faith Archives - Page 4 of 10

can i possibly make a difference?

July 25, 2013

“Can I possibly make a difference?”

I can’t tell you how many times I have asked this question.
Not always out loud really, but in my actions.
In my writing…
…mostly in my heart.
and in my prayers.

“Lord, am I really supposed to be this way? And how can you possibly use someone like me to make a difference and live a life that is worthy?”

The more I tend to bare my heart and soul with other women though, the more I realize how similar we all really are.
And how we are all asking, in our own ways….

Am I worthy?
Will I ever be able to truly make a difference?

Sometimes I think we believe we have to do something big and grand and noticeable for this to be settled within us.
We think we have to DO and BE a certain way in order to meet the criteria we’ve set for ourselves in order to meet whatever “worthy” looks like for us.

I do this.
Daily.

I’m terrible at math, and yet I always see to want to look at numbers.
How much do I weigh?
How many inches am I losing?
How many people are reading my blog?
How many comments am I receiving per post?

And if it’s not ALL that I hope it to be or what I’ve compared it to others, I think…
“You see, Lord? I’m not enough. People don’t see. I’m not like the rest who are making it. I’m not worthy enough to make a difference.”

But that’s my humanness.
And God’s math never makes sense anyways.

First?
It’s not about NUMBERS, or WHEN WE GROW UP, or WHEN WE FINALLY HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER….It’s about being exactly WHO we are right now, WHERE we are in life at this moment, and using all of that to do SOMETHING for someone else.

Second, the more I search, the more I’ve been discovering that the question isn’t so much “what is God’s will for our life” that needs to be our concern…
I believe it’s more of “What is His will for us TODAY? And how can we make a difference RIGHT NOW?”
Who can we reach?
Who can we love?

It’s about today.
Because today is the life we’ve been promised.

Finally….and this is IMPORTANT:
We are worthy because we were created.
We are worthy because Jesus lived and died for us.
And we will make a difference, despite how flawed we believe we are, because He created us just so, and he “saw that it was good.”

So I’ve been learning to take all my MANY shortcomings (trust me, there are many, just ask my husband. or actually, don’t!), and I daily bring them to Him, and ask humbly…
“God, show me how to use this (good or bad moment/issue) for your glory….and just use me anyway! Allow me to make a difference.”

I make this the prayer of my heart.
And then each day, I show up. (after 10am preferably)
And I find the opportunities God has laid before me in THAT DAY.

Today we are worthy.
It is today that we must choose to love, smile, and pray for someone other than ourselves.
It is today we can hug a friend that is hurting or write a note to encourage someone.
It is TODAY we can be the love of God…despite where we are in life or what our faults may be. {again, I speak from experience.}

And in that one little moment that we set ourselves aside and instead choose to show God’s love…
The angels start partying in heaven because, “Lord Jesus, look at how that worthy person has made a difference!”
{is that maybe when an angel gets her wings too, or am i confusing stories?}

And it is then that we finally receive the answer to our hearts deepest desire.“Am I worthy? Can I possibly make a difference?”

His answer is,
“Yes. Absolutely. I created you worthy. I made you to make a difference. I see you, and I love you.”

And that is the truth we hold on to.

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inspiring links: fitness, faith, parenting, family, food & beauty

July 19, 2013

Where I’ve been and what I’ve been loving this week on the WWW!

FAITH/PARENTING:

After my “faith crisis” and especially after these last couple trips to the D.R., I can feel God in the works of changing me. It’s as though He’s given me new eyes and a new heart. And when I read this article on how to rescue our families, I was absolutely challenged and inspired. In fact, I think all parents would be blessed in reading and following his advice. How can we rescue the family? (John MacArthur a.k.a JMac as we call him in our house.)

~~~~~~~

PARENTING:

A friend sent this to me this week since we are both in the throws of sibling conflict. Having tried every method and read every book, I was all about learning another way to find peace. Take a read and let me know what you guys think. 3 Steps that Transform Sibling Conflict into Sibling Comaradare (Psychology Today)

~~~~~~~

RELATIONSHIPS:

After a women’s bible study I attended last weekend, our associate pastor came through and handed us an envelope to give to our husbands. It was a perfect match to everything we wives had just learned in Titus 2, and I may have encouraged Jimmy to read it every day if he could. =) This is definitely a letter EVERY husband (or soon to be husband) should read, and I’m not even kidding you right now. Print it out and hand it over to your man ASAP. Dear Husband (Barabbas Road Church)

~~~~~~~

FITNESS:

Burn away fat cells with this simple trick… I’m intrigued! Especially with my anniversary trip only 4 weeks away….I gotta get vacation body ready!!! If you’ve ever tried this method and have thoughts on it, I’d love to hear! (Dr. Mercola)

Speaking of getting vacation ready, I’ve been upping and intensifying my workouts this week and decided to add a bit to the end of my TAM Meta workouts. I start with one of my new fave YouTube channels Blogilates: This particular inner thigh workout KILLS, but oh my goodness, in SUCH a good way!!! (YouTube)

And then when my thighs are dead, I finish up with some extra arm work. This week I used Tracy’s Hampton Arms, which I’m pretty sure nobody can finish without resting their arms at least once. If you can, I am in AWE!!! (YouTube)

~~~~~~~

FOOD!

We’ve been trying to pin and then ACTUALLY make the healthy meals we find this week to stop our bad problem with eating out. This was by far my favorite meal of all AND the most easy to make! Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas (The Girl Who Ate Everything)

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BEAUTY:

Ipsy: Join me on Ipsy and subscribe to the Glam Bag! You get 4-5 beauty products every month delivered to your door, for just $10. (Michelle Phan curates the bags!) Check out my Instagram pic to see what was in this months bag, which was worth well over the $10 I spent! Score!!!

I’ve also been totally hooked on my Conscious Box Subscription as well. Every month, the box gets better and better, and I discover new organic and natural products that I love.

~~~~~~~

Now it’s your turn!!! Leave a comment letting us know what blogs, links, or videos YOU loved most this week!

xoxo

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going back to the dominican tomorrow, got prayer?

June 21, 2013

{our prayer cards we sent out}

I realize I haven’t posted many updates lately, and it’s mostly because I didn’t have a lot to update….but how quickly that is changing!!!

I should share that God has truly been speaking LOUD and CLEAR to both Jimmy and me, and it’s exciting to see what’s in store for us and our family.

We’re starting to wonder if maybe our calling is to more….

We just desire so much to be able to go beyond what is started on a one week trip, and really long to be able to stay for a bit longer to build relationships and help cultivate lasting change. We certainly can’t say anything for sure and God is still working on us, so we continue to be completely open and willing, daily covering this all in prayer.

As far as this upcoming trip TOMORROW!!!, I wanted to share a few details so you all would know just how to be praying for us.

This trip is all about working in the Batey (buh-tay), Olivares.

Olivares is where we have the land to build the orphanage, as well as the area where Pastor Joel and his church reside (the church that will potentially help us run the orphanage). It’s incredibly impoverished, and so we are not only planning a 3-4 day VBS & Baseball Camp, but are also hoping to tackle a few community projects where we will help do what we can to improve their quality of living… if even by just a little.

There’s also the potential and talk of having an opportunity to begin discipleship with some of the older girls from the church, which makes my heart want to absolutely burst.

It also makes me want to hurry up and become fluent in Spanish.
Baby steps.

It is also this trip where we believe we will see if this Orphanage idea truly has God in it.

We will be bussing in the orphans that Pastor Joel has prayerfully chosen to our VBS, so we can build relationships and more importantly…begin introducing them to their one and only hero: Jesus Christ.

Should we feel that God is still saying yes to the Orphanage Prayer, our plan is to eventually have 5 cottages on that plot of land with about 6 orphans and a set of houseparents in each.

Prayer Requests:

Pray that God would speak clearly to both Jimmy and I about where our family is to be in this world of missions. Every step we take we want it to ultimately be about God’s plan and nothing to do with our own.
Pray for the Bate, Olivares…Pastor Joel & his wife and family, his church and all the rest of their community. That they would ALL come to know the Lord personally, and desire to make a lasting change in their lives and in the lives of the people around them.
For the entire team going to serve. We have several teens on this trip, and it’s their first missions work, which I absolutely love. Their lives are about to be changed in a way that is bigger and better than anything else they could possibly do.
For our fundraising. We are still a ways away from our goal for this trip alone, and are trying to make as many budget cuts as possible to cover what’s rest. I know that God math is different than ours (especially mine, since I don’t do math), so I just pray God works it out, and that we’d have continual peace and trust in it all.
Because I’m doing this trip without my family, I’d love if you could pray for Jimmy, Taylor & Chloe while I’m away. As well as for our friends who will be helping to watch the kids. While I’m excited to go and help set the groundwork for our future, my heart fully desires to have us all go and serve together as a family one day soon.

I suppose that’s it for now.

We love you all!

P.S. To stay updated make sure to subscribe or follow my blog on Google Friend Connect or through Bloglovin’, as well as on Facebook & Instagram (links are also in the sidebar!). It’s these three that I’ll be posting stories and updates to while I’m away!

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when facebook makes me cry

June 19, 2013

I knew something was wrong when I was in bed and on Facebook the other night, and realized that without intention there were tears quietly sliding my cheeks.
I felt heaviness.
Conviction.
And it prompted me to listen.

I put away my phone, rolled over to my side and shut my eyes tightly, wiping away the tears.
It was 11pm and God was getting ready to speak.

He’s been doing that a lot lately.
I’m much too busy and distracted during the day to hear Him clearly, so if it has to wait until the quietness of night, so be it.

He has me in this place where I am totally, completely, and utterly at the end of me.
In fact, I’m kind of sick of myself to be honest.
I have stuff inside, junk and ick and a whirly ball of why’s and why not’s…and for a long time I’ve justified it because of this or that or what’s happened in my life.

But lately, I honestly want nothing to do with blame.
I just want to address what’s in there, face it head on, and fully surrender to whatever it is the Lord wants to show me.

That Facebook night, I heard Him asking…
“Would you give it all up? All of it…for me?”

It seems like an easy question to answer when someone who died for you asks you this…
But when I really began to think of all the things He could ask me to give up, I truly paused.

And the thoughts that created my pause, should have made the tears fall again, because it really is just…sad.

Let me just be painfully honest with you on where my mind goes.

What if He wanted me to give up my bed?
Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited to have such an incredibly comfortable bed???

Okay, yes God.
I’d give up my bed.
For another bed.
As long as there are no bed bugs.
And if it could be at least a queen, that would be great, considering I have to share it with Jimmy and we each prefer to have a side.

And then I thought…what if He wanted me to give up my hair appointments???

My heart just stopped.
Literally, it’s not beating.
I may have just died for a minute.

MY HAIR APPOINTMENTS???
Do you even know what color my natural hair is???

I know, me either!!!

But, I DO KNOW that it involves quite a lot of whitish gray hairs that prefer to stand STRAIGHT UP, and that it’s the exact opposite of how I’d choose my hair to be. Meaning I prefer my hair to LAY straight down.
I also prefer blonde.

So, what if God asked me to give up my hair appointments???

“Let me get back to you God on that one…”

Or what if God asked me to give up writing?

What if He said,
“Just stop. It’s not about them right now. Live simply for me. Would you do that?”

And with that thought, I find my soul aches.
Which leads me to believe it’s not what He’s asking. (i pray…)
But makes me wonder if I need to be re-evaluating WHAT I choose to write about instead…

Unfortunately, for me, this isn’t one of those posts where I’m able to end it with a moral or a lesson learned…
because that’s not how my life is.

Especially not lately.

It’s a whole lot of hard questions.
An uncomfortable amount of brutal honesty.
And an unbelieveable amount of humility I never knew I needed to learn.

But like I’ve been saying, God is truly at work in my life, and He has a whole lot to say.
So, I’m being still as much as I can, and simply soaking it all in.

Especially when Facebook makes me cry…

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renew: to make like new

June 13, 2013

In light of the other days *heavy* post, I wanted to share this post I had written back in January for the New Year.

It’s just now making it’s debut on my blog…and now I know why I tucked it away.

It was meant for today.

{also? thank you, from the depths of my heart, for all your love and encouragement after that post. you have no idea just how much my spirit needed it. you always continue to bless me.}

~~~~~~~

Renew: to make like new: restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection

When I think of the New Year I get excited at the prospect of change and growth.

I love having the marker of knowing that something has ended and something new is beginning. It always brings such hope to know that it’s not too late to turn things around, and so begins the list of goals and resolutions and character traits I want to try to encompass in the year to come.

As I was doing all of this searching and reflecting and pondering on my life this time, I found myself meditating on this word, Renew.
I loved how it absolutely reflected my excitement about the New Year, and how I wished to make things new again….in my marriage, in my relationship with my kids, friends and family.
And, I so longed to be restored to freshness, to be closer to that perfection that Jesus has asked me to be like.

But as I began to think more about all that encompassed, I began to feel a bit like a lost cause.
The more I thought of what I needed to work on, the longer my list became, and the more hopeless I felt.

How would I ever measure up?
How could I ever become the person I have written down on paper?
How can I truly be renewed this year, when in years passed not a whole lot has changed?

Have you ever found yourself in this place?

Thankfully, the Lord heard my questions as the prayers of my heart, and the next day decided to show me the Truth through my devotions:

“As a Christian, you possess every spiritual resource you need to fulfill God’s will for your life. You needn’t pray for more love, for example, because His love is already poured out in your heart through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). The same is true of joy (John 15:11), peace (John 14:27), strength (Phil. 4:13)–and every other resource you need. The key to spiritual progress and victory is learning to apply what you already have, not seeking more.” -John MacArthur in Drawing Near

You can’t begin to imagine the restored hope I felt as I realized all that I wanted to attain was already within me!
All that I wanted to renew, already has been, the moment I accepted Christ as my Savior and Lord of Life!!!

What relief it is to know that we needn’t feel hopeless, as long as we continue to live in Him, seeking to know His truth and apply to our lives, we are renewed.

He sent His Son.
Born a Man.
Who was crucified for our sins.

All of this, so we could be renewed.

So He could look upon His children and see us as new.

We don’t need a new year.
We don’t need a new day.
We simply need Christ.

Because truly, it’s only in Him, that we will ever be completely renewed.

Renew: to make like new: restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

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hope when purity is stolen: my story

June 11, 2013

i was 14.

a freshman.
young and naive and scared because my life at home was torn and broken.

i was a christian, yet incredibly confused because it seemed i couldn’t find God’s face no matter how hard i tried.
i felt so alone and there was a crowd that seemed to be happy and free and not at all scared to be who they were.
i went to that crowd, and i quickly bent to the things they were doing.

i was 14.
a virgin.
there with that crowd.
at a party with kids a lot older and sadly for them, a lot more experienced than me.
i went alone, and found myself alone…and for the first time of my life, not at all sober.

i asked him to stop.
the room was spinning.
i begged him to go.
the tears were falling.
i told him how God would be so mad at me if he did this, “just please please stop!!!”
i cried, sobbing the word “no” over and over again…until I lost hope and no longer felt a part of the experience.
and when he was done and before the door was closed, all I heard was,
“don’t leave this room.”
and with the click of the door, my life was changed.

~~~~~~

I spent my childhood/teenage years dreaming of my wedding, of my happily ever after, and in those dreams I knew that on my wedding night I would be pure.

It’s what I was taught.
It’s what my faith, as loose as I held it then, showed me was the right thing to do.
And I believed that I was going to be that good girl.

And when suddenly that gift I wanted to give was stolen from me, I was left with a whole lot of nothing.
I felt I was nothing.
Because he saw me as nothing.
He stole from me so much more than my virginity.

It’s amazing what a moment will do.
How it can make you so small, so broken, so dirty, so incredibly insignificant…
worth absolutely nothing.

And because I didn’t have godly women/mentors to speak into my life at that time, I had nobody to stop me from walking into even more pain.

You see, I stopped caring.
Nobody had been there to save me.
Nobody was there to stand up for me.
Nobody stopped what was so obviously happening, and now?

God was mad at me.

You can never imagine that kind of shame.

In my eyes, I was used goods.
Broken.
Nothing.
What could I ever possibly offer my husband one day?
And so, I loosened my grip on my faith even more, and instead sought out to make right of what had been so wrong.

My first time had been an experience of hell.
And I was determined that from then on, I would be in charge of every time after that.
So for years, I offered myself when it “felt right.”
Feeling worthless, in hopes that when it was over, somehow that feeling of meaning…of worth… would return.

It never did.

Instead, I would curl up in a ball and sob uncontrollably.
Aching for my mistakes, knowing it wasn’t right, and then continuing to feel as though there was nothing else I could possibly do.

In my broken cloudy mind, I couldn’t see the truth.

~~~~~~~

“Born again virgin.”

We hear it said often now.
But it was something nobody had ever explained to me then.

Even so, had it been shared, I’m not entirely sure it would have been enough to stop me from my destructive behaviors.

What I needed to be told is what I’m sharing with you now.

You are so much more.
YOU, who may feel so broken, so unworthy, so dirty and used…
ARE SO MUCH MORE.

And here is why.

Our incredible Creator, the one who hung the stars and spoke majestic mountains into place, thought enough of you to breathe life into your very being.

Think about that.

Think about how carefully and thoughtfully an artist creates a masterpiece.

You are his masterpiece.
You are worthy.

Not a single person, or a single experience can ever EVER change that.

Those times you may have messed up, or were tragically hurt and used…
He was there with you.
Crying with you.
Longing for you to reach out to him so he could hold you and heal you.

You have a choice.
You can walk the sinful path I did, which caused me and so many others incredible pain.

Or you can run to the forgiving and healing arms of your Heavenly Father.

Those thoughts of “What could I possibly have to offer someone someday, when I am so dirty… so used… so broken…” are thoughts from the enemy.

You are more than just a gift of Purity.
You are God’s chosen person.
You are his masterpiece.
You have value and are worthy because Christ died and made it so.

No matter what may have caused you to stumble, fight against the lies you hear, and cling with all your strength instead to what is true.

And the truth is, in Him, you will be completely cleansed and restored.

“…having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

There are other incredible women and authors sharing their stories and wisdom on purity. I encourage to you spend some time really meditating on this issue, and finding even more truth for you to put on and wear daily.

Head here for the complete list.

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boldly walk towards change

June 5, 2013

I feel like I have changed so much since I started this blog, and I’ve been feeling as though it was time this blog changed with me.

What was started on a whim one hazy ambien night, has actually become an incredibly important part of my life.

And while my blog is the midst of transformation, I must confess, that my heart is as well.

My heart, my life, my everything.

Sometimes life is messy and complicated and things aren’t the way you want them to be.
And sometimes you have to get completely honest and real and confess the truth, in order for there to be healing, growth and restoration.

It started with my faith.
Which makes sense….because that needed to be stronger before I could handle anything else in my life falling apart.

Falling apart.

It sounds so painful, so devastating, so final…but I’m starting to see falling apart so very differently.
Because when something is built on shaky ground, it has to crumble in order for God to fully restore and put it back together again.

On solid ground.

With Him as the foundation.

My faith had crumbled, and in that healing moment on Good Friday, I realized the pain and doubt and hurt were all worth it.

I needed to be restored, and in that happening, my faith became stronger than it has ever been.

For the first time in a long time, I have joy and peace.

And this other stuff falling apart now, I honestly believe will end up exactly the same.

Yes, it’s intense and it hurts and at times I want to quickly go back to pretending and not being truthful because it didn’t involve this kind of pain.

But, I can see Him.
I’m looking only at Him.
And despite the people and circumstances around me, I am filled with hope.

This change, with my blog and in my life, couldn’t have come at a better time.

I’m ready to boldly walk towards change…

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ready for battle

May 28, 2013

Sometimes there comes a moment where enough is enough.
You just cannot slump around anymore.
You will not whine or complain or mope one more minute.
There MUST be an end, and you will find that end no matter what it takes.

There also comes a time when you finally realize that a pill or a book or a person or a purchase is not going to fix you.
In fact, deep down you know that nothing out there will ever be able to fix or complete you.

And you’ll come to know…it’s only up to you.

And so you pick yourself up and you just. get. ready.

Ready to battle.

Ready to take responsibility and ready to make changes.

You stand before the mirror, and you acknowledge that only you see what’s before you….
what is inside you….
and only you can make the next step.

You may not feel ready.
You may not feel equipped.
But know that He is, and He is with you….ready to tackle it by your side.

He is just waiting, has always been patiently waiting, for you to make that first step.

And the time is now.

Take His hand and take the leap.

It’s time to fight, and grow, and learn, and take responsibility.
It’s time to DO THE WORK.
And do it daily.
Hourly.
Even minute by minute in the moments you must.

For we will ALL be stronger and wiser and happier simply because we refused to give up.
We wouldn’t give in.
And we will know we fought for ourselves, for our life, for our family, for our soul.

So, make a list, write a letter, be accountable, laugh.

Every day laugh….

But most importantly, whatever it may be…
BEGIN TO MAKE A CHANGE.

And never stop fighting.
Never give up.
We are not quitters.

He thought us worthy to live,
so begin today to live a life that is worthy.

photo credit: http://weheartit.com/entry/36574991/via/talia9714

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life is changing & i’m telling the story

May 23, 2013

It’s been a long few years.
{a long life?}Among the joys and blessings there have also been a lot of struggles, a lot of character building, and a lot of very humbling moments…
And yet, when something amazing and perfectly fitting comes along in your life, you realize all the many reasons God allowed you to walk the road you did.With time, experience and a teachable heart, comes perspective and wisdom.

I’m learning that ever so slowly.

God is doing something in our family.
Something exciting and big and a little bit scary.
And I’ve shared a little, but there’s so much more…

There are times I simply want to leave my heart to words written, but in this case, I want so badly to be able to sit down with each and every one of you and share all that is in my heart.
Just the way I have done with my closest friends since being home.

And so this video is just that.
Grab your tea.
It’s time for us to chat, friend to friend.
Cause I’m fixin’ to tell you my story….

For more information on how to support this Childrens Heritage Foundation Orphanage project or if you’d love to get involved yourself click here.

My good Friday experience post

Journal Entries/Blogs from our trip

To support our family while we continue to help with this project, click on the orphanage button to the right as well as here.

Music in the video by Kyle Hildebrand (Simple Song)

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cause baby we were born that way

May 20, 2013

{photo credit: via}

“I’m just a girl in the world.”

“I’m sensitive and I’d like to stay that way.”

“Cause baby, I was born this way!”

“So, thanks for making me a fighter!”

~~~~~~~

I’m a sensitive girl.
I’ve been told so many times by people I love that I’m too sensitive, that I need to grow a thicker skin.
I’m too much of this, and not enough of that.

I’ve always felt ashamed of my tears.
Of my heart.
Of the way I feel strongly, of the way I feel emotions.

I have tried to mask it.
Tried to squash it.
Tried to build a wall so high and so deep that nobody would be able to see the sensitivity still hiding behind it.

And then one day I met someone who spoke something into my life that truly made a lasting impression on my heart.

“You are sensitive! And I love that about you. Because it’s exactly how God made you and exactly how He wanted you to be. There is a purpose for your sensitivity, so never let anyone tell you that this is something that is wrong with you.”

I felt such a freedom when I heard her say those words.
For once someone saw through the walls.
Someone saw through the mask.

And even when she saw the real me, I was still lovable.
To her, it was good.

And then I thought, if this one woman could see through to the real me and see that it was good, how much more so does God feel that way about his very own creation?

As women, I think we have been confused.
We think we need to be something other than how we were created.

We are told to be this or that.

That we aren’t enough.

That we need to be more.

Try harder.

Be stronger.

But not so strong.

Softer.

But not too soft.

It’s conflicting and confusing and we are left standing helpless wondering what to do with the “mess” inside that doesn’t seem to fit what the world expects of us.

And that’s the trouble.
We are looking to the world, to our family, to our friends… to define us as women.

And we feel ashamed if who we truly are doesn’t match up to the standards set upon us.

But the truth is, we are each made unique by our Creator.

Despite how different we all may be, at our core, we are all still exactly who God created us to be for a purpose.

It’s okay for some of us to be stronger than others.
And it’s okay for others to have a softer side instead.
Sometimes, we may find we are a strong mix of both.

Some of us cry easily, others hardly at all.

Some of us love fashion and shopping, still others prefer a simpler approach to beauty.

Some get giddy in dresses and heels, others cringe at anything other than jeans and flats.

Some scrapbook, some sew, some work, some stay home, some want kids, some don’t, some marry, some aren’t, some cook… and then believe it or not, some are allergic to the kitchen….(ahem.)

There are so many ways, so many beautiful ways, that we as women were made to be different.

I believe that the Proverbs 31 woman isn’t meant to intimidate us.
I feel she is meant to unite us.
To show us all the ways a woman can be.

Strong and capable.
Fun and entertaining.
Crafty and caring.
Wise and charming.

My prayer is that we would be freed from the chains of the labels we have latched on to.
That we wouldn’t let the world or the church or anyone else for that matter tell us that we need to be something other than what God created us to be.

Know who you are in Christ.
Embrace how He created YOU to be.

And never be ashamed.

Romans 12: 4-8

4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

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