Weekly Wrap Up

Weekly Wrap Up #5

Happy Sunday everybody, I hope you’ve had a wonderful week. I’m here today to share with you another Weekly Wrap Up, full of my outfits of the week (flat lay edition) and my happiness posts. I can’t believe I’ve already been on the blog for a whole month! Thank you so much for all of the positive feedback and three hundred followers on Instagram, I really appreciate it. This week was a full blown snow week and full of my two favorite colors, olive green and off white. Stay happy my friends and have a great week ahead. With love, McKenz.


 


1.25.16-Starting the week off with a snow day and a new show. I just finished The Carrie Diaries and decided to move onto Gossip Girl. I love it so much and Blake Lively has such great style which makes it worth watching.

Outfit Details- sweater: Gap, shirt: H&M, necklace: Charming Charlies, jeans: Hollister, watch: Target, leg warmers: Francescas, booties: Steve Madden

1.26.16- A full day of blogging calls for work out wear and organizing my closet to make it pretty again. I love seeing all my velvet hangers perfectly lined up and my sweaters in colored order.

Outfit Details- zip up: Under Armour, sports bra: Nike, leggings: Target, sneakers: Merrell, watch: Kohls

1.27.16- Filming my first makeup tutorial to go up on the blog soon, and taking pictures in the snow with my sweet, Abby all while wearing my hippie pants which bring a huge smile to my face no matter what day.

Outfit Details- shirt: Gap, pants: Kohls, shoes: Old Navy, bracelets: Alex and Ani, watch: Kohls, necklace: Forever 21

1.28.16- Went on a Dunkin run with my bff Jeanie and ordered my favorite, a small mango tropical smoothie before I got my hair done. Can not explain the feeling of fresh, healthy, hair. One of the simplest things that makes me inevitably happy.

Outfit Details- sweater: Old Navy, scarf: Steve Madden, jeans: Hollister, rain boots: Nordstrom Rack, socks: Hunter, watch: Kate Spade

1.29.16- I saw this quote on Twitter as I was scrolling trough my feed and it really spoke to me. I realized that confidence is the prettiest thing to wear and it comes solely from within.

Outfit Details- jacket: TJ  Maxx, sweater: Target, jeans: Hollister, socks: Kohls, booties: Steve Madden, watch: Kate spade, bracelets: Alex and Ani and Charming Charlies

1.30.16- More olive green and white and a friendly reminder that Jesus loves you no matter what. These words are written in the ground right outside of our nearest Chipotle, a friendly reminder to everyone who walks by.

Outfit Details- sweater- TJ Maxx, jeans- TJ Maxx, leg warmers- Kohls, riding boots- Target, watch- Kate Spade, bracelets- Alex and Ani and Charming Charlies

1.31.16- Nothing I love more than freshly painted white nails. White is my favorite color to wear because it never fails to make you look tan, even in the dead of the winter.

Outfit Details- hat: Old Navy, shirt: Gap, jeans: Hollister, socks: Kohls, booties: Steve Madden, watch: Kate Spade, bracelets: Alex and Ani and Charming Charlies

 

Uncategorized

January Favorites

Happy Saturday friends, I absolutely can not believe that the month of January is coming to an end. My life is flying past my eyes to say the least. Today I’m here to share with you my January favorites. I hope you guys enjoy and are having a wonderful weekend. Thank you so much for everything and don’t forget to subscribe. 🙂 With love, McKenz

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Makeup Favorites:

  1. My Kate Moss Lasting Matte Lipstick in the color 113 is one of my favorite nude lippies. And by nude, I mean the palest nude you’ve ever seen. It’s a long wearing, matte, lipstick with peach undertones and looks beautiful on my skin tone. They sell this at all drugstores and Ulta.
  2. I adore the Maybelline Matte Fit Me Foundation. I have it in two different shades and I am so in love with mixing this with my Cetaphil Moisturizer to create a light weight, every day, smooth finish on my skin. Along with the lipstick this to can be purchased at all drugstores and Ulta.
  3. I received the Anastasia Contour Kit for Christmas and fell in love. This palette has a powder, highlighter, banana powder, and three contouring shades. I love this for doing my own makeup and for the times I do makeup on others. This palette can be purchased at Ulta or Sephora.
  4. I’ve recently fell in love with smudging the same color I place in my outer V on my water line. I love this smudge brush from Elf and the best part is, it’s only one dollar and can be purchased at Ulta and all drugstores.

Fashion Favorites:

  1. These brown quilted riding boots were purchased from Target. I love these shoes paired with off white and olive green and I find them so comfortable and cute. The gold accents also go perfect with all of my gold Alex and Anis and watches.
  2. I have always loved circle scarves and my favorite place to buy them is Old Navy. I have this style in five different colors but my hunter green one is my favorite because it goes perfectly with my Hunter boots which are the same color.

Skin Care Favorites:

  1. This Cetaphil moisturizer is my absolute favorite. I have super dry skin so mixing this in with my foundation every morning is a great way to keep my skin hydrated. Along with this I love the Cetaphil face wash to help remove any excess makeup that didn’t come off with my makeup remover.

Other Favorites:

  1. This month I read “See Me” by Nicholas Sparks and I am pleased to say that I loved this book. Nicholas Sparks never fails to produce a tear jerker and i’m hoping this is one of his books that one day makes it into a movie.
  2. My favorite TV show this month was “The Carrie Diaries”. It’s on Netflix and I love the setting of NYC and the clothing style of the main character, Carrie. Not to mention Austin Butler’s super cute.
  3. My favorite songs this month were the same as last month because I can’t seem to get over Adele’s latest album “25”. Adele has always been one of my favorite artists and I must say her makeup artists did a fabulous job on her cover look. “Hello” and “When We Were Young” are constantly on repeat.
Makeup

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette Review

 

So it turns out that Marylander’s can’t handle 27 inches of snow in a week so we’ve been off since last Friday. Might as well be a second winter break, but I’m not complaining. I’m currently lounging on the couch catching up on what seems like hundreds of videos piled up in my YouTube subscription box and reviewing one of my favorite eye shadow palettes, the Too Faced Chocolate Bar. I’ve had this palette for about six months now and I am more than ready to sit down and tell you all my thoughts on it. I will also include swatches, eye shadow names, and links to different places it can be purchased. I hope you enjoy and leave any product names you would like me to review below. Happy Friday, friends. With love, McKenz.


I absolutely adore the packaging of this Too Faced palette, it’s aimed to resemble a chocolate bar and the inside consists of 6 matte eyes shadows and 10 shimmers. With a warm tone range of shadows and a few fun, pops of color Too Faced has out done themselves with the creamy texture, chocolate scent, and wide range of colors. “Did you say chocolate scent??!” Yes I did, both this palette (Too Faced Chocolate Bar), and the second palette in the collection (Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar) are both infused with cocoa powder which creates the delicious smell.


Like I said this palette has sixteen shadows and like all palettes some shadows prove to be more pigmented than others. Keep in mind that some shadows don’t show up on my skin but do on my eyelids because my skin is far tanner than my eyelids. 🙂 Also, I will say that I truly do feel that these shadows appear twice as pigmented on the lid rather than swatched on the back of my arm, but that’s just my personal experience.IMG_7292.JPG

This is the first row in the palette (horizontally). Shadow names from top to bottom: triple fudge (matte), black forest truffle, milk chocolate (matte), white chocolate (matte), and gilded ganache.

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Unfortunately this picture is a little blurry, sorry friends! This is the second row in the palette. Shadow names from top to bottom: amaretto, candied violet, strawberry bon bon, semi-sweet, marzipan, and salted caramel.

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This is by far my favorite row in the palette and is the third. Shadow names from top to bottom: champagne truffle, cherry cordial, haute chocolate, creme brulee, and hazelnut.


I find this palette similar to the Naked Palette in some aspects. Although I do find this more versatile; with peach, maroon, bronze, and gold shades all in one. And if I’m being honest, it’s very rare I ever reach for the smokey shades in my Naked palette anyways.


Also, this palette retails for $49.00 and can be purchased on the Too Faced website, Sephora, or Ulta. I would give this palette a 7.5 for pigmentation, an 8.5 for texture, and a 9 for wear time. Over all, I would rate the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette an 8.5/10 and definitely worth the purchase.

 

Finding Yourself

Self Love

I’ve been sitting here for half an hour now trying to put my thoughts into words but it’s a lot easier said than done. Over the last few months I’ve realized that self love is more than essential. I began to notice that I invested all my time in others that I never took the time to invest in myself. I decided that I needed to learn more about myself, spend time with myself everyday. I began to accept myself as well. Every last imperfection.

I like to read, so I make sure to read for at least a few minutes everyday before I go to bed. I have a “Q&A A Day” book. Every day for three years I get asked the same question and it’s fun. I enjoy looking back and seeing how oblivious I was to the world around me the previous year. I write in a journal every single day. Whether it’s about my day or if it’s about my upcoming blog posts. I enjoy writing down my thoughts, letting out my stress, and reflecting on life it’s self. It really is so, so good if you let it be and find the beauty in the world around you. I dress up and wear makeup to school because I like to and it makes me feel confident and good about myself. Although, that’s not to say I don’t feel that way if I’m in pajama pants and a naked face. I like drinking smoothies and eating trail mix. I also like drinking milkshakes and stuffing my face with french fries.

My point is to love yourself regardless of what everyone else thinks. If it makes you happy, do it. Your life is yours and yours alone so go out and make memories, make yourself smile, make others smile, and love every inch of yourself no matter how hard it is or how long it takes. The only person you’re guaranteed in life is yourself. Might as well use that to your advantage.

With love, McKenz

Fashion

What’s In My Purse

I am officially sick of the snow, it seems like there’s nothing left for me to do with my life, although right now I’m currently watching Gossip Girl and catching up with a few friends. On the other hand, today I thought I would share with you what’s in my purse. I know that fashion has been my main focus although I adore makeup equally but don’t have as many ideas on what to write about so if you have any I would greatly appreciate some requests. However, my first makeup tutorial on everyday eye makeup is coming soon! Don’t forget to subscribe and follow me on Instagram @Styledbymckenz

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I received this purse two Christmases ago from Old Navy, so unfortunately this purse can no longer be purchased. However, I would compare this bag to the Long Champ Le Pliage size Medium. I find that this bag is super roomy and practical. I use this for sleepovers and for mall trips so to say it’s versatile is an understatement.

My wallet is from Vera Bradley and in the pattern “Provencal”. Attached is my Vineyard Vines lanyard and the crown key chain is from Michales. For my beauty essentials I almost always have an Eos lip balm, this one is strawberry, a mini lotion to always maintain hydrated skin, hand sanitizer to kill germs, and floss because  my mom taught me to always have some on hand. My mirror is from Sephora, although if I’m being honest I hardly ever touch it. Along with that I always have a water on hand and some sort of snack as well.

I hope you guys enjoyed today’s post, let me know what you like to keep in your purse! Happy Wednesday, make it a great one! With love, McKenz.

 

 

Uncategorized

Making Casual Look Cute

Another day, another day off of school due to the snow. Although dressing down is not my forte, it’s been very requested of me to come up with a few outfits that are casual and super comfy but still make you look cute and put together. All of these outfits have leggings in them but could easily be swapped out for a trust pair of skinny jeans to dress it up a bit. I hope you all enjoy, don’t forget to read my other recent posts and leave any suggestions in the comments! With love, McKenz.


Where I live Vineyard Vines is a super popular brand. I love them with leggings or jeans and my bean boots for a preppy and casual outfit. Outfit Details: shirt- Vineyard Vines, leggings- Pink, boots- DSW, watch- Target, leg warmers- Francescas

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On days when it’s chilly outside but I still want to look somewhat put together I reach for a sweater, scarf, and matching boots. Always on repeat in my closet. Outfit Details: sweater- Old Navy, scarf- Old Navy, leggings- Pink, leg warmers- Francescas, riding boots- Target, watch- Kate Spade

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Looking sporty is probably the most inevitable idea of how to be the most comfortable. It;s practical too. Outfit Details: zip up- Under Armour, sports bra- Nike, workout leggings- Target, sneakers- Merrrell, watch- Kohls

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It’s so rare that I break out my Uggs but when I do I reach for something comfortable all the way around, although I can never go without matching socks, oops. Outfit Details: sweater- Gap, scarf- Target, leggings- Pink, socks- Target, boots- Bailey Button Uggs in Chesnut, watch- Target

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To all my flannel and Converse lovers this ones for you. Feel free to style this with jeans too or check out 8 Ways To Style A Flannel for more ideas. Outfit Details: flannel- Old Navy, leggings- Pink, leg warmers- Francescas, shoes- Converse

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Uncategorized

5 Things To Do While You’re Snowed In

I know I’m not the only one snowed in right now due to Winter Storm Jonas. With a total of twenty seven inches and having off of school today and already having knowledge of tomorrows closure, I’m kicking back and relaxing. I know that being snowed in sometimes sucks but today I’m rounding out five activities to do while being snowed in. So if you’re bored and in need of something to do other than watching movies and stuffing your face with food than sit down and stick around. Don’t forget to subscribe and follow me on Instagram @Styledbymckenz. Wishing you nothing but happiness this week. With love, McKenz.


Activity #1: Organize Your Closet- I know it’s tedious at times, but you’ll always feel better after giving your closet a good cleaning. If you haven’t worn that top in over six months, toss it; it’s probably better for your own good and your closet space. Hang up all your clothes, clean your shoes, and make your mess an organized one!


Activity #2: Read a Book- I adore reading so snow days allow me to lay in bed and read away. Right now I’m reading See Me by Nicholas Sparks and have Girl Boss on my list next.

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Activity #3: Look Through Old Magazines- I’ve received Seventeen magazine and Teen Vouge magazine every month for years and I love letting my collection stack up on my book shelf. Today I went through and reread a few, ripped out some of my style inspiration, and wrote down some trends I’m tempted to try soon.


Activity #4: Have A Spa Day- It’s always nice to take a bubble bath with a face mask on while painting your nails and listening to Ed Sheran’s album on repeat considering it will never get old. It’s nice to spend time with yourself and unwind after so many stressful days of studying for exams.IMG_7255.JPG


Activity #5: Look Through Your Makeup Collection- Trust me, I am fully aware that my makeup collection is rather large for the average fourteen year old which is why i like to go though my collection every now and then and toss all the old stuff and organize the new.IMG_7257.JPG

 

Weekly Wrap Up

Weekly Wrap Up #4

Happy Sunday friends. I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s jam packed schedule of posts. If you’ve missed any don’t forget to check them out, “Old Navy Haul and Styling“, “Naked Palette Reviews and Comparison“, “5 Ways to Style an Army Jacket“, “My Faith Journey“,  and “8 Ways to Style a Flannel“. I’m still stuck inside with 27 inches of snow piled up on the ground an have finished watching Quantico and the first season of The Carrie Diaries, oops. Thank you so much for all the views this week and over 250 followers  on my Instagram @Styledbymckenz I really appreciate all the love and support, don’t forget to stick around for the upcoming week’s posts! As always outfit details and happiness posts will be listed below. (Please excuse all the pajamas, we’ve been feeling very lazy in this household.)  Stay happy everyone. With love, McKenz.


 

1.18.16 – My awesome mom made me a new shirt with her heat press and I am obsessed, I can’t wait to style it this upcoming week.

Outfit Details: sweater – Gap, jeans – Hollister, leg warmers – Francesca’s, riding boots – Target, watch – Kate Spade, bracelets  – Alex and Ani

1.19.16 – One of my closest friends friends, Jenna, came over after exam day number two and we made quesadillas for lunch.

Outfit Details: long sleeve – Vineyard Vines, flannel – Old Navy, jeans – Hollister, leg warmers – Francescas’, bean boots – DSW, watch – Kate Spade, bracelets – Alex and Ani

1.20.16 – High School Musical’s ten year anniversary was tonight and to say I shed a few tears is an understatement. Of course, my sister and I popped a bunch of popcorn and jammed out to our all time favorite movie.

Outfit Details: leggings – Pink, shirt – American Eagle, army jacket- TJ Maxx, shoes – Converse, watch – Kate Spade, bracelets – Alex and Ani

1.21.16 – Finally was able to cheer for boys’ basketball rather than girls’ which was a nice change of pace. Nothing’s better than some game day eyes. (‘:

Outfit Details: sweater – Gap, shoes- Hunters, scarf – Old Navy, jeans – Hollister, watch – Kate Spade, bracelets – Alex and Ani

1.22.16 – Hanging out with Celia so that we could be snowed in together. She’s still here and the fun hasn’t stopped.

Outfit Details: sweater – Old Navy, scarf – DSW, jeans – Hollister, booties – Michael Kohrs, watch – Macys

1.23.16 – Doesn’t matter if you’re seven or fourteen, waking up to this much snow is always thrilling. Although, this weather calls for a day spent in pajamas and in front of the TV.

Outfit Details: shirt – Old Navy, pajama pants – Old Navy

1.24.15 – Acting like girls on our third day of being snowed in, face masks and nose strips are a go to for a pampering night, obviously in our pjs.

Outfit Details: night dress – Gap

 

Fashion

8 Ways To Style a Flannel

Oh my gosh. Right now I am currently snowed in with one of my best friends Celia. It’s currently 1:40 pm and we have a total of twenty four inches with an expectation of more snow until 10:00 pm. The only good things about being stuck inside this long means we can binge watch The Carrie Diaries on Netflix, catch up on the book I’m reading at the moment, and some major planning for Styled By McKenz’s upcoming posts. By request, today I’m showing you eight different ways to style a flannel. Old Navy is definitely my go to place to purchase a wallet-friendly flannel that is super comfy and can be styled endless amounts of ways.


 

Style #1: Around your waist– Although this isn’t my go to look, the fun thing about fashion is experimenting. This definetly isn’t my style but I love this outfit for a casual and super practical look.

Outfit Details: flannel- Old Navy, tshirt- H&M, jeans- Hollister, shoes- Converse, watch- Kate Spade, bracelets- Alex and Ani and Charming Charlies

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Style #2: Under a long sleeve- This style is something I tried for the first time this week as a way to restyle my long sleeve preppy t-shirts. I love this with jeans and I love that this can easily be transitioned into leggings.

Outfit Details: long sleeve- Vineyard Vines, flannel- Old Navy, jeans- Hollister, leg warmers- Francesca’s, bean boots- DSW, watch- Kate Spade, bracelets- Charming Charlies and Alex and Ani

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Style #3: Under a sweater- This is definitely one of my favorite ways to wear a flannel. If I’m not sure of what to throw on in this morning, this is my go to outfit. The pairings are absolutely endless!

Outfit Details: flannel- Old Navy, sweater- Old Navy, jeans- Hollister, socks- Kohls, booties- Sam Edelman, watch- Kate Spade, bracelets- Alex and Ani

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Style #4: With a jacket and\or a scarf- The easiest way to stay warm while still looking adorable is adding a denim jacket and a scarf. I love love love this outfit for a day out around town and can be dressed down by simply taking off the jacket.

Outfit Details: flannel- J Crew, scarf- Old Navy, jean jacket- Kohls, jeans- Hollister, leg warmers- Kohls, riding boots-Target, watch- Kohls, bracelets- Alex and Ani

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Style #5: In the rain- Splashing around in puddles is never not fun and it can obviously be done in a super cute outfit, of course you can always dress this outfit up with a few dainty necklaces or even a statement necklace.

Outfit Details: flannel- Old Navy, sweater- Old Navy, jeans- Hollister, rain boots- Hunter, watch- Kate Spade, bracelets- Alex and Ani

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Style #6: With a vest- Adding a vest means adding another layer. Perfect for winter and fall seasons during the brisk weather. Nothing’s better than a white and olive green combo, especially with a window pane flannel print.

Outfit Details: flannel- Old Navy, vest- Old Navy, jeans- Hollister, socks- Kohls, booties- TJ Maxx, watch- Kohls, bracelets- Alex and Ani

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Style #7: With a statement necklace- I’ve always had an obsession with jewelry so statement necklaces are always on repeat. Don’t be afraid to style one with a flannel for an effortless outfit.

Outfit Details: flannel- Old Navy, necklace- Charming Charlies, jeans- Old Navy, leg warmers- Francesca’s, bean boots- DSW, watch- Kate spade, bracelets- Alex and Ani and charming Charlies

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Style #8: An open flannel- Don’t be afraid to open your flannel and style a solid tee with coordinating colors beneath it. I love the simplicity of this flannel it’s one of my favorites along with the window pane shirt. This look also transfers well with leggings as well.

Outfit Details: flannel- Old navy, t-shirt- H&M, jeans- Hollister, shoes- Converse, watch- Kate Spade, bracelets- Alex and Ani

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I hope you enjoyed today’s blog post, don’t forget to stick around for tomorrows Weekly Wrap Up. Stay happy my friends, and don’t forget to leave post requests and follow me on Instagram @StyledByMcKenz. With love, McKenz.

Finding Yourself

My Faith Journey

Maryland has an inch of snow and icy conditions which was enough for the county to declare a two hour delay. Luckily, I don’t have a seventh period exam which means that I don’t have to go to school today. So I’m currently sitting on the couch procrastinating about when I should start getting ready to cheer at the basketball game this afternoon. Today I’m here on the blog talking about my faith journey. I feel that it is nobody’s place to judge someone on their relationship with God. If someone decides that it’s in their best interest to start talking with Jesus and allowing Him into their life that is their choice and their own business. After all, I’ve followed this myself. Turning to God was my choice, something I wanted to do, and I’m happy with my decision.

I grew up as a Catholic and was confirmed in September of last year. Getting confirmed completely opened up my eyes to all that God has done for me. I’ve never been the most faithful person, I haven’t always prayed every night, or read my  Bible before bed. But, there’s never a wrong time to start. So I started. I made changes, I began to pray daily, I began to ask God for his help, and thank him for what He’s already given me. I started to read my Bible every day and speak to Jesus when I felt I needed to. I finally realized that putting my trust in Him was the greatest realization of them all because.

I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. I mess up, a lot. In God’s name all of that is okay, this is all just a part of the journey God is taking us on. One of my major goals in the New Year was to spend more time with Jesus. I’ve made baby steps. I’ve also realized that baby steps are better than no steps.

I’ve started to read my Bible every night. I started the year off with Psalms because I’ve found that it’s very relateable and it speaks to me in a way that allows me to open up my eyes to God’s world. I underline, highlight, doodle, and make notes in my Bible. It’s mine so I’ve made it my own. I like to use colored pencils, pens, and highlighters. Here are some pictures of what my Bible looks like.

Psalm 19:20 “He set me free in the open; he rescued me because he loves me.” Psalm 19:21-23 “The Lord acknowledged my righteousness, rewarded my clean hands. For I kept the ways of the Lord; I was not disloyal to my God. His laws were all before me.” Psalm 19: 29-31 ” You Lord, give light to my lamp; my God brightens the darkness about me… With  my god I can leap a wall.” Psalm 16: 1-3 “I say to the Lord, you are my lord, you are my only good.”

Feel free to take a look at the pictures above and read my side notes. I like to scribble down my thoughts on the verses I’ve just read. I’ve learned that I am God’s and I need to trust him if I want to succeed under his name. By absolutely no means am I an expert on faith but I am making tiny changes in my life and allowing Jesus to influence me. I hope this has inspired you to know that there is never a wrong time to start your journey with faith. God is waiting for you and he’s welcoming you with open arms. Happy Thursday everyone. With love, McKenz.