The Burden of L♥ve

Top: Nordstrom Rack (similar here) // Pants: American Rag @ Macy's (similar here) // Shoes: Target // Bracelets: c/o Payton Woodcraft // Sunnies: Old Navy (similar here) // iPhone Case: c/o JAVOedge

It's rare that writing a blog post moves me to tears. In fact, I think it may have only happened once before. But yesterday's post totally got me. Yep, it got me good.

It was one of those experiences where I sat down to write one thing, and an entirely different stream of thoughts flowed out through my fingers. I was just telling Daniel about this last night.

Yesterday, I sat down, wrote a post (with different pictures, even), and then all of a sudden, I deleted it. On purpose. I opened a completely new post and the words just started coming... as well as the tears. All day, I was asking myself "why?" and as the day progressed, I was shown little by little how God is working in my life. I spontaneously picked up a small gift for a good friend. I went to a small group meeting in the evening, and as we all sat in a circle in the grass while the sun went down, I listened to some powerful words about the Bible that really spoke to me. A few moments later, as our little group held hands and prayed for each other (we were praying for Daniel's uncle who is very, very ill with cancer and is close to the end), the tears came again. Streaming, honest, powerful tears.

Yesterday, I know that I took one step closer to finding out my "why." It was a beautiful day.

Dear small group—if you're reading this, thank you. You make me feel special, wanted, and like a sister. It means so much.
Dear Daniel—thank you for letting me open my heart to you. You take in all of me with such grace. My mistakes, my successes, my weird habits, my cleft chin, whistle-lisp, and little smile that I give only to you.
Dear Uncle Bob—I haven't been lucky enough to meet you, but last night, we prayed for you. And even though you do not share our same beliefs, we lifted you up. Your health, your salvation, and your heart. I will continue to pray for you each day.

And that wraps up my second from-the-heart post of the week. You guys... I have this burden from God that has been put on my heart to share love... so I hope you don't mind it when I mush-up the place with sappy stories. But next time, I'll try to keep them a little bit shorter... this post is too long for me. Is it too long for you?

PS>> Would you like a little pick-me-up for your day? I promise, this is 100% better than that stale cup of coffee (or lemon water, in my case) you've got sitting on your desk.

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See that awesome purple clutch I'm holding in the photos above? It's not just any clutch... it's my cellphone cover, but it doubles as a wallet! It's from a pretty sweet company called JAVOedge and I absolutely love it. When I'm going out, I pop my phone out of my daily sparkle case and put it right into this one. I add my credit cards and ID and I'm out the door! It's so small and is really easy to take with me anywhere. In fact, I'm going to a wedding this weekend, and you can bet that my little case will be going right along with me (oh, and it also matches the lavender dress I'm going to wear... BONUS!).

Here are the pros/cons of this awesome little case.

Pros:

1. It's small! I can easily carry it in my hand, or toss it into my purse.
2. It comes in a variety of colors!
3. It has a built-in frame so it literally is a case and will protect your phone from falling out.
4. It is made of an imitation patent material, so if I get it wet or dirty I can just wipe it right off! Note... it is NOT waterproof if you get water on your phone. No dropping it in the toilet, alright?
5. It buttons in the front, but if you reverse the flap, you can also button it to stay open. That makes it convenient so you don't have to unbutton it everytime you want to use it.
6. I love the removable wrist strap! How convenient.
7. I can still use the camera with the case open! 
8. The price! My little case retails for $26.95 which is right on point with other iPhone cases. But I like this one better than most, so it's totally worth it.

Cons:

1. No place for chapstick. I just have to make sure to doll myself up before leaving my car.
2. While the reversable button option is nice to button it open, it can be just a bit cumbersome if you're trying to take a call on it. Texting and gaming? No problem. Just a little awkward if talking on the phone. But, hey, who does that anymore anyways?

Overall? I'm smitten. They just released their new summer collection, which involves lots of leopard print and neons. That's what I'm talking about, JAVOedge!

And, now for the surprise! The sweet manufacturer, JAVOedge, who sent me that little clutch, are going to give away ANY case of your choice from their website, which includes: cell phones, Nook Tablet/Color, Kindle Fire, iPad, new iPad, or the iPhone (like mine). Sweet, right? Make sure to visit JAVOedge, because one of the ways to enter the giveaway is to tell me which case cover you would want to win!

The Rules:

Open to US Residents only.

Giveaway ends @ Midnight on Saturday, June 30th.
Item won (your choice) must be in stock.

Good luck!

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