10 Everyday Beauty Tips

Simple, easy, inexpensive. What more could you ask for?

1. Vibrant visage: Smooth on a tinted moisturizer. It acts like foundation, giving you a polished look, and protects your skin from the sun at the same time. Look for one with SPF 15 or higher. And don’t forget to thoroughly clean your face at the end of the day.

2. Bright eyes: Feeling tired? Brush on two coats of curl-enhancing mascara. Long, curled lashes open up eyes and help you look awake in seconds.

3. Chic cheeks: A light wash of color will make you look fresh-faced all day. Use your fingers to swirl creamy blush directly on the apples of your cheeks. Or try a bronzing blush for a sun-kissed look.

4. Glossy lips: Keep a tube of tinted lip gloss in your purse. It's a no-fuss alternative to lipstick and looks good even when it fades.  

5. Luscious locks: For sleek hair, use a smoothing cream to get rid of frizz. Look for a product that goes on both wet and dry hair, so you can use it after the shower and for daytime touch-ups. With curly locks, scrunch a curl-enhancing mousse into wet hair for defined curls that don't need to be blow-dried.
 
6. Modern mane: Upgrade your ponytail to a braided bun. Loosely braid hair and twist it into a low chignon at the nape of the neck. Secure with bobby pins.

7. Decorated do: Ditch the scrunchies and try a wide headband or a scarf to decorate your do instead.

8. Spa shower: Use a moisture-rich body wash. Also look for products with aloe and vitamin E, which will hydrate your skin. Or opt for an invigorating scent — for example, citrus — to boost your energy.

9. Healthy hands: No time for a manicure? Help prevent chapped hands and ragged cuticles with a nongreasy hand lotion. Carry a travel-size bottle in your purse and apply throughout the day.

10. All-day fresh: Feel fresh and confident all day with an antiperspirant that keeps you cool and dry. Try an anti-perspirant that goes on clear. It goes on smooth and alleviates white marks on your good clothes.

You don't need to spend the money on spa treatments when the local Mary Kay consultant, or the local drugstore, has everything you need! :)

Fruit of the Spirit - Part 5. Patience

KINDNESS
1. Good will; benevolence; that temper or disposition which delights in contributing to the happiness of others, which is exercised cheerfully in gratifying their wishes, supplying their wants or alleviating their distresses; benignity of nature. Kindness ever accompanies love.
2. Act of good will; beneficence; any act of benevolence which promotes the happiness or welfare of others. Charity, hospitality, attentions to the wants of others, &c., are deemed acts of kindness, or kindnesses. Acts.28.

Some people have mastered the art of kindness. I remember traveling to my Grandmother's house in Chicago and upon arrival, she took us kids to the kitchen where she promptly made us strawberry milk; a delight that wasn't enjoyed at home! She showered us with delicious meals and sent us home with loads of food for the long road ahead.  It was not only to her family that she shows this kindness. She was acknowledged everywhere as a wonderful hostess and woman of God.

When thinking of kindness, I also recall the story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible. In the parable told by Jesus in Luke 10,  a Jewish traveler is severely beaten by bandits. A priest and temple assistant both passed by the man and did nothing. Finally, a Samaritan man came to him, bandaged the wounds and arranged for rest and recovery at a local inn. Jesus tells us that the Samaritan man was a neighbor to the Jewish man and to be the ones to show others mercy.

There is great significance in the story of the Good Samaritan. We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. In the time Jesus told his story, religious leaders were so wrapped up in "The Law" that they had set aside their compassion for others. Jesus reminded us that compassion and mercy are valuable traits. Samaritans at the time were not liked, and often mistreated, by Jews. The Good Samaritan showed a great deal of kindness for the Jew by being willing to put revenge or contempt aside to help a hurting man.

Kindness is a fruit we can build on, and a fruit that takes a lot of work. We can easily get caught up in the hassles and demands of everyday life, that we forget how to be kind to one another. We are born selfish. Even in our earliest days, we begged to be served and provided for. We love kindness when it is bestowed upon us, but how quickly do we return that favor or pay it forward?

Hebrews 7:7 - "And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed."

Fruit of the Spirit - Part 5. Patience

Romans 8:25 - "But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently." 

The Jews in Exodus 32:

"The Hebrews were finally free from Egypt, and they were sitting at the foot of Mount Sinai waiting for Moses to come back down from the mountain. Several of the people became restless and went to Aaron requesting that some gods be created for them to follow. So Aaron took their gold and created a sculpture of a calf. The people began to celebrate in "pagan revelry." The celebration angered the Lord, who told Moses that He was going to destroy the people. Moses prayed for their safety, and the Lord allowed the people to live. Yet, Moses was so angry with their impatience that he ordered that those not on the Lord's side be killed. The Lord then sent a "great plague upon the people because they had worshiped the calf Aaron had made." 

WOW! I'm thinking the next time I'm impatient, I'll wait upon the Lord!

Lesson:

Patience is one of the most difficult fruits of the Spirit to possess. While there are differing degrees of patience in different people, it is a virtue most people wish they possessed in greater amounts. Most of us want things "right now." We live in a society that promotes instant gratification. Yet, there is something to the saying, "great things come to those who wait."
The wait on things can be frustrating. After all, you want that promotion right now. Or you want that new car right now on credit instead of waiting to have cash in hand. Advertising tells us that the "now" matters. Yet, the Bible tells us that God has His own timing. We need to wait on that timing or sometimes our blessings get lost.
Eventually the impatience of those Jews cost them their chance to enter the Promised Land. 40 years went by before their descendants were finally given the land. Sometimes God's timing is the most important, because he has other blessings to bestow. We cannot know all of His ways, so it is important to have trust in the delay. Eventually what will come your way will be better than you ever thought it could be, because it will come with God's blessings.

Fruit of the Spirit - Peace

Peace... what do we really know about it? How do we define it?

We must learn to maintain peace in three important relationships: with God, with our fellow man and with ourselves. We maintain peace with God by believing and trusting in Him. We maintain peace with our fellow man by not allowing strife to be a part of our relationships with other people. We maintain peace with ourselves by refusing to live in guilt or condemnation thus recognizing that God is greater than all our sins.

This kind of peace doesn't come through drugs, alcohol, sex, wealth, or entertainment. It is a supernatural (not worldly) peach that is a gift of God. John 14:27 says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. "

The spiritual fruit of peace results from being justified by faith and loving God's law.  This is a peace that we can not fully understand with our limited human mind. But if we are relying on God's promises and His plan for our lives, we will have peace.

Fruit of the Spirit - Part 3 - Joy

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

Galatians 5:22-26

Do you want to be happy? Is there anyone you know who doesn't? I'm not sure there's a single person on earth who doesn't want to live joyfully! There are a few, however, who are so soured on life that it's virtually impossible for them to experience joy or happiness. They express this in their downcast, grumbling and sometimes even snarling, demeanor. I'm sure those who sincerely desire to possess joy is a huge contrast to those who don't express it.

How do you pursue happiness? What is the main source? For some, they seek their joy through entertainment or through the performer they just "love." Some glean it from athletic endeavors, hobbies, travel, fashion, home improvements, wealth, status, alcohol, food and/or drugs. These things may provide a sense of happiness for a time, but it's only a brief period of satisfaction. 

Distress, sorrow, despair and regret are all opposites of joy! Despair limits us like a ball and chain from growth and enjoyment of life because we become consumed with our circumstances. Regret is when we have lost control of our attitude and response. Distress cuts us off from relationships, learning, life experiences and God. Not adding joy in our life leads to depression that cuts us off from seeing hope and purpose and what life and eternity are all about!

James 1:2-5, tell us to, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

Our joy comes from God. To be completely filled with joy, not for a period of time, but even during trials and tribulations, We are to glory in God and rejoice in our trials. If life was perfect all the time, wouldn't that get boring? How would we grow in knowledge if we knew every day was going to be without trial? 

The key is for us to look to Christ, not to our situation, and declare our circumstances as joy. We are to be content and satisfied, to face them, and then learn and grow from them. This does not mean to give up and do nothing; it means to refocus our energies into productivity and faith-not questions and bitterness. It is to have our convictions and fulfillment in Christ, not circumstances. So, when something difficult comes our way, we will have  great comfort that God is in control and will not allow us to carry more than we can tolerate. Our joy and purpose is in Christ and our relationship to Him! 

"...Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Nehemiah 8:10

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Fruit of the Spirit - Part 2 - Love

I just love going to the beach! I love listening to the waves crash on the shore. I love watching the dolphins swimming and playing in the ocean.

Love is one of the most often used, misapplied and misunderstood words in the English language. Its usage is nearly limitless. People, myself included, say they love everything from peanut butter to pork rinds, fireworks to Ferraris, lilies to literature. The semantic range is so broad and flexible, it almost renders the word meaningless. For when a word is used to mean almost anything, it means almost nothing.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

Galations 5:22

The "love" mentioned in this verse is "agape" love, but what exactly is agape love? Let me explain... agape love is different from other types of love. The essence of agape love is self-sacrifice. Unlike our English word "love," agape is not used in the Bible to refer to romantic or sexual love. Nor does it refer to close friendship or brotherly love, for which the Greek word philia is used. Agape love is unique and is distinguished by its nature and character. 

Agape is love which is of and from God, whose very nature is love itself. 1John 4:8, "God is love." God does not merely love; He is love itself! Everything God does flows from His love. God's love isn't the sappy, sentimental love we so often hear about. God loves because that is His nature and the expression of His being. He loves the unlovable and the unlovely (us!), not because we deserve to be loved, but because it is His nature to do so. God's love is displayed most clearly at the Cross, where Christ dies for the unworthy creatures who were "dead in their trespasses and sins" (Ephesian 2:1). Christ died for YOU and for ME. How many people would you die for just because you know he/she is a sinner? 

"but God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us"

Romans 5:8

We are undeserving recipients of the love He lavishes. Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice for those He loves.

In the same way, we are to love others sacrificially. Jesus gave the parable of the Good Samaritan as an example of sacrifice for the sake of others, even those who may care nothing at all for us, or even hate us, as the Jews did the Samaritans. Sacrificial love is not based on a feelings, but a determined act of the will, a joyful resolve to put the welfare of others above our own. 

This love doesn't come naturally to us humans. Because of our fallen nature, we are incapable of producing such a love. If we are to show agape love, it can only come from its true Source. When we become His children, that love stores itself in our hearts. 

"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. As I have loved you, you should also love one another."

John 13:34

We are to love sacrificially. Not for gain, not to make ourselves look good, but because He loved us sacrificially, even to the point of death. 

Again, it is clear that only God can generate within us the kind of self-sacrificing love which is the proof that we are His children. 

"By this we have known the love of God, because He laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers."

1 John 3:16

Because of God's love toward us, we are now able to love one another. 

"There must be a stronger foundation than mere friendship or sexual attraction. Unconditional love, agape love, will not be swayed by time or circumstances. " 

John 3:16.