Live Second is a daily devotional book that makes me take action on having a better relationship with God and truly live an awesome life for Christ.
I wanted to discuss the section of the book entitled, Undeserved.
God gave His son so I am already forgiven.
All our sins were forgiven when Jesus died on the cross; He already paid for our sins.
Why are we forgiven?
Romans 10:9 says
“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Once I gave my life to Christ, it is up to me take hold of the gifts that he has given me. I have to reach out and grab it.
There is no sin to little or to big. All sin is equal in God’s eyes. Please do not get caught up in condemnation. If you feel you have sinned, repent and ask God for forgiveness In Jesus Name, and don’t look back. You are forgiven. It seems to be too simple, that there has to be something more. But that is the way God has designed it. It is so simple that anyone can take part in it.
I know that my worst critic is me. If I wanted to really feel undeserving of anything in life, all I would say I am never good enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough, not small enough. Why did I eat that? , Why did I say that? It was negativity because I felt that no matter what I did, I was never good enough. My husband told me you have to stop that because you are so hard on yourself that you can’t see the grass for the trees. Lack of self confidence, Lack of self worth was me. It was me.
I prayed, “Lord I cast this care on you, I am somebody I am formed in your image.” I had to repeat those positive affirmations to myself everyday and I still do.
God’s word says that I made you perfectly and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)
When I would be undeserving of myself, it was as if I told God that He messed up when he made me.
God loved me (and us) enough that He gave His only Son.
I replaced those negative thoughts with God’s word. When that negativity creeps in, I have to cast those imaginations down because that is not of God.
I am honored to be given the privilege to blog about the inspiring book, Live Second: 365 Ways Of Making Jesus First. This book, written by Doug Bender, makes a deeper look at my relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In his book, Bender writes about ways, one for each day of the year, in which a believer should live his or her life; with God and Jesus as the number one priority. Please check back on Monday, Thursday and Friday of this week for additional posts on living a life second to God.
Release
Have you every held on to an emotion, even though you knew deep inside it was bad for you? For me that emotion was grief.
The scripture in the Live Second book says,
Then the master called the servant in. “You wicked servant,” he said, I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? (Matthew 18:32-33)
I have to forgive myself?
For a long time, I had felt that I that I never “fit in”. I often used the analogy of a “square trying to fit into a circle.” No matter how I tried, I was never the popular girl. I was always different than everyone else. One thing that set me different than others was the fact that it was my responsibility to take care of my parents at such young age. As the only child, I had to help care for my mother who battled cancer. While the other girls in my class were going off to prom and school parties, I was taking care of my mother and the house and working on homework. When it was time for me to graduate from high school, instead of selecting an out-of-state college, I picked one in my home town. That way I could stay at home with my parents. My mother depended on me to be there to care for her needs. My daddy worked hard to provide for his family, so he could not be there to care for my mother. I believe it was a part of God-given my purpose here at a time when my parents needed me the most.
My mother battled cancer for a long time. Some days were good days and some days were not so good days. I prayed for my mother to be healed and made whole, however she went to be with the Lord in 1994, the year I graduated with my master’s degree.
I would ask the Lord, “Why why did she have to leave me?” She was not only my mother she was my best friend. I knew in my heart that the Lord did not take my mother. This was an attack from the enemy. I was so angry with myself because I was being blamed for my mother’s death. At this most challenging point in my life, I almost shut myself down from the grief and the anger. I had to release those emotions and cast my cares onto the Lord. My daddy was still here and I had to live to fulfill God’s purpose for me.
Soon after I married my best friend in 1999, my daddy started showing signs of dementia and was frequently falling. It got to the place where I could no longer pick him up. I had to make the decision have him move into an assisted-living facility. That was one of the hardest decisions I had to make in my life. I felt as if I was throwing my daddy away even though my husband and I visited him everyday. The assisted-living facility could only did so much. He started falling more, so we had to find a good nursing home for him that could provide a higher level of care. My husband and I found a place where he had his own private room.
As time went along, my daddy became more unresponsive and not knowing who I was. One night at the nursing home he suffered a major heart attack. I was not there with him? I was not by his side? He’s gone! He’s gone!
Feeling of emptiness and alone, not having any earthly parents here with me.
But God. Yes, but God.
My parents are always with me. They both accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, so to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. I know I will be reunited with them in Heaven. I had to get that in my heart and to release the grief and anger. I asked God to take that feeling from me and He did just that. I miss my parents, however I had to change that anger and grief into thankfulness that I have God loving parents who instilled in me the word of God.
I am so excited about the I am Second blogger launch which officially starts tomorrow. I am a part of a great group of bloggers blogging our way through 4 Days of the Live Second book during the Week-of-Second: December 9-15. I will be posting Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Please come by my blog and follow along while I post with other I Am Second bloggers about how I am Second.
I am including a link to a video from the I Am Second Website of an inspiring testimony from Tony Dungy.
I was asked by Lettuce Stitch Designs to try one of their skirts. I wrote about how it has become one of my favorites in this previous post.
If you are not familiar with the company Lettuce Stitch Designs, it was founded by Mary Jo Hanson and Donna Kmetz in 2011. They believe that every woman should look stylish and be comfortable at the same time. I am inspired by these women because they took their dreams and made them into reality. In their words, 2 friends. some thread. One dream.
“Lettuce Be Your Style”
I am so excited that I just can’t hide it. Mary Jo and Donna recently sent me the Elegant lace skirt from the Fall 2012 Collection. They have given me the opportunity to gift the Elegant Lace skirt to one of my elegant readers.
The skirt is a showstopper and I did not need to add much to make my outfit pop.
The skirt is so easy to put on you just put your feet into it and pull it up, that’s it.
See how freely I can move and groove in this skirt.
Here’s an up close look of the lace pattern of the skirt. The pattern looks so whimsical and romantic. See the lettuce stitch around the hem, so feminine and free flowing. This skirt will work all four seasons of the year from boots to sandals.
In this picture, I paired the Lettuce stitch designs elegant lace skirt with boots . The skirt is versatile and will be a work horse in your wardrobe.
Now lettuce get to the giveaway.
Give away Guidelines
1. Please go to http://www.gwendolynmaggie.com and select your favorite skirt. Then come back to this post and leave a comment of how you would style the skirt you selected.
Whether you are transitioning from school to work or just simply need to update your work shoe wardrobe, Footcandy has a few tricks that will help you look be that sophisticated working woman. Remember to invest in good quality footwear because the right pair of quality shoes can make all the difference when you’re on your feet. Not to mention, high quality footwear will without a doubt make your whole wardrobe look high quality no matter what the actual cost of your wardrobe truly is. Also, it is important to note that classic designs do not mean that one is conservative or old-fashioned; however with the appropriate shoe combined with the current trends one will look sophisticated yet modern. This is the ideal look that the modern working gal should strive to emulate.
With that in mind, here are Footcandy’s five essential shoes that every working woman should have in their closet.
1. The Classic Black Pump
Whether pointed toe or rounded, the black pump is a perfect go-to pump for the office. The classic style will pair with just about everything in your closet, from a wrap dress to a suit to trousers. The “Candy” by Footcandy offers classic style but perhaps the best part about this little black pump is that it will transition from the office to a night out on the town. So, whatever the season may be the classic black pump is a staple that every woman must have because it projects sophistication and contemporary style.
Footcandyshoes.com – Footcandy – “Candy”
2. Flats
When buying footwear for work it is important that you be able to walk around all day without your feet screaming with agony. Thus, the flat has become an iconic style that all professional women have fallen in love with because it exemplifies comfort. Also, it is significant to mention that the higher the heel projects ‘sexy’ rather than ‘professional,’ therefore, the flat again becomes staple footwear for the office. The “Mika” by Jerome Rousseau is hands down the most sophisticated yet modern designed flat. Not only will the two-tonal patent contrasting hues pair with just about every other color but it as well is versatile enough that it will pair with everything from wide leg trousers to a pencil skirt. So when thinking about comfort when running around the office, flats will without hesitation get you through your crazy workdays.
footcandyshoes.com – Jerome Rousseau – Mika
3. Ankle Boots
Booties are essential for the office, especially the ankle boot. Go for a chucky heel for the office and avoid the stiletto knee high boot if you want to stay comfy yet remain fashionable for those long days on your feet. Pair the an ankle boot like the “Bristol” by Tory Burch with tights and a knee-length skirt or mid-calf dress, not only will it look professional but it will emit femininity. Ankle boots are without a doubt a must have for the working gal.
footcandyshoes.com – Tory Burch – Bristol
4. Loafers
Loafers have always been considered an iconic casual shoe but fashion forward designers have allowed the loafer to evolve. Today, designs like the “I26179” by Giuseppe Zanotti prove that the casual shoes can emit professionalism just by adding a modern embellishment like these Swarovski crystals. So now when you’re getting for work, throw on a pair of your contemporary style loafers, not only will it be perfect for the office but you’ll want to wear them everyday because they are absolutely comfortable!
footcandyshoes.com – Giuseppe Zanotti – I26179
5. Kitten Heels
The kitten heel is back and is perfect for those long workdays. After years of the sky high heels and extremely low arched flats, the kitten heel is back and ready to relieve your feet. With that said, the kitten heel is perfect for the office because of its demure height. Designs like the “Storie-leopard” by Bettye Muller will allow you to run around the office yet radiate professionalism. Not only will these be an investment for the office but you will want to wear these to almost every event because they are comfortable enough to even dance in.
Learn More About JT
Bubbling with Elegance and Grace started out as an outlet for my passion for fashion but has evolved into a place for me to teach, collaborate, and inspire. My hubby has since joined the team and we have been digital creators for 13 years. We are thankful for those who believed in us from the beginning and those who have just started riding with us on this lovely journey.
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