Saying goodbye to my blog "a joyful journal"

Hello all.. I'm still here, remember me? I know its been 2 months so I have some thoughts and a new direction to share!

First.. a little story/testimony time:
For anyone that has known me before this blog, you would know that I really liked fashion. I enjoyed shopping, picking out outfits, and trying my best to look good. I always tried to never wear the same outfit twice.. why? I really don't understand that now. My friends used to joke that they had never seen me wear sweat pants. Over the last year and a half, I discovered blogs. Fashion blogs. Pinterest. This took my love for style to a whole new level. An unhealthy level. Faith and Fashion blogs are not bad things! Please understand what I'm saying.. Style became a huge distraction in my life from the things that are most important. I realized this when earlier in the summer, I would rather search pinterest for an hour than encounter with my Father.

This weighed so heavy on my heart.. the fact that I cared more about something SO insignificant in comparison to my everlasting, all loving, never failing God. Who probably looks at me every day wondering when I'll turn my affection towards him instead of clothes. It was like He woke me up with nails on a chalkboard. 

Sometimes I would look at other blogger's "closets" or posts and think, "wow, she has 15 cardigans?! I only have 5 so I must be in the clear.." That is SO not the way we should think. It's about the heart.. not about the numbers. Even if this whole thing isn't that bad at all in worldly reality, I knew that my heart was not in the right place.  I unknowingly got sucked into a world of temporary satisfaction, and it wasn't worth it. Liking style, shopping, and clothes is not bad, but our intentions and our motivations for liking those things are.

These past couple months, I have been focusing on filling myself with God's truths about myself and being "okay" with.. just me. inner me. rooted and loved by my God. Minus the "style-mindedness" that once made me feel complete. 

No I didn't give up all my clothes, or ban myself from the internet.. I just changed my heart and my heart ran to HIM instead.

So, that is what God has been teaching me lately. As I've mentioned before, I've started my photography business (above is some of my latest work) so I am moving my personal blog into my photography blog.. I will now be blogging less about style, more about my photography, stories, and what God is doing in my life. If you'd like to follow me along, I would love it if my readers became my first followers on my new journey! You can do so here:

website/blog

facebook page

bloglovin

So, this is goodbye for a joyful journal. The past year and 1/2 has been a lot of fun. Blogging influenced my life not only negatively, but also very much positively! There are so many bloggers that I admire and look up to, blogging also allowed me to share so many of the things that God put on my heart to share with people. This blog was the place for me to do that, and I am forever grateful for the opportunities here. Because I love blogging, I am so excited that this new journey of mine involves blogging! I can't wait to see how God will use me. 

THANK YOU readers, for ALL of your comments, ALL of your encouragement, and the time you take to read my posts. I LOVE YOU ALL. 

BLOG SALE: Kelly Moore Posey Bag

Hello all.. Remember me? Yeah, I'm still here. I'm working on an update post of where I've been for the past 2 months, but until then..

I wanted to give my blog readers first chance to buy my barely used kelly moore posey bag. I am selling it because I need to upgrade to a bigger bag. As much as I love the posey, it needs a new home! I purchased it 3 months ago, it barely shows any wear, comes with originally packaging. I've used it on 2 wedding shoots, and a few seniors.

SOLD

I am selling it for $110.00 shipping costs included for US. (originally $170). The first person that email's me with their paypal email address will receive the pretty bag!
laurenmfortner@gmail.com

You can read my personal review and photos of the bag here.
For those of you who don't know about Kelly Moore Bags, they are stylish camera bags that transform into everyday bags! They are fantastic for bloggers, especially the posey! Now that I am becoming a professional photographer, I need more bag space for my gear. You can check out all of her bags here.

tips for building a functional, stylish, and budget friendly wardrobe

I’ve recently taken on the challenge to develop a wardrobe that is simple, personal, stylish, and realistic for everyday wear. Something that I think is a struggle for many people, is having good distinction for clothing pieces when shopping. Many people (including myself) will find something they really really like such as a unique piece from Anthropologie, but because it is so abstract they will most likely not get much use out of it, and it will sit in their closet.

So, how do we know how to distinguish what will be good and what won’t?

When I shop and I find something I really like, I think about the color, the style, and then I ask myself these questions:

Will it go with many items in my closet that I already have such as skirts, pants, or tops?

Do I already have something similar to this? if yes, maybe I could get it in another color

Do I have any concerns (AT ALL) about its comfort? 

On a budget?

Before I go shopping, I like to go through my closet and pick out 1 or 2 things that I don’t wear anymore. My rule is—if something comes home, something should leave! Sometimes if there’s nothing to give because I’ve just taken a big trip to a resale shop, then I won’t. I like to use the money I make from the resale shop to go shopping for my new items. It helps me stay on a budget! I have also found that polyvore and pinterest are very effective when on a budget. Those mustard colored pants you want that are $100.. look for them at target! In many situations, you can find the exact look you want much cheaper! Some extra little tips: visit the outlets, wait for your favorites to go on clearance, and always ask about ways to save (sometimes stores have little secret discounts that they don't like to advertise! JCrew and Madewell have a 15% student discount anytime on anything! Even the outlets!

Personal Style...

I don’t think my personal style is anything special.. I don’t even know if you can call it “personal.” But I think a unique style comes from pairing clothing pieces together. This is why it’s so important to have a wardrobe that all connects together. (I wish someone would have helped me do this sooner!) I always want to branch out and buy a really unique shirt or dress, but the reality is-- I'll probably not get much use out of it and it will be a waste of something pretty and expensive. My personal style is lots of solid colors, bold prints (like stripes), a variation of colors, and lots of fun accessories to add unique touches.

Here I paired together solids with a patterned skirt. I could have easily made this more exciting/unique with jewelry, accessories, or with a patterned top for contrast.. but today I was just going for simple and comfort. I really like these pieces because I can wear them with a lot of different things!

Skirt: madewell

Top: J Crew Outlet

Cardigan: J Crew {similar}

running the race

When God challenges us or puts us through something that seems impossible, COMPLETELY frustrating, or emotionally exhausting.. He knows that there will be a finish line-- the light at the end of the tunnel. BUT in the midst of struggle, it is SO hard to even imagine or picture that light.. I know.

Running the race of life.. that's what I want to talk about today. I know I've touched on struggle and waiting out for God but I wanted to share what God is finally stirring in my heart. I can FINALLY see a glimpse of the finish line, and it feels incredible.

For a very long time (like, years) I have been praying and praying

I have been angry

I have been completely confused

I have begged for answers

I have felt like there was no hope.

Anyone been there?

All along he was waiting for me to seek him in patience and with trust for HIM alone and not for my problems.. so he could teach me something FIRST. Woahhh.. it's taken me this long to realize this? After years of struggle.. I now feel a little selfish and stupid.

So my "struggle" may seem not that important to some of you.. but to I know it's important to me, to God, and to a lot of women and young girls out there. Basically, I was jealous of "best friends". I didn't really have any friends that were "close".. they were all pretty much acquaintances. I wanted a close girly friend more than anything. That's what I wanted.

Long story short, after much begging and praying and frustration, I began to blame this struggle on myself.. I even blamed it on God too. I eventually convinced myself that I was "all alone" on this God journey.. and no one really cared about me (now obviously that's not the truth.. but it was true in my false mind). There was this void that Josh couldn't fill or any family member.. there was a part of me that felt very alone (Even though I had God in my life!!)

So, there are two things that God is currently teaching me. One is that women are created in the image of God, so in all of our emotions and desires, there is our God who is communicating his love and affections towards us. 

I love this quote from Stasi Eldredge:

“The vast desire and capacity a woman has for intimate relationships tells us of God's vast desire and capacity for intimate relationships. In fact, this may be The most important thing we ever learn about God--the He yearns for relationship with us. "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God" (John 17:3). The whole story of the Bible is a love story between God and His people. He yearns for us. He cares. He has a tender heart.”

The second is that it is SO important to God that we love and enjoy who we are, and that we love the lives that he gave us. I was so unsatisfied with who I was, I thought I wasn't good enough to have friends, and that God had made me an outsider. Once I began to receive the love and blessing he had for me, my outlook on life and friendship transformed into living a life not looking for a best friend, but filling myself with God's affections and giving them away. 

Josh picked out this quote block for me, and it couldn't have been more perfect.

"If you love the life you live, you will live a life of love." 

::outfit::

tank top: target

cardigan: forever 21

skirt: buffalo exchange

necklace: forever 21 

weekend getaway outfit & updates

This weekend I went as far up north in Michigan as possible and it was great. There was no cell phone signal, no internet, and no responsibilities. It felt so good to relax and enjoy the cool breeze for the weekend after a busy month. I am back now and ready to get all my ideas into posts, share about my new photography business, and get ready for my upcoming shoots. I currently have a few seniors scheduled to do, and another wedding in 3 weeks. I am loving the dream job! More on that later..

Some things you've missed while I was away....

-Most importantly I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNTIE! My sister and brother-in-law are pregnant and on their healthy journey into 14 weeks today. 

I am beyond excited and can't wait to see her at the end of August for her much needed visit.

-I was just hired as a dance instructor at Visions in Motion (another one of my dreams!)

and I'll be starting in September! 

-And of course.. the one thing I keep talking about, the launch of my business! 

Please like us on facebook and visit our website. Thanks :)

And an outfit from my little up north getaway... 

tank top: target

belt: anthropologie

skirt: BCBG

sandals: american eagle

Gentleness {fruit of the spirit series}

Today I am so excited to have my dear sister, Elissa guest post about gentleness. She is someone I have admired and looked up to my whole life for her faith and wisdom...

source: source

What comes to mind when you think of the word “gentleness?” My first instinct is to picture a deer or fawn in the woods, calm and collected. Or maybe it’s my repetition of the word “gentle” as I scream it out loud at my puppy whilst she bites someone’s arm in play.

Sometimes I associate gentleness with gracefulness. As a young girl in ballet class, I wasn’t exactly the most delicate student in ballet slippers. If one were to describe me, I doubt the word “gentle” would even graze their list of top 50 words. We don’t often link gentleness with good qualities and we rarely use it to describe people.

When gentleness comes to mind, we don’t praise it as a sought after quality, nor do we view it as a powerful asset. Maybe the word makes things seem weak or powerless. Yet, God is often described as a “gentle God.” We would never describe Him as weak or without power. And aren’t we all trying to achieve the impossible of cultivating characters that are like His?

So maybe we’ve written off gentleness too carelessly. Maybe it’s a quality more worthy of our attention than we’ve given it credit for.

Lately I’ve been thinking of gentleness like humility. It isn’t an easy quality to produce, and it often goes unnoticed, but the character it produces far outweighs that of many others. God may be the only one who sees the product of practicing gentleness in your life, but what kind of difference could you make in others if you embraced this gentle endeavor?

It’s easy for me to recognize gentleness because it is most of what my first instinct is not. Let me explain… I am impatient with people, quick to defend myself, and quick to make rash judgments.

Gentleness is taking the time to care more about people than tasks.

Gentleness is being humble and graceful when feeling offended or attacked. 

Gentleness is showing genuine love to people because they deserve to be loved no matter who they are, where they’ve been, or what they’ve done.

So I’m putting away the old ballet shoes and taking out this fruit of quiet strength and honor. Gentleness won’t come from my lack of coordination, but from the words of life I speak into others.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up.” Proverbs 15:1

What do you always think of when you hear the word “gentleness?” What are more ways can we practice gentleness in our daily lives?

-Elissa

www.royliss.com

thoughts on faithfulness, changes, and being good enough

Sometimes I question what I should say on my blog.. is it too much information? Will people be turned away? Will people judge me? I've decided to go with the "let it all out" and "it doesn't matter what people think" approach.

So, faithfulness is this week.. once again, ironic! So much has been happening this week and faith is spot on. I've been praying, thinking, and stressing lately. I officially changed my major to photography 4 weeks ish ago. I want to start a photography business (Yay, exciting!) I originally thought that the school I was at (& almost finished with) would still be great to continue at, but after praying and pressing into the reality of everything, I knew that SAU wasn't the path I needed to take. This broke.my.heart. I love that school, the community of people, my friends, the presence of God, and my job. I never imagined I would leave.. I thought I had everything figured out. If you've read my blog before, I'm sure you've heard me say that I'm a planner. I have to know everything. How it's all gonna work out, the times, the 5 year plan, and even the 10 year plan at times. I never let God fully give me gifts that he created and blessed me with from day 1. I have dreams now, and I can feel that they're God's dreams too. I just need to have faith. I am so out of my comfort zone right now, but I'm actually fully trusting the Lord, sacrificing parts of my life for him to use me. (Big moment!)

So I've believed this lie that I'm not a "good enough christian" to have the power of Jesus inside of me, to lead people to Him, to receive his love, to lead people into worship, to pray over someone and see them healed... After this week, I can humbly say that I don't believe that anymore, and instead I believe that I am good enough for all of God's promises.

This past weekend I went to a small conference, not really expecting much but oh was I wrong. God showed up, and it was incredible. The speaker, Annie Byrne, from Encourager Church was anointed and so powerful. (All you Texas people, you have to go hear her speak, you will experience God!) Incredible testimonies were shared, people were healed right in front of me, and the presence of God was wonderful. She called my life out like she could read my mind, and I encountered Jesus in an incredible way. I've also felt a calling to something ministry related, but only God knows where I will be led.

"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will even do greater than these, because I am going to the Father" John 14:14

That's my heart, people. Faithfulness.