by Jay | Nov 25, 2022 | Giveaway |
Hello Beautiful People,
I pray everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, whether you are celebrating in the States or in another part of the world. Thankfulness and gratitude go hand in hand, and part of that is by helping one another.
I always seek new ways to gain a deeper relationship with God. In collaboration with Momentum Influencers, I recently had the opportunity to preview the new Abide Bible by Thomas Nelson. The Abide Bible Experience offers the 21 Days In John, a free video devotion featuring Dr. Phil Collins, the general editor of the Abide Bible. Two Bible translations of the Gospel of John can be downloaded from the website.
Do you want to read scripture and understand how it relates to your life?
I remember reading my Bible chapters for the day and thinking I was done because I got my word in. I have since learned that reading the Bible should not be about meeting a quota for the day. Instead, reading the Bible should be about gaining a deeper understanding and revelation of how my life should be by praying and asking the Holy Spirit to guide me. There is a difference.
The Abide Bible, created in partnership with Bible Gateway and Taylor University for Scripture Engagement, features articles, book introductions, and practical scripture engagement prompts based on five ways of engaging deeply with the Bible:
1. Praying scripture
2. Picture it
3. Journaling
4. Engage Through Art
5. Contemplate
I include a brief overview of how I started going through the ABIDE Bible video study of the 21 days of John. I had to take my time and not rush through this video study.
I started reading through the overview of John and the 1st chapter of John. When you follow through with the video, I reflect on scripture regarding my life, family, and community. While reading through the book of John, chapters 1, verses 38 and 39, the phrase “Come and See.” What connection might the Holy Spirit want me to make? There was a pause in the video to think about what that question means to me. Dr. Collins talked about how he would like to see how his parents and in-loves will be, how his adult kids will be, and what God has for them. Then I meditate on how I would respond. My response is to make a total commitment to the Lord. We pray. And then I contemplate by being quiet and no that God is God. By going through this study in the Abide Bible of God, I know that I am getting more out of the chapter of John than doing a quick read and checking off the list that I did my daily Bible reading for the day.
To me, having these 5 prompts for study takes your relationship with the Lord to another level because you are applying the principles to your life.
The link to The Abide Bible Experience 21 Days of John is HERE; remember, it’s free.
Giveaway
One of our readers will receive their own copy of the Abide Bible.
It is simple to enter the giveaway! In the comments below, tell us how you think having a deeper relationship with God will help you grow.
The giveaway runs through Friday, December 2nd at 11:59 pm (Central Time).
One comment will be selected randomly, and the winner will be announced on Sunday, December 4th.
**Please Note: This giveaway is limited to only residents of the United States.
Disclaimer:
Thanks to Thomas Nelson Bibles for providing BubblingWithEleganceAndGrace.com with a copy of the Abide Bible to write this review and offer one as a giveaway. All opinions of the Abide Bible are our own.
by | Nov 22, 2022 | Food |
In this modern age, where we are constantly bombarded with convenience and takeout options at every turn, it can be easy to forget the importance of planning our meals ahead of time. Planning meals in advance can help you save money, eat healthier food and reduce food waste. Meal planning also allows you to make sure that every meal is well-balanced and nutritious without having to spend too much time in the kitchen. Here are six reasons why planning your meals weekly is wise:
Photo by S’well on Unsplash
You will save money
When you plan ahead for your meals, you can create a shopping list with only the items you need for each week’s recipes. This eliminates unnecessary purchases of ingredients or items that are not related to the meal plans for the week and helps keep your grocery bill down to a minimum. Planning ahead also allows you to take advantage of sales, coupons, and other discounts so that you can get more for your money.
You can eat healthier food
When you plan ahead for meals, you know exactly what ingredients and nutrients you need to include in the meal to make it balanced and nutritious. This way, you are more likely to opt for healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables instead of convenience snacks or processed food items that are not as good for your health.
You will reduce food waste
By planning ahead for each week’s meals, you can be sure that all the ingredients purchased are used up before they go bad. This helps to reduce the amount of food waste in your household, which is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
You will have more time to spend on other things
When you plan ahead for meals, it eliminates the need to think about what to cook each day. This way, you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time doing other activities like exercising or reading a book.
You will enjoy cooking more
Meal planning helps make cooking much easier since you already know what ingredients you need and how long it’ll take to prepare them. This way, you can go into your meal preparation with confidence, knowing that everything is under control. Plus, when you know exactly what ingredients are required for each dish, there is no room for error which helps make cooking more enjoyable overall.
You can be creative in the kitchen
Planning ahead for meals gives you an opportunity to experiment with different recipes and ingredients like the chicken stew recipe available here. Not only will this help you create interesting dishes, but it also allows you to discover new flavors and cooking styles that may become favorites in your household.
There you go!
Overall, planning your meals weekly is a smart move. Not only will it save money and reduce food waste, but it will also give you more time to enjoy other activities while ensuring that all of your meals are balanced and nutritious. So why not take some time each week to plan out your meals so that you can reap the many benefits? It’ll be well worth the effort.
by | Nov 21, 2022 | Beauty |
We all want to look our best, and it’s much easier to look great when your skin is clear, clean, and radiant. Unfortunately, many of us are doing things that can ruin our skin and cause us to look less than our best.
Pexels – CCO Licence
Below you will find some of the most common bad habits that can ruin your skin. If you do the following, you should try your best to stop as soon as possible.
Itching and picking your skin
Many of us itch our skin or pick at it regularly, but this can often lead to scratches and scars forming, which are almost impossible to get rid of once they have marred the skin. Even if they are not permanent, itching and scratching your skin can cause inflammation and sores, which do not look good.
It is a good idea to get to the bottom of why you itch or pick your skin. If you have eczema, for example, these 10 Tips To Stop Eczema Itching Immediately might be useful, or if you pick your skin because you are stressed, then seeing a therapist could be a good idea. Get to the root cause and break this bad skin habit as soon as possible.
Not drinking enough
If you often forget to drink enough water, chances are your skin does not look as good as it could. When you do not consume plenty of water each day, you are likely to get dehydrated, dehydration causes issues like brain fog and fatigue, but it can also lead to dry, dull skin. If you want to look as radiant as possible, with smooth and glowing skin, then you need to drink at least a gallon of water every day – it is that simple.
Not removing your makeup
If you regularly sleep with your makeup on because when bedtime comes around, you are too tired to go to the effort to remove it, and you could be damaging your skin.
When you leave your makeup on, you allow dirt and oil to build up in your pores. This can cause your skin to break out, blackheads to form, and your skin to dry out. It is worth taking a few minutes each night to remove every speck of makeup if you are serious about looking after your skin in the long term.
If you find it tiresome, invest in some micellar water which will quickly get all traces of makeup off your skin in no time, so you can get to bed and get your beauty sleep.
Not getting enough sleep
Talking of sleep, if you do not get around 7-9 hours of good quality sleep each night, you might find that your skin looks dull and lifeless when you wake up in the morning.
As well as having dark, puffy eyes, if you do not sleep enough, you will find that your skin does not have enough time to repair and regenerate itself, which can lead to a whole host of skin problems, from acne to dry and flaky skin. Make sleep a priority if you want your skin to look its best.
Using cleansers that are too harsh
Keeping your skin clean and free of makeup and other debris and oils that can build up over time is essential, so you must clean your face at least twice a day.
However, if you have gotten into the habit of using harsh chemical cleansers, you could be doing more harm than good. Harsh cleansers may get rid of all the dirt and oil, but they can be so effective that they end up dying out your skin, and dry skin is more likely to peel and become damaged than soft, moist skin and supple.
Try switching to a natural cleanser made up of simple ingredients that remove dirt without stripping all essential oils from your skin.
Eating too much junk food
There is nothing wrong with enjoying junk food from time to time, but if your diet consists of little more than junk food, then you might notice that your skin starts to break out more often due to the fat and sugar content of things like chips, cookies, and takeout burgers.
Not only that, but if you eat a lot of junk, you will not be getting all of the vitamins your body, including your skin, needs to stay healthy and repair itself, which can result in sallow skin, stretch marks, dry skin and various other conditions including rosacea, that can ruin your complexion.
Over-exfoliating
We all know that it is important to exfoliate regularly to get rid of dead skin cells and ensure that your skin looks as bright as possible. However, it is possible to exfoliate too much. It’s really easy to exfoliate more than you should.
Most people only need to exfoliate once or twice a week. If you exfoliate more often than that, you risk making your skin red and inflamed which is far from ideal.
Squeezing zits
It can be so tempting to squeeze your spots to make them disappear much faster. Still, you should never do this because doing so could introduce even more bacteria into the zit, which will cause it to become angrier, redder, more inflamed, and potentially even infected.
Next time you have a zit, use an over-the-counter treatment to try and shrink it, and cover it with concealer if you must, but do not be tempted to pop it because there is a high chance it will backfire.
Your skin is a delicate organ, so you must treat it right if you want it to be as radiant as possible. That means giving up these bad habits once and for all. Good luck!
by | Nov 17, 2022 | Lifestyle |
If you’re planning a big dinner party with friends and family this holiday season, you’ll want to really make the most of it and enjoy it to the fullest. It’s been a tough year for many people, so there’s nothing wrong with taking every opportunity you get to make the most of your leisure time and the holiday season. The ideas we’re about to talk about today will help you do that, so read on and find out more.
Include Everyone
First of all, you should try your best to include everything in the festivities. After all, this is the time of year for coming together and doing things with the people you love, so make it a big gathering that everyone can get involved with. If you know anyone who you think might be alone during the holiday season, go out of your way to invite them too. Spread the love!
Get Started with Some Creative Appetizers
When you’re planning your holiday season dinner party, you should think about the first bite of food you’re going to give to people. This sets the tone for the rest of the dinner party so you’ll want to get it right. Finding the right appetizers that you feel capable of putting together with ease and that deliver on flavor is definitely important.
Get the Ambient Atmosphere Right
The atmosphere you’re able to create at your dinner party is something that’s important as well. You want it to be laid-back, festive and a little ambient. That’s the kind of atmosphere that suits the holiday season best. You can create the right kind of atmosphere through your decorations, lighting choices and the music you play, so be sure to consider each of those things.
Offer Up Some Donuts, Pastries and Cookies
Offering up some sweet treats is a must at a festive get-together. You want to give people the chance to indulge as that’s what Christmas is all about. If you’re looking for a sweet treat and you want to try making something new, this Italian donut recipe might be just what you’re looking for. There are all kinds of great options out there that are perfect for the festive period.
Be Prepared Before Guests Arrive
In terms of food preparation on the day of your dinner party, you ideally want to make sure that you’re fully prepared before your guests arrive. That way, you can make sure that you have the opportunity to spend time with your guests nad you’re not going to be stuck in the kitchen for the majority of the party; no one wants that.
Image Source – CC0 License
As you can see, there are lots of things you can do to prepare for your dinner party and make the most of it with the people who are close to you. And it’s not too early to start planning because the sooner you start the planning process, the better your holiday season dinner party will turn out to be.
by | Nov 16, 2022 | Lifestyle |
There’s a lot to consider when you’re buying a new car. You want to ensure that it fits all of your needs, in terms of the running costs, how well it suits your lifestyle, and not to mention your budget. But, how do you know that you’re buying a “good car?” The salesperson might do a fine job telling you everything good about it, but they’re not going to tell you the whole story. Here’s how you get it.
Take it out for a real test drive
It’s a common enough tip, and it might sound like something you would just intuitively do. However, many people who take a car out for a test drive don’t spend enough time inspecting the different elements of how the car controls and feels. Check as many of the car’s features as possible to see how and if they work correctly, test parking it, especially in parking spaces like those you would use every day, and keep all of your senses ready for how the car feels, sounds and steers. Take some time to drive the vehicle and see if you can push it in different scenarios, such as on the motorway, going uphill, and the like to get a good view of its performance.
Check what the critics have to say
All kinds of car critics do reviews, test drives, and inspections of vehicles to suit a wide range of drivers and driving styles. Since you’re most likely looking at buying a car to use regularly as a consumer, you should look for sites like Edmunds that can give you a detailed overview of how driving and owning a car works for a driver like you. Aside from reading opinions and checking the rankings for each vehicle, you should also take the time to compare it to other cars in a similar price range and category.
Get an idea of how reliable it is
When buying a new car, you’re not just buying it for the immediate future. You’ll want something that will last when it’s on the road. Reliability does not get as much focus from buyers as it should, which can often end up with drivers being surprised when their car starts giving them trouble a little earlier than expected. Sites like the Reliability Index can become an invaluable tool for getting an idea of not just how reliable a car is but which parts are likely to experience trouble first and, as a result, how expensive your most likely replacements will be when you need to make them.
With the tips above, you can ensure that you have a much fuller picture of what it will be like to own the car you’ve been looking at. A little research can save you from making unfortunate decisions along the way.
I always seek new ways to gain a deeper relationship with God. In collaboration with Momentum Influencers, I recently had the opportunity to preview the new Abide Bible by Thomas Nelson. The Abide Bible Experience offers the 21 Days In John, a free video devotion featuring Dr. Phil Collins, the general editor of the Abide Bible. Two Bible translations of the Gospel of John can be downloaded from the website.
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