Girl Time

Family & Opportunity. The two words that I chose for 2016. More Family time. More Opportunity. Last weekend, was the perfect Opportunity to spend time with Family...

For Christmas, we gave my four older nieces an invitation to get professional makeovers at my house. My Mom (the whole thing was her brilliant idea) and I wanted to pamper them. Simply love on them. To slow down, hang out, and enjoy each others company. After all, we rarely get together except for birthdays and holidays even though we live in the same town. Busy schedules. Busy lives.

The girls came to learn about the importance of skincare, the yucky things to look out for in their cosmetics, and to get pampered with a professional color matching makeover. Thankfully, I happen to know an amazing, long-time friend that was more than willing to teach them everything she knows about skincare and make-up since that's not my expertise (go figure). I'm so thankful for this friend. She took time out of her busy schedule to love on my family. What a blessing. By the way, I so wish I had known these tips when I was younger!

We started with face washing and then applied a 10 minute Intense Hydration Mask. While waiting on the mask to sit, I shared tips that I've learned since starting my Arbonne business. Like the importance of buying products without mineral oil, parabens, toxic chemicals, and fillers from rendering plants (they were completely grossed out with this fact so I felt that my work was complete-Ha!). Again, all things that I didn't know growing up, but that are so very important.

After 10 minutes was up, they rinsed their faces, exfoliated their lips with Tahitian Coconut Lip Smoother, applied a Day Creme with SPF 20 (another important tip), and then prepped for make-up. My friend did a great job teaching them how to color match their foundation with the inside of their wrist, how to properly apply eye shadow/ mascara/ eye liner, and letting them know if they are a warm, neutral, or cool skin tone and how to stay in their color range when buying make-up.

Beautiful family. Beautiful girls. I'm excited to watch them make their mark on the world. I gave each niece a new set of make-up brushes, a hand written note telling them how special they are to me, and a pendant that says "Inspire" on one side and "2016" on the other. I challenged them each to find someone in 2016 to Inspire. They could give the pendant to that person or keep it for themselves. We all have the capacity to Inspire someone and to call out their greatness. We are all made to be great! Love you girls!

If the Entire World Says NO...

Have you ever had a great idea, or felt led to do something out of the ordinary, that gets you really excited? You know, something that truly makes your heart soar? You mull it over, doubt yourself, pump yourself back up, mull it over again, doubt yourself again, pump yourself up again, and then you share it. Palms sweaty, voice uneasy. You share the idea with someone ... and they tell you that it can't be done. The oxygen leaves the room. You're deflated. If we're honest, we've all been there. You may have even tried to convince yourself that it can't be done.

Some people can move past the comment of "it can't be done" and some people cannot. I want to encourage you to do what you're called to do no matter how different it looks to others. We are unique, and we're all called to do things according to our individual strengths. If we always agreed then everyone would have the same hair style, live in the same style of house painted with the same colors, wear the same clothes, drive the same car ... you get the point. We're different. That's what makes us amazing. We have different gifts to share with the world. Don't let someones negative comment steal your joy. A wise friend once told me that, "Many people will speak to you, but only a few will speak through you." Meaning, don't let negative talk penetrate your heart. The only thing that will penetrate deep into your heart is what YOU allow in. 

The following is an excerpt from my daily devotional and it speaks volumes. 

"As a young boy in school, Henry Ward Beecher learned a lesson in self-confidence that he never forgot. He was called upon to recite in front of the class. He had hardly begun when the teacher interrupted with an emphatic, "No!" He started over and again the teacher thundered, "No!" Humiliated, Henry sat down.

The next boy rose to recite and had just begun when the teacher shouted, "No!" This student, however, kept on with the recitation until he completed it. As he sat down, the teachers responded, "Very good!"

Henry was irritated. "I recited just as he did," he complained to the teacher. But the instructor replied, "It is not enough to know your lesson; you must be sure. When you allowed me to stop you, it meant that you were uncertain. If the entire world says, 'No!' it is your business to say, 'Yes!' and prove it."

The world says, "No!" in a thousand ways. And each "No!" you hear has the potential to erode your confidence bit by bit until you quit altogether. You just need to be bold enough to say "Yes!" when the world says "No!" God is for you, and with Him on your side you absolutely cannot lose."

-The Confident Woman by Joyce Meyer

In case you didn't know: Henry Ward Beecher (June 1813 - March 1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the abolition of slavery, and his emphasis on God's love. 

Next time you encounter a resounding "No!" I hope that you will respond with a "Yes!"

2016: What's Your Focus?

It's January 1st. Like I said in my last post, there's something magical about the start of a new year. It's brings Hope. It brings Opportunity. It brings Evaluation. It brings Change.

The picture above is our Blessing Jar. We started this tradition three years ago, and each new year we get to look through our "blessings" from the year before. What started as a small mason jar that first year, has grown into a large, beautiful vase. Why did I think a mason jar was big enough to hold our family blessings that first year? I needed to dream bigger (receive bigger) and allow room for growth, for abundance, for more blessings. I want Malachi 3:10 blessings over here: "...and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." Can I get an Amen!!!

The beginning of the year also brings about another tradition that we started a few years ago. We choose One word to focus on for the year. In 2014 it was Peace, and in 2015 it was Freedom. Both of those words rang true for us in those years. Toward the end of each year, I spend time in prayer seeking out that One perfect word for us. Well, this year, it was Two words. I'm either breaking tradition or "expanding my mason jar" because I couldn't shake these two words: Family & Opportunity. Here are the verses that I've found to stand on in 2016.

Family:

*Acts 10:2 - He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

Opportunity:

*Acts 27:13 - When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore

*Galatians 6:10 - Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people

*Ephesians 5:16 & Colossians 4:5 - make the most of every opportunity

I love how the verses that I came across not only focus on Family and Opportunity, but on helping others. My heart is to serve and I pray that I can serve well this year in whatever direction I'm called. After all, these beautiful faces, my Family, are counting on me and they deserve the best Opportunities this world has to offer...

I leave you with another one of my favorite quotes ...