No matter who is president...

At night His song is with me...

"By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me- a prayer to the God of my life...Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." -Psalm 42:8 & 11

I read these verses about 3 weeks ago when I was a bit stressed out with an exam coming up and just feeling a bit discouraged.  It was comforting and sweet to think of the Lord this way...I love reading "at night his song is with me"... It's such a beautiful thought!  During this time, I recited this verse over and over in my head until I had it quite memorized.  I finished my exam, all went well, and life went on...

Last night I was studying for two exams: math and music history.  I knew both were going to be so difficult and I just couldn't stop studying.  I was in my room studying all afternoon after school, and didn't even go to church last night so as to keep studying.  It seemed to me like I would've had a strong grasp on everything with all the studying, however, I did not feel so.  I was frustrated at everything I had to do and anxious about it all.  I was feeling really discouraged when suddenly, that verse from so long ago popped into my head...The verse just came back to me slowly.  I was letting myself process it and it was making me feel more confident.  My discouragement went away and it was replaced by hope in the Lord.  My soul was no longer feeling so downcast.

I love the way the Lord brings back verses and passages at just the right time.  I hadn't thought of that verse in a few weeks, but the moment that I needed it, the Lord brought it back to me.  It was so amazing!  Psalm 42 has definitely become a favorite of mine. :)

True Femininity Study

My sisters, mom, and I have been doing a new Leslie Ludy study series.  Although we're not too consistent in doing it (it's quite hard to get everyone together at the same time for a couple of hours), we've been blessed when we have done it!  It's an 8 week course titled True Femininity.  You begin each session with a half-hour video given by Leslie on whatever topic is for that day.  After that, there's a little discussion book that has questions to be answered in group, as well as personal reflection questions to take home.  It really does get your thoughts going and make you think about where your spiritual life is at.  Some of the topics included are:

True Christianity
World-Changing Womanhood
Counterfeit Beauty
The Sacred Claim

There are a few more and they're all excellent.  I'd recommend this study to any young lady desiring to deepen her relationship with Christ and live out true femininity!

You can check out this study at the Ludy's bookstore. 

(p.s. it was announced in the last setapartGirl magazine that there's a new study to be released soon titled True Purity...I'm so excited to do that one!)

Not A Replacement

Dressing Like a Lady

I received this email from J. Crew today:

Hi there, Menswear-inspired dressing is all about the subtle nuances in tailoring, textures and fabric combinations.  Here’s how to do it without looking, well, manly.

It then goes in how to wear manly clothes... I’ve always loved J.Crew for it’s ultra feminine clothing.  Now you have them turning their clothes slightly manly.  What do you think this leads to?  A desire for more feminine dress?

I was reading a bit today about what are the upcoming trends for the next decade.  Number one on the list is more unisex clothing.  That means manly slacks vs. feminine pants, boyfriend jeans vs. trouser jeans, manly suits vs. feminine blazers, manly looking dress shoes vs. feminine heels and pixie haircuts vs. long locks.  The article I read said it was a great trend to keep up because it kept all colleagues looking in unison and was much more comfortable for the ladies.  More and more people are accepting the manly trends in clothing.  If you wear baggy pants and a t-shirt, you’re wearing the cool clothes.  It’s commonly accepted to go out wearing your boyfriend’s clothes.  How is that feminine and pretty?  

Feminine clothing is something I love.  Not the neon skinny jeans with a sleeveless, low cut top kind femininity.  I mean true feminine dress; the kind that shows feminine dignity and honor. You know, silky ribbons in long hair, graceful skirts with ballet flats, frilly blouses with trouser jeans, and dainty necklaces and rings. 

I know there are many Christians that don’t like Kate Middleton.  Yes, she didn’t live the most orderly life as a young person, it’s true she didn’t maintain a pure, holy relationship while dating the Prince, and she did live with him for many years before marriage.  I agree that she didn’t prove to be the best role model, but I do have to say: she has brought back feminine dress in our culture!  With so many young girls in the UK as well as in the US looking up to her, I can’t help but be amazed at the way she’s brought feminine dress and beauty back into this culture!  So many girls want to be like her and she’s definitely portraying a modestly feminine, fresh look.

She has made long curly hair, dresses, and heels all look favorable and fashionable.  She has made low key, natural makeup popular and accepted!  She has allowed feminine etiquette and mannerisms to grace her.  She speaks softly, walks confidently and dresses fashionably.  She has proven that dresses aren’t outdated or unfashionable.  I love the way she’s revived femininity. 

I know some of those light manly looks are sometimes a little cute, but we cannot let them fall into our everyday wardrobe.  As we get accustomed to darker clothes and baggier jeans, we open ourselves up to liking more of this trend.  It leads to “oh, this gentlemanly button down looks great! Let me try something else...” and goes on and on! 

We need to stay as far away from it as possible.  I’m not saying “wear extra tight jeans vs. boyfriend jeans”, I’m saying “wear jeans that show you’re a woman while keeping your feminine mystique”.   Our culture is going to head towards the manly trend no matter what.  It’s popular and accepted.  Wouldn’t you like to be the feminine girl that dresses differently?  

Fall is almost here and it’s tempting to start wearing oversized sweatshirts, Uggs and baggy pants.  Don’t succumb to the trend. Dare to be feminine.  A light dress can easily be summer-turned-fall with some leggings and a cardigan.  Wear more skirts and tailored pants/jeans.  Wear ballet flats instead of Uggs.  Learn to layer with class if you need an extra bit of warmth, but don’t give into the baggy trend because it’s comfortable as well as warm.  It’s okay if you’re the only one who shows up to school in a skirt on chillier days! When it’s cold, most girls forgo doing their hair and makeup.  Buns are suddenly in and faces go au naturel more often.  Although buns often look cute and it’s good to feel confident in your own skin, don’t let it become an every day thing.  Invest a little time in doing your hair and wear at least a bit of powder and lip gloss.  I’m not saying we ought to spend an obsessive amount of time on our hair and makeup, but we really should look as feminine as we can at all times.  Let people see you’re proud to be a lady.

1 Corinthians 3:16 says:

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Above all, remember you’re representing Christ.  You are His.  Don’t let your looks distract people from taking you seriously or from believing you are a princess of the King.  Even though it doesn’t always seem so, people love a graceful, feminine girl.  Show everyone Who you represent by what you wear and how you conduct yourself. 

A Glimpse of Selfless Beauty-Leslie Ludy

"Only when self moves out of the way can His spectacular glory come cascading through your life. When Jesus is in His rightful place, all insecurity will fade away and His lasting loveliness will become the mark of your life." 

― Leslie Ludy, The Lost Art of True Beauty

Symphony

My sister Juli and I just finished watching a newly released message by Louie Giglio called Symphony.  We heard him give the same message at the Chris Tomlin concert we went to last year, but to be quite honest I’d forgotten many of the details.  I’m so glad I found it though when I went to the Christian bookstore a few days ago.  We are currently on our way to Orlando as we are going to Night of Joy in Disney World tomorrow night.  

I fully believe God brings things in and out of our lives at just the right moments.  I’d quite forgotten that message and the fact that the Lord reminded me to bring it along on this trip is awesome!  After listening to it, I’m 10 times more excited not just to go to Disney or have fun listening to concerts, but to truly worship God.  To raise my hands in praise.  To shout along with the heavens and stars and whales that all bring Him glory... It doesn’t matter if as humans we never sing one more praise or give the Lord one more thanks...He doesn’t need us.  He will forever be glorified by the stars and planets and whales and all creation.  

Don’t you want to be a part of the symphony, though?

What can be better than raising our hands in the air in full surrender and singing to the Lord like never before?  As I type this, I’m listening to Chris Tomlin and I’m so motivated right now to just worship Him with all my being.  I’m so excited to go out and worship the Lord tomorrow night along with so many other believers...all of us joining our tiny voices giving the Lord a huge concert.  What beautiful music it must be to the Lord to hear all His children singing in unison in one huge symphony.  I don’t think I’ll ever think of the word “symphony” the same.  :)

What Are You Living For?

The "correct" answer should be God.  I mean it's the right thing to say and living for God is worth Christ dying for, right? Is it really what we live for, though? 

What about School? Guys? Friends?  Popularity?  Love?  Adventure?  Fashion?  

I can so easily get caught up in the motions of shopping and school and friends and clothes and totally forget about Jesus on any given day.  I hate to admit it, but it's happened to me before on many occasions.  When I have too much to do on my mental agenda, I keep pushing my time with Jesus to later….and later…and later….until it's too late and I'm either too tired to spend time in the Word, or I do and end up falling half asleep while reading.  Not too productive.  Definitely doesn't show who I'm living for.

The person (or thing) you are living for is often reflected in your thoughts, actions and words.  It may be a good idea to spend some time thinking about what's a priority in your mind or what you talk about when you're with your closest friend.  Is it Jesus or the newest movie you're talking about?  Is it Jesus or the new line at Coach for the fall?  Is it Jesus or the cute guy that sits behind you at class?  What is always on your mind? That'll give you a good idea of who or what you're living for.  

Although outwardly I totally thought I was living for Jesus, inwardly, I knew I wasn't.  In the past I have let all of these distractions take over me and I've begun to live for that.  Little by little it gets ahold of you and you're sucked in.  It becomes terribly hard to turn back.  Through the grace of Jesus, He picked me up and set me on the right path and I'm now walking that narrow road that leads to Him.  Although I do continually have slip-ups, God continues to pick me up and guide me in the way I should go.  I've never been as passionate for Him as I am now and I've never had His Word on my mind as much as I do now.  I'm definitely not perfect and there are maaaany times where I slip-up and can definitely improve in this area, but I feel confident that Jesus is guiding me and leading me closer and closer to Him.  I have no desire to return to how I was.  Ridiculous and boring as my life may seem, nothing fills me with more joy or gives me a greater purpose in life than seeing Him work in me and transform me into who He created me to be.   I Have Decided to Follow Jesus is a hymn I love.  It perfectly embodies my desire to follow Jesus.  I'm never turning back because I'm living for Him!

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back

Let me ask this again…What are you really living for?  

Our Hearts Will Cry...

One of my favorite worship songs is With Everything by Hillsong United.  The bridge of this song is amazing!  I find myself repeating it over and over again in my head.

Our hearts will cry

Be glorified

Be lifted high

Above all names

For You our King

With everything

We will shout forth your praise

Little Bits of Encouragement...

I began school today!  The first day of school is always interesting.  Excitement for the semester, meeting new people, reuniting with old friends…it's all so fun!  Usually, that excitement doesn't last long after the first day, though.

Soon, you're wrapped up in more studying than sleeping, you have more quizzes than you can keep track of, and you forget which homework belongs to which class…it all becomes hazy and it's easy to lose sight of what's important.  That's why I made myself this:

I bought this frame for $6.00 at Big Lots a looong time ago and I never got around to putting pictures in it.  Finally, after a long rest in my closet, it came out.  I took it to the schoolroom to put pictures in it… however, God had another plan for it instead!   It was raining that afternoon and the schoolroom was empty and I was inspired! I decided to put encouraging quotes and Scripture to help me focus on what's really important throughout the school year.  I spent a nice, peaceful afternoon doing this.  I'm so glad God gave me that idea!  It is being put into such good use now!

This semester's craziness has already started and I feel a bit overwhelmed with all the work, but I know that having God's Word near in my heart will keep me peaceful and calm.  That's why I'm so glad I made this!  Every time I look at it, I'm encouraged.  I'm motivated to spend time with the Lord.  I'm encouraged knowing that I can pass any class if I put my mind to it and ask the Lord for help.  I know I will get through this first semester as a full-time student because the Lord is with me and will guide me.  

I Count All Things Loss....

During my devotional this morning, I read 1 Corinthians 3.  Verse 19 really spoke to me.  It says:

"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight." 

I'm starting college tomorrow, and this is something that's been on my mind for a while.  What is true wisdom? 

I know that my main priority isn't to study.  If my studies are getting in the way of my relationship with God, I have no problem dropping them to give myself time to get everything right with the Lord again.  I know that the world thinks a career is what is going to give you anything and everything, but in God's sight, it's just plain foolishness to go after a career and leave Him behind.  I know a few people who are deep in a 7 or 8 year career and have lost sight of what really matters.  Yes, they're going to be great at what they do and they'll certainly have a lot of money; but is that really all you want out of life?  I'm learning that there has to be a good balance between my relationship with Christ and my schooling.  If I lose sight of Jesus, everything I study is foolishness (no matter how many years I invest in it!).  I believe Philippians 3:7-8 sums it up well:

"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him."

What was once gain to me (a career), I have counted loss for Christ.  No schooling, nor money, nor relationships, nor clothes, nor mansions, nor possessions could ever give me the knowledge found in Jesus Christ alone.  Only a personal relationship with Him is what will give me the wisdom this world lacks.  Everything else is rubbish.  My prayer is that I would never lose sight of that….

Why the Obsession? Pt. 2

As a young girl, I always assumed I'd marry when I grew up.  I simply thought that was a given in my life.  Like most girls, I've spent many days of my life wondering when and who I'd marry.  I've spent many nights lying awake in my bed dreaming what it'd be like to be married and have a large, God-fearing family!  I figured it was God's plan and when I was around 11, I thought that I'd most definitely be ready to be married at 18 after graduating and then I'd just wait a bit and marry at 20.

At 18-almost-19 years old, I laugh and say how silly all my "plans" were!  It's not a given that I'd be married, and at 18 now, I'm certain I'm not ready to be married any time soon.  I've also realized something else….something I always dreaded to think about….

What if God calls me to a longer season of singleness than I though I'd have?  And what if, Heaven forbid, He calls me to be single for life, serving Him on my own?!

Am I going to waste away these years?  Am I going live them in little "what-ifs?" or "when-I-do"?  Am I going to let it all slip by wishing and wondering if and when the Lord will bring someone special into my life?  I certainly hope I wouldn't.  

One thing I've become aware of recently is this:  I am single.  According to society, that's what I am.  At 13 or 16 years old, I was "too young to date or be in a relationship".  End of story.  At 18, I'm single.  It's now my choice whether I want to keep it that way or not.  It is not that I'm not too young to be in a relationship, nor is it something my parents don't allow me to do.  It's my choice now.  It's up to me to decide if it's really worth it to be "single and desperately available" or "single and exceedingly joyful".  Do I want to spend my days away, seeking to change my relationship status in the hopes of having a beautiful love story now; or do I want to forsake all and live a single life completely fulfilled and joyfully surrendered to Christ?  

The season of singleness is not merely the season to do school, work, and wait for marriage.  The season of singleness is meant for so much more!  1 Corinthians 7:34 says

"An unmarried woman or virgin is conceded about the Lord's affairs: her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit."

Unmarried ladies are called to more than just wait…or study….or work.  We're called to live our lives in full surrender to our King!  Although it's tempting to think of all you can do with a family of your own, think of all the Lord can use you for if you don't!  You can serve in just about anything the Lord calls you to, participate in all the mission trips the Lord provides opportunities for and live for anything Christ calls you to do tomorrow.  If the Lord calls you to go overseas, it is much easier to do so as a single woman than a married one.  Not to say it can't be done, but it's something I'd say is easier to do when single.

Jesus wants us to go out and do more with Him!  Fall in love with Jesus, spend time in His presence, go on prayer walks, stay up late writing away on everything He's taught you and about your love for Him!  He's your heavenly and eternal King!  Nothing can take away the love He has for you.  How many times do we overlook that He wants to know us better and even more, us know Him better?  I want to learn to give Jesus the best hours of my day!  Those last few minutes of the day aren't the ones that He wants.  He wants those most important moments of your day!  He wants to be your all in all!  He wants to fulfill your dreams and give you the life you only dreamed you could have.  

As a single young lady, I choose to remain this way.  I choose to believe the Lord is the One that gives purpose to my life and fills me with all joy!  He gives me an unexplainable joy! There's no possible way for me to explain how it is that I have this joy and radiance inside as a single young lady while so many other girls both younger and older than me are crying and worrying and wondering why their life has no purpose now that they have no man by them.  I know it's only the Lord in me can give me those feelings of fulfillment and joy.  I know He has called me to so much more and I don't want these years to be wasted.  I want my life to be one that counts.  Specifically, I want my single years to count.  I want to be able to say that I didn't wait around for the Lord to bring my husband into my life, nor did I spend an immeasurable amount of time thinking about it. 

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.  My heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise Him." Psalm 28:7

I no longer dread being called to a life of extended singleness or even possibly being single for life. I know the Lord has called me to a purpose other than marriage at this point of my life and that's what I'm going to pursue.  As long as I stay close to Him and follow His plans, I know my life is going to be the grand adventure I always dreamed it to be.  I just want to make sure I live in a way that's pleasing to God and surrendered to His will.  I want to be able to say I did all the Lord called me to and had the time of my life spending one-on-one time with my King.  Whether marriage was included or not, if I can say that confidently, my life was totally worth it.  

Faithwalkers East 2012 Theme!

The Faithwalkers 2012 theme has been released!  Along with the theme, they've released a promotional video!

This year's theme will be Growing Up: The Quest for Spiritual Maturity.  I absolutely cannot wait for it!  This will be the fourth year my family goes to this conference.  Ever since we went the first time, we knew it was worth going back and we've been doing so since.  It is truly the most impacting conference I've been to!  In those 3 days after Christmas, the Lord really does amazing things up in that conference center in North Carolina.  Talk about making resolutions!  What better way and place to make resolutions for the new year than going to a conference like this one!  I can't describe the amazing things God has done in my life and taught me through the teachings I've heard there!  My relationship with Christ is deeply strengthened every time I attend & I'm so excited to hear more about this year's theme!

The promotional video can be watched here.  :)

A Glimpse of Selfless Beauty- Ruth Bell Graham

“Dear God, I prayed, all unafraid
(as we're inclined to do),
I do not need a handsome man
but let him be like You;
I do not need one big and strong
nor yet so very tall,
nor need he be some genius,
or wealthy, Lord, at all;
but let his head be high, dear God,
and let his eye be clear,
his shoulders straight, whate'er his state,
whate'er his earthly sphere;
and let his face have character,
a ruggedness of soul,
and let his whole life show, dear God,
a singleness of goal;
then when he comes
(as he will come)
with quiet eyes aglow,
I'll understand that he's the man
I prayed for long ago.” 
― Ruth Bell Graham

Why The Obsession? Pt.1

I've realized lately that most young Christian girls have a common obsession...preparing for a relationship in marriage.  While I know that's much better to prepare than actually be in a relationship now, any obsession can have an unhealthy hold on your life.  I see so many girls all riled up and anxious about it.  They want to read every book, hear every message, and talk to anyone who'll listen to them about guys and how they can prepare to have a healthy relationship in marriage.  That's all fine, and I have to say, it's great that they want to have a great marriage!  However, I'm noticing that they're overlooking some things...

When you marry, who is going to do the cooking?  Who will clean bathrooms, ceiling fans, carpets, kitchen cabinets, and under the bed?  Who will wash, fold and iron clothes?  Who will do the groceries and bills?  Who will primarily spend the day with your children and homeschooling them?

You!

The Lord has given you the responsibility of doing most, if not all of those things as a godly wife and mother.  That's a short list, too!  Add to that everything else that comes in life and you've got lots of responsibilities!

Why aren't girls these days rising up to those challenges?  It's easy to read about the way you ought to treat your husband and the things that you should do together to have a loving, healthy relationship. It's ten times easier when you haven't even met your husband!  However, the real training for marriage isn't all cute and simple.  It's hard work!

My parents have been excellent encouragers in this.  I remember thinking so proudly at 9 years old that I would certainly marry at 17 or 18 (I truly had no notion of ages...) because I already knew how to sew a button, make rice, and wash dishes!  I look back now and think how wise my parents were in teaching be how to do all of that.  I didn't know it then, but all those things I learned will be carried over when I become a wife and mother.

Maybe your parents don't encourage learning these sorts of things in your home.  Maybe they prefer you study.  Consider asking your mother in what way you can help her, though.  Tell her you deisire to learn these things and tell her why. Ask her to teach you.  Although books and teachings are great, the greatest amount of training you will learn and carry into your marriage is what you learned at home while you were young.

A Glimpse of Selfless Beauty ~ Amy Carmichael

"Amy Carmichael's great longing was to have a "single eye" for the glory of God. Whatever might blur the vision God had give her of His work, whatever could distract or deceive or tempt other to seek anything but the Lord Jesus Himself she tried to eliminate."

-Said of Amy Carmichael by Elisabeth Elliot

Consistency

I have tried so many ways of having a devotional.  I've never really cared how or when I do it (although I must admit I prefer early mornings in my room); my main concern has always been consistency.  I'm usually pretty good at keeping up methods of having a devotional, but not-skipping-a-day consistency has always been a little problem.... 

I've tried reading a Psalm & Proverb & a chapter of New Testament or the Old...I've tried the whole "it's July 26, thus we read everything 26" idea....I've tried reading big chunks to get the whole story, or little pieces to focus on a small teaching... I've tried the reading through the Bible in a year.  Everything taught me and encouraged me, but nothing really kept me consistent.

One day, after I'd been writing consistently (I've been writing since I was about 15),  I decided it'd be a good idea to write a bit everyday on what I had read & learned.  I found it to be a great technique and something I looked forward to.  Soon after, while browsing Instagram, I noticed Jarrid Wilson writes Day 1, Day 2, etc. on the corner of each new day's page.  I decided to start doing that.  It's been such a good way for me to remain consistent.  If I skip a day I go back to Day 1, thus it keeps me motivated.  I rarely go back to Day 1 because I'm motivated to not lose the streak.  I'm currently on Day 92 and have a journal full of the wonderful things God's taught and continues to teach me.  I really love this technique because I combine two things I love and it's made me really consistent in every day devotions.

I also love that I end up with a notebooks full of writings that prove the way God has worked in my life and what He's taught me.  It's such a great feeling to know that I can just look back through old notebooks and know I can find everything God has taught me in the past.  I can see God's faithfulness just by looking back to those days when I first began doing this.  It really has been such a great experience for me! :)

A Glimpse of Selfless Beauty ~ Sarah Edwards

"They say there is a young lady in New Haven who is beloved of that Great Being who made and rules the world. They say that He fills her mind with exceeding sweet delight, and that she hardly cares for anything except to meditate on Him. If you present all the world to her, with the richest of its treasures, she disregards it. She is unmindful of any pain or affliction. She has a singular purity in her affections. You could not persuade her to compromise her true Love even if you would give her all the world. She possesses a wonderful sweetness, calmness, and kindness to those around her. She will sometimes go about from place to place, singing sweetly. She seems to be always full of joy and pleasure, and no one knows exactly why. She loves to be alone, walking in the fields and groves, and seems to have Someone invisible always conversing with her."

~Written of Sarah Edwards by Jonathan Edwards, her future husband

A Brilliant Distraction

I posted this over at The Rock 1:7 and wanted to share it here... :)

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

I was listening to a message by Eric Ludy a few days ago where he explained what distractions are. He gave two definitions for them. One is a regular distraction and the other is a brilliant distraction. Here are his definitions:

"What is a distraction? Anything that turns the eyes of the soul away from Jesus and Him crucified."

 

"What is a brilliant distraction? Anything that turns the eyes of the soul away from Jesus and Him crucified; the whole while convincing them that Jesus and Him crucified is their entire focus."


Distractions come in so many ways! Internet, video games, facebook, relationships...they can all have unhealthy ties in our lives if we don't know they can be distractions. There are some distractions that we know turn the eyes of our soul away from Jesus and Him crucified. There are other "smaller" distractions that fool us, though. Those are the ones we have to look out for, because even if we think they're smaller, they can turn out to be the biggest.

We may think that texting someone constantly isn't a distraction at all; especially if we're leading each other closer to Christ within our conversations! It seems unharmful in itself and certainly makes us believe that we're doing something godly. However, if we're constantly doing something (whether it be one of the things I mentioned above or anything else), that takes an extended amount of time away from Jesus or other more important things in our life like church and family, it's a brilliant distraction. It makes us believe that we're focused on Christ, but in truth, we're being distracted.

"All the ways of a man are pure in His own eyes, but the Lord weighs the Spirit." Proverbs 16:2

There may be a certain distraction in your life that you may think is okay. I want to encourage you to seek the Lord and find out what distractions have an unhealthy hold on your life. Ask the Lord to reveal the brilliant distractions in your life; those that are hidden in your heart. Find the ones that aren't leading you closer to Him and surrender it to the Lord. Ask Him to replace the need for that distraction with a need for Him. God will faithfully show you if you honestly seek His will.

Radiantly Growing....

I grew up in a Christian home and came to know the Lord at a young age.  Until I was about 12 years old, I never did much more than read my Bible for 5 minutes and pray before bed.  Through Martha Finley's Elsie Dinsmore books, the Lord pursued and conquered my heart.  I knew He'd been wanting me to live passionately for Him, I just never showed the interest.  Finally, I decided to give the Lord more of me.  I grew immensely in the Lord during the next two years. 

When I was 14 years old, I went on a mission trip with my father and my relationship with the Lord grew so much more!  I'd been on mission trips before, but had never experienced the joys of leading people to Christ until then.  The Lord showed me the importance of being faithful in leading others to the Lord and serving those in need.  That experience really humbled me as I'd never been through anything like it.

I returned home with a burning passion to know the Lord more and a desire to connect with others my age; people with the same desires I had to live completely surrendered to Jesus.  I didn't want my youth to be wasted foolishly, but instead for it to count for much more than the average teen's.  The Lord somehow led me to the ministry of Alex & Brett Harris, TheRebelution.com.  I knew that was just what I needed.  I found the encouragement I needed from the forum there to keep pressing on toward the goal (Phil. 3:14) and defying the low expectations that are thrusted on young people in this generation.

The Lord continued to grow me.....

At around 16, I began reading books and resources by Leslie Ludy.  setapartGirl Magazine, Authentic Beauty, Set-Apart Femininity, The Lost Art of True Beauty....  They all reached out and stirred my heart.  I knew I wanted to live a set-apart life.  Deep down, I knew I wanted to be a feminine young lady whose joy and fulfillment was found fully in the Lord.  I felt God ask me to let go of all my dreams and desires and turn them over to Him.  I knew I had to give God every area of my life...personal life, relationships, ministries, schooling.... I had to leave it all in His hands and let Him make the decisions for my life.  It was a hard decision, but I knew the Lord was preparing me from years ago for this decision. I could see now how the Lord allowed those books at 12, the mission trip at 14, and the newfound Rebelution ministry to all come into my life at precise moments when I was ready to take in its content and understand what the Lord expected of me.  I decided to just let it go. I didn't have much, but I gave the Lord everything I had.  Jim Elliot once said:

Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.

I knew what God's will was, thus I wanted this exemplified in my life. 

Since then, it's been the most fulfilling and exciting years of my life.  The Lord has taught me so much on living a set-apart life.  I am no longer in control of any area of my life.  I no longer worry about trying to control my own life.  God has allowed me to participate in ministry at church teaching girls in Sunday School whenever there's a need.  He's given me the opportunity to have a home group for young girls on Friday nights where I have been able to share with those girls what the Lord did in my life at their age and how they can give their life fully to the Lord and live radiantly for Him.  I've since graduated high school, begun college, continued on the Rebelution forums and have been granted the position of a moderator for the girl's section of it...I have younger sisters that I can be an influence to, parents who've modeled the set-apart life for me, and a wonderful church that's made a major impact on my relationship with the Lord.  I have so many reasons to be thankful and to know that God is pleased with the set-apart life.  God is blessing me and I simply want to strive to continue to humbly get to know Him and lead others to Him.
No one said the set-apart life was easy.  To be quite honest, it's not.  You're at risk of being made fun of, ridiculed, laughed at, and talked about.  It may hurt, but can I just tell you it's all worth it?  To know at the end of it all that the Lord is pleased with us and that His will was fulfilled in our lives is all worth it.  Nothing matters more on this earth than what the Lord thinks of us. Giving ourselves fully to the work of the Lord is what we were made for! There is nothing in us that makes us worthy of God.  It is only Christ in us that gives us worth.  Consider this quote:

"If any soul has any beauty, it is because Christ has endowed that soul with His own, for in ourselves we are deformed and defiled!  There is no beauty in any of us but what our Lord has worked in us."    -Charles Spurgeon

It's only when the Lord has worked in our life that we are truly beautiful.  Jesus Christ gives us all we need.  Pursue Him and give Him the best years of your life.  Live Radiantly Set-Apart for your King...

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter 3:18

Joyfully in Him,
Sophie