Are you believing lies?

What has the world said about you?
You're not pretty enough? You're too skinny? You're too fat? You're not smart? You've failed too many times? You're not as athletic? You're not a good wife? Not a good mother?

What lie or lies do you carry around on those shoulders? What weighs down your heart?

What is it that is blocking you from reaching your goals, following your dreams, and being the very best version of yourself that you can possibly be?

Here's the thing ladies: satan lies. he will do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to keep you burdened, weighed down, lost, depressed, and feeling lonely. Are we believing the things the world has thrust upon us? Let's stop. You have control of how you act, how you feel. Remember that there is an absolute truth out there and that is that you are WORTHY. You are BEAUTIFUL. You are INTELLIGENT. You have STRENGTH.

Ladies, we are only given this one life: ONE! And as I was sadly reminded this week by a friend who lost a close family member, you never know how long this ONE life is. What are you doing with yours? Are you wearing around lies and letting them direct your choices? Or are you remembering that God created you in His perfect image and with a great purpose? You are no mistake dear sister!

Let's live in the truth. We are beautiful women who serve the ultimate Beauty; our Lord Jesus Christ. Cast your burdens, doubts, and rejections on Him. Live ladies! Live life to the fullest and live it for Him!

Daily Reminders

1. Most Important in Life- Jesus:

Make sure you're remembering who the most important person in your life is. It's Christ. Do your best to please Him and everyone else will fall into place!

2. Most Beautiful Attire- a Smile:

I think this is very true. A smile goes a long ways! It not only will make you feel good but others will feel good too. Joy is contagious! So spread some with that gorgeous face God blessed you with!

3. Greatest Asset- Faith:

We do not live by a blind faith. Oh no, we have EVERY reason to trust our Heavenly Father and His Word, so trust Him! Don't be stressed or worried. He will be there for you! Have faith in your Savior. He loves you very very very (x's infinity) much!

4. Most Powerful Force- Love:

You can quench conflicts, anger, frustration, disagreements, and so much more with Love. Love can heal and help you grow. It's all because of Love that we get to have a close and personal relationship with our Lord. Love Him and Love others. Love your enemies. It's powerful.

5. Greatest Weapon- Prayer:

YES IT IS! Before you worry or doubt. Before you make a decision. Before you act. Get on those knees and pray sister. We have a direct line to the Father's ears. Talk to Him. Let Him know that you want to spend time with Him, that you trust He is listening and will answer you one way or another. Prayer is key to your relationship with God. You've got to be communicating with Him to grow with Him.

fruit on the bottom

I LOVE fruit on the bottom yogurt. It tastes so much better to me than the already mixed kind. I love it. Today as I was eating some for breakfast, and being really excited that we had some, I said out loud "Fruit on the bottom, yum yum yum!" I have a toddler so don't judge me. lol. And then I started thinking about "Fruit on the bottom". It's what is the best part about that yogurt. I wouldn't eat it if it was just plain. I want the fruit!

Now turn it around on us. Where is our fruit?

Are we keeping the best parts at the bottom, where people have to dig and dig to find? Or are we living them out and people know we're Christ followers because they see our fruit? These things are what makes us set apart from the world. We have to practice them, make them habits, and master them. One of the ones that I am working on diligently is Gentleness. It doesn't come natural for me. I have to practice it, make it a habit, and God-willing, master it. I want it to become a part of me. So, let your fruit be visible ladies. It's the best stuff! 

he needs you

I know marriage is hard. Anyone who says they have a perfect marriage is lying or at least not being honest with themselves. Good marriages come from hard work, commitment, and the choice you have to make EVERYDAY to put that man before yourself and to love him unconditionally. You promised to when you promised God that you'd stay by his side til death do you part.

So, don't fight today. Don't argue. Don't be annoyed.

Instead...

Go kiss your husband. Tell him you love him. Let him hold you. GO BE HIS WIFE, the woman he looked at on his wedding day with passionate love and promised to be his gem forever.

Our husbands need us ladies. They NEED us. Be the best help mate for him that you can possibly be. Some marriages have a lot more problems that can't be fixed with one heart felt night of working it out. And if it's not possible for you to go kiss your husband and whatever pain is weighing on your marriage is just too hard...PRAY. Pray for him. Pray for change. Pray for strength. Pray for forgiveness. Whatever it is. Pray.

Jacob and I have been reading this book called "Fall In Love, Stay In Love" together before bed. Here's something the author says: "Spouses need to be emotionally reconnected almost on a daily basis to meet each other's most important emotional needs."

So go connect or reconnect. Go love on him sister. He needs you.

No more yearly goals

I always make New Years Resolutions. ALWAYS! I love goals. I am an ambitious woman....for the first few days and then I sink right back into being lazy or unmotivated. NO MORE! If you're one of these women, let's pretend this is some epic moment like in a movie. Raise your fist in the air and shout "NO MORE!" Ha, all I am seeing in my head is Scarlett O'Hara standing on the fields of Tara saying "As God as my witness, I'll never be hungry again!" Ok, back to the point:

FORGET YEAR RESOLUTIONS. I heard just today that most people have stopped their new years resolutions by the beginning of February. For whatever reason, it's hard to change, to complete a new task, etc. So, let's forget about year resolutions.

How about weekly resolutions or even monthly ones. Go buy a notebook. Composition notebooks are so cool in their own way and they're like less than a $1 at Wal-Mart. Go buy a notebook, use your day timer, your journal, anything to keep track of these goals. WRITE THEM DOWN AND READ OVER THEM DAILY OR WEEKLY. And don't be scared to adjust them if needed.

I've decided that I'm going to do both: weekly and monthly resolutions. For example, one of my resolutions (goals) is to read my Bible more. So, for my weekly resolutions, I want to have read a book of the Bible. A monthly resolution of mine is to go try something new: a new restaurant, talking to a stranger, swimming in a lake where there's possible alligators (lol), etc. You get the idea!

I promise it will help you in becoming more of the woman you desire to be. We need to start smaller sometimes in order to bring about real change. Have fun with it and we'd love to know how well you keep up with your goals.

Wife Wisdoms

WIFE WISDOMS
(Just a few things I've picked up in my short 4+ years of marriage)

1. Get dressed up for your husband. Men are visual. That doesn't change after marriage so look nice for your man!
2. Greet your husband when he comes home from work. It makes your man feel like he was missed and that you're happy to have him home!
3. Pray for your husband. You are his partner. Cover him in prayer. satan will attack your marriage if he has the chance so be praying for him and your marriage.
4. Initiate intimacy. Men usually take the role in this and it'll make him feel special to know that you desire him just as much as he desires you.
5. Take interest in his interests. As weird as it is, Jacob and I got closer once I started watching football with him. He responded really positively and now it's fun for the both of us. 
6. Don't initiate deep conversations as soon as he comes home from work. It took me a while to master this one. He is tired when he comes home and men can only concentrate on one thing at a time, lol, so let him rest and then talk. 
7. Keep a Clean house! I only worked for the first 8 months of our marriage and have stayed at home ever since. So, this may be more for the SAHM/Wife. But if your husbands going to work then you need to make sure he comes home to a clean house. Don't add more to his plate.
8. A home cooked meal goes a long ways!
9. If your husband is in ministry...Be involved!
10. NEVER talk bad about your husband EVER. 

Don't Get Burned

( I had thought of today's post three nights ago and hadn't talked to Josie about it and then she posts "Fire" yesterday. After reading it I thought I'd blog about something a little different but then I thought "Maybe God's talking to someone?" So, I decided to continue with this post...)


A couple nights ago, my back muscles were hurting really badly and my husband suggested I go take a hot shower. I got in the shower and turned the water to warm. I stood there for a minute, after my body temperature adjusted I turned the water to a little hotter. It was really hot but I stood there anyways. After a while, my body adjusted to that temperature too and so I made the water a little hotter. I did this until I couldn't turn the faucet anymore. While standing there, I got a thought: "Wow, this is a lot like sin." We start off small and after a while we get comfortable, so we have to go a little further in that sin to "feel something again". Then we get comfortable there and have to go even further. It's an endless cycle. For example: You steal a piece of gum from the store. It felt good and you didn't get caught so you do it a few more times. Then you wonder "can I steal that shirt?" So you do. You don't get caught. You do it a few more times. Then you wonder "can I steal that car?" So you do. You don't get caught...on and on and on. That may be a lame example but you get the picture.

We need to quench the flame of sin immediately; as soon as it ignites in our life. Don't get comfortable in your sin, it will only burn you in the long run.

True repentance brings about immediate forgiveness. God's grace and mercy is available to you. He loves you. If you've been struggling with a certain sin, give it over to the Lord. His arms are strong enough to carry your burdens and your struggles. He already nailed that sin to the cross, so give it over to Him. There was this band called "Solomon's Wish" and they sang this great song called "Fireside". I have kept that image in my head since I first heard it years and years ago. The Lord is just waiting for us to return to Him; waiting with outstretched arms. Do not be ashamed or feel like you don't deserve His love. He loved you while you were still a sinner.

Xmen

My husband and I watched X-MEN today. I have a nerd side to me and enjoy these movies and thought of this post. 

In Greek, the X stands for Christ. It's the reason some people say "Merry Xmas!" So, go with me here:

We are X-men. 

stay with me

CHRIST-Men...ahem* Christ-women! 

We are the aliens, the mutants if you will, of this world. We do not belong. We're different. This applies to everyone who has accepted Christ as their Savior and live for Him. 

"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." ~ 1 Peter 2:11

We are at war; daily. We have a real enemy out there whose passion is to see that Christians fall and that non-Christians never become one. 

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." ~ 1 Peter 5:8

We have to be on our guard daily. Taking up our spiritual armor and be ready for any temptation and trial that comes our way. 

"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." ~ Ephesians 6:11

So today, guard yourself with Scripture and Prayer. We are Christ-women; Christians. I am proud to say that. And I want to be ready for anything this world or the devil throws my way. 

the Hair Dare

We all know about the "Mommy jean" and that we should all stay away from them BUT what about the "Mommy haircut"??

Mommy haircut?! What's that? Well, I don't really know what it looks like but I know I've had it! It's the look that says "I'm a mommy, I'm tired, and I don't care about my looks right now." (Maybe not looks...but hair) SO, you lovely mom's: why do we do this? I know it's hard to put a lot of effort into our appearance when you're taking care of a little one. Trust me, I have two...but you know what else I have? I have one amazing husband. Now, my children do not care what I look like. They're going to love and adore me no matter what the state of my hair is. My husband will too but he will notice. He will also appreciate it if I'm making an effort to look my best for him. You see, I was reminded this week that when we're dating our men, we always want to look our best. When Jacob and I were dating I don't think I ever purposefully let him see me looking grungy. Now that we're married and have kids, he sees that side of me a lot. I know he loves it when I put effort into my appearance. It's not just for me but for him too. SO, the point of all this is......

DO YOUR HAIR! My sister and I used to say that if your hair looked good, it didn't matter what you were wearing, you looked good! I'm not sure how true that is but it's one step you can do to look like a mommy who cares about herself too.

So, the HAIR DARE: For one week mama's, wake up and DO YOUR HAIR. Style it, go get it cut or dyed, just do something nice with it! I know not all moms struggle with the "mommy haircut/style" but you can still have fun with this. Do it even if you're not a mommy~ have fun with it! There's a GREAT blog called http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/   and there you can find SO many cute hair tutorials. Try some out.

P.S. Just for fun, I googled "mommy hair" and this picture came up:

I don't know about you, but I have some girlfriends who could totally pull this off. Have great weekend ladies. 

Happy Valentines Day

The greatest Valentine you'll ever receive can be found in Scripture; where God wrote us so the most amazing love letters ever written. Let God romance you into a deeper relationship with Him by reading those love letters.

We should all be spending time reading our Bibles. It's so important. If you're having a hard time getting into Scripture there are so many devotionals and guides to help. My husband and I are reading the Bible in Chronological order. It's really fun.

So get to know your Savior better and find out more about what He thinks of you. Dig deep into Scripture. It's the greatest love story you'll ever read and how amazing that you're apart of it. Have a GREAT Valentines Day ladies.

Know Thyself

When I hear "Know Thyself" I immediately think of Oedipus Rex. But no worries, we are not going to be discussing Oedipus and his Greek tragedy today. But we are going to look into "Know Thyself".

Do you know you?

What makes you stand out in a crowd? What makes you cringe inside? What makes your heart skip a beat? What's something quirky and fun about you? What makes you cry? What are your passions? Who are you?
Recently I've gotten to know myself better and there were a lot of surprises. I think I started to "rediscover" myself. Here are some things I've personally learned about myself just lately:

I am really down to earth.
I treasure modesty in myself and other Christian women.
I really care about education.
I had closed my heart to foreign missions.

I challenge you this week to get to know yourself and to really think about who you are.
It's important to know you. How can we accomplish our goals, truly make positive changes, have true relationships, be vulnerable, make an impact, or have real confidence if we do not really know ourselves? Take some time to discover the wonder and beauty that God gave you when He made you, you! If you don't know where to begin, start with prayer for a clear and open heart. Sometimes looking at our reflections may not be the funnest thing.

"Every one of us has in him a continent of undiscovered character.  Blessed is he who acts the Columbus to his own soul."  ~Author Unknown

CHALLENGE:  I recently asked my friends on facebook to describe me.
This is a fun way to also see how others see you. Maybe it's a good place to start in discovering new and deeper things about you. Try it and let us know what you discover.

PASSION

Well ladies, what are you passionate about? I mean REALLY passionate about?! Is it your job, your ministry, your family, a cause, evangelism? Whatever it is, are you pursuing it? Are you following your passions to then be a huge asset to whatever or whoever it is you're giving your full drive to?

Maybe you're really passionate about something but don't know how or where to begin. For me, I am really passionate about women's ministry; mainly on helping young women feel confident in Christ and not the standards society places on us. I felt really inadequate to do anything in this area for a long time. I felt like I didn't have a voice. Thankfully, God does and He is more than willing to speak through me. So, the first step that I've chosen in following this passion is getting my degree in Women's Ministry. Also, doing this blog.

We have to get our feet wet. Jump in. Smack down all those doubts and fears. One of my favorite songs right now is from the musical Wicked: "Defying Gravity". (love the Glee version)

Take a chance! Don't let time pass by any longer if you're not pursuing your passions.

God's given us all different talents and gifts to be used! USE THEM GIRLS!

I hope this was encouraging to someone who may be feeling like they're going no where or are scared to make a move. Move honey! You've gotta take those first steps in order to take off and soar!

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.

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 ~ 

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" ~

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.