Inspirational Sunday

Relationship 101

Stage 3: The Honeymoon

Congratulations! You had just made a commitment to enter into a relationship or I would prefer to say, courtship. Courtship defined by Joshua Harris in his book, "Boy Meets Girl, Say Hello to Courtship" is that its a relationship between a man and a woman who are actively and intentionally together to consider marriage. Having said that, this is extremely crucial stage. This is when of course, where you will laugh together and be in each other embrace and will be running through your partner's mind all day and night. This is a stage where you need to seek God together and also individually, be transparent and accountable to your church pastor about your relationship.

You may ask, but am I ready for a relationship? Or you may be very certain and your heart is pounding and have butterflies in your stomach but please take time to read this and let us together open our heart towards what the word of God says about relationships. :) 
Here it is the plain hard truth from Cords of 3 Strand:

Am I ready for a relationship?

Jul 30, 2012 by Cord of 3 Strands

from actlikeaman.org

This question has been the conversation in the minds of a lot of single people out there – whether young or old alike. And it indeed is a valid question as I and a lot of other leaders and pastors have been asked the same one in different variations over and over again.

This entry has been inspired by a conversation between me and my mentor and friend pastor Joby Soriano while we were going home after he spoke in B1G Night. It’s been a long while since I’ve blogged about relationships.

 “What’s the sign that I can enter a relationship?”

    “How can I tell if I’m ready?”

     “Am I  going to pursue her?”

 “Is it time for me to entertain suitors?”

Has this question or something quite like it ever crossed your mind? I know it crossed mine. At some point in time we find ourselves longing for a mutual relationship with the opposite sex. It is natural. It is God-designed. It is how we are supposed to be.But it ain’t so wise to just indulge yourself in a relationship without counting the costs.

When you build a house, count the cost.

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? – Luke 14:28

So as when you want build a home (which, by the way, should be your goal when entering a relationship),you better have the cost all figured out.

First thing I tell people who ask me about this question is: Are you financially stable?

Why is this my first question? Simple. Because the vast majority who ask me this question already gets ruled out when it comes to finances. Are you able to support yourself? Howbout a partner? Howbout a family? As my current discipler, Aumar Aguilar tells our group: “Don’t save up for the wedding, save up for marriage.”

If your answer is no then I’d probably tell you straight to your face that you’re not ready yet.

Know your capabilities when it comes to finances. Money is always a factor when it comes to building a family. Don’t ever think otherwise.

A Question of faith

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” – Matthew 6:33

Second thing I ask is: How is your spiritual walk with God?  How is your quiet time?I ask this question because obviously, it is of utmost importance that you know your ultimate goal in life – which is to please and glorify God. Involving yourself in a relationship without knowing and having that goal in your heart will make you lose focus and will definitely not help out in your pursuit of God. If you cannot love an infinite God, how much more can you love a man or a woman who is finite and who will someday, somehow disappoint you?

If your focus is right, and your heart is in pursuit of God, then He will be the one to let things fall into place with you and your future partner in life. You just have to know Him first and be able to trust Him completely that He knows what is best for you, who is best for you and what time is going to be best for you in all aspects of your life.

When it all boils down to a choice

“Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment” – Proverbs 4:7

Third thing I ask: Are you pursuing wisdom? Do you think you can make wise choices?

Wisdom and humility is always something to pursue. It is more precious than anything this world can offer. It is something that should be held in high regard. It is my favorite gift from God that He has given to man. It is vitally important for me to ask this question because wisdom will be essential in guiding you through a relationship and consequently, through marriage.

There will be times when life offers you extremely difficult choices. And when push comes to shove and life shakes you, you have to make wise decisions. If you can’t seem to make them now, then how much more can you make them when you’re into a relationship? The consequences will double –and when you make the wrong one, you’ll bring a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering not only to yourself but to your partner and to your family.

Get wisdom. Read books, look for mentors, walk with God and ask Him for His wisdom.

Feelings come and go

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” – Jeremiah 17:9

Fourth thing I ask: How is your emotional stability?

Emotions will sway you here and there. It is deceitful. If you aren’t careful, you will be swayed and get sidetracked off your walk with God. Especially so when troubles come your way to shake your relationship. If your thoughts and wisdom are not in control of your emotions, your emotions will be the one to dictate your thoughts – and that becomes extremely dangerous, both for you and your partner.

Emotions are a very powerful thing. It can make you laugh, cry, it can make you buy things, it can kill you through worry, it can do a lot of things to your body and thoughts. Therefore emotions directly affects your decisions. And as I’ve mentioned earlier, decision making is explicitly crucial in handling relationships.

Feelings come and go. And if you’re not wise to differentiate, suppress, delay or let out your emotions then it’s going to greatly affect your relationship in a way that’s also consequently going to be emotional for your partner. Know how to be wise over your emotions.

Live to love

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own” – 1 Corinthians 6:19

Last thing I ask: Are you mindful of your physical health?

I always tell people,”if you really love your family, you will take care of your health to live long for them because they love you.” Being physically healthy goes a long way. It is just as important in a relationship as wisdom is. Loving someone is wanting the best for that person therefore if you are giving yourself to that person you MUST be in your best physical condition and you have to take care of that.

In order to take care of your future spouse and family, you have to be healthy. Otherwise it is your family who will take care of you. Do not neglect the physical aspect of your life. Your body is regarded very highly being declared to as the temple of the Holy Spirit. No, not a garden of the Holy Spirit, not a home of the Holy Spirit, but a TEMPLE. So regard it as such when it comes to your future spouse and family.

Keep these in mind

All these things have to be developed now. Don’t start when you “fall in love”. Start loving your future partner in life and family NOW.

I am currently reading Joshua Harris's book :),

I hope that I will be able to do a review soon on Boy Meets Girl. He is also the author of "I Kissed Dating Goodbye."

 If you've not read either one I strongly urge you to do grab one and read it and let it sink deep into your heart and spirit as we allow God to give us revelation and guidance about and in our relationships.

I didn't really have time to share my thoughts and expound on this stage this week but I'll be leaving you with this: 

God's Will

Dating and Courtship

God bless!!! :)

1 John 4:9

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁹ In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

(Notes and articles taken from Cords of 3 Strands)

Hair Friday: TBD's 1950's Inspired Ponytail

Its another feature from thebeautydepartment.com! Check it out! ;)

hair

1950′s INSPIRED PONYTAIL

photos + post: Kristin Ess

Golly gee, we love very vintage-inspired ponytail. This is what I like to call the “Barbie Pony” when talking to a client. It’s got a part, a little volume + some soft bouncy curls. This particular version is a very wearable one. If you want to get a little more dramatic, you’re welcome to put as much volume and curl as you want! There are a LOT of steps in this tutorial, but that’s only because we wanted to be as detailed as possible. Alright, here we go…

1. Start with clean dry hair. If your hair isn’t perfectly clean, give it a little shot of dry shampoo! You can do a side part or a center part– which ever you feel is more flattering to your face shape.
2. Make a diagonal section starting at your part and going down in front of your ear.
3. You can see exactly where we parted here…
4. and here. Now clip the hair from the front section up and save that for later.
5. Give the hair a nice tease on top in your “crown area”.
6. Smooth over the teased hair using the finer side of the comb so it doesn’t appear too ratty. At this point you can give the top a little spray if you want to!
7. Now, put all the hair in the back into a nice, high, secure ponytail. It’s okay if you end up flattening out the teased bump a little bit because…
8. You can use a tail comb to pull it back up. As long as there’s teased hair under there, you can get that volume back.
9. Next we take out the front section. Take one side and drape it over the ponytail holder. Use a little spray to hold it in place if you need to.
10. Use small bobby pins to secure the pieces you’re wrapping around the ponytail holder.
11. Repeat the same thing on the other side. If hair falls out of this section or doesn’t reach, you can just let it fall and/or tuck it behind your ear.
12. Curl all of the hair in the ponytail. I like to curl everything in the same direction on each side so that you get a pattern going, but you can definitely make a more messy curl if you’d rather.
13. It’s completely up to you whether you brush the ponytail curls out or not. I personally like t0 brush them because the ponytail gets fuller and more bouncy.
14. Check the back using a hand mirror and make sure it looks balanced. Give it a final veil of strong holding hairspray.

Good luck dolls!

Matthew 6:33

New King James Version (NKJV)

³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

(Article from thebeautydepartment.com) 

Accessories Thursday: Wire Ring

I've been really into DIY wire rings this few days. So here are my favourite tutorials:

Spiral, wrap around and heart ring

feat. SecretLifeOfaBioNerd

Treble clef ring

 Love ring

feat. WHOAAASTEPHANIE\

Hope double finger ring

feat.  traceybeauty

Bow ring

feat. ChubbyBunniBear

Matthew 28:18-20

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore^[a] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.^[b]

^{(Tutorials are from Youtube)}

Shoes Thursday: DIY Sneakers

Revamping your good ol' sneaker. ;)

I'm working on a DIY sneaker myself. I'm sewing on sequins on and making it a gradient. 

The pictures of my progress are at the end of this post. :)

 Use a Sharpie and let your imagination do the work

 

Put on a mixture of glue and glitter onto your sneaker

Stud it!

 

Stick on rhinestones

Use acrylic paint or nail polish to create the leopard print

My DIY:

Not really done yet. The next gradient colour will be black. But I do admit that the gradient colour is a lil too harsh. :( Oh well, hope it'll look blended from far.

Psalm 31:24

New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁴ Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.

(Images from Yahoo/Google images)

Nailspiration Tuesday: Mooing Nails

Yeap, you guessed it, cow nails! :D 

Talk about animal print! ;)

 I found this on the internet and thought it was really cute so I decided to give it a go. :)

What you'll need:

Top coat, base coat, base colour (white), soft pink polish (for the nose), black polish (for the spots), dotting tool, paper, q-tip & nail polish remover.

Steps:

1. Start off with your favourite top coat to protect your nails from discolouration. Next, paint on two thin coats or white polish. Wait for it to dry in between coats.

2. Take your soft pink polish and create a semi-circle at the edge of your nails. You can have as many cows as you want. For me I had it on my thumb and my fourth finger.

Tip: For an accent nail design, have the cow on your fourth finger and have the rest plain only with the black spots.

3. Use a dotting tool and dot two dots of black polish rather closely on the pick semicircle to create the nose. Then do the same for the eyes above the pink nose but have them further apart.

4. Take your black polish and dispense a little of it unto a paper. Using the dotting tool again, dip into the puddle of black polish and dot it randomly unto each nails creating the spots.

And moo, you're done!

Isaiah 43:2-3

New King James Version (NKJV)

² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Fashion Monday: High Waisted

 The high waisted trend has been around for quite some time but its still fabulous! ;)

Skirts:

 Shorts:

 

 

Trousers:

Romans 5:3-4

New King James Version (NKJV)

³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

(Images taken from Yahoo/Google images)

Inspirational Sunday

Relationship 101

Happy Sunday! Its time again for me to open up and share my thoughts on a subject we are engaged in now, relationship. If you do remember from the previous week, it was Stage 1:Meeting. So now we'll dive into:

Stage 2: The Chase

 Like how the video depicts, this stage is usually the best part in a relationship (although I hope and pray that it continues to be a beautiful relationship :) ). Its when you talk on the phone for hours, go to movies together, stroll together in parks or even doing things that you did not like before or thought it seemed dull and boring suddenly became fun and enjoyable when you are with that special someone. Magical isn't it? :') 

And then as soon as the opportunity comes, you commit into a love relationship. God has made us to worship Him, to love Him and to love others. 

• ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”³⁷ Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’^{[a] 38} This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’^{[b] 40} On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”-Matthew 22:36-40, New King James Version (NKJV)

Falling in love is not a crime but we should always strive for God's best, what He has bestowed for us. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that your initial attitude and mindset in starting a relationship is. Many relationship and marriages break down nowadays are because we commit into a certain relationship with the wrong reasons and/or  weak foundation in His word. 

 

• ³ Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established. - Proverbs 16:3, New King James Version (NKJV)

• ³⁰ Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. - Proverbs 31:30, New King James Version (NKJV)

•  ²⁴ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. -Genesis 2:24, New King James Version (NKJV)
•   ²² Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. ²⁴ Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. ³⁰ For we are members of His body,^[a] of His flesh and of His bones. ³¹ “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”^{[b] 32} This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. ³³ Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. -Ephesians 5:22-33, New King James Version (NKJV)
  
  
  This article opens the eyes of our heart and makes us question ourself if we are really engaging in a relationship for the right reasons:      
  For men-  http://cordof3strands.org/courtship/2-wrong-reasons-why-men-pursue-women-today/

  
  For women- http://cordof3strands.org/courtship/10-things-i-want-to-tell-single-women/
  
  I really hope that you will have an open heart in reading these articles so that you can have the right and godly attitude toward a relationship/courtship.
  
  More inspirational articles on http://cordof3strands.org/.
  
  LORD, we thank You that You have a plan for us. Not to harm us but to prosper us and to give us a hope and a future. We commit our attitudes, mindsets and expectations in a relationship into Your hands. LORD we pray that our current relationship will be for Your glory. If we are not in one yet, we pray and wait upon You to send us to the right one in Your time. Meanwhile, prepare us, O LORD. Nevertheless, let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven and we submit lovingly into Your will, amen!
  
  

  Psalm 37:4

  New King James Version (NKJV)
  ⁴ Delight yourself also in the Lord,
  And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
  
  
  (Image from Yahoo images and bible verses from biblegateway.com)
  
  

Hair Friday: Feat. TBD's Double Rope Braid Bun

 I came across this hair article and thought it was an awesome idea so I decided to feature it in today's Hair Friday. This article is from http://thebeautydepartment.com/.

hair

DOUBLE ROPE BRAID BUN

photos/post/graphic design: Kristin Ess

Some days you put your hair up in a ballerina bun or a sock bun and it just looks… blah. This tutorial shows us how to add volume + texture to a bun in order to make it a little more interesting. We’re basically using 2 rope braids to create the bun which still looks very simple + chic, but far from boring. Let’s get started:

1. Put your hair in two ponytails using the thin ponytail holders, not the thick ones. The thin ones will be easier to hide. Be sure they’re as close to your hair color as possible.
2. Make both ponytails into rope braids. (A rope braid, for those of  you who don’t know, is just 2 pieces of hair twisted around each other.) Tie them off with the small clear elastics.
3. Loosen up the rope braids using your fingers. This will “fatten” up the braid and give the bun a lot more volume. If you find that little pieces start falling out, just twist them back in and spray your favorite strong hold hairspray.
4. Take the rope braid from your back right (as you see in the photo), lay it “up and over” going counter-clockwise, securing it with strong-holding bobby pins as you go.
5. Tuck the tail of that rope braid under the bottom of the next braid (as you see in the photo). This should completely conceal the tail of the first braid.
6. Now bring the tail of the next braid counter-clockwise, coiling it into the center. You’re essentially making a “snail shape”. Be sure to pin as you go.
7. Last, grab a hand mirror. Check the back to see if you need to loosen up any pieces to make it fuller– or maybe you’ll need to add bobbypins and tighten some pieces. Add an over all veil of hairspray to secure fly-aways.

Good luck! Tweet us a photo when you try it!

Romans 5:8

New King James Version (NKJV)
⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Accessories Thursday: DIY Collar

Remember a while back I did a Fashion Monday on Collar Craze? Well today, we can learn how to DIY from our Youtube gurus. Enjoy! :)

feat. lilcammo93

feat. AlisonisCrafty

feat. clothesencounters

feat. bonjourbellachic

Proverbs 31:30

New King James Version (NKJV)

³⁰ Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

(DIY tutorials are from Youtube)

Shoe Wednesday: Fitting Your Shoe

Has this ever happened to you:  
Found the perfect shoe but your size went out of stock?

Here's the solution ;)

How to stretch your shoes:

1. Shoe stretcher 

You can bring it back to the shop where you purchased your shoe and ask them to stretch it for or you can also bring it to a cobbler. Otherwise, get your own set of shoe stretchers but they can be pretty pricey sometimes.

 2. Using ice

feat. MichellePhan

3. Using a potato

Another way to stretch shoes is by softening them, which you can do with peeled potatoes. Slip a peeled potato inside each shoe and let them sit for about 24 hours. Slip the shoes on after you remove the potatoes. The shoes may still feel tight, but after several minutes, the softened leather will expand around your feet.

4. Using alcohol

Use alcohol to stretch leather easily. Dab some alcohol onto a cotton ball and rub it over the outside of your shoes. This will probably take the finish off the shoes, so make sure you have polish on hand to restore the shine when you're finished. The alcohol safely moistens the shoe without damaging the leather. Put the shoes on after rubbing them down and wear them for the rest of the day--this should stretch out the leather.

5. Using socks

Put your shoes on over thick socks to help stretch them out. This will likely make them feel extremely tight and uncomfortable, however, when you remove the socks and shoes after a few hours of wear, the shoes will have expanded slightly.

How to shrink shoes:
1. Use heat
http://www.ehow.com/how_6160889_shrink-shoes-big.html 

2. Bring it to a cobbler
Bring your shoes to a cobbler and ask that if your shoe can be shrinked to the perfect size

 Philippians 2:3-4

New King James Version (NKJV)

³ Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ⁴ Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

(Methods from Youtube and ehow and image from Yahoo/Google)

Nailspiration Tuesday: Gradient Nails

As I promised, Gradient Nails ♡

What you'll need:

Top coat, base coat, base colour (turquoise), gradient colour (black), glitter nail polish (I used a few in different sizes of glitter), foundation sponge/ sponge, q-tip, nail polish remover.

Steps:

1. Start off with a base coat then when fully dried, paint on two thin coats of the base coat (turquoise) or until opaque.Wait a lil for it to dry completely.

2. Get a sponge of your choice and drip a little polish to create the gradient (black). Dab it gently on a paper to blot out excess or until you are happy with the consistency then dab it until about 3/4 of your nail.

3. Repeat step 2 but only do 1/2 of the nail.

4. Repeat step 2 and only do the tips.

5. Wait for it to dry then apply the glitter polish concentrating on the gradient area and add some extra glitters in various sizes if you like. :)

DONE! 

Isaiah 54:17

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁷ No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.

Fashion Monday: Scallop Trend

Trending now: Scallop Trim 

Tops:

Bottoms:

 

Dresses:

 

Galatians 2:20

New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 

(Images form Yahoo/Google images)