Well hello lovelies. I feel like it has been ages. "Christmas is coming. It's practically here." I totally get you Mr. Grinch. I not only get you, but I have become you. How embarrassing? I am happy to say though that I have completed all of my Christmas shopping for December. It was not with out a fight though. I am so serious that I absolutely despise shopping in store. I would just much rather shop online. Anyway before I get too far off topic, I have had some things weighing on my heart for a while now, and I want to share. Maybe you are dealing with this too. Maybe you can pray for me? Maybe I can pray for you?

Outfit Deets: Sweater: (Old) Similar here , Vest, Scarf , Boots: Similar Here , Pants : G by Giuliana

I have a major fault. Shocker, right? No, but really, I do. I have a tendency to "kick people to the curb" so to speak. I am sure you have heard the phrase "when the going gets tough, the tough gets going" right? Well, I have realized that I am that tough. In fact, the phrase should be "when the going gets to Sarah, the Sarah gets going." When someone does something that I do not like or something that I disagree with, it has never been hard for me to "dump" them. I am a "dumper", and I do not just mean that in a relationship standpoint either. I am a people "dumper". It has always been way too easy for me to forget about people that hurt me or lose my trust. I am also guilty of refusing to restore the broken relationship byproduct. I just never cared enough to do it. I never had to. I have always been good at making friends easily so I never needed to dwell on keeping them if I could just easily make new ones.

Well lately, I have been going through some new chapters and changes in life that I haven't been handling well. There have also been several situations that have left me feeling angry and upset. To be blunt, I found myself at that "dumping" feeling. The one I mentioned earlier, the one where I just turn my back on people that hurt and upset me because it is easier than confrontation or fixing the problem. Yes, that is the "dumping" I am talking about.

Lately I just stay angry and mad to the point that it has affected my relationships with several people that I love. (Never fear, Jereme and I are just fine.) You see, I have always had an issue restoring trust in relationships that get wounded. I have never had a reason to need to. I have never wanted to trust someone again after they hurt me either. I have always maintained the standpoint that there are far too many people in the world to spend my time with people that do not care or who treat me badly. You might be thinking, "yea! right on!" but really, that is not a good standpoint to have in some circumstances. Those circumstances include your family.

It has been so bad with me before that I have let petty things ruin relationships with my own families. I never got to experience the whole family first values, because none of mine have ever exhibited that before. I suppose that is why it just comes natural to me to be a "dumper" of people. That is not my license to do that to people, it is just the only root that I can find.

Since the moment (last week to be exact) that I realized that I was getting to that "dumping" people point, I had an epiphany moment. What if God treated me the way I treat others. What if it were as easy for him to dismiss me as it is for me to dismiss others? I felt awful about myself. I have not been showing others leniency in any sense. I actually even got scared for myself and my fate. If treat others that way, how is God supposed to not do the same to me. Matthew 7:2 (KJV) For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. I found myself on my knees begging for forgiveness. "Lord I want that GRACE!"

So there I am, knowing that I am wrong but I have no clue what to do to fix it. Truthfully, I still do not WANT to fix it. I just know that in order for my conscience to be clear, I have to. I also know that a root cause of my feelings stem from not trusting in God's plan for me and just making up my own. By that I mean, I tend to think that I have some control over who will be in my future and who will not be. And let me say this, YOU have NO control over ANYTHING. So how do I fix this problem? Well, the ONLY answer I have to fix this not going to please very many of you. The only answer is forgiveness.

I know, I say that like there is just some magical button that you can push and forgiveness ques the happy rainbows and sunshine. I know, I get it. It is a lot easier said than done, but honestly, it is easier than you think. Forgiveness does not have to be some drawn out soliloquy or speech to the person that has offended you. It just has to take place in your heart. If the opportunity arises, it will make you feel better to say it out loud. If it does not arise, that is okay too. Life does go on. Even if a person was your best friend (like I said before I struggle with this badly), you do not have to restore those same feelings towards an offender but forgiveness at least, is vital. If you just can not muster i; because I sometimes I can not either, PRAY about it. Give yourself some time and space and move forward from there.

There is nothing that you can not pray through. Is that not an amazing thing? There is nothing that GOD can not handle. If you think that I am wrong, try him. I feel confident in saying that he looks for ways to prove himself true to you. Proverbs 3:5-6 says to trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on you own understanding and In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall set your paths straight. I have found this to be true. He will get you to the direction that you need to be going if you trust in HIM.

So my encouragement for you today is this: Don't be a "dumper"! Sometimes we have to forgive people who are not sorry and sometimes we have to accept apologies that we never receive. You will be okay if you have to do this. It might be hard, but you will be okay. Once this life is over, you will not regret forgiving some one. I think that I can guarantee that. Let us be kind and friendly and work through and away from our problems. Life is too short to dwell in negative places. You will be tried and you will be tested, but I promise that if you trust in the Lord, he can make ANYTHING into a beautiful story. On that note, who in your life can you forgive? Who can you release from your shoulders? I apologize too. If I have ever "dumped" you and you are now reading this, I am sorry. You are worth more.

Thank you so much for stopping by and have a great day.

Love always,

Sarah Kate

“5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

— Proverbs 3:5-6 King James Version

Hello lovelies. Happy late Thanksgiving. I hope you stuffed your face and spent time with your fam. I feel like it has been ages since I have done a post. Between finding the right inspiration and doing my share of Signs of Hope, the want to just has not been here. Now that it is cooling off I have been bringing out the layering. It is my favorite time of year for just that reason.

I got this hat at a vintage market several years ago. I re-fall in love with it every year. I love giving this old girl life again. I have several old hats that I love to use to spice up a look. My fashion brain lives in an era long gone, and sometimes I like to pay homage to that. They say that all fashion repeats itself. I am still holding out for that to be true and for super glam to return. What about you?

Outfit details:

Scarf and Top: Jane.com
Extra Long Cardigan: Target
Leggings: JcPenny.com
Hat: A vintage market
Shoes: Chinese Laundry
Cami: Buckle
Bracelet: Coach

I do not know if you follow me on Instagram or not, but if you do then you probably saw my mini rant about my day. If not, I will fill you in. Yesterday, Jereme and I had a true gem of a day. First let me say that for a month now we have had plumbing issues (among the many) in our rental and we have had a plumber out at least six times. Each time they come I get more discouraged than the time before and the issues do not get fixed. This house has been nothing but problems, but nothing surpasses yesterday.

Yesterday, the plumbers came back. As soon as they got here, I got hit with an extreme case of upset stomach. All I wanted to do was use my bathroom. It was the kind of upset stomach that makes you sweat and want to, well, just die. TMI? Sorry. They were here for hours and I could not use the restroom until they left. They completely ripped our kitchen apart. There was water everywhere and mud tracked all throughout the house that I had to clean. They informed us that they would have to make yet another trip to replace some of the piping under the house and that will be a mess. They still did not fix our bathroom sink that floods the floor if you use it. Oh, and they also found termites under our kitchen. Yay. As if all of that weren't enough, this morning, I also found fleas on my cats. Oh the joys of adulthood.

By the end of the day, I was thinking to myself, " Just keep it coming. Why not?". I was talking with Jereme, on the verge of tears. He said something that made me have a come to Jesus meeting real quick. He said "at least we are far better off than we were at the beginning of our relationship." Boy was he right. He started re-hashing just how bad it truly was. We had to pawn jewelry just to buy Christmas gifts. Our apartment was so cold that you could see your breath and not feel your toes. We ate Ramen every meal. Before I knew it I felt stupid for thinking that today my day was bad. We then started laughing about how bad it was and how our issues no longer felt like issues. At that point, it was the only thing we could do.

I can look at days like yesterday and if nothing else just be thankful that we are not back there. Those were rough times and we are doing far better now than we were then. If you get to feeling like life is punching you in the face, just go there. Think of the bad for just a moment. You will so appreciate the now. Life Is precious and do not let one day get away from you. Do not let the problems of today ruin your day. Laugh it off and move on. I had a teacher in high school tell me something great once. This too shall pass sis. This too shall pass. How true is that? Your problem a year ago seems irrelevant compared to the problem you had today. Right? It will get better.

“THIS TOO SHALL PASS SIS. THIS TOO SHALL PASS.”

— Jim Gilliam

I want to leave you with a passage that always helps me when I start worrying about life's problems. God proves this to me over and over and over again. I hope this speaks to you today and you learn that your problems can be eliminated with thankfulness. Thank you so much for stopping by.

Matthew 6: 25-34

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.