BestBeautyTIPS1

In honor of beauty month being June and July....ehh I made tht up. June and July aren't officially beauty month, but they are around here! Plus, there's a very important wedding coming up in July, and summmer screams beauty!

So I have decided to put together my BestBeautyTIPS. and I have asked the beauty experts in my life to share some as well. FUN!

There are SO many rules when it comes to beauty. Or at least it seems that way. I only have two.

#1--If you hear something over and over and over and over and over and over and over from

various beauty experts, friends, family, magazines, etc. LISTEN UP. The best example I can give is sunscreen. EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE is saying to put on that sunscreen and stay out of the sun. Protect your face. I used to hate this tip BUT it is so essential for beautiful, shimmering skin. Suncreen is sexy. Especially at age 50 when you got yourself NOOOO wrinkles. Think about it this way. Where is the softest skin on your body? Your bum, under your arms, and [generally] your stomach. Why? they are the most protected place on your body. They are covered by clothes. Protect your skin. Wear sunscreen. Seriously.

#2--Don't listen to anything you hear. Make your own beauty rules. I love Bobbi Brown make up. I was reading up in her book about eye liner. She said to not put eye liner on the inside of the lash line. I do that. I read another book about make up that said the complete opposite. Just do what you love.

Top 10 foods (or drinks for your skin):

1. First thing in the morning drink a big glass of water with lemon in it.

2. Avocado

3. Green Tea

4. Almonds/nuts

5. Green, leafy veggies--brocoli, spinach, leafs, wheat grass (!)

6. Salmon, salmon, salmon

7. watermelon, peppers, berries

8. olive oil and flaxseed

9. WHOLE grains, not white

10. water, water, water, water,

*an excess of anything is not good, but alcohol, sun, salt and oil is really not good for your skin.

MORE TO COME! top 10 worst things for your skin. bummer summmer....

also, send me your beauty tips! I would love to know and share!

From Glory to Glory

I am so jazzed about our Father God. There are these moments during the day where I literally just can't even believe God is real. I mean I can, but I can't. The only way to describe it is this sorta, kinda fearful, majestic awe love feeling. Where all thoughts run together in this serenade of perfect peace.

I was just sitting down getting ready to read a book and this wave of unreal joy and freedom and LOVE. Oh, the love. It just hits you and its like nothing ever mattered. "He loves like a hurricane." yeah, yeah, yeah.

I was watching Master Chef the other day. It is the awesome foodie competition with Gordon Ramsey. All these contestants prepare food for the judges and they either give them an apron or send them packin. Great, right? Well, this woman was the next contestant and before she even spoke a word I started crying. And listen here, I don't cry easily. So I'm thinking what the heck is going on. And i just can't stop crying. Like it is this endless flow. She began to say that the dream of her life has always been to be a chef, but yet settled as an accountant. Later that night someone at work told me about how disappointed he is in life. I had to go to the back room so no one would see me crying. LIKE WHAT??

I got wrecked at church this past Sunday. And again started crying. I heard the Lord just speak some very tender, but clear words.

I really believe that the Lord is beginning to restore broken dreams. I can see it in so many lives around me. The places that have been pronounced lifeless, where the time of death has been called out. Those broken pieces are being resurrected to life. I just spoke with a friend tonight where the Lord has just supernaturally put her on a new path. COME ON. Don't you for one second think that you are too old or too young for God to bring restoration to old hopes of being in a band or having a family. Or meeting your dad. Or finding a wife. Or traveling around the world ministering. Don't for one second discount who God has called you to be.

Not only is he restoring broken dreams, but He is saying that you have no idea what I have in store for you. The Lord is saying that if you will just absolutely trust Him, ohhhh the dreams of your heart will spring forth...and I'll do you one better. I'll take you higher, deeper, farther than your thoughts can even run says the Lord. Be obedient now and the Lord will pour His gratitude over your life.

Above all though, He just wants to love on you. Really. like all over. Just love all over your life.

ohhhh wow. what a Mighty King. How can we not live in awe of our Father God when he declares promises like that over our life. Let's move from Glory to Glory together in love with The Most High. only way to go right?

Also, this song is the best dance party music EVER. DANCE AROUND!

Daddy's Girl

I am just quite the daddy's girl. I don't think my dad has ever missed a basketball game, thanksgiving play, dance recital, graduation, birthday. Nothing. It is so easy to forget what a gift I have in my Dad. He is my superman.

I always tell people that my dad was absolutely meant to have girls. He just wraps my sister and I in love.

He is just the absolute most fun person ever. I wish I could tell you how extraordinary he is.

I am who I am most assuredly because of who my dad is.

What a blessing to get to do life with a Father so full of wisdom and discernment.

I LOVE YOU!

The Girl Who Cried Abba Father

I found a poem written by Brennan Manning. I wrote it down on a little piece of notebook paper years ago. Every time I read I can hear my heart just calling out "Abba Father."

The road that I have traveled is pockmarked by disastrous victories and magnificent defeats, soul-diminishing successes and life-enhancing failures. Season of fidelity and betrayal, periods of consolation and desolation, zeal and apathy are not unknown to me. And there have been times...

when the felt presence of God was more real to me

than the chair I am sitting on;

when the Word ricocheted like broken-backed

lightning in every corner of my soul;

when a storm of desire carried me to places I had

never visited.

And there have been other times. . .

when I identified with the words of Mae West: "I

used to be Snow White--but I drifted";

when the Word was as stale as old ice cream and

as bland as tame sausage;

when the fire in my belly flickered and died;

when I mistook dried up enthusiasm for gray-haired

wisdom;

when I dismissed youthful idealism as mere

naivete;

when I preferred cheap slivers of glass to the pearl

of great price.

If you relate to any of these experiences, it is time to reclaim your identity as Abba's Child.

401k's and invest firms

The decisions you make today will affect generations tomorrow.

These are my grandparents. They have got to be some of the most extraordinary people I have ever met.

Here's a thought: why not sow into generational blessing. I am not talking about setting up your 401k, investing in different countries, buying your burial plot so the fam doesn't have to worry about the cost...I am talking about cultivating a sphere of honor, humility, trust and love around you. Going after loving the Lord your God with all your heart NOW so that generations to come are blessed to walk in greater fullness.

I believe that we have two options every day. We can choose to align with the Kingdom of God or we can choose to agree with the kingdom of darkness. When you choose to give extravagantly, you set yourself up to receive extravagantly. Every decision you make agrees and aligns with life or death. The thoughts that you think either agree or disagree with the word of God.

here's the point: My grandparents have set up my mom and her brothers and sister to succeed. Responsibility, desire, joy, LOVE, laughter...those were not just taught by my grandparents, but they were modeled. And so they have also been passed down to the grand kids. I get to look around and see the favor that the Lord has had on my grandparents, and by generational blessing it has been passed down to me. Look at your family and trace God's blessing. Find the root of it. A hint: it starts with agreeing with life. Make decisions today that will affect generations tomorrow.

Also, love on your grandparents.

Humility

I am reading "The Supernatural Ways of Royalty" and my gosh it is rockin' my world.

I can't put it down. I was at work the other day and one of my friends came into the break room and asked what I was reading. So I showed her the cover and she gives me one of these, "ohhh ohhhh wow...so how's your day." haha funny. BUT anyone who knows they are called to be royalty in the kingdom of God. To co-heir with Him and live an outrageous life should read this book. OHH wait, that's everyone! COME on! read it.

When someone compliments you how do you respond? Do you get uncomfortable? Do you dig for compliments so when they finally come it is a relief? Do you immediately pass the credit on to something or someone else? You see this scenario often...someone will come up and give a compliment to a pastor or worship leader, etc. and usually the response is, "well, it wasn't me it is Him." And then you want to say, gosh Honey, you weren't that good!

But am I right? yes, I am. The church has weakened its members in the name of humility. So now we have a bunch of mighty warriors walking around in paupers clothing not having a clue who they are! I have so been there. I thought that if I continued to humble myself then God would get the glory. It is not about ME but it is about Him. And that is SO true. But picture this:

You are the artist who carved this magnificent sculpture. And then I came around and started telling you everything that is wrong with your work. "The hands are too big. The nose is too flat. Where's the hair? Why did you choose this color? Gosh, this sculpture will never get sold." Ok, so did bashing and tearing down the sculpture bring glory to the artist. No way!

And are we no different? Our Father sculpted us so perfectly and the best part is that Jesus was the model. We were created in the image of God. Who are you to demean the handy work of your Father? That is not humility, that is dumb.

When we buy into this lie of false humility we compromise our full identity in who Christ made us to be. You really think God wants any army of insecure dumb-dumbs or an army confident in who they are BECAUSE of who their leader is. Here is the difference: Pride enters because you are ohhh so happy with your own achievements. "Oh look at me. I'm the best, prettiest, bang bang bang." But true humility roots from a confidence that we are great and carry authority because of the ONE who made us righteous. See the difference? I can walk around in confident assurance that height nor depth nor present nor future can stand in the way from loving my God because it was all defeated.

Once we begin to get WHO we are and understand our identity, our life in Christ will be launched into greater destiny!

"The truth of God's grace humbles a man without degrading him and exalts a man without inflating him."