​Y'all. It is officially CHRISTmas!! 

I've always loved Christmas, spending time with friends and family, decorating the tree, and baking baby Jesus's birthday cake. I've noticed that as I've gotten older, different traditions and moments in December mean more to me than when I was little.

I've found that the more intimately I know and love Jesus, the more special His birthday is and the more I adore Him.
As someone with a December birthday (the 20th to be exact), I have experienced time and time again the "Happy birthday, here's your present wrapped in Christmas paper!" or "We combined birthday and Christmas this year." UGH. If someone you love has a birthday close to Christmas, don't do this.

Anyway, those "situations" that seem to breeze right on past my birthday (it sounds vain, I know), I can only imagine how Jesus feels every single year when I put decorating or baking or rushing here, there, and yonder before celebrating Him and His birth. I breeze right past His birthday and do the exact things to my Lord and Savior that hurt me when others do it to me.

But here's the kicker. I didn't die for those people. I didn't leave heaven to come as a baby and die for the sins of the world. Jesus did. The least I could do is acknowledge His birthday and give Him my undivided attention and affection on that day. It makes the baking and the rushing seem like it's not really all that important compared to eternity with Jesus. 

So, I just want to challenge you in this CHRISTmas season to intentionally carve out time to single-mindedly focus on Jesus and HIS birthday because HE is the real reason for the season.

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So, as my little Christmas gift to all of you, here are two simple Christmas prints! You can just print them out and hang 'em up with washi tape (all the heart eyes) or frame it with a cute little frame from Dollar Tree (YES, they have cute frames) for your mantle or as a super quick, simple (and cheap!!) gift!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Monday, friends! So, I know this is the freebie page but today I want to share something very special with you that is not free.

One of my very sweet and special friends from Campbell has recently started her own business! She is a talented graphic designer that has taken some time to create some very special notebooks, mugs, and desktop wallpapers! Her products are so beautiful and the heart behind her products is even more beautiful!

Many of her products talk about our daily relationship with Christ. What a better way to share the love and message of Jesus than to have a notebook with Matthew 5:16 or a coffee mug that says, "Mornings are better when you talk to God first." Through Maya's products, you can start a conversation about Jesus with your friends, coworkers, boss, and anyone else that sees your beautiful notebooks and mugs!

See anything in the slideshow you like? Great! Click the link below to go to her shop!
​Maya Palmer Designs Shop
If you're looking to buy notebooks for all of your friends at school or work, until August 8th, you can use the code SCHOOL for buy 2, get 1 FREE journals!

While you're clicking on links, you should go follow and like Maya on Facebook and Instagram. The links are below:
​Facebook
​Instagram

​So, I hope you enjoy this precious lady's work and share it with your family and friends!

Hello people I love! It has been a loooong time since we've shared wallpapers! It's been a year, actually! I wanted wallpapers to be something that happened every month but life happened and time seemed to run out. BUT you all have been super supportive and still read this 22 year old's thoughts. I'm so thankful and so amazed.

So since you guys are so wonderful and I had a little bit of extra time this week, here are some free wallpapers for you lovelies.

I've started student teaching and announced the release of Esther coming soon so to celebrate all of the above, you have some Esther and school-themed wallpapers! I hope they're a little encouragement (or reminder of what day it is) every time to you look at your phone!

​Enjoy!

​Here is your lovely computer wallpaper!

I feel like every time I sit down to write these posts for the wallpapers, it's a Thursday and I have a million and one other things I could (should, really) be doing. Well this Thursday is no different. I'm towards the end of putting a pretty little bow on midterms week before spring break and I think my body is finally starting to feel the effects of the stress. No matter what the explanation is, there's nothing better than sitting down and writing these things. The funny thing is, I usually have no idea what to write on these and I am ALWAYS spit-balling which is probably why I am rambling on right now about not knowing what to write.

This month's wallpapers are centered around impending spring and my love of Narnia and Aslan and Lucy and C.S. Lewis. I couldn't quite get over the gold wallpapers from January so we have gold, white, and black wallpapers again with some spring time greenery too. I hope you like them!

And here is your computer wallpapers!

And here is one of my favorite bands right now and this song was definitely the song of my summer. All of their songs are absolutely amazing and I highly recommend you give them all a listen. Enjoy!

Hello people I love! It is so crazy that it's only been a month since we've last spoken... It feels like forever!

As you know, this month holds one of the biggest holidays in the US and around the world.... Valentine's Day! Or as all my single lady friends call it, Single Awareness Day. This month it would've been really easy to just go with all sorts of hearts and lovey dove wallpapers but that's not what my goal is. I wanted this month's wallpapers to remind us that no matter where we are in our lives (single, married, working, unemployed, whatever it may be) that we can make a difference in someone's lives. Scripture calls us to do everything in love. I don't know about you, but that definitely makes me reevaluate how I treat others in my day-to-day activities. Did I send that text in love or to be sassy? How can I show love to those people in my classes that just, quite honestly, get on my last nerve? It isn't easy or comfortable but I don't think Jesus has ever called us to comfort. 

A few of the wallpapers are from the artwork I did when I guest wrote on A Girl Like Me last week. If you want to read the article, you can find it here.

So, here are your lovely phone and computer wallpapers!
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This month, I wanted to do something a little different and include an actual calendar! And, of course, lots and lots of gold! If there was a way for me throw some glitter on these bad boys, it's be everywhere!

I also included a couple words that I hope will describe my 2016. In 2016, I hope to continue to be brave in the big things and the little things. I am so excited to see what God is going to do for me and for all of you in this new year. The other word I chose was fullness. In 2016, I want to experience the presence of the Lord and all of His fullness. I want to live 2016 to the fullest and follow God wherever He leads me because in His presence there is fullness of joy and peace. He makes me brave and He is the only thing that satisfies and fills me with joy and peace.

In order to download these to your phone, pull up the url, hold your finger down on the picture you want to download, and click save image to phone.

It's December 6th and the winter chill is slowly creeping toward us while Christmas is racing toward us. Don't blink! Because if you do, it'll be December 25th and we'll all be wondering where in the world the time went! 

I'm feeling extra Christmas-y today and so I decided to make Christmas themed wallpapers this month (and I like them a lot more than I had anticipated!!). There's also a Let's Be Brave wallpaper in there because the Lord is already doing some pretty amazing things with LBB! If you haven't downloaded your copy of my FREE 10 day devotional, then see the post before this and get it! 

PS: I actually drew the deer and that's a big deal because I can letter all day long but drawing an actual object....well.....that's another story.

Anyway, I hope you love them as much as I do and share the Christmas spirit with all of your family friends!

The computer wallpapers are my new favorite thing and this month I went a little crazy! Enjoy!!

I hope you all have a wonderful month celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, with your friends and family! Merry Christmas!

Be still my heart! I can't believe the day is finally here! If you've followed any of my social media accounts, you've probably learned me mention Let's Be Brave several times. Well, Let's Be Brave is a ten day devotional that has been about a year in the making. About a year ago, I started doing research about a picture I saw on the internet. It said, "The words 'Do not be afraid' are in the Bible 365 times. Just a daily reminder from God to not be afraid." I was fascinated by the concept and had to do a little digging. As it turns out, "Do not be afraid," or any sort of variation of those words is NOT in the Bible 365 times but it is in there a lot. It may not be a daily reminder but it's repetition means it's important. 

Let's Be Brave is an in-depth study of some of those verses. I have learned so much in my own study of the verses and in writing this devotional. I was challenged and stretched in ways I never imagined I would be. 

So, for the next ten days, I will be doing the study with you. You can do it ten days solid or five days, take the weekend off, and then five days. Whatever you want to do, it's your study! It's been a long time in the making but it's been soooo worth it and I can't wait to join you on your ten day journey!
I want to be able to do this with you guys so if you use the ‪#‎letsbebrave‬ on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter, I'll be able to connect with you and other readers will be able to as well! You can also tag me on any of the social media sites that you can find on the right underneath my bio.
I can't wait to see what God is going to do!!

Hello, beautiful people I love. How are you?

As many of you heard or saw on social media, my grandfather passed away on October 27th. Those of you that have called, commented, texted, hugged, and everything in between, I just want to say thank you. You have no idea how much all of this has meant to me and my family.

The past week the hymn It is Well With My Soul has been playing in my head especially in the moments when my grief was strongest and tears welled in my eyes. Even as I mourn the loss of my grandfather, I rejoice with the rest of my family because he is no longer suffering and is in the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I'm jealous that he's there and I'm not but I know that one day we will get to dance with King Jesus together forever.

My favorite verse of the old hymn is the very last verse:
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll.
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
Even so, it is well with my soul!

It is well with my soul!
It is well, it is well with my soul!

We are grieving but it is truly well with our souls!

This month's wallpapers are centered around the hymn and Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for and I hope these wallpapers will remind you how blessed we are and encourage you throughout the month.
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Here are your computer wallpapers for this month!

As usual, the wallpapers will be available on our Facebook page as well as some special other freebies. Be sure to like More Than Sparrows in order to gain access to those freebies! Also be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter!

PS: If you haven't read the story behind It is Well With My Soul, be sure to check it out!

As usual, if you go and like More Than Sparrow's Facebook page, there will be some extra goodies. Also, you'll still have access to all of the old wallpapers and special extras!

And for your listening pleasure, here is one of the versions of Come Thou Fount that I stumbled on this month. It's by Benjamin Dunn and Friends. They are an alternative Christian group and very good. I highly recommend you check them out of Spotify!

​I adore you all!!