"Christians practicing Yoga": an oxymoron???

I was introduced to Mark Driscoll not too long ago via YouTube. This guy goes hard! You never have to wonder where he stands on an issue. I appreciate his fervor and his confidence in what God has taught him. However, the clip I saw today made me feel a little sad. I really like going to yoga. I feel longer and more relaxed by the end of each session. It really helps to relax me after a long day.  I've heard Christians say that it's demonic and that I shouldn't do it. I never understood that argument because I just thought, "God has way more power than the devil! Why give the devil so much power over something that feels so great for me physically?" Mark Driscoll has been the only one to effectively make the argument to the point where I'm ready to research more on yoga and not just evaluate it based on how I feel by the end of the session. If it's really as bad as he says it is, I've got to stop.  Meanwhile, I will now also do a background check on Pilates. I really love the feeling of control and strength that Pilates brings. I hope it's okay!!! Either way, here's the video. Check it out below:

mon{diy}day: Custom Dry Erase Board

I haven't done a DIY project in a while and honestly, I've been making things but I've been totally forgetting to post them on here. I found this dry erase board idea on another blog. I can't remember the name but I was so impressed with how simple it was that I decided I would do it myself one day! Well, the day has come and gone. I made this board maybe two months ago?!? It's been a while. However, I had a blast doing it. 

I went to Michaels and purchased a picture frame (you can def. get them cheaper elsewhere. I was just being lazy). I used a scrapbooking frame in this instance but you don't need all that. I purchased an interesting piece of scrapbooking paper, dry erase markers, as well as sticky letters & numbers.

This project took me all of five minutes to make. It's really really easy to stick the letters on, snap the newly designed scrapbooking paper back into the glass frame and actually use it. I love that instant gratification! :)

Here are pics of the finished product:

Can't forget those dry erase markers :)

Nice project! Lots of fun to personalize the background so easily and have such a jazzy dry erase board! Fun! Fun! Fun!

Worry Warts: The Conclusion of Matthew 6

(25)"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (26)Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add on cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing?
Consider the lillies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
- Matthew 6:25-34 Taken from the New King James Version

So today marks the conclusion of the Matthew 6 series. What a journey/blessing it's been! I have no doubt that God wanted me to study Matthew 6 for such a time as this.

What to take home from this message:

• Work hard. Do what you can. Leave the rest to God. 

I once heard a preacher say to work as if prayer as nothing to do with it and pray as if work has nothing to do with it. Work hard. Pray even harder. Sometimes, God really is looking at us to take some initiative. While these verses are encouraging us to lean on Him, let's not forget to work hard and be diligent. Excellence in our work honors the God we serve. Don't be lazy and expect Him to do the things He's given you strength to get up and do yourself. 

• Trust God to take care of you and provide provisions. 

Once you've done all you can and you've put it in His hands, leave it there. Oftentimes, we put our problems into God's hands and then take them right back out. Imagine wearing a designer garment and getting a snag in the fabric. The actual designer of the garment tells you that she can fix it for free. You give it to her but then decide to take it back because, even though you can't sew,  you'll figure out a quicker way to do it. It's absurd. That's exactly how we treat God. 

• Remember that God can really hook you up. Whatever the desire is, just know that He won't play you. 

Your worry may not be "what am I going to eat?" or "what am I going to wear?" Your worry could be, "when am I going to get a raise/job?" "when am I going to find a mate?" Putting these worries in the hands of God can be hard sometimes. We're not always worried that God couldn't find us someone though. Sometimes, we're afraid of WHO God will choose: i.e. a total square. God's not like that though. He knows your taste better than you do. Let Him take care of the picking. Just follow His lead. 

• Stop stressing!!!!

I say that almost every day but I recently found a picture of myself from junior year in college and felt the tears coming. There's something behind that smile that's been long gone. There's nothing like looking at picture of yourself and recognizing that something has changed. I remember when I took the picture and what time in my life I was in. I was dancing a lot that semester in preparation for a student government performance. I was finding my own little niche on campus. Life gets hard but don't let it get you to the place where you don't recognize who you are without stress. Give it to God. Take a dance class. Practice some pilates moves. Lift some weights. Soak in the beauty of nature. Go swing on a swing. Integrate more spontaneity into your life to take the edge off. 

After seeing these old pictures, I've decided that I need to make some changes: change of pace, scenery, weight, food, people, sleep, etc. and return to these pictures. I felt much better back then. Stress will not put me in an early grave. This is my public charge to change myself. 

 

For the Love of Money: Matthew 6:24

Photo c/o:Shutterbug81

"You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both."
- Matthew 6:24, The Message Bible

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
- Matthew 6:24, The King James Version

I felt it necessary to give two versions of this text. I always like the Message translation and how literal it gets but I also wanted to hear from the King James.

I believe we can worship God by being generous with some of the following tools:

• Time- We spend time with God through prayer, reading our Bibles, devotion...
• Talents- Using our talents and spiritual gifts (singing, encouragement, hospitality) with His children
• Money- Returning a faithful tithe and offering, giving to the less fortunate.

I believe we can worship money by generous with some of the following tools:

• Time- We develop an unhealthy obsession of crafting plans to get more money.
• Talents- We devise ways to exploit our talents to get more money. 
• Money- We become hoarders of money who totally ignore those who are in dire need.  

Our society is all about materialism. When I think of the rapper 50 Cent, I think of the slogan he used. He encouraged his fans to get rich or die trying. Money is easily seen as the god in this instance. However, what about success? For a lot of people, success is equated with lots of money. Some may deny it but it's true. You're not just being successful to be successful. You want the fruits of what you consider success and oftentimes, the main fruit is money. There's nothing wrong with wanting success or even wanting money but when it becomes the thing you put before God, then you have a problem.  I can't tell you how many motivational videos I've seen where, on the surface, they look and sound great. However, don't be deceived. There is a danger with some of the videos and the mindset of "success" obsession that's encouraged.

My problem is that I've seen quite a few motivational videos that encourage a lack of sleep. When you're trying to motivate people to live the life they've dreamed of, violating health principles shouldn't be a part of the mix. Our bodies need sleep. You can still be successful and get to sleep at night. Granted, some nights may be filled with more sleep than others. However, this whole "I don't sleep and that's why I'm successful" business is beyond me. It's another way of creating an idol of success. When there is lack of sleep, there is lack of judgement. How can you possibly think straight? God isn't glorified in that. I welcome someone to prove me wrong on this one...really. I love the hustle. I think it's beautiful to see people work hard and achieve their dreams. I am doing that myself. However, I have seen too many people be successful in their own right and get plenty of sleep to know that the "no sleep" logic is off. With that being said, what I've said unfortunately doesn't apply with the entertainment industry.  It seems as if that industry is built for people not to sleep. I don't agree with it but that's the only industry that I can honestly say that in order for you to be the average standard of "success", you're not getting any sleep.I could be wrong and/or you could be the pioneer in the industry that gets sleep. I pray it's the latter.

 One of my close friends in college is one of the smartest people I know. She was 2nd in our graduating class. She was a Finance major with a minor in Spanish. During our senior year, she was in leadership roles, had a part-time tutoring gig, carried a full class load, was planning her wedding, studying for the LSATs and applying to law schools. How and when did she get sleep you ask? She would go to bed early (think 8pm) and wake up early in the morning (think 4-6 am). She always said that her mind was most clear and able to comprehend more in the morning. Her dedication to God and hard work paid off but she didn't have to sacrifice her sleep to miss out on her own success. Understand that the sleep conversation was to point back to success and money. They're all connected.

The reason why a lot of us love money so much is because we look at it to solve our problems. I am guilty of this. When I look at each issue I have, I feel like the solution is money. Even as I type this, I'm being rebuked. God is the solution. God can work out situations in ways that money can't. He doesn't need money to bless us. A friend once reminded me to stop looking at my issues as problems that would never be able to be solved simply because of my lack of money. I'm looking at the wrong thing to fix the equation. After I've done all I can do in His strength, I need to leave it to God. He knows our needs. He answers prayers. 

Money cannot save us. If we put money in the position to save us, we will be lost. 

#helpusLord

Amen. 

dreams demure [#5]

"A dress should be tight enough to show you're a woman but loose enough to prove you're a lady." -Edith Head

You just don't see a lot of modest fashion nowadays. It's out there though. Perhaps a weekly reminder might help. Keep in mind that body proportions play a HUGE role in what's okay/not okay for each individual. Here's my interpretation of how individual style is executed well while still being modest. I may not wear each and every style shown but I can def. respect the brainchild behind each look:

(love the idea of black jeans with a mini-dress like this)

Photos c/o: 

Wheredidugetthat.com, 

Karlascloset.blogspot.com, 

Cupcakesandcashmere.com, 

Tumblr.com, 

WayneTippets.com,

Fashion Bananas.com

Wonder[ful] Belief- What Matthew 6:22-23 Teaches Me

Photo c/o: Anastasia Volkova Photography

(22-23)"Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!"
- Taken from the Message Bible (Matthew 6:22-24)

Matthew 6 is not an easy chapter to swallow, I will admit. However, I'm learning some serious lessons through it and I know that it's been a blessing straight from God to study.
Today, I'll be sharing from a personal experience.
A couple days ago, I shared a vlog entry about being thankful and grateful. I was so excited (and still am) about the message that my pastor shared on Sabbath about being grateful. I took that sermon and applied it to having real joy and haven't looked back. It was funny because not too long after I made that video, I started to get ready for work that afternoon. While I was getting dressed, I remembered that I'd have to pack a lunch/dinner for the amount of time I'd be at the office.  The thought of preparing a lunch/dinner sounded so cumbersome. I really didn't want to spend that time in the kitchen. The night before, I was craving pizza and it was still a craving at that moment. So, I decided that I'd have the pizza. Before you judge, it's actually a small enough pizza for one person's servings for lunch and dinner :) I ordered it and then finished getting ready so that I could pick it up and go to work.

While in the car, I thought about my weight and that I was on my way to get pizza. My weight has been something I've struggled with for so many reasons but to be honest, I've gotten to a place where I really feel "defeated". So I started to think about what I'd do if anyone ever asked me if I was pregnant. I'm on this "be thankful for everything" tip so I really was searching for ways to turn it into a positive. Here's what I came up with:

"Why thank you!!! You think that I look like I could be a giver of life! What an honor!" 

"Thank you for the reminder that my health is my wealth and belly fat is a stepping stone to fatal disease. This was a good reminder! God bless you!"

The more I thought of those comments, I laughed harder and harder at myself. I was so tickled that I was beginning to turn the negatives into positives. I really do need to lose weight but I don't need to get depressed about it. So as I headed into the pizza place, I placed my mind back into the thankful and light-hearted place. I guess it showed on my face because when I walked in, the first guy I laid eyes on smiled back at me and came toward the register to help me. He was so cute too :) So, I pulled out the debit card to pay him and he was having trouble with it. I knew it wasn't me so I didn't even begin to worry. I was mentally reminding myself to not buy Sprite and settle for the water in my car (healthy choices! I am trying!). He then told me that something was wrong with the machine and that it would take 10-15 minutes for them to make my transaction. I was prepared to wait and he then told me that the pizza was free. I was happy to hear that. What would've been $6 and change ended up staying in my pocket. Yay! Since then, there were a couple "negative" issues but because of a change in perspective, those negatives are literally water off a duck's back. This isn't to say that life is easy like Sunday morning but once you're in a position of gratitude with open eyes and open heart to see the world through the lenses of joy, good things present themselves! 

This is how I believe verses 22 and 23 apply to life as I've known it the past couple days. :)

What these verses teach us about life:

Open your eyes in wonder and belief. We don't want any dark cellar-type Christians!

a. Wonder: (This may be too literal but this is what I understand it to mean) I had a friend once challenge me to ask God questions when I'm in tricky situations. One of the main questions I am supposed to ask is, "God, how can you be glorified in this situation?" Then follow-ups could include: "God, I am wondering how to see the positive. I'm wondering how do I see you in the midst of this. I am wondering where to find you. That's wonder, right? haha. Or it could be wonder like awe i.e. "I am in awe of you, God and the opportunities you've created for me to trust you more!" Man, talk about spiritual maturity! Whoooo!!!

b. Belief- This is a chance for you to actively trust God and have faith that He's got you. Instead of           stepping into each moment with fear and anxiety, mentally train yourself to understand that God will not put more on you than you can bear. You're equipped to handle any situation with Him on your side. Know that and believe it!

Let me remind you that we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us! Phil. 4.13. 

Amen. 

Taste Test: Odwalla Mango Lime Smoothie Refresher

I love Odwalla drinks. They're a little cheaper than Naked but they still taste sooo good! Not too long ago, I saw that there was a miniature line of drinks that I'd never seen before. So, for this taste test, I tried Odwalla's Mango Lime Twist Smoothie refresher. It has 150 calories per bottle. Inside this particular flavor are the juices of an orange, coconut, mango, peach, apple, and lime. There's a ton of Vitamin C in this drink which is good for those who are looking for ways to up the Vitamin C intake. 

Verdict: It's not bad. I will be honest and say that I wouldn't buy it again simply because it's not really my type of flavor. If I'm paying money for a small bottle of juice, it's gotta be one that I'm absolutely in love with (unless I'm reviewing it). I wouldn't buy this one again but it's not nasty at all. It's good. It's just not "fall in love with juice, gotta try and make it at home" good.