Erin Condren Deal and Tab Solution!

There is one reason I choose get emails about Plum District deals:

Erin Condren.

I refuse to pay full price for anything on that website, but I love the products. So when I saw a Plum District deal for $25 for $50 worth of Erin Condren wonderfulness, I had to get it!

You can't use it for the Life Planners - but you can use it for everything else. Which is a LOT of cute stuff. (Have you SEEN their iPhone cases?!)

Here's the link if you want to check it out:

http://www.plumdistrict.com/three_for_free/37f21debc1/click

(If three people use my link, I get it fo freeeee. But I would let you know about this deal regardless because it fills me with the warmth of organizational cuteness.)

Also, I've been meaning to share this extra tidbit of information with you for months. You know how I love my Erin Condren life planner right? I've definitely told you about it before. :)

But even though it's been a great pal and help to me, the tabs started looking...shabby. And not shabby chic. Just shabby.

So I did some research and found a blogger who came up with an excellent solution.

Here is Kristin from The Little Princess Diaries' original post.

Her suggestion was to get Avery brand 1.5'' clear tabs to put over the life planner tabs. Simply genius. 

Look at my shiny, protected tabs!

It worked like a charm. I can flip those tabs all day baby no problem.

It requires some maneuvering of the Avery tabs but Kristin shows you how to do it (with a video) so I won't go into detail. Much thanks to her and her wonderful idea!

So for those of you who have a life planner or are thinking about getting one - get some tab protectors! It makes it SO MUCH BETTER.

Life Lately through Instagram!

Oh heyyyyyy. How's it going, blog peeps?? I've missed you.

*IMPORTANT* - Even if you don't read another word of this post PLEASE scroll to the very bottom of the post & complete my request. Do it. Now. Thanks.

Life is so busy but I'm not complaining. We are mucho blessed. Here's some updates.

(Through Instagram pics of course! But Jordan ordered us a new little camera so more pics will be on the blog in the future...)

We have a lot of weddings to attend this summer/fall. One weekend in June we have a wedding Friday night and then one the next day on Saturday. It's gonna be cray. (Cray is our new word these days, we're weird.)

One of those weddings will be that of my beautiful friend Sarah! I went to her shower the other day and it was so good to be reunited with some of my lovely high school friends. Yes, I know, it's odd but very cool that I'm still so close with at least 10 of my high school friends. :)

Carrie, Keri, Sarah (the future bride!), Sarah, and Me

Last weekend I was abruptly woken up earlyyy Sunday morning with EXTREME pain in my lower left side. I started freaking out, Jordan thought it was my appendix and was about to rush me somewhere, but then luckily he looked it up and your appendix is on your right side apparently. 

I just waited it out and it eventually faded (after Jordan calmed me and helped me through it by praying and singing - wow I love that man) and I was able to get some sleep. I still didn't feel so good the rest of that day though and laid around lookin' all bumlike as you can see by this pic.

But that was seriously so painful. From talking with others who have experienced the same sort of thing it seems as though it may have been an ovarian cyst that burst? I don't know for sure. I didn't go to the doctor, I know I probably should have, but after that day it didn't bother anymore so I think I'm fine. I definitely have a high pain tolerance though so that really freaked me out. 

So I know you must have been dying to know how our quiz team did at the Bible quiz bowl! Okay maybe not but I'm gonna tell you anyway. They did wonderfully. 

Here's our little youth group/quiz team. :)

They were the smallest youth group from the smallest chapel and the youngest team there for there first time ever. So with all of those factors combined, they were definitely the underdog. But they made it to the final round! We were so proud of them and their hard work. And we had a blast at the youth rally. Jordan and I were so blessed to be leaders and we are excited about doing more fun activities with our little youth group. :)

We've been spending as much time as possible with this little guy and his parents since they've been back from China.

I don't know if that was his first taste of ice cream or not, but he sure acted like it was. He's definitely a Shelley - the family of ice cream lovers. 

Harvey just gets cuter and cuter. There is seriously about to be a blog post all about him because you need to see more pictures of him. You just need to. We're also about to go to the beach with them for 5 days aaahhhhh I'm so excited I can't even stand it!

Speaking of the beach, I've pretty much declared it summer. White sandals and bag and all. 

Including multiple servings of this strawberry shortcake with ice cream deliciousness. Oh man.

I want some right now. 

And last night we went to this amazing barbecue place in downtown Raleigh for the first time. It's kinda a fancyed-up barbecue place if you will. Yum. 

Our great friends Chris and Elizabeth took us there for Jordan's birthday. Oh yeah, my husband had a birthday. He's now 24! But I'll blog about that after we have his party next weekend. :)

Speaking of my gorgeous hunk of a man, he started another season of basketball and I'm loving it of course.

The downside is that it's on Monday nights always which is when I go to my ladies' Bible study. :( But some nights I can do both thankfully. I love cheering him on!

So that's a little of what's been going on lately. I'll leave you with a smile and some yellow. (I love wearing yellow as a brunette. So much better.) 

BY THE WAY. Here's my request. Since so many more people have Instragram now - PLEASE leave me a comment with your username so I can follow you! I LOVE INSTAGRAM so much more than all other forms of social media. I want to follow you!

My name is ashleyshellz so you'll probably see me stalking your pics. I'm thinking about changing my name to christianwifelife so people don't have to remember my actual name and since there's so many Ashleys to keep up with, but we'll see. 

Good night my dears!

Take heart!

I thought I would have a little more time for blogging lately. I unfortunately was wrong. Maybe this weekend after we take our youth group to the youth rally things will be a tiny bit less busy.

Usually I'm an extremely upbeat, optimistic, bubbly person. But lately it's just been rough. I'm exhausted and have honestly been a little down. Yes, I'm SO BLESSED beyond measure and I'm involved in a lot of great things. I'm thankful for my job and all of my activities. I guess I'm just a little weary lately. 

And you know what? Being weary of this world and all that it throws at me and requires of me is not a bad thing necessarily. It makes me rely on Christ's strength and not my own. It makes me realize that this is not my home - my home is an eternal one in heaven. (Philippians 3:20-21)

It makes me rest in a promise like this one, which I have displayed to constantly remind me at home.

I pray that you can rest in this promise today too. No matter what our battles here on this earth are, we already have the victory in Christ.

The Prayer of a Child.

Every Wednesday night, our church (Western Wake Bible Chapel) has a prayer meeting. We have a little time of Bible study/one of our men sharing what God has put on his heart, and then we share prayer requests, break up the guys and girls, and have a time of prayer.
I love this time because we grow so much together as a body of believers when we lift each other up in prayer and encourage each other during our struggles, and also rejoice as well. I'm so thankful that we have the freedom to meet and do this. 
We actually have quite a few kids at our church despite our size, and those kids are PRECIOUS. I love getting to know them. A couple weeks ago Jordan and I were cracking up with some of them for a while, and afterward they told their parents, "I didn't know Jordan and Ashley were so weird!" I think that was a compliment, haha.
When we have our prayer meetings, it's not just for the adults. The kids pray too if they want to. Which is almost every time. 
And let me just tell you, those prayers are some of the most wonderfully sweet, convicting words I have ever heard.
The prayers they pray are simple, straightforward, and genuine. With their sweet little voices they boldly pray on behalf of their friends, family, and neighbors who aren't saved. They pray for their siblings and their parents. They praise the Lord and give thanks to Him.
The one phrase that some of them say almost every Wednesday is the one that always gets me:
"I pray that I will love You more."
Wow.
How often do I simplify my time with the Lord, praising His name, and then just ask to love Him more? Hardly.
I'm challenging myself this week to focus on loving Him more. With all of my heart, soul, and mind. Not anything flashy or complicated. Simplified.
Do you have a current focus in your spiritual life? Maybe it could be focused on being still. Or on thanksgiving in a time of hardship or complacency. Or maybe it's being content. (I personally need endless time for each of those!)
I'll never be able to love Jesus perfectly, or even be able to begin to grasp His love for me. But I can pray to love Him more. And that is one prayer that I already know the answer to. :)

Beware of Christians.

Thought provoking title, right? 

That's the name of the documentary film Jordan recently bought and we watched together last week. 
"Beware of Christians" is about four college guys who were raised in Christian families trying to figure out what being a Christ follower TRULY means. 
I thought it was inspiring, motivational, challenging, Christ-centered, and hilarious.
The guys travel through Europe, opening their eyes to cultures far different from the USA, especially the South. They tackle some tough topics and genuinely discuss their faith and struggles. Struggles that we can all relate to, no matter what age or where we are in life. They go to Scripture to see exactly what the Bible says about each issue instead of just offering their opinions.
I highly recommend it. Here's the trailer.

It's not a film that gives you all the answers - that's what the Bible is for. (It's straight up God's Word after all.) It's a film that makes you THINK. And challenges you.

Jordan will be watching it with his Bible study tomorrow night. I want to watch it with pretty much everyone I know, haha. 

Oh, and a side note for the ladies - this also shows that there ARE guys who are seeking to follow our Savior and be godly leaders. Some girls seem to think that those guys don't really exist, especially college-age ones, but they DO. 

You can buy the film at their website: www.bewareofchristians.com. Please do.

And if you've seen it - let me know what you think!