What is screaming your name? Life Callings, the Confused, the Complacent, and Others.

"It wasn’t until a few years later that someone pointed out to me an interesting fact: the root of the English word vocation is the Latin verb voca, which means “to call.” The linguistic evidence shows that at some point in history, people thought of every type of work as a “calling.” Whether you are a minister or a mechanic, you do not work because it pays the bills, or because it’s personally fulfilling, or because it justifies the money you spent on college tuition. You work because it glorifies God." 

 --Bob Thune, Campus Crusade Staff     

The above quote has been (electronically) stuck in the corner of my computer for several years via the "Stickies" app. I have wanted to teach for as long as I can remember. I wanted to teach literature to everyone and anyone. I wanted to read books and sip my Starbucks hot lattes with young scholars. That was a decade ago, when I dreamed about a nameplate with "Dr." etched into it. I still want to teach but for all the different reasons. The Lord tugged on my heart strings and showed me inequality in schools that makes me angry and fired-up and passionate. Angry, passion, excitement that is what callings cultivate. As I am so often asked, "Why did you spend money at UNC and Duke just to be a teacher?"My family gloats with pride about being the first person in my immediate family to graduate from  college, yet I cannot count the times I have heard "Don't you want to do something that makes more money. You will never be successful teaching." If you are interested in the even more brutally honest enlist the opinions of high school students, "Mrs. Martinez, you poor?" God placed me in uncomfortable places. He started demanding why would you want to teach if the end goal is a book? He started pushing and pulling on my motives. I needed to love students, empathize with students, celebrate with students. Perfecting content is 10% of what matters in a classroom. Kids can sniff out a fraud from a mile away. If you don't care about their success, about their lives when they step out of your room, about their brilliance then you are not going anywhere quickly amidst charismatic, cranky, colorful teens. No. My dream stopped being teaching and my calling became teaching. I cannot imagine doing the most exhausting job in the world with the most important people in the world if it were not a calling. 

Instead God revealed to me it might be time I started practicing what I preached. If I proclaim loving my neighbor then the 90+ kids I see daily better feel more loved than Netflix on date night. If I believe God's words, "Do justice and righteousness" then I need to find the schools and the students and the parents who need me as their advocate. And if Jesus says, "Go" then I need to transform my workplace into a place where I foster love to the unloved and shine a light even on days when an IV of coffee is not energizing me. Callings aren't always green acres and butterflies--callings are messy, scary, and unknown territories. Thankfully, God is good. Also, thankfully God creates a kingdom full of talents. Each person is called to honor and glorify Christ, that looks so different for everyone. I pray I continue to be intentional in my calling. I pray I do not judge others with big salaries because they surely are not following their callings. I pray that others realize more than missionaries have important work to do. God wants, deserves, and craves our very best not our comfort.

I mean, you’re a teacher, Taylor.
Be honest. What do you make?

And I wish he hadn’t done that— asked me to be honest—
because, you see, I have this policy about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, then I have to let you have it.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional Medal of Honor
and an A-­ feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time
with anything less than your very best.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won’t I let you go to the bathroom?
Because you’re bored.
And you don’t really have to go to the bathroom, do you?
I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
Hi. This is Mr. Mali. I hope I haven’t called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something your son said today.
To the biggest bully in the grade, he said,
“Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don’t you?
It’s no big deal.”
And that was noblest act of courage I have ever seen.
I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.

You want to know what I make? I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math
and hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you’ve got this,
then you follow this,
and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this.

Here, let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
Teachers make a goddamn difference! Now what about you?

-Taylor Mali 

Marrying young and other acts of Idiocy.

Joe and I will celebrate six months of martial bliss in four, short days and it is loco crazy how quickly time travels, but is equally crazy how often people weigh in their opinions about our decision to marry young. Recently someone asked me..."how did you know?" Know that you are being strange? Know there is green remnants of tapas in my teeth? Obviously, I wasn't following this inquisitive friend's stream of consciousness, but he soon ironed out the details for me. "No, no. How did you know he was the one? How did you know you should get married?" This conversation unraveled into a quick debriefing of the two prevailing "schools of thoughts" about marriage. Apparently, some people think that people should marry young because then you change and grow together and others believe you should wait until you are fully mature (...oh, wait. I thought I was. Awkward.), settled in your career, and ready before you marry. Plenty of other strangers are quick to give me their two-cents. I love hearing it. The Gasp. "You are married? Oh, but you are so young. Poor thing." Another fine gentlemen recently informed me I chose the marriage pathway because I was Southern (obviously, a synonym for idiotic. Don't even get me started, y'all). He quickly informed me that though I felt I was happy I would have never made such a mistake (he used somewhat nicer lingo) if I didn't grow up in the South.

Hear ye. Hear ye.

Let me now assure all of you that I am proud and confident of our decision to marry young. I don't believe it means I have third leg or a hankering to marry my first cousin. In our unique case, marrying young was an act of obedience to God. We dated and it was where the Lord led us, although, this isn't the case for everyone; we knew it was right for us. The Apostle Paul wasn't too keen on marriage he says in 1 Corinthians, "But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this." You right Paul, you right. But Psalms tells us that wives [and presumably husbands] are more valuable than rubies, so why would you ignore the goodness of what Christ has led you to because you are anticipating...a diamond, a shinier new career. There is always a bigger and better version of the reality you are in. As my pastor always says don't let good things become God things. The inability to settle down for some is a reflection of the fear they may be experiencing. I have many friends who murmur halfheartedly that they will have time to serve God once they are married. Do not allow the "what if's" of life distract you from the right-now-nuggets-of-goodness that are all around you (this applies to so much more than marriage). 

I think marriage is a valued commodity in a culture that gives it little legitimacy. We tune in to watch televised weddings that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars (nothing but love, Sean and Catherine!), and send tweets at rocket-power speed when couples divorce. We mock marriage and we joke about it. As Paul states in his letters, marriage isn't for everyone, but those who decide to enter into marriage are entering into a sacred union that now includes you, your spouse, and Christ. I am confident that the person I am today will change and transform into a refined version over time, but I am more than confident that Christ knows the strands of hair on my head and equally knows the intricacies of mine and my husband's marriage and will continue to grow us for his glory. I consider what I have learned about compromise, financial struggle, serving one another, and joy in the short six months we have been married and I know there is so much more to come. I am thankful that we can use being young as an excuse for the next five years when we fall flat on our faces over and over again. I yelp of joy thinking of how much greater Christ's love for us is than any love we can give to one another. 

There it is. I am married. I am 23 years old. I am not dumb. 

Just to soothe the pain of the aforementioned naysayers rudeness condoning the goodness that lies below the Mason-Dixon line, here are five reasons I love the South: 

1. Diet Sundrop. errwhere. and whatever additive in it that makes it addictive (but really don't tell me about all its health effects. I am sipping on one now and I am as fat and happy as a cat).
2. BBQ: Eastern, Western, Vinegar, Ketchup...while I hold a favorite in this feud it is all so good it does not matter. 
3. Wrap-a-round porches and the smell of fresh cut grass. I am aware this must exist in the North, but this is the cornerstone of Southern goodness, y'all.
4. Sweet Tea-- which is just awful for your health, but so darn good for your soul. 
5. Random people greeting you (because I try to do this in other places and it is frowned upon).

Fresh Face: Current Favorite Products

No shocker to the world, but I have a confession I really love some makeup. Hellllur (cue Madea voice), if you spend any time with me it is apparent that I love my makeup. Also, I love perusing YouTube videos (please let me know if you need recommendations because I have two lists: 1. the hysterically odd ones and 2. the really helpful videos). Momma B is quite the diva and she long instilled in me the importance of quality in your face care products and makeup. She also taught me to budget for biweekly manicures (Hubs isn't as keen on this one ;)). I also really enjoy doing others' makeup and am a sucker for playing with new products. Drop me off at a Sephora and I would be content for hours on end! Do not hear me wrong in that girls are not beautiful without makeup, but for this girl I feel especially confident when I am sporting a fresh face! I am all for practices that renew girls' confidence and make them feel as beautiful as they truly are! Also, let me admit I am all about convenience and sometimes do my makeup in the car (Read: I always do my makeup in the car. Picture a manic me holding an eyeliner in one hand, while chugging coffee in the other...Oops). 

Drum roll, please. Here are my current favorite products. Refer to the numbers below for all the deets.

1. Well-Rested Eye Brightener Broad Spectrum SPF 20: Ladies, run and do not walk to get this concealer. I struggle with pretty severe allergies and consequently, have killer dark circles. This product does exactly what it promises makes you look well-rested! It also provides wonderful protection via SPF (very important in this sensitive zone around your eyes!).  I also love the look of the powder which was surprising to me as a long under the eye liquid concealer veteran. I use a dense brush to apply it under my eyes. An additional benefit is how little product you need!

2. MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15: Okay, foundation is tricky! I have tried several different types of foundation and have most recently settled down in the MAC district, but believe the Studio Fix is my current fav out of the various foundations offered. I love coverage, like a lot of coverage. Studio Fix offers the best long wear coverage in my opinion, without looking "cakey". There is a face and body foundation offered that is equivalent to onstage makeup--this is supposed to offered the most coverage; yet, I think Studio Fix provides day long, natural coverage. One more note: if you are a newbie to MAC products their foundations are divided into two branches when looking for your right color match. You will notice foundation comes in shades such as NW 32 (the color I wear)--NW is for yellow undertone skin shades and NC is for red undertones and the number is increasing shade color (32 would be a dark shade in comparison to 20). One flaw of this product is the bottle does not include a pump (which you can buy from Mac for a few dollars. I did not buy one), and this may prevent you from utilizing every drop of the product.

3. Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer ($6.00 at WalMart Stores): Six dollars, y'all! This gem's claim to fame is its ability to cover even tattoos...well, it probably would. I can attest to its wonderful ability to cover zits, and the like. I apply this to blemishes after application of my foundation. I highly recommend this concealer, especially for the low cost. Another plus is the shades are very user-friendly: ultra light, light, medium, tan, etc. I apply this with a foundation brush and I rarely have to retouch its application. While I am due for a new tube you get a ton of wear from this product and smaller than a dime size is more than enough.

4. Covergirl Lipslicks Smoochies in Text Me 220 (Less than $4.00 at grocery stores): You might want to pick this up based on its adorable name, duh. This product is less of a daily go-to for my routine, but a fun pick for Spring and Summertime. I often felt too cowardly to try out red lips, but the sheerness of this chapstick-lipstick dual mix is the bomb.com. I also love the sheerness that isn't too thick and doesn't leave your lips stained...aka looking like a 6 year-old that was playing in momma's makeup stash or a cray cray that could make a cameo as Mr. Kool-Aid's boo thing! It happens, y'all.

5. bareMinerals READY Blush in The Faux Pas: I know this color looks a little clown-esqe, but fear not it is really great on a variety of skin tones and looks surprisingly natural. I love to wear this color year-round. It provides awesome contour and is super fun. I also use this daily and have owned it for almost year now and still have plenty. bareMinerals also offers blush in loose powder, but I find this easier and longer lasting.

6. Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner in Noir (Target): I am forever looking for the perfect eyeliner. I was long a MAC eyeliner wearer, but I went through it way to fast and find this Rimmel to be comparable, if not better, for a major cut in price! As mentioned earlier, I have some kickin' allergies so I reapply eyeliner at least once a day because my eyes water and POOF! it is gone. This does a wonderful job staying in place and I favor the roll-up mechanical eyeliner to a sharpener style for convenience. Also, it comes with a blender on the bottom, which is great for different eyeliner looks!

7. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium: Last, but not least! I love MAC Skinfinish as a finishing powder. On weekends I will often use this alone for less coverage, but I mainly use it to set my foundation. I would highly recommend trying out a finishing powder if you aren't pleased with the look of your foundation. Powder sets foundation for longer wear and a much more flawless finish. Also, do not be shy about returning makeup if you aren't pleased. MAC (and I know many other brands) will refund your purchase even after you have used all the product if you aren't pleased or you were poorly matched up!

Let me know if y'all have any questions and I would love to hear some of your favorite products (or if you have had bad experiences with any of these--not everyone has the same experiences)!

BFFL: Friends and Unity among Sisters

Working in a high school is like collecting man holes worth of social science experimental data. I feel like Lindsay Lohan... fade in... from the legendary opening scene of the timeless classic, Mean Girls. That's me, an unruly Ginger pre-rehab observing the new [social] world order of high school. Perplexed, yet fascinated. Girls, especially the high school species, are perplexing to say the very less. I absolutely always reflect on fifteen-year-old me when I get frustrated or sadden or maddened when quick-talking, sassy, scantily clad little things enter my classroom. There are quite a few things I learn from these ladies, who under all that sass are brilliant and radiant jewels that I want to shake love into and wrap a potato sack around their exposed mid-drifts. Momma Alyssa be lurkin'.

1. Comparison is a losing game.

First, what would a world look like where girls, ladies, and full-grown women started respecting one another and living in a sisterhood of unity? Well, it would look good, really good. Like Oreo Cheesecake good. Growing up surrounded by the smartest and most beautiful friends, I constantly played a comparison game. Am I good enough? Am I smart enough? Am I likable enough? I wish, oh my stars I wish, that comparison stopped once you were handed a high school diploma, but girls play this game till the grave. I struggle daily to push away the thoughts of negativity that crept up when I see a girl doing something I deem "inappropriate"... too high of heels, bad eyebrows.

What would my life, my prayer life, my relationship with my husband, my relationships with girlfriends look like if I saw other women for their beauty, intelligence, and spiritual gifts rather than a lack of my own beauty, intelligence, or spiritual gifts? I am so quick to use other women as a measuring stick of my own success in various realms of life, instead of bolstering and building up one another. Hopefully, you are following my logic, but have y'all ever considered a girl putting down another girl such a sophomoric event? Childish. Gossip seems so "immature" , YET don't we as women of God, as sisters in Christ, as women put down other women daily. Don't we question how women mother their children, how they dress, how they interact with men, how they excel in their careers, how they treat the pursuit of relationships? How can we expect true spiritual growth among our friends when we terminate any seed of vulnerability? Call me silly, but I am less likely to express my struggles, the real real life that is going on behind a murmured prayer request or a lingering text if I feel a tinge of judgment every time I interact with someone.

2. Honoring friendships.

Honoring my selfish friends, honoring my single friends, honoring my busy friends, honoring my fun friends, honoring my extroverted friends.

Honoring friends can be hard. Being called to live in community is hard. Living in community with our sisters in Christ is struggling together and worshiping together and praising together. I should suffer alongside my sisters as if those are my afflictions. Community is not a text sporadically sent once a month or tagging a friend in a tweet. Honoring a friendship is a two-way street that includes accountability, hard talks, and a catalog of transpiring grace. Our friendships should provide a clearer picture of God's character. Girls, what if we spent as much time pursuing relationships with one another, as we do judging one another?

I must use this space to brag and brag some more on my best friend, who teaches me every, single day a new way to love my sisters in Christ. This beautiful soul teaches me more daily what a friendship rooted in Christ looks like, sounds like, and feels like. She encourages me. She prays over me. She listens when I need her to and speaks without regret when I need accountability. She shares biblical truths with me and teaches me how to show grace in numerous ways. The list could continue, my friends, this girl KILLS being a friend! She's all-star quality. I absolutely desire to be more like her in my pursuit of friendships. I pray as a community of women, all girls seek these deeply rooted and insanely fulfilling friendships. Friendship should not be a battle of who makes you feel less awkward it is who allows you to feel most at home with being your awkward, adorably weird, and quirky selves. I challenge myself to get better at this. I challenge myself to be intentional in building meaningful community that uplifts and encourages all.

Like Queen Bey always says, "Who run the world? Girls." Not that pertinent, but necessary.

Spring Essentials: Things I am currently loving!

North Carolina can be so tricky! She (pronoun I arbitrarily decided on—I like Ole’ Carolina being one of the gals) loves to dupe us with unseasonably (because there are no real seasons in this quaint neck of the woods) odd temperatures and unbearable mood swings that gives us Carolinians whiplash and pneumonia. Love her for it! This Saturday and the perpetually blooming Bradford pear trees left me reeling for sweet springtime. However, today the temperatures are frigid and my soul, too, is cold  as a result.

Almost every piece of clothing I buy I try to determine its utility value: how much wear can I get out of this? Thus, almost all my clothing is worn year-round. BUT wait, I do have a niffy little box of spring ready shorts and tanks that I took a gander inside this weekend and y'all, suddenly I smelt blooms and wished for sand between my toes. I am sucker for spring and fall. I would love an everlasting year of high-sixty-something’s. 

Without further ado, here is my list of spring essentials. Otherwise known as the websites' links I linger over too often, you feel me, right? I hope this is common practice for all girls or this just got awkward.

Jack Roger Georgica Sandal in Cork and Gold

Old Navy Rockstar Jeans in White (sign up for emails and receive alerts--their jeans go on sale regularly and I snagged these for $19).

Splurge Alert and will never be mine, but a girl can dream! Love this Sail to Sable Cheers to Chic Tunic in Yellow. 

Smitten with these Pleated Crepe J.Crew shorts in all colors, but especially the Bright Cerise and Navy

Reece and Blair Collection-The Loring statement earrings. Another splurge alert, but these are beautiful. 

J.Crew Knit Tunic Dress in White. Technically, this is a beach cover-up, but the material is thick enough to double as a flawlessly easy on-the-go dress. This screams summer to me! 

   The perfect jean jacket is a staple for the spring! This Gap 1969 Denim Jacket in Jericho is perfect. My current jacket is very similar from Nordstrom and I get so much wear out of it!

The Saddle Hayden Satchel from Gigi New York is too much goodness in one bag. It is the perfect transition bag and it comes in awesome spring/summer hues like Skye Blue and Tangerine. This is like the wish-wish-and-keep-wishing addition to the list.

Loving the graphic tees this season. These from Old Navy are a steal and perfect for tucking into skirts or shorts. 

Cami Maxi Dress from Gap is perfect and so versatile. So easy to dress up or down and have y'all put on a maxi lately, it is equivalent of PJ's on the comfort level--sign me up! Also, comes in another awesome color, Rose.

Jun & Ivy Scalloped Tank in Neon Pink from Francesca's. Love the scallop detail and bright color will look perfect through summer! 

Hope you enjoy my picks! Does Spring Fever have you dreaming?

Trusting if you Trust: Navigating True Trust

Last week was rough, y'all. And the week before that one. And maybe, like one more before that one. Walking around with bricks on bricks on my shoulders, rough. On days when my mascara is competing for the grand prize in an abstract painting contest, I love to post a picture (#grace), I love to tell a friend how I am just "trusting in the Lord", and on rough days I really love to be...mean, no better way to say that one. As I am quick to admit, I am a professional wall-builder. Call me Bob the Builder--but real talk, when circumstances become harder and harder I do a lot of things. Yell at my sweet husband. Demand jelly beans and chocolate bribes. Crawl under my covers for an abnormal amount of time and pretend I am on the cast of Pretty Little Liars. Yep, doing the most. What I don't do when I realize I cannot handle one more microscopic grain of hardship on my back? Call out on Christ. Trust that God is greater than my current situation. Believe God's word when it declares He truly will not give me more than I can handle. Fundamentally, I know these truths, but all the other things in my heart and head blur my spiritual desire for the Gospel, during times when that should be my first plan of action. If you were to ask me if I trust in God for all my needs I would say yes, every single time. I would not call myself a fair-weather fan of Christ because I know without a shadow of a doubt His blood has bought me at a price that I could never afford.

But, I think trust is an ongoing problem of Christians...or heck, just me.

When "it is a great day to be alive and I know the sun is still shining when I close my eyes" and I am feeling "blessed" (we won't go down that road in this post), I am quick to tell others the importance of trusting God in all circumstances. Yet, insert this last month and I just want to hug my Grandpaw and I am suddenly afraid for another family member's health and I feel inadequate at every turn of my program, then find me locked in my car shouting at God "WHY?" I just don't get it. I am such a great..oh wait, that isn't how it works! I have to humbly remind myself that circumstances, situations, bad days are all a result of sin, not a reflection of Christ's inadequacies. Words and actions are such different mediums for displaying our love to God on high. I pray I continually choose actions over words. My words are often convoluted into complaints and a quick chat with a friend is soon a full-blown vent session. My words are more adequately used for praises and prayers. Next time, I have a really dramatic, stage-5 clinger episode I desperately pray that "I am just trusting in the Lord" is so much more than a trite phrase flung haphazardly from my Christian lingo play-book.

In other news, five new things I really like about having a husband:

1. Hearing his voice next to mine during worship. Y,all. Knowing I get to praise Christ with our marriage and lives forever makes me gush, but I adore hearing my sweet hubs sing out of tune next to me.

2. Being like super weird. This is not new, but it has escalated. Example, Joe told me how he responded to a co-worker in this odd voice we use and got really embarrassed. #wifewin

3. Always having my car backed-in to my parking spot and filled up. Reversing into spots is not a skill I possess, apparently ignoring my gas light is a skill I possess.

4. Shopping the guys' and girls' sections in stores (See previous post to discover the delight I find in shopping). Having a husband is like getting a new bod--I suddenly get to look at a whole new world of clothing.

5. Bringing up the word "husband" in conversation. Stop. So fun. Also, if I see you often sorry, not sorry. i.e. "My husband and I were just at our apartment, where my husband lives too, and we were talking about him being my husband."

Like, what a stud.


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Conquest for clothes and couture: managing materialism

I really like clothes.
I really like gawdy, gold bracelets.
I really like shopping in any number of places.
I really like expensive designer brands.
I really like Target's 75% off clearance rack.
I really like patterned shift dresses.
I really like simple and timeless.
I really like a good #ootd.
I really like basic tees.
I really like Kate, Stella, Michael, and Tory.
Oh, I really, really like it all. 

I am ashamed to admit the number of times an overwhelming desire grips my ability to reason and before I realize it I am skipping out the door with green-greed pulsating in my eyes and my car is suddenly parked and my feet are moving me towards a Target, a mall, a boutique. I have often convinced myself one more bedazzled shirt, one more shiny bauble, one more flouncy skirt and I will suddenly find fashion fulfillment. This may all sound hyper-dramatized, but this is an on-going struggle. It is not the type of struggle that decimates my banking account or makes me chose between food or a new top, yet it is grave serious. It is serious because it has great potential to become an idol, a scheming false pretense that plots to steal my affection from Christ. Even more so, where you put your money is often where you put your heart. Imagining what kingdom impact my money spent on clothing could have is a sombering reality.

Clothes can become a security blanket. If you have ever viewed yourself as unattractive, overweight, or void of joy--guess what looks better and better with every flash sale, every new boutique opening, every red sale sign? Clothing. Being both an avid consumer of fashion and working on the sales side for years I know how real this struggle is to so, so many gorgeous women. It pained me to hear beautiful women utter something like, "If you don't like what is under them, at least you will look good on the outside" or "This would look so much better if I lost 20 pounds" as they flung too-small, hiphugger jeans over the dressing-room door towards me. Phrases like this just even more accurately pinpoint how dangerous materialism can become if you begin to use a perpetual shopping trip to uplift your spirits. I don't say these things to tell you I never want to buy another new thing to hang in my closet...because that just is not true (refine my heart, oh Lord). Instead I hope to lend a perspective I have to continually remind myself of: contentment is only found in the Lord. Joy is only found in the Lord.

While working as a sales associate, I remember feeling impending doom and happiness mingle together when one particularly precious woman would enter into my store weekly. She wore a hat to cover the damage chemotherapy wrecked on her body and mind. Her wigs varied from giddy blonde to spunky brunette. She often joked her spontaneous hair escapades was her favorite blessing from cancer. As she entered the store, always impeccably dressed, always flawless makeup, she would zealously pile clothes into my arms as I started her dressing room. I wanted to hug her, to cry with her. I wanted to go grab lunch with her. I didn't want to use her pained heart and broken lymphatic system to meet my sales quota for the day. It was so evident that clothing brought her a quick fix, like a drug addict's prick. However, her weekly trips made her feel better and I am in no place to steal that. This warrior felt beautiful for a few hours while she tried on new outfits and our staff oooooed and ahhhhhed over her.

I challenge myself to: 1. Continually strive to clothe myself in joy, confidence, and grace. 2. Remember that more clothes only equates a bigger pile of dust when I leave this earth. 3. Give more than I buy. 4. Shop my closet more than any store. 5. Give thanks for the things I own.