Hey guys! So last night I got the amazing opportunity to share my testimony at a Women's night. It was so awesome! Getting to see God use me to glorify Him is the most rewarding feeling ever. I hope you all enjoy this video and can take something away from it!
Why is my pain unending
and my wound grievous and incurable?
You are to me like a deceptive brook,
like a spring that fails.Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“If you repent, I will restore you
that you may serve me;
if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,
you will be my spokesman.
Let this people turn to you,
but you must not turn to them.
I will make you a wall to this people,
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you
but will not overcome you,
for I am with you
to rescue and save you,”
declares the Lord. Jeremiah 15:18-20 Here's my testimony!
Hey guys. I hope everyone is having a great Sunday! This morning I was looking up videos to share at my youth group and I ran across this one. (watch it, it's only a few minutes :)
What was the difference between all of the other men presenting different scenarios and the very last man? The first few men only told the guy in the hole what he should do, or they only offered empty advice on how he would get out. Then they left him. Nothing was working. The man was still stuck in the hole. That was the main problem of the situation, right? This guy was dying because he was stuck in this hole and no one seemed to be able to do anything about it. Except for the last man. The last man did not just merely lean over the hole and say " Hey if you wanna get out you need to do this list of things and blah, blah, blah, blah." No, the man simply said "Do you want to be forgiven?" And what happened then, as you watched the man threw in a rope, climbed into the hole, and brought the man out. He rescued him. That's the difference between Religion and Jesus. People think that they are the same things, but like Jefferson Bethke said, "Religion says do. Jesus says done." Jesus saves. He comes into our darkness and takes us out. He gives us a new life and restores us. While Religion tells us that we have to do things in order to be saved, or be considered a good person. Jesus tells us that all we have to do is except Him. And once we do that, the beauty of life begins. Christ transforms us from the inside out, and we are never the same.
Fashion Week is the best. And Oscar de la Renta just made it even better. Last night he premiered his Spring 2014 collection. Stunning, Elegant, Colorful, Unique. These are just some of the words to describe the amazing collection. I was in complete awe while watching the show last night. His designs never fail to amaze me. Here are some of my favorites.
Golden Goddess. The color of this dress is phenomenal. It's a beautiful combination of gold and copper with the perfect shimmering touch.
Floral Dots. I'm in love. First the design of the dress its self . The bodice and then the a line skirt. And then he combines my two favorite prints, floral and polka dots. I love the contrast of the tiny white polka dots and the vibrant colors of the floral print.
Spanish Fairy-tale. I think this is my absolute favorite piece out of the whole collection. The colors, the shape, the patterns. It is all amazing.It's an ultra feminine classy dress with a hint of magic.
Soft Glam. This dress is fierce. Just looking at it makes me feel confident. I love the soft color, contrasting fabrics , and the amazing shoes.
Audrey Dress. This dress has Audrey Hepburn written all over it. You really can't get any classier than this.
The perfect coat. Black and white. My two favorite color combinations. I adore this piece. The mix match patterns, skinny long sleeves, and over sized collar. Yep it's perfect.
Beautiful Lace. What's not to love? The long sleeves , short cut, and Spanish style lace flow together perfectly.
The perfect skirt. Every woman/lady should own a skirt like this. Why? Because it is the definition of elegance. The cut is executed perfectly, right at the knees and waist. Not only does it have a slimming effect but makes modest look good. The shoes and cropped top are just the icing on the cake.
Hey guys so it's suicide prevention week. Suicide is a serious thing and I don't think a lot of people realize that. There's a problem when people don't feel good enough to live. I think that as Christians it is our job to show people that their life matters and that they are so worth it to a point that this guy died for them over 2,000 years ago (Jesus). A friend of mine sent me this story they wrote based off of personal experience and a bible verse that encouraged her and gave her strength. "The night that the cops came was the hardest. It was about 11:30 and I had just settled down to go to bed for the night when I heard the loud fast banging on the door. My heart began to race and I was scared, so I wrapped my blanket around myself tightly and squinted my eyes shut hard. I heard my step-dad get up and answer the door. About three minutes later he rushed to my room and pushed open my door."Give me your phone right now! If these men are telling me that happened, actually happened, we're going to have a serious talk," he said sternly and somewhat discombobulated. My hands shook when I reached to disconnect my phone from its charger, and I handed it to him not knowing what was going on. After another fifteen minutes, he came back into my room more calm and asked me to talk to the policeman in the living room. My palms were sweaty and my heart was racing, but I did as my step-father asked and I got out of bed and went out to the living room. There were two policemen standing near my fireplace, my mother was sitting on the couch with a red, tear stricken face, and my step-dad was standing off to the side looking down." Hi there," the taller policeman on the right said, "We've just got a few questions for you. To start, did you send any texts tonight that might have scared some people?" "I-I-I- don't know what you're talking about," I replied with a stutter. However, at that moment, I knew exactly what he was referring to.Just a few hours earlier I had dug my nails into my rib cage multiple times and I had sent the red marks on my skin to my best friend. She then asked me lots of questions, like if I had ever thought of cutting myself or committing suicide, and I answered yes to all of them. I put two and two together and realized that she had called the police and sent them to my house. Knowing that she was trying to help me, I told the police everything while my mother and step-dad listened and cried, they had no idea how much pain I had been going through. Once the police collected everything they needed to know, they left me with a phone number to call if I ever felt like I was going to hurt myself. They left, and my parents tried to talk to me but the only person I wanted was my best friend. I asked my parents if they could bring her over, and they did. Within another fifteen minutes, she was at my house. We hugged and cried for hours, and she explained to me how it was hard for her to call, but she was scared and didn't want me to die. To this day I am thankful for what my best friend did, because if she wouldn't have taken that drastic step to save me, I don't think I would be here." I love God because he listened to me, listened as I begged for mercy. He listened so intently as I laid out my case before him. Death stared me in the face, hell was hard on my heels. Up against it, I didn't know which way to turn; then I called out to God for help: "Please God!" I cried out. "Save my life!" God is gracious- it is he who makes things right, our most compassionate God. God takes the side of the helpless; when I was at the end of my rope, He saved me. Psalm 116:1-6
Well good news. Actually glorious news. My friend is doing amazing, she is so much stronger. I've seen her grow drastically from that period in her life and that kind of growth can only come from The Lord. Remember to speak up. Like the friend did in this story. Be kind and watchful, you could be saving someones life. And don't forget you are so worth it. Your story is part of a even bigger story and God is the author. I hope you guys can find some encouragement in this. Share the message and pass on the love. Love, Sofia
I’m bursting with God-news; I’m dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened— I’m the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him. He bared his arm and showed his strength, scattered the bluffing braggarts. He knocked tyrants off their high horses, pulled victims out of the mud. The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold. He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high. It’s exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now
I am so inspired by these verses. As you know Mary was Jesus' mother. She had just received news from the angel Gabriel that she would give birth to a son who would be a "great ruler'' and would have "no end, ever, to His kingdom." Although this at first seemed quite absurd to Mary, "34 Mary said to the angel, “But how? I've never slept with a man.” she trusted God and was ready for His will to take place in her life. "Yes, I see it all now:I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say." Did you hear that (or in this case I guess read it) Marry said that she is ready to serve. She was ready to let go of her fears and doubts and put all of her hope in The Lord, she was ready to play out the will He had given her. I think that this is something we can all learn from Mary. Her willingness to do what God needed her to do is the exact kind of willingness God wants from us. And because Her willingness look what happened, She raised Jesus! How awesome is that! It's amazing what God can do for us once we start to obey Him. After Mary receives this news, she suddenly becomes full of joy and shares her excitement in one of my all time favorite bible verses. Mary is rejoicing in The Lord. She is worshiping Him and lifting up His name because of the wonderful things He is doing and the promises that He has kept. I love the part when she says "His mercy flows in wave after wave." God's mercy is so constant just like the waves in the ocean. It's so beautiful to think about God constantly washing us, forgiving us. I also love the end where it says "It's exactly what He promised." God doesn't change and neither do His promises. That's so comforting to think about. Saving, Blessing, and Forgiving. That's what this passage speaks to me. God saves us through Jesus, blesses us through Jesus, and forgives us through Jesus. Let's all look to Mary as an example of a willing servant who was saved, blessed and forgiven by God all because of her willingness to see The Lord's plan come through, no matter what the cost. Love, Sofia
