Lush Holiday & Winter Items You Will Love

Lush

Lush bath bombs and bubble bars are perfect for pampering near the holidays and also for the upcoming winter months. I stock up on fun and moisturizing bubble bars, bath melts, and bath bombs every couple of months. Being a mommy, taking relaxing baths are one of the ways that I take time for myself each week and I look forward to the ultimate relaxation they provide! If you are new to Lush bath products let me fill you in: they are incredibly luxurious for the skin, contain all good ingredients, are handmade, and most make the bath water somewhat interesting to look at 🙂 Today I am sharing a few of their products that I have been happy to use for the past few weeks. With Christmas just 7 days away, if you still need stocking stuffers and gift ideas, Lush goods are perfect.

Lush

The Cinders bath bomb isn’t new to Lush- it’s a seasonal bath bomb that makes an appearance every fall and winter. This is the coolest spicy and warm bath bomb! It is a pale shade of orange once in the water and has vegan pop rocks-like candy crystals inside, which make your bath water “pop and fizzle” like you were nice and cozy right beside a warm fireplace. [Read more…]

Strength In Weakness

Strength_in_weakness

God provides strength in weakness to us. It’s a fact that as human beings, we lack resources and power on our own. The good news is that God is all-powerful and He is mighty! When we feel weak, it is the perfect opportunity to ask God for help! Whenever we call, God shows up eagerly to help us and to reveal things that benefit us, no matter what position we find ourselves in. He is worthy of the highest praise! In the Bible, Paul dealt with feelings of weakness. We are comforted in God’s words to Paul:

My grace is enough for you, because power is made perfect in weakness.”

(2 Corinthians 12:9 CEB)

In the verse above, Jesus mentions that His grace is sufficient for us. Grace is defined as: the free and unmerited favor of God. Grace is something given to us; a gift through faith, not something that we have to earn. God’s gift of grace is enough to help us through any challenge we face in our lives. God has unlimited resources that He makes available to us when we ask for His help. [Read more…]

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Gifts For Men

Finding the right gifts for men can really be a challenge. I know that many times we find ourselves waiting until the last possible minute to purchase gifts for the men on our lists due to the uncertainty of what to buy. I have been there for sure! In an effort to change that, today I have a Holiday Gift Guide completely geared toward men that will help with ideas and to use as inspiration! All of these make perfect affordable gifts and will certainly be dad, brother, husband, boyfriend, or male friend-approved for the holiday season! Take a look around, Happy Shopping!

Pretty neat stuff, huh?! If you really liked the duffel bag shown above, you’ll really love this one and its perfect for any man who travels a bunch. It is just $10 more and features a cool exterior zip shoe compartment. A great wet & dry shaver makes a wonderful gift option, too! Another idea I have would be to buy tickets to some sporting event or concert/event/show that he enjoys. Also, everyone loves food so monthly food-related subscription boxes make perfect gifts for men 🙂 Check out this cool personalized monthly subscription snack and food box geared towards men: Mantry. I think it’s a cool concept and really cute name! Functional things are usually a big hit I’ve learned for sure with men, so keep that in mind as you shop around. For example, this Livescribe 3 Smartpen for Android & iOS Tablets and Smartphones is a really neat functional gift that I think is worth mentioning.

I hope you found a few awesome gifts for men that will be just perfect for any man in your life! What gift ideas from this list of suggestions do you like the most?

Holiday Gift Guide: For Her

Holiday Gift Guides are great and really helpful in finding gifts and for generating ideas of things to get for the special people in your life! I’ve learned that there is someone on your list who is a little harder to buy for, sticking to a decor item for the home, something food related, or something warm and cozy is always a winner. I have come up with my first gift guide tailored especially for her. These are all things that won’t break the bank but are thoughtful and great gifts overall for any woman you know. Take a look around! Happy shopping!

Beauty Lover:

For Her Home:

Nice and Cozy:

Pray Effectively

Everyone can pray and pray effectively! The past few devotions have focused on developing a personal relationship with God and the importance of prayer. Today I want to talk about How to Pray for anyone who may be a little unsure. If you are not quite sure how to pray, it is nothing to be ashamed of- everyone starts out that way. Just know that it takes some time to get to a place where you are fully comfortable with your prayer style as you build your own relationship with God. The more you do it, the better you will become and most importantly: the more comfortable and confident you will become! Just think of how sweet it is that God is just delighted that we would take time out each day to talk to Him. One thing is for sure and that is that Prayer is powerful. Jesus teaches us to pray using The Lord’s Prayer. We can use this prayer as a model for our own prayers by either praying this aloud or we can adjust the petitions listed to fit into our own words to make them relevant to our own lives. The Lord’s Prayer is listed below:

This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one -(Matthew 6: 9-13)

This prayer is an excellent starting point for anyone. There are some things to keep in mind when approaching God in prayer. Below, I have listed some things that are all equally important when talking to the Lord.

A Few Key Things to Remember When Praying:

*Always be yourself, even as you learn how to pray! It’s okay to pray simply and in your own words. God loves you just as you are.

*Be honest about the things that concern you – big and small things and also present the Lord with any requests or problems that you may have.

*Remember to pray for others 🙂

*Confess your sins before God and always pray with the right motives.

*Know that God answers our prayers, but sometimes the answer comes in a form that we did not expect it to.

*Learn how to pray with confidence and trust the Lord fully.

*Remember that we have DIRECT ACCESS to God when we pray.

*Ask God for help and the Holy Spirit will be your helper along the way as you pray. You will gain confidence.

*Trust that God will answer our prayers in the way that is best for us.

Additional Verses for Further Study:

Answer me when I cry out, my righteous God!
    Set me free from my troubles!
        Have mercy on me!
        Listen to my prayer! (Psalm 4:1)

For this reason, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve. (James 5:16)

You ask and don’t have because you ask with evil intentions, to waste it on your own cravings. (James 4:3)

Prayer Starter:

Lord, you are great! I am thankful for Your love and Your grace. Forgive me, Father, if I have been selfish in my prayers and have not prayed for others. Hear my prayers and help me to pray for myself and to pray for others in a way that pleases you. I have confidence in You, God. I want Your will to be done. All the Glory belongs to You.

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