creating distance from your art

white blank picture in the room

Okay, so if you followed my 31(ish) days of Blending Beauty with Grace, then you probably realized that continuous blog posts OBVIOUSLY didn’t happen.
Let’s just put that out on the table.

Instead, what I came to accept is that instead of  accomplishing 31 posts, I simply needed that challenge to realize that my intention behind what I blog needs to consistently match my hearts desire of blending beauty with balance.

I had hoped that by writing with consistency, I would be better able to help others, and instead what I found was that the challenge was perhaps meant more for me. (although, I hope maybe some were helped as well along the way!)

I’ve been blogging a long time…
And over time, not only has the blogging world evolved by leaps and bounds, but so it seems, have I.

Blogging is not in any way the same as it was when I started, and as I look back to the beginnings of this blog, I realize I am so far from where I was back then as well.

And while I understand that time changes all things, one thing that has most certainly remained the same is my heart and my intention when it comes to my writing.

Okay, so yes, it still most definitely serves as a form of therapy that has always been a source of helping me to sort things out…but the truth is, I can easily do that just fine in the pages of my journals, where it’s safe and unjudged.

But instead, I choose to do it here (when life allows), because living out loud brings such an incredible amount of hope and comfort and a feeling that we most certainly aren’t alone in all of this.

Writing publicly brings all of that to me…and I pray with every word and every post I share, it also brings some of that to you.

I want to write and share, no matter what the topic, with intention.
With focus.
And with a heart to serve and a heart to worship and nothing else…

This blog, these words, this place…this is my heart.
This is my passion.
This is my art.

But sometimes it takes creating a bit of distance to allow yourself, for just a moment or more, a chance to stand back from your art to fully be able to see what it is you’re even doing…and where it is you even want to go.

And I know that this is that time for me.
It usually is, actually, around the holidays…where I find that I truly need to reflect on where I’ve been and prayerfully consider where it is the Lord would have me to go.

And so, tis’ the season once more to take a moment or more and pray.
To refocus.
To get right.
To get refreshed.

And as always, after the first of the year, I’ll be back…with a renewed heart and mind, ready to write with intention and focus…blending beauty with grace, just as I know God has asked me to do.

I pray, and I mean that…I have, and do and will truly actually continue to pray that all of you are able to spend this season loving others, and more importantly, loving and worshipping Him.

xo

{I will still be doing my thing over on my YouTube channel, so I’d love to see you there!}

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we are his poem, we are his masterpiece: a pastors perspective | #thebeautybalance

I’ve been diving right into this 31 Day Writing Challenge, where each blogger chooses a topic to write about for 31(ish) days. Because it’s right where God has me, I’ve chosen to share on Blending Beauty with Balance.
(#thebeautybalance, if you want to follow along…or better yet, join the conversation using the hashtag!)

It’ll be a fun and encouraging 31(ish) days where I’ll be sharing tips and tricks while digging deeper, finding purpose, and blending beauty with balance — all with a heart of intention. {all 31(ish) Days will be linked here}

Today, Im excited to introduce you to my pastor, Matt Smith from Barabbas Road Church.
I pray you are just as blessed by his teaching, as my family and I have been over the years.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The words of Anthony Hoekema, are an excellent way to begin this discussion:

 

The Christian self image is never an end in itself. It is always a means to the end of living for God, for others, and for the preservation and development of God’s creation. It leads us outside ourselves. It delivers us from the preoccupation with ourselves and releases us so that we may happily serve God and others.1

Woman raising her arms at sunrise.

This proper view of ‘self’ however seems to be at odds with the rest of the modern world and most recently the Christian culture at large in America.2

Here is the argument as it relates to beauty: a proper Biblical view of ‘beauty’ will always be in the context of an outside relationship; whether it is with God or fellow man, it should always be viewed in the context of grace to be acted out with others. In other words, self-esteem is a means to an end, not an end in itself.

This is a subtle point so I don’t want to be misunderstood.

In todays culture the oppression of beauty comes at us from every angle. The pressure to be fitter or stronger or more successful, and in every case it comes to us with the provided motive to impress others. To combat this we tend to emphasize that we want to pursue beauty or success or fame etc. for ourselves and then pat ourselves on the back for not being shallow. The problem is that we are seeking a false solution thinking we are avoiding the shallowness trap we see in the earlier desire to impress others.

We still have the wrong focus.

After the Fall there was a two-fold perversion of the self-image. This manifested itself in either an inordinate heightening or lowering of man’s view of himself. This meant that man, at this point on, either viewed himself with hatred, ignoring the image he still imperfectly bore, or he viewed himself with the sinful pride that caused his fall in the first place. In the first case, man’s negative self-image began immediately after the fall when Adam and Eve realized that they were both naked and their eyes were opened (Gen. 3:7).

{1  Anthony A. Hoekema, Created in God’s Image (Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1986), 111. 2  www.issuesetc.org/resource/journals/v2n1.htm}

Adam and Eve must have quickly read the self help book entitled, Making Your Own Sin Covering: Using What You Have to Be like God, because they tried to cover up their shame and sin with fig leaves. This is the religion of man and is man’s futile way of self-improvement that is so prevalent today. Man’s positive self view, from that point forward, could only properly be viewed in light of God’s all sufficient grace as pictured in the animal skins He made for them. D.G. Lindsay, in his work, Foundations for Creationism, has this to say regarding this subject:

 

God’s clothing of man with animal skins symbolized His desire to mend the broken relationship between Himself and man. The covering or clothing of our sin has always required a garment paid for with the shedding of blood. By giving Adam and Eve skins for clothing, God gave them a physical symbol of spiritual salvation. This was the first blood sacrifice made as a covering for sin.3

 

This act is one that should cultivate true humility while at the same time freeing one to have a positive self-image within the bounds of God’s grace. Here it is precisely the context of relation to God that is the source for self-esteem. This is fulfilled in the New Testament through the shed blood of Christ where in the redemptive process we see the perverted image of God in man being progressively renewed.

 

God wants us to be beautiful and excellent and successful for His glory.

 

When we pursue these things for this end then the results are not the point. That is to say, we are not more worthy because we are more beautiful, but we are worthy because of Christ and His sacrifice and we are free to seek to be beautiful for an audience of One.

Literally, the journey towards excellence in anything, when given to God, is an end in itself – worship itself.
There is no sacred – secular split.

Real spirituality is to be lived out on the altar of ordinary everyday life. Being a good mother for His glory, being a good friend for His glory and yes being beautiful for His glory is an act of worship.

 [3  Lindsay, D. G. (1998, c1990). Foundations for creationism . Dallas: Christ for the Nations. ]

Pastor Matt Smith
barabbas.com
biblicaljiujitsu.com

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whitney english day designer vs. erin condren life planner | #thebeautybalance

I’ve been diving right into this 31 Day Writing Challenge, where each blogger chooses a topic to write about for 31(ish) days. Because it’s right where God has me, I’ve chosen to share on Blending Beauty with Balance.
(#thebeautybalance, if you want to follow along…or better yet, join the conversation using the hashtag!)

It’ll be a fun and encouraging 31(ish) days where I’ll be sharing tips and tricks while digging deeper, finding purpose, and blending beauty with balance — all with a heart of intention. {all 31(ish) Days will be linked here}

 Whitney English Day Designer vs. Erin Condren Life Planner

Maybe you didn’t know, but I love being organized, and I seriously become overwhelmed with a giddiness when my life has a bit of a schedule and the chaos is somewhat managed.

I mean, I love it just as much as getting a good deal when shopping or finding the most amazing pigmented eyeshadows for my collection.
That’s how high up on the list organization is to me.

And whenever I find that I let that go just a bit, there is utter unrest within my soul.

That may sound dramatic.
And, you’re right…it is.
But it’s simply the dramatic truth.
{once a middle child….always a middle child.}

 

planners

~ Erin Condren Life Planner ~

This is why for years I have been getting the Erin Condren Classic Life Planner, and writing every little single thing down that could possibly find a space within it. And while, they are definitely on the pricier side of things ($50) when it comes to planners, I just kind of feel like you can’t put a price on that euphoric feeling of having your life in order.

Dramatic maybe.
But, again, I can’t help what is true.

And while for years the Erin Condren planner has worked amazingly for me, I found that recently I actually had more stuff in my brain plus more schedules to manage, and there didn’t seem to be nearly enough space for me to manage it all. (although I’m sure someone who is naturally gifted with scheduling could probably make it work… I just tend to need my hand held with this sort of thing.)

erincondren2

 

erincondren1

~ Whitney English Day Designer ~

Between two kids in two different schools, both of their activitites, Jimmy’s work meetings, my workouts and appointments, blog and YouTube schedules and events, work ideas, foster care planning, and other projects coming up in the future…I realized I had to really up my organizing game.

And so I decided to check out another planner I’ve been eyeing over the last year called the Whitney English Day Designer. It’s equally as pricey ($59), but with a whole different twist to the layout. This planner is more designed for the entrepreneur, with an entire front section decked out with worksheets for setting work, life and personal goals.

Okay, add that to my Happy Euphoric Feelings List…. setting goals and resolutions.
Oh my word. Just typing it gets me excited.

I also love how each day has an entire page complete with different sections for your days time schedule, to-do lists, meal planning, gratitude, and so much more.

In fact, I’ve been using this Daily Docket in the meantime to see if this type of planning works for me, and let me just tell you that I’ve been on fi-yah with knocking things off the list and staying on task.

Lists are just so amazing!!!
Lists and lipsticks and pigmented eyeshadows…and well, you get the picture.

 

whitneyenglish1

whitneyenglish2

whitneyenglish3

 

~ Whitney English vs. Erin Condren ~

And because I like to do A LOT of research before I spend any amount of money, and because I had trouble finding all the information I needed before I made my own decision, I thought I’d do a little post/video sharing all the details and differences between the two.

In the video below I’ll be going through each planner, showing you the differences and similarities and giving you a page by page tour of each. I also wanted to share here some closer shots of each planner so you could see up close and personal what you’ll be working with.

I really hope this all helps, and if you have any other questions make sure to leave a comment either here or on the video itself!

{Remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel as well, so you’ll always know when I post a new video!}

 

~ The Bottom Line ~

Ultimately, I love and adore each planner and I really don’t believe that one is better than the other.

Having both, I honestly think it truly just depends on how your brain works and what type of organizer you tend to be. And just as with what happened to me, even that could change over the years as you grow and change as well.

And that is why I love that we have options!

So without further adieu, here are two of yours!

xo,
Summer

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It means so much that you are here! I know life gets busy though, so if you don't want to miss a thing, I invite you to subscribe to my blog through email!

the greatest beauty truths we can ever know | #thebeautybalance

I’ve been diving right into this 31 Day Writing Challenge, where each blogger chooses a topic to write about for 31(ish) days. Because it’s right where God has me, I’ve chosen to share on Blending Beauty with Balance.
(#thebeautybalance, if you want to follow along…or better yet, join the conversation using the hashtag!)

It’ll be a fun and encouraging 31(ish) days where I’ll be sharing tips and tricks while digging deeper, finding purpose, and blending beauty with balance — all with a heart of intention. {all 31(ish) Days will be linked here}

a Mama and her little daughter lie on the grass

I think one of the most meaningful posts I may have ever written, regardless of it’s popularity, is the one I wrote for Chloe called, What We Need to Teach Our Daughters About Beauty.

It was written when in the midst of a hurried night trying to tackle one beauty blog post and video edit after another, I suddenly caught a glimpse of my sweet daughter, Chloe, sitting playfully at my vanity. And while there had been many times I’d seen her do this before, for some reason it was this time that I suddenly felt something catch in my throat.

I set my laptop down for a moment and just watched, taking in every single innocent moment after the next, watching her imitate what she’d seen me do day after day most of her life.

The warm tears slipped from my eyes, as I suddenly realized all that I truly longed to teach her about beauty.

There was so much more than the blushes and lipsticks before her (although, yes, I do plan to teach her a thing or two when it comes to those), that I needed her to know. There was so much more about beauty that I longed for her to understand.

I quickly picked my laptop back up and with a steady stream of tears and an open prayerful heart, I poured out the words I needed her to know, and more importantly, needed to be sure I was living myself as well.

It’s that night, that letter, that changed the way I would ever approach the topic of beauty again both here and on my YouTube channel, and it is the reason I wanted to write even more on the topic over at The Better Mom today.

Whether you’re a mama to a daughter, an auntie to a neice, a mentor to a little girl in your life, or even if you’re simply someone who often longs for more meaning in your search for beauty…I encourage you to head over to The Better Mom and read today’s post on Blending Beauty with Grace: The Greatest Truths We Can Ever Know About Beauty.

xo,

Summer

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saldana fam cam | whole foods haul, kayla itsines workout & funny yoga | #thebeautybalance

I’ve been diving right into this 31 Day Writing Challenge, where each blogger chooses a topic to write about for 31(ish) days. Because it’s right where God has me, I’ve chosen to share on Blending Beauty with Balance.
(#thebeautybalance, if you want to follow along…or better yet, join the conversation using the hashtag!)

It’ll be a fun and encouraging 31(ish) days where I’ll be sharing tips and tricks while digging deeper, finding purpose, and blending beauty with balance — all with a heart of intention. {all 31(ish) Days will be linked here}

 

Welcome to another one of our weekly vlogs from my family!

Every Sunday I include makeup I’m wearing, workouts I’m doing, healthy food hauls, all the goodies that come in the mail, what I shop for, as well as snippits of our every day life as a family.

This week started with some of the most hilarious yoga moves I have ever witnessed Jimmy bust out. I seriously had no ideas the skills this man has. If there’s one reason to watch this week, it’s definitely for his opening act!!!

Also this week…

  • I do a mini review on Kayla Itsines 12 week bikini body challenge, as I just finished up Week 4. It’s INSANE but I totally love it!!!
  • I also share what we bought for our weeks worth of groceries at Whole Foods, as well what we plan on making with it all for meals.
  • Then there’s my newest makeup obsession that caused me clear out my Extrabux account…you guys have to see this lipstick!!!
  • And then of course just the fun family moments that I’m always so thankful I captured. Like this week when Chloe in her best Brittish accent, invited us all to sit and have a lovely “fancy” tea party. The different accents we all attempted were kind of hilarious…although I think Jimmy sounded a bit more like Ozzy than a fancy Brit.

I hope you guys enjoy hanging out with us, and of course, if there’s anything else you would like to see or have us add in, let me know in the comments below!

Remember to subscribe!

While I LOVE beauty, health, and all things related, more than anything my heart and soul belongs to Jesus! This quote expresses exactly what I hope shines more than anything:

“Like Paul and every other believer, my life is no longer my own. The focus must not be on me, but on Christ. When someone hears from me publicly, I want it all to point to Him.”

{quote from John MacArthur}

xoxo, Summer

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It means so much that you are here! I know life gets busy though, so if you don't want to miss a thing, I invite you to subscribe to my blog through email!

saldana fam cam | whole foods & trader joes grocery haul & a new family member! | #thebeautybalance

I’ve been diving right into this 31 Day Writing Challenge, where each blogger chooses a topic to write about for 31(ish) days. Because it’s right where God has me, I’ve chosen to share on Blending Beauty with Balance.
(#thebeautybalance, if you want to follow along…or better yet, join the conversation using the hashtag!)

It’ll be a fun and encouraging 31(ish) days where I’ll be sharing tips and tricks while digging deeper, finding purpose, and blending beauty with balance — all with a heart of intention. {all 31(ish) Days will be linked here}

Welcome to our Weekly Vlogs from our family!

Every Sunday I’ll be including makeup I’m wearing, workouts I’m doing, what we eat, all the goodies that come in the mail, what I shop for, as well as snippits of our every day life as a family. I’m excited to document our life and share it with all of you guys!

And of course, if there’s anything else you would like to see or add in, let me know in the comments!

This weeks vlog includes…
~ Whole Foods & Trader Joes grocery haul: Basically all that we bought for a weeks worth of groceries for our family of 4.
~ The easiest and most amazing crockpot recipe ever ever ever.
~ And our newest family member… (whom I’m now slightly obsessed with)

Hope you guys had an amazing weekend!

Thanks for watching!
xo

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It means so much that you are here! I know life gets busy though, so if you don't want to miss a thing, I invite you to subscribe to my blog through email!

how to straighten hair with minimal damage | #thebeautybalance

I’ve been diving right into this 31 Day Writing Challenge, where each blogger chooses a topic to write about for 31(ish) days. Because it’s right where God has me, I’ve chosen to share on Blending Beauty with Balance.
(#thebeautybalance, if you want to follow along…or better yet, join the conversation using the hashtag!)

It’ll be a fun and encouraging 31(ish) days where I’ll be sharing tips and tricks while digging deeper, finding purpose, and blending beauty with balance — all with a heart of intention. {all 31(ish) Days will be linked here}

Okay, I get that straightening your hair isn’t rocket science.
It’s not.

BUT! You guys, I have happened upon my HOLY GRAIL (which for those who may not know, means “the ultimate best ever”) flat iron in all the years I have ever been straightening my hair. And let me tell you, that is a lot of years. So, I think I had better tell you so you don’t have to waste the time (or money) that I have.

Also, not only do I finally have an incredible hot tool to share with you, but I thought I’d also share the best products I’ve discovered that will make all the difference in keeping the integrity of your hair while you’re busy applying all that heat.

Screen Shot 2014-10-14 at 6.31.45 PM

You want to look good yes, but you also want to keep your hair (I’d imagine). So, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page with doing everything we can, both in choosing our products and our tools, to not only look good…but keep our hair. And keep it healthy.

Balance, people.

Have we figured out yet it’s all about balance?

Okay, let’s get to why I love this flat iron and the products that have saved my hair.
And what better than to just show you how amazing it all truly is….

Enjoy, and I so hope your hair thanks me one day!

How to straighten hair …with minimal damage:

| Products Mentioned |

*IRRESISIBLE ME Extensions & Flat Iron (10% off through link)
*Agave Healing Oil & Shine Spray
*Acure Leave In Conditioner

+ DISCLAIMER +
FTC: This is not a sponsored video. While some products have been sent to me, I will always share my honest opinion of everything that I try and review on my channel. I will never accept payment in exchange for a positive review. Some links above may be affiliate.

While I LOVE beauty, health, and all things related, more than anything my heart and soul belongs to Jesus! This quote expresses exactly what I hope shines more than anything:
“Like Paul and every other believer, my life is no longer my own. The focus must not be on me, but on Christ. When someone hears from me publicly, I want it all to point to Him.”
{quote from John MacArthur}

xoxo, Summer

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It means so much that you are here! I know life gets busy though, so if you don't want to miss a thing, I invite you to subscribe to my blog through email!

the comparison cure | #thebeautybalance

I’ve been diving right into this 31 Day Writing Challenge, where each blogger chooses a topic to write about for 31(ish) days. Because it’s right where God has me, I’ve chosen to share on Blending Beauty with Balance.
(#thebeautybalance, if you want to follow along…or better yet, join the conversation using the hashtag!)

It’ll be a fun and encouraging 31(ish) days where I’ll be sharing tips and tricks while digging deeper, finding purpose, and blending beauty with balance — all with a heart of intention. {all 31(ish) Days will be linked here}

 

 

Hi, my name is Summer and I’m a comparison-aholic.

And it seems that God is not so content to allow me to stay there.
While I’m certain I have an entire blog post to write on this, the fact that it’s all still swirling around in my brain with a few things yet to take root, a mini post will just have to do.

Mini-posts or macro-posts as they’re often called, seem to happen often for me on Instagram. It’s where I share bits and pieces of what I’m learning and what I’m loving when a full on blog post seems a bit too much to take on.
It’s become my place to share without over-sharing.

It started with this picture which I captioned: The Comparison Cure.

Because sometimes quiet time isn’t so quiet.
And to say I had been struggling with comparison before I read that morning may in fact be the biggest understatement of the year.

And so God got to talking… shouting really.

comparisoncure

…and He doesn’t seem to be stopping.

And then when I saw this, and I was like…YES! This is so right!!!

comparison

You guys.
This is as much for me as it may be for you.

We have to stop comparing.
Be inspired, but never compare, because the reality is…so often what we’re comparing ourselves to, isn’t even real.

Keep your focus on being what you were created to be, and living that out with purpose and intention.
The grass may appear greener on the other side, but the truth is, we’re just too far away to see the weeds.

To: Me.
Love, Me.

{I have much more to say on this, and soon will hopefully be able to thoughtfully put together a post with all that I working through in this struggle.}

 

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It means so much that you are here! I know life gets busy though, so if you don't want to miss a thing, I invite you to subscribe to my blog through email!

saldana fam cam | sprouts grocery haul & the best smoothie recipe ever | #thebeautybalance

I’ve been diving right into this 31 Day Writing Challenge, where each blogger chooses a topic to write about for 31 days. Because it’s right where God has me, I’ve chosen to share on Blending Beauty with Balance.
(#thebeautybalance, if you want to follow along…or better yet, join the conversation using the hashtag!)

It’ll be a fun and encouraging 31 days where I’ll be sharing tips and tricks while digging deeper, finding purpose, and blending beauty with balance — all with a heart of intention. {all 31 Days will be linked here}

 

Another week, another Saldana Fam Cam! In these vlogs I’ll be including makeup I’m wearing, workouts I’m doing, what we eat, all the goodies that come in the mail, what I shop for, as well as snippits of our every day life. I’m excited to document our life and share with all of you guys! And if there’s anything else you would like to see or add in, let me know in the comments! =) xo

Screen Shot 2014-10-11 at 11.31.40 PM

This week I was feeling a bit run down and then had a family friend in town, so I wasn’t nearly as on top of my vlogging game as I usually try to be! But, I did film our Sprouts grocery haul and some sweet moments with the kids that I’m thankful I’ll always have on film!

I hope you guys enjoy!

Luggage Movie – that you must get your hands on somehow!
Barabbas Road Church Message – that has opened my eyes and challenged me in so many ways.

 

 

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It means so much that you are here! I know life gets busy though, so if you don't want to miss a thing, I invite you to subscribe to my blog through email!

adorned from the inside out | #thebeautybalance

I’ve been diving right into this 31 Day Writing Challenge, where each blogger chooses a topic to write about for 31(ish) days. Because it’s right where God has me, I’ve chosen to share on Blending Beauty with Balance.
(#thebeautybalance, if you want to follow along…or better yet, join the conversation using the hashtag!)

It’ll be a fun and encouraging 31(ish) days where I’ll be sharing tips and tricks while digging deeper, finding purpose, and blending beauty with balance — all with a heart of intention. {all 31(ish) Days will be linked here}

 

 

I tend to ponder so often about the message I’m putting out there with all this beauty, hair, makeup and fashion talk, and I confess that I have truly been in the trenches over this deep longing to know just how to live and share a life of beauty with balance.

Because sadly, the truth of the world we live in, is this:

The burden of unattainable beauty has far-reaching implications for women’s economic well-being. Not only are women in the United States spending much of their money on cosmetic products – a total of $7 billion spent per year on cosmetics1 – but they are now taking increasingly drastic measures to alter their appearances through surgical means. Money spent on cosmetic surgery and non-surgical aesthetic procedures is increasing drastically among all women, including younger women and women of color. And the economic implications reach further, even into the workplace, where research shows that women who don’t adhere to particular standards of beauty are impacted professionally and financially. {ywca.org}

And while I was listening to a John MacArthur sermon/podcast on the topic of beauty the other day, I was tearfully overcome with just how this beauty balance message really is needed in our lives, maybe more now than ever before.

I notice us all longing for beauty, and yet we seem to all be looking in the wrong places to find it.
We spend, and we tweak, and we nip, and we tuck, and still we end up somehow feeling, often times, more empty than ever before.

 

peoplearelikestainedglasswindows

The truth is, while fashion and beauty may allow us an opportunity to express who we are, nothing truly lasts or shines brighter than the light of Christ at work in our hearts.

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16

And as I pray and read and study the scriptures on this very issue, I keep coming back to this thought:

“We are to be adorned from the inside out, making every effort to blend beauty with grace, ultimately reflecting His light and His beauty in all that we are and in everything we do.”

This beauty balance?

It really begins with our hearts and knowing where it belongs.
It starts with our focus and on whom it should always remain…

And when we are able to humbly come to this comforting place of truth, only then will we experience a beauty that truly satisfies.

 

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It means so much that you are here! I know life gets busy though, so if you don't want to miss a thing, I invite you to subscribe to my blog through email!