No Make-Up March ||

I have never given up anything for lent before, but this year around the Lenten season I began to ask myself, "What could I give up for lent?" A long list of items came into my mind: candy, soda, dairy, gluten, screen time, etc. You know, the usual. But then I asked myself, "How would giving up those items help me to grow?" As that seems to be the intention behind the self-denial, I wanted to be able to gain something through this experience. Giving up sugar might make me slightly more healthy, but would it make a lasting impact? I don't think so. I wanted to force myself to dig deeper. So then I asked myself, "What do I desperately not want to give up for lent?" 

And the answer? Make-up. 

Make-up is my confidence in a bottle, but it also feeds an insecurity as well as uses up my time. So I decided to give up make-up for lent (along with my Pintrest and Facebook iphone apps) and instead use the time it would normally take me in the morning to read a devotional or spend quiet time with God (which seems to be the first thing that falls of my schedule when things get hectic). But this experience included more than just giving God more time in my schedule. It was also about letting Him into the way I think about myself.

Whenever I felt insecure throughout the day, I would force myself to thank God for creating me beautifully in His image. At first it was really hard, and my "thanks" to God was forced and hesitant. In the first week or two, several people told me that I looked tired or asked me if I was ok. That was discouraging because it's not nice to feel like your normal face looks unhappy or defeated. But then It started to slide into place. I began to shift from, "Man, if only I put on a little mascara I would look so much better! Maybe no one would notice if I broke my make-up fast...." to seeing myself as having innate beauty. I mean, I am definitely not anywhere near model status, but I became confident in my exposed skin. But this revelation only came after I'd worked through some insecurities. 

Towards the end if this experiment, my dear friend confronted me on having been really irritated and punchy lately. That stopped me in my tracks. Yes, it is true that I had been under an unusual amount of stress recently, but I also think I was trying to protect my exposed self. Without make-up, I felt more vulnerable. I think I was trying to compensate for that by subconsciously trying to keep people a little further away from me. Wow. Who knew I had those kinds of issues? But you know what? I was forced to address them, and that has caused more growth than I ever would have imagined coming from this project. 

Today is March 29th, my marked end date for this experience. After a month, I finally ceremoniously unzipped my make-up bag. And you know what? There was a difference in the way I thought about this act. Instead of putting on make-up to cover up, I was putting it on to show off the features that God has given me. Instead of trying to counteract the parts of myself that I see as negative, I was playing with the make-up as if it were paint. It was actually fun! I put on the make-up today because it was a joy to experiment with colors instead of putting it on to change what I looked like.

Does that distinction make sense? Because it is revolutionary. 

"Only Paolo can take THIS..."

and THIS, and give you...

a princess."

Yeah, you know what I'm referencing. I definitely had my very own Princess Diaries moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWJ_Sg92epA

I truly did not expect this change in my viewpoint. Honestly, I could never have predicted it! Firstly because I hadn't realized the way I had begun to idolize make-up and secondly because I never thought I could feel so naturally beautiful, as if the make-up was entirely unneeded and only a fun activity. 

And you know what else? At least to me, it proved the truth of this meme. After seeing myself, without make-up for so long, it made my little night of dress-up all the more striking.

So there you have it. One of the hardest things I have ever done has also turned out to be one of the most revealing and transformative things I can ever remember doing. As I move on from this experience, I pray that God will help me to remember what He has taught me: I am fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of my Creator. Imago Dei. Forever and ever amen. 

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"You are all together beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you." -Song of Solomon 4:7

"But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." -1 Peter 3:4

"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come." -Proverbs 31:25

Feel inspired to try the No Make-up challenge? Go for it! Coming up next could be All Natural April, Minimal Make-Up May, Just Me June, etc. I promise you, it will change the way you think. I know it did for me. 

College, Shoes, and Growing Up

 

I'm pretty sure every modern-day teen has their own quirky dad story. You know, the one that makes you both want to hide in a bush from embarrassment and simultaneously laugh out loud, all the while  making you love your daddy just that much more. 

Well, here is my Dad Story of the week:

My dad decided to wear orange tennis shoes. With a full suit. To the first event where I'd ever meet my potential future college classmates (and husband, as my sister so lovingly pointed out) . 

So. We were walking down the Santa Barbara Pier and I was caught up in the moment. I mean, look at this place! AND IT'S MY FUTURE HOME!!!!! God is so good. 

Anyways, I was totally absorbed in the type of pondering that has led my mom to dub me an Old Soul, and I started staring at my dad walking in front of me. And I just starting putting pieces together, you know? 

My dad is so cool! 

When you are little, your dad is your hero. While he is at work, you imagine that he is some sort of Superhero whose job is equitable to Superman or Pajama Sam. Surely he is the most important man in the world, and every minute of attention that he bestows upon you is like a priceless gift, a memory that will be clutched close as you drift off to sleep that night. 

When you are a middle schooler, your dad is annoying. He's alway's trying to preach to you about some boring and frustrating moral lesson. He doesn't understand your problems (even though he tries), and although you love him, you somehow have lost the connection. 

When you are a high schooler, your dad is your rock. He is the one who listens to all of your deepest questions and answers them patiently and thoughtfully. He is the one that makes sense of the chaos and emotions, and he can always be counted on to speak words of strength and comfort. 

Now I am very nearly a college student (crazy, huh?). Who is my dad to me now? 

Well, I think the answer is summed up in his insane orange tennis shoes. 

My dad stands for something. He always has. He stands for love and loyalty, commitment and dedication, originality and strength, accountability and wisdom. He stands for a different way of doing things, and he does not let himself get dragged down by the struggles of a broken world. He rises up to challenges and never condescends. He is quick to speak but quicker to listen. He urges others to a higher standard of living as Christ has called him to the same. The more I think about it, the more I conclude that I could have very likely have been right when I was a little kid: he really is Superman. Actually, he is better than superman because the "S" emblazoned on his chest most assuredly points to his Savior. In everything he does he strives to honor Lord, and he leads our home with a wisdom that I can only pray to achieve. 

As I grow up and head off to college, I realize the foundation that he has given me. 

And I realized it as I was following in the footsteps of his orange shoes on the Santa Barbara Pier. 

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"As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built." Luke 6:47-48

<3

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

"For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it full well." {Ps 139:13-14} 

God is an artist. This world is vibrantly beautiful, and He blesses us through His creation in every breath that we take. He shows His boundless goodness to us in a language that we can understand: the power of the sunrise, a child's beaming smile, the tenderness of a mother's lullaby. • God never ever makes junk. You, my dear friend, are God's beloved, and you are beautifully made in the image of our Savior. ❤️ Never forget that 

//#EatingDisorderAwarenessWeek

http://instagram.com/_emilyann95_

Spotted: LAX Airport

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his Man Card for his daughter." -John 15:13 (Sort of)

"Peace Out, Enjoy Life, Live the Adventure"

Ok, so how many of you guys have heard of Louis Cole?
If you haven't, go check him out. Seriously, do it.
It takes about 21.4 seconds on his Youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/FunForLouis/featured) or about half of that time on his Instragram (http://instagram.com/funforlouis) to realize that he is living a crazy cool dream of adventure.

It takes about 49.7 seconds to start feeling totally pumped about life.
I mean, he is a skydiving, cave swimming, white water rafting, spear fishing, snake charming, kangaroo feeding, hot springs exploring, penny board riding, dread lock sporting, sunset marveling, head-over-heels surfing, deep sea diving, tower-repelling, never met a stranger, carpe diem type of man.

Louis Cole, inspiring the world to Live Mas since 2012.

Wow.

It takes about 104.2 seconds to start comparing your Instagram selfies to his. My dramatically captioned artsy photo just don't really stand up to a selfie with a Maori Chief or doing a backflip in front of the Taj Mahal.

It takes about 105.1 seconds to start planning your next trip.
I mean, how could you not? 592,287 people on Youtube hang on his every post. Through him, we vicariously get to travel to Brazil and Australian and Kenya and England and India and Norway and on and on and on and on.

It makes you wonder if it's possible. Could I possibly leave everything and just travel the world for a year? Two years? Forever?

The world is an awfully large place. People always say that the world is shrinking because of the internet, but I think the exact opposite is true. By being exposed to these crazy Youtube videos, I am inspired to live a life of adventure and exploration.

That doesn't even necessarily mean leaving my own city, though. It means that I live to the fullest every single day no matter where I am or how much money I've been given or how many friends I have or how healthy I am. Life doesn't wait until tomorrow. It starts today.

I choose to live life to the fullest today, tomorrow, and every day following that for the rest of my life.

And, maybe someday, I too will travel the world like Louis. But, more importantly, maybe I will be able to inspire someone else to seize each and every day with every bit of enthusiasm and energy they have for the glory of the Lord.

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"Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present." -Master Oogway

"Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." -Jim Elliot

"There is no passion to be found in playing small- in settling for a life that is less than the on you are capable of living." -Nelson Mandela

"We were made to be courageous." -Casting Crowns

Shine Bright like His Diamond

So, this weekend my sister and I embarked on the dreaded "Swimsuit Shopping Spree of Self-Loathing." You know, the one where you try on the "on trend" fabric-the-width-of-your-pinky bathing suits and stare at your i-think-brownies-and-pad-thai-are-delicious-yolo-i-live-in-Washington-with-the-pasty-vampires body and immediately determine to eat only negative four almonds and work out 23,070,129,421 hours a day.

Oh, so you've gone on this spree, too?

Sheesh! Something is unhealthy in this story, and I don't think it's my body. 
I'm talking about this insane body image that we have built up in our minds (You know, the ones where we look like that emaciated dog rescued from the abusive home on Animal Cops: Houston). 

It's a little frightening. Actually, it's a lot frightening. 

There is so much more to you than what you look like in a swimsuit, but that seems to be the time that it is easiest to forget that. Never am I more self-focused than on Swimsuit Shopping Spree Day, and it is that day that I always end up feeling the worst about myself. 
A coincidence? I think not. 
The instant I turn from focusing on what God's Ideal Me looks like, the instant I start feeling like cuddling up with my cats with my best friends Tom and Jerry. 
Even (no, especially) on days like the SSSofSL, I need to remember who I really should be trying to look like. 
Let me give you a hint: It's not the model on the cover of the magazine checkout. No, it's Someone much more beautiful, whose beauty radiates from Himself in such nearly inconceivable brilliance that you would have to be hidden in the cleft of a rock in order to not die from the sheer glory of His face (Exodus 33). 

Oh, did you guess it? 
That's right, shine bright like His diamond. 
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"Models, even male models — how small they've gotten! It looks great for clothes, but it's not what you want in real life. Why do we have to keep looking at ourselves and measuring?" - Demi Moore

"God made a very obvious choice when he made me voluptuous; why would I go against what he decided for me? My limbs work, so I'm not going to complain about the way my body is shaped." -Drew Barrymore

"How much time have I wasted on diets and what I look like? Take your time and your talent and figure out what you have to contribute to this world. And get over what the heck your butt looks like in those jeans!" -America Ferreira

Come, Thou Fount

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing has always been my favorite worship song. 

Always.

The line "Let thy goodness, Lord, like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee." has always given me chills. 

Always. 

My prayer has always been that God would bind me to Him, because I know that I am not always strong enough to reach for Him when I need Him most. He is always faithful to grasp me to his heart, even when I am too stubborn to even cry out for His help. 

Do you know what a "fetter" is? It is a chain. It is involuntary and inescapable. And I pray that God ensnares me in his fetter of love. I want to be His servant for the rest of my life, because being a servant to Him is the ultimate freedom. 

But lately, a few more lines of this hymn have caught my attention, "Tune my heart to sing Thy grace" being one of them.

Do you play an instrument? Tuning can take a long time, especially if the instrument has been neglected for a while. Tuning is a process, and not everyone can do it well. For example, my grandma is 100% tone-deaf. I love her to pieces, but believe me when I tell you that you do not want her tuning your heart. 
Tuning is also sensitive. Even a hair out of tune, and the sound grates upon the ears. God is the "author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). Perfecter! He does not stop with "decently average" or "sufficiently close to quality." No! We are being perfected! We are the clay in His hands, and He is shaping us to understand the boundless depths of His grace. 

With each tweak of of heart, we are able to comprehend His goodness a tinsy bit more. Therefore, don't fight His handiwork! He is the greatest musician in all of time and space.  

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Come thou fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

I'll praise the Mount I'm fixed upon it

Mount of Thy redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer

Hither by Thy help I come

Oh, and I hope by Thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home

Oh Jesus, sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the fold of God

He, to rescue me from danger

Interposed His precious blood

Ode to grace, how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be

And let Thy goodness like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above