Coffee Sips and Lovely Links (Vol. 4)

Happy Friday, wonderfuls! Have you had a good week? I sure hope so. Have you been able to do any fun Fall activities? If so, good for you. Pinterest is chocked-full of all-things yummy, pumpkin-y, apple-y, and delish right now. I want to do #allofthethings and make the most of this weather, so the fact that Baby E and I were able to go feed the ducks at the park this week in the fantabulous weather made my heart very happy. And this weekend I am hosting a pumpkin party for the ladies at the seminary. I am so excited and so ready. *Sigh* I love Fall!

But no matter how much I love Fall and love the month of October, that doesn't mean that we suddenly get to be free from the trials and struggles of life.That fight we had with a family member is still there, that rude remark from a co-worker is still in the back of our minds, and our failures still follow us around waiting to tell us how awful we are.



No matter how pretty the weather is, no matter what we have to look forward to, and no matter how many pumpkin parties we get to host, there will always be things that weigh us down on this side of Heaven. And that's why we need constant encouragement and constant reminders of truth to keep us steady.

• This post on Embracing Pits and Comparing Fruit by Brianna George is awesome. Brianna seems to have such a solid, down-to-earth grasp on embracing our trials and being patient for the fruit to come.

• Feel like you are having trouble balancing your goals and dreams while still giving enough time to those you love most? Do you wonder if you are showing those people that they matter? Dale Partridge is teaching a free class called "How to Start a Healthy Business in 30 Days", which may help you with those struggles.

• And honestly, while I was in the process of writing this post I got some news that really stressed me out (I'm fine, promise), and I all of a sudden found myself singing "It Is Well With My Soul". Singing is a HUGE stress-reliever for me, and an encouraging song like "It Is Well" is a blessing of a reminder. So for everyone out there who is stressed, how about we sing this song to the rooftops together? 

Be encouraged, friends. Keep your head up and remember that we can choose not to be stressed, not to worry, and to trust in God instead of our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). When we put those truths into practice, life will be a lot more tolerable when things get tough (and the joyful moments will be even more joyous)!