beauty

Travel Journal//Peru – March 2018

Abi Leah7 Comments

Hello everyone! As I mentioned earlier, I had the chance to go to Peru for 8 days with my school. I got back a couple of weeks ago and it was amazing! I loved the country, loved the people, loved the culture.

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Headed to Lima

Traveling to Lima wasn’t as stressful as I thought it was going to be. And of course, it helped to have friends coming along to have conversations with as we waited in the airport. The flight itself wasn’t too bad either. I had a chance to have a long conversation with a Pastor who was going as a missionary to Peru! It was really encouraging to meet another believer who was so passionate about his faith.

City on the Beach

Our first full day in Peru was spent in Lima.We spent the day walking on the beach and seeing the views from the city above the hills.

Mountains and Culture

Seeing the culture in Peru was really interesting. The markets were crazy busy with people calling out their products as you walk by. With so much going on, sometimes it got overwhelming. But, the people were so nice and just beautiful, especially patient with my broken Spanish. The nature in Peru was probably my favorite part. The flowers bloomed everywhere and the clouds drew attention to the greatness of the mountains.

Machu Picchu and the Sun Gate

Machu Picchu was absolutely breath-taking. The hike up to the Sun Gate was pretty tough but the view was worth the hike. We also got to see some llamas so that was fun!

Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca was also really beautiful. I loved seeing how life worked on the floating islands. The weather was perfect and, of course, the boat ride out to the islands was beautiful as well.

Other Pictures

I’m so glad that I took the opportunity to go to Peru with my school. I loved getting to see the beauty in Peru and getting to know the people better.

signi

 

Seeing God in the Everyday

Abi Leah2 Comments

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I pulled into my parking spot and turned off the engine. From where I sat in the parking lot at school, I had a perfect view of the sunrise. Shades of blue merged into purple and pink. Thin clouds raced across the morning sky as birds happily chirped in the cool air.

I watched as the sun rose all too quickly and the sky turned blue. As I continued my school day, I remembered the beauty and wondered how amazing God is! Later, that night, I opened my Bible and read the words that perfectly expressed the awesome beauty I felt only a few hours before.

How clearly the sky reveals God’s glory!
How plainly it shows what He has done!
Each day announces it to the following day;
each night repeats it to the next.
No speech or words are used, no sound is heard;
yet their message goes out to all the world
and is heard to the ends of the earth.
God made a home in the sky for the sun;
it comes out in the morning like a happy bridegroom,
like an athlete eager to run a race.
Psalm 19:1-5

I’m sure I’m not the only one to wake up some mornings feeling completely away from God. It can be difficult seeing Him work in life when we’re going through the motions and routines.

But, as Psalm 33:6 reminds us, God’s hand is shown throughout all of creation, in the beauty of His created world.

This week, I’d like to challenge you to look for God’s hand in the everyday things such as the sunrises, callings of the birds, and even in the beauty of human life.

signi

30 Things I’m Thankful For

Abi Leah4 Comments

Hey, everyone! Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Have you started making your shopping list? I’ve been planning with my family and I’m really excited to spend the holiday with all of my relatives. I always look forward to Thanksgiving day. Speaking of Thanksgiving, there are so many things to be thankful for! Here are 30 Things I’m Thankful For.

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  1. God who has saved me despite the many times I’ve failed.
  2. My family who drives me crazy but I still love them.
  3. Friends who are open and accepting no matter what. The ones who encourage me to be my best every day and help me back up when I fall.
  4. Teachers who work with me to help me get better.
  5. Pastors who will sit with me and walk me through things I may not understand.
  6. Sunday School Leaders who have prayed for me and my family week after week.
  7. Military Families and others who work to keep our country safe.
  8. The changing of the seasons and the beauty that comes with each one.
  9. Vacations and the chance to have a break from the business of life.
  10. Flowers which always cheer me up.
  11. Surprise snail mail from family and friends.
  12. Heaters to keep my home warm.
  13. Socks to keep my feet warm (and for sliding around the floors).
  14. Education and the opportunity to learn.
  15. The wonderful food that my mom makes for me every day!
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  16. Cameras and the chance to capture memories in a photo.
  17. Dishwashers! Because who wants to wash all of those pots?
  18. Sunday afternoons full of rest and reading.
  19. Little handwritten notes left in my lunchbox.
  20. Happy moments with family and friends.
  21. Clear nights full of stars and wonder.
  22. The experiences, both good and bad, that have helped me grow into who I am today.
  23. Failures that have helped me learn from my mistakes and encouraged me to do better.
  24. Technology that allows me to communicate with my family all across the world.
  25. Comfortable beds to sleep in!
  26. Family traditions and the memories that come with them.
  27. Books that come with great adventures!
  28. The authors who have inspired me to write.
  29. The many people who love me and pray for me.
  30. All of you who take the time to read my posts! Thank you so much!

What things are you thankful for? What are you looking forward to the most this Thanksgiving? I hope you have a great week!

signi

Christmas Gifts For Her

Abi Leah2 Comments

Hey, everyone! Christmas is just around the corner. Christmas gift shopping gets stressful sometimes so I created a gift guide to help! Every item is pictured, numbered, and linked so you can find it easily. Enjoy! :)

*Note: None of these links are affliated. :)

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HOME//DECOR

  1. Colorful Scratch Map from Etsy
  2. Isn’t She Lovely Pillow from Altar’d State
  3. Fuzzy Throw Blanket from Altar’d State
  4. Blessed, Loved, Forgiven, Saved Wall Art from DaySpring
  5. Live, Laugh, Laugh Wall Block from Hobby Lobby
  6. Fearlessly Be Yourself Wall Art from Hobby Lobby

Continue reading →

January Favorites

Abi Leah3 Comments

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Hey, everyone! How was your January? Mine was really fun! So many wonderful things happened to make my January a great month. Here are some of my favorite things. :)

  1. Beautiful Sunsets – Earlier in the month, I was at the beach and was able to take pictures of the beautiful sunsets I saw. You can view another picture here.FullSizeRender-25
  2. Fresh Sparkling Snow Lotion from Bath and Body Works – I received this lotion for Christmas and love it!
  3. Enchanted Forest Pajamas from The Company Store – My amazing aunt bought my sisters and me these pajamas and I love them! They are super warm and soft! Also, the design reminds me of my aunt and her house where we went to go visit a couple of months ago. :)
  4. EOS Cucumber Hand Lotion – My wonderful sister got me this hand lotion and it’s amazing. I use it all the time since the cold weather makes my hands dry. And it smells fantastic.
  5. The Grace Mysteries by Grace Cavendish – I had already started reading this book a while ago and forgot about until recently. (oops :P ) I loved the book and the writing was well done. I definitely recommend this book for those who like fairy tales as well as mysteries.
  6. Pink Fashion Notebook from Greenroom – I am using this notebook for my blogging journal where I plan out the posts I want to write. I love writing in it and the design on the cover is super cute. :)IMG_0910
  7. Red sweater from Old Navy – Old Navy is one of my favorite clothing stores and this top is really soft. I like to dress up the sweater with a short, pearl necklace.
  8. Favorite Record by Fall Out Boy – Fall Out Boy is one of my favorite bands and this song is one of my favorite songs. I love the beat and instruments in the background. You can listen to it here. 
  9. Reading By The Fireplace – As you may know, my state got snow! (If you didn’t know, you can see a picture here.) And I loved being outside but my favorite part of having snow days was coming back inside and reading by the nice, warm fire.
  10. Psalm 100:3 – “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

How was your January? Was there something that really made your month fantastic? Let me know in the comments below!

signi

 

3 Last Minute Christmas Gifts

Abi Leah2 Comments

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Christmas is just around the corner and you still have people that you need to gift. Well, never fear because I have 3 last minute gift ideas that don’t take much time to make but are very cute and guaranteed to be awesome. ;)

 1. Sharpie Decorated Mugs

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I made and gave some mugs to my family last year. I used white mugs from Target. When I got home, I cut out the size of the letters that I wanted and taped it to the mug. I used Write Dudes Permanent Metallic Markers to dot around the “stencil”. When I finished drawing the way I liked it, I took off the paper stencil and baked the mug for 30 minutes in the oven at 350 F. When the 30 minutes were over, I let the mugs cool before I wrapped them. My family loved these mugs. *I suggest hand washing the mugs so that the color won’t come off. :) *

 2. Homemade Sugar Scrubs

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I mentioned this scrub before but I wanted to bring it up again because scrubs really do make great gifts. :) I followed the instructions on this pin to make the DIY Honey and Brown Sugar Scrub and loved it! If there are leftovers, you can save it in a jar in the fridge for a couple of days. I also made a peach scrub (pictured above) that worked great as well.

 3. Paintings

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This one is kind self-explanatory but for this painting, I used different shades of blue paint to paint the words Faith, Hope, and Love and painted them like this journal. I made this painting for multiple people and they all loved it. You can paint a picture or a quote, anything that reminds you of the person you are giving the gift to. I’m positive they will love it. :)

Did you try any of the ideas above? How did they turn out? What are you looking forward to most about Christmas? Let me know in the comments below. :)

signi

Mind. Blown. 

Abi Leah1 Comment

mindblown

I’m sitting here by the beach, wind blowing in my hair, sun sparkling on the ocean, dolphins swimming through the water. It’s so beautiful. I feel my sunburn and think about how powerful the sun is even from so far away. A dolphin jumps through the air and I think about how beautifully made she is. I see the water in front of me extending far beyond the horizon and I think about how big God is. Everywhere I look, there is evidence of how amazing God is. It all just blows my mind.  Continue reading →