Images all photographed by yours truly. Collage was put together and edited in the Pixlr Express Editor.
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Image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
Every blogger desires for their site to be successful. But if you are disorganized and scatter-brained like many of us can be, there is no way you will be able to run a blog the way that it should be. Here are some tips to boost your organization skills that will help your productivity. 1) Set a schedule. The best way to do this is to get a calendar and schedule all of your other priorities; try to do this for a week or two. Then go back and look at what days you may not be as busy. Block your writing time for those down-times. 2) Make sure you are constantly brainstorming ideas. One of my personal favorite things to do is to write down those ideas in advance on whatever days that I'm posting. That way, I am already set and I'm not worrying the night before what I'm going to write about. If you are stuck on ideas, Pinterest and idea generators have an abundance of topics you can choose from. 3) If you plan on using pictures in your blog entries, always keep them in a folder in your documents. There is nothing worse than a) wasting time trying to search for the image in your files, or b) looking for the perfect picture online. Sometimes bloggers take up photography as a hobby and use their own photos, so there's a good option! Just make sure to schedule your photo-shoots so you know exactly when you're going to need it. 4) Many blog entries give "pointers", like this one. The best way to write these is to jot down your points so you're not sitting in front of a blank screen trying to think. Prep time can be time-consuming, but it is completely worth it when you've written a quality entry. Confession time: This particular post did not have the ideas written down before I started writing. Shame on me. If you are a blogger, what are some of your favorite organization tips? What worked? What didn't? Comment down below. Thank you for stopping by and I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
I wanted to wish all of my readers a happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for each and every one of you, and for those of you who have supported me as I've built my blog for the past year. May you get tired of hearing the word "turkey" and may your plates be full to overflowing. From SGAB xo Image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
When we first think about Solomon, we often think about the books of the Bible that he is associated with; Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and some people even attribute Ecclesiastes to him but it is not certain. We also think about the famous dialogue between him and Almighty God, when he asked for wisdom. But we don't think about the very fact that he was human like us. He had his flaws...he had weaknesses...but God used him in a mighty way. One of the very first things that we learn about Solomon is that he was born into the very wrong union between David and Bathsheba, and had three other brothers (1 Chronicles 3:5). - I'm going to go in and make a quick edit here. I had a lovely brother in Christ correct me and let me know that the above statement is NOT true. Solomon's birth was legitimate and you can find it in 2 Samuel 12:24!!! Later on, Solomon was not quite the wise guy that we thought he was. As mentioned before, he had his fair share of mistakes. He married a pagan and sacrificed to idol altars, which was a big no-no considering he claimed to be one of Jehovah's people. Even through the sin and the "ick", God was still able to move through Solomon by asking him to continue the plans for the temple. Around 966, B.C., the temple was finally completed on Mt. Moriah, just north of Bethlehem (seems fitting right?). The plan was based on what God gave to David in 1 Chronicles 28:11-13, 19. Through Solomon, God fulfilled His promise of His dwelling place within the temple and Israel's own country (Deu. 12:5). The details concerning the temple can be found in 1 Kings 6. During the temple's dedication, Solomon and the other worshipers voiced their prayers and praises. There are many things we can learn from this prayer, as well as the mistakes in Solomon's life. In 2 Chronicles 6:20, Solomon referred to the temple and acknowledged that God is sovereign and that He's able to hear and answer prayer, and fulfill His promises. Isn't that something we should all consider today? No matter what happens, God is still sovereign. 2 Chronicles 5:13 also teaches a very important lesson; the people remembered and declared God's goodness. Sometimes even in the midst of the bad times, we need to recall what God has done and what He's still doing. What else can we learn from Solomon? - The birth of Solomon to David and Bathsheba echoes Genesis 50:20. If it had not been for that marriage, Solomon may not have been born, and the temple would not have been finished. God can still use sinful situations and turn it around! - Even when Solomon sinned against God, we still need to remember that he was just one of the many sinners that God forgave. Keep in mind that the Bible as a whole is a story of God and His love for humankind. - He praised God when things were going right and going wrong. We need to follow that example and be consistent with our walk with Christ. - Let's learn from Solomon and ask for wisdom. Wisdom is a priceless treasure and God is more than willing to impart what we ask of Him. I hope you're enjoying this series so far. Next week will be the last entry for the series and it will be on inter-testament history and how it ties in with the coming of Jesus in the gospels. Thank you for stopping by and don't forget to share! Disclaimer: In the above photo, you'll probably notice my face seems to be darker than my neck. I promise you that is not the case. My lighting was a bit off at the time I took that photo.
I thought I'd jump-start the lifestyle posts once more by giving you five random facts about myself. More than likely, only my closest friends and family know these things and I thought I'd share them for the entire world to see. 1) I have Asperger's. I am on the very lower end of the spectrum, but I'm definitely there. Although not formally diagnosed, I can, for certain, tell you that it's there. 2) My favorite instrument is the organ. I showcase my love for the organ sometimes on my YouTube channel; I play gospel on the one that I personally own. I also had the opportunity to tinker on the great pipe organ at Davidson Presbyterian and those two videos are also on my channel. 3) This one is kind of a shout-out to my Tumblr folks (I'm not giving out my Tumblr info since that one is kind of private). I am addicted to Supernatural. Like..full-on addiction. There is not a day that goes by without me having to make a reference to Supernatural. I'd like to thank my Tumblr peeps for getting me into the show, and I'd also like to give a big ol' warm cyber-hug to Jensen and Jared for being awesome. Love you guys! 4) I have an odd fascination with dinosaurs. My favorite dino is the Triceratops. I own two stuffed Triceratops. I named one Sarah (yep from Land Before Time) and the other one is just named Trikey because I was clearly not feeling creative that day. Also, Jurassic Park is life. 5) The last fact is that I recorded my first CD about three or four years ago, give or take. It was such an amazing experience and I'm so blessed to have friends in my life that know what my dreams and desires are. Thank you guys for stopping by again and I hope you're enjoying my blog thus far. December will be the one year anniversary of Southern Grace And Beauty and I want to thank all of my friends who have supported this journey. It's nowhere close to perfect, but I'm striving to do the best I can. As always, if there is anything you'd like to see on SGAB or on my YouTube channel, please let me know and I will consider it! xoxo Image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay. This post is going to be the first in a three-part series on extra-biblical study. What's behind the Bible? What makes it all up? In the next three weeks, I'm going to show you how God pulls it all together. This week, we are going to briefly look at the Old Testament law and how Christ fits in the plan. The Old Testament law is called the Torah, and the word Torah means guidance or direction. But why do we need it? What's so special about it in the first place? When sin entered the world, it spread to every human on the face of the earth. There needed to be order amongst God's people. They needed to know that they were going against everything God stood for (Romans 3:20; 7:7). The five books that make up the Torah are: - Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers - Deuteronomy The laws were basically terms between God and mankind; a covenant if you will. But, mainstream Christianity will tell you about the Ten Commandments in a Sunday School class. While that is absolutely true, what some people don't know is that there are 613 laws altogether. Imagine trying to follow all of those! But that's why Jesus came, so we wouldn't have to be condemned if we mess up. Not only do we have "rules" set in place for Israel, we also have practical applications for our lives through the very lives of many biblical figures such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But here's the big question...why is the law important for those under grace? Why learn about it when we have Jesus? There are two big reasons. ~ It shows us where we COULD be if Jesus had not given Himself. ~ It shows us WHY we need Jesus in the first place. Here are a few verses to continue studying why Jesus' role is important in the Law. John 1:17; John 3:16-17; Romans 10:4; Romans 8:1-39; Ephesians 2:8 Image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
Scripture Reference 1 Peter 2:21-24 The Bible is full of blueprints for the Christian life, and this time, our Scripture reference talks about how to follow Christ's example. After all, is that not our job? To follow Jesus? Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. God isn't saying that we aren't going to sin; we won't simply have the desire to sin or to speak ungodly words. Who, when he was revile, reviled not again. Even when He was hanging on the cross, He asked God to forgive the ones who crucified Him. I wonder...how many of us would pray for our enemies? Who his own self bare our sins. Of course we can't carry the sins of the world, but we can bear the burdens of our fellow man. We can help them and encourage them in their own walk, and lead the ones who are lost. Are you following Christ's example? Look at your life and see if there is something you can improve on. Image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
Scripture Reference: Acts 16:10 Let me ask you a thought-provoking question...what if Paul had not obeyed God's call? What if Peter had not followed Jesus? The price of disobedience is far greater than just current circumstances. If you think about it, the consequences of disobedience actually started in the Garden of Eden. In today's Scripture, Paul went with his men to Macedonia. When they arrived, they met a godly lady named Lydia. With Lydia's help, they were able to spread the gospel in those parts. If Paul had not went to Macedonia, the gospel may not have been spread. Lydia may not have had the resources to do so without Paul's help. So you see, not only does disobedience cause sin as it did in Eden, it can also hinder the furtherance of the gospel. If Paul had disobeyed, how many more people would be in hell? How many more people would be walking around lost without Christ? Has God ever led you to speak to someone in the store? Has He ever directed you to put a little more in the offering plate? If you did not heed those instructions, you may want to consider doing so next time. Note: This post was very difficult to write, but it's truth. It's so very important that we step out in faith and do what God tells us. Even the smallest of actions may very well lead someone to Jesus. Image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
When a pastor brings a boring sermon, or if he steps on your toes from behind the pulpit, what's our usual response? We groan, we complain...we even get back in the car after service and fuss with our family and friends about it. But that's not how God wants us to be. Scripture Reference: Acts 15:30-31 Paul and his men traveled to Antioch to preach God's Word. There may have been some bitter hearts in the congregation, but for the most part, it looks like they responded the way God intended; we should "rejoice" when the Word of God is read. We should "rejoice" when the man of God is giving a hard message. Why? For one thing, because it means that God is still working in your life; He's still showing Himself faithful. God's Word convicts. We should also rejoice because God is instructing us. How can we expect to live the Christian life if we aren't paying attention or if we mumble and grumble every time we read or hear something that makes us uncomfortable? The last reason to rejoice is that we can use that same Word to plant that seed. We can be the ones to convey the message.If you present it in a loving, Christ-like way as Paul did, people may be more receptive. How do you respond when the pastor makes you uncomfortable? How are you reacting when you do your personal studies? God wants you to rejoice because He loved you enough to give you that Word. |
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