How to Have a #GodMoment

Ever wonder how others around you know more, experience more, or appear to have more? The phrase, "Nothing comes free or without hard work" is true. Think about it… others know more or have more because they have invested their time and energy into something they have deemed important and have worked hard toward achieving the set goal(s). Knowing God is just as simple, really. In order to know more about Him, hear Him, and to have "God moments," we must invest. Knowing God does not happen magically without hard work, possible persecution, or change, but is free if you are willing to invest. 

As I continue to grow in my faith, I have found the following tools to be very helpful in allowing me to experience #GodMoments. My prayer is that you'll too find them helpful!

1. Use quiet time effectively. As good as a quick nap often feels, spare minutes of your day can be spent reading a Bible verse or two, praying, or journaling. You may also consider creating a specific time each day to work on your devotions; consistency works! 

2. Journal. As a psychiatric nurse, I can tell you that journaling is very therapeutic for your mind and soul. Whether or not you enjoy journaling is either here nor there. If you lack a mentor or close friend, utilize sheets of paper and a pen to express your thoughts. Also, journaling can help you identify common themes. If you're wondering what you should study or work on, read previous journal entries you have created.

3. Roadtrip to the bookstore. Find a Christian study on an area of life you are struggling with or seeking to grow in. If you are interested in a study or book, you're much more likely to read/study it. 

4. Use a concordance. In the back of your Bible there is a very valuable resource known as the concordance. If you are seeking to learn about a particular subject or topic, find the word or related word, and you're instantly provided with a list of Bible verses that are directly related to the subject you are wanting to research. 

5. Surround yourself in Christian fellowship. You are a product of your environment. If you are surrounded by those who believe in God, it becomes easier to learn, grow, and be more fully aware of #GodMoments. Join a Bible study or find a positive mentor and see how your faith changes and expands. Also, those positive individuals in your life can help you identify #GodMoments that you thought were just coincidences.

6. Make it a priority, not a chore. If you are willing to invest your time, results will happen.

7. Be patient. Easier said than done, I know! God's timing is His timing; don't rush Him. Continue to research, learn, and grow to see what it is God wants you to know. Answers may come years from now or maybe never in your earthly lifetime but God's got it handled perfectly. 

8. Accept. Change is hard and often unappreciated. Be prepared for God's answer that may be different than yours and don't lose faith. In order to achieve goals and grow in our faith, we must be adaptable and accepting. 

Inspirational Coffee Mug

Believe it or not, I created these handmade, inspirational coffee mugs today and in less than one hour! These mugs are simple, fun, and unique. Nobody else in the world will have one like your's! Follow the step-by-step instructions below to create your very own and unique coffee mug! Consider these a great gift idea too; fill them with all the necessities needed for a cup of cocoa, tea, or coffee, add a little tag and voila! Also, check out God First Friends, the blog created by my mother and her friend; you'll be provided with daily, Godly devotional content.

Supplies Needed:

Coffee Mug(s)

White Vinegar

Cotton Rounds/Pads

Sharpie Marker(s)

Baking Sheet and Kitchen Oven

Directions: 

1. Throughly wash and dry the coffee mug of your choice using soap and water. Ensure the mug is completely dry. 

2. Apply a small amount of white vinegar to a cotton pad/round and clean the surface(s) where you are intending to use your impressive penmanship. Let your mug dry thoroughly again. 

3. Using a Sharpie marker, (Note: Colors other than black do change when they are heated in the hot oven!) create the design of your choice on the surface you just cleaned and let dry, ensuring you do not touch the ink! 

4. Place your coffee mug(s) on a baking sheet. Do not preheat your oven! Place your mug in the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees. By not preheating your oven, you can ensure your mug will still be in one piece after 30 minutes :)

5. After 30 minutes of baking, open your oven door slightly but do not remove your mug(s). Let them cool completely!

6. Do not wash or use your mug(s) for 24 hours after baking to ensure the ink remains permanent! By tomorrow however, your mug is usable. 

Je t'aime

{Lippy sweater via here}

First things first, Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you're up to your ears in mounds of delicious candy, beautiful flower bouquets, and glittering jewels! Haha, but really… Happy Valentine's Day!  

I'd be lying if I said I didn't fall into the commercialization trap of this holiday; not only do I fall victim to all of the shimmering cards, sweet candy, heart-shaped anythings, and the associated girly colors, but I find the meaning of this holiday to be all too terrific... "Je t'aime (I love you)." What if we truly dedicated ourselves to truly loving the people around us each and every day whether they be family, friends, or even strangers? Don't you think the world would be such a friendlier and more loving place if we loved every day like God loves us?

As you celebrate this Valentine's holiday, don't forget that you and those closest to you are loved most by the Most High! God loves you, all your fears, failures, and aspirations. He is seeking to have ALL of you today and everyday. He made the ultimate sacrifice by sending his son to die on the cross so that we might live! Now that's REAL love! 

Today as you tell your loved ones "Je t'aime," think of the One who loves them (and you) more. Recognize that your loved ones are not yours, but merely borrowed persons from a heavenly father that loves them more than we can fathom! Take time to celebrate God's love and model yourself after the love he shows us daily, hourly, and minute-by-minute. 

Ephesians 5:1-2// "Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior form their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himselft to us. Love like that."

Now go and love; Love like God! XOXO

REAL Love

Without going into too much detail via internet, let me just say… life is rough, life is hard, and life is often messy, really messy! Some life events I've recently been involved with seem like they shouldn't and can't be real. (Pinch! Shoot, I am awake and living!) But here is my most recent and repeated prayer, "Help God! I feel like I'm the main character of a Bible story; hurt and broken, praying for healing, and begging you to teach me how to forgive and love just like you love me. Teach me to also love the unloveable, God."

Love appears superficially to be such a simple concept, but if you take time to further examine it, it is complex. Love can be an idea, thought, emotion, and/or action. Love is patient, kind, forgiving, and often a choice! I guess a better way to say this is, "What isn't love?" 

When we are hurt by individuals or events, it is our natural, earthly inclination to withdraw or lash out. God teaches us that neither is appropriate, ever. Sometimes love hurts and is honest, other times love is patient and sweet. As this week involves Valentine's Day, I challenge you to investigate with me what love really is. Seek help from a Godly devotional, a Godly individual, or your Bible's concordance to understand God's love; for if we strive to understand God's love we will have a clear picture of what love truly is. If you find it difficult to love someone this week simply ask God, "Help me" and listen for a response and seek scripture as soon as possible, as this is where most of our direct answers from God come from. Be willing to do your part in understanding REAL love.

Also, do not let your heart, mind, or society decide how you will love, for all are deceitful. Seek one source, God, for true direction in understanding and showing love. 

1 John 4:19//"We love because he first loved us."

P.S. If you have a SmartPhone, download the free 'Bible' app. After the app is downloaded, register yourself in the 'Plan' titled "Why Does God Love Me?" You'll be provided with daily Bible verses that I've found helpful in explaining God's love and how we are to love others.

Happy Valentine's week lovely readers! 

#BeYourSelfie

ALERT! 
This post contains a pledge that I strongly urge you to take daily, weekly, and moment-by-moment, just like I do. Now, recite...

"I, (insert your name here), am beautiful. I am created in the very image of my heavenly Father. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I love my quirks, my flaws, and every imperfection that makes me, me! Nobody is like me, and for that reason I am a crucial, vital vessel to the world that can make a positive change." 

I bet if I asked you to state 5 things you disliked about your body or self you could list that many or more, right? One of my goals with 360º Girl is to help girls and women establish self-confidence, learn to embrace their imperfections, and to love their bodies. My frustration with this world and the society we live in is MONSTROUS. I'm personally tired of being fed to believe that my appearance is to be perfect, always. I don't know about you, but I can't keep up. I'm tired, making little to no progress in obtaining optimal beauty, and feel like I've not enough money in the bank to acquire the perfect skin, smile, hair, and nails. I've taken THE pledge. Together, let's make perfection the enemy! 

As far as I'm concerned, there is one standard I have to live up to and that's God's. Remember, God is only concerned with that beautiful heart of yours. Oh, and can I mention that as I'm writing this post, Franscesca Battistelli's song "Free to Be Me" just came on. "Holy" cow; God is so awesome!

"On my own, I'm so clumsy but on Your shoulders I can see… I'm free to be me." 

Embrace God today and discover with His help that you are beautiful on the inside and outside. Learn to love yourself, quirks and all. Feel free to share a picture of yourself on social media using #BeYourSelfie being your true "selfie."

So what do ya' say? Let's create a beautiful change in our world being our true selves! Embrace how there is nobody else like you; it's so freeing! Look for more blog posts concerning discovering yourself and embracing the good, bad, and ugly soon! For more inspiration, listen to Britt Nicole's song, "Gold" and read Proverbs 139.14.