A Pocketful of Faith

November Playlist 2018

I’m not sure if this is my latest monthly playlist post ever but I’m sure it’s pretty close (oops). I thought about saving this playlist for December but I’ve just found so much good music lately I needed to share it all! I promise the December playlist is coming in a more timely manner though (December 5th to be exact). Lately I’ve been obsessed with “So Will I (100 Billion X),” and yes, I know I’m super late to that party. I’ve also been loving Chelsea Cutler’s new album, “Sleeping With Roses II,” and several songs by Maggie Rogers, especially “Light On.” Okay, okay, let’s get to the playlist! Enjoy!

November Playlist

Tap on the name of a song below to listen to it on YouTube!

So Will I (100 Billion X) // When We Were Young // Thick and Thin // AF1s // Sunflower // Light On // Consideration // Again // thank u, next // Nothing I Hold on to (Live) // Beach House // Grown Up // Dreams // Wake Up in the Sky // Falling for U

Thanks for reading! What’s your favorite song right now?

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Scripture Sunday Vol. 41

Good morning and happy Sunday! I feel like it’s been ages since my last “Scripture Sunday” post, and for that I’m so sorry. Writing these posts is truly my favorite thing about this blog, I love having a platform to share the things God is teaching me. Today I’m finally sharing a new installment in this Scripture study series and I’m excited for you to read it! This verse has been so significant for me lately as I hold myself to a standard that I often fall short of. Enjoy!

Today’s Verses:

Ephesians 2:8-9; For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Growing up in two households of families that go to church every Sunday, attending the 10:00am service each week feels like more than a routine, it’s part of who I am. Even when we’re out of town, we often go to a relative’s church. Missing a service, while this has never been explicitly said by anyone in my family, makes me feel as though I’m falling short in my faith. Just last week I spent the night at a friend’s house with plans of going to church in the morning, but I overslept. I beat myself up over missing church all day, even though I attended a Bible study that evening. When I miss church, wake up late and don’t have time to read my Bible in the morning before school, or even skip weeks of writing these “Scripture Sunday” posts, I feel like a failure.

The truth is, I’m falling short in more ways than just missing religious activities, we all are. Whether it’s a white lie, falling into temptation in a high school relationship, or stealing something at the grocery store, sin invades our lives constantly. We’re affected by sin every day, and if it’s not our own sin it’s the sin of someone around us. We can easily see the brokenness in the world, from divorce to mass shootings. So if we’re all constantly missing the mark, how are we ever supposed to be deserving of heaven?

We aren’t. The cool thing about Christianity is that our God isn’t tallying our good and bad actions to determine whether or not we’ve won the game of life and earned a spot in heaven, He’s wrapped up the gift and has His arm outstretched towards us. All we have to do is accept it and begin to live a life affected by that choice, believing that it makes a difference. Recently I’ve been loving Ephesians 2:8-9, which says “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Grace was defined to me by a YoungLife leader at camp a few years ago as “something the giver knows we don’t deserve, but gives us anyways.” This definition was followed by the example of baking someone a cake after they punch you. The “cake,” or gift of eternal life, is given to us by God even though we “punch Him,” or lie and skip church and cheat every day. All of our sinful acts are like a slap in the face, but His hand never flinches, still outstretched for us. No one, not Mother Theresa or your saint of a childhood Sunday school teacher, really deserves what He gives us, but that’s kind of the point.

How crazy is it to think of baking someone a cake after they hit you? No, not one of those cakes with something sarcastic and vicious iced on top, but the best cake you’ve ever baked. Imagining receiving that from God is such a vivid picture to me of how recklessly He loves us. I’m so reassured knowing that there’s nothing in my life I’ve done or will do to earn His love and the eternal life He gives. What’s important is that I’m trying. What’s more important is that He still gives eternal love and life to the full regardless of how many times I mess up. Remember this when you’re beating yourself up for a comment that came out ruder than you meant for it to or when you sleep through your church service.

Thanks for reading! Have a blessed week!

Black Friday Shopping Guide 2018

It’s officially Black Friday! How crazy is it that so many of these sales started before Thanksgiving (and many will be extending through Cyber Monday)? Thankfully I’m working at a local shoe boutique today and tomorrow for Black Friday and Shop Small Saturday, so I won’t have too much free time to burn money this year. Today I’m sharing the sales of pretty much every brand and online store I’ve ever even considered shopping at (90 total), from sweaters to water bottles to Bibles. For your convenience, the list is alphabetized and each store is linked and followed by its respective deal(s) and discount code(s) (if necessary)! Here’s to getting all the best deals, happy shopping!

Adidas: Up to 50% off select items

Alex and Ani: 25% off everything plus free standard shipping

Altar’d State: Buy one get one free mix and match Wubbies and sweaters, buy one get one 50% off all keychains, buy one get one 50% off fashion tops, buy one get one 50% off all bottoms, buy one get one 50% off all jewelry, buy one get one 50% off mix and match home decor and candles, buy one get one free Christmas decor, buy one get one free scarves, and buy one get one 50% off mix and match slippers and socks

American Eagle: 40% off everything (exclusions apply) plus free shipping

Ann Taylor: 50% off everything with code “BLACKFRIDAY”

Anthropologie: 30% off everything (exclusions apply)

ASOS: 20% off everything with code “HELLO20”

Athleta: 20% off purchase with code “BLISS” (exclusions apply) and free shipping on orders $50 or more

Baehr Feet (the shoe boutique I work at!): Buy one get one 50% off all full priced items (this includes brands like Tory Burch, Rebecca Minkoff, Jack Rogers, Kate Spade, Marc Fisher, and Jeffrey Campbell just to name a few)

Banana Republic: 50% off regular-priced items, an additional 10% off for cardmembers with code “BRCARD” and free shipping on orders $50 or more

Ban.do: 30% off everything with code “THIRTYOFF”

Bath & Body Works: Buy 3, get 3 free (mix and match entire site) plus $30 tote with $30 purchase using code “TOTESYES”

BaubleBar: 35% off everything plus free U.S. shipping and returns

Boden: 30% off plus free shipping and returns on orders over $49 with code “V4N9”

boohoo: 60% off everything (including sale)

Chan Luu: 20% off sitewide with code “BLACKFRIDAY20”

Charming Charlie: $10 off your order of $40, $20 off your purchase of $65, $30 off your purchase of $90 or more, and 50% off all clothing plus free shipping on orders of $29 or more

Consider the Wldflwrs (where my dainty stacked rings are from!): 15% off everything with code “CONSIDER15” plus $20 gift card with purchase

Cute Loops Jewelry (one of my favorite Etsy jewelry shops): 20% off everything

Dormify: 25% off your order with code “BLACKFRIDAY2018” plus free shipping on orders over $50

Erin Condren (my favorite planner of all time): 30% off everything

Evelyn Henson: 20% off with code “GINGERBREAD20”

Forever 21: Extra 50% off sale (exclusions apply), jackets and coats starting at $12, sweaters starting at $8, jewelry starting at $1.90, and cold weather accessories starting at $3

Free People: 50% off select styles and an additional 25% off select sale styles

Freestyle: Buy one watch at full price, get a strap 50% off plus free shipping on orders over $35

Gap: 50% off everything with code “BLKFRIDAY”, bonus 10% off everything with code “TREAT” and free shipping on orders $50 or more

Grey Bandit: 20% off orders over $50 with code “20BABY” and 25% off orders over $150 with code “25BABY” plus free shipping on all U.S. orders

Hosanna Revival: $10 off any purchase over $50 with code “SAVE10”, $25 off any purchase over $100 with code “SAVE25”, and $70 off any purchase over $250 with code “SAVE70”

H&M: 30% off everything plus free shipping (combinable with sale and already reduced items)

Hydroflask: 25% off everything plus free shipping on orders over $60

Jadelynn Brooke: Buy one long sleeve, get an exclusive long sleeve FREE with every order

Jack Rogers: 80% off select styles

J.Crew: 50% off entire purchase with code “TGIF” plus free standard shipping with J.Crew Rewards

J.Crew Factory: Extra 40-50% off sitewide (some exclusions apply) and up to 80% off original prices in clearance with code “ADD2CART” plus free standard shipping with J.Crew Rewards

Kate Spade: 30% off everything (exclusions apply) with code “GIVECHEER”

Kendra Scott: 20% off all purchases, 25% off purchases of $100 or more, and 30% off purchases of $200 or more

KJP: 25% off everything with code “COZYCABIN”

Life is Good: Buy any two tees, get one free plus free shipping on orders $49 or more

Lilly Pulitzer: Free gifts with any purchase of $75 or more plus free ground shipping

Lisi Lerch: 30% off plus $5 shipping

L.L. Bean: 25% off Bean Boots with code “BOOT25”, 20% off clothing and outerwear (includes all sale items) with code “THANKS20”, and free $10 gift card for use on a future order when you spend $50 or more by December 24

LOFT: 50% off any purchase with code “FRIYAY”

Loren Hope: 20% off with code “SPARKLE20”, 25% off orders of $250 or more with code “SPARKLE25”, and 30% off orders of $500 or more with code “SPARKLE30”

Lululemon: sale on select items (linked)

Lulu’s: 25-90% off everything with code “BF25” plus free shipping

Madewell: 25% off purchase with code “DEALWITHIT” plus free shipping and returns for Madewell Insiders (I’d recommend joining because it’s actually free and they gave me a $25 gift card with no minimum for my birthday this year!)

Magnolia Market: $15 off a $75 purchase with code “thanks15”, $50 off a $150 purchase with code “thanks50”, and $100 off a $300 purchase with code “thanks100” (exclusions apply)

Missguided: 50% off everything with code “useme” plus $5 standard shipping

Moon & Lola: 30% off everything with code “TGIBF”

Nasty Gal: 60% off everything

Nathan (my favorite water bottle): 20% off everything and up to 50% off sale items

Natural Life: Up to 75% off plus free shipping

Neiman Marcus: $50 off your $200 purchase (regular prices) with code “THANKFUL”, up to 60% off select sale items (extra 33% off – linked), and up to 50% off select designer items (linked) plus free shipping and returns

Neiman Marcus Last Call: Extra 40-80% off everything plus free shipping on orders of $99 or more with code “LCSHIP”

New Balance: 20% off plus free shipping

Nike: Extra 25% off select styles (linked) with code “THANKS”

Nordstrom: Up to 60% off sitewide, up to 40% off designer clearance

Nordstrom Rack: Extra 30% off clearance, up to 40% off select boots, up to 60% off select crossbodies, select sweaters under $20, and free shipping on standard orders

Old Navy: 50% off entire purchase, $5 tees, $15 jeans, $25 outerwear, $12 sweaters, $5 winter accessories, $6 sleepwear, $20 kids outerwear, $9 kids jeans, and free shipping on orders $50 or more

PBTeen: 25% off everything (exclusions apply) plus free shipping with code “OHWHATFUN”

Pottery Barn: 25% off everything plus free shipping with code “BLACKFRIDAY” (some exclusions apply and free shipping excludes furniture)

Pura Vida Bracelets: 50% off sitewide plus free shipping on all U.S. orders

Rebecca Minkoff: 25% off orders of $100 or more with code “THX25” and take 30% off orders of $200 or more with code “THX30”

RedBubble (the BEST place to buy fun stickers): 20% off everything with code “BLACK20”

Revolve: Up to 50% off new markdowns plus free shipping and returns

Rifle Paper Co: 30% off sitewide (excluding rugs and pillows) with code “SAVE30” and free domestic shipping for orders over $50

Sam Edelman: Extra 30% off (almost) everything with code “SAMSGIVING2018”

Sashka Co: Up to 65% off everything

Sephora: $15 and under deals

Sheila Fajl: 20% off everything with code “THANKYOU2018”

SheIn: $5 off orders of $59 or more, $15 off orders of $99 or more, $35 off orders of $189 or more, select styles 3 for $29, select styles 80% off 3 or more items, and free standard shipping with code “BLACKSALE”

Shopbop: Up to 25% off full-price items, up to 75% off sale items, 15% off orders of $200 or more, 20% off orders of $500 or more, and 25% orders of $800 or more with code “MORE18”

Southern Marsh: $25 off on orders over $125, $50 off on orders over $225, $100 off on orders over $400, and $200 off on orders over $600 plus free shipping on orders over $95

Southern Shirt Company: Full priced items 20% off and sale items extra 40% off with code “SSBLK”

Southern Tide: 20% off when you spend $125 or more, 25% off when you spend $200 or more, and 30% off when you spend $275 or more plus free ground shipping and returns on all orders over $99

Starfish Project: jewelry up to 80% off

Steve Madden: 25% off with code “THANKS”

Stuart Weitzman: 30% off select full-price items with code “BLACKFRIYAY”

S’well: 25% off entire purchase with code “BF2018”

The Frye Company: up to 40% off and $100 gift with every $400 you spend

The North Face: 25% off Black Friday styles plus free shipping and returns

TOMS: 30% off sitewide with code “THANKFUL”

Topshop: up to 50% off selected coats and jackets, 30% off selected jeans, up to 50% off selected partywear, up to 50% off selected shoes, up to 50% off selected tops, 30% off all Ivy Park, and free worldwide shipping

Tory Burch: up to 60% off with code “THANKS”

UGG: up to 60% off select styles (linked)

Under Armour: 40% off Black Friday Exclusives (linked) plus free shipping

Urban Outfitters: buy one get one 50% off mix and match items (exclusions apply) and free worldwide shipping on orders over $50

Vera Bradley: 30% off your entire purchase (including already reduced sale items) plus free shipping

Vineyard Vines: 40% off sale styles, 25% off full-priced items, and free ground shipping on orders over $125

Zara: 30% off entire collection

Thanks for reading! Have an awesome Black Friday!

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Thanksgiving Outfit & 50 Things I’m Thankful for 2018

Happy Thanksgiving! I’ve always loved Thanksgiving because it’s the only holiday solely focused on family, and its peak is the gathering of your loved ones around a table for a big, delicious meal. Today, as I have since 2016, I’m sharing my Thanksgiving day outfit along with fifty things I’m thankful for. If you’re interested in reading my Thanksgiving posts from the past two years you can find them here and here. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Outfit

I picked up this orange sweater at H&M a couple years ago (I promise it’s more of a burnt orange color like the sweater I linked, I’m not sure why it looks so red in the photos!) and I think it’s just perfect for a Thanksgiving outfit! I’ve been loving my Old Navy flare jeans lately, and they dress up any simple top. I tucked my sweater into the jeans with a Gucci belt dupe and paired the jeans with my favorite pair of brown TOMS booties. To accessorize, I added a grey leopard print Chan Luu neckerchief, which I layered with my Kendra Scott Elisa pendant necklace in White Pearl, along with the matching Danielle earrings.

sweater (similar) // flare jeans // booties (similar) // earrings // necklace // neckerchief // Gucci belt dupe // rose gold ring // gold stacked rings

50 Things I’m Thankful For

My life this year has been insane. Above all the things on this list, I’m thankful that I don’t always get what I want. This time a year ago I wanted to go to a different college and I wanted to do YoungLife Work Crew in the summer of 2018 at a different camp than the one I ended up at. If I got what I thought I wanted, not what God knew was best for me, I would be prepared to attend a college that might not foster my relationship with Christ and therefore make me as happy as I know the one I’m now committed to going to will. If I got what I wanted, I wouldn’t have gone to Saranac Village for a month and met so many incredible friends I can’t imagine living without. I’m so grateful that God wrecks my plans to pave a way for bigger, better things. This list is just the tip of the iceberg of all the things I have to be thankful for, but here it is (in no particular order).

God’s love that I’ll never be able to earn and don’t have to
My supportive, loving family
My loyal and hilarious friends
My church community
YoungLife
My YoungLife leaders who are mentors, role models, and best friends to me
The opportunity to lead Wyldlife (YoungLife’s middle school ministry) and the chance to go to camp with my Wyldlife girls twice this year
The opportunity to serve on YoungLife Work Crew at Saranac Village this past summer
My dear Work Crew friends who I miss with all of my heart
My Work Crew bosses and the wisdom they still provide me with
My WJMC friends
The four Bible studies I participate in and the community they provide
My admission to Baylor University (read my post about how I chose to attend Baylor here!)
The opportunity to go to college
The gift of traveling with friends and family
Police officers, firefighters, and paramedics that take care of us when in the state of emergency and provide safety and security
Access to healthcare
Clean water
Food (and good food at that)
The police
My pets
Clothes
Shoes that keep my feet warm and serve their purpose
My contact lenses and glasses that allow me to see properly
Our armed forces that protect the freedoms we often take for granted
My relationship with the ladies of Jadelynn Brooke, the chance to finally meet them this past September, and the opportunity to represent their brand at my school (P.S. use my code “FLHS” for 15% off your purchase!)
The chance to get to know new Jadelynn Brooke ambassadors through Jadelynn Brooke’s mentor program
My friendship with the sophomore girl I’ve been bringing to school everyday this year
Access to skincare
A job that I love
Taylor Swift songs
Big hugs
My stepmother’s chocolate chip pie
My pen pals across the country
Handwritten notes
Big Cookie at YoungLife camp
The unexplainable joy I experience at concerts and music festivals
My school’s lacrosse program
My body’s ability to play lacrosse and participate in other physical activities
My lacrosse teammates
My DSLR camera
Netflix
Dark Chocolate
Chick-fil-A chicken minis
Candles
Blankets
Corny jokes and puns
The platform that my blog gives me to share my passions and the love of Christ
All of the friends I’ve made through blogging
You! All of my blog and Instagram followers are something I’ll never take for granted. I have no idea what I did to deserve this.

Thanks for reading and happy Thanksgiving!

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I Know Where I’m Going!

Of all the posts I’ve ever published, today’s might just be the most exciting. As most of you already know, I’m currently a senior in high school, which means it’s about time for me to pick a college. I love having a plan and knowing things in advance, so I’ve been waiting for this moment since freshman year. I actually got accepted to the school I’ll be attending on October 31st, but I wanted to wait to share until I had paid my deposit and come up with the perfect way to tell y’all. That “perfect way,” (if there is such a thing) is taking place tonight, as I’m publishing this post I’m also announcing where I’ll be attending college on Instagram livestream (follow me on Instagram @apocketfuloffaith if you don’t already so you don’t miss other fun updates and opportunities to provide input!). I’m so sorry for the disconnect between us lately, it’s just been so hard to put up content while holding off on sharing something so important to me right now. Alright, enough waiting, let’s talk about where I’m going to college!

I currently live in South Carolina, but I was born in Texas, where my parents are from and all of my extended family still resides. That said, I’ve returned to Texas every summer since moving when I was four to visit family and explore. I’ve always known I’d want to go back to Texas for college, so I actually didn’t even apply to any in-state schools. Through process of elimination based on availability of my major (journalism), city setting (I wanted a town with an identity outside of the school and plenty of things to do), and proximity to my extended family (I wanted to be within a couple hours from them since I’d be so far from my immediate family), I narrowed my schools of interest list down to Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, the University of Texas at Austin, Baylor University, and Trinity University.

I visited three of these schools; SMU, Baylor, and UT, and what they say about the importance of visiting is absolutely true. The school’s website, however appealing and pretty, will never generate the same feeling as asking current students for directions and connecting with a tour guide. I would also definitely recommend visiting during the school year, because interaction with current students is really the best way to tell if you could actually see yourself there. I always thought I wanted to be in a big city, and that a large campus or student size wouldn’t bother me, but I was wrong. While visiting I quickly learned that I wanted a medium-sized school with a defined campus (one that you couldn’t just wander onto from the city).

Another factor in my decision, which I didn’t anticipate beforehand, was how badly I yearned for a school where Christian community would be easy to find. I’m super involved in YoungLife here in South Carolina, and after being on YoungLife Work Crew at Saranac Village this summer (read my post about that amazing month here) I realized that community is really important in keeping my faith strong. At the end of one specific college tour, after I expressed my heart being torn between schools, my tour guide said, knowing I was involved in YoungLife from a previous conversation, “I know you’ll end up where you belong, where God wants you.” That’s the kind of friend I want in college, and that, along with the other incredible experiences I had on campus that day, is why I chose my school.

I’m going to Baylor University! Between the stunning campus, fostered Christian community, Dr. Pepper Hour, the bear habitat (where they nurture two adorable American Black Bears on campus!), the oldest Homecoming Tradition in American history, and running the Baylor Line, I left campus the day of my tour knowing I didn’t want to go anywhere else. I couldn’t be more ecstatic to spend the next four years in Waco, TX and I can’t wait to take y’all along with me (as I’m currently planning to continue blogging in college). As a matter of fact, my current career plan has stemmed from my love for blogging. I will be majoring in journalism and minoring in apparel merchandising in hopes of pursuing my dream of writing for a major fashion magazine like Vogue!

Thank you for all of your support over the past four years of high school! More college and Baylor-related posts are coming soon. Thanks for reading and sic ’em bears!

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Over the Knees & Bell Sleeves

I have this running joke with my friends and family that my outfits are often very “blogger” of me when they’re a little more “out there” or bold. Today’s look, including over the knee boots with white jeans in October, is definitely one of those blogger outfits. I’m also obsessed with the sweater in today’s look and I’m so beyond excited to be breaking it out for another season now that it’s finally getting cold! This ensemble is a fun break from the normal fall and winter outfits and I think I’ll be repeat-wearing it quite a bit in the next few months. Enjoy!

This purple bell sleeve sweater is a piece I splurged on from Nordstrom last fall after seeing it on Dani Austin’s Instagram story. I love this pretty purple hue for the cooler months and I’m a sucker for anything with bell sleeves! Unfortunately, this sweater is no longer available online but I linked a few similar ones below! I paired the sweater with white jeans (this far after Labor Day, I know!) to contrast my black over the knee boots. I got these Sam Edelman over the knee boots in January and I’ve absolutely loved them – they’re so fun to style and I think they’re so flattering on your legs. I accessorized with my matching Kendra Scott white pearl Elisa pendant necklace and Danielle earrings then added my key necklace for a little variety.