It’s a Girl! {{P31 Whirlwind Carnival!}}
We’re celebrating Fat Tuesday in a whole different way at Proverbs 31 Ministries today.
Tons of giveaways! A carnival of amazing posts, prizes, and best of all lots of great new friendships.
I’m so glad you stopped by today. All of the Proverbs 31 team are celebrating something today. What am I celebrating? Let me show you…
Her name is Elle and she’s my first grandchild. Isn’t she beautiful? Elle will arrive on or around July 16, 2010. I can’t wait!
I stood in awe in the doctor’s office last week as I “saw” her for the first time. She moved her mouth. She fist pumped in the air. Her little heart beat in perfect rhythm. (more…)
Posted by Suzie @
1:02 am |
She Seeks
I love this new Proverbs 31 site! It’s for young women ages 18 to 29, and it’s cool, savvy, and loaded with fun. But it’s also deeply spiritual. The She Seeks girls are vlogging, drinking lots of coffee, talking about issues like love, The Bachelor (not in that order), changing the world, and lots more great stuff.
Last week’s topic of “career” struck a chord with many of their readers and stirred up lots of great conversation. If you haven’t had
the chance to go read this entry by Annie, you simply must. It was a wild hit and full of good insight from a member of the fabulous team!
The following are the topics She Seeks is covering for this month over at http://www.sheseeks.org.
2/1 — The Danger of Silence — Guest Post by Melanie Coughlin
2/8 — Date Night Fashion — Guest Post by Shari Braendel
2/15 — Sex Games — Lisa Whittle (lucky me! 
2/22 — Anger/Controlling your Emotions — Shannon Primicerio
One guest post this week (the danger of silence) is quite thought-prokoving because it dually covers the issue of race. I loved the way they tackled this tough subject through this guest post and yet spoke to a broader audience about the bigger issue of not speaking up for something you believe in.
God continues to send amazing women to She Seeks to be a part of what they are doing. In fact, this very cool ministry is starting to get noticed and networked as a resource for the 20-something woman.
They vlog every Thursday as a way to connect with their audience and speak back to the issue covered on Monday.
If you are in your twenties, in college, a young married, a young mom, or just seeking an amazing place to connect with women of faith your age who are living life, check out She Seeks!
Posted by Suzie @
6:05 am |
P31 devo: The desires of His heart
As I mentioned, I’m way under the weather today but when I opened my daily Proverbs 31 devo, I smiled. God is gracious. I may not have anything to share today, but this devotional is a perfect fit for our Crossroads conversation.
What if you are in the crossroads because you are seeking the desires of your heart, and yet it’s not what God sees as your destiny?
I hope you’ll sign up for the free great devo. It pops into your inbox every day with wisdom, insight, and faith.
18 Jan 2010
Jennifer Erin Valent, She Reads Featured Author
“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 (NIV)
When I was young, my girlfriends and I used to play a game where we would choose different ideals we had for our lives, from whom we wanted to marry, to what car we wanted to drive. Life seemed so simple then! In just one short game, I could plan my life out from start to finish. Funny thing is, I never did marry Johnny Depp, I don’t live in a mansion, and I don’t drive a Porsche.
Well, I was young, and it’s certainly a blessing that I didn’t end up having to live out the life I planned for myself then. But what about now? As an adult, I’ve had plenty of dreams for my life. I think I’m pretty intuitive about myself, and I’ve got a good idea how I think things should go. And since Scripture says the Lord will give us the desires of our hearts, shouldn’t these things be coming to pass?
Maybe not. The Lord knows a whole lot more than we give Him credit for, and maybe what He has planned for our lives doesn’t match up with what we have planned. (more…)
Posted by Suzie @
10:33 am |
Discerning Direction
If you are joining me from Encouragement for Today’s devo, I’m so glad you did. Maybe you dropped by today because you are stuck right in the middle of a crossroads — unsure of where to go, or what direction or move is the right one.
I’ve created a devo for you to print out called Discerning Direction. It takes you right to a crossroads I had to cross, and offers six questions to help you know if you are making a good decision. Download it, share it with friends, take it to your Bible study group, or just have a one-on-one with God as you go through it.
Discerning Direction (click to download)
I hope you will consider leaving a comment so I can pray with you today. I promise that I’ll pray over each person and each crossroads. Do I have the answers you need? No, but I know Who does.
I’ll also send an autographed copy of my book, Making It Real: Whose Faith Is It Anyway, to one of you that leave a comment.
Be sure to leave your email address (I’m the only one who will see it) so that I can contact the winner!
Blessings,
Suz
PS: It’s 12:47 p.m. and after reading many of the comments, I want to take this deeper. Is that okay with you?
For the next few days we’ll address some of the issues you brought up. What does Scripture have to say about it? How do you live it out the next day? Are there tangible changes or choices that can be made? What do you do when there doesn’t seem to be?
I hope you’ll come back tomorrow through Friday. We’ll dig deeper together, okay friends?
Suzie
Posted by Suzie @
4:21 am |
12 days of Christmas – I’m #11!
“Are you through with Christmas shopping yet?” someone asked me last night.
I laughed out loud. “Of course not”, I said to my friend. She laughed with me, knowing that there are SO many days left before Christmas, as far as I’m concerned.
I’m not really a last-minute kind of girl, except for this. I have friends who finish thier shopping by October. I would hate that! I have other friends who have a tidy pile of Christmas gifts under their tree, a result of braving the crowds at bleary-eye inducing hours of the day. (more…)
Posted by Suzie @
9:53 am |
a little thing called body image {{giveaways}}
If you came over from Encouragement for Today, welcome!
Just a few weeks ago I was in Ecuador on a Compassion trip. Shawna, a Compassion representative, and I were rooming together. We had become good friends quickly. She pointed out a scar on my shoulder. “You’ve been marked,” she said. “We both have.”
It was true.
Skin cancer. I have five scars, most of them hidden where the doctor removed the harmful cells. A scar on my breast where they removed breast cancer at the age of 32. Stretch marks. A scar across my stomach where my appendix burst. One by one I thought about those scars, faded remnants of memories that I don’t often consider.
And I thanked God for each.
Yes, I’m marked. Life does that. It leaves scars and alterations that remind me of benchmarks. Like having three babies. Like surviving cancer. Like the time I broke my collarbone because I was being silly and pretended to be Superwoman and leap, and missed. Or the wrinkles forming around my eyes because I laugh often.
I have shifted my view of image. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and wiser. Maybe it’s because I’m starting to look at my image from the outside in. I really do want to be beautiful,if it means this: caring, thoughtful, encouraging, happy, loving.
I’m finally comfortable in my own skin. Whether wisdom has dropped from the sky, or I’ve learned what really matters, it doesn’t matter. I love every wrinkle, every scar, every mark. I love the stories behind them. I love life.
Will I fight age? Sure. But to be healthy. I’ll exercise 30 minutes five days a week. I’ll eat healthy food that will give me fuel and energy. I want to be a kickin’ old lady one day, and that starts now. But pressured to get rid of the fine lines appearing, or to try to be younger than I am, or skinny in a way that a woman just can’t achieve and keep?
No… I won’t.
Father, You’ve offered us beauty that lasts. You’ve given us a well of life, of laughter, of running after You. Help me to see what matters. Let me see the beauty of the small things around me. Let me appreciate health, and relationships, and the peace I find in following You. That is beautiful, Father, and I am grateful that I find that in You.
Are you trying to be healthy, too? I’m reading a great book called “Fit For My King”, a devotional that helps you get rid of attitudes and habits that might make you unhealthy. It’s a good read and it has recipes, interactive devos, and practical tips. If you comment on today’s post, I’ll give away this book to one lucky person.
I’m also giving away a copy of The Woman I Am Becoming: Embrace the Chase for Identity, Faith, and Destiny.
Posted by Suzie @
6:50 am |
