Mistake or Choice?

Do you agree with Miss Conrad? Tell us why or why not.

In the meantime...BE GORGEOUS

Most women have goals of losing weight. (Even the skinny ones) And I don't know if you think like me but most of the time my mind thinks: "When I finally lose that weight THEN I'll be so pretty. I'll dress like *blank*, I'll do my hair like *blank*, I'll wear my make-up more *blank*, etc." It's like I think I have to wait to lose the weight to "finally" be pretty or to wear cute outfits. Anyone with me on that?!!!

WELL FORGET THAT HONEY!

Why do we think like that? Let's be pretty now. Let's wear those heels now. Let's get those trendy haircuts and buy that new dress...NOW! Don't wait to lose the weight to then look your best. Look your best RIGHT NOW! I love the quote "There are no ugly women, just lazy ones." Sister, I have SO many lazy days....
 But I want to feel pretty right now and not keep waiting to lose weight to feel that way. This will really help in building true confidence because you'll be feeling good at whatever stage you're in: at 120 Ibs. or 200+ Ibs. I want to share some fun ways we can be gorgeous while we're working hard at losing those extra pounds. SO........

You're trying to lose weight. Good for you!! In the meantime....

TRY A NEW SHADE OF LIPSTICK (or Gloss) to add a little more glam to your already beautiful face.

How about trying a Chocolate lipstick shade

OR

Hot Pink (my personal fav!)

OR

 Dark Red 

Just have fun with it! I bet you'll find a shade of lipstick that will make you feel confident and gorgeous and you won't have to wait on losing those extra pounds to feel pretty.

Will You Pray With Me?

Recently a friend shared a story with me regarding marriage and prayer that her friend had experienced. The implications of it were eye opening to me and have caused a change in my life. It is my hope that the story will impact you as well.

This girl was on the plane heading home from vacation and started a conversation with the people next to her. They were talking about where they had been and what they were doing there. She was shocked as the men openly shared with her. They told her once a year they attended a retreat type event  in which a lot of people gathered. The purpose of the retreat was to appeal to the devil for pastors to have affairs that would ruin their lives, the lives of their families, and their ministries. Think about that for a second...that is pure evil. When I heard this I thought immediately of John 10:10a, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy." This definitely sounds like the work of the enemy to me. 

Luckily as Christians we know there is a second part to that verse John 10:10b, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Jesus is here for us. For our marriages. For our families. For our part in the advancement of His Kingdom. He wants us to bring all things to him in prayer. Like I mentioned before, this story impacted me. It made me realize that I do not prayer nearly enough for the important relationships in my life. If there are people that can gather to wish evil for my life, you best believe I need to battle them in prayer. It is just like Ephesians 6:12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

So ladies, will you commit to joining me this week in prayer for our husbands, significant others, and church leaders?

Lessons From Austen

I love Jane Austen anything! (Currently reading "Sense & Sensibility") And I believe all women love the famous Mr.Darcy from "Pride & Prejudice". (And doesn't Colin Firth just make the perfect Darcy! that's a statement, not a question.)

 Ok back to the topic. In "Pride and Prejudice" there is this great scene where Bingley is trying to persuade Darcy to ask one of the many women to dance at this ball they are at. Now, there are so many more women at this dance than there are men. So, there is Lizzy sitting by herself and watching the couples elegantly move about the dance floor. And there is Darcy, the most handsome man in the room, just standing there...not dancing...and being totally rude by doing so. Bingley points out Lizzy as a beautiful woman and asks Darcy to go ask her to dance. Now remember, Lizzy can hear their whole conversation. Darcy looks over at her and replies: 

"She's tolerable I suppose but not handsome enough to tempt me."

DARCY SAY WHAT?!!!

 Pretty much he is saying she is "okay looking but not pretty enough to have him go dance with her"!!!!!

Now how would you respond if you overheard this being said about you? If you heard a really handsome man say you're not pretty enough for him to even ask for a simple dance. Or would you just focus on the "not pretty" part?

We can all learn something from Lizzy. She responded in laughter. She walks past him and has to control herself because she cannot believe what she just heard this man say. She didn't take his words and let them shatter her spirit. She didn't take his words as absolute truth. She didn't even have a second thought about being ugly. The ugly one was him for making such a rude comment. And that's all she took from it. 

Sometimes, a lot of times, we take people's hurtful comments and words and hold onto them as TRUTH. We put them in our imaginary backpacks and carry them around like they belong to us. Do you know what is THE TRUTH about you? Go look in the Bible because that's exactly where you're going to find it. 

PSALM 139:14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made..."

JEREMIAH 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..."

ROMANS 5:8 "but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

YOU ARE SO LOVED. YOU ARE BEAUTIFULLY MADE. SET APART. 

That's the only truth you need to carry on your shoulders. Don't let any man or woman make you feel less worthy. Laugh off those hurtful comments; they do not define you. GOD DOES and sweetie, He is HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH YOU! 

Let's take this little lesson from Lizzy. 

For the love of Mr.Darcy and English accents ~ 

Seasons of Life

"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-" Ecclesiates 3:1

A girlfriend of mine and I were discussing stereotypes of Christian women the other day and I thought that I would share some insight based on two categories: marriage & babies.

Marriage


Let me start by saying I got married young and am very happily married. What makes me sad is the fact that this is an expectation of most young christian women. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you if you are not married by a certain age or if you aren't dating someone. Just like this verse says, there is a season for everything, so single ladies, live it up! The last thing that you will want to do is look back on your season of singleness and have regret. Travel. Figure out who you are. Set goals for your future and start accomplishing them. Work multiple jobs and figure out what you are passionate about. Develop deep friendships. Volunteer. When you are married and have responsibilities these things become a lot harder to do. {My intent is not to make marriage sound hard but once again different seasons have different characteristics, good and bad}. Also, don't settle just for the sake of getting married. Marriage is such a huge commitment and shouldn't be taken lightly. Wait on God and His timing (if marriage is even part of His plan for you).

Babies

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage. We all know this song. As young girls we are taught it. So naturally, right after you get married, the baby questions pop up. Surprisingly early too. I am not saying it is wrong to have a baby right away, to each his own, but to put this expectation on people is crazy. Allow people to make these decisions on their own time and inform you when they feel comfortable.  Recently I was watching The Help and there is a quote that made me laugh. The mom is talking to her daughter and says, "Your eggs are dying. Would it kill you to go on one date?" Most of the time we are not this direct with people, but we may as well be saying that. I beg you to learn from me --> I have put myself in really awkward situations by asking people about babies. We don't know the battles people are fighting and they can be unable to conceive and we once again remind them of the pain that causes.

Let us remember that God has different plans and purposes for all us. Some will remain single, while others will get married. Neither of these is good or bad. Don't get caught in the trap of defining yourself or others by their relationship status. Let your relationship with Jesus define you. Make an effort to encourage others in every season of their life.

Have you ever experienced an awkward situation mentioned above? Any thoughts on this topic?

Beautiful Places

How are you making the places {people}around you more beautiful? 

All the Single Ladies (oh oh oh)

Every little girl wants to be a Princess. *ahem* Even us adult girls want to be Princesses! As women, I think we're attracted to the glamour, the confidence, the beauty, the PINK (maybe that's more me), and the whole "fairy tale" life. Maybe it's because there is a Prince Charming in those fairy tales. So, on the topic of Prince Charming...

What are you single ladies attracted to? I remember being in high school and reading all of Michelle McKinney Hammond's books for single women. I wanted to be a wife and a mother more than anything and so all those topics interested me. I wanted to know the kind of Christian lady I needed to be to attract Mr.Right. Not "Mr. Right Now" but "Mr. RIGHTeous!" In one of Michelle's books she says that you'll recognize your Prince Charming when he comes because he'll remind you of your Father: your Heavenly Father.

I was first attracted to my husband because I thought he was GOOOOODDD Looking and then we started to get to know each other and sure enough, he reminded me of Christ. Christ, who is our best sweetheart; our first love. It's the characteristics of Christ that we should be looking for in our future spouses. It's those traits that will carry your marriage through hard times and will give your husband the strength to be the Head of your marriage and family.

So ladies, don't settle on Mr.Right Now or Mr.Charming. Wait for that Prince, that reminder of Christ. I wasted too many kisses and sweet words on guys who are nothing but lost memories for me. Those kisses and sweet words should have been locked on reserve for one man only: my husband. Yes, it's easy for me to say that now that I am married and have a family but trust me ladies, your husband will be worth the wait.

I'm not saying don't date but I am saying not to settle. Pray about your relationships. If you're scared to pray about your current relationship then that may be a red flag that you already know it's not what's best for you.

Here's a couple GREAT books to read:

While singing "One day my Prince Will Come" ~

Count Your Blessings

To provide a little context for this post we are going to explore a morning in my life...

I rush into the downstairs office to make sure that I don't miss our weekly prayer meeting. The contents of my hands/arms are: coffee (an absolute must in my life), an envelope full of cash for a vendor, a gift and gift bag for a friend's baby girl, an application for car insurance, a cashier's check for said car insurance, work keys, a new job description for an employee, my wallet, my to-do list for the day on a sticky note, and breakfast. After I gracefully set dump everything on my friends desk I sit down. I realize I am alone (with the exception of said friend). I think, "Perfect, I am early!" That wonderful thought is ruined by my friend asking why I didn't make it to our prayer meeting. I wasn't early, I missed it all together. She comforted me and pointed out all the stuff that had been placed on her desk. She said, "Josie, you have so many things going on. You are trying to run a household, while being a good friend, while working, while trying to take care of yourself..." I took a deep breath, gathered my belongings and headed on with my day. Later that night, I reflected on our conversation.

I, like most women, have so many roles to fulfill. Child of God. Wife. Mother. Sister. Daughter. Friend. Co-Worker. Pet Owner. Dishwasher. Bill Payer. Chef. Maid. Full-Time Employee.  If you are anything like me, you want to fulfill these roles with excellence but most of these things require a lot of time and intentionality and it can seem daunting. Even though most of these roles bring us joy, we can be left feeling drained by them. So what is a girl suppose to do?

Photo Credit

When I am feeling this way, I stop and pray. I know that is really simple but it works. I thank God for the overwhelming happiness I am filled with as a wife and mother. As a mother I know that the time will go by so quickly and I don't want to lose any moments. I thank God for my job and the way that it enables me to bless so many people and the part it takes in advancing His Kingdom here on Earth. I thank God for the fact that I have food to wear and clothes to eat so that I have to cook and clean. I stop and thank God that I have money to pay my bills. If I don't have all the money, I thank God for an opportunity to see Him work in my life.I stop and thank God for all the relationships in my life because I know that they stretch me, they fill me with joy, and they embody everything that is significant to me in this life.

What is a role that you are struggling with lately? What is a role that you need to dedicate a little more time to?

Here is a verse to mediate on this week with all these things in mind, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rock the Red Pump: Get Involved

"THAT GIRL" is participating in the blog awareness for Women with HIV/AIDS this coming March. You can visit www.redpump.org to read more about it and if you have a blog, you can also sign up to participate as well.

On March 9th, we'll be having a post discussing this horrible disease and how it's affecting the women around our nation. We will also be rocking our red pumps on March 10th! Get involved by taking a picture of you in your red shoes and sending it to our e-mail at BeingTrue3130@gmail.com. We'll upload all the pictures on March 11th.

Don't worry, we'll send out a reminder when the time gets closer but you can already start participating by visiting www.redpump.org and if you feel the desire to donate to the cause, you can do that on their website as well.

Can't wait to see you all in your fabulous reds!! (don't worry if you don't have red heels, any red footwear will be perfect!)

Snap Cup Wisdom

photo credit

"Snap cup time, snap cup time. Gather ye round. Friends and foe together, united and bound. Pass it to your neighbor instead of blowing up and we’ll find harmony and love in the snap cup!"


Legally Blonde 2 is on my top 5 FAVORITE movies! I love everything about Elle Woods; she is confident, smart, beautiful, and most importantly super kind! One of the things that makes her so sweet is the fact that she loves to encourage others. One way she does that is by using the Snap Cup! 


*For those not familiar with Miss Woods or her movies:
The Snap Cup is for times when people aren't getting along or are arguing. (It can also be used for just making each other feel good with those "warm fuzzies") You take little pieces of paper and write something encouraging and nice about one other person. Then the note gets read aloud and ta-da it's "Snaps" for that person. It's super adorable. I've even tried talking my husband into letting me make a Snap Cup for us when we argue. He wasn't on board. Anyways, encouragement is something we should be doing on a regular basis. We are relational beings and those relationships should be being uplifted through kind words, sweet little notes, a pat on the back, etc. 


How many times have you been complimented on your appearance or for doing a good job on something, and it's just made your WHOLE DAY...maybe even your WHOLE WEEK!?! I know that I stand a little taller when someone encourages me or compliments me on something. 


So how about today, this week, for the rest of our lives we challenge ourselves to be more encouraging to one another. Give those "SNAPS" to your girlfriends, your co-workers, your husband, your mom, the complete stranger...Let's be the kind of women who spread kind words like wildfire. 


Snaps and Have a great Friday!!! 

Ephesians 4:29 ESV / 33 helpful votes

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Friends Forever

"Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one that falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart." 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

I love how this verse describes friendship. It is vital. It is a connection between two people and God. It withstands adversity. When I read this verse I can't help but think about the wonderful women in my life that God has blessed me with that fall into this category. Unfortunately, I feel as if our culture has watered down what true friendship is and what it looks like.


Follow me for a second... We live in a culture where your "BFF" changes as often as your nail polish color. Where people are your frenemies. Really? You can be someones friend and enemy all at the same time? Where celebrities have reality shows titled, "Paris Hilton's My New BFF." Need I say more? 

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So what should friendship look like? We can look to the ultimate friend. John 15:12-13 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." So what does it look like to lay down our lives for our friends? {other than the obvious implication of dying for someone, which most of us will never be faced with} It means sacrificing our time and energy for our friends. It means praying for them (not just saying that you will pray for them). It means giving more than taking. It means being vulnerable and transparent with the messiness of each others lives and sharing in that together. It means being uncomfortable at times. 


These verses challenge me to be a better friend and my prayer is that they will challenge you as well. 

Live.Laugh.Love

Josie

Welcome ladies!

Hey girlfriends,
          Welcome to our new blog "That Girl". We're Jill and Josie, your blog authors! We both have a strong passion for encouraging women and are SO excited about this new undertaking. We both used to write for a blog called "Being True". Since that ended, we have both missed blogging and talked one day about starting a new one...and "ta-da"!!!!

Have you ever met a woman who was so put together and Christ-like, all together Godly and beautiful, and you say to yourself (or your girlfriends) "I want to be like her." That Girl is all about being the best, most beautiful, version of yourself, finding your worth through Christ's standards, and just enjoying the things that make being a woman so much fun! So, here you'll find posts on all those "girl talk" topics we love! There will be a little bit of everything on here: Scripture, Encouragement, Fashion, Health, Home Life, etc. We hope to not only encourage others but grow ourselves. We're going to have so much fun!

You'll get to know us a little better as we go on and we definitely want to hear from and know you! First post will be tomorrow by Josie. We can't wait!

                                         Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you tomorrow!