The 3 Ds: #1- Distractions

Hello everyone!


Today, I'm going to start a mini-series/devotional. Here is what I have to share about.

The devil uses 3 Ds to keep us from finding God: distractions, deception, and discouragement. Today, I'll talk about distractions.


We all get distracted. It's just too easy to fall into the temptation of finding something else to do! Before we realize it, we've began to completely occupy our time with family, friends, work, school, etc. And frankly, when we get caught up in everyday life, it can cause stress and make life a little more chaotic. It also makes it more difficult to hear the voice of God, making it harder for him to guide us. The devil loves to help us focus on that research paper we have to write, the house we have to clean, the job we have to go to.

But instead of staying caught up in our busy life, we can choose to stop for a moment and redirect our gaze to God. You'll be surprised what happens when you do. Suddenly, everything starts to fall into place, and your stress is replaced with peace. God knows we're human, and humans get distracted. But he made us this way so that we could redirect our gaze to him and trust him to guide us- even through everyday life!

God doesn't give us more than we can handle, and when we get caught up, he provides us with an opportunity to escape.

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corin. 10:13)


I hope this spoke to somebody! God bless!
~Halle XO

Keep your coins, I want change.

Hello all!

         This is to America, because everyone needs to hear this.

         Lately, I've had a perspective change. It's a pretty big change. Like, life changing.

         You see our world? It's a nice world, isn't it? Sure.... But look a little closer. What's going on? We have extreme poverty in other countries, the highest slavery market we've ever had, and children being put into orphanages because their parents don't want them. But that's just other countries. What about the USA? Oh boy... Here we go...

Current happenings in america:
-Human trafficking is huge right now
-Over a million abortions (lives) are taking place every year
-We've got kids illegally using drugs and alcohol
-Starvation by poverty
-And so many more problems...

And what is most of America doing right now? They're on Facebook. They're sitting back, relaxing, and watching a non-purposeful TV show. They're playing video games. Now don't get me wrong, I know there are people out there who are very busy, and I know there are people out there want change to happen!

But if they want change to happen, why aren't they doing anything? 

You know why? Because they don't think they can do it. Or they don't know how. They don't have the courage to do it, etc.

Do you know what they don't know?

They don't know that reality is, if someone is passionate enough about something that's going wrong today, there are other people that are feeling the same way. There are other people who want things to change too. For example, a lot of people aren't happy with our current president. So what do they do about it? Complain. What else do they do about it? Complain- OH WAIT! I already said that... You know why? Because that's what they do. People complain all the time about the president, but have you realized that very few people have confronted the government about the choices being made? How are we supposed to have change in our government if no one tells them?

People are afraid they won't listen, even if we do confront them about it. 

That doesn't matter. That's no excuse at all. Let's look at history here: Whenever you have a large enough group of people fighting for a cause, things happen. Right? So do you think that the government could deny a whole country (or a large percent of it) something they want, when the chance of bad things happening if they don't is large? Hmm... Of course, there are those people who are/have run our country that didn't submit to what the people wanted for good reasons. I mean, come on, we are a little crazy sometimes. But if the cause is right, it's worth fighting for.

The bottom line is, if we want change, we have to get up and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Because if someone gets up and starts moving, chances are, people are bound to follow.

"But what if I can't do it? What if it gets to the point where it's a serious issue and it's taken to court?"

Have no fear.

The Bible says:
"When you're brought before rulers and authorities, don't worry about how you'll defend yourself or what you'll say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say. ~Luke 12:11

 So remind me... Why are we afraid to get up and spread the word? I think we should just trust that God will put the words in our mouths when the time is right. :)

WE WERE MEANT TO BE COURAGEOUS. 


Hope this got you thinking,
~Halle XO

Confidence: Are you struggling?

Hey All! 

So I'm going to be honest with you, I've been dealing with some confidence issues lately. I know I'm not the only one in the world, so I figured I share somethings that will boost ALL of our confidence. :) 

We all struggle in different areas when it comes to confidence: some of us aren't very good at a particular subject in school, some of us think we're ugly, some of us aren't confident in our gifts or abilities, some of us are just scared to be ourselves around other people because we're afraid of how they will react! And then there are those of us who struggle with more than one of these things. 

Reality is, sometime in our lives, something knocks down our confidence. Recently, I've learned that it can be very hard to recover once you've felt so low. This can be DANGEROUS! If we stay in that place, then we really start to believe that we are worthless in those certain areas. Then of course, we start to see even more things we don't have confidence in, and next thing you know: You feel like you can't do anything. 

THIS IS A LIE. 

You can ALWAYS do something about it. We ALWAYS have a choice. Even if you don't feel strong enough to believe you can do something, and even if you're crying while you're trying to tell yourself these good things that seem impossible, YOU HAVE TO KEEP DOING IT! Because in the end, it pays off. When you repeat good things to yourself, your brain starts remembering them, and then you eventually believe them. These are sometimes called, "truth statements." Why are they called that? Because they're true! Here are some examples:

For the person who thinks they aren't good at a subject in school: I can do it. If other people can do it, so can I.            Look at all the people who have succeeded! It's humanly possible!  I will be good at this subject. 

For the person who thinks they're ugly: I am beautiful. I don't need to be skinner, I need to love myself. I weigh exactly what I'm supposed to weigh. I look exactly the way I'm supposed to look. I am a beautiful creation. 

For the person who doesn't believe in their gifts/talents/abilities: I am good at this talent. I will be good at it! I have a heart for this, and I really enjoy doing it. I was given this gift, so I'm going to use it and do THE BEST THAT I CAN! 

For the person who isn't confident in their personality: I am a great person. I was given this unique personality! There is no one else on this earth who is like me. I will be confident in who I am, because this is who I was made to be. If people reject me, then that's okay, because it won't effect the person I am. I know that this is who I'm supposed to be. 

Now the first one or two times you do this, you're going to feel silly. It might feel like you're totally lying to yourself. But reality is: EVERY SINGLE THING IS TRUE. YOU CAN DO IT! :) 

Do you know how I know all those things are true? Because that is how God sees us. He sees us as beautiful, priceless, incredibly talented, able to do anything with is help, and an amazing individual! Do you know why he sees us that way? Because he made us. He made you just the way he wanted you to be. He gave you all

loves/hopes/dreams/talents that were meant for you to have. He made you look just the way you were supposed to look. He gave you just the personality you were supposed to have. He made you good at the things that you were supposed to be good at! 

When ever I struggle believing these things, I have some other, special truth statements that I didn't make up. They come straight from the Bible, so they couldn't make me feel any better! :)

Even if you don't believe in God, try saying these a few times and see what happens and how you feel! 

"I can do ALL things though Christ, who strengthens me!" ~Philippians 4:13

"The Lord is with me; I WILL NOT be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; HE is my helper." ~Psalm 118: 6-7

"The king (God) is enthralled by your beauty…" ~Psalm 45:11

"I am fearfully and wonderfully made." ~Psalm 139:14

If those don't give you some kind of confidence, I don't know what will! They make me really happy, and I hope they boost your confidence too! :) 

I hope this helped you. <3

Remember: You're loved! 

A million hugs, 

~Halle XOXO

Jesus is my boyfriend.

Hello lovely women of all ages! 

Some of you may be married, engaged, or happily in a relationship. However, there is still the vast majority of wonderful young women that are SINGLE. Now, there are three kinds of people when it comes to this situation. You're either thinking, "WHY AM I SINGLE!? I HATE MY LIFE," or "YES! I don't need no man, I'm riding solo, I'm free!!!" Then there are the neutral women, who are thinking, "Well, I'm single… I would be happy in a relationship, but there's nothing I can really do about it." 

I'm here to talk to all the single ladies, in ALL the situations. 

You can hate being single, you can love it, or you can be neutral. BUT! You need to have the right mindset. You need to remember (guess what I'm going to say here) : YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! But there's something else you need to know too: YOU ARE VALUABLE AND A PRECIOUS PRINCESS! 

If you hate being single, It's completely understandable. We were made to have a soulmate! It's biological! But you shouldn't go down the paths of believing, "Oh, I'll never find the right one… Maybe I'm just not pretty enough… Maybe I'm too awkward… I'm gonna end up a 40 year old virgin….Maybe all guys are just idiots!" This is not true! Believe it or not, your life has a plan, a BEAUTIFUL plan, too. In that beautiful plan, there is the perfect man that God has chosen for YOU. :) Sometimes, we may doubt it. But trust me, if you haven't met the right one yet, it may just be because God doesn't think you're ready yet! 

Now you need to understand what I believe. I BELIEVE in saving my whole heart for the one man God has for me. I always have and I always will. I know some of you may be thinking, "WHAT? Don't you have to go through a few guys to find the right one?" My answer is a simple laugh and a very frank, "NO." I believe, because I've seen it happen, that God will bring two people together and they will KNOW that they are supposed to be together. 

I'm going to use my personal beliefs/experience right here. Over the past year or two, I've especially found myself to be a little more interested in boys than usual…. and they've seemed to take an interest in me.  Unfortunately, I decided to take my love life into my own hands, and you know what happened? It ended up in a MESS. Actually, I'm not allowed to have a boyfriend. I've never minded this rule because of what I believed. But I never realized how hard it would be when a boy expressed his complete interest in me and was QUITE persistent. 

So that means, unfortunately, YES. I have had ONE boyfriend. But believe me, it's a mistake I will never make again. 

You know what my new strategy has been? My old one! Once I went through all the tears and hurt and anger and rejection, I've decided that I am going to stick to my old plan, because that is *THE BEST* thing I could ever do to save myself from going through all that crap (listed above) again! 

Now I'm not saying the temptation never comes around. I'm human, and a teenager. Of course I'm attracted to guys. But you know how I make that temptation go away? I remind myself that I am taken. I am a precious princess who has a divine King in heaven who is IN LOVE with me. Or in modern terms:

Jesus is my boyfriend. :) 

I encourage all you ladies to save yourselves from all those nasty things that can happen in breakups, because honestly, you're losing a piece of your heart every time it happens. GOD IS ALL YOU NEED! YOU ARE WORTH SO MUCH MORE! Try out this technique, and spend more time getting to know the Lord, even if you don't know him yet!

Yours truly,

Halle XOXO

God Changed The Weather For Me!

Hello All!

Today I have a very cool little story for you. This morning, I was reading my Bible and came across Matthew 7:8, which says, "For everyone who asks, receives…" After I had finished my Bible time, I started to pray. Now the weather these last few days has been awfully cloudy, a little chilly, and sometimes rainy. I simply said to God, "God, I believe that when I ask, I receive. You don't have to do this… But it would be amazing if you made the sun shine."

I kid you not, but not a SECOND later, the clouds moved and the sun shined. It was so amazing! 

I was surprised, but also thought I could've just prayed at a convenient time where the weather was going to change anyway. So I quietly spoke again, "Could you make it cloudy again?" And BAM! It was cloudy. This had to be one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Isn't great that his word his TRUE? Ask, and we shall receive! It's so great when God decides to put a smile on your face just by doing something a little bit special. :D

GOD CHANGED THE WEATHER FOR ME! 

Still shocked,

Halle XOXO

Are you humble?

        Hi Everyone!

    So my last blog was for those who weren't very confident in their beauty. This blog is going to be for those who might need to do a check on how much they've let it get to their head. Today I want to address the important issue of being humble. Now you may have never even thought of addressing the issue, but this is especially important if you are one of those "pretty girls". 

These "pretty girls" usually have more guy friends that are interested in them, get complimented from family, friends, other girls, and sometimes have enemies because other girls feel intimidated by them. They get a lot comments on their Facebook photos saying, "You're so pretty!" and etc., and are generally more popular. They can also get a lot of stares from males while out in public. 

Sometimes it takes awhile to realize you're one of those people, but if you get enough hints, you eventually start to consider the idea that, "Oh… I'm pretty…" This can instantly boost our self confidence. That's when we need to stop and realize what we're letting in. 

If you absorb all the praise, it will go straight to your head and you can eventually become a more selfish/stuck up person because of it. It could even effect the friends you chose and the crowd you're involved with. Ladies, DON'T LET IT HAPPEN. 

Personally, over the last few years, I have noticed that I, apparently, am one of these "pretty girls". My family tells me, my friends tell me, and I've gotten certain attention from guys. Have I let it slip to my head? Honestly, I think I have just a *little* bit. 

Okay, so what do I do about it? Blow it off? It is what it is, right? Wrong! The most important thing about knowing you're attractive is to almost not acknowledge the fact at all! 

There's feeling confident in your own skin and believing you are beautiful in God's eyes, and then there's knowing you're beautiful and acting and like it. You don't want to be the latter. God admires his beauties who aren't even aware of how beautiful they are to him. Those kind of beauties aren't focusing on themselves, they're focusing on the others around them and making them smile. They're focused on being lights and sharing the glory of God! 

That's what you need to be! Stay HUMBLE. 

(Humble, def: having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance.)

Love you!!!!

~Halle Z. XOXOXO

No Makeup: You are beautiful.

This is what I'm all about.

This is a picture of me with no makeup on (okay, I have chapstick on.)

I prefer wearing makeup and think I look better with it on- but that doesn't mean I should believe I'm ugly, right? Reality is, all of us ladies feel or have felt ugly at some point in our lives. We all don't see the potential we really have. Here's another reality flash for you: We all have imperfections. None of us are perfect. Even the supermodels you see on billboards have imperfections. In fact, almost none of what you see about them is real.

Take a look at this video to understand what I mean. Your mind will be blown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hibyAJOSW8U&feature=player_embedded

As the video says at the end, "No wonder our perception of beauty is so distorted." Everything magazines and advertisements present is fake. The models are smothered with makeup and then edited away on computers. We ladies try to reach the goal of what is called "beautiful" today, when really, that goal is unreachable.

This is where we need to look at ourselves on the inside and realize what's really important, inner beauty.   You could be the most beautiful girl in the world and have no friends because you were a terrible person.  Unfortunately, people (especially today) tend to look at each other and judge them based on their appearance. THAT IS NOT HOW YOU SHOULD SEE A PERSON! Take the time to get to know a person before you judge them.

As for beauty itself, you just need to know one thing. In God's eyes, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! In the end, that's all that matters! He's the one who made you, in fact, the Bible even says, "The King is enthralled by your beauty."

You are a beautiful creation. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.

Thank you for reading!
Comments are appreciated! :)

~Halle XOXO