first fall hike.

happy monday!!

we're coming off of a great weekend over here (though, you wouldn't think so if you had seen that crabby toddler running around my house this morning) and feeling ready to start a new week.

the weather is finally starting to cool off down here in south texas and we are loving being outside again. oh, and when i say "cool off," i mean the high is only 90 degrees. but i'm a born and raised south texas girl so this is totally normal for me.

before my hubby and i had a kiddo, we loved us a good day of hiking. we would pack a lunch, bring our dog along, and explore the parks around the dallas area and up near lake texoma. once our little guy was born, life got super hectic with work and raising a newborn and all that stuff life tends to throw at you so we haven't been hiking in a good while.

this was our second time venturing out to goliad state park for a hike this year. the guys scouted out hiking sticks just their size and my little guy did such a great job staying on the trail and following right behind is daddy. we saw a tiny frog, and HUGE grasshopper, and a ton of salamanders. we had such a good time. that is, until the hubby started getting a ton of mosquito bites. i was freaking out a lot little and we found the quickest way out and to our car. all i could think about was WEST NILE VIRUS. eek!!

we are looking forward to going on a ton more hikes this fall while the air is nice and crisp.

i'm spending today working on a scripture print for my bible study tomorrow. i'm not sure if i mentioned starting a new bible study on here but we are going through the book Named By God by Kasey Van Norman and i'm loving it. not just the study but the community of women. that is something i have missed dearly since leaving dallas and my church there.

scripture print for my table: the bible study
leader opened with this verse. i think it's such
a great reminder for us every morning.

i hope everyone has a great week!

perspective and priorities.

happy hump day!!

i've got to make this quick because i have a photo session i'm supposed to be editing but i really feel like i want to get this down. mostly for myself, just as a reminder because i am one that needs reminders A LOT.

As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly." Proverbs 26:11 (NIV)

ouch!!

i have a lot on my plate a lot of days being work-at-home-mom, among many other roles in my life. as i'm sure many of you know, sometimes it's easy to get lost in the little things and forget about our real purpose: making much of Him. i am really starting realize how much i have added to my plate that gets in my way of that.

the past few weeks, my husband and i have been discussing when we would like to make our family of 3 a family of 4. God willing, of course! most days, i am super excited about growing our little family but somedays, the HARD days, i have my doubts. can i really manage two kids? my friends with large families, i seriously think you are amazing!!

my babies from when i was a little girl.
my sweet boy now loves on them for me.

anyway, i know it will be hard, even on "easy" days and that scares me a little. i've known ever since i was a little girl that this is what i was made to do. i carried my babies everywhere and loved on them and cared for them. there still is no doubt in my mind that i want more kids but now that i have one, i know how hard it can be at times.

this afternoon, as i went to put my little guy down for a nap, he decided he didn't want anything to do with it. he did this on sunday too. this is not normal for him but it happens occasionally, as i'm sure it does with most kids. i've been sick and feel weak and drained and just did not feel like fighting this fight. and honestly, a small part of me just wanted to come chill at the computer and not think or do anything but surf the internet.

but you know what, something hit me. i am so stinking lucky to be able to stay home with my son, to have the opportunity to teach him and train him and raise him up to be a little disciple. who cares about my photography, my house, the time-suck that is the internet. i am here for him. to teach him to obey and respect. to make sure he has plenty of sleep and a clean diaper, even if it is a fight sometimes. to make sure he gets healthy food to eat. and i am so thankful for that reminder.

my whole purpose of being here at home while my husband is at work is to raise up our family. nobody said it would be easy. but rotten me, i thought it needed to be easy. maybe because sometimes, it looks easy for everyone else. but really, it's not. everyone else just doesn't talk about how hard it is.

i think it's just about getting my priorities in order (i am a wife and mom and sister in Christ before anything else) and changing my perspective (i am here to teach my kid(s) and raise them up and that is such a joy). if i can just remember why i am here and cut out a lot of those time-sucks that take away my focus from this awesome ministry God has given me, i can really focus on the joy of what i am here to do.

proverbs

hi! long time, no see. life has been hectic lately and i've had a lot on my heart...a lot that i would like to share here but "busyness" keeps getting in the way. but i don't want to complain. overall, life is good.

i have written several times here about #shereadstruth and there's a reason for that. this community of ladies has been so awesome, providing some much needed uplifting and encouragement for this here lady. we are currently reading the book of proverbs and it is chock-full of wisdom. somebody said it could be called life's manual. so so true. it seriously speaks to my soul on a daily basis. 

and you want to know what else? it is convicting me everyday to be a better sister in Christ, wife, mama, friend. 

today, it slapped me in the face: 

"A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping." Proverbs 19:13.

i do not want to be that annoying, dripping faucet to my husband. i want to understanding, loving, caring, kind, joyful to be around. all of those things God instructs us to be. 

i want to be that wife for my husband. and hopefully, eventually, that will bleed into every other relationship in my life. 

so if you could, say a little prayer for me as i continue to grow to be more like Him. to share His love with my husband so that i am not that dripping faucet.

i would love to pray for you. let me know how i can. 

bits of splendor monday.

it's monday. another start to another week. i am so thankful that just like each day is a new day, each week is a new week, and we are able to start over with a fresh start. the last few weeks, i have been very thankful for new days, new weeks, and fresh starts in general. a new day to not get overwhelmed and take it out on my husband. a new day to have never-ending grace with my toddler. a new day to forgive those who hurt me. a new day to be forgiven. and new weeks to be encouraged by His word and live for Him no matter how the previous week went.  i'm am so thankful that He has given me the opportunity to start fresh.

yesterday, i had some heavy things on my heart, some things i have dealt with a lot in my life. i used to let them eat away at me, consume me, drive me to cope with things that i should have had nothing to do with. these days, i just hand it over to God.

last night, i chose to go for a run to work through those things. i have always loved running. i think i used to use the endorphins to help me to "feel better" about what i was going through. these days, God is with me on those runs. i get to focus on Him, spend time with Him. and He challenges me to push myself further to handle things i never thought i could. 

and some nights, he paints a perfect sky as a reminder of just how awesome He is. after seeing His beautiful creation, i felt a wave of relief remembering i am His. 

i am excited to see how He works in my life in this new week. 

#shereadstruth.

happy monday!!

i spent the weekend and most of the day with my love celebrating our 7 year anniversary. it has seriously been amazing to see God work through our marriage to break us down and build us up into the people we are today. to God be the glory.

i'm a few, errr 5, days late on this but we recently started a new devotional for #shereadstruth. i have talked about this great community on here before but i just can't stress enough how much i love reading the word along with other sisters in Christ everyday and having a virtual discussion of sorts by posting our thoughts and journal entries on instagram everyday.

i have seriously learned a lot from these ladies by seeing what they get out of the study each day. they really help me to see things in a different way and sometimes it's just what i needed to see that day. amazing how God works, huh?

if you would like to join along (believe me, you won't regret it!) we are working through a devotional called prayer on youversion. you can even do the study on your iphone which is so convenient.

give it a try!! you will be SO glad you did. and let me know what you think.

i hope everyone has a wonderful week!

happy independence day!!

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36

#shereadstruth.

i know i have been talking a lot about #shereadstruth lately. you guys, it really is doing wonders on my heart and i just can't help but share.

today is day 1 of the newest study, Living the Surrendered Life. like i said before, i'm a little behind on the first study but there are some people that are just starting it today. it was recommended that we all just start today with the second study and continue where you are with the first if you aren't already done. this way, we will all eventually catch up. and by "we" i mean this awesome bible study that started between two friends and has turned into an amazing community of women supporting one another in their walk with Christ every single day. God is doing awesome things i tell ya.

if you are looking for something to get you in the word everyday, try this.

if you are looking for something to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ, try this.

if you are just looking for something, anything, try this.

you won't regret it.

and if you do try this, make sure you share your thoughts on instagram, twitter, or the blog. and of course, you can always share your thoughts and experiences here. if you have any questions or thoughts, please let me know. because we are all parts of the body of Christ, all needing one another, supporting one another, loving one another.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" -Matthew 6:25-27

God did not give us a spirit of fear.

fear is something that has always plagued me. but i know my fears are paralyzing me and keeping me from God's best.

my biggest fear: failure. as a mom, a wife, a photographer, even as a disciple.

but i am praying that God will help me to overcome those fears.

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

how about you, what are your fears? i would love to pray with you to overcome those fears.

#shereadstruth.

as usual, lately, always, God is at work in my life, my heart. He is always breaking me down, taking this heart of mine, and shaping it for His glory. and for this, i am SO very thankful.

about a month ago, i read over at naptime diaries about #shereadstruth. a couple of bloggers got together and decided to start a youversion devotional and post how they are doing on twitter and instagr.am (i'm brittcardona. follow me.) each day to create a community of sorts.

well, my friends, this thing has gone big. i mean really big. they even started a blog to keep everyone on track on include memory verses. check it out.

it took me a couple of days to decide if it was something i wanted to commit to but once i started seeing what others were getting out of this little study, i jumped right in and i haven't looked back. it is seriously the best devotional i have done and it has helped me to change my thinking in a big way. and my heart, oh how my heart needed this too.

the study we are currently on is soul detox. i think it was the perfect place to start. and this community of women is so inspiring. i just want to be a better mom, wife, sister in Christ every single day.

i highly recommend you check it out. it doesn't matter if you are behind. i started late, as did a lot of others, so just jump right in. they will be starting a new one once this one is over and i'm really hoping they give the newbies time to catch up so we can all start the next series together.

give it a try. and let me know what you think.