30x30 Challenge!

DO YOU DARE?... :)

How to take the 30 for 30 challenge:

1. Take 30 items in your closet.
2. Make 30 outfits.

If you'd like, give up shopping for the duration of the challenge. Then take that money you've saved and take a bath in it. Or put it in a savings account, whatever you think is the more responsible choice.

_______________________________________________________________________________

My 30 for 30 Story

In December 2009 I started a style blog to document my daily style journey. By April 2010, I’d run out of funds and had lost the original intent of my blog: to remix the contents of my closet. I introduced myself to the idea of remixing by coming up with the 30 for 30 Remix Challenge (You can read my original post here.). "30 for 30" simply meant that I would take 30 items and remix only those items into 30, (hopefully) stylish outfits.

The whole point of the remix is to show myself and readers that with a little bit of creativity, you can make what you have work for you.
Interested in joining in? If you don’t have 30 items in your closet, no problem. The best part of remixing is working with what you’ve got. If you’ve got it, let’s remix it. If you have more than 30 items, pick the items that make sense for this remix. This is a challenge to help you learn to shop your closet and to shop smartly. By being well-versed in what you already have, you will become a better shopper. No worries about getting the challenge "just right" -- you cannot mess this up. (Unless you accidentally set fire to all of your clothes, then I don't know. That might be messing it up.)
If you decide to not shop during the challenge, I applaud your efforts. Two reasons I decide not to shop during the challenge: 1) so I learn to shop my own closet and 2) so I actually appreciate said-closet. So many times I've run out and bought a new dress for one event or I bought something because I felt lacking and not what was in my closet. Obviously, this is not the best solution to a problem. I have found that when I limit myself with shopping, with 30 items, I become so much more aware of what I have versus what I need. By the end of the 30 days, I am ready to shop, but with new eyes of what I really need.

This challenge can be taken at any time. I tend to take on the 30 for 30 challenges to reset my brain or to shake up my closet.

Reference:

Challege- http://www.kendieveryday.com/p/30-for-30-remixes.html
Outfit- http://julesnoemi.polyvore.com/

Greenery :)!

The Unseen

By Julie Noemi Benitez
It is said that not forgiving someone, being jealous, bitter, mad, etc... Against someone is like You drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.
These negative things kill slowly and ruin all that is good within you!
The problem with such emotions is that, they can creep on you without you even being aware; they are the things we ourselves don't see sometimes. Maybe that’s why King David prayed

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. ~Psalms 139: 23&24"

David realized that there where things in him that where unknown to him and where dangerous for his spiritual life. Things he could not see, others could not see, ONLY God!!
I get it... Sometimes, people do things which make us justify these emotions, thoughts or actions... Unfortunately they cannot be justified...
An admirable friend once told me as we talked on and on about her testimony, that there came a point in her life where she didn't care about anyone, she was hurt, she wasn't going to forgive, after all she was hurt and it was her right, But someone told her..

Who do you think you are to not have mercy? Do you think you are more than God not to forgive?

Firstly, I’d like to say I am happy that she chose to have mercy & chose to forgive and now she is serving God greatly.
But think about those powerful words... who do you think you are? ...It’s true, who do we think we are, God forgave our sins, He died for us, willingly He forgave us. Isaiah 53:7 says;

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

MERCY & LOVE overwhelmed Him, that He went to die for sins He did not deserve. Later on in the chapter in verse 10 it says "it pleased the LORD” to do this great sacrifice to bare something He did not deserve.
I understand it’s not easy to forgive something or someone, but you see love and mercy belong to Him and if you ask Him, He will surely give it. Proof?...

In Daniel 9:9 it says; “To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness” & in Matthew 7:7 it says; “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you”.

His LOVE & MERCY does not stop there for God knew it would be hard for us even if it was available to us; Matthew 26: 16 says; “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” & in Luke; “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (18:27)
All we need to do is have a humble heart and ask God for help. David did so in Psalms 51 (my fave!) He said:

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7)

We need to pray like this, we need to ask God to come in and clean, to purify our being.
God said “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” Ephesians 4:31.
God has sent us to Love each other & to forgive each other, to not let bad things eat at us and destroy us, because in the end if we choose to live with these unseen death sentences we are hurting ourselves while the other person lives on in peace.
In an article from familydoctor.org it stated this: "Your body responds to the way you think, feel and act. This is often called the “mind/body connection.” When you are stressed, anxious or upset, your body tries to tell you that something isn’t right. For example, high blood pressure or a stomach ulcer might develop after a particularly stressful event, such as the death of a loved one. ...Poor emotional health can weaken your body's immune system, making you more likely to get colds and other infections during emotionally difficult times. Also, when you are feeling stressed, anxious or upset, you may not take care of your health as well as you should. You may not feel like exercising, eating nutritious foods or taking medicine that your doctor prescribes. Abuse of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs may also be a sign of poor emotional health".
Scientifically/biologically we can see how we are affected now imagine spiritually.
For one if you are a Christian and you do not love or forgive your brethren than it is as though you do not love God or worse you can lose your salvation:
Galatians 5:19-21 says; "If anyone says, Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God".
To end off I'd like to share two more verses:
"But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:15)
&
“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44)
God has sent us to forgive and love those who have hurt us!
So you see, we must let go of all that may be affecting us that is unseen before everyone else & at the very same we must pray and ask God to look at our hearts and clean all that is unseen by us.
Live a life of joy and happiness and let what others do not affect you.
…
Once someone said: Drench yourself in oil (metaphorically speaking) so that all the offenses that are thrown at you slip off… OR think of the ever famous one… Get Crocodile Skin!
I hope this may speak to your heart as it did to mine, Keep working hard towards our final mark which is Jesus!
God Bless You Tons!!
Ps. Thank you to all those who have inspired me and have taught me to strive to know more and learn more in God & those whose testimonies, story, & words of encouragement helped put this together!

Reference:

Familydoctor.org - http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/prevention-wellness/emotional-wellbeing/mental-health/mind-body-connection-how-your-emotions-affect-your-health.html

New King James Version Bible – www.biblegateway.com

Letter from a Mother to a Daughter:

I love this poem its super sweet!

"My dear girl, the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don’t interrupt to say: “You said the same thing a minute ago”… Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep. When I don’t want to take a bath, don’t be mad and don’t embarrass me. Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl? When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don’t look at me that way… remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair and dealing with life’s issues every day… the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If I occasionally lose track of what we’re talking about, give me the time to remember, and if I can’t, don’t be nervous, impatient or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you. And when my old, tired legs don’t let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked. When those days come, don’t feel sad… just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love. I’ll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared. With a big smile and the huge love I’ve always had for you, I just want to say, I love you… my darling daughter."

Relaxation!

Always take a moment in your day for yourself, relax with any of your favourite hobbies :)

Letter to Pentecostal Girl!

Dear Pentecostal Girl,

As I watched you tonight, I wished for an opportunity to talk with you. I watched your beautiful face as you sang and worshipped. You reminded me of myself seven years ago. And then, after church, I watched you as you got into that car with a boy who does not know God. Oh, yes, he was at church tonight. He even went to to the altar and shed a few tears. I am sure that you would not accept the idea that, for him this is just a means to an end.

Seven years ago I was in your shoes. I had known God since my early teens, and had grown up under God anointed preaching and teaching. I didn’t lack boy friends or dates, as is so often the case with Pentecostal girls in churches where the girls outnumber the boys. Some very wonderful, consecrated young men came my way. But Satan, who watches diligently and waits patiently to ensnare a soul, saw me one day as I was lukewarm. Oh, I was still going to church and playing my accordion and singing and doing all the right things outwardly. But I had never really had that special moment with God when His will and mine were made one.

I met him at work. And before long, without anyone else’s knowing it, I felt I couldn’t live without him. he knew about Pentecost, and when he went to church with me, he went to the altar and cried. And so I married him, while my family and those who loved me wept and agonized.
It was just six months later that I realized my soul was in danger and that I had to have a touch from God. I prayed through and got a grip on God. Then the battle began. No, he wasn’t going to church anymore. I could count on my fingers the number of times he went during the last seven years.
Before I married him, the thought of living without him was unbearable. “How lonely it would be!” I thought. But now I know what loneliness is, and I’d like to tell you all about it.

*Loneliness is receiving a blessing from God and going home to a man you can’t share it with. He isn’t interested; he’s watching television.
*Loneliness is going to a church social alone and watching the young couples enjoy God’s blessings together. You can go alone or stay home alone; he has other interests.
*Loneliness is feeling the urgency of Christ’s coming and knowing that the one you love most on this earth is not ready, and shows
no sign of caring.
*Loneliness is seeing two children born and knowing that if your influence is to outweigh his, it will be a miracle.
*Loneliness is going to a General Conference and seeing young couples everywhere who are truly one and dedicated to God’s work. And there goes the young man who loved you once and wanted to marry you. He’s preaching the gospel now, and he has never married. Oh God! Help me! I mustn’t think of it!
*Loneliness is lying awake struggling with the suspiscion that he’s unfaithful. Then comes the unbelievable pain of knowing for sure. He doesn’t care if I know. She even calls me on the phone. After a time, he makes an effort to break it off. I vow to do everything humanly possible to keep this marriage together. I will love him more and pray for him more. Seven years of my life are involved in this! There’s a little girl and a little boy!
*Loneliness is now. My children and I will go home to a dark, empty apartment that will be my home until the lawyer says its over. I, who have always been afraid to stay alone, now welcome the peace and solitude.

As I look in the mirror; I see that seven years haven’t changed my face so much. But inside I am old, and something that was once

alive and beautiful is now dead. Of course, this is not an unusual story. The remarkable story about it is that I am still living for God. I am thankful for my family and their prayers of intercession for me. Oh, I am praying for you, Pentecostal girl! Please believe me when I tell you that no matter how wonderful he is, how loving, how tender- you cannot build a happy life upon disobedience to God’s Word. You see, no matter what the future holds for me, I have missed His perfect will for my life. I will never stop paying for breaking a commandment of God! Don’t let it happen to you!

This is the tragic story of my sister, and of the tragic mistake she made. It ended in the divorce court. There is no way to put her suffering into words, but perhaps this will save some girl from making the same mistake.

-Name Withheld

(from another blogger!)

After it All.

After all has come & gone,
There comes joy & beauty.
After tears have flown and you've bowed many knees
Smiles & laughter engulf you & you sprint with freedom.
After a hug was scarce & loneliness was ever present,
Hugs are adundant & company is great!
For it is true after a storm there is a sun which burns bright!!
The great things is you where never alone there was always ONE watching you!
With eyes full of love, who...
Cried when you cried,
Was by your side each time you kneeled,
Hugged you when you where in despair,
& never left your side in the loneliness!
He gave you the beauty & the joy,
He gave you a smile, the laughter & freedom.
He Loves You, After All has come & gone.

WORK FOR A CAUSE,

NOT FOR APPLAUSE.

LIVE LIFE TO EXPRESS,

NOT TO IMPRESS.

DON'T STRIVE TO MAKE

YOUR PRESENCE

NOTICED, JUST MAKE

YOUR ABSENCE FELT.

~UNKNOWN.

Happiness :)

"Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it eludes you. But if you turn your attention to other things, It comes and sits softly on your shoulder." ~ Henry David Thoreau



"Happiness is like jam. You can't spread even a little without getting some on yourself." ~Anonymous

Music

Music can change the way you think, about yourself, your life. There is power in music!
                     
Question to ponder…
Was your worship more than a song?
Sometimes we sing along but are we really worshipping… or just singing?
Hmmm…
Listen to the lyrics your singing, let every word remind you of what He’s done for you, let every chord strummed, strum a note in your heart and every piece of lyrics sung, inspire you! :)


“Music can change the way you think, about yourself, your life.
There is power in music!”

A cup of coffee brings immense joy, to ones life :) jejeje!

A cup of coffee brings immense joy, to ones life :) jejeje!

Its a brand new day!
Here we go, carpe diem!

In unity ~ there is warmth! tehee :)

"To Risk"

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out to another is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To live is to risk dying,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.

He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live.

Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom.

Only a person who risks is free.

The pessimist complains about the wind;

The optimist expects it to change;


And the realist adjusts the sails.
~ by William Arthur Ward

Beach Collection

Solar Beauty :)!


Blue Sea!


Cove!


Roaring Sea!


True Blue!


The Cave Sunset!

You think you stand alone... WRONG... there are many behind you :)!
The Turque!


Palms!


The Pier!


Orange & Purples!

I do quite enjoy this song! Love!!

Leader...

Leaders are example;
~ in word
~ in conduct
~ in love
~ in spirit
~ in faith
~ in purity
1 Timothy 4:12

Great Picture!

"When we choose to fall in love we risk getting heart broken, yet we do it anyways" ~ Unknown