If Your Right Arm Causes You to Sin...

My whole life I've struggled with worry and over-planning the future. Choosing a college was so difficult for me even... and I was only choosing between two. My mind would just race when I would start to make a decision... "What if I don't like it?" "What if it doesn't turn out to be how I hope it will be?" and the one thought that always came up... "What if I don't find my future husband?"

As I grew older and started to know more of what I wanted to do with my life, this thought started consuming and controlling me: "What if I don't find my husband?....What if I don't do something right and I miss the chance to meet my husband?" ...as if I were the one in charge and in control of when, where, who, how, and why I meet the man I will spend my life with. I am not in control; God is.

I started to figure out that I was trying to plan my husband, every aspect of him, my own way. I was thinking about how we would meet at the right moment (probably in college), and we'd get married the fall after I graduate and it would just be the most amazing thing. I had three different Pinterest boards for my future love life: "Here comes the bride", "Bling, bling", and "Someday". One for my wedding, one filled with rings I thought were amazing, and one for cute date ideas and cute engagement pictures for the period of time before we got married... It was crazy. I felt pressure to meet this amazing man at this exact point in time... so much weight was just pressing on my shoulders. At the same time though I just kept feeling God nagging at me. What I was doing wasn't right... I wasn't trusting God with everything.

"And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."- Philippians 4:19

I lost sight of the fact that God provides for all of my needs. He knows the desires of my heart and doesn't just push them to the side like they don't matter to Him. I needed to change in order to stop trying to plan my future and give it all to Him.

First I deleted all of my Pinterest wedding boards. It was such a stumbling block for me. I was planning a wedding without even dating anyone, and that did not feel right. "And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go to hell." (Matthew 5:30)..... Pinterest was my right arm, it caused me to sin, I cut it off from my life. It was not easy, but it was worth it. I am no longer tempted to plan a wedding that I don't know anything about. God is in control of that and every other part of my life, and I would not change that for anything. 

Another reason I chose to delete all romance Pinterest boards I had was that I did not want my future husband to look at this and feel a pressure to be the man in that picture, to look a certain way to do certain things... I didn't want to design and change the man God made specifically for me. That's not who I am. I'm not a controller, I'm not a perfectionist, and I didn't want to be in that aspect of my life. I want the man I marry to be himself because that is who God made him to be. My amazing Man.

In order to begin focusing more clearly on the man God has already chosen for me
I started a journal full of letters to my future husband. When I start to feel lonely or I can't get my mind off of my future I sit down, pray, and write to the love of my life. I plan to give my husband this journal on the night before our wedding as my gift to him. I've poured into this and it is a constant reminder to me of the amazing man God has planned for me.

It has taken so much weight off of my shoulders to give my future and the planning to The Lord. I am free to live my life serving Him and He will bring the love of my life to me in His amazing timing.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33-34

Lead Even When Nobody Follows

When I was in Jr High I didn't have many friends... I hung out with one guy and that was about it. I never really understood what it was about me that all of the girls thought was weird or just not right. I was nice, I was normal (in some ways), and I wasn't too much different from them... But see that last fact was wrong, I didn't know so at the time but I was different from them... And it was a good thing.

See I remember my eighth grade year everybody... And I mean everybody wore UGG boots. I, on the other hand, thought they were the stupidest thing in the world. What was the point of wearing a shoe that was so beyond unflattering and tacky? Anyway... When winter rolled around and everybody broke out those stupid things, I kept my converse on and went my own way. "Don't you think they're sooo cute, Natalie?!"... "Don't you want a pair, Natalie?!"... No, actually I didn't, and guess what... That's what I said! I spoke my mind, I was myself. I was different. I didn't like those stupid boots. When I saw them in the store I wasn't tempted to get one on every color. I never wore them because I didn't want to.

Now you may be thinking "Well that's stupid, who cares whether it not you like UGG boots?" Well no one really right now, but back then I was the only one who decided not to own a pair. I was the only one who didn't think they were so beyond adorable. They thought I was weird because I wasn't like them, and I wasn't upset about that. Did I think about getting a pair to fit in? Yeah maybe once or twice, but I never did because all in all I thought they were stupid. Now... Lets put this into a more "real life" lesson. Basically what I'm trying to put forth here is that I am not like everybody else. You are not like everybody else. We all have so many thoughts and opinions, but how often do we express them? How often do we just go with what everyone else is doing just because its the new "normal" or because it's just easier? I was always told ever since I was little "Lead even if nobody follows". 

Now obviously this goes further than just not wearing UGG boots because you don't like them... It goes as far as not gossiping because you know it's wrong. Not partaking in sinful nature because you know it is wrong. Not having premarital sex because you know it is wrong. Just because someone else is doing something does not mean you have to as well.  Just because they will think you are weird, or not like you, or even fight you over it does not mean you should back down.

Jesus even says in Luke 12:

"'Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.'” (Luke 12:51-53 NIV)

He came to divide. He came to make soldiers out of us to fight the wrong in this world. He made us to be LEADERS, not followers. 

“'I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.'” (John 16:33 NIV)

Be a leader in this world... Don't back down and do life the world's way just because it's easier now... The world may seem powerful, but it isn't. It has no power "For HE has overcome the world"

DIY: Harry Potter Wands

I dont know about y'all, but I am a big fan of all things Harry Potter! I have all the movies and have read several of the books (I really need to get down to business and finish all of them). When I was out on Pinterest the other night I saw a picture tutorial on how to make Harry Potter wands. I imediately said to myself "Well thats a must!"... So here is my own tutorial on how to make your own unique Harry Potter Wand.

First you'll need to start with getting all of your supplies together:

• Hot Glue Gun
• Extra Glue Sticks
• Beads of any shape, size, or color
• Chop Sticks
• Brown Paint
• Paint Brushes

- Once you have all of these together you can begin by taking your hot glue gun and putting the hot glue all over the bottom third of your chop stick making a handle-like shape.

-Mold it together to give it a unique personal touch... This is your own personal wand! Hopefully your friend wont accidentally break yours on an adventure to defeat the Dark Lord but... You never know!

-Add beads to the still-moldable glue to help give it texture

Once your wand looks something simliar to the picture above, you can begin the painting process

-Simply just take your paint and cover the wand until you get the color you are hoping for

Let dry and... ALAKAZAM!

You have your very own wand

"The wizard doesnt choose the wand, Harry. The wand chooses the wizard"

And He Saw That It Was Good

I don't know about you, but all I ever see when I'm checking out at Target or Walmart or almost anywhere lately is a poor starving celebrity being praised for being nearly anorexic. They're in this tiny bikini with this good-looking muscular man by their side laughing away.

What I can take from that is this:

1. I am not thin enough

1. If I wear barely underwear I can get the best looking guy around

1. I am simply not good enough as I am

I am 5'2", extremely white, and curvy. I've been curvy probably since the 7th grade at least. I always hated it, because I never looked like the models on those stupid magazines. I always had bigger thighs and never felt comfortable in those short shorts or bikinis... and the world always made me think that if you wore capris all the time or a one-piece at the beach you were basically completely weird and Amish. I remember literally breaking down while I was out shopping one time because I could not find a pair of shorter shorts that looked good on me. My legs weren't tan, I was so far from having any kind of gap between my thighs, the shorts would cling to me... I was the worlds definition of fat. I couldn't fit into those skimpy clothes so I was officially not good enough. I'd never be that girl in the magazine with the muscular man by her side; I'd never be those girls at my high school that would break out the shorts as soon as it got above 70 degrees... I hated it.
What I never thought of though, and what the world and Satan did not want me to remember was that I was made in God's image. I was made how He had designed me to be... and He saw that it was good.

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27

God made me curvy. God made skinny people skinny. God made athletic people athletic. God made us different and that's okay!The world makes us think that if we aren't 5'10", skinny, and tan that we aren't good enough. Its so horrible. These poor little girls are growing up in a world that makes them think curvy is bad. I'm not saying being skinny is bad, don't get me wrong here, but everyone has their own "normal" shape. That's how God designed our bodies. Different.

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own" 1 Corinthians 6:19

I also will never understand why the world makes girls feel that showing off more skin makes you prettier... It will make you pick up more guys. That's what you want isn't it? Its what everybody does. My question is while, yes you will most likely have guys staring at you, whistling at you, trying to "Get cho numba".... Is that really the kind of guy you want? A guy who wants you only for your body. A guy who really could care less what your name is, what your values are, where you come from... A guy that would leave you the very second someone "hotter" came around. That's not a guy worth anybody's time. Your body is a Temple. It is a Temple of the Holy Spirit... Honor it. "It is not your own."
Also, why do we envy someone else's body because it is what the world has decided to make that "standard" for what everybody should be? It broke my heart when I would hear the girls at my lunch table that were skinnier than me say "Wow, I really need to lose weight..." It broke my heart because these girls did not understand just how beautiful they were! It also broke my heart because I would think "Well if you think you need to go on a diet, then I must need to skip a few meals..." What has society done to us? First women used to look at curvy, beautiful Marilyn Monroe and think "Wow, I wish I had curves,  I'm way too skinny." and now we look at Selena Gomez and think "Wow, why can't I be that skinny? I hate my curves." Now we are so focused on being the latest "beautiful" that we are either starving ourselves or stuffing our faces and getting addicted to anything that will get it out of our bodies. We are harming ourselves to meet the worlds standards. I know how tempting it is to "Just skip one meal" that turns into two and before you know it you go to bed without eating a single thing... Ive been there. Ive done that. I get it... but at the end of the day, I still felt bad about myself. I was never skinny enough to make myself happy.

The thing is about all of this is that, we never realize how beautiful we are. God made us all special and unique. Why do we always feel the need to compare ourselves. God hates it when we envy someone elses body. How would you feel if you made this awesome piece of art... Now here comes this critic and says "Wow, what a piece of work... but it could really use some serious tweaking. Now see that painting over there is beautiful, but yours is just... okay." That's how God feels when we look at our bodies and think "Wow I am ugly!" You're insulting His master piece... You.
You are a beautiful creation. You were made so unique. Whether you're curvy, skinny, big boned, short, tall, white, tan... you are BEAUTIFUL. God made you special. God made you YOU. Don't be ashamed of you.

DIY: BDazzeled Hanging Letters

So as I have been getting things ready and prepared for college I felt like actually doing one of those cute Pinterest crafts that you see all the time.

So here it is... My DIY BDazzeled Letters!

... First (obviously) you have to start with the supplies! I went to my local Hobby Lobby and was able to get all items super cheap!

What you will needs is the following:

- Wooden letters (any size or shape, doesn't matter!)

- Painters or scotch tape

- Acrylic paints 

- Ribbon

- Paint brushes

- A hot glue gun and extra glue sticks

- Any gems or stones that you like!

Now lets get down to business...

- First you will want to cover a space in cardboard, Newspaper, or whatever you have so that you don't get paint all of you!

- Then once you have your own personal space, start laying the tape down in a chevron pattern, like shown above

Now time to break out the paints!

- Open selected bottle of acrylic paint and begin painting all over letter

- Set to dry

- Once dry, remove tape and see the lovely chevron pattern you have created!

Now I don't know about you, but this was one of my first times using a hot glue gun, but I considered it the best part!

- Break out the gems and hot glue gun, it's time to make it sparkle!!

- Simply glue pieces down to the letter like below: 

Almost done! 

-I decided to add a final touch by gluing ribbon to the back so it can hang easily in my dorm with command hooks!

 

TADAAAA! 

You've got yourself some sparkly letters!

"Never let anybody dull your sparkle" 

"Single and Ready to Mingle"... But Not With Just Anyone

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23