Go all out!

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.”
― Peter F. Drucker

This quote struck a chord with me today, so I thought I'd share it. If you really think about it, planning and commitment go hand in hand. I can promise myself "I'm going to lose those last 10 pounds" and I can really hope that it happens, but if I don't put a plan in action, I can't fully commit. I was thinking about commitment this morning as I dragged my butt out of bed at 4:45 a.m so I could get to my early morning spin class. Did I want to get up that early? Um...no. But it's a commitment I've made, a plan I've out into action to fulfill the promises I've made. It's hard. It's really, really hard. But the rewards we get for keeping our promises, especially the ones we've made to ourselves, outweigh the difficult journey. And that goes for any commitment: to God, to your marriage, to yourself. So I challenge you today, friend: evaluate the commitments you've made and if you're not happy with the results (or lack thereof!) put a plan in action. It might take some time, but it's so worth it in the end! Go all out!

The beauty of friendship

I am so excited for this weekend! We are celebrating one of my dearest friends' upcoming nuptials with a bachelorette party! Its going to be so much fun. One of the things I love most about my friends is that as we become wives and mothers and create these separate lives for ourselves, we are still able to be together as if no time has passed. I have the best friends a girl could ask for :-)

Nature: The art of God

I've spent a lot of time this summer visiting the local nature centers. I hate being inside when it is so nice out and they provide a nice retreat. Peaceful, beautiful scenery... I could spend hours just taking it all in. There is nothing quite like the sun on your face and the wind in your hair---makes me so thankful.

Here are a few pictures I snapped while walking through. Enjoy!



I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.
-e. e. cummings

Inspiration for this rainy Monday...

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
---Eleanor Roosevelt

Today is a new day, a new chance for a fresh start! Believing is the first step... :-)

Just stopping by to say hello... :D

I've sort of taken a summer hiatus from blogging, but I just wanted to send out a little inspiration. 

The locks and keys of prayer

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16 NIV

It's important to know what hinders and enhances our communication with Jesus Christ. I have found these "locks and keys" of prayer to be essential for an effective prayer life (I even have them listed in

The Locks

1. Praying without Knowing God through Jesus

John 14:6 — Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

2. Praying from an Unrepentant Heart

Psalm 66:18-19 —"If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer."

3. Praying for Show

Matthew 6:5 —"When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the syna­gogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full."


4. Praying Repetitive, Empty Words

Matthew' 6.7-8 —"And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."

5. Prayers Not Prayed

James 4:2 —"You do not have because you do not ask."

6. Praying with a Lustful Heart

James 4:3 —"You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures."

7. Praying while Mistreating Your Spouse.

l Peter 3.7 —"You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way... and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered."

8. Praying while Ignoring the Poor

Proverbs 21:13 —"He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered."

9. Praying with Bitterness in Your Heart toward Someone

Mark 11:25-26 —"Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions."

10. Praying with a Faithless Heart

James 1:6-8 —"But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."


The Keys

1. Praying by Asking, Seeking, and Knocking

Matthew 7:7 - 8,11 —"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened..... If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"

2. Praying in Faith

Mark 11:24 —"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you."

3. Praying in Secret

Matthew 6:6 —"But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."



4. Praying according to God's Will

1 John 5:14 —"This is the confidence we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."

5. Praying in Jesus' Name

John 14:13-14 —"Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, 1 will do it."

6. Praying in Agreement with Other Believers

Matthew 18:19-20 —"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

7. Praying while Fasting

Acts 14:23 —"When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed."

8. Praying from an Obedient Life

1 John 3:21-22 —"Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight."

9. Praying while Abiding in Christ and His Word

John 15:7 —"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."

10. Praying while Delighting in the Lord

Psalm 37:4 —"Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart."




A Summary Of The Locks And Keys Of Prayer

You must be in a right relationship with God.
You must be in a right relationship with other people.
Your heart must be right.

You are not your own...

This morning I was listening to the radio and I was disturbed by this overhwhelming message: perceptions of sexuality based on how a young girl dresses/acts. Now, as a youth leader and older sister of a (almost) teenage sister, this is something that really concerns me. Everywhere you turn in society, you see examples of immodest clothing and girls begging for the attention of young men. Today, it was Miley Cyrus and her extreme lack of essential clothing, Jessica Sanchez dressing too sexy for a 16 year old, and the song "Brokenhearted" by Karmin boasting the line "Honest baby I'll do/Anything you want to/So can we finish what we started/Don't you leave me broken hearted tonight." Modesty, defined as a.)f reedom from conceit or vanity and b.)propriety in dress, speech, or conduct, is something that is very much missing in this society but is something that is required of us as Christians.


There are two points I want to make about modesty.
1. The Bible is very clear about how we are to behave and appear as believers. 1 Corinthians 6:18, 20 says, "...You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." We are, first and foremost, to seek the approval of the Lord....not of men. (John 5:41-44) Young ones...stop begging for a guy's attention! Do you know what Proverbs 31 says? "A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds...her husband joins in with words of praise: 'Many women have done wonderful things,  but you've outclassed them all!' Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God" Now, I realize this scripture is talking about a husband/wife but the point is this: a good woman is HARD TO FIND. She is rare. One in a million. She is found attractive, not by outward beauty or begging for attention, but by her classiness and devotion to God. That doesn't mean that a woman shouldn't take care of herself or can't be attractive on the outside, but when we are modest, in our appearance and our actions, it allows people to see our inner faith rather than what is on the outside, which is far more captivating. We must set ourselves apart in that fashion so that we can come before the Lord, acceptable as a "living and holy sacrifice" (Romans 12:1). I know, you're probably thinking "What does she know? She's married." But ask my husband how I won him over and he won't tell you it's because I chased him down. When you take the time to  walk in obedience, focusing on God and what He requires from you....everything else falls into place.

2. Not only are we to be modest for ourselves and how we appear before God, but we must be modest so that we don't cause others to stumble. Matthew 5:28 is very clear about this. It says, "But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart." When we dress/act in an unmodest way, we attract undesirable attention and are responsible for causing others to sin. What can we do about that?  "...Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall." Romans 14:13. Pray about what your standards for modesty are. When you dress, see how your clothing fits you and what impression it gives. Bend over, sit down, wave your arms around. Think of it this way: you are someone's future wife and all of the guy's out there are someone's future husband. Be sure the way you dress doesn't entice others or provoke others to openly view the
gift you are to reserve only for your future husband. (Hebrews 13:4)  Not sure about it? Ask a parent, female youth leader, someone you trust, etc. if what you're wearing conveys the wrong message.

I realize that today's fashions make it difficult at times to dress modestly. But modesty doesn't have to equal boring and you can still dress fun while keeping in mind that you are a representative of Christ. And remember, modesty isn't just about clothes. Your appearance, words, and actions should all be reflecetions of what is pleasing to God. You are a treasure...treat yourselves as so!



I came across a really good article that expands more on why modesty is so important. You can check it out here. http://www.cbn.com/family/youth/What-Guys-See.aspx

"Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world." 1 Peter 2:12

" Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes.  You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God" 1 Peter 3:3-4