Top Five Positive iPhone Apps

by Natalie Lynn Borton

Happy Friday, girls! Last week I shared my favorite positive iPhone apps on my personal blog, and then thought to myself, why not share these with more people? Thus, I'm letting you in on my list of must-use apps, which promote gratitude, healthy body image, reading, healthy eating, and friendship.

One Thousand Gifts, FREE
Based on Ann Voskamp's best-selling book One Thousand Gifts, this app is a tool to help us remember those little things we're grateful for: our morning cup of coffee, that sweet smile on our significant other's face, the bright orange color of a sunset, and the list goes on and on. I love it because notes can be remembered using both photos and text. Also, you can keep them totally private, or share with friends via Twitter, Facebook, email and even Flickr. After trying to keep gratitude journals for years and failing, this app is finally the answer to keeping track of moments I'm thankful for.

Body Beautiful, $0.99
Created by our beloved Wonderfully Made founder Allie Marie Smith, this app helps cultivate a positive self-image and encourages true beauty with inspirational quotes, media articles, videos and tools. Through it, you can share your favorite Body Beautiful quotes, articles, and videos via Facebook, Twitter, and email; and also take and share the "Body Beautiful Pledge" to respect and honor your body. With all of the dieting and calorie-counting apps out there to enable negative body image, this is one that reminds us what real health is all about.

Flipboard, FREE
Other than Instagram, this is the only app that I use every single day. I don't know about you, but I'm an obsessive blog reader. I follow style blogs and food blogs and photo blogs and friends' blogs, and none of the online readers make it easy to read them. Flipboard, on the other hand, creates a personalized magazine of all of the content you want to read—from blogs to Twitter feeds to Facebook and more. Ultimately, it makes the reading experience 100% better and makes my favorite blogs much more accessible.

Whole Foods Market Recipes, FREE
If for no other reason, I love this app because you can sort the recipes by course, category, dietary preference, and keywords. That means I can find vegan, make-ahead dessert recipes or gluten-free, budget-friendly main courses in just a matter of seconds. It's a dream for those with special diets or anyone who is looking for a collection of recipes that can refer to while already wandering the aisles of the grocery store. Another great feature is the "on hand" section, which allows to to enter in ingredients you already have and get matched up to recipes you can make. So fun!

Postagram, FREE (plus $0.99 per card sent)
While I love to send notes to my friends, I rarely end up doing so because I either don't have a card or can't find a stamp. Thanks to postagram, however, I really have no excuse. This app lets you choose a photo from your photo library, Instagram, or Facebook to send in a real postcard that will be delivered to a friend in a few days. The postagrams are personalized with the sender's profile photo, and include an optional 180 character message and a 3x3 inch photo pop-out. I love the mix of technology and snail mail, and that the photo personalizes the card.

What are your favorite apps and why? Do share!

The Unforgivable Sin

by Jeff Bethke

The concept of this video started to formulate a few months ago. I was really struck by just how many passages Jesus makes taking care of the sick, poor, and orphan an ultimate sign of whether we are a christian or not.

Personally, I'd read those passages and tremble. I know I'm saved by grace through faith but I started to realize that if that grace has really touched my life I'm going to look different. I also realized how concerned I am with people thinking I'm a Christian rather than just living a messy gospel filled life for Jesus. Even God Himself was accused of being a drunkard and a glutton. Isn't that weird?

He didn't argue, He didn't say, "no I'm not!" He didn't say, "well if people want to think I'm a good Christian I better not be able to be accused of this." Now we know He wasn't but He was still accused of being those things because He was on the front lines in the areas the religious people wouldn't go. He would associate with the prostitutes, the drunks, the homeless, the poor, the downtrodden.

So my question to all the WM readers is this: is that us? Are we willing to associate ourselves with the ones who are messy? Because the great promise of the Gospel is that Jesus was willing to associate with us, even when we were messy.

Can you relate to what Jeff's talking about? How so?

P.S. If you like Jeff's video and want to see more of his awesome work, you can check out the rest of his videos here. We love the way he's using his God-given strengths to share the powerful truth about Christ, don't you?

Perfectly Imperfect

by Natalie Lynn Borton

[photo credit]

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10
New International Version

Do you know that you are made perfect through Christ, despite your imperfections? How have you seen God use your weaknesses for His glory?

Our Newest HerStory Film: Kelly Vegas

by Allie Marie Smith

[photo credit]

Hi Girls! Today, we are so excited to release our newest HerStory video!

HerStory is a budding film series of Wonderfully Made that features testimonies from real girls who've gone through real struggles. This collection of stories is designed to share a message of hope, freedom and worth with girls everywhere.

If you’re new to our HerStory film series (which is still very much in the works) you can catch up here.

We invite you to take a few minutes from your busy day to watch Kelly’s powerful story and share it via Facebook, twitter or email with some girls or women in your life.

We also covet your prayers as we set out to produce new films featuring various young women’s stories. Please pray for continued provision for this big project and for the young women whose stories we hope to share with the world.

What impacted you most about Kelly’s story?

WM T-Shirt Design Contest

by Natalie Lynn Borton

Calling all creative ladies! We are holding our first-ever t-shirt design contest and we want YOU to submit your design. The winner will be chosen by vote, and will receive a special gift package from Wonderfully Made—as well as all of the credit for designing the shirt, of course!

A close-up snapshot of our last t-shirt design.

Want to submit your work for the contest? Here are the details you need to know...

• All entries must be submitted by July 8th to natalie@wonderfullymade.org. They will be accepted on a rolling basis until the deadline, so feel free to send it in early if it's ready!
• Use this t-shirt template for your submission so that we can have a strong grasp of what it will look like on the actual shirt.
• Please adhere to our branding guidelines. Any submissions that neglect to do so will be disqualified, so make sure to read them here (or here if you're ok with a lower resolution file that loads much faster)
• Our logo has to be somewhere on the shirt (feel free to think outside the box!). Here is the square one, and here is the rectangular one.
• Keep it girly, fresh, positive and pretty—this is something we want to see all of our wmGirls wearing around campus and in their free time so that other girls and women would know their value more!

Have any questions? Please don't hesitate to ask! You can get in touch with me personally at natalie@wonderfullymade.org :)

What would you like to see on the new Wonderfully Made t-shirts?

Just Keep Pinning

by Natalie Lynn Borton

Good morning, girls! We're excited to tell you that we have finally hopped on the bandwagon of ultimate distraction and started using Pinterest! Yes, we've been on it for a little while, but we confess, we've neglected it. Thankfully those days are done and you can now look forward to fresh, positive content to pin to your own boards and share with the rest of the Pinterest world.

Check out our new boards and start following us at pinterest.com/madewonderfully.

Which of our boards is your favorite? What kind of new boards would you like to see us create?

A Marriage for Christ

by Victoria Cumbow

[photo credit]

After a long-term relationship ended last year, my heart was broken. It was an amicable parting, or as amicable as something like that can be. After finally handing my heartache over to God, I began to feel the kind of healing and strength that can only come from His hand. In those months, I began to pray about my future and the things I so desperately longed for, like a husband and a family. The closer I grew to God, the stronger my desire for a family became. While I thought my former boyfriend had been the person I’d spend my life with, the Lord made it clear he wasn’t the one.

Through prayer, God’s word, and Christian counsel from friends, I realized what I wanted in a husband and a father for my children. I prayed about what I wanted his heart to look like and what I hoped our relationship would be. Before long, it consumed my prayers. During these months, I began a new study on Philippians and verse 4:19 held my attention for several weeks. The verse reads:

“And my God will meet your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.”

While I believe praying for a husband was and is the right thing to do, I wasn’t going about it the right way. I was praying for my needs, my desires and my wants. None of my prayers centered around what God’s plan for my life included.

You see, I believe God gives us the desires of our hearts and when we seek Him truly and wholly, he will fulfill those desires. I believe that because it's a promise made in His word. When we pursue His will for our lives daily, our will morphs into His will—which is where the whole “desire” part comes into play. Our desires become His desires. Yes, I want a Godly husband. And yes, my age makes me more anxious to find him. But if I found that man—the right man—at the wrong time, he might as well be the wrong man altogether.

I still pray for a husband, for my husband. Without being sure who or where he is, I pray for him almost daily. As someone who journals, I often write out my prayers to him in a letter to share with him one day. But my prayers for him now are vastly different than they were a year ago.

I pray for the Lord’s will and the Lord’s timing above all else. I pray for a relationship that fulfills His purpose and not my own—no matter what that looks like. I pray for a man that will lead me and strengthen my relationship with God, not pull my focus away. I pray for a relationship where others will directly see the light of Christ as a result. I pray that I will be open and receptive to a relationship that doesn’t fit perfectly inside the box I always imagined it would fit. I pray I can be a wife that encourages, builds up and supports her husband, helping him to draw closer to Christ. I pray for a marriage where God will receive the glory through Christ Jesus, just like Philippians 4:19 promises.

I pray for my focus to remain on God and that only through my relationship with Him will a marriage come. I don’t want it any other way. I pray for boldness and clear direction when I meet my husband, and I pray that it be an encounter so divine that if you took God out of the equation, it wouldn’t be possible.

I love my Lord, and I love Him more than anything else in this life. I want His hand at the center of my marriage—I want it to be His marriage. I’d rather be single the rest of my years than have a marriage that wasn’t handed to me from Christ. All those prayers for a husband were genuine when I first whispered them from my lips. But now, they’ve molded into a love story with Christ as the main character. I want to be His bride; I want my husband and I to be Christ’s bride. I no longer want a marriage for myself, I want a marriage for Christ.

How do you pray for your future marriage, spouse and family?

Victoria Cumbow is a freelance journalist and a communications specialist in Huntsville, Ala. She shares her journey with Christ and life with type 1 diabetes on her website victoriacumbow.com. A native of Tennessee, Victoria's favorite pastime is being outdoors, usually in the company of her two dogs. You can follow her on Twitter at @victoriacumbow.

WM Spotlight: Heather Gardner (Part Two)

by Rachel Johnson

We’re back with part two of Heather Gardner’s Spotlight feature. Read more to learn about the obstacles she’s overcome in the fashion industry and the advice she has for those of you who are interested in launching your own business.

Q: What’s the most difficult challenge you’ve faced thus far in the jewelry industry?

The most difficult challenge I’ve faced and continue to face to this day is the culture of the fashion industry and the materialistic and superficial drive that is behind it. Before I became a jewelry designer, I would pride myself on the fact that I didn’t look at fashion magazines or celebrity gossip magazines, and then when I started pursuing this opportunity, it became part of my job that I had to do in order to stay current in the industry. So now I’m immersed in a slice of consumerism that is ultra-focused on outer beauty and has little to say about inner beauty.

The struggles that I face with self-image have to be laid down at the foot of the cross each and every day, and I find myself still going back and forth to keep my mindset on the things of the Lord. It is a challenge to keep a Godly perspective in the midst of the fashion world with all its glamour, beauty, and excitement. I believe that I have a proper balance and perspective now, but when I first started, I kind of got caught up in it all and lost myself a bit, sort of like Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada. I have to continually seek after the Lord’s heart, and sometimes I fail, but God is my foundation and He keeps me strong when I am weak.

One thing that I love about Wonderfully Made is that it is a constant reminder of the truth for our lives – we are all beautiful creations and we must cherish the beauty of the Lord, not of our bodies.

Q: When did you have that aha moment of knowing that designing jewelry and owning your company was the right fit for your life?

My last few years of teaching were spent with this uncomfortable feeling inside, like something needed to change, but I didn’t know what it was. I would often share with my colleagues that teaching wasn’t really doing it for me anymore and that there was something inside of me that needed expression. Little did I know it was designing jewelry!

After I decided to take my jewelry design hobby seriously, I purchased some equipment, supplies, and gemstones. I was teaching but on summer vacation, so my days were spent going to the beach, surfing and laying out, and then coming home to sit outside on my picnic bench while the sand dried on my toes. I would design for hours and that is when I began to feel that uncomfortable feeling of unexpressed creativity ease into an excitement and inspiration for jewelry design that hasn’t left since those summer months in 2006. God’s new vision for my life was realized in those months and I have been forever grateful since. I never knew that side of me existed, but once it began to flourish in my life, I realized that desire had been there the whole time.

Q: What advice would you give to women aspiring to launch their own jewelry company or start designing pieces for other businesses?

I would say that for anything you do, do it with prayer and supplication to the Lord. Often times, God has already planted the desire within us to venture into something that He has purposed for our lives. Whether it’s deciding to get married, having children, moving, or beginning (or changing!) a career, God will lead us if we are faithful to seek Him and take time to listen and obey His call. We need to be patient and allow Him to work and fill our hearts up with His leading.

I have always sought to have my business submit to His will. If I am in a slow season or if I am super busy or getting amazing press, the point remains the same: this isn’t about me. The business is what He wants it to be, and as long as I am working hard, seeking His will for my life, and submitting to His timing, then I believe that it all turns out the way He has planned. He gave me the business with His plans in mind, and it has been successful thus far but if that changes and things with the company take a different turn, I will be able to say that it is well with my soul because I trust in Him. I hope the same for any of you seeking to pursue your own opportunity, jewelry enterprise or otherwise.

How has Heather's story inspired you?

WM Spotlight: Heather Gardner (Part One)

by Rachel Johnson

Like many of our other Spotlight features, Heather Gardner found herself in a rut and sought a transformational life change. Trained as a teacher, Heather kept getting the feeling that, though her work was wonderful, it wasn’t the right fit for her life. Inspired by a friend who admired some jewelry she made, she retired from teaching to open her namesake jewelry company, Heather Gardner. She set herself apart by incorporating her faith into her work and supporting various non-profit organizations through purchases made on her website. Read more to learn about Heather’s fascinating work and her wonderful life journey.

Q: Thanks for joining our Spotlight series, Heather! Tell us about your jewelry company—what types of pieces do you sell and what inspires your designs?

My jewelry company’s primary description is “The Essence of Earth, Femininity, and Fashion.” I try to have all of my designs reflect some type of the essence of the earth’s beauty. I stay inspired for designing by being out in nature and all the beauty it gives us.

I desire to create jewelry that women will feel beautiful and feminine wearing, and I want that design to be something unique and eye-catching. I gain inspiration from not only what I see out in the marketplace but also from what the every day woman is wearing. I am inspired by all that is around me, but mainly my love for nature and the palates of color I see when I look out at the ocean, drive up the coast and see the hillsides with wildflowers growing, and swim in rivers up in the mountains.

Q: How did you first start designing jewelry? Your website says that you were originally pursuing a career in education. How did you make the transition into owning your jewelry company?

I always knew that I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, so after I got married, I began to explore new types of careers that would allow me to work from home-part time and be around my child as much as possible. I tried real estate for a short time, but after a friend encouraged me to take my hobby of jewelry making for myself and try to do something with it, the jewelry designer in me came alive!

I had to lay a foundation so that once we had our baby my new job would be well on its way. So I worked as a teacher and jewelry designer for a few years until I was too busy to do both and then I went for it and retired from my teaching career.

I have never been the same since making that transition and I absolutely love having a job where I can create and design, but most importantly, be with my son, Dakota. It has been challenging to try to work out the details of having him at home with me and having a business, but I am so thankful that the Lord gave me this business. I never expected to be where I am today, and I am so amazed at His handiwork in my life.

Q: When do you find yourself being the most innovative and creative with your jewelry designs?

I find that when I don’t have the pressure of coming up with new designs, or when I am free to explore nature and experience the beauty of life, that I find myself inspired for create new pieces. Sometimes I’ll be shopping or looking through a magazine and get an idea. I always have an “ah-ha” moment of excitement inside when I find inspiration for a new design.

I truly find myself most inspired when I’m not even thinking about jewelry design but instead when my heart and life are in the right place and I’m out in nature. God’s creation is so majestic; I often feel His presence most when I’m at the beach or on trails in the mountains surrounding Malibu. There are endless points of inspiration for me; all I need to do is take the time to enjoy them.

Q: If you had to choose, which of your collections is your favorite?

That’s easy! I can usually be seen wearing my favorites: our Petite Shark Tooth Necklace; various layers of Ethiopian base metal with brass, copper, and turquoise Swarovski crystal; my Signature Feather Earrings; and my latest Cali Fringe Cuff in grey snakeskin with a few stacked bracelets.

Q: You give 10% of your proceeds to charity. Which organizations do you give to, and how did you decide to incorporate this component into your business?

I was raised in a Christian home and tithing was a big part of our relationship with the Lord. I wanted to do something different with my business to encourage others to give and have humanitarian perspectives in their lives, so I decided that I would have a page dedicated to some of the organizations that I love to support.

I also am involved in events where a percentage of my jewelry sales goes to the organization that is hosting the event, whether that is local schools or organizations that help cancer patients. My favorite organizations to help support are World Vision, Operation Smile, and SurfAid International. I also can give by donating jewelry for silent auctions and fundraising events as well.

Q: When you were little, did you envision that you’d be a jewelry designer when you grew up?

When I was little, I always role-played being a teacher. I never thought I’d have a job where I actually got to design jewelry that people would want to wear. Even when my friend suggested I try to make something of my jewelry hobby (she saw a piece that I was wearing that I had designed), I still didn’t actually believe that I would one day have a successful jewelry business. So I am living a dream, and although it’s very challenging at times, I try to remain thankful for this amazing opportunity.

Stay tuned for part two!

The Giver Shirt

by Allie Marie Smith

Hey Girls! I'm so excited to introduce you the Giver Shirt—a way to support something you believe in and have something to show of it. With each shirt you purchase 60% of the profits go to a cause you pick. And drumroll puhleez...Wonderfully Made is one of the causes you can support when you buy a shirt.

I met Dave Yearwood, (the Founder of the Giver Shirt) when I was a surf instructor at Walking on Water the summer after I graduated college. Thanks to our tight-knit surfing community, our paths crossed again when I got to meet his lovely bride Catherine at the wedding of one of my besties in the mountains of North Carolina. I was pretty beside myself when Dave called a few months ago to tell me about their newest creative endeavor and how he hoped it would support Wonderfully Made and other worthwhile causes.

1. Pick a shirt.
2. Select a charity (Pick Wonderfully Made of course!)
3. Rock your Giver Shirt and help us help girls know their value.

So, get your shop on girl and be a giver!

Sour Turned Sweet: Learning to Love Father's Day

by Christina Stolaas

[photo credit]

I am widely known for my sweet tooth and my lack of self-control when it comes to eating– thus my love for kids candy should not comes as a surprise to anyone. One candy I love is sour patch kids. Sour. Sweet. Chewy. Uniquely shaped. Delicious!

This post isn’t about candy though. It is, however, about something sour.

Fathers Day is one of my least favorite days on the calendar! This year, I hate it unequivalently. This year June 17th is a reminder of a painful year and a future lined with uncertainty. All of the constant announcements that I see about Father's Day upcoming sometimes makes me want to just close my eyes and hit the fast forward button. Literally, I started to feel a mixture of anger, frustration and sheer annoyance from it being everywhere. Pop-up ads and banners online. Store aisles filled with cards and little girls and young women lining the aisle carefully examining each for the perfect words. Father’s Day is a sour and loathsome day for me!

I’m unfortuanently a product of severe family dysfunction. This past year, the chaos came to an explosion that left me for all practical purposes estranged from my dad. Without going into explicit details, I can say that the distance is sadly a necessity for now at least, maybe permanently.

With Father’s Day approaching, I began to sulk in this pit of self-pity. After sloshing in my pit of woes, I was reminded about Sour Patch Kids. The best thing about this fun candy is that what was at first distasteful and sour becomes addictingly sweet. I asked God if he could help turn Father's Day into Sour Patch Kids for me. I think He has, and I’d like to share what this process looks like in my life. Perhaps it will be a blessing to someone else who is struggling this week because of an absent, abusive or just foolish father.

First, I believe as a Christian—regardless of what your relationship with your earthly dad looks like—God is ready, willing and able to lavish the ultimate love of a Father upon you! Sometimes the wounds caused by our dads and/or other men make it difficult for us to accept this passionate, “birth-right” love. The truth is, our Heavenly Father loves us with an infinite love that is not performance driven or earned. He loves you and I simply because we are His children! (1 John 3:1) In our human minds we can’t even come close to comprehending the love Papa God has for us (Psalms 139:17-18), but the first step in turning the day around is clinging to the truth about the beauty of the love of God the Father. Throughout the month of June I have regularly said out loud this handy statement,

“Trashed by my dad, but Treasured by my FATHER!” (see Exodus 19:5)

Second, since I do not have the capability, desire or reason to “honor” my earthly dad this year—I have made it a point to lovingly honor my Heavenly Father. As I contemplated what honoring God as a response to Father’s Day would look like, this is what I came up with: Be a child that is a reflection of Him. My practical way to prepare a gift for Papa God is to be Jesus-like in a tangible, hands-on and relevant way for a few people God has laid on my heart. I’m uber excited about sharing the love of Father God by reflecting His goodness in my life. What an easy and meaningful way for me to show my appreciation, love and thankfulness to the Ultimate PERFECT Father! (Matthew 5:48)

Lastly, if you are married with kids, remember to honor and be mindful of your husband. I pray for mine as he strives to be a good Godly father to my kids, and I thank God earnestly that my children will not grow up with the same dad wounds that I did! If you aren’t married, pray for the man you may someday marry and the kids you may someday have. If you have no desire for kids, pray for a Godly father you know via your church, workplace or other surroundings. Being a dad is tough business, and their job in being the first impression children see of God is an ultimately important responsibility not just for the lives of their children but also for the whole well-being of society.

Father’s Day doesn’t forever have to be sour. If you struggle with this week as I do, make some deliberate actions to turn that sour candy into a uniquely special treat. I’ll finish with this thought: The thing that makes the sweet on Sour Patch kids so savory is the simple fact that they are sour first. Without the sour coating, they would be as ordinary and unoriginal as any other gummy.

What does Father's Day mean to you? Is it sour, sweet, or a little of both?

Christina is an energetic mom to four adorable young kids. In her free time she enjoys writing, training for roads races, and passionately pursuing a deeper walk with Jesus. Through a rough childhood she has learned to earnestly trust in the Sovereignty of God and seek to be "fruitful in suffering" as God continues to mold her to His likeness and bring beauty for ashes! (Isaiah 61:3)

How Does God Influence You in Fashion?

by Alexandra Evjen

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Below is a spotlight interview Angelic Magazine—a faith-centered online fashion magazine—did on our beloved style contributor Alexandra Evjen. Enjoy!

Dance, music and fashion are areas of art that have been a part of my life, and I am confident will continue to be. When I think about those things not existing my heart races. I would be like a statue and just stand still. For some reason God has created me with a desire to be a part of these beautiful things, and I’m so thankful for that.

I’ve wanted to be in fashion since I was 12 years old. I would sit on the floor of my room and sketch different outfits that I thought were pretty or I would want to buy. This passion remained through high school and into college. I got a foundational business degree first, which was recommended by my parents, but along the way I got a bit turned around. Fear of failure and people pleasing kept me from really taking the leap into the fashion world. Soon enough, I ended up sitting at a desk working in public relations telling people about other people’s art. After four years of this, I found myself depressed and angry with God - asking Him why He would give me these desires and passions if I couldn’t do anything with them. I soon realized it wasn’t God that was holding me back, but myself.

When I finally got up the nerve to take a leap of faith, I experienced a moment of doubt once again when a handful of people told me that I couldn’t be in the fashion industry and be a Christian. They told me that by merely being a part of the industry I would automatically promote the lie that women need X,Y and X to be beautiful. Of course, I didn’t want to be a walking contradiction, but I knew that fashion was more than a terrible lie. It was a form of self-expression just like any other art. Clothing doesn’t just serve the purpose of covering our bodies. It is a nonverbal form of communication. Fashion doesn’t have to be about consumption. People can actually save money using stylists to help them create outfits with things they already own and re-purpose clothing.

So, with the support of my husband, family and friends I decided to start my own styling business to help men and women feel confident in their clothes, and to fight the thought that the fashion industry is only destructive. I started creating photo shoots with the clothes in my closet, my friends’ clothes and/or clothes from resale shops to build a portfolio. I took many unpaid jobs and backstage dressing jobs to learn as much as I could from seasoned professionals all while working my PR job. I even picked up a third job helping a graphic designer with administrative tasks.

I’ve been in the industry for three years now, and have had the privilege of creating beautiful photographs with wonderful, creative people. I’ve had many opportunities to share my story with professionals of all different backgrounds, which has to be my favorite part of my job. Almost every week I get the chance to encourage someone that is feeling down about themselves or their appearance. A good portion of personal styling is just listening and encouraging people, and I can’t think of a better way to spend my time.

God is completely immersed in everything I do because I wouldn’t be doing it without Him. He continually provides for my business, inspires my creativity and brings wonderful people into my life. Being a fashion stylist is one of the many ways I worship God.

How does Alexandra's story inspire you to pursue your own career dream, be it in fashion or otherwise?

The Spirit Within

by Natalie Lynn Borton

[photo credit]

I am daily confronted with two choices: to live according to my whims, or to live up to the Spirit within (big-S intended there). The decision, I find, is a constant challenge.

The whims and desires of my mind and body are so strong. Why would I go running when I could stay in the air-conditioned apartment? Why would I challenge myself or go out on a limb (in work or in life) when I could stay in my sweet, safe bubble of certainty? Why would I spend time in silence with God when I could read the newest novel I downloaded on my Kindle?

Embarrassingly enough, those are often the kinds of subconscious thoughts that dictate my very human behaviors. But, of course, there's another choice that I could make. A choice to live up to my potential—to obey the Spirit who dwells within me. In times like these, I find the best thing to do is pray this simple bit of scripture:

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

How do you return to the Spirit within you when you feel you've wandered away?

Who do I look like? Listening to The Hunger Games

by Jonalyn Grace Fincher

[photo credit]

My mom hung a little cream placard with blue letters in our kitchen. Growing up I’d read it often, “You are who you are when no one is looking.” It plagued me with confusion about who I really was. The me in private? Or the me in public?

In the movie, Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen hears Peeta Mellark explain that he doesn’t want the games, even the killing he may do to change who he is.

“I don’t want them to change me in there. Turn me into something I’m not...If I’m going to die I want to still be me.”

So who is the protagonist, Katniss? The girl dressed for the Hunger Games’ crowd, or the girl at home with her sister Prim? I’m sure The Hunger Games series plans to iron this question out. The truth is, we all dress up for the show. We all have different “me’s.”

Who is the real you? Is it the one at work or the one at home? Or is it the you behind closed doors in solitude? Is this as fair to extroverts as it is to introverts? How much of ourselves do we let hang out and how much do we comb into a presentable appearance? And is it fake to do that combing work? Or is it a way to honor others? Was Katniss fake in her flaming evening gown? Or was it true of her? As true as her cotton blue gown?

My artist friend from Laguna Beach has often said women don’t get dressed up for men as much as they get dressed up for each other. He’s told me women are always trying to out-compete others in how they look. I realized he’s gathered his facts from women--a few who do, in fact, dress to impress, contrast and outshine other women.

A majority of my friends dress up for other women, but not to compete with them. They dress to honor. Like Katniss in her mother’s blue dress honors something sobering and difficult—the reaping.

We wear a dry-clean only skirt to a wedding to honor someone’s marriage. We wear our hair flat-ironed and pinned up into a French twist because we honor a birthday. We pull on several fishnet stockings until we get one without a snag because we honor girl’s night out. We get dressed up to show others we care, and sometimes our public face and dress code is as hindering and false as Effie Trinket’s ensemble in The Hunger Games.

Take our hair for instance, most of my friends with curly hair don’t like their God-given hair texture and therefore straighten it. One told me it was because a study had shown guys prefer straight hair to curly. She sighted this “study” as evidence, in which the blogger proves that her straight look gets more hits at the singles dating site than curly.

The blogger, Naturally Curly, does go on to date those who’ve chosen her profile wearing the opposite hair-do of the profile pic. Most of the dates don’t seem to care, but Naturally Curly does let it slip that she’s not comfortable with frizz.

As a woman who drew her husband because of her curly hair I have long wanted to comment to Naturally Curly’s blog.

Once I seriously straightened my hair to surprise Dale after a long business trip abroad. On the way to the airport I received more attention/harassment, whistling, comments, etc. And my hair was not even really straight, more so wavy and tousled like Jenna Jameson. The fact that Jameson is a famous porn star is exactly the point I’d like to make.

When I met my husband at the airport he failed to even recognize me. He nearly walked by me. My theory: my hair straight looks more like a porn star’s Aqua-Netted masterpiece--more like the up-dos in the Capitol of Panem--than me. Dale told me afterwards he noticed the wavy-haired me and thought, “Oh, there’s an attractive woman, but where’s my attractive woman?”

It was on his second take that he realized the face was still mine.

My theory: women who “do” their hair to look substantially different than their natural look can accidentally achieve the porn look—the look that says, “I’m here to be consumed by your eyes.” Of course, our hair can look naturally tousled, but how much more honest this look is after a day of gardening, painting or biking.

That disgust of the consumption of her death is why Katniss mocked Cinna’s (her stylist's) mandate to “Make her beautiful.” She knew it could hide who she was and what she was about to be forced to do.

Cinna went beyond beauty to, “Make an impression.”

Perhaps that’s a good guide. To dress up to make an impression, but not to conceal the soul within. Another theory of mine is that the more we try to imitate another person’s look, the more bland we become. But, the more we look and act as we were created to be, the way God made us to be, the more one-of-a-kind unique we become. The more we’re the only person like us in the universe.

Can we make an impression without disguising ourselves? Can we look like...ourselves?

The look of most hairstyles today are usually heavily configured sorts of things, more like Effie Trinket than Katniss Everdeen. Except, of course, in places where women do things. When your day consists of eating, driving and shopping, you don’t have to create. Creating puts hair in proper perspective, as well as our entire appearance.

After spending time in Los Angeles awaiting my new nephew’s birth and then flying home to Denver, I was immediately struck by the naturalness of people’s hair out here.

Not everyone, but more women in Colorado let their hair fly out, naturally wavy or puffy, flat or curly. Women here have things to do beyond their hair. And in the end, I feel they’re letting me see the realness in who they were originally born to be.

And it’s an honor to see them.

For those women who are slowly learning to put the flat iron down and embrace their waves or curls or frizzy bigness (or even the straight-haired ladies who are learning to let go of the curling iron), I salute you. You haven’t let the games change who you are.

How do you stay true to who you are through your appearance?

A Quiet Struggle: Lessons from an Orchid

by Anne Taylor

[photo credit]

Last April, I received an orchid as a gift from my office. I've always heard people talk about how much plants can liven up a room, but I never took my chances at acquiring one out of fear that I wouldn't be able to keep it alive. When they presented the gift to me, I was so touched and equally surprised at how much I enjoyed having it's beauty in my little corner of the building.

At the beginning, the blossoms were beautiful and in full bloom. They had a beautiful soft pink color, and it made me smile to think that I was able to take such good care of this lovely plant. I doted and fretted over it, asking my colleague who also had been given one how much she watered it or how much sunshine it should get.

Over the course of a few months, though, the blossoms started to wilt and fall off of the stem. I worried over when it would blossom again, wanting the beauty to come back. I brought the orchid home, and it sat in the corner all winter long, somewhat forgotten without it's blossoms to catch my eye.

In the spring, when the air started to warm and the trees started to bud along the creek I live beside, I decided to check on the orchid. It had no signs of budding flowers, and though the leaves and stems were still green, I doubted that it was alive. I twisted and bent the tall stem, wondering if it was too brittle and dry. As I mentioned, I'm no gardner, so I asked the florist at the market how she tended to the orchids in the store.

"You need to trim down the stem where it last blossomed," she said. "When the blossoms fell off last year, the stem remained even though it doesn't have the nutrients or energy to blossom there again."

I asked her how far down I should trim it.

"Trim right where it shot off the main stem. Then the plan will have more energy to grow new shoots."

When I got home, I followed her instructions and gave it a good drink. I picked it up and brought in to sit on my dresser so that I can see it every morning when I am getting ready for the day. And as the days and weeks passed, I'd check for buds and signs of new growth. Nothing. Not one sign.

This seemingly inconsequential story of my orchid popped into my head yesterday afternoon as I walked by it, sitting proud and tall on my dresser, and realized what a strong metaphor it is for my life.

Over the last few weeks, I've struggled so deeply with body image, intense anxiety, panic, and loneliness. It seems that the last two years of transition and change have finally bubbled up into one big thunderstorm of anguish. Between graduating from college, moving back across the country to my home state, not being able to find a job in my specialty, getting married and leaving my friends behind, I've had a lot to cope with.

I'm like the orchid.

When I was in college, I was like the orchid in full bloom. The blossoms were my budding academic life and my successful friendships. I have never felt so alive as I did in those years. When I graduated, the blossoms fell off and, ever the impatient person, I immediately began searching to find out how I could get them back. From job to job, group to group, I fretted around how to bring the beauty back. And then over time, I set the memory of my former self in a corner, and forgot about it for most of winter.

The last few weeks, I trimmed off the excess and decided to begin anew. And lo and behold, that hurt. Though I had been putting so much energy into keeping something that was gone alive in memory, I had been functioning as I always knew. And trimming off what should have been gone years ago was so uncomfortable that I completely broke down.

Coming to terms with anxiety and depression can be very difficult. Often times, it is a lonely road. We just want everyone to look at us and see us in full bloom, beautiful and healthy. Saying that you are a bare stem, dry of water and in need of help from a professional Gardner is no easy step. And the thing I am realizing is that once you start to open up, it hurts.

Yesterday, I walked by my orchid and it had small buds forming on the new shoots. I realized that all the compassion and care I have poured into it over the last few months is starting to pay off. I let myself day dream about what the blossoms would like when they finally open up. And I allowed myself to expect that I will surely blossom again with new passions and opportunities that are as beautiful, or maybe more beautiful than before.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." (John 15:1-2)

How is God pruning your life? How do you think your life will bear more fruit as he does so?

Anne Taylor is 24 years old and lives in Denver, CO with her husband. She is currently preparing for graduate school where she will pursue a PhD in American History. When she isn't reading, studying or cycling, she writes about her everyday adventures on her blog, Anne the Adventurer. Anne is passionate about people and storytelling, and seeks to inspire people daily to reflect on their past so as to live and create better futures.

Treasure Yourself

by Natalie Lynn Borton

[photo credit]

A few weeks ago, guest blogger Catherine Galbraith discussed the Golden Rule from a different perspective: loving ourself the way we love others. In essence, she reminded us to treasure ourselves as we are instructed by God to treasure others.

I personally relate to her struggle, as I find it easier to speak kindly to others rather than use positive language about myself in my mind. I'm quick to insult and dwell on my failings, when I know if someone else was in the same position I would encourage them in their strengths instead. I often choose to see what's not right about me rather than celebrate all that's good and fabulous. Why is this?

Treasure yourself is a true challenge to me, and I have a feeling it might be for a lot of you girls as well. Difficult as it would be, what might it look like to live out the challenge those two words present?

For me, it would be pretty much doing the opposite of what I'm doing now. I would acknowledge my shortcomings, but cherish my gifts. I would accept my body's natural shape rather than criticize it for not looking like someone else's. I would treat myself to rest and quiet time and a latte on a tough day, because that's exactly what I would do for someone I loved. I would nourish my soul above all with prayer and scripture, because through that I best understand who I am and what I'm living for.

So today I ask you, how do you treasure yourself?

WM Spotlight: Crystal Renaud (Part Two)

by Rachel Johnson

We’re back with more from the fearless Crystal Renaud. Learn about her future plans, the healing process implemented in Dirty Girls Ministries’ work, the book she penned, and the advice she gives for women struggling with pornography and sexual addiction (and catch up here if you missed part one).

Q: You’re currently pursuing a degree in Christian Counseling. Tell us about this experience and what you hope to use your degree for in the future.

I am about to begin my junior year in a Bachelors of Psychology in Christian Counseling program at Liberty University. Going back to college was something I never thought I would do. I had quit college when I was only 19 years old and no intentions of going back. But I also had very little intention of doing anything with my life back then.

It was through my experience in working in ministry and working with women struggling with brokenness, the more I realized that God had designed me to counsel others. Following the completion of my Bachelors, I will continue onto a Masters program to become licensed. I have dreams of opening my own counseling practice for women.

Q: Explain your acronym SCARS to us, and tell us how women become empowered through Dirty Girls Ministries.

The steps are comprised of: S—Surrender; C—Confession; A—Accountability; R—Responsibility; S—Sharing

One night I was studying and writing when the Lord reminded me of Thomas in the book of John. Here Jesus was, standing there right in front of him, resurrected, and yet Thomas didn’t believe it was Him until he saw the evidence, the scars, from His crucifixion.

To me, this shows a similar picture of what recovery from addiction looks like. Because pornography and sexual addiction are typically not about sex at all, but instead, about a deep intimacy disorder. We must expose our core woundedness for what it is. When we finally expose it, clean out the junk that’s been filling it up, and fill it again with good, healthy things, over time and with proper care, the wound will actually begin to heal. And in its place will only be a scar. A reminiscence of what was. Not of what still is.

Scars are a reminder of where we’ve been. Scars show others that we know what they’re going through and that we may actually be able to help. Just as the scars on Christ’s hands and side proved who He was to Thomas, the scars left behind from our own wounds prove His healing in us. He is, after all, the only true Healer.

Q: You’ve written a book, Dirty Girls Come Clean. What was that process like, and what message do you want readers to come away with after they’ve finished the book?

Dirty Girls Come Clean is my personal letter to every woman who desires freedom from the bondage of addiction. Through my own confession and the brave confessions of other women throughout, this book journeys with the reader through the various steps necessary for taking hold of a life marred by sexual sin and shame to a life healed by the forgiveness and hope of Jesus. Writing the book was a therapeutic process. Wounds of my past that I thought were healed were reopened and guilt I still carried was lifted. Realizing that God would take the words on the page and use them to speak truth to women in need of comfort was a humbling experience and it continues to be today.

Q: What advice would you give to women struggling with pornography and sex addiction? Additionally, what advice would you give to friends who are supporting these women and unsure of exactly how to help their loved ones?

One of the things I hear most often from women who hear my story for the first time or who stumbled upon our website is, "I thought I was the only one." Women need to know they are not alone and that there's hope. They do not need to live in the cycle of addiction. It is the desire of both my book and my ministry to break down the walls that are keeping these women addicted. These walls are shame, isolation, fear of judgment, pain from their pasts, etc. My team and I are committed to this fight and we are here to help women who are ready to surrender and take this journey toward freedom.

If you don't need my book yourself, I encourage you to pick one up for someone in your life that might. If doing so means the possibility of even just one woman coming clean and finding healing, it would be well worth your time. Grace is a gift. Hope never fails.

Author’s Note: Interested in hearing Crystal speak or in meeting her in person? Attend the WHOLE Women’s Conference in Lenexa, KS, on August 24th and 25th, hosted by Dirty Girls Ministries and Westside Family Church. Register for the event here.

Crystal has obviously used the brokenness in her past to help women know and embrace God's redemptive love. In what ways have you let God use your messy past to lead others to healing?

WM Spotlight: Crystal Renaud (Part One)

by Rachel Johnson

I’ve been staring at my computer screen waiting for the right words to materialize. How do I sum up so many incredible qualities about one person in just a teeny tiny paragraph? Frankly, this is what I struggle with for every spotlight piece I write but I’m especially having trouble with this post. There’s so much to write about Crystal Renaud but not enough time to write it. Crystal is an amazingly brave woman who, like many other of our featured spotlight friends, has overcome serious obstacles to achieve her goals and make a difference in the world. Read on to learn about Dirty Girls Ministries, the non-profit organization that Crystal founded based on her past struggles with pornography and sexual addiction.

Q: Crystal, thank you so much for participating in our Spotlight Series. Tell us about Dirty Girls Ministries and the role you play within the organization.

Dirty Girls Ministries is a non-profit ministry that exists to help women overcome pornography and sexual addiction. Our desire as a ministry is to break through the stigmatic barriers that are keeping women in bondage to these types of addictions as well as bring awareness to an issue usually thought to be only a struggle for men. Beginning with surrender, moving to confession, embracing accountability, owning responsibility, to finally sharing with others, Dirty Girls Ministries (DGM) seeks to take women on a recovery journey that guides them from a state of woundedness to one of healing. I founded DGM in February 2009 and I continue to serve at the Executive Director. It was through my own 8-year experience as a pornography addict that I began to help women through similar addictions in support groups and then through DGM.

Q: You worked in your church’s communications department for nearly seven years before deciding to work full time with Dirty Girls Ministries. What was that transition like, and why were you compelled to make this choice?

In the three years prior to my departure from my job at the church, God had given me glimpses into what it could be to do DGM full-time. He did so by providing opportunities to shine and thrive in the role of ministry director. These experiences led me to write a book and establish DGM. And yet with each opportunity, I became restless with my current job. My heart fell deeper in the love with the new life of ministry God was ushering me into.

And yet I cowered in fear and battled my pride for nearly a year. About whether I was really hearing God right, about what it would be like to quit my job and still go to church there after so long, about how I’d be perceived for asking for donations not just for the ministry, but also in order for me to live day to day, about where I’d go if I did quit but this whole ministry just fail right out of the gate.

While I was nervous about the unknown, I knew God was there waiting for me to join Him there. It was scary. It was wonderful. It was wonderfully scary. And it still is!

Q: You are so brave for sharing your struggle with pornography and sexual addiction so openly and honestly – you’ve even shared your story with the likes of ABC News, the New York Times, and Christianity Today. What is the scariest part about revealing your innermost thoughts and struggles with people you don’t know?

It’s actually not all the scary to share my thoughts and past struggles with people I don’t know. There’s a lot of freedom in knowing that even if they don’t like what I have to say or judge me for it, I don’t know them anyway.

Yes, I receive criticizing comments and emails. I know that my stance on pornography use is not common of ‘the world’ and some backlash is never surprising. Of course it hurts. It hurts to be thrown into the same category as clergy who hurt children – some people have made that comparison.

The criticisms have shown me where I needed to grow some tougher skin. If anything, it gave me more resolve to keep doing what I am doing because while the criticisms come, no one see the emails that also flood my inbox from women (and even men) pouring out their hearts and their stories. Thanking this ministry for finally speaking out on their behalf. That is worth every criticism. God has been faithful.

To be honest, it’s a lot scarier sharing with people I do know. Having friends and family reading and learning details about my life I have never shared with them before is a bit unnerving. People have a certain idea and opinion you and when that changes because of the actions of your past, it hurts more than anything a stranger could think or say. But it also shows who are you can really count on and that’s a priceless gift.

Stay tuned for part two!

The Shulamite Woman: Altogether Beautiful

by Raquel Rodriguez

[photo credit]

Don’t stare at me because I am dark—
the sun has darkened my skin.
My brothers were angry with me;
they forced me to care for their vineyards,
So I couldn’t care for myself—my own vineyard.
Song of Solomon 1:6

I don’t know about you but I can certainly identify with the Shulamite woman in Song of Solomon, feeling beautiful at times but not fully accepted. Her dark skin color had nothing to do with her race. Working in the fields, under the sun, had tanned her skin. She lived in a society where the upper class did not tend the fields, therefore, their skin was pale and society praised that. She was self-conscious of what she considered a flaw, but her beloved Solomon thought otherwise.

You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way. (Song of Solomon 4:7)

Leading up to this verse, he calls her beautiful and lovely over 10 times. He deems her worthy of his love and affection even with her imperfections. He praises and recognizes her beauty and character as altogether beautiful. Just two chapters back he compares her to a lily among thorns. He calls her fairest among the women. To him, she is beautiful beyond words. The Shulamite woman captivated his heart. He invites her to rise up and go away with Him.

Solomon paints for us a picture of how God sees us, His precious girls. God does not consider us any less worthy of His love, His salvation, affection, blessings, and plans because of our so-called imperfections. It may just be that your nose seems to be too long or too wide, your hair too frizzy or too limb. Is it a literal scar or that your legs are long, your hips wide, your hands not feminine enough or your arms not as toned? Are you self-conscience about your weight or similar to the Shulamite woman, the color of your skin? You don’t regard yourself as pretty, well-kept or beautiful. Maybe it’s not the outer that causes you to think less of yourself. Do you feel less worthy because you don’t see yourself as smart? Has someone robbed you of your identity and innocence? Perhaps you feel like damaged goods, unfit of blessings and undeserving of love. To all your insecurities God says: You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way, and there is no spot in you.

Proverbs 31:30 instructs us on the reality of outward beauty:

“Charm is deceitful and beauty does not last, but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.”

Another great passage is 1 Peter 3:3-5,

“Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful.”

Incorruptible beauty...how do we maintain that? We must understand that our value lies in that we are wholly and dearly loved by God. We cannot earn God’s approval, we already have it. In the words of Allie, “No amount of striving, accomplishments, or external beauty can make you more valuable or loved in the eyes of your Lord.”

The Shulamite woman’s insecurities were quieted by Solomon’s love. God has loved you from before you were in your mother’s womb. He loved you as He formed you and knit you together. He loved you when you were born. He knows your coming and going and is intimately acquainted with all your ways. He knows every word you are about to say and every thought that roams your mind. He sees and knows the pain, the hurt and the tears you cry. He knows about the depression. He knows about that hidden sin. He knows that you are not perfect and yet He still loves you. He has loved you and will forever love all of you despite your insecurities.

The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

He calls you altogether beautiful, darling and lovely. He deems you worthy of his love and affection. He compares you to a lily among thorns. He calls you fairest among the women. To Him, you are beautiful beyond words. You have captivated His heart. And He invites you to rise up and go away with Him.

Do you believe that you are altogether beautiful?

Castle Contruction

by Martia Bersaglio

I have a confession to make: I'm a time traveler.

However, my machinery is not very high-tech; and it has some limitations. For example, I can only go backwards through time. And it can only take me back as far as the year 2000.

You see, in the process of organizing/purging/deep-cleaning my room (which was being used as a storage space/community closet/household dumping zone until my return from school), I uncovered some precious antique treasures: notebooks from high school. Through them, I've been able to look back on where I was in my walk with the Lord when I was fifteen and compare it with the present.

In all honesty, anyone who has known me for longer than two years can testify to the fact that my passion (regarding my faith) has taken a significant nosedive since high school. And in noticing this, several questions have sparked...

Did I make a wrong turn somewhere? Is there something wrong with me? Am I supposed to feel like I'm on fire for the Lord all the time? Or did the "honeymoon-high" cool down and simmer into a season where I must learn to serve and love Him with devotion and loyalty without the perks of feeling as if I'm on the "mountaintop"?

In any case, I know that the Lord has been leading me through this slightly dry year, but it can't hurt to try to get some of that old spark back. And thankfully, reading about where the Lord and I were at when I was fifteen has already helped (and humbled) me a great deal.

Whenever you begin to feel as though you've forgotten your love for Christ, I strongly encourage you to take the time to think back and reminisce. Dig up the old journals, study those books, and play those songs to help refresh your memory and strengthen your heart through the valley season.

By now you may be wondering, what does any of this have to do with castles?...Or construction?...Or...anything at all?

Well, as I was rummaging through the notebooks and lyrics from my mountaintop days, I was dramatically impacted by a journal entry my 15-year-old-self had written:

"Days are limited, non-renewable resources. Consider them as bricks. Every day, God hands us each a brick. We don't know when we'll get our final brick; but it will come. And when it does, God will ask us to show Him what we built out of those bricks He gave us... We'll either have used what He gave us to build something, or we'll just wind up with a pile of waste. I want a castle."

It seems my castle construction project has been placed on hold quite a bit since then. And when I think of all the bricks I've been handed and haven't valued or put to good use, I'm both embarrassed and frightened.

How flippantly and frequently I receive these gifts from my Father and carelessly toss them into a formless heap of waste! I am constantly taking these days—these bricks—for granted.

This is not intended to install feelings of hopelessness by any means. Because God is greater than our wasted bricks, and using the useless is kind of His thing (you know, beauty for ashes, joy for mourning... Isaiah 61:3 and such).

Even the most large and messy brick-heap can be worked into the blueprints for your castle if you've got the best Architect. The castle is what God wants to give you: a life of purpose and meaning! But this kind of life requires death. Dying to yourself daily, and finding life in Him.

Castles will not be built without labor and effort. Successful construction requires vision, resources, and a detailed, elaborate plan. These bricks are extremely rare resources. They must be valued highly, and used carefully in order to have a worthwhile final result.

That's a lot of pressure, and a huge responsibility. I don’t know about you, but I'm not in the business of castle construction. The only things I build are cappuccinos and pizzas. So, what am I supposed to do?

I need to give my bricks to the Lord. All of them. Every single one. Old ones, recent ones, future ones, used ones, chipped ones, lost ones, and the one He has given me today. He can make far better use of these bricks... these days... than I ever could. He is the Creator. Not 'a' creator. The Creator. The Creator of the universe is in charge of the construction of my castle: the blueprints of my life. He's got this.

“And so, I am confident of this very thing: that He who has begun a good work in me will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6)

What are you building with your bricks?

Slowing Down: Life is a Stroll

by Natalie Lynn Borton

[photo credit]

“It is always the simple things that change our lives. And these things never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal answers at the pace life wishes to do so. You feel like running, but life is on a stroll. This is how God does things.”

Donald Miller
Through Painted Deserts

What simple things have changed your life? How has slowing down your life revealed God's plans and purposes to you?