UVA? UVB? What's the difference?

During the summer months we hear a lot about protecting our skin from the sun's harmful rays. What I, personally, didn't understand in it's entirety, was the difference between UVA and UVB rays and also the difference in all the ranges of SPF. With a little research of my own, I'll help clear up any questions you may have in the world of "sun protection!"

UVA rays are what we are exposed to the most. They penetrate the skin farther than UVB rays and make up 95% of the UV radiation that reaches the earth. These rays can penetrate glass and clouds and are longer than UVB rays. When we tan, our skin darkens as a defense mechanism. What we see when we have that nice brown tan, that we spend money getting from tanning beds or lying in the sun for hours, is actually damage to the skin's DNA, which could lead to skin cancer.
Tanning beds emit doses UVA rays that are 12 times stronger than that of the sun! People who use tanning salons on a regular basis are 1.5 - 2.5 times more likely to develop some type of skin cancer. Those statistics may seem small, but put into that perspective, why take the chance of being the 1.5%?

UVB rays are what cause sunburns on the surface of the skin and increase the signs of aging. These are the rays that get have different strengths throughout the day. For example, during the spring and summer months, the strongest UVB rays reach the earth between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. These rays can damage your skin year round, even during the winter. UVB radiation doesn't penetrate glass like UVA radiation does.

A suntan lotion with an SPF of 15 simply means that it'll take a person 15 times longer to get a sunburn with the lotion than without. An SPF of 15 blocks 93% of the sun's UVB rays and anything over 30 will block 97 - 98%.
When purchasing suntan lotion, don't just look at the SPF. Make sure you see the phrase UVA/UVB protection on the sunscreen label.

There's no harm in getting that summer tan. Just be careful and take the proper steps to protect your skin.

The Feeding of the 5,000

We're studying the book of John on Sunday mornings at church and this past week we talked about how Jesus fed 5,000 with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.
Picture 5,000 people; at a concert, in a theater.... 5,000 is a LOT of people. It takes faith to believe this story and since I have faith, I believe it in it's entirety.
Jesus asks Philip where to buy food to feed the crowd, to which Philip replies, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
Andrew, another disciple, finds a boy who has 5 meager loaves of bread and 2 fish, but still, how will they possibly feed so many with so little? Jesus, none the less, asks the disciples to have the crowd sit down on the grass. Jesus took the little (food and faith) and did something GREAT! He fed 5,000 people until their were full. If you have a little faith and a LOT of obedience, God can use you to make great things happen!
After the food was distributed, and after everyone had enough to eat, all the extra was collected - nothing was wasted. How much was left over from the 5 loaves and 2 fish? 12 baskets full! There is a lesson to be learned in these leftovers. God gives in abundance. He takes whatever we offer Him in time, talents, etc., and increases it beyond our our wildest dreams! If you make yourself available to God, if you have a little faith and a lot of obedience, He can show you how He can use you to accomplish great things.

More on Working from Home

Going back to the thought of working at home, I wanted to include a few pointers for you if/when you decide to jump in and start your own business.

First and most importantly, and I can't stress this enough, make sure what you're selling is something you believe in! If you don't like the product, how can you expect to sell it?
* Know your product(s) inside and out. If it's skin care, what are the benefits of using each individual product? If it's jewelry, what is the guarantee? What is the composition of the product?
* Is the product one that people will continue to need or is it a one-time buy? Will your customers max out on your product(s)? Will there be repeat business or is your product one that will be viable long-term?
* Are you joining to make money? This may seem like a silly question, but if you're signing on to receive a personal discount, that's fine. Just remember you won't be making money. If you want to earn extra income, it's going to take work. Customers aren't just going to fall into your lap once you sign the agreement. How will you find your customers?
* How does the product compare to similar ones offered by other companies within its category?
* Is the product viable to all ages, socio-economic statues and genders? Who are your buyers going to be? Is there a range of prices to offer your customers?
* Is the product one you can promote and/or advertise easily? Is your product easy to market? How will people know you're selling the product?

Working at home has SO many advantages, just make sure you know most of the in's and out's of how the company works, the products you'll be selling and the advantages to you and your customers. Love what you're selling!

Work from home?

There's been a lot of blogging and posting about home-based businesses. Not about the businesses themselves, but the idea of working from home, something I'm all about!
I have had the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom ever since my girls were born. I chose to work a couple of part-time jobs, but I always felt like the job was stealing precious time away from my family.
After the girls were in school full-time, I went to a Pampered Chef party and before I knew it, I was signed on as a consultant. I did home cooking shows and had a blast doing it! I set the days I wanted to work and chose how many hours I would be gone for each show. I was in control of my job instead of someone scheduling me to work when THEY wanted me to. I owned my own business and worked it as often or as little as I wanted. I earned enough from the kitchen shows to pay for my daughter's braces!
I have since become a Mary Kay consultant and am loving it just as much, if not more than, Pampered Chef! I give complimentary facials in my home, so there's no going out in the snow or rain or heat or cold. I have product on my shelves, so when a client makes a purchase I'm able to fill that order right away. I, again, choose the days and the times, I work.
If you're out of a job or are needing some extra money to pay some bills, I highly recommend looking into a home-based business. Google "home-based businesses" and you'll receive a plethora of listings. Choose one you would enjoy doing. There's jewelry ones, kitchen gadgets, skin care, wine, the list goes on and on.
Owning a business where I'm the boss and where I can work as much or as little as I want, has benefited me greatly for many years. Check into it. Glean as much information as you can about several different companies and see which one suites you personally. What can it hurt?
Good luck!

Unique and "Do It Yourself" Beauty Tips

Some of these tips may not be your cup of tea, but I found most of them rather interesting!

* To minimize pores and to soften your skin, apply a beaten egg yolk to your face and let dry for 10 minutes, then rinse well with warm water.

* A great way to make your perfume last all day, is to spray it into your hands and rub it on your hair. Your hair doesn't sweat so the scent will stay with you.

* For bigger eyes, apply darker eyeliner on the outer corner of your eyes and brighter eyeliner on the inner corner of your eyes.

* Rub a dry body brush in a circular motion on your stomach and legs everyday before you shower. This increases the circulation in your body and helps reduce the appearance of cellulite.

* After applying lipstick, stick your thumb in your moth and then slowly pull it out. This removes any lipstick from the inside rim of your lips so you don't get lipstick on your teeth.

* If you have big lips, use muted colors, such as purples, browns and bronzes. If you have small lips, avoid dark colors.

* After you have done all your makeup, take some shimmery white eyeshadow and put a tiny bit on the inner corners of your eyes. It really make them POP!

* To soften your skin, take an avocado, smash it in a bowl, rub it all over your body and let set for 20 minutes before washing it off. Avocado is a natural moisturizer.

* For added glow and radiance to your face, mix honey and milk until it's creamy. Wash your face with hot water to open pores. Apply the mixture avoiding the T area, wait 30 minutes and wash it off with cold water.

* To remove blackheads, steam 5 minutes and exfoliate immediately.

* Rub vaseline on your eyelashes. Smear it in between every single lash and around your lash line. If you do this everyday, it will eventually make your lashes grow in faster and softer.

* If your hairline starts to look greasy, dip a makeup brush into loose powder. Tap the brush once on the back of your hand to remove excess, then dust it over your roots. The powder will soak up the oils and blend into your strands. No one will know you didn't take your daily shower!

* To help keep eyebrows hydrated and get rid of those icky white specks that resemble dandruff, rub any good eye cream through them.

* Mix a little body bronzer with regular hand lotion and pat on your arms and legs for a gradual sunless tan.

Let me know if you're successful in using any of these tips!

Set Apart

It's been awhile since I've continued with the story of Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel, so I thought today would be a perfect time for just that.
Have I mentioned how wonderful a teacher Beth Moore is? Seriously, if you haven't done one of her studies, DO ONE! You will be forever changed.

My story picks up with Belshazzar, one of Neb's ancesters and a very wicked young man. Allow me to back up a bit to give you a little information before I go forward.
When Neb was king, he raided the temple of Jerusalem, the temple of God, taking with him holy articles and placing them in the temple of his god (make note of the capital G and the little g). This raiding happened quite a bit in these times; kings wanting more articles of gold and silver to add to and build up their own store of riches.
Now back to Belshazzar. He decides one night to throw this huge party, this great banquet for a thousand of his nobles.  Can you imagine throwing a party for 1,000 of your friends? Do you even have 1,000 friends? I surely don't!
They are all sitting around drinking some very expensive wine and after becoming a little inebriated, Belshazzar decides to order his servants to fetch the expensive gold and silver Jewish goblets that Nebuchadnezzar stole from the temple of God.
What's the big deal, you may ask? These goblets weren't just any ordinary goblets. If you go back to Exodus 40:9, God commands Moses to consecrate (the act or state of which people or things are set aside and reserved exclusively for God) the tabernacle and everything in it, including these goblets. The same goblets that drunken Belshazzar wants to party with! Belshazzar made a grievous mistake in treating the holy as unholy.
Do you realize that we, too, are holy vessels? Ephesians 1:4 says that we have been chosen to be holy and blameless in His sight. We are not just common vessels. We have been declared holy. How does that make you feel? When I was told that, I thought, "What? Me? Holy? You have got to be kidding!"
But it's true. You, me, your neighbor, your friends, have all been declared holy vessels to be used by God Himself. 1 Corinthians 1:21-22 says that He annointed us and has set His seal of ownership on us. Ownership, you may ask? Maybe not like you own your car or your house, but in a sense that this seal tells us that we are His and no matter what we've done or who we are. We are guaranteed to receive all His blessings and treasures He has stored up in heaven for us.
Satan has no greater agenda than attempting to desecrate what God consecrates - much like Belshazzar. Satan wants us to think we're common and definitely not worth God's time. Let me just say that God does NOT overlook satan's mistreatment of holy vessels now anymore than He did way back in Belshazzar's day.
Back to the party... in the midst of this drunken orgy, a hand appears out of nowhere and begins to write on the wall. I don't have to explain just how scared Belshazzar and his nobles were. Does shaking in their shoes help you picture this scene?
The writing is interpreted in short, to mean: Your (referring to Belshazzar) days are numbered, you have been found guilty of numerous crimes against the Lord God and your kingdom will be divided.
That very night, Belshazzar is slain.
We have been set apart for sacred use. Be aware of any way satan tries to tell you differently. Vessels that have been treated as unholy can be treated as holy again.

Sample with Care

Have you ever walked into a major department store and noticed the cosmetic counters that are just filled with sample after sample of the latest and greatest brand? I'm sure you have, but what you probably didn't notice was the E.coli, herpes and maybe even conjunctivitis.

So, how many hands and fingers have been in those samples? and where have those hands and fingers been prior to sampling? It's possible you don't want to hear - or in this case read - this, but I feel you must know what you could be getting into.
Studies have been done that prove these germs exist in the department store samples, but there are solutions to avoiding coming into contact with contaminants.
First, try lotions you can squeeze into your hand instead of ones that come in a jar, that you have to get out with your fingers.
Second, use a tissue to clean off the surface of a sampler or a tissue dipped in alcohol.
Third, never, ever, use communal brushes! Use a clean cotton ball to try on cheek color or powder. Always use disposable applicators.

There was a study done by Dr. Elizabeth Brooks, a biological sciences professor at Jefferson Medical  College in Pennsylvania. She wrote an article for the Los Angeles Times regarding handling store samplers safely. She's quoted as saying, "Every makeup display that we tested, and we tested hundreds, always had disposable brushes and little pads to put on makeup, and they had all of that behind the counter, but it was for the asking - they didn't have it for the general public just to pick up at their leisure. And of course your Avon or Mary Kay lady had one-shot testers that have just enough to put on your lips or eyes and some of the bigger brands had one-shot testers of foundation, lipstick or eye shadow as well - but not every brand carries that."    

I'm not telling you to not go to the mall and have your makeup done; I've done it myself, several times. Just be careful with the testers and don't be afraid to ask for the one-time samples or for the disposable applicators. Women need to update their looks every so often and without a trained professional to help them find the colors suitable to their skin color and type or find the right eye shadow or lipstick, some women are stuck in the dark ages.