Hello Friends!

I have not posted on this blog in FOREVER and I am so sorry about that! I have been having a wonderful, yet challenging summer with an internship at a Brazilian Steak House, traveling for work and with family and I feel like I am JUST now able to relax and enjoy summer ( only 3 weeks left)! This is the time of the summer that I get nostalgic BUT this year it’s different I am so excited for Senior year because then the real world awaits! I learned so much from my internship and even learned quite a few things I don’t want to do for my “grown up” job. For instance I MUST be outside, or at least on the move. It pains me to sit at a desk all day. corporate America might not be for me.

I was able to take a trip with my second family…the Berlins a few weeks ago to Newport Rhode Island. WOW all I can say is it is SO beautiful up there! And those northerners aren’t too bad;) We had the most amazing time and I loved every second spent with little T. She is getting SO big and old…I can’t believe it. Annie is growing into the most beautiful young woman and can kick any ones you-know-what in tennis! We went on a run together one morning & she did GREAT!

Straight from RI to CO to meet up with my family for a week in heaven on earth, Estes Park. I love my family and this trip reminded me how amazing they are and how FUN we are too:). At the beginning of the week I asked them to pray over me and that God would really use this time to spark a fire in my heart again. I believe he did just that. I’ve been fighting a lot of different things this summer and God has been my rock, even in the mess ups. I am thankful. And I’m thankful for how he is guiding me even now, even today to be more like him. My hope is that I would be so in tune with his thoughts that they become mine.

This morning Mom and I went for an hr run/walk at my favorite place. The Katy Trail. It was a perfect morning and I am really savoring them as soon I will head back to Waco (not my favorite place to run). Hopefully I’ll find a place I can really enjoy this year as I gear up to train for my half in February! WAHOO!

Lots and lots of exciting things headed my way and I hope only to grow closer to Christ through it all. A verse I have loved this summer is 1 Peter 5:7-9

“Cast your anxieties upon Him for he cares for you. Be self disciplined and alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him and stand firm in the faith.”

Hawaii=TOMORROW

Currently Listening to: “Everything You Do” by: Cory Asbury

Currently with: My poodle, Ellie

Current Mood: Excited,Calm

Current To Dos: Get nails done, Wake up Whitney 😉

The day we’ve been waiting for is ALMOST here! I can’t believe it! I am so excited to be on the beach, see the sunshine, and be with my family. I am so looking forward to this relaxing week ahead and I hope I recharge and can really center myself around Christ’s motivation. Please be praying for beautiful weather, while in the tropics it’s not rare for afternoon showers, the forecast in Honolulu is showing a little more rain than I would like! 🙂 But I’m sure it’ll stay away when the Warrens arrive! Hehe!

“Ocean Pulls me close and whispers in my ear.”-Maria Icr

Packing for this 10 day adventure has proved to be extremely hard, I mean my suitcase is BURSTING. I am going to go through it again later and “sacrifice” but as most of us know you can’t just ask a girl to bring one pair of shoes, a few shorts and one swimsuit….Just can’t happen!

I hope you are excited for your Spring Break plans and are preparing accordingly! It’s going to be an amazing week. Try to take sometime off for yourself and really relax. I know that’s what I’ll be doing. I can’t wait to update you all and get some amazing pictures of paradise. So many beautiful adventures to come.

Motivational Monday

Currently listening to: “Laugh So You Don’t Cry” by: Andy Davis

I don’t know about you but Mondays are always my day to recoup (quickly) for the week ahead! This week will be a quick one I feel like, with just one test, tomorrow, and Whitney and I headed back to Dallas on Thursday…wahhhooo! Let’s do this! Just 3 more days with my ankle brace and 4 days until Spring Break!

Dear God,

This week I pray that every choice I make is a choice to be drawn closer to you. Lord protect my thoughts from negativity, comparison, doubt, anything that is not of you I pray you would protect me from. Let my actions reflect my love for you. Be with me always. I love you. Amen

I’m loving these motivational pictures! I hope you do too. I hope you look for the beauty in the small things today! You are beautiful…Oh and a special shout out to my biggest fan 🙂 Daniel Windsor! Thanks for always loving my blog and reading every post! SO SWEET!

P.S. in my last post I asked for book requests for my upcoming trip! Thanks so much for giving me so many great books..would still love MORE requests! So appreciated! Leave a comment with your favorites! XOX

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A week until my time in paradise

I’m pretty much freaking out today because I’m one week (and one exam) away from PARADISE! This time next week the family and I, will be flying to LA for a quick stop (yay) and then back on a plane to Honolulu, Hawaii!  We will be in Honolulu for a few days and then off to Maui! I can’t wait for all of the adventures coming our way! Seriously the thought of laying out by the pool, surfing, walking on the beach, ahhhhh just makes me SMILE! I don’t want to ramble too much before the trip cause I can only imagine how much I’ll have to say after so here are a few of my plans while in paradise:

• Relaxing <– DUH! I’m taking book requests!
• Surfing..I’m not a first timer but definitely no expert, it will be a blast to have Whitney and Trav with me this time and my Dad, who’s pretty much a pro! Mom might just watch….for sharks 😉
• Hiking! There are gorgeous hiking trails right outside our villas..this will be a must!
• Shopping…we will probably have to make a day out of this one!
• Swimming (pool and ocean)
• Possible a few bike rides 🙂
• Whale watching from our beach!

Here’s where I need your help! Any book requests? I could probably go through at least 3! I’d also like to apologize ahead of time for blowing up your twitter next week with instagram pictures…I’m sure to be a slave to my camera with all the beauty in the islands!

*SPECIAL* Guest Post by Lindsay Cash

SO thankful for these sweet words by Lindsay Cash, a dear friend of mine and one of my many rolemodels I have been blessed to watch and attempt to mimic at Baylor:) I am thankful for her taking the time to share with us ALL that is going on with her in New York…Can’t lie, reading this I became so envious of this time in her life! I’m so happy for you Lindsay!

Be sure to check out her blog [HERE] or TWEET HER [HERE] and you can also see [HERE] my guest blog!

HELLOOOOO to the friends and fellow appreciate-rs of Emily! I am so thankful for her giving me space to write on such a sweet site! I’m Lindsay Cash, and a second-semester senior – WHAAAAT – at Baylor with Emily! I’m not actually there though – for my final semester, I’m working and studying in NYC! It’s truly a different world up here – and it’s so easy to become wrapped up in it all!

Here are a few things I’ve learned about NYC and the people in the past two-ish months:

–       The people are NICE! I’m happily shattering the reputation for NYC-ers. I work at Madison Square Garden (http://www.msg.com/) , the craziest sports arena in the world, and my supervisors and fellow interns would stop and do anything for me if I needed it. LOVE the people.

–       So close, but so far. I can stare out my window from Queens into Manhattan and see my destination. A 15-minute walk to the subway/25-minute subway ride/8-minute subway transfer/12-minute walk to destination later… FINALLY there. Loving the exercise!

–       Flats or die. If I see ANYONE in the streets with heels on, I raise my fist in the air. Get it girl, cause I sure can’t. Thankful my friends talked me into getting a solid pair of flats – Shout out to Tory – couldn’t survive without ‘em!

–       Didn’t even flinch… Yeah, it’s pretty much impossible to shock people here. NYC is THE biggest melting pot ON EARTH – everywhere you look, you see the most outrageous person, outfit, store or museum. Then as you’re walking away in amazement, you see something else surpassing that. Truly, there’s never a dull moment!

–       What is personal space? There’s just NOT any! People. Everywhere. Every subway cart is stuffed to the brim; every restaurant packed (at every hour), every street corner, every coffee shop… So many people, with so many stories. Once you choose to embrace it, it’s a beautiful reality.

 (View from my apt!)

These are the hilarious encounters of NYC so far. But beyond walking these streets, working at MSG, spending time with my roommates, and time spent studying, the most important concept I’ve learned is a little three word command: “Abide in Me”.

New York City is: cutting-edge, cosmopolitan, imposing, strong, cold, bustling, daunting, thriving, overwhelming, diverse, crowded, sleepless and indescribable all at the same time. I knew I would be living here almost 9 months in advance to my move.  And up until the day I got on the NYC-bound airplane, I told myself I will remain true to myself. I won’t let the city change me; I won’t let society turn me into stone.

I, I, I, me, me, me! Such a common thread in this city! There are 9 million of us squished into a tiny island!… All of us competing, branding ourselves and putting our best foot forward every second of every day. Sounds like a cakewalk, right? Imagine the most stressful day of your life – then cram it into one hour. That is reality here. So who am I to stand up to NYC – or anywhere for that matter – and fight? What strength do I have on my own? It doesn’t matter that I’m in the college-to-real-life transition: whoever you are, wherever you are, you can’t take on this life alone.

John 15:4 – Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

Apart from Jesus, we are fruitless. My time in New York has shown me this truth in the clearest form I’ve ever seen. As a Christian, my (our) job is to abide, despite the world saying our job is to strive. When we realize that abiding in Him is our ultimate and utmost important calling on earth – the blessings and peace of His mercy is painted all over our lives.

P.S. – Currently reading: Radical by David Platt (for the 2^nd time)… Definitely encourage you to get your hands on a copy! One of my favorite quotes:

“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy… It’s not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us.”

The Journey to: My First Half Marathon

Currently Listening to: ‘Hard To Believe,’ by: Andy Davis

Currently Watching: Baylor Mens Basketball

Current Mood: Extremely content, moved by support, accomplished, proud, FINISHED the race!

Friday of RACE WEEKEND: I am SO excited for this weekend! I’m headed home to Dallas to see my cousin sworn in as a LAWYER! Yay Stephanie! I can’t wait to be with the family and celebrate. Tomorrow is the day I’ve been training for since, well I guess around Christmas! My first half marathon! Dad and I are going to go for it even though my hip isn’t 100% good. I think it will be just fine though for the race. I am so excited! I feel like this is such a milestone for me. This past summer I had an amazing spiritual and physical revolution and this half marathon just shows God’s faithfulness in all things. I can’t wait to sing His praises all 13.1 MILES!

Saturday of RACE WEEKEND: Yesterday was such a wonderful day! Fam was able to be present as my cousin Stephanie was sworn in as a LAWYER! All of her hard work has paid off. My Papa had arranged the sweetest time together at Y.O. Ranch Steak House downtown. It was a fun dinner with the family along with one of Stephanie’s friends and the judge who swore her in! Papa planned a little welcome and Dad even gave a benediction prayer over Stephanie at the end of dinner…truly AMAZING!

The RACE: This morning my alarm went off at 5:45 (finally! I tossed and turned all night!) Dad and I were in McKinney by 7, we were able to stretch, check out the finish and starting line, and even catch up with some McKinney friends who were running as well! It was VERY cold and even a little rainy the first few miles, but it was perfect running weather by the end! I wore long sleeves and kept my (lulu;) ) jacket on the whole race. I can’t explain to you how much this journey has altered my life and lifestyle. And the best part is it was never a journey I really planned on, it’s not like last year I thought, “I want to be a runner!” or even “I’m going to run a half marathon!” My healthy lifestyle came after Christ gave me a wake up call from a lifestyle that was not honoring him or my body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). I began walking every morning of last summer as a time to pray and be awake before the rest of the world. Little did I know that God was guiding this and growing my discipline as he would later reveal his plan for me to do this half marathon! I can not be more thankful and I am so so excited for all that is to come through my new found love: RUNNING! 🙂

NEW design and appreciation for art

What do y’all think of the new design? Colors and rose picture? I LOVE that painting! I think it is so pretty with the most beautiful colors! I feel like this is a softer look and I was happy to switch up my blog a little! That’s always fun! 🙂 Thanks so much for everyone who has given such amazing feedback via email or comments! I love hearing from you!

Yesterday I shared a picture of an elderly man my little brother sent me! So sweet, and so adorable. I texted the picture to my Dad and he mentioned it looked like a Norman Rockwell painting, curious I looked up his artwork and was so in love! This morning I am inspired by such beautiful artwork! Perhaps my appreciation comes from an artist as a Dad, nonetheless here are some of my absolute favorite pieces of art.

First and formost my all time favorite artist is my Dad, Jeff Warren! He majored in graphic design in college and then went on to seminary to pursue all God had in store for him. Art has followed him in his profession ever since, whether it was back in the youth group days making calendars with silly cartoons or more recently using sand art during Christmas Eve services. I LOVE when he paints. It just is another little piece of him I love. I hope to show much more of his work someday when I’m home! Perhaps we can get an exclusive interview with him;)

This next piece is HUGE and hanging in our Dallas home. I will be stealing it when I get a place of my own, because yes, it is THAT amazing! My Dad usually tells a story as he paints, not verbally but visually. He will begin with perhaps, baby Jesus in a manger and transform it into Jesus on the cross. That is one thing that is so powerful about his artwork.

Having an artist as a Dad has been so fun and I think it has bred in me appreciation for beauty in the small things. And no I’m not going to give all the credit to my Dad in this, having a beautiful and positive mother has also upped my chances for an optimistic outlook:) But truly art is so wonderful to me and I’m thankful I have been taught to appreciate it! Here are a few more recent/forever favorites.My all time favorite by famed Vincent Van Gogh, or maybe my all time favorite piece of art… EVER.

‘Starry Night’

If you haven’t heard Don McLean’s song, ‘Starry Starry Night’ then look it up NOW!

My favorite museum day, The Louvre in Paris a few summers ago.

 

“A beautiful thing never gives so much pain as does failing to hear and see it.”

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”

-Michelangelo

Click on this link below to see an amazing story on hope,art, forgiveness and Colorado!

portrait

Exciting News: Guest Blogger Buddies

Current Mood: Tired (but happy for the weekend)!!!

Currently Listening to: ‘Just Not Each Other’ by James Fitzsimmons

SO happy the weekend is almost here! This week has been such a blur of tests and I can’t stand anymore!! I wanted to let y’all know about a fun opportunity I had. I was able to guest blog on one of my dear friends blogs! Lindsay Cash and I have known each other ever since I came to Baylor, we are Pi Phis together! Anyway her blog is amazing. Most recently she has been posting about her time in New York (she’s still there)! I tried to write a little about the excitement of the city and encourage her and all of us really to slow down and enjoy the day, wherever we find ourselves! Check out the story and her GREAT blog: HERE or follow her on Twitter….HERE 🙂

A few other shout outs to friends with blogs (or you can always find them on twitter) 🙂

@jeffwarren is yes, my Dad! His blog is so filled with truth and I can always hear him through his writting..love you Dad! Find purpose [here]

@brianndorris she is my roommate who has been blogging as long as I have, if not longer. I’ve linked her blog before but head to it whenever you’re in need of inspiration or any scripture. She writes beautifully. [here]

@hannah_park is a fabulous friend of mine and I’ve just recently tuned into her blog. Very real, fun and amazing pictures! Check it out! [here]

@RamieBaker is my roommate and one of my best friends…Her up and coming blog is sure to be hilarious. Her first post should be up this Friday [here]

@_averykate has such a sweet blog, with constant posts, it’s always a great place to stop by! [here]