Natalie Wise Blog - Happiness is here.

Delight in the Lord

Be faithful to enjoy the small things, dears. Be faithful to keeping your eyes open, your heart open, your self open. Keep space within yourself, so that you can be free to admire, to dream, to enjoy—to delight and to be delighted. I’ve been reading a book that said that our opportunity is to delight those around us. Can you imagine: families, workplaces, communities, where the sole purpose of fellowship with each other was to delight one another? How is that possible?! Well, when we delight in the Lord, He fills us to overflowing with joy. He is so faithful to overflow my life with joy when I spend quality time with Him. He allows my heart to be able and willing to delight others when I take delight in Him.

” ³ Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart….

²³ The LORD makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
²⁴ though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.”

Psalm 37

We have a joy that is untouchable, because our joy lies in Heaven. This world cannot take it away. Our struggles cannot overpower our joy.

Our joy has RISEN!

And that, my dear friends, we must share.

Good Friday

Don’t let Good Friday slip by unnoticed. Don’t let this A.D.D. culture of ours distract you: Jesus DIED on the cross for YOUR sins and MINE. He was held to a cross with nails, with the weight of the sins of the world on his shoulders. We cannot celebrate Easter Sunday until we pause and reflect over Good Friday. Oh weep, dear ones, oh weep, over the price that has been paid.

I am That Girl

{Sorry about the lighting change…it was one of those cloudy/sunny/cloudy/sunny days…}

{diamond dot tights}

I love how cinematic these photos look. Hello, European vacation in the 60s…..

See, that’s my European vacation photo from the 60s. Convincing, right?

Oh, why am I *that girl* you ask? (you read the title, didn’t you?) Well…I may or may not have picked out an outfit for my boyfriend to wear to Palm Sunday church that purposefully coordinated with this outfit of mine. Then we took mushy-gushy photos together. What can I say? I’m that girl.

Style Secrets

Sunnies: Local store

Earrings: F21

Striped Shirt: Gap

Sweater: American Eagle

Scarf: hand-me-over from a friend

Belt: Thrifted

Skirt: J. Crew

Tights: J. Crew

Boots: Thrifted

God Time and On Time

My new motto for mornings is:

God Time and On Time

Homemade gluten-free cranberry-orange bagels help, too 😛

Get in the God time. Take out the morning computer time. Have enough time to have a casual chat with the other person at the parking meter box thingy. Enough time to happily look around Main St. and realize how blessed I am. Enough time to be settled in my mind for the day before it even starts.

Yes, yes. God Time and On Time.

Funky Shoes

{nail polish is hot pink, it just didn’t photograph well…it’s pretty neon}

Style Secrets

Scarf: Walmart

Earrings: F21

Sunnies: Local store

Dress: Local store

Leggings: Danskin

Shoes: Payless

Simplify to Exemplify

Simplify Your Life to Exemplify Christ is my new motto.

The importance of this has really come to the forefront of my life lately. How we need to have our lives ordered: temples of God, where there is space for him to enter, without us needing to sweep an armful of junk aside.

I’ve been reading about ordering my life from The Gentle Ways of the Beautiful Woman (wow, there’s a title for you!) by Anne Ortlund. Goodness, I have lots to learn from that title alone, not to mention the whole {rather thick} book.

After sifting through my life and reading lately, I’ve come up with a few guidelines:

1.) Simplify your thoughts.
2.) Simplify your commitments.
3.) Simplify your surroundings.
4.) Simply your devotion to Christ-like living.

One: Your mind is a temple of the Holy God. “Take captive EVERY thought, and make it obedient…” 2 Corin. 2:5b The Bible also reiterates over and over again how our minds are one of our most powerful (and therefore vulnerable) assets as human beings. There are many others who discuss this topic better than I do!

Two: Simplify what you devote your time to, where you invest your life. Think depth, not breadth. Another book, Only Angels Can Wing It, suggests these qualifications to any commitment: 1.) Will it matter in a week, month, or year? 2.) Does it fulfill a need of mine or of someone I love? 3.) Is there someone better suited to this who may be excited about the opportunity?

Three: Simplify your surroundings….I can breathe when I have a clean home, a made bed, and clean dishes. When we aren’t consumed with the “dailyness” of life getting away from us, we can be at rest in our minds and focus. We can have time to be still, space to listen.

Four: This one I made up entirely, I think. Be like a child with your faith. Come to the throne in awe, with a heart full of wonder. Realize that this is a relationship, not a rat-race with the others at church to see who is the “most Christian.” Live your life focused on GOD alone. Spend time getting to know where he wants you to put your thoughts and commitments.

~Discipline, you see? *my word for the year* The fruits of the spirit, right? Clearing out our lives so we are less likely to get lost in our negative thoughts, our commitments, or our messes. I’m working on it!

A Colorful Experiment

I’m not so sure how I feel about this outfit. I want to change something about it. Definitely the shoes. Potentially the skirt. I just didn’t have any better options. It all started with those fingernails. And then I just couldn’t help myself. Those nails and this little banner I made on my wall (the tiniest little clothespins! gah!):

{so much wonderful color}

However, I loved this while I was wearing it. Then again, while I was wearing it I was enjoying a British tea and brunch.

And a British tea brunch makes most things seem better than they really are 😛

Style Secrets
Sunnies: Local store

Blouse: Walmart

Necklace: Urban Outfitters

Belt: from another shirt

Yellow undershirt: Thrifted

Skirt: J.Crew

Tights: B.ella; local boutique

Heels: Seychelles

Stunningly Amazing

I have a ton of posts I didn’t get around to this week (craziness), but I just couldn’t help popping in to share this AMAZING cake. I wish I was talented enough to attempt this for Easter!!!!!

THAT, my friends, is a cake.

You can find the amazing story here.

I want that cake, and I will serve it on Easter while wearing the new skirt I thrifted this week:

Eyelet lace pencil skirt from BCBG. Major score.

Have I ever told anyone how much I LOVE EASTER?!?!?! To be continued…

Polka Dot Slush

Since it was a pretty yucky day today, I was so excited when I looked out my window and saw this polka-dot slush!! How cool is that!! I put on my wellies and ran out the door to take a pic. It wasn’t just one little area, either; it was my whole driveway! God, you are so clever!

Caffeine Makes Me a Better Christian…Say What?

Is it horrible to say that? This afternoon I was down in the dumps, feeling really sorry for myself that I still had four whole hours left of work. Behold, caffeinated Early Gray Supreme tea! Behold, instant praising God! Behold, instant, “work as unto the Lord”! Behold, I am suddenly an encourager, suddenly full of good cheer and kind words!

Thank you, Lord, for caffeine. Just sayin’.