Busy-ness and Children's Ministry

Wow it has been a while since my last post. I totally left you hanging from the new series "I am a Wall." That will be updated and finished in a nice timely manner and I hope you would be blessed by it. In the meantime, we have had a whirlwind of a summer. My husband who oversees a few ministries at our church, ended up becoming the overseeing pastor of our Children's ministry. He was only planning on helping the director with big decisions and help implement a new check-in system. 

Well, apparently there is no "just being the overseer" with my husband. After a few months of him just observing, our director stepped down and he became the director. You might think he's crazy, but he's just there to help find a permanent one. But just for the summer, I've teamed up with him to help run things. Pretty exciting stuff!

We have never been in children's ministry before, but we love kids and God has called us to this and has given us a lot of vision. We got the new check-in system up and running and have implemented small groups with our grade school ages. It's been going really well so far! Let me know if you are apart of children's ministry or would have any advice for us? Thanks and I will continue to post soon.

I am a Wall...Six lessons from a Shulamite Woman (part one)

“(Others) We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for? If she is a wall, we will build on her a battlement of silver, but if she is a door,
we will enclose her with boards of cedar.

(She) I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace.”

-Song of Solomon 8:8-10

            I love this part of the book Song of Solomon. The whole book is such a great picture of marriage between Solomon and his Shulamite bride, but we can learn so much from this small portion of their story. Here we learn about this woman the Shulamite and how she stood strong for the Lord and remained a virgin until her wedding day. These days, it seems prehistoric to find many people committed to purity. With the sex industry taking over, there’s not many examples of women to look up to and be encouraged by. But we can be encouraged and challenged by this woman’s example.

In verse 8, we hear the Shulamite woman’s brothers talking. “We have a little sister and she has no breasts.” (vs.8) They are older brothers and are addressing their little sister who is young. She hasn’t developed into a woman yet, so they are making a plan on how to look out for her and protect her. “What shall we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for?” (vs.8) I love how intentional they are about protecting her. They make a plan to help her remain a virgin until her wedding day.

Dan and I have three boys, and if we were ever to have a daughter, this is how we would want her brothers to act towards her. I think any parent would want their children to be intentional when protecting each other. Coming along side each other, equipping each other, and being there through the hardships.

“If she is a wall, we will build upon her a battlement of silver” (vs9) I think of the great wall of China when I read this verse. A huge wall that is steadfast, immovable, and uncompromising. Her brothers are saying that if she is a woman who is strong in the Lord, does not compromise, faithful to the end, they will build upon her strengths and hold her up through the temptations and trials. This is how I want to be. I was a wall and I want to continue to be one. I’m not perfect by any means and I definitely have a lot of maturing and growing up to do, but when it comes to the things of the Lord, I want to be a wall.

“If she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.” (vs. 9) The huge revolving doors are so inviting to me. They are never closed and with one small push, will open and guide you right on in. Sometimes they do scare me because I would hate to get stuck in one, but this is how the Shulamite woman’s brothers describe how she might be; a woman who allows anyone who knocks to come in. A woman who is not strong in the face of temptation, but who easily crumbles and gives herself away. Her brothers say that if she is like this, they will basically lock her in a cage! Ha! If she cannot have self-control, they will help her by locking her up until they find her a husband. Her brothers are so intentional about protecting her virginity, this is the plan they came up with.

My favorite part, “I was a wall” (vs. 10). The Shulamite woman grew up, was a wall, remained a virgin, and her husband was blessed! She is the example that we should strive to follow. Be a wall before your wedding day and continue to be a wall for the Lord through the rest of your life.

So my question is how did she do it?? How did she remain strong and steadfast? Nowadays, this seems impossible, but it is not! We learn six lessons from this Shulamite woman that will teach us how to be a wall. I will be posting each lesson and hope you will be challenged to be a wall through whatever season you are facing!

Pursing Purity (Excerpt from Waiting for the One)

“Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God…” (1 Chronicles 22:19)

Set your heart and soul to seek the Lord! What exactly does this mean? How am I supposed to set my heart and soul to seek the Lord? How does this even apply to purity? Well, ask these questions: What is your heart set on doing or accomplishing? Is your heart set on getting married? Is your heart set on getting that cute guy’s attention? Maybe your heart is set on trying to just talk to him. Is your heart set on winning the big game coming up, or making it onto the team, or training to be the best at that sport? When your heart is set on accomplishing something, your life becomes automatically devoted and even consumed with that challenge.

While I was growing up, my dad taught my sister, my brother, and I to surf, skateboard, and snowboard. We all love these sports and we would often do them as a family. We had tons of fun, but I loved snowboarding with a passion. I liked surfing, but I wasn’t all that great at it. I was so fearful of big waves, so that affected my ability. Skateboarding was also scary, especially after I smacked my head on the concrete. Ahh, but snowboarding…there is no other sport like snowboarding. I would fall time and time again, break bones, scratch my face, smack my head, bleed, and still have passion to keep on going. A few years ago, my heart was set on becoming a professional snowboarder, and I was willing to commit my life to accomplishing this goal. I wanted to snowboard as a career more than anything. I was devoted and consumed with this sport, and I was almost about to get my chance. I never competed, but I was planning on starting. I worked at a skateboard and snowboard shop so I had the connections I wanted. I spent all my paychecks on this sport. I bought a brand new board, new boots, new gloves, goggles, pants, and other little things. I owned a lot of old stuff (a year old), but I always needed the “new” stuff that came out every year. I even went out and bought a giant trampoline so I could practice with my snowboard on it. So basically, I had all the right equipment, I worked in the right place, I rode with the right people (who were much better than me), and I was willing to go all out for this. Yeah, I was consumed. For a while snowboarding was all I would talk about, think about, and all I wanted to watch. There were some great guys I worked with who would take me snowboarding every week and teach me new tricks. These guys taught me so much and I was so grateful for them. I got to ride with some surf shop managers and I met some professional snowboarders and had the chance to ride with them as well. I improved immensely with their encouragement and coaching.

But without even realizing it, I had put my walk with the Lord on the back burner. This is not at all how I wanted my life to be, but because my heart was set on snowboarding there was no room left for my heart to also be set on the Lord. I didn’t wake up one morning and say, “Lord, You have been so good to me, but now I am going to put You on the back burner and put snowboarding first.” No, I slowly began to compromise my beliefs for this sport. To make a long story short, I never became a professional snowboarder, I never competed in any competitions, I ended up moving to Hawaii (not a snowboarder’s paradise), and quit snowboarding at the end of January 2003. I haven’t snowboarded since. That was one of the best but hardest decisions of my life; however, the whole point of this story is to show you what I had set my heart and my soul on seeking, how I became so devoted to it, and how consumed with something you can become. So ask yourself the question, “What am I devoted to and why?”      

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.” (Ephesians 5:1) Being an imitator of someone is one of the greatest forms of worship. I desired to be a professional snowboarder, so I basically worshiped the sport and gave almost everything to be great at it. When your heart is set on seeking something or someone, you will become devoted and consumed by what you are pursuing. You will become a worshiper of that goal.  So if your heart’s desire is attracting that guy, getting that guy’s attention, or getting married, your life will revolve around that and your desires will consume you. Your thinking can become distorted as well. Because my heart was set on becoming a pro snowboarder, I sacrificed my relationships with my closest friends and I ignored the Holy Spirit’s voice. Having your heart set on a certain goal can become a problem. You can easily fall into compromising your morals and beliefs just so you can get exactly what you want, and that becomes such a dangerous place for you to be in. I was consumed with snowboarding and it easily could have taken my life. That is what being an imitator of something other than God will do to you.

Set your heart and soul to seek the Lord. Become devoted and consumed with His presence. Make the Lord the center of your life. Devote every moment to Him and His ways. When you become devoted to God, you will become devoted to purity for He is pure. “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:3)

Transitions

Nine years ago...Waiting for the One began as a simple vision to reach young girls with the truth that purity is simply a by-product of a right relationship with Jesus.

It started as a simple website, became a book and workbook, and birthed I Hate Purity Conference to reach both guys and girls with this simple truth. We have been traveling all over the country for the last five years teaching thousands of young people to have a right relationship with Jesus and have been blessed to witness hundreds come to know Jesus as their personal savior.

We have loved every moment of our season with Rethink Purity, but every season changes. Our season is changing as we have a growing family and commitments to our growing church. God has moved our lives in a new direction. We desire to be obedient to whatever He is calling and are so blessed by His plans. We have closed our websites and will no longer be offering our Rethink Purity Conference.

Through this transition, I will be using this blog as a replacement for our Waiting for the One website. You can find our information and articles here. Also, you can still purchase our book through this blog. Thank you for understanding our transition and blessings to you!

Refrain from Anger

"Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil." -Psalm 37:8

Refrain from anger...that little phrase sounds like it should be easy to do. So when my four year old refuses to finish his extremely tasty pineapple smoothie and instead decides to pour it on the floor. And my two year old is screaming over the fact that he is not allowed to take out the DVD discs and use them as snow shoes. And due to my blood pressure and anxiety rising, a glass jar slips from my grip shattering all over the floor. "Refrain from anger" The Lord whispers so sweetly to me. Refrain from anger?? Really?? It's not that simple. I'm yelling inside my head.

Such a simple request that we complicate so easily in the midst of chaos. But it can be done. It can be simple. We can have victory! Don't wait for the battle to come to you before you gird up your armor. Be ready. 

Five steps:

1. Befriend Faithfulness (Psalm 37:3)

2. Delight in the Lord (Psalm 37:4)

3. Commit your way to Him (Psalm 37:5)

4. Be still before Him (Psalm 37:7)

5. Wait patiently for Him (Psalm 37:7)

And you will be able to refrain from anger.

"Father, equip me with Your Holy Spirit to continually resist the temptation to burst out in anger. My heart fails often in the midst of chaos. Empower me to run to You before the battle gets heated. Thank you for Your saving grace and mercy. Amen."

Skillfully

‎"You shall speak to the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill..." (Ex 28:3)

I love it how we can't produce skills in us apart from God filling us with them. It's so easy to take credit and glory because of the experience, training, money, talent, or education we might have had. I've struggled with this a lot actually thinking that the years of hard work, training, schooling, and practicing with music was the reason for the level of ability I have attained. But it is so not the truth at all! I wouldn't have even had the skills to do the work if God hadn't given them to me in the first place. So whatever skills we do have, we have done nothing to deserve them or attain them...only through God's grace. He deserves all the glory for all we do!

Cell Phone Madness

How did I go from, "I dream of having a cell phone some day," to "I left my cell phone at home. I'm having withdrawals, and it's only been two hours?" Seriously, I have major issues these days when it comes to "being connected."

I took my sister-in-law to the airport and as I was running out of the house grabbing diapers, children, shoes, and such, I left my precious cell phone lonely on my dresser. I didn't even realize I forgot it until we were sitting down to grab a bite to eat. Oh no! I forgot my cell phone. How will I make it to the airport and back without it? What if something happens, what if someone needs me? I asked my sister-in-law to text my husband telling him I forgot it and he shouldn't worry if I don't answer my phone.

I was doing fine without my phone, until, of course, I dropped her off. I waved good bye and drove off wondering "What do I do now?" I always talk to someone when driving a long distance or I might listen to a Bible study. All of my music is on my cell too. My adorable little boys were in the car, so I put a movie on for them. Listening to Toy Story 3 for like the 50th time would have to do for now.

That drive home was the longest I have ever experienced...even though it really took 35 minutes for me to make it home. I know that someone called me and I missed it. Someone texted me and I couldn't respond. Someone probably emailed me, and now I can only wait to see who was in need of me.

I think the reason why it was difficult to endure those 35 minutes (I know, pathetic) was due to the fact that I felt disconnected from the world. Technology has advance so greatly, that now we stay connected with people through our small cellular devices. I don't even have to speak a word to someone and I can be having a long conversation with them. At this moment I felt disconnected. I felt like so many people must be missing me and needing me and I had no way to help them! Will this drive go any slower!!!

I did make it home...alive. Ha! I pulled our boys out of the car, ran inside, straight to my cell, and sure enough...not one person tried to contact me in any way! Am I not that important? No one needed me. No one wanted to talk to me. And then, Jesus whispered to me:

"I wanted to talk to you. I needed you. You are so important to me and you ignored Me."

Gosh, a little humbling...or a lot! It is so easy to allow our devices to control us and keep us connected, but really how easy is it to put it down and give a little time to our Creator? I didn't. It wasn't easy for me. But now I know that next time, I will remember this and spend time connecting with Him first.

Pursuing Purity

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments." ~Psalm 119:9-10

We've all been told how to pursue purity: wearing a purity ring, signing the commitment card, drawing the line on how far is too far, not developing relationships with boys, and I recently heard how a group of young girls each received a tiny box that they wrapped ribbon around and sealed with a bow. The girls were told this is their purity that they have now wrapped up and will save for their future husband. Ha! That last one was my favorite. (notice my sarcasm.)

Psalm 119:9 makes it so clear for us. How do we pursue purity? By following God's commands. By being drenched in His word and being obedient. We pursue purity as we pursue Christ. As you deepen your relationship with our Creator, purity becomes the by-product. Seek Him with your whole heart. Refuse the passing pleasures of this world.

I love having a plan. I need to know every detail about what I am doing, how it will work, who is involved, what they will do, and how my plan will succeed. I think that many of us think we need a plan when it comes to purity. We need it written out in easy step by step instructions. We need to know where I should draw the line and what is ok. Simply saying purity is the byproduct of a right relationship can be difficult for a planner to understand. You think "What does that mean??"

Well, I love how in Psalm 119:9 it makes it so clear. It gives us a plan and a simple one. "How do I pursue purity?" Read your Bible daily, follow God's commands, worship Him, pray fervently, be in fellowship through church, serve at your church, and focus your life on furthering the Kingdom of God.

Pursue Christ, pursue Purity

My Testimony

If you would like to read a large portion of my testimony, I wrote it out on the "About Me" page. God always does an amazing work in our lives when we simply surrender to Him!

Handling Fear

"You can lie down without fear and enjoy pleasant dreams...for the Lord is your security." ~Proverbs 3:24,26

Fear is my biggest weakness that just cripples me. It is so easy to let fear grip me and choke the life out of me. Whether it is the fear of the unknown, fear of the dark and "What was that sound?" or fear of something that's not real but I believe it could be real, so I fear it might happen. When fear has taken over, my thoughts spiral out of control and before I know it, I have let go of God's promises and begin to tremble.

So one of my friends told me that whenever I begin to fear, let that be a reminder to pray for someone. Like if you fast from food, when your tummy grumbles, use that as a reminder to pray or read the Bible. That made so much sense to me. So the next time I was fearful, it was like a little alarm went off as a reminder to pray for someone. So I prayed for my friend that told me this useful advice and I am telling you, that I believe satan hates using fear on me now.

I'm serious. Next time you fear, pray for someone, and watch how quickly fear leaves and how often you won't fear anymore. I use fear as a reminder to pray and I have found I don't fear much at all these days. Anytime we take one of satan's tactics to give God glory or run directly to Him, it infuriates satan and he quits using that. So try it and let me know how it goes!

I Refuse

"Therefore the Lord God sent him [Adam] out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3:23-24)

God created us by Him and for Him. We were created in His image (Gen. 1:26-27) and He created us all with a purpose. God created this beautiful garden, Eden, perfect, sinless, and ageless. He created a man and a women and placed them in this amazing garden as its protector. He created man and woman and then gave them a purpose. He always gives us purpose. Adam and Eve got to be in constant fellowship with God. Walking with Him and taking care of this unbelievable place. What a job!

But of course as we all know, Adam and Eve disobeyed God's simple command. They were then banished from the garden. You know we really have two choices: to obey God or not. He gives each and everyone of us a purpose, but that doesn't mean we have to do it. It is easy to give in to the deception of the enemy. He whispers, "Did God really say?"

Here is where I am amazed with this story: When Adam and Eve sinned and were forced to leave the garden, God put someone else there in their place. He placed an angel with a flaming sword to guard Eden. When we refuse to do what God has asked, He will find someone else to do it. Check out the chorus to this song:

"I Refuse," by Josh Wilson

‘Cause I don’t want to live like I don’t care.
I don’t want to say another empty prayer.
Oh, I refuse to
Sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself.
Oh, I could choose
Not to move but I refuse.

I want to be that person who says yes to the purpose God has specifically called me to. I refuse to let someone else do the work that God has called me to do myself!

Not Everyone is doing "It"

So I want to let you know that 63 people from all over the world have signed their name on our "Not Everyone is doing it" page! If you have made a commitment to walk with Jesus and are saving sex for marriage, then we want to encourage you that you are not alone. We hear people say "Everyone is doing it" to pressure us, but in reality not everyone is doing it. So this page is to encourage those of you who are waiting that many other girls are too and you don't have to fight alone.

Take a moment and add your name to our list by clicking here.

Be encouraged that Jesus is always fighting for us and that you don't have to give in. You can stand and it's not impossible to stay sexually pure until your wedding day. Wait on Him, surrender to Him, and be blessed!!!

For those of you who have not waited and have given in to the pressure and temptations, DO NOT be DISCOURAGED! God has such an amazing plan for you! I hate satan and how he lies so frequently to us. TRUTH: Know that you are created with dignity, value, and worth and that no matter what, you can give up to Jesus and His plans; which He specifically has for you. Know that you can decide right now to commit to Jesus and you can live the rest of your life building a testimony of walking with Christ from now until you go to be with Him.

Blessings!

www.waitingfortheone.com

Don't Get Distracted

Long before I was married, I was working at a Starbucks Coffee shop where a handsome young man would frequently visit. Since I had only been working there a short time, I became really flustered each time he came in. It suddenly seemed I couldn’t do anything correctly. It was embarrassing to stumble over my words and mess up his order, but I didn’t really mind keeping him at my register a little longer.

Mr. Handsome was about 5’ 8”. He had dark eyes, dark wavy hair, dark skin, and (pause for dramatic effect) was Australian. His accent was breathtaking. I could sit for hours to the sound of his voice. He was extremely captivating, so when I overheard that he was employed at another Starbucks and was transferring to the store where I worked, my heart leapt out of my chest. Much to my disappointment, our shifts were scheduled at opposite times for the first four weeks, so I hardly saw him.

The Wait is Over

Finally, my chance came—our first shift together. I was so nervous! My heart beat wildly and I would go weak at the knees every time he smiled at me. I could hardly concentrate because I was so distracted by him. Eventually, we started working together more often and learned to love talking about everything—from surfing to newly released movies. I am such a chatterbox when I get nervous. Since we talked about everything, I found out he was not a Christian; we had completely different beliefs. So I did what I thought any Christian girl would do, I began to witness to him.

So Close

Since he lived right down the street from our work, there were a few times I gave him a ride home. I made sure that our conversations were only about the Lord. He was interested and seemed so close to becoming a Christian. I gave him a Bible, took him to a Christian concert, and even persuaded him to come to church one time. I was so excited that this amazingly handsome guy was about to come to know Christ, mostly because I started to fall hard for him. I couldn’t help it. He was such a gentleman, not to mention charming and handsome. He was the Prince I read about in fairytales…so I thought.

I Knew Better

You see up to that point in my life, I had never seriously dated, and I had always wanted my first serious relationship to be the man I would marry. I hoped so badly that this guy would become a Christian. I knew I couldn’t date someone who had different beliefs. The Lord was, and is, the love of my life and He was, and is, my everything. How was I supposed to share a life with someone who didn’t share my love for the Lord? I would be trying to live in the light with someone who could only live in the dark. Bright light and complete darkness cannot share the same space. I had been praying for a man after God’s heart and I knew that if I waited, the Lord would bring me to him, not to a non-Christian. However, I really struggled with this temptation because my desire to have a boyfriend was greatly increasing.

Resisting Temptation

It happened. He told me he was interested in me, and confessed to checking first thing each day to see if I was working the same shift. He said he always wanted to see me. My heart leapt at those words. I couldn’t believe that this boy would even be interested in me. I was a nobody. So you can imagine how this potential temptation became actual?

My co-workers weren’t Christians, but they knew my standards. They were watching to see if I would settle for a non-Christian guy. My flesh wanted to experience a relationship, to hold his hand, and to be in love; but my Spirit knew it would destroy me. I was in a battle and I mean a real battle. My feelings were out of control and I could hardly think straight. I would practically beat myself over the head wondering why I was falling for a non-Christian. My friends tried to talk me out of it, but nothing was working. I even tried to talk myself out of it, but that did not work either.

The Real Truth

Then the Lord spoke. During a church service, our pastor taught on these verses: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2.) My flesh wanted a relationship with this guy, but the Lord was asking me to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares. So right then, I committed to stand for Christ, to proclaim Him as my King, and to follow His plan, knowing that it would be much greater than my own fleshly desires.

I recorded this commitment in my Bible and knew I needed to call him to share what the Lord had spoken—a relationship between us would never work out. Fortunately, nothing happened; we were just friends. That phone call was a battle and a half for me. I wanted our relationship to work out so badly, but knew it could never last. He wasn’t someone I wanted to marry, so what was the point of dating him? It would have been a relationship that drew me farther away from the Lord. A right relationship will draw us closer to the Lord, not farther away.

The Call

I clutched the phone in my hands as my back slowly slid down the wall. I remained in complete silence as tears began to fall down my cheeks. The house was dark and empty and the sound of the dial tone was all you could hear. I dialed his number trembling, bit my lip, and he picked up. I had to explain to him that I wanted nothing more than to be friends. To my relief, he was sweet and very understanding. He agreed with my decline and it was over. After he hung up, I laid on the floor in shock. I couldn’t believe I had it in me to say no. And for that matter, saying no to someone I really wanted to say yes to.

Once again, Waiting for the One

We never hung out again and thankfully hardly ever worked together. I deleted his number from my phone so I wouldn’t be tempted to call. I had to slam the door on this desire in order to keep Satan from getting a foothold. Resisting temptation and knowing you did not compromise to the devil’s plans gives you a wonderful confidence. A great feeling of victory came from choosing God’s plan for my life. Little did I know how great His plan would be.

The next week I discovered the ugly truth that this guy had been dating a friend of mine the entire time he had pursued me. I was flat out astounded! It wasn’t easy refusing this guy, but I was so thankful I did. Sometimes it takes waiting out the storms to experience the calm. God has an amazing plan for your life when you decide to wait for His timing and for whom He has for you.

Adapted from Waiting for the One. Visit waitingfortheone.com to order your copy.

Gimme my Sweatshirt

So often I just want to rock my jeans and a sweatshirt with a great pair of skate shoes. How often do you want that? For me, that is exactly what I grew up wearing...I even wore my skate shoes to Prom and Homecoming! I just loved big sweatshirts. OF course I am wearing one in every single yearbook pic from jr. high thru high school.

Then I made a great friend who was completely the opposite of me. She dressed so cute! She always wore a knit top or a cute peasant top and jackets with cute jeans or skirt, and cute girlie shoes. She always had her nails painted and styled her hair different often. It was so funny that we got along so well even when we were complete opposites. But that didn't last all that long. Slowly she converted me to the way of the girlie dressed girl. So she took me shopping a lot and picked out all my clothes. I bought my first pair of sandals, purse, and dresses. Ha! I don't even think I owned a dress before I met her.

Good thing I started dressing cuter, because then I met my husband! He never was able to see me as a tomboy. He probably wouldn't have been too interested in me if he knew that side of me. So here I am dressing girlie...I still wear jeans because I LOVE them, but I have added some really cute summer dresses with boots, jackets, colorful tops, and cute shoes. I don't want to dress like everyone else, I want my own style, but even though my clothes are girlie, I still add the tomboy side to each outfit. I just can't get away from it.

The other day I was dying to just throw on a big sweatshirt and an old pair of skate shoes. I was having one of "those days." But I have been trying so hard to make myself not wear sweatshirts, so I settled with a cute knit sweater. I think that when you are having "one of those days," there are some tricks that you can use to feel comfortable and still look nice. I know I know, sometimes it doesn't matter what you do, you still feel the same way, so why not just throw on that sweatshirt? If you want to, go ahead, but you could also try what I did. I wore a light gray sweater and put a jacket on over top. I felt just as comfortable as if I had a sweatshirt on and it looked cute. So next time you demand your sweatshirt, try this and let me know if you enjoyed it or not.

Check out this new sweatshirt from Lucky Brand Jeans. This is a beautiful sweatshirt! Ha! I didn't even know those two words could go together. You can find it at Macy's and it's a little pricey, but it's super cute.