Biltmore For A Day.

One of the pleasures of being back in the South is visiting places I haven’t been to in awhile. However, this time was different. Why? The dresses and costumes from one of my favorite shows, Downton Abbey, were on display at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. The dresses had exquisite beading detail and beautiful fabrics. My favorite dresses were the debutant’s dresses from Lady Rose MacClare’s introduction to society. I also loved another of Lady Rose’s dresses that was an in-house party dress. The ambience of the house was wonderfully matched to that of the dresses and costumes on display. After touring the house with its’ long corridors and beautifully decorated rooms, we got to see some of the grounds and gardens. I loved seeing the beautifully trimmed lawns and fountains. The rose garden was lovely with all the different types of roses and it reminded a little of the Mirabell Palace Gardens in Salzburg that I toured last summer. On our way back to the car we walked through the green houses and a hot house. I was really excited to see a real hot house after watching all of the Jane Austen movies like Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility. It was wonderful to experience the Biltmore again and see all of the wonderful dresses from Downton Abbey. Thank you, Asheville, for a wonderful afternoon!

-C

p.s. 

All of the pictures are my own except for the last two.

Debutante Gowns via Pinterest

Lady Rose MacClare Party Dress via Pinterest

It's Complicated.

Complicated. This word perfectly describes life. There are so many wonderful aspects of this life we live in, but at the same time there are so many things that can get us down. Therefore, it’s complicated. My joy and comfort in this life is knowing that Christ is constant. His love is so complicated, yet simple at the same time. Simple in knowing that He loves us despite everything we’ve done or will do. Complicated in the fact that He was perfect, yet laid down His life for us in a beautiful exchange. The other part of His love that puts me in a state of awe and wonder is His constant pursuing of my heart and my life to serve and glorify Him. To think that He was perfect, yet chose to take the blame for us is definitely something worth living for Him for. Along with living for Christ comes a realm of things most people don’t oft expect. For example, going through hardships, times of confusion, times of waiting, and times of hitting rock bottom where the only thing we have to cling to is Christ. I feel as though I’ve been in that place of feeling like there was nothing left and where the bottom had fallen out of all the dreams and plans I had. I had family and friends surrounding me during that time, but I felt alone at times. The strangest thing about that time was that I still felt the love of Christ and the comfort of learning how to trust Him more. It was uncomfortable, but it was(and still is) the kind of uncomfortable that brings us closer to Him. Over the past few months I have grown so much in my faith and learning to trust God in EVERY situation. I have loved getting to have a better glimpse into the heart of my Savior and how He is still working in my life and preparing me for the wonderful things that lie ahead.

Recently I made a trip from my school back to the South with a friend. Before we left, her parents prayed for our trip and that we would learn something new about God while we were travelling. And the amazing thing is that I did learn something new. I realized that God is everywhere. Whether I am in a traffic jam, going through endless fields, eating a Wendy’s connected to a gas station, or going through the mountains on the curviest of roads. He is there. I’ve been told this my entire life and thought I believed it, but I experienced it in reality. I’m so thankful for God revealing a little more of His glory.

Thank you, Lord, for this complicated life. I’m thankful for the times of growth and hardship because they bring me closer to you. You are good. You are faithful. You will provide. Let my prayer always be to draw closer to you and to continue to place my trust in you.