Above image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
It's fascinating to see how beauty trends seem to change with each season, but there are a few staples during the fall and winter months that everyone should be able to enjoy! Remember, there are no rules to makeup, so wear whatever you want whenever you want. 1) Dark, bold lips 2) A pop of color on the eyes (mustard yellow is beautiful in the crease) 3) Smudged eyeliner on the lower lashline 4) Gold glitter in the inner corner 5) Champagne highlight What are your favorite products to wear during the holidays? Anything you try to stay away from?
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Above image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
It's just a week or two away from Thanksgiving 2018, and nearly a month til Christmas. Yikes! Between frantic preparation and making endless plans, you're probably ready to pull your hair out! Fear not; I have a few tips to help you stay sane during the holidays. Your money should go towards food and gifts, not to bail you out of jail. 1) Just sit back and breathe. Society has us pressured into thinking that we're supposed to be busy-bees during this time of the year, but often we simply need to flop on the couch and take a deep breath. Freaking out over the smallest details will not help a thing. Panicking about what to get the kids for Christmas will leave you frazzled and unproductive. So just...breathe. Deep breaths. 2) Keep a gratitude journal. Nearly every blog that I read over the Thanksgiving season has their own twist to this. Every day, think of something you are thankful for no matter how small or how big. Jot it down in a journal or a notebook and you'll be surprised at how God has blessed you! 3) Say no! Sometimes we just gotta say no. Don't want that pesky family member at your house this year? Cancel a plan. Can't afford a giant meal? Make other arrangements. It doesn't have to be big and fancy like we see on the Hallmark movies; the important thing is that you have fun! 4) Keep it simple. Going along with the last point, we tend to think that we have to have the biggest and best of everything. More often than not, all you need are a few basics; turkey anyone?! But seriously, keeping it minimal will reduce the stress and you won't feel the need to explode. Question for the readers: what are some of your favorite holiday traditions? It can be Thanksgiving, Christmas, or whatever you may be celebrating!!! Above image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
So I interviewed a friend of mine who happens to be a pastor at a small church in Georgia. He was kind enough to answer a few questions. Although it is no longer October, I wanted to do this in honor of Pastor's Appreciation Month. Thank you to Pastor Curt for spending time to be my guest here on Southern Grace And Beauty. Question to the readers: what is something your pastor or leader in the church has said that made an impact on you? ~ ~ ~ 1) As a pastor, what do you think the church as a whole needs in this day and age? Like, what is the greatest concern from your perspective? The church today needs to get back to preaching the gospel. It’s sad that today more churches are concerned with entering than the truth. 2) If you had advice for a new believer, what's the one thing you would tell them? Spiritual growth takes time, and always look for what the scripture has to say. 3) If you had advice for the backslider, what's the one thing you would tell them? No matter what you have done, God can forgive. 4) When you deliver a message from the pulpit, do you find yourself discouraged at all? What a lot of folks don’t understand is, we as pastors are our own worst critics. We spend numerous hours in study and prayer in preparation for a sermon. And sometimes we wonder if people are taking it to heart. In the end, yes we all feel some kind of disappointed and discouragement but if we delivered the message that the Lord put on our heart then we have been faithful. We need to remember as pastors that God has called us to faithfulness not success ( at least not the way most count success). 5) How does one know if God has truly called them to preach? What are some biblical truths that would help confirm the calling? The calling to preach can be different for every pastor, I always advise people who come to me and say they have been called ...”if you can do anything but preach and feel you are in the will of God than do it.” Preaching is not a job, it’s not a vocation; it is a true calling. And if someone preaches without a true calling they will be held accountable by God. As far a biblical truths to confirm a calling I would say this “God doesn’t call the qualified he qualifies those He has called”. But look at the life that he leads, does he have a heart of a servant? 6) When an unbeliever brings up the subject of hypocrisy in the church as an excuse not to attend, what is your response? Do you not go to the doctors because there are sick people in his office? The church is not just a strong-hold for the saint but the hospital for the sinner. 7) When God entrusts a man to His flock, does it scare you that you are held accountable for everything you teach? Or is it an encouragement? Accountability is always on my mind. This is one reason I strive to study the scriptures and make sure I only preach biblical truths and not personal opinions. But we also need to remember we are accountable for what we have done and said, not anyone else. 8) How do you prepare yourself during the week? Is there a certain process when you study? Mondays I rest, but I do a daily devotional. I set aside time each day to pray and ask the Lord to lead me in the right direction for each message. Sometimes a scripture just stands out sometimes even after hours of study the Lord will lay a message on you at the last minute. My advice is to be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit. But no matter what you preach make sure you can back it with scripture. 9) How should a person approach the Bible if they are new to reading it? I have always said start from the beginning. Take it slow and don’t try and force it. Be prepared to have questions and ask of someone who has studied. 10) What is one verse that you've always stood on? Why? I know this might sound crazy but I don’t stand on just one verse. I stand on the scripture as a whole. Not one scripture is more important than another. When we just take one verse and claim it, we do the entire scripture a disservice. Also I believe when a person takes one scripture they usually take it out of context. Point in case “ I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me”; that verse is taken out of context so much it’s sad. The meaning of that verse is found in the verses before it. The true meaning is I can endure all things because of the strength that Jesus gives me... but the one verse I always keep in my mind is what I long to have said to me when I stand before Christ; Matthew 25:23 "well done thou good and faithful servant." Above image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
Scripture Reference - James 4:7 If you know me at all, you might know that I'm a huge fan of the show Supernatural. There are a lot of spiritual elements that the Christian could consider from the show, and one of the major plots is a great example. (Let's get real; this is just another excuse for me to rave about it. Maybe.) In later seasons, we see Sam Winchester have a struggle. Sounds a lot like us right? But our struggle isn't flesh and blood, and neither was Sam's. The fight was against the devil. We can find a wonderful pattern to follow if we pay close to attention to what Sam does. He resists the devil. Lucifer followed him around and tried to press every button he could think of, but Sam never broke. He ignored his taunts and continued to do what he was supposed to be doing. So how can we take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and run with it? Well, the Bible says to submit to God. In everything we do...in every aspect of our lives...we surrender our wills, our passions, our wants...and we give it to God. We don't let the devil tempt us or press our buttons. We, for a lack of better terms, ignore what the devil wants. If we're not careful, we could wind up stuck in sin. We could wind up exactly where God told us not to go, and that usually doesn't end very pretty. But thank God He has an unlimited supply of forgiveness for those who believe. Ask God today to help you resist the devil. Ask the Spirit to help you discern the lies of hell and believe the truths of heaven. Study the great men and women of the faith who were faithful to the Word and you will find that they submitted themselves to God. |
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