Happy Birthday Ashley!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASHLEY! 

Ashley has been my best friend for a very long time! We played together when we were 3 years old and then "re met" when we were 9/10ish. Ashley is such an amazing example to her younger siblings and everyone around her. She gives off this joy that makes you want to smile, even when you don't really want to. We've done a lot of things together: thousands of cookies baked, many tv shows & movies watched, much fangirling, waiting for books to come out together, and writing a blog. 

     People say that "Friends are the family we choose." And I'm so glad I chose Ashley to be my family. There is a quote from Winnie the Pooh that reads, "A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left  inside." A day spent with Ashley is ALWAYS better than one without! 

       I went through something in my life that was very hard on me. I'm not going to go into details, for I haven't even talked to Ashley about it, but through it all Ashley was there and helped me in ways she doesn't realize. Proverbs 17:17- “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” I'm so thankful to have a friend like her who, is someone you want to always be around, who cares and prays for you. There is a quote that says, "As we grow up, we realize it becomes less important to have a ton of friends, and more important to have real ones." I can testify that Ashely is a real friend that I always want in my life. 

   Happy Birthday Ashley! Thanks for everything! I love you! -Maddie 

She sprouted love like flowers, 

Grew a garden in her mind, 

And even on the darkest days,

From her smile the sun still shined.

                        -Erin Hanson

How to Fight your Battles

Everyone you see is struggling with something. Weather its a relationship, money, friendship, physical/chronic pain, loss of a loved one, self-worth, ect... we all hide our struggles differently. But its all about how you act when you go through them. During times of hardship a lot of people fall into depression. The estimated amount of people who have depression in the world is 350 million. That is a lot of people who struggle with depression. People who have hard times going though trials often feel like they are alone, that no one understand what they are going through.

Well I'm going to tell you a secret.....

you are not alone

there is someone who has felt all of the emotions that you have ever felt in your life

plus everyone else that has ever lived

and he did it all because he loves you

and everyone else in the world

if you were the only person left on the earth, he would come back and pay the price again just for you.

his name is Jesus.

He lived a perfect life. Always serving others and teaching the gospel to everyone he met, if not by words then by actions. He died for me, you, and everyone else who has ever lived. He did it because you and me are imperfect humans. He willingly volunteered to die for the whole world so that we can have eternal life. He bled from every pore, was nailed to a cross, spit upon, and was despised by many.

But he did nothing to deserve it.

But he did it anyways because he loves us.

God only put us though things we can handle. And whenever we fall, he is always there to pick us up. And when we fall short, he still loves us. If he didn't then why would he send someone to suffer so much for us? He is always there 24/7. He will listen. Sometimes it may feel like you are talking to a brick wall. If it does, then talk out loud. If you fight all of you're battles on your knees, then you will ALWAYS come out a stronger, better person.

He is always there. The only question is will you be there?


- Ashley

Don't Follow Your Heart

"Follow your heart" 

We have all heard that phrase many times. We see it all over Pinterest and Instagram; we are constantly surrounded by people telling us to "Follow our heart". If I could only give someone one piece of advice, it would be: "DON'T FOLLOW YOUR HEART!"  Let's look at the first of many scripture verses in this post:  Jeremiah 17:9- "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"  Notice it says 'the heart is deceitful'. Our hearts can betray us. Our hearts are emotional, we need wisdom as well.

      As Christians, we shouldn't be following our heart, we should be following the convictions of the Holy Spirit.  1 Chronicles 16:11 says,  “Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him.”

1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “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;”  This is saying that we do not belong to ourselves, therefore we should be following God's heart, not our own. For God has more wisdom than anyone can imagine.     

     Most teenagers hate depending on people. They don't like the idea of not being able to do things themselves (me included!) They want to be independent and make their own decisions. Read this quote by John Bevere, "When we invite the Holy Spirit into our decision making processes, He will ALWAYS bear witness through the peace of Christ Jesus."  While the overall first impression of following our heart sounds okay, it's not. Here's the tough truth: When you follow your own heart, it's saying that your priorities and what you want in life is higher than God's priorities and His will for you. Ouch. That kinda stings, but we often do just that, often without meaning to! Continuing off of that, By following our heart, we are turning against God and living a life self-focused instead of Christ-focused.

     Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Now this is not saying that God is a Genie and will grant you any wish you want. No, this verse is saying that if we truly delight in the Lord, what we will want is what God desires and wants for our lives. Remember, God wouldn't withhold something good from your life unless there is something better waiting for you.

     John 16:13 has a great message, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

When you place your trust in God, the Holy Spirit will guide you and help you with discernment and wisdom. 

     I know this post is getting long and I'm almost done. I feel very strongly on the topic of fully surrendering yourself to God and His wisdom so I want to help others the best I can. William Booth said this, "The greatness of a man's power is in the measure of his surrender." Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When we live by the convictions of the Holy Spirit and strive to do the will of God, IT WILL SHOW! Acts 1:8 stated that when we have the Holy Spirit we will be witnesses to the people around us. And as followers of Christ (not our own hearts and desires) being examples and living a life as a testimony to God is something we should all strive to do. Your life is your ministry. Thanks so much for reading this post! Remember that while we see only a part of a simple sketch of our lives, God sees a mural full of paint and color. He knows what's best, lean on Him and trust Him with everything. -Maddie

Lavender Foot & Hand Scrub

Hey guys! Here is an amazing foot/hand scrub that will exfoliate and soften your skin. You can use it on your hands, arms, feet, and legs. It is so wonderful and it feels fantastic. This scrub also moisturizes your skin and will never leave it dry.

• Microwave 1/2 cup of Coconut Oil in a microwave safe container until completely melted.

• Pour melted Coconut Oil into a small bowl and add one cup of White Sugar. Mix until blended well.

• Add 10 drops of Lavender Oil to the mixture. 

• Store the scrub in a cute mason jar or container. 

{because the coconut oil was completely melted, it will seem very runny and liquid like. Don't freak out! It will thicken as the oil cools/hardens. It will take about 12 hours to be normal} 

Benefits of Lavender Oil: 

It is very soothing, relaxing and creates a calming effect. It also is supposed to help with balance. 

Homemade Dry Shampoo

I don't know about you guys, but dry shampoo is a life saver to me! If you are rushed in the morning for school and don't have time to wash your hair, this is perfect for you! This recipe has only 3 ingredients and is super easy to make. Not to mention so much cheaper then regular dry shampoo and much more natural. -Aѕнley

Ingredients: 

• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch 

• 4 Tablespoons of water

• 1 Tablespoon rubbing alcohol

Mix together in a small bowl, then pour into a spray bottle.  

To use: 

Spray all over head until hair is slightly damp. Use more in the oilier spots on your head. Let dry.

 

How to Get the Most out of your Personal Time with God

"Your real life is your spiritual life. And both are going to be awful until you realize that they are not separate things." - Jordan Taylor 

Hey Guys, many people struggle with having personal devotions and time with God. Here are some tips that I have heard/read that have helped me. -ᗰᗩᗪᗪIE

Make it a priority. The first thing you must do is actually remember to have devotions. The majority of us spend a lot of time on our phones or have them near us often, so set a reminder/alarm on your phone to remind you to spend time with God. 

Find a quiet place. I have a chair in the corner on my bedroom by my window, this is where my time with God is usually spent. I also like going outside on our back porch, however it is summer in Texas so that is not the most ideal location at this point in time.

Turn off all music. This will help you keep the focus on God and it will limit your distractions. If you absolutely can not live without having music on, I would encourage you to play classical music, hymns, or worship songs.

Turn off electronics. This will help keep the focus off the world around us and on God. There are exceptions to this. I like to use the YOUVERSION Bible app. It is completely free for both android and apple. •  http://bible.com/app  •This app has almost every version of the Bible and in many languages. It also has reading plans and devotionals which are very helpful. I have done many of those and they have impacted my walk with God greatly. 

Journal. Starting a journal has been one of the best decisions in my spiritual walk with God. You can write verses or quotes that stood out to you, what they mean to you and how you can apply them to your life. If you are using a reading plan or devotional, you can write down the main points that they provide or that you want to remember. You can also write praises and prayer requests as well as prayers in your journal. Having a journal also lets you go back and review what you have previously learned and see how far you have come spiritually. It doesn't have to be super long, however as you continue journaling your walk with God, it's very hard to stop!

Discuss it with a friend. If you learn something new, or have a verse or quote that stands out to you, share it with a friend! That way more than one person can benefit from your time with God and it is a great way to engage in Godly conversations. 

Use study techniques. This goes along with journaling. There are many different ways to study and get the most out of scripture. One way is using the S.O.A.P. method: 

SCRIPTURE- write out one verse that is meaningful to you.

OBSERVATION- what is interesting in this passage? What did you learn? What is God saying to you through this?

APPLICATION- how can you apply this scripture to your life? 

PRAYER- respond to God in prayer. 

Finally, don't forget to take time just to listen and pray. 

I hope you benefit from these tips and suggestions.

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