Becoming a Person After God's Own Heart

I was having my devotion time and reading out of Live Loved by Max Lucado. This little devotional is about experiencing God's presence in everyday life. I loved what I was reading today. The devotion was about King David and how he was called a man after God's own heart by God Himself! "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart , who will do my will." Acts 13:22. As I was reading I was thinking about the different stories of David in the Bible. He was by no means a "perfect" man. He had so many faults, just as we do. I ask myself, what made him a man after God's own heart? The fact that God saw David, who made mistakes time after time, as a man after His own heart, gives us all hope. David lived to do the will of God. He may have not always succeeded in being obedient, but He feared God. God made a miracle out of Davids life so many times. We can learn so  much from David in the Bible. We can become people after God's own heart by seeking His perfect will in every aspect of our lives! I was touched by the last words of this devotion so I thought I would share. Father ,we stand in awe of your wonderful love. A love that sees beyond our sin to significance. A love that patiently forgives. A love that rejoices in our joy and is saddened by our tears. That bears our burdens and lifts our loads.- Max Lucado

We serve an amazing God who loves us more than we could possibly love anyone or anything in this world. I am humbled by the grace He shows to me each day. I have more flaws than I can count, yet my God looks beyond those flaws and into the depths of my heart. He continues to change my life each day with his miraculous love for me. He will change your life in ways you never thought possible if you let Him!!! Let God make a miracle out of your life! You will be amazed at how He will mold your heart into something beautiful!

Psalm 86:11 Teach me Your way O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.

Fallllllling in love with Fall!!

Its fall time!!!! I have updated my blog background in honor of this beautiful season! Every season is wonderful in it's own way, but there is just something about autumn! Maybe it is the football games or the crispy air? Maybe I love it so much because you can sit outside and be the perfect temperature! Fall time is a time for enjoying delicious apple crisp and sippin' hot coffee while reading a book,.... or watching Da' Bears play! :) Sorry..had to throw that in. Right now I am enjoying a nice break from my stressful schedule of endless studying and working. I had some time to just think! Wow that never happens. What a beautiful world we live in! I am looking out the window, thinking about how much I want to just lie on a blanket and take a nap in the crisp fall air. The trees are still green here in Missouri, but soon they will be various shades of burnt orange, candy apple red, golden yellow, and caramel! I am looking forward to taking a drive to Branson to visit my sister, not only because I miss my sis, but because the view is breathtaking this time of year!

Anyways.....I just wanted to share some of the ways that I am feeling blessed today! Hope that I encouraged you! Enjoy this time of year. Just because the trees may be losing their leaves doesn't mean that we have to lose our joy!!! God is good!

Thanks for reading!!
Cara

When I grow up....

I love my major! I am studying to be an elementary school teacher and it brings me joy! However, today in class it hit me that in 3 semesters from now I will be a student teacher! Yikes! Sometimes I feel like college students have their certain careers in mind and they study and study.....and study more, for their classes. Yet, the reality that they will actually be doing those careers (God willing) doesn't sink in. Today that reality hit me! I thought about everything I still have to learn. Everything I still feel insecure about. I thought about the ways that I am not adequate to be a teacher. I thought about those sweet little children that I will be teaching, and feared that I would not teach them enough, or the right things. I think as humans we have the "when I grow up..." mentality. "When I grow up I want to be a teacher..." When I grow up I want to be an actress"... I am sure you all had many other dreams in mind as well. We love to dream about the future. I know I do! There is nothing wrong with this mentality. But when does that end? Does it ever end?

When I was thinking about how close I am getting to student teaching and how fast college has gone so far, I kept having the same thought! "Will I ever be ready?" I think this is a very humbling thought. Right now I look at the professors that I admire. I remember my favorite teachers. All of these people made such an impact in my life. They taught me vital life lessons and information I will need someday. I place these people as great role models in my life to strive to be like. But will I ever be ready? All of my classes teach me so much. Learning never seemed so important to me! (Seems a little late to have that revelation...ha ha) It is easy to just coast through school. But if I want to be a great teacher someday, it is time for me to soak in everything that I can now, while I am still a student. I know I will always be learning and growing. That is the beauty of life. God created us to grow more and more each day... if we choose. Effort is such an important part of everyday life! 

Bonus part of my amazing career path is that I get to read children s books in my college level class as homework!!!!!! This should be your persuasion to become a teacher if you are still deciding what you want to be when you grow up! 

One of favorite books is The Grouchy Lady Bug by Eric Carle! Check it out sometime!!!

Thanks for reading!!!

~Cara

My Dad, My Hero, My Pastor, and My Friend

Not many people can say this, therefore I feel truly blessed. I have two wonderful and loving parents. THey have been married for almost 24 years! They not only love me unconditionally, but they have also taught me how to love. They love each other and they are examples of a godly couple. My mom is one of my closest friends. I look up to her so much.  I can only pray that I will be as great of a wife and parent someday.

My dad has been a pastor my whole life. I grew up playing hide and seek under the pews. I would imagine I was in a Castle, when I was actually just in the Nursery. Spending hours at the church was normal to me. As I transitioned from my elementary years into my awkward middle schools years, I became more secretive about my dad's occupation. I don't know why I was ashamed. I think it boiled down to my desire to fit in with others. Through a series of events God showed me that I should not want to please others. Only HIM! I also had to come to the realization that my relationship with God was up to me, not my parents. 

Pastor 's kids tend to get placed into two main stereo- types.There are "goody- goody two shoes" pastor's kids and "rebellious" pastor's kids. I don't like to think I am in either stereo-type. It is easy to judge people by their family or their background.  If I could change anything, it would not be my background. I have always looked up to my parents.Growing up in a pastor's home was and is not always easy. It is just like living in any house hold. There are good times and there are bad times. The older I get the more I realize that everything that has happened to me throughout my life has shaped me into the woman I am now. I am growing everyday. I am so thankful that my parents love me no matter what! I love my family!

Today is my Dad's birthday! I have been blessed to have him as my father. I am the luckiest girl in the world. He is a loving and tender hearted man. He is my pastor, my friend, my mechanic, my hero, but most importantly, he is my dad. 

Love you dad! and Happy Birthday! 

Syllabi = Lullaby

It is the second day of class and I started my day feeling ready to go! I had my bag organized with plenty of paper, my weekly planner, pens, high lighters, etc. I spent more than enough time primping  this morning despite my exhaustion from lack of sleep. I walked in my first class of the day with my coffee in hand and wearing a smile. :) I was ready to rumble........until about 10 minutes into the professor reading the syllabus. I could feel my brain evaporating. As I glanced at the pages of assignments, requirements, and due dates all enthusiasm for the day vanished. I am a "planner". If anyone else is a planner you can definitely relate to my love for to- do lists, sticky notes, and my calendar. So, my experience in my first two days of class were more of a reflection on past "first days". I remembered why I am not as fond of the homework side of college as I am the social. :) I think I have found my diagnosis for my current problem. I have a form of Senioritis... however my case has formed early. Even though I am only a junior in college now, I can almost see that diploma in hand and hear that graduation song already!

Trying to enjoy this season of my life is extremely hard some days! All I can do is dream about the future and look forward to what is a head. However sometimes I need to stop  myself and enjoy what is happening right now. Right now I am a student and I have lots of stress, but we will never get these years back. :) I am looking forward to my classes that will help be prepare to be a teacher someday! This is gonna be a great year!!!

Love ya all!
Cara

Magazines + Mod Podge + Chair = Beautiful!

My current project is long over due! I have been wanting to make a magazine collage chair for a loooong time!!! So I finally started. You can watch my progress as I make it. :) I started with my antique wooden chair. Then I took some of my favorite magazines and got to work. I cut out pictures and words that inspire me. One of the magazines is England :) I also used a wedding magazine! I love wedding magazines because they are full of pictures of beautiful gowns, diamonds, flowers, cakes, and diamonds! Did I forget to mention sparkly diamonds? ha ha 

SO now that I have my pile of cut outs, I need to move on to the next step :) The Mod- Podge step! If you are not familiar with Mod- Podge, than let me fill you in. It is a mixture between glue and paint and it is one of the artists' 7 wonders of the world. All you do is dip a paint brush in it, brush over the surface, then brush over the magazine....and poof! Your magazine just became one with the surface. Once it dries you can't even tell it was used. No stickiness and no clumps. Just pure matte perfection!

Here is the progress of the chair so far...

Since everyone is going green these days, what better way to recycle old magazines that you will never read again!

Welcome Welcome Welcome!

Hellloooooo! My name is Cara Ashley Harris. :) So glad that you have taken the time to pause whatever you are doing (browsing Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, watching hours of Netflix.....or maybe studying) to read this post! I am very excited to start this as I also start my Junior year of college!!! Woohoo! This blog is not just any blog...it is meant to inspire others! I want to share the things that inspire me from day to day. I love God with all my heart and I hope to share my love for Christ with you! Here are some things I will be posting about:

• Words that have inspired me to be a better person
• Ideas that have inspired me to make something crafty or try something new
• Funny things or maybe not so funny things that happen in my daily life. Hopefully will turn your frown upside down  : (  --> : )

So.....look forward to a look into the life an ordinary girl like me! And maybe...I will inspire you in some way! :) I am excited to see the wonderful plans God has for this year!

Keep following!

Till next time,

Cara Ashley