Good morning friends, I'm Olivia from For Me! Excited to share with you today while Jen is focusing on school! I am a do-er, a go-getter, a must finish everything on the to-do lister, a feels guilty when I sit downer. While these can be good qualities, sometimes I am busy to a fault. I burn out, I feel overwhelmed, I don't have peace, I have break downs. Then one day, God told me this: Source: google.com via Olivia on Pinterest I realized my issue of not being able to rest was also an issue of trust and control. Could I give it up? Could I let go to how tight I was holding? I wanted to because I was so tired. This verse spoke to me so clearly and became a source of comfort. I did need to rest, I couldn't keep going the way I was going and it's a constant reminder of that. I am so grateful that God calls us to rest and not only that but to rest but IN HIM. I picture God's arms looking like a hammock resting in the sunshine and when I fall down into it, I'm greeted with fluffy pillows and don't have to move a muscle once I am there because I am so comfortable. Source: dressdesigndecor.blogspot.com via Olivia on Pinterest It also reminds me that to trust in Him, I need to give up complete control. Living in this state of rest does mean letting Him run my life, letting Him make the hard decisions and going where He calls me. It will always be BETTER when He does that, He knows us better than we know ourselves, He loves us more than we can ever imagine, so why not rest in Him and let Him do the heavy lifting? He is able and wants to! This verse also gives you encouragement to keep going. He will protect and carry your burden. I try to live as this verse says everyday, to go about my day getting things done but in a constant state of rest, resting in the arms of the One who loves me most. How does this verse speak to you? Do you feel like resting in Christ is easy for you or hard? Have you ever put your trust and complete rest in Him ever before? * * * * * Isn't she the sweetest? Head over to her blog to answer her question... have you learned to REST in the Lord? ... Read more
Flowers Fade Friday: Blood
Just a warning. This is a strange post. As I prepare my heart for this Easter weekend, this is what I have on my mind and heart... I am thankful for blood. Weird, right? In all honesty, I think blood is kind of gross. When I would fall down or hurt myself as a child, I would always start crying, close my eyes and ask my mom "Is there bud? Is there bud?" If she said there was blood, I would go hysterical. If she said there was no blood, I would open my eyes, miraculously healed. I probably could have broken my arm and as long as there was no blood, I wouldn't have minded one bit. But a scraped knee... ahh! The thing with blood is that we usually only see it in the worst contexts. We get a paper cut, scrape a knee, have to get stitches at the doctor's office. Yuck. And that annoying blood that visits women for a few days each month... ugh. Not my favorite. When you hear about blood in the media, it's often associated with violence, murder or car accidents. Blood has a bad reputation. But the truth of the matter is that blood is our lifeline. Most of the time, our blood is pumping as healthy as can be through our veins. We don't even think about blood unless there is something wrong and yet it is there sustaining us, nourishing us, and uniting the different parts of our bodies. The blood is what feeds a baby in the womb. Our blood is what keeps us alive and can provide life to others. Even at its most disgusting, blood is usually the indicator of a greater blessing. Menstruation is a quiet reminder that a woman's body was made to make babies. The blood of labor is evidence of a new life born. Even when we do get injured the fact that blood can clot and a scab can form is evidence of how our bodies know how to heal in amazing ways. God knows that our blood is our life. In fact, he says in Leviticus: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life" (17:11). God created the blood that pumps through our veins and only blood (life) can pay the penalty for our sins. Our blood represents our life, and we owe our life for our sins. God knows the significance of blood. That's why he called the Israelites to sacrifice the blood of animals as a temporary means of atonement for their sins. But the blood of animals was not enough in the long run. Human sin ultimately demands human blood. Although God requires blood to redeem sin, He also provided all the blood we will ever need to be redeemed. When I think of the blood of Christ poured out for me, I am overcome with a humble awe and quiet joy. It seems unreal that someone else would give the blood I owe for my sins. I can hardly work up the guts to donate blood {it makes me queasy just thinking about it}, yet Jesus would give up his life for me in one of the most bloody and horrible deaths imaginable. And to think of what I receive in return for his sacrifice... forgiveness of my sins, joy forevermore, and intimacy with God for eternity. {via} And that, my friends, is why I am thankful for blood today and always. Not only does it remind me of the life I am blessed to be living right now as blood pumps through my veins, but it reminds me of the life I will live with God forever, because my Savior was willing to pour out his blood for me. *Linking up with Casey Leigh and Call Me Blessed!* ... Read more
How to sell your clothes for cash
I have been selling my clothes for cash for years. Since I love shopping and update my wardrobe frequently, I try to sell my old or unwanted clothing to fund the cycle. Over the years, I have learned quite a few tips about selling used clothing and I am excited to share them with you! 1 – Clean out your closet often. I have written about how I manage my closet before, but basically it’s important to sell clothes when they are most current. Many people let a shirt that they never wear hang in their closet for a year or two before they finally get rid of it. By that time, it’s out of style and no one wants to buy it. If something stops fitting correctly {it shrinks, you lose/gain weight, you realize you got the wrong size/style but can’t return it}, get rid of it as soon as possible, when it’s still a trendy purchase for someone else. If you notice you haven’t worn an item in six months or if you make it through the winter or summer season without wearing some of your seasonal clothes, get rid of them ASAP. The newer the clothes, the more likely you are to get cash for them. *Remember, you can also sell accessories and gently used shoes.* 2 – Cut out tags. I’ll let you in on a secret. If you are getting rid of clothing from GAP, Banana Republic or Old Navy, you need to cut out the season tag. If you look UNDER the main tag on any GAP Inc. item, you will find a smaller tag that says the season the item was sold {ex: Spring ’08 or Holiday ‘10}. The people at the store who assess your clothes and give you cash look for these tags. If the item is too old according to the tag {more than a year or two usually} they will NOT buy the item from you, even if the item is still in style and in great condition. If you cut these season tags out, they will buy the item based on the quality and not on the year it was produced. 3 – Make sure clothes are washed, pressed {if needed} and folded nicely. You don’t have to iron every single thing, but make sure clothes look clean and neat. Iron out any big wrinkles or spritz items with a wrinkle release spray. Fold them very nicely in a box or a bag. I think bags with handles from reputable clothing stores {Banana, Ann Taylor, Old Navy, Abercrombie, etc.} are more appealing when you drop off your clothes at the store than big garbage bags. It’s also a nice touch if you tuck a dryer sheet into the bag to give all your clothes the same fresh scent. This is especially important if you have pets or live in a house with smoke. Just try to remember to remove the dryer sheet before you take the bags into the store. 4 – Sell at the start of the season. Resale stores sell by season just like any other clothing store. If you would like to sell your fall/winter clothes, you should drop them off in August, September or October. The stores I sell at start taking winter inventory at the very end of July. If you are selling spring/summer clothing, the best months to drop off clothes are February, March, and April. You are more likely to sell your clothes if you sell at the start of each season. This means that when you clean out your winter clothes to prep for spring like we talked about yesterday, you actually need to save those clothes in a clean, dry space to sell at the end of summer. For example, if I have a really nice sweater to sell, but it’s March, I will save it in a bag in my closet until August and try to sell it then. {via} 5 – Take clothing to two stores. Find two different stores where you can sell your clothing. Some stores, such as Plato’s Closet, Crossroads Trading Co., and Buffalo Exchange, pay cash for clothes on the spot. If you choose to take the money, you will usually get 35% of what the item’s selling price will be. You can also choose to take an in-store credit, which means you will receive credit to shop in that store for 50% of the selling price of your items. Other stores run as traditional consignment shops, where you drop your items off at the store {they still choose which ones to accept} and you only get money if they sell. Depending on the store, your items will be on the sales floor for 30-90 days and you can go in and pick up your cash at a later date. I usually take my clothes to a big, upscale consignment store chain in Phoenix called My Sister’s Closet FIRST. Their customers are mostly middle class women, so they are more likely to take my higher end brands – such as Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Banana Republic, J.Crew, designer jeans, etc. I then take everything they don’t accept down the road to Plato’s Closet where they are more likely to accept “younger” brands such as Forever 21, H+M, etc. because their main customers are teenagers and young adults. By selling at both these stores, since they appeal to different customers, I am able to sell more of my items and earn more money than if I just went to one store. *If you have time, try to sell on weekdays, instead of weekends, when stores are less busy. 6 – Goodwill it! After I sell my clothes at these two different stores, I immediately take whatever was rejected to the Goodwill to be found by happy thrifters. The whole process of selling at both stores and dropping the remainders at Goodwill takes me about an hour and half total. If you go through this process twice a year, once for the summer season and once for the winter season, you will benefit from a clean, manageable closet and have some extra cash in your pocket as well! Happy closet cleaning! ... Read more
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