Fall Color Combinations

I guarantee that if you take a poll between your family and friends about their favorite season, Autumn will win. And why shouldn't it? It's a time of cozy sweaters, delicious pies, bonfires, the overall feeling of warmth and comfort, and the vibrant hues that surround us outside. So, in celebration of this beautiful season, I've included six Fall color combinations for your makeup looks that you can wear to celebrate the beauty of Fall as well. 

• Gold & Wine. This one is classy, bold, and mysterious. Pair a gold eye shadow with a striking dark wine colored lip. The pairing of a metallic eye with such a bold lip will be unexpected, but very glamorous and retro. This is a look I still haven't mustered up the courage to wear, but I'm dying to try.

• Chocolate Brown & Berry Pink. Switch out your summery hot pink lipstick for this fall's warmer pink hue. It's flattering for every skin tone, and it looks sweet as pie. The combination of the chocolate brown eye shadow, or eye liner if you choose, with the berry lip is super feminine and romantic.

• Rosy Cheeks & Berry Lips. Instead of using the brown eye shadow, you can also pair these pretty berry lips with a rosy cheek color. You know when you've been outside in the cold and you come inside with pink cheeks and lips? It's the same look, beautifully fresh and youthful.This lip color also looks incredibly modern when it's matte. And if your lipstick doesn't come in a matte formula, no need to worry. Just pull apart a tissue so that it's only one layer. Place the layer of tissue over your lips after you've applied your lipstick, and dust a translucent powder over the tissue. Remove it, and you have a matte lip! It's that easy.

• Plum & Copper. Instead of using a vibrant plum shade just on your eyes, think a little outside the box and try it on your lips. Plum lips are very on trend right now and don't look as odd as you think it might. Plus, the copper hued eye shadow will compliment it beautifully. It's vibrant and royal at the same time.

• Forest Green & Mauve. This look is stunning on girls with brown eyes or red hair. Sweep a darker forest green shadow on the eye lids and keep the lips subdued with a mauve lip color. The green eye shadow is unexpected but naturally beautiful. 

• Bronze & Orange. Mimicking the shades of the leaves outside, pair a bronze eye shadow with an orange-red lip. These colors are warm, super sophisticated, and sure to get you noticed.

About the Author :

Ashlyn is a small town girl with a big heart for family, laughter, and all things beautiful. This history nerd enjoys taking walks, yoga, delicious food, and of course, fashion and beauty. She desires most to see a world where women have true and deep relationships with themselves through Christ.

Prioritizing Your Priorities

"Ugh, I have so much stuff to do."

I find myself getting overwhelmed often. Most of the time, my frustration is expressed in the exact phrase mentioned above. For those of you who are in settings that demand load after load- whether you're in school or you work a full time job- why do we let our work get ahead of us? Over and over again I find myself getting behind schedule with all of the work I have to do when, honestly, I had countless opportunities to do them beforehand. When we let procrastination take over, we are second. This does not make much sense when living with the understanding that we were called to be first and never last; the head and never the tail. 

Ladies, if we truly devote ourselves to following Jesus, He will never allow us to fall too far behind that we simply cannot catch up.

Sometimes it's a priority thing. We need to learn how to set our priorities straight. Make a list, in order, of the things that absolutely have to get done on that day and stick to it. Don't put anything off. However, make it realistic also.

When we slack in our classes or in our work, it downgrades us because everything starts to weigh us down. If we are constantly under pressure, how do we expect to soar? We are Kingdom children and we must learn how to discipline ourselves in how we order our priorities. In other words, God must always come first. When we live with our priorities set with a focus on the Kingdom and not the world, we are able to do our work in the world a whole lot better. People should be able to look at us and see that our King comes first. It may not make our workload any lighter, but by putting God first, we will have a better sense of control regarding the rest of our everyday activities. Guarantee it.

Here's a little prayer that can help you through these rough times:

"Dear God,

Thank You for giving me all the opportunities that I know many other young women my age don't get to have. Sometimes I put stuff off and get overwhelmed with the things I have left to do. Help me to refocus my aim back to You and realize that everything I am doing is for Your glory and it all should be done in excellence. I know I like hanging with my friends and catching up on the reruns of _____, but help me to realize that school is more important right now and that the position I hold at work cannot be taken lightly. I know You have given me all of these things in confidence that I could handle them. Help me to have that same confidence in myself so I can work eagerly toward my goals. I appreciate every single gift that You have given me and I thank You that I will not be overwhelmed. Restore in me peace, joy and patience and help me to get to where You have desired for me to be. 

I pray all of this in Jesus' precious name, Amen."

Now, what are your waiting for? Go out there and achieve your goals! With the Lord as your first and foremost priority, you won't be as fragile this time in doing so- I promise.

"She is clothed with strength and dignity, she laughs without fear of the future," (Proverbs 31:25). 

About the Author :

Diamond Lewis is a 20 year old college student from Virginia. She is just trying to figure it out like everyone else. Diamond has been a Christian all of her life. However, in her late teenage years God really grabbed hold of her and captured her attention. Diamond's aim is to be one with God in every breath that she breathes so that others may see Him in her. Some of Diamond's hobbies are writing, online shopping (or looking), and just relaxing and enjoying life as it comes.

Coping With the Trials of Life God's Way

What do you do in times of disagreements or anger? 

You generally have three options: lash out, jump on the phone or social media, or get on your face before God. Many of us (myself include) have had troubling times in which they have responded by getting angry and jumping on social media to “vent.” Some of us even try to rationalize this by saying its harmless and that it is “just venting.” However the truth is that it is quite harmful to you and your relationship with God. God longs for us to come to Him, with everything good or bad, big or small. First Peter 5:7 tells us “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”. So do just that. Work stressing you out, turn to God and let Him care for you. You and your husband having issues, turn to God and let Him work it out. How many times have we (myself included) got irritated or angry and got on social media to talk about it? I can go on Facebook now and see posts like this. Yet, how many times can we honestly say that instead of going online or calling up a friend when we should have sat down and called up Jesus?

Are you truly aware of the fact that God knows you? Knows your husband and knows your situation better than you ever will? We are told in Jeremiah 17:10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve." God knows the heart of each of us. So what can you possibly know that God does not know? What problem could you possibly have that He does not have the answer to? The answer is none. You need to know this. You cannot stand tall, stand strong and persevere if you do not realize that God knows you better than you know you and can address your problems for you, if you let Him. Our Father God is the ultimate gentleman, even though He knows what we need before we ask Him, He still waits for us to ask. He waits for us to show that we trust and depend on Him. Ask anyone who is still standing in their faith what the secret is and they will say prayer and trusting God. Why? Because that is what our faith depends on. That is what our marriages and friendships depend on.

Sisters (brothers if you’re reading), I implore you to take the time to take everything that’s on your plate; your struggles, your fears, your worries, your needs, the argument from this morning, and leave them on the altar. Write them down and pray over them, leaving them with God. Really leave them. Don’t allow yourself to pick them back up, nursing them. Let God do what God does best and take care of us. Learn that every situation does not require us to respond to it but for us to go to God and let Him respond to it. Hearts can be changed by God not people. Situations are best changed by God not people. He says "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty.” Zechariah 2:6).

Recently, I was reading my bible and listening to a bible study by Heather Lindsey (she does them often on YouTube) and Heather touched on this topic. Reminding me that too often I’ve place my hope in what I can do. And that’s putting myself in place of God. So I tell you, don’t put your hope in what you can do; in what money can buy. Put your hope in Jesus alone.

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him- 2 Peter 3:14 

About the Author :

Kris Bush is a wife to Chris and mom to her Bush babies. She has been blogging for a few years now and is committed to sharing her love for Christ with others (as well as her love of books). Kris is a work in progress, trying to help other “works in progress” get progressing toward Christ and unto completion in Heaven. You can read more of Kris's writing on her personal blog.

How to Love Your Husband When He Has Betrayed You

Learning to love like Jesus when your spouse has betrayed you.

I can imagine the look on your face, when you read that title. I know, because there was a time I would have felt the exact same way. The thought of loving my husband after I had discovered his indiscretions in our marriage was the furthest thing on my mind, or my heart.

The Divine Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 

He makes me like down in green pastures;

He leads me beside still waters;

He restores my soul.

He leads me in right paths

for His name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil;

for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; 

you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

my whole life long…”

This is who God is. 

He is my Shepherd. 

He is my relaxation. He knows what is needed for me to relax, and it is Him.

After a ferocious storm, He leads me down beside those still waters, and sets me at complete and total ease, by giving me Him. 

He has planned out a magnificent pathway for me to follow, and it is doing nothing but bringing glory to Him and His Kingdom. It gives me much pleasure to know that my life is pointing people straight to Him. It is for Him that I live and that I do what I do. Even through those darkest times..those terrible slumps…and those deep holes, where I feel like I just want to give up,

I fear no evil. The God who created the Universe and everything inside of it, is on my side.

I fear no evil.

Do not give up, my friends, He will carry you on. Drown yourself in His presence. When it comes to your enemies, God will not leave you to fend for yourself. He will show you what to do. 

This plan is the table He prepares for you. When you eat off of this table, in the order He prepared it, He will bless you abundantly. He will let you know that you belong to Him…and that His way is the right way.

And boy oh boy..are His blessings the greatest.

Your cup will overflow with blessings from The Lord. There is no person or thing on this planet that will ever come close to what Christ has in store for you.

No friend.

No family member.

No man.

No object.

Nothing.

God is all you need. When He is your focus, your foundation, your stronghold and your driving force, goodness and mercy will follow you wherever The Lord takes you. Spend your life walking in His footsteps. Let Him be your one teacher, and your one guide. 

You are the bride.

He is the bridegroom.

Wait on Him.

Trust in Him.

And solely dedicate all you have and are, to Him.

His house is the greatest of all houses.

Dwell in the presence of our Savior.

For it is through Him and Him only, in which you shall be made whole…

*Psalm 23 has always touched my heart deeply, to the point where every time I read it, I am on the brink of tears. If you are going through a tough time, and feel like you don’t have much more, know that God is with you the whole way, and He is cheering you on. Place all you have in Him. Believe me when I say that He will not let you break..*

About the Author :

Haley Phelps is an energetic, care-free girl with a tremendous heart for Jesus and open arms that welcome everyone. She is the Vice President of Hope 4 Tomorrow, an organization aimed towards helping youth in Africa using The Gospel. She aspires to spread the love and light of Jesus everywhere she goes to everyone she meets through her everyday actions. Her time is typically spent baking, watching Disney movies, obsessing over kittens and studying that Bible.

Allowing God to Speak

I have always known about God, but I’ve never had a personal relationship with Him. I was raised Catholic, I attended Sunday school, and I went to church every week. I knew about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but I never really knew how all of these connected.  Although I never knew about all of these things in depth, and I never really read the bible or studied scripture, I see now that God was there all along. At times, I heard my family mention God, and it was always important to pray, but there was nothing that ever stirred deep conservations about His greatness.  

Even in the midst of not knowing, there has always been a pull upon my heart to know more. I am grateful that my mom allowed me to visit other churches that my friends attended, and many things that I experienced in other denominations I did not have a clue about. I always loved religion classes and would do extra work to know more about God. I had several spiritual experiences and encounters when I was younger, along with very vivid dreams and visions. There were also things that I would be able to discern about people and see where they were spiritually, but I never fully understood what that meant.  No one could ever really explain that to me, but I did have encouragement from my religion teachers, even though I never shared any of my experiences with anyone until later on in the future.  

When I got to college, I was exposed to God a lot more and learned about His character and the Holy Spirit. As I read more and began to hear people speak of what it meant to be “saved,” it scared me because I thought to myself, “I love God, so that means I am saved right?” As the years went on, I had friends that I could share with and talk to about who God really was and what it meant to be saved. For a long time I thought that I had a clear understanding of what being saved was about until I moved to New York and attended church with a friend. It was here that I had a true encounter with Christ and this was unlike anything I had ever experienced or known; it was only the beginning.  

I began to grow in the body of Christ and God surrounded me with a family of believers. I gave my life to the Lord in 2004. It's funny because I wanted to really make sure I was saved and I wanted God to know that I was serious. There was even a time period between 2004-2005, that anytime there was an alter call to get saved or receive prayer, I was up there. In addition, when I discussed it with my mom that I was ready to get baptized, she became uncomfortable because she believed that I was already baptized when I was a baby in the Catholic Church. At times, it was hard to express my growing love for Christ with my family because they were a bit skeptical about the church I was attending. It was not Catholic, and perhaps it seemed that I was just too into the church and God in a way they had not known. I can remember my mom mentioning her concern that the church I attended might be a cult or something. All I could do was laugh to myself. but on a more serious note I continued to pray about this.  

Sharing Christ boldly earlier on in my faith with family and others was uncomfortable because I did not believe that I had the clarity and understanding of the Word to share it sufficiently. Even now, with me being more equipped and maturing in my walk with Christ, I realize that coming to understand God is never-ending and eternal. There is always more to learn, and you come to realize that you really do not know anything. We always want to share the gospel eloquently and as if we are knowledgeable, but if Jesus is not at the center and the heart of what we are sharing then it is pointless.

If you really take the time to look at the outline of your life, you will see how the Lord's hand has been guiding you, even before you realized it. If you remember this as you are sharing the gospel and you remember that it is not about you but that His word stands alone in itself, perhaps you will allow the Holy Spirit to have His way. This is Who should be leading us as we speak and share the Word; the boldness comes from Him.  

"And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God," (1 Corinthians 2:3-5, English Standard Version).

A lot of times, we try to formulate words in our own fashion to adequately describe the gospel and we always come up short. Our human language does not have the capacity to describe the glory of God in all His majesty. It is difficult sometimes to put our own thoughts and feelings about the Bible to the side and really hear what God is trying to say.

Allow God and His word to speak for itself in your life as you share and walk by faith.  

About the Author :

Francine E. Ott is truly thankful to have a relationship with God and is seeking Him daily for guidance and any opportunities to walk closer with Him in truth and love. Francine is a choreographer/dancer, teacher, and soon to be counselor who has a heart to see God's transforming power, renew, restore, and heal the minds, souls, and bodies of people's lives.