Welcome!

I am honored to have you (whoever you may be) as a visitor to my blog! Every girl has a blog these days, so I am glad you decided to give mine a look. This is my first blog, so you may have to bear with me as I tinker my way around settings and 'blog etiquette.' :)

My Mama and me

I, like so many others, am a lover of Pinterest! I have had an account for almost 2 years, and since then have found a handful of blogs that I absolutely adore! The Small Things, Undressed Skeleton, Pioneer Woman, etc. etc... I could go on and on. I have ran across blogs by women who write about their marriage, and advice on how to be a great, godly wife. Women who couldn't imagine life without their sweetie, and are constantly sharing their cleaning and cooking tips. Which I do enjoy! My best friend is married to the man of her dreams, who is also a great friend of mine, and I can be joyful for and with her! I love cleaning tips... because I still live at home and clean for my family. I love cooking and finding new recipes... because I still live at home and cook for my family and for events at church. During my two years on Pinterest and being a lover of blogs, I have yet to run across a blog (or at least a good one) that is designed to help the unmarried, single women who are using their "season of singleness" to be a living vessel for the Lord! A vessel ready to be used. A vessel to be filled and emptied to further the Gospel of Christ and to minister to her church and to others. So, a year ago I was driving thinking about how I wish I found a blog that I could read that had content along those lines. Then I had the thought: Why don't I just start one? It would be just another thing to add to my life to make sure I'm busy, and not just sitting around with all this "experience" and "knowledge" ;) You know, for us single ladies who dote and obsess the idea of being married, having a handful of kiddos, and being able to blog about all the silly shenanigans they get into. Here is my question: What are you-- what am I-- doing during this period? Am I active serving the Lord with my full ability or am I sitting around waiting? Waiting is important, but when service is concerned, we are commanded to GO (Matthew 28:19)! We are to be living vessels--living sacrifices-- for the Lord. No where in the Bible does God ever accept human sacrifices. But he does accept living sacrifices. Someone who will sacrifice their own self will, their own flesh, to serve Him. I decided to call my blog Living Vessel: Inside and Out. As a single, Christian lady my wish is to BE a living vessel. Inside, willing to do the work of the Lord without fight (which is hard, because I am a self-willed, independent gal) with a pure heart. Outside in two parts: 1) in my service my Savior, my church and to others 2) In my day-to-day life... including my dress (Oh yes friends-- modest fashion will totally be a feature! I even have a few 'modest fashion' photo-shoots in line... eek!!). On my blog you will see everything from posts about my social life, to church events, devotionals, fashion posts, recipes and general hilarity and mayhem that regularly makes an appearance in my crazy life. I am here to tell you that there IS life before marriage! You can have some of the best days of your life now! All you have to do is fall in love first... fall in love with Jesus Christ! Be busy. Enjoy the simple things in life that He has given you NOW. And when the day comes to share your life also to the man of your dreams, you can say you were a LIVING vessel for Christ... not a gal, sitting pretty on the side lines :) I love the life the Lord has given me, and I am excited to share it with y'all! God bless. 

- Carrie Anna

 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.Romans 12:1-3