hello madisonrskipper

After nearly a year of blogging as Monogrammed Madison, I have decided to make my blog more personal as I head off to college. Thank you for all the support for the last year. I hope you will continue to enjoy my blog. Below is a link to follow my adventures on my new and improved blog.

blog: madisonrskipper.wordpress.com

instagram: @madisonrskipperblog

today is the day

Today is the day. The day I have dreamed about since kindergarten when I asked my mom when I would be able to wear that "square hat and shiny robe." The day that sometimes felt like would never be here. The day that most everything I've ever known changes.

Over the past few months I have taken a break from my blog. I definitely haven't taken a break from life though. The weeks leading up to this day have been filled with excitement, adventure, lots of nostalgia, a few tears, planning, and just plain living.

Dancing the night away at prom.

Aruba rocked (literally) 

Just chilling with my (fl)amigos.

SO blessed to have these pretty ladies in my life.

College orientation was fun!

I couldn't have asked for a better ending to the best year of my life. Senior year has been just that, the best year of my life. My experiences, my struggles, my fears, and my memories of this year have truly shaped me to be who I am today. I have learned so much about myself (and like to pretend I have learned a lot about how the world works).

Everything has a way of working out.
Although some things didn't go exactly as I planned or hoped, everything worked out. This year I learned the importance of keeping the big picture in mind. I let one bad test grade stress me out, and look I'm still going to my dream college and everything is okay.

Cherish all friendships.
This year I have met more new people than ever before. Many of which have become my really close friends, some of which only where part of life for a short time. Either way I have learned a lot about myself as a result of people entering or exiting my life. I have learned to cherish all friendships, not just the ones who have years behind them. New friendships can be awkward or even scary but the reward far out weights the risk.

Go do something (& take pictures).
Don't get me wrong, my senior year had its fair share of Netflix nights but those aren't the nights I remember. I remember the times I went out to brunch with friends or had late night jam seshs or went exploring downtown. I love the quote "we didn't know we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun." And don't forget to take pictures because, like the quote says, we are making memories that you'll want to remember.

Conversation is key.
Whether it be with your parents, your best friend, or your significant other, conversation is key. I discovered that life is a lot easier and there are a lot less problems if you just communicate. Also I learned not to be afraid to ask for things you want. The worst someone can say is no.

As I walk across that stage today to receive my diploma, I know this is the ending of one chapter of my life and the start of a new one. The familiar faces that I have been surrounded by since kindergarten will soon be replaced with lots of new faces at college. I couldn't be more excited to start this new chapter but I will never forget the memories, lessons, and experiences I have learned here. So here's to the class of 2015!

accountability

This past week, Ali (@thehappyprepster), my friend Emily, and I dove into a series called Open Your Bible from the She Reads Truth website. Initially I was most excited about diving into God's word and fellowshipping with these sweet girls. I had no idea how much being accountable would positively effect my relationship with God. 

Each day for the past week we have individually done that day's devotional and then shared our thoughts on a group message. Throughout the week we also sent prayer requests and just shared things about our week. It sounds so simple, and it really is, but that group message encouraged me to stay focused on God and in His word all week. (By no means am I say it went perfect, I did skip the devotional on Thursday, but they kept me accountable!)

God calls us to share in this type of way. In Thessalonians 5:11 we are told to encourage one another and build each other up. It's so simply, yet so effective, to be able to send or read an encouraging word from Ali or Emily at random times of the day. Also, my relationship with God has deepened. I been spending more time in prayer since the start of this series. I honestly believe, like in Proverbs 13:20, that when you walk with the wise, you become wise. I have loved sharing my thoughts and hearing (rather reading on text) their interpretations of each day's devotional.

I want to encourage you to grab a few friends and start keeping each other accountable. Honestly it so easy; all you need a bible study (She Reads Truth is my personal fave- it's free and online!), your bible, possibly a cute notebook, and a group message. Comment below your thoughts below!

friday fun

Fridays rock but today like really, really rocked. This Friday was filled with French toast, fresh flowers, friends, fine arts, and fresh air (alliteration on point!). Since it’s Good Friday, I had off of school and I spent my day doing some of my favorite things.

I started the day off at one of my favorite breakfast places, Daily Eats (and yes I post way too much about their French toast but its SO good!) I met up with five girls from the Tampa Bay area who are also going to be, like me, freshman at Auburn University this fall. It was so exciting to meet these girls. We chatted all about our favorite things to do in Tampa and what we are looking forward to in college.

After finishing my delicious French toast and saying goodbye to my new friends, I went to Trader Joe's to pick up some fresh flowers because you doesn’t love fresh flowers?! I was a little very indecisive when it came to picking out which bouquet to get. I ended up going with the adorable, bright pink tulips. They seemed perfect for Easter weekend. 

Once I finally picked which flowers to get, I headed to Davis Island to meet Ali (@thehappyprepster) and my friend Emily for tea and a bible study. Again, I was a little indecisive when it came to picking out which tea to get but in my defense there were like a hundred to choose from. I ended up getting my usual, the mint julep. 

We caught up on life, talking about the struggles of being a second semester senior, our excitement for college, and then dived into a bible study. We started the She Reads Truth fourteen day study called Open Your Bible. I cannot wait to share in later posts more about this series. I have a feeling the next fourteen days are going to be amazing!

It’s crazy to think my Friday still isn’t over (crazy right?!). Following our awesome bible study, I said bye to Ali and Emily and took a visit to the Tampa Bay Museum of Art. In no way do I consider myself an “artsy” or “museum” kind of person. This visit was strictly for the purpose of a school assignment, but it turned out to be a fun experience. I came to look at the classical art and ended up spending most of my visit looking the more modern art by Norman Rockwell which is really cool!

I concluded this fun Friday by blogging in my eno at Curtis Hixon Park which is next to the art museum. I had such a great day off filled with all of my favorite things. I am looking forward to the rest of Easter weekend and spending time with my family. 

Be sure to follow more of my adventures on Instagram, @monogrammedmadison. Comment below what your idea of a perfect day is!

chasing after laughter

Spring is in full bloom here in Florida (literally). This afternoon I was laughing and frolicking - did I really just say frolicking - around in my new favorite shorts while taking pictures with Macey (@ohmyprep). After our impromptu mini photoshoot (that's a thing, right?), I was looking through the dozens of pictures that we took and couldn't help but notice how many of them I was laughing in and not in the "make me laugh, I need a cute candid" kind of laughing but the truly happy kind of laughing. 

Like the book of Ecclesiastes says, there is a time for everything. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4) Lately, I have really been feeling joyful. No life isn't going perfect and yes, things are stressful, but I am focused on God and allowing His peace to bring me joy. With graduation quickly approaching and planning for college, this is a time for me to be happy and get excited for the future. *insert happy dance here* I have been trying to take each day as it comes seeking the greatness even in the tough days or the plain ole' boring days.

Today, I just wanted to encourage you to chase after laughter. Look for things to make you smile. Laugh at other people's jokes, no matter how cheesy they may be. Laugh at silly things like the funny sound your sneakers make when you walk on tile. Laugh at yourself. Nothing is better than being able to laugh at yourself. I probably laugh at myself more than most people laugh in a day. 

I've always heard that "laughing is the best medicine" and even The Bible says it is in Proverbs 17:22, a cheerful heart is good medicine. Today, try not to take everything so seriously and laugh a little (or a lot!) 

This is me chasing after laughter (thanks for capturing this Macey!). My clothing is all from Target, my shoes are Jack Rogers, and my monogram necklace is from Etsy. Be sure to follow me on Instagram to keep up with more of my adventures.  Comment below and on Instagram what makes you smile!

you do you

I always have heard the phrase, “life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself” and that overwhelmed me. I thought how or what do I create myself to be. As I continue to grow closer in my relationship with God, it has become evident to me that life is about discovering who God wants me to be, not who I want to be.

Recently, my devotional book (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young) had this quote, “enjoy the adventure of finding yourself through losing yourself in God.” The past few weeks that has stuck with me. 

First off, the quote says enjoy meaning take pleasure in and have fun. Lately, I have been enjoying doing exciting things and trying new things. I am by no means saying I am “going crazy” or losing focus on my priorities, but I have just been trying to love life and all that God has to offer me. I’ve been trying to break the mold of you should dress like this, say these things, listen to this type of music, and step out of my box. Since doing this, I think I have become less judgmental. The last few weeks I have been loving learning about new things and meeting new people. While keeping in line with God’s word, I have been living the “you do you way” meaning live your life the way you feel God is leading you to. Don’t let society's stereotypes decide what you wear or what you like to do or who you hang out with.

Secondly it says, finding yourself through losing yourself which reminds me of the verse 2 Corinthians 5:17. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here.” God cleans, purifies, and makes our broken hearts new. To me, finding yourself through losing yourself is the perfect illustration of that. We can try finding ourselves through social media, our friends, school, or hobbies but to truly find yourself we need God.

I remember hearing someone say that when you do what you know God wants you to do, you will be the happiest. I honestly do believe that. I encourage you to focus on God and discover who He wants you to be. This has been my goal each day for the past few weeks and I can honestly say God’s peace and joy has been an overwhelmingly presence. I hope “you can do you” and experience God in a similar way.

important reminders

Have you ever had one of those days? Ya know, the days where you fail a test & end up balling your eyes out while sitting in your car. Okay, maybe that’s just me but I am sure we’ve all experienced some sort of (at the time seemingly) disastrous event. For me, many of these “disastrous” times are school related.

Last week, I was spending most of my time preparing for a big test. Countless hours studying and many cups of coffee later, I failed it. Yes, failed. 

Now looking back it, I see how I was overreacting but when I received my grade I was a mess, like sitting-in-my-car-ugly-crying a mess. 

That morning for some reason I decided to toss my bible in my backpack which isn’t something I usually do. While sitting in my car being a mess, I reached for my bible and desperately typed into Google “devotionals for when you fail a test.” To my surprise there were lots of results. I clicked on the first one (click here). This devotional was simple but exactly what I needed to be reminded of.

When my world is turned upside down I need to remember…

God loves me.

No matter what happens, God doesn’t love me any less.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that’s what we are! -1 John 3:1

God knows me better than you know myself.

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is even formed on my tongue, you know if completely. -Psalm 139:1-4

God knows the future and He is in control of everything.

I need to trust that He knows what he is doing.

All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. -Psalm 139:16

God’s plans may be different from my plans
but God’s plans > my plans.

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. -Proverbs 16:9

Many are the plans in a person’s heart but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. -Proverbs 19:21

God is more concerned with who we are than what we do.

God’s ultimate purpose for my life is for me to be more like Jesus. I cannot do that when I rest on others or academics for my self-esteem.

And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. -Romans 8:28-29

There is nothing too big for God to deal with, so pray, and pray, and pray.

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. -1 Peter 5:7

Whatever you may be going through this morning or this week or even this month, always remembered that God cares about YOU (yes, you who is reading this!) and whether we realize it or understand it, God does everything for our good. With that said, you go kick Monday morning's butt!