Here's Lily by Nancy Rue

~Saturday Stories~

 

I have had the great privilege of having this book review posted on Rayleigh Gray's Literature Approved blog. Please head over to her amazing website to read my review of  Nancy Rue's Here's Lily.

More Beautiful You

~Monday Movies & Music~

Jonny Diaz has a great song, "More Beautiful You." Here are the lyrics. 

  "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well." Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

  "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

How about you? Do you find it easy to compare yourself to the "perfect version" people say you need to be? Do you ask too much of yourself? Can you remember that God made you wonderful?

Who are we looking for?

~Monday Movies & Music~

OBB has a pretty great song, "Looking for a Girl." Here are the lyrics.

Whether you are a male looking for a girl or a female searching for a boy, this song applies. Really, it's not about make-up. It's not about muscles. It's not about good looks, good grades, good pretending to be perfect. It's about Who ignites us, Who we are made through and for.

Pick a date and then a husband/wife not just by how you are attracted to him/her, but also by how much they love God.

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[a]? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?" 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (NIV)

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV)

Find some more information on dating at Bibleinfo.com.

"You can't expect yourself to turn it off like a light switch" and more quotes

~Saturday Stories~

"Dear God, help me. I feel like I'm lost in the wilderness trying to find my way and I'm not even sure which way to turn." - Caitlin, Becoming Me

“That’s the power that comes with allowing God to have control of your life. You’re capable of so much more.” - Heather, Me, Just Different

"So, do you think that fashion and beauty are sinful?"
... "I'm not really sure, Emily. I just think that getting obsessed with it is wrong. I can feel that inside of me. And trying to make myself look like something I'm not... well, that was wrong too." - Emily & Leah, Faded Denim

"You've been into one way of thinking for so long, you can't expect yourself to turn it off like a light switch. Was there a time when you would have done it without batting an eye?"

"Probably."...

"Then you've made progress. Let God forgive you and get on with it." -Ms. Race & Norie, "B" is for Bad at Getting into Harvard

How about you? Do you feel like you're lost? Have you seen that through God you can do so much more than without Him? Have you been obsessing about fashion and beauty? Have you been expecting yourself to turn around very quickly and been disappointed with how long change can take? 

Beautiful

~Monday Movies & Music~

Francesca Battistelli has a great song, "Beautiful, Beautiful." Here are the lyrics.  

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 (NIV)

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Our God's love for us is incredible! Praise Him today! 

"It seems hopeless" and more quotes

~Saturday Stories~

"It seems hopeless." ...
"Even in the darkest night, there is always hope." - Rin and Mrs. March, Jupiter Winds

"Thank You, I guess, for letting me see myself for what I really am, even if I don't like it very much. Please help me to change. Amen." - Caitlin, Becoming Me

"Please, let me have eyes like you ... Let me look beyond the physical stuff and see what lies beneath." - Emily, Faded Denim

“You’re never meant to control [your life]. God does. And when you know He’s in control, it’s a little easier to accept what happens.” - Thomas, Worth the Time

How about you? Does life seem hopeless sometimes? Have you asked God to change you and give you eyes like His? Do you know that God is in control of your life? 

God made beauty

~Tuesday Thoughts~

"... Just look at all the beautiful green leaves and flowers starting to bloom around us and you have to know that God appreciates beauty too!" - Caitlin, Becoming Me

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

  the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19:1 (NIV)

God is so amazing. His creation reflects that! 

The beauty

~Saturday Story~

The description is based on this picture by I. I. Levitan (seen by me without the frame).  

  As I stand on the bank of the Kama river, I marvel at the beauty of nature. The water glitters, reflecting the sun and woods. Somehow little birches and other trees manage to grow right in the water. The setting sun casts long shadows on the bank. Not far away a small old rowboat rocks back and forth on the waves. I wonder whose it is and why it is there. On the other bank, about a mile away, I can see little cabins.
  After a while, I go home, but this scene will never leave my mind.


"3 For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land." Psalm 95:3-5 (NIV)

Isn't it amazing how beautiful God's creation is? 

Faded Denim by Melody Carlson

~Saturday Stories~

I have had the pleasure of having my book review also posted on the online magazine Pursue.

Typical Emily: "But here's what totally rocks - I feel powerful. As I'm working out, and really going hard at it, I feel like I finally have some control over my life. ... And, I realize as I'm jogging on the treadmill, this is just the beginning."

For a while, Emily has been gaining weight. But that's about to stop. Her best friend Leah, a beautiful, thin girl, is trying to help her out. She encourages Emily to eat healthy, exercise, and drink water. But that's not working fast enough. So Emily resorts to more drastic measures. Will she realize just how far she's taking it before it's too late?

Anorexia nervosa is real. Trying to be thin is a problem many girls face. Craving good looks is just one of the causes of both anorexia and bulimia. Find out more about both anorexia and bulimia.

Faded Denim: Color Me Trapped is an interesting read, filled with truths about God. It addresses the problem of thinking more about outward looks than spiritual growth.

This is the 9th book in the True Colors series. The rest are Dark Blue: Color Me Lonely, Deep Green: Color Me Jealous, Torch Red: Color Me Torn, Pitch Black: Color Me Lost, Burnt Orange: Color Me Wasted, Fool's Gold: Color Me Consumed, Blade Silver: Color Me Scarred, Bitter Rose: Color Me Crushed, Bright Purple: Color Me Confused, Moon White: Color Me Enchanted, and Harsh Pink: Color Me Burned.

For more on Melody Carlson, visit her website and Facebook page.

A different type of beauty

~Tuesday Thoughts~

In today's world it is hard to rip yourself away from the opinion that being beautiful means having silky hair, piercing or sparkling eyes, an extra thin body with long legs, etc.

The Bible, however, says that that's not where beauty cones from.

  "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." 

Proverbs 31:30 (NIV)

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."

1 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV)

How about you? Have you concentrated on the world's version of beautiful for a while? Can you ask God to change that?

"They know they've been forgiven" and more quotes

~Saturday Stories~

"...the only difference between them and you is that they know they've been forgiven." - Josh, Like Moonlight at Low Tide

"Our pain can help others." - Beth, The New Recruit

"Not making a decision is the same as making one. It's like saying you like how things are going, that you want to keep heading in the same direction. But I think that's a bad choice. I mean, why would you want to live a life that makes you miserable? It makes no sense." - Andrea, Harsh Pink

"Remember that God made you in His image, and therefore, you are beautiful." - The dedication in Skinny

How about you? Which quote touched you? Can you share some quotes you like?