Foundation

This post came from The Pursuit (you can read others we’ve posted from the website here). It was originally posted on September 21, 2011.
Used by permission of the blog/magazine’s editor—thanks, Ariel!

Some girls wear it, some don’t. Foundation—a creamy concoction of pigments and fillers to create a flawless complexion. With a smooth canvas, a girl can create a masterpiece!

How important is having a foundation? I often think about my childhood and how blessed I am to have a family who set my feet on a firm understanding of God, love, morals and the important lessons of life. I often wonder what I would be like without their support and upbringing. No matter how far or how many times I’ve strayed, their words—especially those of my mom—resonate in my head, bringing me back to the path of the straight and narrow. Without that smooth foundation, where would I be? Would I be a mess?

Then I think about those who didn’t have a solid foundation set for them. Their lives were far from flawless and loving. My favorite thing is hearing about those Cinderella type stories where someone goes from nothing to something! The Blind Side was a great example, but the people I know personally who are truly better because of their rocky start and dysfunctional childhood. Those people truly deserve the world and respect! You see, no matter what, you have a choice—be that foundation for someone, someone who needs it!!

Every makeup artist starts with a blank canvas—flawless or not. It’s the teachings, experiences and creativity that helps them create that perfect look. Flawless or not, you have the option of creating a beautiful life for yourself and others. The Lord will honor you and bless you and guide you along the way :)

Psalm 40:2 “…he set my feet upon a rock…”

Stay FabYOUlous,
Brynlea
fabyoulousgals.blogpsot.com

Brynlea Taylor Cunniff is a tomboy in a tutu. With a desire to be the Proverbs 31 woman God created her to be, she walks down the runway of life hand-in-hand with her Designer (in heels…and cowboy boots). Brynlea has a true passion for the young ladies of today’s generation, so she has a blog dedicated to devotions, fashion and everything girly! Follow her on fabyoulousgals.blogspot.com and Twitter @FabYOUlousGals. She would love for you to join her Facebook group “Fabyoulousgals” for Godly encouragement and girl chat!

Witnessing

This post came from The Pursuit (you can read others from the website here). It was originally posted on April 3, 2011. Used by permission—thanks, Ariel!

Hey Girls,

I want to talk about something that has always been challenging for me as a Christian: witnessing.  We've all read it in the Bible; God wants us to publicly share our faith.  That sounds easy, but when you are in a classroom surrounded by people who only make fun of Jesus and live to party, it's extremely hard to open you mouth (I know from experience!).  So, often (at least I do!), we just kinda twist that command to mean that we only have to live good lives and that will be our testimony…right????

Well, not exactly.  Sharing the hope of the Gospel with our mouths is very important, something we can't just slink around.  So, you may be wondering, how exactly should I go about this? What can I say that won't come across as preaching or condemning them or just plain stupid?  I've had these same questions, so let me try to answer them:

1) Pray! Pray that God will open up doors of opportunity as well as make you sensitive to His voice and prompting.

2) Look!  Look for the right situation, the right moment when you can appropriately bring up the subject. This is crucial, because if you try to shove the Gospel on someone at the wrong moment, you could actually turn them off, causing them to be less interested in what you have to say.

3) Speak!  Don't try to summarize the whole Bible all at once!  Maybe question their way of thinking or behavior and then offer a different way or approach (one that is biblical of course).  Or present a smaller facet of the Gospel to them, one that fits the occasion.  Or maybe simply challenge their belief about God…there are so many ways, just be sensitive to what is appropriate and what is most beneficial to them.

I want to challenge you guys to think of three people you know who aren't saved and whom you care about.  Pray for them daily.  And then witness to them using these three steps (if you want ;).  I hope this helps and challenges you all!

Love,
Megan

Megan Brainerd, from New York, is a busy nursing student who loves to hang out with her friends, read, and play the piano. :) Contact her at piano93[at]verizon[dot]net.

Before You

This post came from The Pursuit. (you can read others from the website here) It was originally posted on March 6, 2012. Used by permission--thanks, Ariel!

Before You, I was lost.

Before You, I had nothing.

Before You, I was lonely.

I was searching for something.

I was searching for something to make me whole.

Something to mend this broken heart of mine.

But I discovered that it wasn’t something I was looking for.

It was Someone and He would make me just fine.

But He made me more than just fine.

He turned me into something great.

He made me one of His children.

Now eternity with Him is my new fate.

Before you, I was lost.

Before you, I had nothing.

Before you, I was lonely.

But with You, I am more than just something.

I am someone.

I am Yours.

Love, Haylie

A Worry Box

This post came from The Pursuit. (you can read another one from that website here) It was originally posted on August 3, 2011. Used by permission--thanks, Ariel!

Hey Girls!

Ahh...the summer is counting down! Well, hopefully you're all enjoying it.

Anyway, I was on vacation with my family at a Christian family camp in NH. It's absolutely beautiful and refreshing. They have activities for the teens, and one day they split up the guys and girls and had devotions. Most of what they talked about was the same old stuff you hear all the time. But one thing struck me: our leader was talking about anxieties and worries and how they don't honor God. She said that she has something called a Worry Box. Let me explain.

Nope! You don't have to be fancy.

She keeps a small, decorated box on her desk with a particular Scripture that comforts her written on the outside (for instance Matt. 6:25-34). She keeps a pen and paper inside it. Whenever she becomes worried, anxious or stressed out, she writes the issue down and puts it inside the box. By doing so, she gives each concern to God and trusts Him with the result. After that, she doesn't allow herself to worry about that issue. Instead, she simply reminds herself that it is already in God's hands.

I love this idea! But what if I expanded that idea to something called My Thought Box. You see, I also struggle with worrying, but my bigger problem is my thought life. I am constantly fighting a battle to think pure thoughts and not let the Devil speak lies into my mind. So, for me, writing down anything I'm struggling with in my mind and putting that in a box (i.e., visually handing it to God), would be even better!

This is by no means a magic fix. And there is certainly nothing wrong with simply praying or journaling about your concerns...I do this as well. But for those like me who are very visual, this can be a great way to hand over worries and concerns to God. I can't wait to try it!

Megan

Megan Brainerd, from New York, is a busy nursing student who loves to hang out with her friends, read, and play the piano :) Her email is piano93+@+verizon.+net. (take out the "+'s" to email her)

When God Gives You Lemons...

Ariel, used-to-be editor of the Passion Magazine and blog, has graciously given us permission to use the posts from their blog for use on here! Yay! Enjoy, and be richly blessed. 
Today's article came from here. And be sure to check out the whole blog! :D

So when life gives you lemons, what do you do? Well, you make lemonade, as the saying goes. I absolutely LOVE lemons and lemonade, and I especially love lemonade stands! Which is why I am now suddenly reminded of a hilarious commercial! You know, the one with the little girl where she makes her lemonade stand into a giant business? Well, here’s the commercial in case some of you girls have never seen it:


Look at that little girl! I mean, talk about using one’s resources! She uses everything she can! Her father entrusts her with his expensive-looking smart phone and instead of simply using the phone’s calculator, little Susie uses every possible feature on that phone to make a profit!

I think that God does the same thing with us. God gives each and every one of us our own lemons in life. But what are we supposed to do with the lemons that God gives us? Multiply them! In the parable of the talents (check it out in Matthew 25:14-30!), Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven will be like will be like a man who goes on a journey and entrusts his servants with his property. In the parable, the man gives money (in the form of talents, a measurement of money at the time) to three servants. The first two servants eagerly get to work and double the money they’re given, making a profit for their master. But the third servant does absolutely nothing for his master with what he was given. He just buries his master’s money in the ground. So when the master returns, he’s delighted with the efforts and profit of the first two servants. He entrusts them with more money and invites them to celebrate with him!

Photo Courtesy

However, the master is angry with his third servant and takes away what he had. You see the third servant is lazy, wicked, and useless. He’s lazy and wicked because he doesn’t care to even try to please his master. (He could have simply put his master’s money in the bank and just sat around while it made interest! That would have been super easy, right?) And he’s useless because he does nothing for his master. He makes no profit; he’s a branch that bears no fruit at all. All the third servant does is complain about how “hard” his master is.

Can we sometimes act like the third servant though? Sadly, I know I can. So often we search, wonder, and pray about how we can serve God. We may dream of amazing ways to glorify God this summer, next year, next month, next week, even tomorrow. But sometimes we feel like there’s nothing we can do now. Maybe we don’t know where to start, or maybe we’re scared to try because we think God is too harsh. Or maybe we’re blind to what God has entrusted us with.

But just like little Susie in the commercial and the three servants in the parable, our Lord and Heavenly Father has entrusted each and every one of us with VERY valuable things. As Christians, we’ve all already been entrusted with the greatest treasure in the entire universe: God himself! (And like money, this gift definitely grows and multiplies when shared and invested!) We’ve also been given the people we know (family and friends at school or work) and the opportunities available to us (all of the places we can go). Imagine if we used all of that that God has given to us and eagerly went to work today like the first two servants!

Well let’s stop imagining now and let’s do it! Girls, I want to challenge all of you (and myself because the Lord knows I need it too!) to pray and search for ways to invest and share Jesus Christ today and this coming week, and then to act! Let’s be like the first two servants: let’s look for every opportunity today to serve God, serve His people, and share the treasure of Jesus Christ in our lives! Is there a new girl at school who’s having some trouble making new friends? Befriend her, love her like Jesus does, and pray and search for opportunities to share the Gospel with her! Is there a community service club at your school? Join it, and even suggest a new service project that you’re passionate about! Does your church need some help with watching children, phone calls, cleaning, greeting, or anything like that? Volunteer yourself today! Pray for such opportunities and God has promised that He will open the door!

Peace and God bless, girlies!

~Rose

Feel free to email me or check out my blog!

roseeflores (at) gmail (dot) com

rosiewalkingthewalk.blogspot.com