Tag: women

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Spiritual Makeup Bag

Discovering Beauty from the Inside Out

I am excited to announce my first book Spiritual Makeup Bag is now available!

I wrote this book for busy women who struggle to find time with God each day before engaging with the world.

Spiritual Makeup Bag will give you tools to help you connect with God while getting ready and putting on your makeup. You will reflect on why you wear makeup and learn about two Old Testament women who wore makeup. These two women used this ordinary task for two vastly different purposes. One was motivated to honor God and the other was motivated to promote herself.

I can tell you from experience that my day goes much better when I first spend time with God. So how about some spiritual tools to help you get started? Guess what? They are right in your makeup bag.

Don’t try to make yourselves beautiful on the outside, with stylish hair or by wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes. Instead, make yourselves beautiful on the inside, in your hearts, with the enduring quality of a gentle, peaceful spirit. This type of beauty is very precious in God’s eyes. 1 Peter 3:3-4 CEB

Paperback | 978-1-9736-9515-8
E-book | 978-1-9736-9514-1

Available now from
www.westbowpress.com

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Steadfast

What does it mean to be steadfast?

Steadfast can be defined as firmly fixed in place, immovable, not subject to change, unwavering, firm in purpose and faith.

The Bible says, You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3, NIV

Isaiah 26:3, is my very favorite scripture of all time. It was the scripture I held onto when my mom was dying, when my son was struggling in school, and many other seasons of grief and uncertainty.

And this season is no different.

I have a feeling you can relate. Let me ask you something that I ask myself.

Do you trust God enough?

Do you trust Him enough for today?

Do you trust Him enough for tomorrow?

During this season of social distancing, are we trusting God?

Like many of you, I’m missing my family and friends. I am an Ambivert and because of that, I enjoy time alone and time with people. However, whether you are an Introvert, Extrovert or Ambivert, we are all created for relationships. So I’m guessing everyone is yearning to see their people right now.

I want to encourage you to remain steadfast in trusting the Lord during this season of uncertainty. He has gone before us in this matter and knows what is on the other side. He is trustworthy and we can trust Him.

I also want to remind you that God yearns to be with us. Like I mentioned, He created us for relationship and not just for each other, but also with Him. It’s a beautiful thing to think that God wants to be with us and it’s absolutely true!

Keep your mind steadfast by reading your Bible, praying, reading your devotional, watching church online and singing songs of praise to God. Spend time with your Creator daily. I’ve found when I do these things, my heart is full and I’m able to trust God for the very day He’s given me. He doesn’t want us to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34.

Trust Him and trust in Him today and I promise you will be blessed with a peace that only comes from God.

Let us pray…God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Over the Line

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Have you ever felt so passionate about something that you found yourself crossing the line? Possibly even to the point of being pushy?

Last year I became a Skincare Consultant. I was super excited to get started because I loved the products! Sure, there were other opportunities with direct sales companies, but this one…well it was the best and I wanted everyone to know it.

I had this thing in my head that working for the number one skincare company in N. America with the best products on the market, are pretty much going to sell themselves.

Right?

Have you ever joined something like this where you believed so much in the products that you won’t have to do a thing? Just put it out there and cha-ching the products will sell themselves.

Hindsight is always 20/20 and now I see how naïve I was to think such thoughts. And honestly, I had never been in sales before in my life.

Shortly after joining the company, I had an event at my house and invited a few friends. I wanted them to hear and see the products and fall in love with them like I did. The party went well although nobody bought a thing.

I was disappointed and tried not to show it.

I gave them samples as they left my home that night and followed up the next week.

One friend stopped responding to my texts, but that didn’t stop me from texting. I just kept right on letting her know how great the products were and the special offers we had going on at that time. I wanted her to purchase the products and find the same results I was finding in them. But she didn’t seem to be interested and when I realized I was the only one texting about these amazing products, I felt pushy and over the line.

I stopped texting and prayed about my crazy excitement of oversharing. I realized that my excitement and passion over these products was too much and I was being overly pushy.

I sent an apology text.

She didn’t reply.

I thought to myself, I have ruined this friendship and I was sad.

I prayed for my friend and for our relationship.

I realized that the only passion I should share so crazily is the love of my Savior. I found myself praying over my friends and relatives much I like did before I found my skincare business.

Do you know what happened?

My business started to grow.

Fast forward several months after my extreme pushiness, I had dinner with my friend. At dinner, she asked me about one of the products and decided to purchase. It was so pleasant to share the love of these products with someone who was ready and willing.

It was easy and much more fun!

Lesson learned…

I had put the Lord first as I believe he gave me this business opportunity and if that’s the case, He will bless it.

So the next time you find something you love and feel passionate about, take my advice and make sure you aren’t more excited about it than that of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He’s worth all the passion in the world, yet he doesn’t push his love on us.

He gently extends his arms to welcome us in the good times and in the bad.

He graciously offers his love in a way that always invites and never pushes over the line.

Jesus replied, “This is the work of God — that you believe in the one he has sent. John 6:29

 

 

 

 

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Power of Influence

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Have you ever considered the power of influence or ever thought about how much influence you have over people?

While researching a few women in the Bible, I noticed the amount of influence they had on the people around them, particularly their husband and community. Here’s one example I found in 1 Kings regarding Jezebel.

No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the Lord’s sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel. His worst outrage was worshipping idols just as the Amorites had done-the people whom the Lord had driven out from the land ahead of the Israelites. 1 Kings 21:25-26 NLT

Other translations read; urged on by his wife (NIV), pushed by his wife (The Message), his wife incited him (ESV/NASB/HCSB). 

Jezebel influenced her husband into idol worship. I think Ahab knew better but allowed his wife to influence him. He should have seen it coming since Jezebel was all about Baal worship, the false god that her father worshipped. However, King Ahab allowed the influence of his wife and devoted himself to do what was evil in the Lord’s sight. Later in 1 Kings 21:29, we see Ahab humble himself before God in true repentance.

Have you ever noticed that influencing begins in small forms and increases? You are either heading toward God with a godly influence or heading away from God with a worldly influence. Because the direction of the influence is a gradual process, you could be in way over your head before you realize it and heading in the wrong direction. Attitudes and addictions don’t happen overnight, it’s a process.

I recall a time in my life when I did not follow God. I followed the ways of this world and suffered the consequences of my bad decisions. Amazingly, God provided more grace than I deserved during that time since I made all my decisions based on worldly influences around me. I had accepted Christ as a teenager, but had gone my own way in my 20’s. Looking back, I can see where I suppressed the Holy Spirit and chose not to follow God.

This broke my mother’s heart. I found out after her death that she and my sister prayed for me during those years and I had no idea. Prayer is such a powerful tool so be encouraged to continue praying for those who need God in their lives.

I came back to God after 25 years and now my decisions are based on God’s leading and his Word. If you are a Christ follower, then you understand that we are here to further God’s kingdom and to be influencers for Christ.

Consider these three things with me regarding influence:

1. We have a great amount of influence. Influence over our households, children, work, church, and community. We need to be careful how we use our influence.

2. We are always influencing someone. Jezebel not only influenced her husband into idol worship she also raised a daughter, Athaliah, to be just like her.

3. Becoming a godly person is a process of allowing God to influence us. That’s why it’s so important to read your Bible and spend time with God daily so He can influence you and in turn you can influence others for God.

Spending time with God in the morning to start your day will have great influence on you for the rest of your day…and life.

In the morning Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I please my case to you and watch expectantly. Psalm 5:3