Valentine's Day Giveaway

So the other night I was googling the top Valentine's Day gifts to get yourself {Side note: I literally google everything. Seriously, everything} As I was doing this, one of the options were these adorable rings located at the Bella Star Glam store on Etsy.

Right away I knew that this needed to be our first giveaway. Unless you are getting diamonds or pearls, what girl wouldn't love to have a cute, fun ring for Valentine's Day?! 

To enter the contest visit the Bella Star Glam store and comment below letting us know which ring is your favorite. {If your favorite is the same as mine, you get a double entry} Just kidding! However, if you also comment on our That Girl's facebook page your name will be entered twice. You have until 5pm (PST) Monday, February 13th to enter the contest. I will announce the winner later that evening! Thank you for all of your support.

Viva Las Vegas

This past weekend I was blessed to have a Girls Weekend with one of my closest friends in Las Vegas. I know, I know Las Vegas?! We both aren't Las Vegas type girls, but a family friend of hers paid for the trip and it was incredible {despite being entirely opposite of our expectations, but that is a different story}. 

The whole experience really made me think.  Las Vegas is extremely overwhelming in every sense of the word. Every type of sin is staring you in the face: lust, gluttony, pride, love of money and material possessions, drunkenness, lies, adultery, etc. I got up early one morning and was sitting in our room that overlooked a good portion of the city. As I was praying for the city, the people that lived in it, and the people that visited, it hit me. Las Vegas is not different than any other place. Sure, the sin may be more noticeable and glamorized, but sin is everywhere. These people are just like you and me. They are broken. They are searching for the next thing to satisfy them and all of those things just happen to be contained in one place. 

I think that CS Lewis' Quote sums it up perfectly

We were not made for this world, but another. Nothing in this world is going to satisfy us. So often we search for things to fill the void in us, that can only be filled through Jesus until we make it to our true home, Heaven. Paul talks about this in Philippians 3:20, "For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;"

So ladies, let's not give up and settle for temporary satisfaction but continue to hope and pray for the true satisfaction that we will experience one day. 

What are some things that you may be using to temporarily satisfy you? Are those things getting in the way of your relationship with God?

Breakfast at Tiffanys

Audrey Hepburn was (and still is) a style icon. She was an elegant, graceful woman. I wish there were more movie stars like Aubrey Hepburn today. Her soul was just as beautiful as her. 

What part of this quote resonates with you?

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.

Love and Healing

Have you ever had a moment when you thought, "That really didn't happen, did it?" I recently had one, a BIG one. This story is extremely personal, but I believe by being vulnerable about it, it could provide healing for some of you.

Last week I was flying home to attend a funeral of someone I loved dearly I was sitting in my seat with my daughter on my lap and my jaw almost hit the ground when I saw who boarded. No ladies, it wasn't the glam Tyra Banks. It wasn't the amazing designer Betsey Johnson. It was the wife of my ex-fiancé and their children. The girl that he got pregnant when we were suppose to get married. This is something I am completely healed of but this is the first time I saw her since all of this happened eight years ago. A flood of emotions came back all at once.

The thing that stuck out to me the most was the contrast of how broke my heart was eight years ago when this happened compared to where I am at now in my life. I couldn't help but praise God for how he transformed me and healed me.

For a very long time I was angry, depressed, and hated all men. I didn't trust anyone and was convinced I would never love again or get married. To say the least, my heart was hard. I acted out of that hurt and hurt others. I would go on dates just to be able to reject the person at the end.

When I decided to lift my eyes up to Jesus instead of focusing on all the way that I had been wronged, he started the process of healing my heart. It was a long, slow road. It involved many setbacks and tears before I came to peace with it.

Today I am married to the most wonderful Godly man. He loves me well and always offers me grace. I trust him completely and I know he will always protect my heart.

First, I want to speak to the broken hearted ladies. Don't give up on love. Always hope. Allow God to heal your heart. Don't blame yourself. Lift you eyes to the greatest Comforter and allow him to soften your heart. It will be painful at times, but will produce wonderful results.

The next thing is for the married ladies. If you have a wonderful husband, be thankful for him. Let him know how amazing he is. Pray for him, your marriage, and your family. Support him in his ministry and be his biggest cheerleader. Be quick to forgive and to apologize.

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!

What Type of Shoe Are You

I absolutely love this quote! I love how something as simple as a shoe can be magical at times. Shoot, look what a pair of shoes did for little Miss Cinderella. There are days that I am feeling blah and I throw on my favorite pair of red leather cowboy boots with sparkly buckles and I suddenly become more confident.  However, it really isn't the shoe that is magical, the key is how we view ourselves. 

My closet is full of many wonderful shoes:

Metallic Green Stilettos

Round Toe Pumps

Two Toned Open Toe Wedges

Classy Black Heels

Red Leather Cowboy Boots

Floral Wedges

Cream Kitten Heels

Lime Green and Pink Tennis Shoes

Polka Dot Rain Boots

Some of you are probably thinking, What does her closet have to do with how we view ourselves? We are all like the shoes in my closet. We are all created uniquely with different purposes. It would be silly of me to jump in mud puddles {which I totally recommend doing whenever possible} wearing my Metallic Green Stilettos. However, that is so often how we view other peoples' gifts and talents. We take their uniqueness and want it for ourselves; in turn, we so easily overlook what makes us stand out. Ladies, learn to embrace yourself for the way that you were created and live it out. If you are a pair of Metallic Green Stilettos go out there and shine!