Police Women of....

Tomorrow afternoon I get the chance to interview a police woman who is known and recognized for her involvement in the community, specifically victim's assistance. She is on Board of an organization that supports women and girls, and cares deeply about domestic violence and people who are victimized.

I've always wondered what it would be like to be a police woman... No, really... I have thought about it! The excitement, it would never get boring, but also the sorrows. It would be so hard to see trajedy and crime day after day. What I love about this woman is that it's her faith that keeps her strong and gets her through with a good attitude.

So pray for me tomorrow on my journey with this woman! I am so encouraged and inspired by people like her who are making a difference in their world, even if it's by doing things that often go un-noticed. The truth is, God see's everything. And we don't need fame, a big paycheck (though it would be nice) or any of the accolades to feel like we are making a MARK on the world.

I challenge and encourage you to MAKE YOUR MARK on the world - your world - today!

Beauty Defined

 As a part of this channel I want to promote what it means to be beautiful. I believe that is first and foremost what is on the inside - your heart and spirit. Spirituality and being connected to God makes a girl beautiful. Nothing can compare to that!  Next in line is eating right and staying fit, which are important. You've got to keep the temple beautiful! Lastly, fashion and make-up can be used to simply enhance the beauty that is already there. So this channel will include all of the above: spiritual life topics, health/fitness, fashion and make-up. I hope you enjoy!

Below is one truly talented fashion artist who I want to recommend. Her name is Evelina Barry. Check out her YouTube Channel:

Beauty from the Inside Out

Over the last several years I have been reading a lot about health, diet and nutrition.  This past summer I bought a book called “The Beauty Detox Solution” by Kimberly Snyder, C.N. and I’m noticing it is getting a lot of attention on many people’s blogs and on YouTube, so I thought I’d share my thoughts as well.

This book is truly a gem, very informative and all about “Eating your way to radiant skin, renewed energy and the body you’ve always wanted” – I love that! It’s not a diet, but a healthy way of eating that gives our bodies everything they need to function properly and look beautiful. By eating right we can all have a radiant glow that shines from the inside out.

As New Year’s is just around the corner, I know many of us have resolutions to live a healthier lifestyle. So do I. (As I type this I’m eating Lindt’s Chocolate Truffles, but there is always tomorrow right?)

But, I have started incorporating the Glowing Green Smoothie (recipe in the Beauty Detox Solution) into my diet (three days last week!) and I must say that I did notice a difference in my mood and energy level. I felt great and was in the same great mood, full of energy by the end of the day.  The smoothie is a blend of many fresh fruits and vegetables. Drinking this instead of a tall caramel mocha from Starbucks was definitely more fulfilling.

I believe that part of living a full, abundant life is living healthy.  We are only given one body, so we better take care of it! (I am speaking this to myself too).

Always remember 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body," …

Part of honoring God with our body is taking care of the “temple” or body that He has given us.

So how many of you want to join me on this “adventure” of truly living a healthy lifestyle?

If you are interested, check out AprilAthena7's YouTube video where she shows how to make the Glowing Green Smoothie!

Being Educated v.s. Being Led by the Spirit

Throughout my journey in life I’ve come to realize that there are some educated fools in this world! I don’t mean to insult anyone in any way by this post – but it is the truth and I believe it needs to be heard.

I attended two Christian colleges, and during my experience there I encountered what I would call “religion”, the type you read about in the Bible about the Pharisee’s. This religious attitude often tried to suffocate God’s spirit. Every so often I would get tangled up in long debates with guys who were studying to be pastors and preachers. We would go back and forth, back and forth backing ourselves with scripture, only to go in circles. How could two people reading the same Bible have such different views on things? I always left feeling defeated, yet encouraged in my spirit to keep fighting the good fight for what I believed. This is what kept me strong and “on my toes “spiritually. I wanted to have an answer for everyone as to why I believed what I believed – even though we were all attending a Christian college and you would think we’d believe the same way. Our major debates/clashes would come about when talking about the gifts of the spirit (which I believe are still alive and well today) and women in ministry.

There are some who keep working towards their degrees, or they have plenty of degrees and they love to debate the Bible and go back and forth, back and forth. They love to be RIGHT. They don’t love the truth, but they love being right. They want to have it all figured out and they think they do, and if you disagree with them – watch out. But instead of becoming great men of God, led by His spirit, it seems they get caught up too much in the rights and wrongs – the laws. They don’t seem led by the spirit, but their textbooks. I don’t mean to be harsh, but these types of people are dangerous. I would disagree with them and debate until every last person in the cafeteria had eaten and gone back to their dorm room – and still – we weren’t finished. We would never be finished. The truth is that God doesn’t want us to figure it all out. God is God. He knows all – we don’t. What He finds beautiful is someone with a childlike faith. Without the faith of a child, we will not see the kingdom of Heaven – and now I see why. I have come to a point in my life where I am okay with not being able to figure everything out. I have come to peace knowing that I will never figure God out completely. Who am I to think that I can figure the God of the universe out? And I’m glad I can’t, because that means He is much, much greater than me – greater than I could ever fathom.

We don’t need any more people with degree’s, intelligence and the ability to study the original Greek. All of that is great, but without the Spirit of the Lord it is nothing. Without His spirit we are nothing. Without seeking His heart and having that be the sole purpose of our lives and what we do – this life means nothing.  We are ignoring the very life of God when we just want to learn about Him but we do not truly know him and have a relationship with Him – a continual flow back and forth of prayer and listening to hear His voice.

I don’t know who this was for, but I hope it has spoken to you in some way. Try not to complicate things, and if someone wants to debate I encourage you to pray for them instead. You can tell them what you believe, but don’t spend hours trying to “convert” them to your belief only to leave feeling drained and discouraged. Pray that God will show them the truth and the life they are to live.