I LIVE for My Future Husband

I recently had to take a break from social media just to clear my head and gather my own thoughts. See, I found myself everyday coveting the relationships I began to see cultivating for my friends, and I knew that was unhealthy and sinful. I had to take a step back and evaluate myself and let God work in my heart to reveal the ugliest truth, I was living my life for a husband I don’t even have yet.

            You see, this is the season in life (that mid twenties season) where all of your friends start getting engaged, being married, and having babies, and you’re left there wondering where your “perfect life” is. So you cry out to God and you plead with Him for your turn to come, and come quickly. You find yourself sitting at home on a Friday night watching re-runs of Law and Order SVU all alone while scrolling through Instagram just to see everybody else on the “perfect date “ with their “soul mate,” so you give up and decide to go to sleep. Then you wake up the next day and pray again for that man that you have yet to meet and you tell God “let your will be done,” but what you really want to pray is “let your will be done, but in my timing though.” So you go through your day wondering who this man is, what he is wearing, have you met him? Are you going to meet him today? Is he in the car next to you, or did you just almost bump into him at Wal-Mart? How will you meet him? Now you are obsessed with all the possibilities of who this man could be. You pray that he is everything God wants, but then you add your list of

·      Tall

·       Dark

·      Handsome

·      Successful

·      Loving

·      Good job

·      Nice credit…

Oh..and He has to love God too!  Now you are completely sucked in, and you cant help but think about him. Then the end of the day comes, and you discovered, he still hasn’t shown up yet, and now you’re back in your rom, watching Law and Order SVU marathons, scrolling through Instagram, wondering where he is. Guess what sis, you are living for a man you haven’t even met yet! Can you tell I am right there with you, you my dear are NOT alone. But you know what, the Lord revealed to me that we are doing this single thing ALL wrong!

Is the desire for marriage unhealthy? No, not at all, in fact the bible tells us marriage is beautiful and it illustrates the relationship between Christ and His bride (the church.) However, the idolization of marriage is where we begin to go from wanting to glorify God to wanting to please our flesh, and that is a problem. 

           

            God showed me in my time with Him that singleness is not a curse. In fact, it’s a gift! God is not punishing you by keeping you hidden; He isn’t “being mean.” God wants all of you! Every part of who you are, but you’re so focused on your future bae, that you can’t see all of the awesome things God wants to do through you by yourself in this season. I know we often talk about the story of Ruth, and when we think of Ruth, we think of Boaz, but Ruth was more than her husband! Ruth’s story started when she chose to lay her life down and go with her mother-in-law Naomi instead of returning home to her own family after her husband died. See, Ruth was busy serving someone else, and that is what makes her story so beautiful too me.

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”- Ruth 1:16-17

Ruth saw how hopeless Naomi felt, after all, she had lost her husband and both of her sons, how devastating would it be to lose all of that plus both of your daughter-in-laws too. Ruth saw this as an opportunity to not leave her, but to cling to her and put Naomi above herself. Then, when they got to Bethlehem Ruth VOLUNTEERED to WORK in the fields and pick up wheat and did it pretty much all day, with little breaks and no complaining.

“She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in shelter.” –Ruth 2:7

See, Ruth was there to work, she wasn’t in search of a husband, she wasn’t checking out the men in the field with her, she wasn’t thirsty for anybody’s attention, she was busy! Her heart to please God and to serve other’s was so beautiful and magnificent! I pray I can be more like Ruth, not because I want “my Boaz” to come swoop me up, but because I want that drive, that heart that just wants nothing more than to please God and to love and serve those around me. See ladies, we have it ALL twisted! We are so focused on where our husband is that we forget to be worried about where our faith is. Truth is, you may never get married, I may never get married, WE may never get married, it might not be in God’s will for us. But we HAVE to get to a point where God is more than enough! We have to look to the heavens and know that we are purposed only for the things God has purposed us for, and looking for our boo isn’t it. So lets get busy! Lets get active and stop sitting at home, watching Law and Order SVU while we scroll through Instagram tempted to covet the things that our friends have! Instead, lets focus on our portion! Lets get up and serve somebody other than ourselves. It is time to stop living for that future husband we have never met, and start seriously worshipping the God who knows every fiber in our being! Be encouraged.

YOU ARE LOVED,

Nicole

           

           

Love... This season

It has been a while since I have sat down and written something. I remember moments when I lived to write pretty much anything I could. I was never the girl in college who hated writing her essays, I was always sitting down writing a song, or a blog, or a status update, writing was so major for me. I miss that season in my life, where I just felt so free doing something most people dread. So I decided to sit down and give this blog post a shot. This may not be my best writing, it may not even make a whole lot of sense, but allow me to re-introduce myself anyway.

Have you ever felt like you missed a time in your life so much, you just wish you could go back? It all seemed more simple, more innocent, and just an overall less complicated moment in your world? We all have those moments, the memories of the past that we wish we could re-visit and dwell in just a little bit longer. I was thinking about this today and I found myself really perplexed in thought.  We long to get these moments in our lives back, but did we truly enjoy them while we were living them?

I think about college often, now that I have graduated and moved on, it seems like such a distant memory, but it really isn't that distant. I think about all the good times I had with friends, the late night talks and conversations, midnight McDonald runs, and the impromptu bible studies we use to have. I think about the roughest moments in that season and how they don't seem so rough now that I am standing on the other side of them. I think about all the would of, should of, could of things that I wish I could change, or re-do. I find it so funny that now that I am on the other side of those memories, I see things so differently. My mom always says, " hindsight is better than foresight," and I never really understood what that meant until the Lord gave me this amazing revelation today. It simply means, the past always looks different standing in our present, but it is what you do with that knowledge that can drastically change your present and your future.

See, we can look back on things in the past and we could sit and dwell there, but keep in mind that your present will one day be your past, so while your stuck looking at things that you can't change, you should be focused on what you can right now and enjoy the moment.

I remember as a little kid, I always wanted to be a grown up, I always thought there was freedom in being an adult. Now that I am an adult, I know there is so much freedom in being a kid. You see, the grass is ALWAYS greener on the other side, but you can't focus on the grass on the other side, you have to tend to your own. The seasons we go through in life are moments in this short life that we have, enjoy every season because they go as quickly as they came. right now, you might be like me and single, enjoy this season because one day, you won't have it. One day you could be married, and that will be a whole new, beautiful season, but don't be that person who continues to look back at their single season wishing they would have enjoyed it just a little bit more. I think that we take things for granted. We often take the simple things in life and forget how much beauty is in the simplicity. One day, I won't be able to just hop in a car and drive hundreds of miles just because I want to, I'll have to speak to my husband, round up the kids, figure out who's going to watch the dog , if we have a dog. See, right now the season I am is freeing, even if it doesn't always feel like it while I am in it. I want to enjoy life no matter the path God has me on, I want to stop and be thankful and grateful for where He has me at all times. Whether I am single, or married, young, or old, rich or poor, I want to just enjoy the goodness of God in every moment.

I say all this to say...

Live every day as if you won't get another season. Don't focus on the things in your right now that you can't change, instead build your faith, hold your head up, and cherish these moments, because tomorrow you may have transitioned into a new season and you want to be able to say goodbye to your old season with no regrets. "Carpe Diem."

Love Me...

My testimony: I got tired of watching other people have these amazing weight loss success stories. I saw everyone around me get active and live healthy, but I just couldn't bring myself to put down the Big Mac and grab something better for me. I prayed and prayed to God asking for help, I saw myself deteriorating and I'm not even 25 yet. I was out of shape, tired all the time, my attitude was awful, I just felt defeated. One day I talked to God and told Him I want to be the best me that I can be for His glory. If you know God, sometimes He is blunt, and He answered me back and said "you are the only factor holding you back." Then I got a text from a friend and we casually had a conversation and he told me that he was doing a challenge to drink at least 100oz of water a day. So me being the competitor I am, I told him I'd join him. Now, I hated water, I loved my soda, juice, and milk, and water was always so "blah"too me. The first day was the hardest, I choked my water down and finished the 100 oz by 9 that night, the next day I finished by 7, and the next day I finished by 5 and even drank over the 100. It became easier to get my water in daily, before I knew it I was drinking a gallon a day, completely cut out all other beverages, and had lost a little over 10 lbs in 2 weeks from doing just that. Then one of my best childhood friend's mom popped up on my newsfeed and I saw she had lost so much weight, and she messaged me and told me she added me to this group. So as I was added, I started seeing all of these success stories with these people who looked amazing and I realized I wanted that. So I reached out to her and she gave me info. We did a call and she told me all the details and we got to the money part of it and I immediately shut down. This program (isagenix) was expensive and I just wasn't sure. So I told her I'd call her when I saved up the money, knowing I had the money in my account that I had saved up for a rainy day and I could do it right there and right then. But I was still so hesitant. I was unsure if I was ready , could I really do this? Could I really be a success story? I prayed and prayed and prayed some more. Then I went and talked to my mom about it. See, I've always been a very confident girl, very outspoken, very outgoing and so my family knows none of my insecurities because I learned at an early age how to keep all of that bottled inside. I had to appear strong, never vulnerable , and always in control. But for the first time, I opened up and I cried to my mom about my frustrations with my weight and about my insecurities and fears. She encouraged me , as she always does, and told me to seek God. So I did. God was again, very blunt and He said "if you can invest in everyone else, if you can give time, attention , and money to other causes and people, why won't you do things for yourself? You can't glorify me with your life if you never consider that the life I designed for you and the plans I have for you require you to do hard and difficult things. This will be hard, this will be really hard, but with me, you can do all things." So I sucked it up, sent the text that I had the money and I did one of the bravest things I think I've done in a while, I chose to take care of me. 

Now down 36+ lbs and counting, I am so proud of what God has helped me to accomplish. This is truly such a life style change. I feel more beautiful than I have in so long. I feel more confident and it isn't a front. I feel healthier, I have more energy, and I feel more alive than I have in such a long time. I want to be a whole and complete person in mind, body, and spirit. I want every aspect of my life to reflect God's goodness and glory. I'm not doing this for my appearance, although it will be nice, but beauty fades, I'm doing this so I can be a better daughter, friend, cousin, sister, aunt, future mother, future wife, and an overall better person, I'm doing this for me. 

Know that if God is in everything you do, you will accomplish it with the right attitude . It takes much prayer, determination, lots of time with the Lord and diligence to do all of the things God has willed for your life. Know that "you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you,(Philippians 4:13) stands true until the end of time. If you have a goal whether it be to get healthy, build a company, go to school, or whatever it is, God has your back and He will be there every step of the way walking with you. 

Love... The Vision God Gave YOU

It has been a very long time since I just sat down and wrote.  When I first began this blog, It started out as my way to vent and make sense of the journey that God has me on. Then my friends began reading what I wrote, and telling me they could relate to all the things I wrote about, so I kept writing. Then strangers were commenting on the blogs and people from other countries were reading them and saying they felt encouraged so I knew I had to keep writing. I began to see God getting the glory for the events in my life that seemed to feel hurtful or difficult for me. I soon realized my life is not about me. Whatever I do, whatever I go through, both good and bad, they aren't for me. 

God birthed Love Me 31. It was this beautiful vision full of so many amazing things God wanted to see accomplished through me. I felt so honored to be used by God and just humbled. When I first heard God tell me to start this ministry, I was NERVOUS. I felt so much like I was unworthy and just not good enough for the role God wanted me to be in. I felt so much like Moses when he was trying to give excuses to God as to why he just wasn't meant for the role of helping the people of Israel escape Egypt's captivity. 

"¹⁰ But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”

¹¹ Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” (Exodus 4:10-12) 

I could think of just about everyone else who was equipped for the role, but I couldn't see myself in it. Even though I was a really good speaker and I loved to talk in front of people, I could still relate to Moses because I simply felt like I wasn't good enough. I looked at other women who are powerful in God, have amazing ministries, and I said "God I am NOTHING like them." I don't have the boldness of Heather Lindsey or the transparency of Jackie Hill. I am not beautiful like Sarah Jakes, or stylish like Real Talk Kim. I am just so different from these amazing women. God checked me real quick, just like He checked Moses. "Who makes a person's mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord?..." God told me in that moment He didn't even design me to be like those women. He designed me for the purpose He had specifically for me. You see, I don't have vision for Pinky Promise because God didn't create me for Pinky Promise. I don't have poetry skills like Jackie because God didn't make me for her ministry. I am not created to be anything like those women and they weren't created to be anything like each other either, and that is what makes them (and you) absolutely beautiful. 

You see, we get so caught up in ourselves that we forget God is STILL God. How prideful of me to even think that God would call me to something and let me fall. How arrogant of me to think that any of this is even about me. Be careful to not get caught up in it being all about you. Ministry, especially, is solely for the purpose of glorifying Christ and encouraging people to run to Him. 

I see so many people who forget that God knows what is best when it comes to who He called for certain assignments.  Romans 8:28 says that "we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." We are called according to HIS purpose, not our own. Which means that if God told you to do it, take your little pride and ego out of the way and do it. Take the leap of faith and just do it. Everything God tells you to do will work together for your good! He called you for a reason because He put the instructions inside of you when He created you especially for that purpose. 

You weren't called to be like anybody else. Your assignment is different for a reason. If you strive to use anyone else's purpose as a blueprint for yours, you WILL fail. It is like having a house built for $250,000 but you give the contractor floor plans for a house that costs $1 million. You look crazy. God has your blue print made up and mapped out, stop trying to build somebody else's house, yours is perfect for you. 


When I realized that I had become the girl trying to do it on her own and make what God gave me vision for look like the vision He gave somebody else, I really had to stop, repent, and re-evaluate. See, when you try and do things in your own will everything gets messed up. You basically tell God he is not capable of doing what He does best , be God. You then run the risk of missing out on impacting lives of people God meant for you to impact because you were to arrogant in your attempts to become something you simply are not. 

 If this sounds like your struggle, I really encourage you to seek God on how you can get back to His plans. YOU are NOT the boss. You didn't pay the price to be. You are even lucky to be a project manager in God's plan. You really have to get back on track and in line with God's purpose for your life. Stop trying to be everybody else and just be uniquely you. 

Repent, Ask for forgiveness, and move forward on the things God asked YOU to do.

You are good enough, you are worthy, you are wonderful!


<3

Nicole L. 

Love...The Peace of God

Have you ever just been in a season in life where defeat seems to try and overtake you daily? It is a constant struggle to have a day that actually goes very smooth, without too many bumps in the road.  I have been there and done that, and I actually feel like I am in the middle of this season myself. So how to you deal with life in this season? How do you not give in to your feelings and emotions of just wanting to throw your hands up and give up? 

It is not an easy season to go through. During this point in your life you may go through things you have never faced or experienced before. You may find yourself very emotional and feeling unstable in some moments, and it gets hard. The easy way out of all of this would to be just to give into your thoughts and play the victim. Having a "woe is me," attitude about life is way too easy, and it is exactly the route the enemy wants for you to take. It takes a solid faith and an amazing God to get you through this time and avoid having the victim mentality. The best way to make it through is to find the peace of God. 

" And the peace of God, 
which passeth all understanding, 
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. " 
-Philippians 4:7

The peace of God sounds like such a mystery. It feels like there is some secret level in life that you have to unlock in order to get God's amazing peace. There isn't, you have access to this beautiful peace the moment you confess Jesus as your Lord. So what does it take to get it? Why are so many people searching for this peace, but can't seem to find it?

The truth is, they haven't found it because they aren't rooted and grounded in the things of God, so they can't obtain it. God's peace is more than just a feeling that lasts on Sunday while you shout in the church pews, it is an everlasting presence in your life. 

I think of God's peace like a strong tower standing in the middle of a storm. The winds may rock the foundation a little, and the building may shake, but it will not be moved. You are no different than that structure, when you have God's peace, your storm may shake you, and it may feel unbearable at times, but you will not be moved. 

"You will keep in perfect peace
  all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!"

-Isaiah 26:3

The only way to obtain God's peace is to be focused on Him and to have all of who you are fixed and focus on God and His faithfulness. Your solace lies in everything God is, and to obtain that , you have to be in His will and seeking His heart daily.

Jesus has already taken on everything that you are facing today. He has already been there and done that and gotten through, for He has overcame the world. 

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. 

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. 

But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

-John 16:33

Realize that the closer you get to God, which means getting in your word, seeking His face daily, making your relationship with Him personal, the more you will find peace in even the toughest situations. Have you ever heard of a story where someone's family member is killed, and they end up ministering to the murderer? That is an illustration of God's peace in their life, because forgiveness was put into motion. Have you ever seen someone who has a terrible life at home, smile and remain with constant joy? That is the peace in their life that surpasses all understanding. No matter what has happened, no matter how awful the situation, God is still very faithful and to worship Him in spite of what life looks like, gives Him so much glory. 

Never allow your situation to make you a victim. So often we get in a place where we allow the enemy to completely defeat us because we allow him to come in and do it. Instead of immediately searching God's heart in a rough situation, we get upset right away that things are not going our way. This life isn't about you, and this world doesn't revolve around you. Sometimes God allows you to feel the struggle because it will put His glory on display in the end. Your struggle may just be someone else's triumph, sounds like a cold world, no snuggie, but God will keep you, remain in Him. 

My prayer ( and Paul's prayer) for you all is this : 

"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen."

-Ephesians 3:14-21

It takes spiritual maturity to allow God's peace to rule and reign in your world. It is not a feeling that you get, it should remain one of the many constant factors in your life that comes with the presence of God. Don't be moved by this world and the things that try and destroy you. Make a conscious effort to diligently seek God's face and find His amazing peace. 

"Don’t be afraid. I am with you.
Don’t tremble with fear.
    I am your God.
I will make you strong,
as I protect you with my arm
    and give you victories."

-Isaiah 41:10

Love you so much,

Nicole L. 

The Make up Behind your Make-Up: Concealer

    When I put on my make up, I always find little spots on my face I just want to cover up and don't want anyone else to see. So what do I do? I go to my cute little concealer stick and cover over the blemish. It makes for a quick and easy way to hide marks I just don't want people to see on me.I use to, and sometimes still, do my spiritual life the same way.

   It can be difficult to keep an imperfect face clear without imperfections, just the same it can be really difficult to keep a life, FULL of imperfections, complications, and mishaps to always appear so perfect, eventually you WILL see the blemishes.

So here is what God challenged me with....

What blemishes in my life am I covering up with spiritual concealer ?

What sins or imperfect details about who I am do I try my best to cover up and hide?

As I reviewed my life, there are tons of things that I cover up with concealer. I am FLAWED.

The struggle to be perfect was something that haunted me. I was constantly comparing myself to other people that I deemed as perfect. I was covering up a lot of who I was to please people who really didn't have a heaven or hell to place me in . I was TRAPPED behind a bunch of stuff that didn't illustrate me having freedom in Christ.


So.... I pose the same question to you... What are you trying to conceal in your life?


God calls for a life of transparency from His children.


" Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." - James 5:16 

How can you cover up something you confess? 

When we sin, our first instinct is to run and hide and Tell NO ONE. See Adam and Eve in the bible for examples! 

Sin is dirty, and shameful, and disgusting, who wouldn't want to hide it? 

But God says we have to uncover it.. we have to expose it. Sin is equivalent to a pimple ( rock with me).. if you cover up a pimple with make-up.. what does it do? It becomes more gross because the bacteria now has caked on make-up making it the perfect environment to grow in.. so it grows.. and you need more and more make-up to cover up the pimple then you would have if you just washed your face. 

Sin is the EXACT same way. When we cover it up.. the lies.. and the deceit and the amounts of things we have to go through to keep the sin covered get bigger and bigger and our sin gets bigger and bigger until eventually we find ourselves in a place where our sin and our flesh have won and things are completely out of control ! 

If we would just find a brother or sister in Christ to confess our sin to.. we could expose it.. they can turn us in the direction of Christ to help "wash our faces" and the sin can go away little by little. 

My problem with my sin was always that people put me on this pedestal that I liked being on..(because of my pride) but the pressure of it was nothing nice. People expected me to be this perfect little Christian girl who had it all together.. but behind closed doors I just didn't. I got really good at pretending. But the more I tried to hide everything that made me imperfect, the more I found myself in condemnation. When you keep things in the dark, it gives the enemy ample opportunity to come in and take over. The more I tried to push my flaws into dark places, the more I found myself consumed by dark things. The enemy would constantly remind me of how imperfect I was, and he would use it against me. Anytime anyone would ask me to talk to them about the Lord, or to do something that would glorify Christ, I would avoid it, not because I hated God, but because I felt unworthy to be in God's presence, let alone try to usher anybody else to Him. 

The enemy is amazing at mind games, that is why the bible says "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." - 2 Corinthians 5:10 

We have to really focus on making our thoughts obey Christ and to keep them in alignment with Him and His vision for our life. The enemy loves it when we try to cover up sin because now, your thoughts are not focused on Christ, they are focused on how to keep your sin covered up and it leaves the door open for him to come in and take control of your life. DON'T LET THE ENEMY REIGN IN YOUR MIND! 

Learn to REPENT and move FORWARD! 

" Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord" - Acts 3:19 


The only way to move forward from your sin and wash your slate clean is to REPENT... repentance is something that often gets twisted in the church. The act of repentance isn't just asking God to forgive and " cast your sin into the sea" ("Once again you will have compassion on us.You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!" - Micah 7:19 ). What repentance means is that yes, you ask God for forgiveness.. but you have now made a COVENANT with God that says you will put in all the work necessary to overcome that sin and to leave it right in the past of your life where it belongs. Don't just play with it.. you really have to be committed when you say " Lord, I repent..." tons of people are out here " repenting" with out commitment.. that isn't true repentance. Don't talk about it... be about it. 


So here is the call... the same call God led me to.. I am extending to you... 


Will you be the person who allows God to use you as the example of an overcomer ?


Will you stop allowing the thoughts of what other people may or may not think about you, hold you captive from receiving true freedom in Christ? 

Will you allow God to get the ultimate glory from even your very worst circumstances, because in the grand scheme of things you know that it is His glory that matters...

Will you allow a perfect and holy God to remove the make up from your face... to expose you and your sin for being ugly and dirty, shameful and disgusting, and replace your face full of concealer with pure, fresh, cleansing water. 

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.- Isaiah 1:18 

" But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin." -1 John 1:7 

Allow Christ to make your blemishes dissapear. Allow Christ to make you spotless and whole, Allow Christ to be Christ in your life, stop covering up sin that is not suppose to have any power or authority over you! Take off the concealer and let God cleanse you. 

"God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin." - 1 Corinthians 1:30 



"So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.  For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as “foreigners in the land.”  For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters.Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say,

“People are like grass;
    their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.” -1 Peter 1:13-25 

LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU, 

Nicole L. 

The Make Up Behind Your Make-Up : Bronzer

So I remember I use to see girls that just GLOWED. They had a tan like color to their skin and I felt like they glowed. So I youtubed ( I youtube pretty much EVERYTHING) how to get a glowy tan using make-up. I found the solution... BRONZER. I felt the Hallelujah song playing in the background , HA! I was so ready to go to the store and get me some of that bronzy goodness for myself. I went to the store, picked out one I thought looked like it would give me a hint of the glow, and took it home to try. I fell in love. I felt so confident, and I just thought I was too cute.


who else knows that God will humble you REAL QUICK and make you think about some things in the smallest situations?!??!

I was feeling myself, and God began to speak to me and say " Your outer glow is beautiful, but what does your inner glow look like."

I realized...there is something about a woman who is passionate and on fire for God that is so different then just a regular woman. It is like the more time you spend in God's presence... the more beautiful you become! Her clothes seem to look better.. her hair seems more shiny... she radiates life! It is beautiful. But where does this all come from?

The bible says in Matthew 5:14

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. "

God called you to be a light in this world! You hold the holy spirit inside of you and you need to show it. The second part of the verse goes on to say that " a town built on a hill cannot be hidden," God will elevate you in Him, He will set you on that hill so you can't hide or blend in to the rest of the world, but so you can be a light to a dark place. 


You are suppose to shine so bright that people look at you and question what you have! They want to talk to  you, they feel a NEED to be in your space, because you radiate. Now,Don't get cocky, none of this is for YOUR glory.. it is ALL God's! People only want to be in YOUR face because you are on YOUR face before the throne. So shine your light.. but re-direct them back to the cross!

"“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ..." -Matthew 6:1-34 

Stay humble... you aren't glowing for you.. you are glowing for HIM....

"

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” -John 8:12

When you know the Lord, you no longer walk in darkness! You are no longer bound by the things of this world.. you have FREEDOM. Your "glow" illustrates your freedom in Christ! You look new, you look shiny, you look restored! 

" If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have past away, and all things are new." 2nd Corinthians 5:17

What does this verse say??? You look new..because you ARE new! God made you a new creation the moment you accepted Jesus Christ into your heart as your savior. You were bound to transform into this radiant ball of light! God made you new so that you could be a walking,living testimony for those who yearn for NEW! You are God's painting of what life looks like once you have found Him. 

So what do you do if you don't feel like you glow! 

You COULD go to Walgreens and get some bronzer.. but that is only surface, it gets deeper than that! 

SO... how can you glow from the inside out?!??!

1. Press In 

-  Press in to the things of God! Get on your face before Him, make your relationship with Him stronger daily! My best days are the days were I have gotten up, and put on my full armor of God! I am protected spiritually which keeps me protected physically and mentally.. it is a trickle down affect! The very best way to get that inner to outer glow is to remain on your face, humbly before God's throne of grace. There is so much beauty at His feet.. it is bound to rub off on you! 

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." -Ephesians 6:10-18

2.Learn to praise God anyway

- There is this beautiful thing about someone who can take the best from even the worst situation! People want to be around positive people,"you can't have a positive life and have a negative mind," but it is a few steps deeper than that positivity. Praising God no matter what will make your beauty so much more defined. People will see God getting the glory from your life even in the worst days. I know that I personally always gravitate toward people who can see how bad life might have been but how GOOD God always is! You glow MOST when people see God's hand on you through any and everything! 

1 Peter 5:10

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

James 1:12

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him

Romans 12:12

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

It is those that keeps these scriptures in their hearts and minds that glow in every situation. Be that kind of woman! 

3. STAY in God's word and walk FAITHFULLY with the Lord

Deuteronomy 28:1-68

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. ...

This verse always blows my mind! This is the KEY to glowing! When you are faithful to God, He gives you this increase that you just can not even believe. He sets you over THE NATIONS of the earth and just blesses your socks off! That is were you obtain your favor, your light, your glow. When you faithfully and diligently seek God's truth, He blesses you. God is like that amazing friend who is grateful for your friendship so they give you sweet gifts, but it isn't about the gifts He gives you.. it is about the best part of your friendship... growing closer to Him daily! 

You get to glow to show people how amazing God is! And the best part about it is, He really doesn't need to use you, He is amazing on His own, He just wants to use you! He sees you as a crucial part of His plans. That is BEAUTIFUL, that makes you BEAUTIFUL! 

Pray to receive God's glow on your life! He will give it to you! I asked Him for His glow one day, and I prayed and prayed and prayed ( I wanted it so bad!) One day, I was walking through church and this sweet lady i had never met before tugged on my arm. I smiled and she said " You GLOW! You are so beautiful.. you GLOW!" I was so stoked! HA! God had done it! But it wasn't my prayer that made me glow, it was the fact that through me wanting to "glow" I stayed on my face in prayer with God. I was in constant communication with my heavenly father, and I became this powerhouse for the Lord. My relationship with God became stronger and I began to see Him manifest Himself in my daily life, to people who didn't even know me! It is so beautiful!

I encourage you, 

Look at your life and how you can do more to glow more. No bronzer can give you it, not even a sun-kissed tan will make it happen, ONLY GOD can make you radiate from the inside out!  

The people of God should radiate a beauty that is unexplainable! We should be some breath taking.. mind blowing people! We should walk into a room and change the entire atmosphere... we should turn heads.. but MOST importantly change HEARTS! We are to GLOW from the inside out so that people who do not know God..yearn for what we have!.. are you glowing for God's glory?

Love you SOOOOO SOOO MUCH!!!!!!

GO OUT AND GLOW!

Love,

Nicole L. 

P.S

Rest in Peace To Talia. She was AMAZING at doing a natural glow and she had it going on inside and out! I adored her spirit watching her through her numerous Youtube videos and my thoughts and prayers are with her family! <3