Peculiar Treasures

I know this struggle well. We're close friends now. We go out for coffee every Tuesday morning. For real though, I know the modesty struggle. In the winter it's yoga pants and sweater-dresses; in the summer it's short-shorts and string bikinis. In this generation, young Christian women are finding it increasingly difficult to be modest and fashionable. Lucky for you, I have lived eighteen years in quite possibly the most conservative Christian household in the Western Hemisphere, so I know a thing or two about modesty. Before anything else, I need to say something. First of all, I take 100% responsibility for what I say in this post. (There's going to be some juicy stuff, so prepare yourself.) I do not mean to offend anyone at all, but when dealing with this type of topic, it's impossible to speak the truth and to not offend anyone at the same time. And before anything else, I believe God has placed it on my heart to speak the truth. Lastly, I know this can ...

Today is the day after Valentine's Day. Also known as Discount Chocolate Day. The day after the best day of the year for some . . . and for others, the worst. But regardless of your relationship status, I believe God has something to say to you today. So sit back, eat some half-price chocolate, and open your heart to what I'm about to tell you . . . Ten Things God Wants His Girls to Know 1. Center your life around Christ. I could say a lot about this, mostly because I've lived my life both ways--with Christ and without Christ. Without Christ, my life was a struggle. I was overcome by loneliness and defeat, and when I tried to find completion in a boy, things only got worse. Life without God doesn't make sense, has no meaning, and, quite frankly, is downright depressing. Now I live my life with Christ, and honestly it's a complete 180. I now have a constant companion, and I can live in victory with my head held high. Life makes sense and is fi...

~My testimony~                This is me. Awkward smiles, self conscious, doubtful, forgetful, sinful, cowardly. I have told lies, made other people believe I am something I am truly not. I have disobeyed my parents like it was an unwritten rule the world had made. I have gossiped about others, friends that I cared about and lived with regret, knowing I had hurt so many people. I fought jealousy, wishing I had, had what other kids had. A big house, expensive electronics, the newest clothes, parents that idolized their kids with big birthday parties. It may not seem that big but for someone who thought they had so little, those things I coveted within myself and it ate me alive, more than I liked to let on. I hid many of my feelings, only sharing certain things with one of  my close friends, but even then I still fell into a never ending whirlpool of lies and deceit. I was a broken mess.            ...

Do we need husbands/boyfriends/romantic partners? If so, why do we need them? What purpose do they serve? God has been laying these questions on my heart recently. Maybe it's the same for you too. If you want to find out the answers to these questions, keep reading . . . First of all, you don't need a husband. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul even goes as far as to describe singleness as a "gift," and I agree with him wholeheartedly. I might even go on to write a separate blog post about the beauty of singleness--Lord knows we need some more support out there on that ever-present subject. But no, you don't need a husband/boyfriend/romantic partner. Now, before all you strong women out there get all excited and start rioting in the streets, hear me out. I'm not saying "why do we need men?" Every person has a purpose (even men😉). Before anything else: I'm not being sexist. I swear I'm asking these questions purely from a logical standpoint, ...

Taylor Swift has gone through a lot of changes recently . . . again. 😂 The release of her new album "reputation" has stirred up more controversy and dissenting opinions than ever before. Since I consider myself to be somewhat of a music connoisseur, I decided to do a song-by-song review of the new album, including an overview of the music, an honest take on the lyrics, and also my favorites from the album! reputation artist: taylor swift release date: november 10, 2017 1. . . . Ready for It? I know the tone of this whole album is really off-putting for most people, just because they still remember country Taylor and the way she used to sound. But personally, I never really felt . . . betrayed, like most people did when Taylor changed her sound. For me it was more like, "Oh, we're doing this now? Okay." That said, "Ready for It" is a shot of pure badbutt slaying queen. It's a power song, like most of the others on this album. I...

Do you remember a few years ago when the cool thing to say was "YOLO"? Meaning "you only live once." People would say it when they meant "screw the consequences--I'm going to do it anyway!" I'm not trying to point fingers; in fact, I still say "YOLO" a lot. 😂 And sometimes it's a good thing to say it about little stuff, like if you're wondering whether to take a break from homework to eat some chocolate (I will neither confirm nor deny whether I'm speaking from personal experience or not . . . 😇). But in regard to big things . . . YOLO might not be the best response. Let me explain what I'm thinking. First of all, God doesn't want us to live life in fear of the future. Yes, He controls our every breath, and He could take it away in a second if He so chose--but we shouldn't go through life cowering in anticipation of death. Listen to what Jesus says in the book of John: John 10:10 NIV-- " The thief com...

Passion 2018 ( the Anthem, Washington D.C. Philip's Arena, and Infinite Energy, Atlanta, Georgia) Both Hannah and I will be posting a lot I am sure about our experience at Passion 2018 in Washington D.C.., but first I have to say, though, that it was truly AMAZING. I mean what a way to start off the New Year of 2018. Praising God with Crowder, the Passion teams, Matt Redman, and and many others, listening to multiple speakers such as Pastor Levi Lusko, John Piper, Christine Caine, Priscilla Shirer, Pastor Louie Giglio, Sadie Robertson, and Tim Tebow! All had amazing testimonies to give, messages to share, expressing how to be involved for the glory of Christ, and a fire for sharing Christ with rising generations of young adults.  One specific thing that rang out through our three-day experience at Passion for me was that: we all face challenges, but how are we going to face the world and the devil? By putting on the weapons of the world? (hint: only ends in defeat and death...