It’s almost July, so let’s celebrate with a Christmas in July frozen hot chocolate bar! My hot chocolate bar is always a family favorite during Christmas time, but why wait? Let’s make one together for a Summer family movie night! Crank up your air conditioning, grab your frozen hot chocolate and put on your favorite Christmas movie for a fun Christmas in July movie night with your family and friends.
Frozen Hot Chocolate Recipe: 1 cup of your favorite hot chocolate mix (I make my own with just 2 ingredients. 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder to 3/4 cups of sugar.)
2 cups of chocolate milk (because we want this extra chocolatey!)
3 cups of ice
In a blender add milk, cocoa mix and ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses. Top with whipped cream, marshmallows (freeze marshmallows for some extra fun!) sprinkles and shaved chocolate.
At Christmas time I make a hot chocolate bar and it’s so fun for the kids (and adults too!) So for the frozen hot chocolate bar, here are a few ideas. Frozen marshamallows. (make sure to bring them out, just before you are serving so they stay frozen.) Your favorite candy toppings. Chopped up peppermints, White Chocolate chips, Sprinkles, and Whipped Cream. (make your whipped cream instead of buying it and add in a fun flavor like caramel or hazelnut.)
Let everyone make their own frozen hot chocolate creation and then put on a Christmas movie and have a fun Christmas in July movie night! Have fun!!
Sadly, for most people, reading the Bible isn’t on their top list of “fun things to do.” Sometimes it may seem easier to listen to a Christian podcast or put on your favorite Christian music than to open your Bible and start reading. But as Christians we know that time in the word is crucial. The Bible is the LIVING WORD of God. So the more we read the Bible, the more we understand the heart of God and His will for our lives.
Spending time in the Bible doesn’t have to be a chore. Honestly it can actually be exciting if you let it be. I love reading the Bible because each time I read a chapter or a book, I fall more in love with Jesus, my Lord and Savior!
Here are a few things to help get you started on how to go about actually reading and understanding the Bible.
First and most importantly is to start with prayer. Pray! Don’t just open your Bible and flip through until you find a familiar verse to read and then call it a day. (though on a side note; there are many “popular” Bible verses that are taken completely out of context. So it is always good to look them up and read the verse in context and find out what the verse truly means. :)
Second: Reading the passage in context. I suggest reading at least the entire chapter in one sitting. If you can, read a few chapters to better understand what is going on in what you are reading. Ask yourself: how does this apply to my life and my relationship with Christ. Re-read the chapter(s) to better understand the words and what they mean in the context of the chapter. Sometimes we might read a verse and think we know what it means. But we have to remember that the Bible wasn’t originally written in English so words have different meanings. Find a translation you best understandand enjoy. I love the ESV & NASB & also the King James version which may be a little tricky to understand sometimes. If you’re not ready to jump into the KJV I recommend the NKJV. I have the John MacArthur Study Bible and it is amazing! Please know that the Bible translations matter. There are many watered down translations that completely change what the Bible is saying. Stay away from those. Especially the Passion translation!
To anyone who might be completely new to reading the Bible; I thought I’d get you started below with a few topics and some coordinating Bible verses for you to look up so you don’t feel overwhelmed when opening the Bible and wondering where to start and what it all means. To EVERYONE reading the Bible, new or old, something to remember: You aren’t expected to understand every single thing you read. There will be plenty of the Bible you won’t understand, especially when you first read through a book. That is why we are supposed to be in the word daily. There is also amazing things to help like the Blue Letter Bible. It helps breakdown the history and origin of words in their original languages. & remember, just like anything else. The more time we spend in the word, the more we will understand what God is saying to us.
The Bible is God’s love letter to us. His instructions for life. Let the words come alive on the pages and in your heart.
Another tip: Read the New Testament before the Old Testament.
Did you know that the Bible is not in chronological order. If you are a new Christian opening the Bible for the first time, you may wonder if the Bible is like any other book where you read the first page to the last page in order. For example. The book of Job was during the days of Genesis. So reading Genesis and Job together would make more sense. But also don’t get tricked into thinking that the Old Testament doesn’t apply to today. Every word in the Bible is for a reason. And it all points to Jesus the Messiah.
Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. Because that is the most powerful tool the enemy has over us. Overwhelming us with things to distract us from God. Just pray, open up your Bible and start. You won’t regret any time spent in the Word, I promise you that!
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 16-17
Topical Bible Verse Lookup
Fear/Anxiety- 2 Timothy 1:7, Colossians 1:13, John 16:33, Psalm 23:4
Worship/Obey the Lord- Hebrews 12:28-29, 1 Samuel 15:22, Isaiah 29:13
REMEMBER:
Read the passage in context (read the entire chapter) to better understand what God meant the words and message to mean. The Bible is the Word of God. It is not up to us to decide what it means.
Look up words you don’t understand.
Each time you read your Bible, ask yourself what you learned from what what you read. Then pray & ask God to help you apply it to your life.
Start small. Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed thinking you need to read the entire Bible in a certain amount of time. Go at your own pace. As long as you are reading the Bible each day, you are growing in the word.
If you are new to the Bible, I personally recommend starting in the Book of John. It covers the life and ministry of Jesus.
Reading the Bible should not be a chore. It’s a blessing. You should read the Bible to grow deeper in your knowledge and understanding of God, as well as to know His will. Remember what a blessing it is that you are able to read the Bible. There are many countries that people are killed just for having a Bible.
Most important reminder. Let your heart be transformed. The more you read your Bible, the more you will fall in love with the Lord.
Lastly, are you confused? Let me know if you have any questions! Elizabeth@graceinhisbeauty.com
I’m praying for you ALL and am rooting for you to dig deeper in the Word, TODAY!
Breaking free, living in true FREEDOM found in Christ is what I desire and if you do too, I encourage you to keep reading. What if I told you that taking captive your thoughts to make them obedient to Christ, was not as hard as it sounds? Yes, taking every thought might seem overwhelming, but what if I told you that you can break free from the lies you believe each day. Now I’m not saying it’s easy, it takes time and a lot of patience with yourself. It also more importantly, takes a lot of prayer and dedication to following God’s will for our lives, not our own desires and hopes of what could be. And it takes intentional time in the Word, because the more you fill your mind with God’s truths, the less likely you will be to believe the enemy’s lies.
Take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
You might be thinking, “Oh, that’s a great verse. But I can’tchange the way I think. I have always been like this.” —I get it. I thought that for a very long time too. I thought I was just more pessimistic by nature. BUT, the good news my friends, is that you absolutely can change your thought patterns. Because the way you think shapes your life, your actions and decisions. And the scary thing is, the enemy knows that and wants to keep you in a negative mindset because his goal is to keep your mind off of God. Changing your thought patterns isn’t easy, and it will take time but you CAN take captive all your thoughts and make them obedient to Christ. Perhaps you find yourself crippled by fear and anxiety. Your mind goes a mile a minute thinking of every “what if” situation that could arise in each day. Or maybe you’ve bought into the lie that you aren’t enough. Whether that be; strong enough, pretty enough, thin enough, or smart enough. The answer is the same. With Christ you are 100% enough.
So how do we take captive our thoughts? –Let’s get into that now.
First we must acknowledge our negative thoughts are from the enemy meant to break us down and tear us away from God. That is his main goal. So realizing this will help when those thoughts creep in. Acknowledge them as lies and then kick them to the curb! Because when we are aware that these thoughts we are letting dictate our daily decisions are lies from the enemy, it makes it a lot easier to say, not today Satan! Think about a subject that you know a lot about. –Now if I started telling you “facts” about a subject that you knew weren’t true, because they didn’t line up with the research you’ve done on the subject, you wouldn’t believe me, right? So then why are you going to let yourself believe something that you know is a lie?! — If you’re thinking, well how do I know it’s a lie? Truth is, it’s actually pretty simple to know what thoughts are lies from the enemy. Anything that goes against God and His word are from the enemy. God is NEVER going to steer you in the direction of fear or anxiety.
The enemy is tricky and can sneak his little lies into our heads without us even realizing. Something will pop into our head and make us feel weak, unworthy or unloved. We won’t at the time realize it, but our actions will then reflect the way we are feeling and all of a sudden it’s a downward spiral into fear and negativity. Putting us exactly where the enemy wants us to be. Feeling far from God. Away from the truth. BUT the good news is, when we start taking our thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ, then we are turning our worry into worship. Our fear into praise. Our sadness into joy.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8
Challenge time!
I want you to visualize yourself physically taking the thoughts of fear, negativity or anxiety into your hands and throwing them away. Every time a thought pops into your head that isn’t from God, I want you to do this and see how you feel at the end of the day. Spoiler alert. You will feel AMAZING. You will feel strong and worthy and loved by God when your thoughts are filled with His truths and promises and not those ugly lies that try to sneak in! Get into the Bible daily. Fill your mind and heart with God’s truths so that you can stand strong against the enemy’s lies! Let me know how this goes for you. I’m rooting for you all to find FREEDOM in Christ!
Hi! I’m so glad you’re here and desiring to be more intentional with your prayer life. Perhaps you’re back after joining me in praying through the month of February for your husband. If so, yay! How did it go? –Or maybe you are new here. WELCOME! :) I received so many positive messages about my recent post, that I thought we should spend this month (March) praying for ourselves.
I think sometimes we let prayer become a routine, rather than a relationship with Jesus. And like any relationship, our relationship with Jesus needs effort made. Imagine if you only called your best friend when there was a problem. Do you ever do that with Jesus? Our relationship with Him needs to be our MOST important relationship, which means we need to build that relationship through prayer and reading the Word. Prayer is a beautiful way to draw closer to the Lord. Let’s spend the next month together, praying intentional prayers that will not only bring you closer to God, but will help you love and cherish the person He made you to be. I’m so excited to see how God moves in your life this month! Let’s start with a quick prayer and then jump in!
Dear Lord, I ask that you open the eyes and hearts of everyone reading this. I pray that they know their worth and beauty is found in you, Lord. Help each and everyone reading this stay on track and keep praying through this month, no matter how hard or hectic life gets. Don’t let the enemy’s lies distract us. Let us see your goodness and mercy and love each day as we pray to become the person you called us to be. Help keep our hearts hopeful in you as we pray and believe that you are doing big things in our lives. Let us stay positive even if we can’t see them just yet. I ask that you reveal yourself to us when we seek you Lord. Protect our hearts and minds every day. Reveal your purpose for us and let us be bold and live it each and every day. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.
Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:10-11
Day 1: Thank God for making you, YOU! —I know that sounds silly, but get in the habit of loving yourself. NOT the edited, filtered social media version of you. The REAL you! ;) If there is something specific that bothers you about yourself physically; maybe you think your nose is too big or that you are too tall. Pray about that and ask God to see yourself through HIS eyes. I encourage you to work on your heart rather than your looks, since looks fade. :)
Day 2: Pray for your heart and eyes to be protected from the enemy’s lies. —The enemy wants to trick you into believing there is something out there better than what you have. And that God is holding out on you. Not true. The enemy knows your weaknesses and you better believe he will attack you: physically, mentally and spiritually. Don’t be fooled. He has NO power over you if you are in Christ. So don’t buy into his lies.
Day 3: Ask God to remove anything that hinders you from fully surrendering to Him. I encourage you to pray and ask God to take away anything in your life that keeps you from walking your talk as a Christian woman (not just saying you are a Christian, but truly following His commandments and will for your life.) Ask Him to take away what is causing you to sin. Maybe it’s something you’re doing, something you are watching or something you’re caught up in. You know and God knows. Fully surrender to Him today.
Day 4: Pray about strengthingyour relationship with Christ. — Whether you have been a Christian your entire life and think you have a strong relationship with Jesus, or if you are a new Christian, I encourage you to spend more time reading the Bible and praying. The more you read the Bible, (the actual Bible, not a devotion book.) the more you will understand God’s will for life. If you feel far from Him, draw near to Him and He will draw near to you!
Day 5: Pray for God to give you peace and comfort. —I struggle with anxiety sometimes because of my chronic pain. Maybe you struggle too, or maybe you don’t. Maybe you’re a busy mom who feels overwhelmed by the end of the day and struggle to find peace. (because we will never find it in the things of this world.) Either way, I encourage you to pray for peace that only comes through the Holy Spirit.
Day 6: Pray forhealing from your past. —We all have things in our past that we need healing from. Some of us have bigger, more traumatic things that may take years to fully process and heal from, and some may have small things. Either way, I pray that you find healing from your past and can move on to be the strong, Godly woman you are called to be. (and remember that God uses our brokenness for His glory if we let Him.)
Day 7: Pray that you can forgive those who have hurt you. —There is always someone in our past that we *think* we have forgiven, but if we’re really being honest, we haven’t. Ask God to help you forgive those who have hurt you; whether that be, physically, mentally or emotionally and be able to move on.
Day 8: Ask God to help you seek His will (not your own) for your life. —It’s easy to go through life thinking we are in control of things and we can make good decisions on our own. But truth be told, we aren’t, and we can’t without Christ. I pray that you seek God’s will for your life each and every day.
Day 9: Pray for your jobas wife and mother. —Ask God to help you be the wife and mother that He has called you to be. Thank Him for your husband and children. Ask Him to tame your tongue when you are angry so that you don’t say things you will regret. Ask God to give you strength when you’re tired and worn out so that you can keep going and take care of your family that He has blessed you with.
Day 10: Pray for Godly friendships. — Pray about not only having Godly friends, but also that you would be a Godly friend to others. Ask Him to help you find friends that will pray for you and help you grow closer to Him. True friends that will rejoice when you rejoice and weep when you weep.
Day 11: Ask God to take away any jealousy in your heart. —-It’s really easy to fool ourselves into thinking we are not envious of other people. But if we are honest with ourselves, at one point or another we have all wished we had something that someone else has. (especially in this fake social media world.) Maybe you have wished to be taller, prettier, skinnier, the list goes on. But remember that “Envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30 so keep your eyes on God and all the blessings you have!
Day 12: Pray to have a BOLD faith. —Ask God to help you have a faith that is unwavering and founding on God’s promises, not on your own emotions. Ask for the courage to always speak the truth, even when no one wants to hear it.
Day 13: Ask God to help you be quick to forgive. — The enemy likes to put a wedge between us and God and I think holding on to anger and resentment is one of the ways he does this. Pray and ask God to help you always forgive those who have hurt you, just as He has forgiven you.
Day 14: Ask God to help you work on strengthening your prayer life.—The Bible says to “pray continually.” Jesus taught us how to pray, saying, “Thy will be done.” Prayer isn’t about asking for things you want. It’s about seeking God’s will above our own. Our relationship with Jesus grows stronger when we pray. I encourage you to spend more time in prayer, talking to God about anything and everything.
Day 15: Ask God to help you be a Godly wife. (if you aren’t married, pray that He helps you be one when you are.) — Pray for God’s will for your marriage and for you to always make decisions that will be a blessing to both you and your spouse and your future together. And to keep Christ at the center of your marriage.
Day 16: Pray to live out the fruit of the Spirit. — Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. We as believers already have these through the Holy Spirit, but the flesh keeps us from living them out. We are told in Galatians, that those who participate in the works of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God. But those who belong in Jesus Christ have been crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Day 17: Pray that you are a Godly mother. (if you don’t have children, pray for your future children or for you to be a Godly mother like figure to the children around you.) — Ask God to help you raise your children to grow stronger each day in their faith in Jesus. And to help you live out as an example for your children, what a follower of Christ truly is.
Day 18: Pray for Joy (not happiness) from Christ. — Being happy is great, but it typically only happens when things are going the way we want them to. But being joyful despite our circumstances is even better. Ask God to fill you with Joy so that you are able to rejoice in the trials of life, knowing they strengthen your faith.
Day 19: Pray that your love and respect for God grows stronger each day. —The closer you draw to God through reading the Bible and praying, the more you will understand His will for your life. You also will grow deeper in your love and respect for Him. Pray that your reverence will grow stronger each day for God and that you will live in a way that shows it.
Day 20: Ask God to help you love yourself. —You might read this and say, “I do love myself.” But do you really? Do you live like you love yourself? Do you look in the mirror and see the beautiful child of God that you are? Even if you think you 100% love yourself, I encourage you to pray this and see what happens when you surrender to Him.
Day 21: Pray that you are humble and gracious. — Ephesians 4:2 says; “Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love.” I know this is not easy and impossible to accomplish on our, so ask God to help you not only work on this, but to want to work on it.
Day 22: Pray that the Lord heals you from _________________. Fill in the blank with anything you are dealing with physically or emotionally. —I’m sure something instantly came to your mind when you read this. I encourage you to pray about that. Let go and let God heal you from that.
Day 23: Pray that Christ shines through you. — Pray and ask God to shine through your life. I encourage you to ask God to let your inner beauty be what draws people to you. If you’re a Christian than your inner beauty is the most beautiful thing about you. And if you’re not sure about your inner beauty, then I encourage you to pray and work on your heart and letting Him shine through your life.
Day 24: Ask God to take away your worry, fear and doubt and fill you with a strong faith. — The thought of living without worry, fear or anxiety may seem impossible, but with peace through the Holy Spirit and faith in God who is bigger than anything that worries you, it is absolutely possible!
Day 25: Pray to always have pure intentions. — Ask God to help you not do things for love or the approval of others. Pray that you would always have pure intentions in both your personal and business relationships and that you would be compassionate and considerate towards others and their feelings. Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility value others above yourself.”
Day 26: Pray that God would fill you with self control. — Ask Him to give you self control so that you live a life pleasing to Him. That you would die to yourself (and human desires) and live in accordance to His rules.
Day 27: Pray that your life reflects a woman who loves the Lord. — Ask God to help you truly love and respect Him and His word. Ask that He helps your words and actions reflect the heart of a dedicated follower of Christ. Pray that you always make decisions both in public and private that will please God rather than yourself.
Day 28: Pray that God breaks the chains of any addictions you have. — Ask God to expose and heal any and all addictions you have. This could be something really big like a drug or alcohol addiction, or something small. Either way, ask God to help you break those chains and to come out victorious.
Day 29: Ask God to tame your tongue. — Pray that your words build others up and that you always speak the truth, no matter how unpopular it may be. Ask God to help you go to Him first in prayer when you are angry, so that you don’t say things that you will regret. Pray that you always think before you speak and that your words be seasoned with grace.
Day 30: Ask God to help you develop a heart of worship and gratitude. — Pray that your heart’s desire is to worship and thank God in all circumstances because He is good and worthy of praise! Ask Him to put a song in your heart and that you will seek to glorify Him and give Him the glory in all things.
Day 31: Ask God to put a strong desire in your heart to seek Him and His will in prayer and reading the Word, each and every day from this day forward!
I’m praying for each and every one of you who reads this. That God reveals His heart for you and that you are bold enough in your faith to live out His will for your life. xo, Elizabeth
Each day when we wake up, we have two choices. We can choose JOY or we can choose to be miserable. Unlike happiness, which is based on our circumstances. Joy is internal and is based on God’s goodness, REGARDLESS of how good or bad things are.
For some people (I hate to admit this, but ME!) being positive during trying times doesn’t come naturally. And you know what, that’s ok! We CAN be positive, we just have to work a little bit harder to SEE the good. But one thing I can tell you is, that if you look for the good, you will find it!
There are a few things that will help you be more positive and joyful that I want to share with you. I pray they will help your days go better.
You can not live a positive life with a negative mind.
If you follow me on Instagram, I’m sure you’ve heard me say many times, if you have a negative mindset, you’ll live a negative life. The worst part is, that we don’t even realize sometimes what we are thinking is dictating our lives. Each day we feed ourselves so many negative thoughts without even realizing it, and then we wonder why we are so unhappy.
Simple things can help shift your mindset to focusing on the positives rather than the negatives. Things like; smiling at yourself when you look in the mirror and taking notice of things you like, rather than picking apart the things you don’t like. Below are some more ideas. I hope this will inspire you to be more conscious of your thought patterns. Because if you change your perspective, you will change your life!
1. Wake up and thank God for your day. Thank Him regardless of your feelings, because God’s promises are NOT based on our feelings. They are based on His truth!
2. Get up and get moving. If nothing else, just walk. Walk around your house, around the block, whatever you can do. Do it.
3. Look in the mirror and ask God to let you see yourself through HIS eyes. Speak words of truth over yourself. Read a Bible verse or just say something out loud that you like about yourself.
4. Read the Bible. Depending on your morning schedule, you might need to get up earlier to get your Bible reading in, but if you only have a few minutes, download a Bible app and just get into the Word for a few minutes. Something is better than nothing. Don’t tell yourself you don’t have time. I promise you, time spent in the Word is NEVER a waste!
5. Put on some worship music. And sing, or dance, journal, or cry out to the Lord. However you worship is between you and God. And again, time worshiping the Lord, is NEVER a waste!
6. Drink a BIG glass of water. Cold, hot, with lemon. Doesn’t matter. Drink it however you like it. But water just makes you feel good and is so good for you!
7. Smile! Smile at yourself. Smile at strangers. Smile at no one. It doesn’t matter. Just smile. Smiling will train your mind to be happy. And personally, I love smiling at strangers, because you never know how a simple smile might impact their day!
SEE THE GOOD.
Don’t just “look” for the good. SEE the good. Train your mind to see the good. The positive in all things and I promise you, after awhile you will start noticing yourself being more positive.
I encourage you to start this list TODAY. It is a new day. A fresh start. Doesn’t matter if it is the Monday of all Mondays, or the weekend. His mercies are new every single day. So MAKE it a great day!
Whether you are newly married or have been married for forty years, I encourage you to take time each day to be intentional with praying for your husband. It’s so easy to take our relationships for granted, but a true Christ-centered marriage is a blessing. If you don’t know where to start. I encourage you to start with this prayer and then join with me in, “Praying for your husband through the month of February.”
“Lord, I desire to strengthen not only my relationship with my husband, but also with you. Help me go to You first, before I go to others to talk about my marriage and it’s let downs. I desire this not only to help me be a better person, but to help me be a better wife to my husband. Search my heart and take away anything that takes me away from you. Let my eyes see you first and always, in every aspect of life. Thank you for all the blessings you have given me and thank you for the pain and trials, that have lead me to call upon you. Please help my husband see me through you Lord. Help my words always be words that speak truth and life and build my husband up. Give me the words to speak when I am angry, or hurt and the words I want to speak are not your will. Please bless my husband and help him look to you for your truth and will for not only his life but also for what is best for our family. Protect us both from the enemy’s lies. In Jesus name. Amen.”
Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against the devil’s schemes.”
Day 1: Thank God for your husband. Even if you aren’t feeling exactly “thankful” for him at that very moment. Especially if you aren’t! ;)
Day 2: Pray for his heart and eyes to be protected by God. The enemy wants to deceive and destroy us. That isn’t a mystery. I mean, it is his job. But guess what? He also wants to tear apart our marriages, especially those of us who are Christian and have a Christ-centered marriage.
Day 3: Pray for him to see you, through God’s eyes. I pray this often, because I will be honest…I am not always the easiest person to love. I pray that God will help my husband see me through God’s eyes. He is not only the creator of the Universe, but also of me! He knows my heart and how deeply I love my husband, even though my words or actions might not show it.
Day 4: Pray for his relationship with Christ. His relationship with Jesus, should be his FIRST and most important relationship. Yep. More important than his relationship with you. But, it should be ours too. The stronger our love grows for the Lord, the stronger it will grow for your spouse as well!
Day 5: Pray that he has a strong desire to walk with God daily and be a Godly head of the household. Pray that he seeks God’s will as you two make your decisions.
Day 6: Pray for his protection. Not just physically from harm, but also from temptations of the world.
Day 7: Pray for your husband as a father to your children. To be a good, shinning example of what a man who walks with the Lord looks like. Don’t have children yet? Pray for your future children or for the way your husband interacts with the children in your family.
Day 8: Pray for him to be a good steward of your finances.
Day 9: Pray for his family. (Your in-laws.) For their health and their lives and relationships with Christ and their relationships they have with you and your husband.
Day 10: Pray for his relationship with your family. (His in-laws.)
Day 11: Pray for his job. That he always works as though he is working for the Lord. Thank God for providing your husband with a job and pray that He is blessed through your husband.
Day 12: Pray for his friendships. Pray that he has good, Godly friends and that those relationships are strengthened.
Day 13: Pray for healing from his past. We all have a past. Some worse than others. Regardless of what lies in his past or what you know, or don’t know, I encourage you to pray that God would heal your husband from past hurt and disappointments. And that he would forgive those who have hurt him in any way.
Day 14: Pray for his confidence. Pray that he knows how deeply loved and worthy he is as a child of God. Pray that he looks to God for his worth and not the things of this world.
Day 15: Pray for your relationship with him. Pray that you both keep God at the center of your marriage. Pray that you both always make decisions based on God’s will for your marriage. Pray that you both choose words that will lift each other up.
Day 16: Pray for him to be bold in his faith. With his daily decisions, at his job and just in his every day life.
Day 17: Pray for him to be quick to forgive. Don’t just pray that he forgives you quickly, but that he is quick to forgive anyone and doesn’t hold onto resentment.
Day 18: Pray for him to have a strong prayer life and to be praying for you and your family. When praying through the Holy Spirit there is so much power. If your husband is praying for your lives together daily, that is a true blessing.
Day 19: Pray for your physical intimacy as a couple. Pray that you two grow stronger in your love and desire for each other more each day.
Day 20: Pray for your husband’s honesty. Pray for him to be honest, not only with you. But also at work and in his every day life. Let his yes be yes, and his no be no. Pray that God would help him not lie and be a man of virtue and truth.
Day 21: Pray that he leans on the strength of God and not on his own strength. Pray for him to always seek God’s strength first to get through tough times. Ask God to give him the strength both physically and mentally to get through each day victoriously.
Day 22: Pray that God breaks the chains of any addiction your husband may have. This may not seem relevant to everyone, but you don’t know, what you don’t know. Meaning, there may be something hidden in your husband’s life that he struggles with that he hasn’t told you about. Whether he struggles with something big or small, I encourage you to be praying that God breaks the chains of any addiction that may have a hold on your husband.
Day 23: Pray for your husband’s future. Ask God to go before him each day and guide him in the ways he should go. Pray that your husband leans on God to make good decisions daily not only for himself, but you as a couple for your future.
Day 24: Pray for him to repent and turn from his sins. Ask God to convict your husband’s heart of any sin and that he repents humbly before God. Ask Him to help your husband see his sins clearly as sins, and not only repent from them, but turn from them.
Day 25: Pray that your husband’s mind stays focused on God. Ask God to help your husband keep his eyes on God and not get caught up in the things of this world. Ask that God would help him stay focused when things get hard and he’s exhausted both mentally and physically. Ask Him to give your husband peace and comfort to stay in God’s will, not his own.
Day 26: Pray that he is quick to listen. Like it says in James, ask God to help your husband be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to anger. Pray that God helps him truly hear what you and your children are saying and to be present. Ask God to help him not quickly react in anger or defensively to what you say when you two are talking. Pray that the lines of communication between you are strong and open.
Day 27: Pray for your husband’s life to reflect a man who loves God. Pray and ask God to help your husband’s heart truly love and respect God. Ask that He helps your husband’s words and actions display a true follower of Christ. Pray that he makes decisions both in public and in private that would please God above himself.
Day 28: Pray for his faithfulness to you in your marriage. Ask God to keep him faithful both physically and emotionally to you and your marriage. Pray that he has the desire to love and honor your commitment to each other and God, each and every day.
Day 29: Pray for him to find joy and peace in Jesus. Ask God to help your husband find his joy and peace in the Lord and not feel empty and searching for “happiness” in the things of this world. Pray that God would help your husband be filled with joy and comfort and peace that can only be found in Jesus Christ.
Day 30: Pray for continued strength and renewal from God in your marriage each day, forever. Pray that your husband’s relationship with God and you is strengthened and renewed after this month of prayer. Pray that you both live each day from this point on, even more dedicated and in love with each other and with God. And pray that you both always keep Christ as the foundation in your marriage and family.
I hope that you are excited about the upcoming month and all that God can and will do in your marriage. I will be praying for you, that not only will your husband be blessed by these prayers, but that you are as well. I know that your heart will be changed by the end of the month and pray that your husband’s heart is as well. I look forward to hearing how this went for you!
It’s almost a new year, which means that most people are making a list of their resolutions. If we’re being honest, I bet that your list (whether you wrote one out or you were just thinking of things you want to work on in the new year) includes either something about losing weight, making more money or eating better. Am I right? Go ahead. Be honest. I can’t hear your answer, so no worries. ;)
Why, do we year after year make the same lists for the upcoming year? Why are they always something like, “This year I will lose 10lbs. I will work out more. I will hustle harder and make more money.” I can’t help but wonder why aren’t our lists more like, “This year I will stop hating my body. I will look at my life, my body and my belongings as beautiful, gifts from God. This year I pray that my heart is aligned with God’s heart for me. That His will is my will.“ That is what I am praying for this year. I want to SEE THE GOOD. Yes, I know life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows! Heck, for me sometimes it feels like anything but that. But throughout the storms, throughout the pain, the trials, the ups and downs, I want to SEE THE GOOD. Because when your heart is aligned with God’s, and your eyes are on Him, there is ALWAYS something good to be seen.
I know a lot of people pick a word for the new year, and I too have done that the last several years. But this year, I feel like more than just picking “a word,” I want to focus on a lifestyle. A life so filled with hope in Christ that I overflow with joy and grace to myself and others. A life that each day is glorifying to God. I want to keep my eyes on Him and give Him my day, each and EVERY day.
I encourage you to take some time over the next few days to pray and seek God’s will for your life in this upcoming year. If you need help getting your prayer started, here is a short prayer to pray.
Dear Lord, I ask that you align my heart with yours. I pray that you give me the desire to do your will and not my own. Help me keep my eyes on you Lord each and every day, and not on myself or my problems. Lord, help me do everything I do for your glory. I thank you for this new year and praise you for all that you have already done and are going to do. In Jesus name, Amen.
I am praying for you all. Each and every one of you who are reading this now. I pray that you are able to keep your eyes on the Lord and His will for your life. I pray that you are blessed with health and are full of joy through Christ.
*EDITED 11/2022 This was written in 2019 and I don’t think Hallmark movies, especially Christmas movies are as good anymore. But these are all great oldie but goodies ;)* I get asked often, what my favorite Hallmark movies are. So I thought I’d share some of my favorite Christmas movies from the last few years, for you to keep your eye out for them on your TV this Christmas season.
There are several things I look for in a Hallmark movie for it to be on this list. Most importantly is, “Would I watch this again?” and every movie on this list I would and have watched several times. In fact, a few of them I have probably watched at least 10 times. Yes, haha seriously!
I not only look for a movie that is cute and romantic, but a fun story line. I love when the story takes a different twist. Also, humorous. I love to laugh, so when a movie has me laughing that is even better! But, of course there are times you just want a more heart felt movie and I have a few of those on this list too.
All of the movies I picked for this list are ones I watch year after year (with the exception of Christmas under the Stars, which is from this year 2019.) Several of them are on my DVR all year long and I watch them when I’m longing for the Holidays. I broke the movies down into two categories but no category outweighs the other. They are all cute and funny and heartfelt movies.
Top 5 in no particular order:
Window Wonderland. –Super cute and funny! Paul Campbell is in this one and he is one of my favorites! He is such an authentic character. You really find yourself feeling like he genuinely cares about the people he is acting with. He and Chyler Leigh are store employees, both going after the window dressing job at a big department store during Christmastime. You are taken along with them during the holidays and family time all while watching them both create their window displays leading up to the big Christmas window display. I highly recommend this movie.
A Very Merry Mix-Up. –I don’t want to spoil this for you. Even though if you look up this movie, it will tell you what happens. Haha. :) But if you don’t know, don’t spoil it by reading what happens. Just watch it. You won’t be disappointed. It is different from other Christmas movies because of the “mix-up” and that mix up reminds you that, timing is everything! It is a super sweet story and I watch this every year. I actually just watched this the other day.
Christmas Getaway. –The actors are both from the show, The Last Ship which my husband and I used to watch. Travis Van Winkle and Bridget Regan. They are both great actors which helps make this a great movie. A travel writer and a widower and his daughter end up at the same Christmas lodge due to being double booked and the travel writer finds herself living out a good old fashioned Christmas for the first time since she was a child, thanks to a Christmas check-list the widower’s daughter is working on. Super cute movie.
Debbie Macomber’s Trading Christmas. –This one is an oldie, but a goodie. It’s from 2011 and the actors are a little older, but they are all really funny and great established actors outside of Hallmark. I watch this movie like clockwork at the start of every Christmas season. The story line is super cute with a widowed mom (Faith Ford) who tries to surprise her daughter in college by flying across the country to visit her for Christmas but when she gets there her daughter is out of town with her friends. She does a house swap and she meets a new love interest (her house swap guy’s brother.) Simultaneously Faith Ford’s friend travels across the country to visit her, but finds out she is doing a house swap and meets the house swap tenant and love unfolds…..Super cute!
The Christmas Ornament. This is a heartfelt and sweet movie. It stars Kellie Martin which I love and Cameron Mathison. Kathy (Kellie Martin) plans to avoid any holiday traditions that bring back memories of her late husband until she receives an ornament from a handsome shop owner. She keeps looking for signs from her late husband on what to do, as its her first Christmas without him and through a very sweet friend and a new budding romance, she finds that you can open your heart to love after loss. It has cookie baking and Christmas trees and ice skating and love. Everything you could ask for in a Christmas movie. Just watched this one. So sweet!
CUTE. These movies are all plain old sweet. Classically cute, and funny Hallmark Christmas movies.
Crown for Christmas. -Danica McKeller is one of my favorites so naturally this is on my list. A maid (Danica) in a fancy hotel gets fired right before Christmas. One of the King’s servants who was staying there at the time, overheard what happened and offers her a job as a governess to the King’s daughter. The girl is opposed to her being her governess at first, but then starts warming up to her and decides that she would be a better match for her father than the Countess who he is supposed to marry.
Christmas Getaway.
Coming Home for Christmas. -Danica McKeller stars in this sweet movie as well and is about a family coming together for Christmas, thanks to Danica’s character who reminds them of some of their favorite Christmas memories and traditions. There is also a little love triangle going on. Two brothers fighting for her affection.
Help for the Holidays – This is one we all watch together as a family every year. It is about one of Santa’s elves that goes to a family disguised as a nanny at Christmastime and helps them remember the meaning of Christmas and the importance of family. Grab a cup of hot chocolate and your family and cozy up to watch this one!
One Starry Christmas -An older one, but a favorite for sure. Reminding you to take a chance and not be afraid. And my favorite story line of all, timing is everything!
A Very Merry Mix-Up.
A Christmas Melody. -Lacy Chabert is a single mother who moves back to her hometown and reconnects with her past. Mariah Carey is one of the (not so friendly) mom’s at the new school her daughter goes to. There is music, love, Christmas magic and Santa. Really cute!
Love you like Christmas. – Timing is everything! Let’s just leave it at that. Love this one!
Holiday Engagement. -Another oldie but goodie! 2011, Bonnie Somerville gets dumped just before Christmas and she is going home for the holidays so she hires an actor to stand in as her boyfriend….little does she know, he is actually falling in love with her.
Debbie Macomber’s Dashing through the Snow. -Totally different story line. Really cute with two great actors. My favorite, Andrew Walker and Meghan Ory. She gets stranded at the airport at Christmastime and accepts a ride from Andrew Walker who isn’t honest about who he is…..
Debbie Macomber’s Trading Christmas.
Christmas Next Door.
A Christmas Detour. -Candace Cameron Bure and Paul Greene are traveling during the holidays and become stranded. They don’t like each other much because she is stressed about getting to her fiance’s home for Christmas in time to meet his family before their upcoming wedding and Paul Greene is trying to do anything but get home for Christmas because he is hurt about something in the past….
Window Wonderland.
HEARTFELT. These are all a little more sentimental and tug at your heart strings.
Christmas in Evergreen (there is also a Christmas in Evergreen, Letters to Santa. Both are cute.)
Christmas in Angel Falls.
Miss Christmas.
A Christmas to Remember
A Bramble House Christmas.
Christmas under the Stars.
The Christmas Ornament.
I hope this list helps you get your Christmas movie watching off too a great start. There are more movies I could probably add to this list, but these are my all time favorites, that never disappoint! If you watch any of these, I’d love to hear what you think.
Make sure you are subscribed to my blog to be in the know for my next Hallmark movie list.
Life is not a competition. It’s not a board game, where the person who collects the most money and property wins. It’s not about who is the prettiest, the smartest or who has the most followers on social media. Your looks don’t determine your worth and neither does your career, your relationship status or how many upcoming coffee dates are on your calendar. Your worth and beauty are found in Christ. You will find that you are most satisfied in life, and will feel the most beautiful when you are glorifying God by letting HIM shine through you. Not shining so that others can see you.
There are so many movements now telling us to “love our bodies,” to be “who you are,” and to show ourselves “self care.” People are eating this stuff up all while forgetting that the truth of most people’s unhappiness about themselves lies in the fact that they are only working on making their outsides beautiful. So why aren’t we trying to live and love like Jesus and not like the “Influencers” on social media? Why aren’t we trying to make our HEARTS beautiful?
Answer me honestly….Don’t worry, I can’t hear your answer. Are you spending more time making sure that your outside is beautiful, rather than your inside? Read that again and be honest. When was the last time, you spent honest to goodness quality time in the Word? When was the last time you prayed a heart felt prayer of THANKSGIVING not just a prayer listing your requests to God. What is your heart’s desire? Do you want people to know YOU? Or are you shining a light so that others can see God through you?
We spend so much time and money working on our outwards appearance. We do our hair, nails, makeup. We go to the esthetician and get a facial. We color our hair to hid our grays hoping to erase a few years off our age. BUT imagine if we just spent half that time working on our hearts. Digging deeper in the Word. Spending quiet time with God. Working on making our inner beauty more beautiful than our outer beauty.
A super simple prayer that I have said for as long as I can remember is, “Lord, let my inner beauty shine through my face.” You see. I have struggled with pretty bad acne since I was a teenager and there were many days I didn’t want people to see MY face. I instead wanted them to see my heart, because I knew it was beautiful because Jesus rules it. It’s funny how hard most people work on making sure they look good all while forgetting that looks fade, but a beautiful heart of someone who loves the Lord will never fade.
Friends, I encourage you to spend more time focusing on making your inner beauty more beautiful. And if you want, pray that simple prayer I shared with you. “Lord, let my inner beauty shine through my face.” I promise that if you wholeheartedly work on your inner beauty and seek the Lord and His will for your life, people will notice. Your inner beauty will shine through your face and no one can ever dull that sparkle.
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Psalm 31:30
It is so easy to look back on life and think about all the things you could have done (better, faster or just done period.) Asking yourself, “What is my purpose?” TODAY I urge you to look back at things with a different perspective. I want you to look back and see your life through God’s eyes. See all the good. See all the small victories and accomplishments and CELEBRATE them! Don’t get caught up in the “what ifs” and the “should haves.” That will only weigh you down.
