preaching to the choir right here.)

This weekend holds quite a bit of excitement for me as I look forward to not one, but TWO concerts, my first bridal shower, the possibility of apartment hunting and some DIY projects, and a fancy date to celebrate my awesome hubby-to-be who just scored an engineering job!! Go him! (But mostly go God!) Have any fun plans for your weekend?

[1. via flickr, 2. via sunset.com, 3. via Etsy, 4. via Kristen Delap]

Interior Inspiration: Dreaming

Loverboy and I have spent more than a few hours lately working on our wedding registry and dreaming about what our future place will look like. I must admit that it gives me strange kind of butterflies toward this man when he expresses how excited he is to see how our place will be decorated and that he's pretty sure we'll have the coolest apartment/house ever. Major points right there.

Today I read an article about defining your style. It was interesting because I don't know if I've nailed mine down yet. I so often feel torn between modern and vintage, sparce and cluttered, color and black & white... that I'm not really sure what my style is. As we have been registering there has been more than one occasion where Loverboy just laughs at me because I can't decide, or because I simply love two things that are so completely opposite. 

But regardless of what my style is, there's just something in me that loves pretty things! I love when a room is beautiful and welcoming, when there are so many things to look at and appreciate, but also a balanced simplicity. I delight in patterns and colors, florals and geometrics. I guess it's just the design nerd in me, but when this part of me is encouraged, I start to dream. I dream of ways that I can make my current space pretty. I dream of future blank walls and empty shelves, just waiting to be covered and filled. So dream with me...

A Few of My Favorite Things

You can call it a wish list, inspiration, or late-night creativity. I call it a few of my favorite things (at the moment, subject to change, in fact, required to change, always growing, morphing, ebbing and flowing according to my mood, the design world, and yes, sadly, even our culture.)

P.S. Pssttt... did you know that The Things That Makes Us Tick is on Facebook now? Check it out! (and go ahead and click that "like" button while you're at it!)

Free Printables: Fear vs. Love

Got back from Les Miserables at the cheap seats and was feeling artistically inspired... so I've popped these babies our for ya'll... what better way to spend a Monday [super-duper-late-for-me] night? Enjoy!

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 

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Interior Inspiration: Collections

I've been feeling rather inspired lately in the realm of interior decor. I'm loving all these bright colors against plain walls... it really makes all the fun pieces in the room pop! Collected rooms are so much more fun than decorated ones!