Finding Meaning In His Word! (+ July Goals!!)

Hey everyone! Is it not amazing to see flowers everywhere and be able to run barefoot? I am loving the spring/summer vibe that has found itself a home where I live! Golden hour is beautiful and warm again, and it lasts for a looong time, both in the morning and at night! Looking out the window is an adventure every time!

Its kind of like the way we feel when we’re really working on our relationship with the Lord. We feel uplifted, refreshed, and we want to read the Bible and illustrate verses and sing worship songs all the time! But when it settles into a less exciting routine, we become a little less passionate, a little less committed; and of course, then the dog days set in.

I’m not saying that we should always be on the “mountain-top”! Its wonderful there, and those times are amazing and special, but they don’t always last. The thing that lasts, is the love that is steady and calm and TRUE.

I’ve been challenged by several people recently (including my amazing friend Keziah in this post ♥), that the Word of God is not a part of our day that we need to just get through. We need to treasure it, make it THE most important part of our day! No matter how busy we are, reading the Scriptures and seeking our Father’s voice in His Word is more important than any exam, job op, or get-together. And the love of the Bible and the just being there to spend time with God, is part of what it means to have that long-lasting love, instead of just the wonder of the whirlwind romance.

This is totally not something I am perfect in. I have just been realizing it, little by little. Pursuit of God through His Word, combined with prayer, is our way of connecting with the Creator, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. But we all need His strength to hold us up in the spirit, keeping us from our fleshly desires to just laze through church and the motions. Being a passionate believer requires supernatural strength and wisdom, and praise the Father, He is willing to give it in abundance!

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

James 1:5-6, ESV

“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:29-31, ESV

HIS STRENGTH AND HIS MERCY, EVEN IN OUR YOUTHFUL FAILINGS, IS MORE THAN WE COULD EVER IMAGINE.

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And now, onto the May Favorites …

• coming to value the power of prayer more than ever before
• going out of my comfort zone and talking on the phone with people
• wearing shorts and not being cold! *jaw drop*
• watching The Chosen with brothers!
• babysitting and writing a book with two precious girls
• wondering why my arms hurt, and realizing that lifting heavy flower baskets was what did it!
• singing with thirty youth and young adults, voices lifted high
• commiserating with a fellow exam-taker about our nervousness
• to-do lists that take up a whole page, messy and in different colors and styles of writing, complete with varying levels of legibility.
• my crazy awesome Dad goofing off in the car and making us almost wet our pants laughing in the backseat!
• writing a song with a picture as a prompt
• staying up late, and going to bed early
• a nerve-wracking piano recital and wobbly arms
• wearing white pants at the piano recital, which made me feel like a bit of a rogue because they frequently change color based on the wearer’s care! XD
• a friend not recognizing me at an event because I curled my hair!
• the hilarity of six people eating ice cream at 9:30 at night, sharing three spoons!
• The Word of God – living and active.

And now for the June favorites …

• practicing piano like a maniac!
• hangin’ out with homeschoolers
• fireworks for some extremely belated birthdays!
• GOING TO THE BEACH!!! (Okay, it was a lake, but I liked it!)
• brunch with a couple other families, which turned into a huge unrelated project and games time!
• a girls grad party with a bunch of my sweet friends, that was such a blast!
• putting on my carpenter’s hat and building stands for said party!
• emailing people 🤗
• babysitting and playing goofy games with two-year-olds
• my first voice recital (at which I stood too close to the speaker and the mic didn’t work, but I couldn’t tell! I could see my family in the audience gesturing that they couldn’t hear, and I just kept singing! 😝😭 It went otherwise well, though. 🤣
• fencing with a friend and strategically figuring out how to fit six people on one quad!
• swimming and dying and swimming and half-dying and swimming and not-dying-any-more 😂
• learning that I aced a piano exam (despite shaky arms and the miles between heaven and earth, God worked miracles!)
• finished reading one of my teensy little books I seem to have acquired … and almost completely forgot about the rest. *facepalm*

And now …. JULY GOALS!!

1. Search high and low to find a pumpkin pie recipe for my Dad!
2. Spend four hours each morning on high school work.
3. Lane swim at least twice a week (with my crazy lane partners, aka brother(s)!)
4. Finish reading the prophetic books, Obadiah to Malachi, and read all the “writings” books, except Psalms! (That, my friends, is reserved for August, when I will be the coolest counselor you have ever met! 🤣)
5. Attend Staff camp! WOOOHOOO!!
6. Take my final lifeguarding course! (Hence the swim practice!)
7. Get a tan. (True, I have burnt many times trying for this goal, but we shall see this summer whether new strategies will succeed or not! I just hope this doesn’t affect my outgoing personality … you know what they say, “Once burnt, twice shy.” 😝🤣

HOLD UP! MAKAYLA’S GONNA BE A COUNSELOR?!

Yes! In August I will be away from home in some beautiful gorgeous place where I go to this cool unnamed camp, and I will tell you all the deets and learning lessons when I come back! (As you should have grown to be used to by now! 😂) I am so excited for this opportunity, and so grateful to God for this blessing that He’s given me!

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And that’s it! Tell me, y’all – how do you find passion in reading the Word of God? And relating to goals, what is one of the most exciting things you’re doing this coming month? Do you have any sensational summer plans? Chat with me in the comments!!

Y’all have an amazing day now, you hear?! 🤣

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July Goals + Inspiration!

Well hello hello everyone! HOW is it already July?!

I’m excited to start this new month and even more excited that I’m actually getting my goals post out in time! YES!! What have y’all been doing in the last … few days? 😂 I’m keeping cool during the heat wave in my area and doing some school to finish off the last day of June! Farewell, beautiful June! *gets sentimental* But hell-lo July! *spirit revives*

Is anyone else craving some rich spiritual meat right about now? Me too. I don’t consider myself a provider of wise words that satisfy, but perhaps my thoughts on this first day of July can be somehow beneficial to my readers and encourage them in some way! 🤍

Lately I’ve been thinking about my future a bit (as mentioned in this post). I found an amazing verse that helps me in the stage I’m in, as a teen girl with fewer responsibilities than a career-woman, wife, or mother. While I’m here in my current phase, with certain responsibilities as a daughter, I’m curious as to what I can do right now, for the future ahead. Within Ecclesiastes, (a book some believe to have been written by Solomon, the wisest man in the world,) is a little jewel that gives me a bit of relief.

“Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.”

Ecclesiastes 2:24, NKJV

Although this certainly relieves pressure, we do carry a certain responsibility during the teen years. Near the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, there lies an encouraging yet sobering message.

“Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,

And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;

Walk in the ways of your heart,

And in the sight of your eyes;

But know that for all these

God will bring you into judgment.

Therefore remove sorrow from your heart,

And put away evil from your flesh,

For childhood and youth are vanity.

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,

Before the difficult days come,

And the years draw near when you say,

“I have no pleasure in them.”

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 – 12:1, NKJV

There are ways that in my heart I long to follow. There are desires I have that are unfulfilled as of now, and dreams that may never be fulfilled. But as the verses above show, we have a responsibility to remember that while we pursue our dreams, we pursue them in a way that honors God and His plans for our life. May we pursue our future in a way that let’s our light shine as a witness to the world.

Additionally, I’d like to encourage all of you to let it go, if you’re feeling overwhelmed. I believe that our Father wants us to do His Will with ALL of our hearts, not grudgingly because we think we should. So if you feel guilty, pressured, or uncertain, my friends, just cast your cares and burdens on our Father, and He will give you His perfect yoke, which yields freedom and peace.

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Psalms 55:22, NKJV

” ‘ “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” ‘ “

Mathew 11:28-30, NKJV

(These three songs are some of my favorites! Listening to these songs would be a big favor to your musical ear! XD)

Alrighty, let’s get into July Goals! see below! 👇🙌

THEWILDFIREGIRL.WORDPRESS.COM

#1 Drink in the sun, but stay wise! (The last few days I swam outdoors, but I wasn’t very careful about applying sunscreen, so right now my face and arms are .. unbelievably red! So, going forward, I’m going to treat my body with a little more TLC when in the sun!)

#2 Swim at rivers, lakes, dugouts, wherever I can! I need practice in order to complete my next goal ..

#3 Pass my Bronze Medallion and Bronze Cross. (I have never been a competitive swimmer so I’m a little intimidated by the idea of timed swims. I’ve been praying so hard that I’ll be given strength and energy to pass!)

#4 Hike two related trails *hopefully!*

#5 Read one Proverb and five Psalms a day (This will enable me to get through the books of Proverbs and Psalms in one month, without burning out, especially throughout the week of the Bronze courses.)

#6 Wake up at 5:30 so I can train for volleyball before the day gets hot! (And, of course, to give me an incentive to wake up earlier!)

#7 Get to lesson 140 in school, 29 lessons in both subjects.

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My own pic! (drinking sunlight counts as a drink, right?)

So there we go!! A little inspiration for the month ahead, my goals, and some pretty pics! What thoughts are running through your mind as July shines down into your backyard? Do you have any goals you’ve got planned to smash? I’d love to hear about it all, down in the comments!

Farewell my friends, and we’ll hopefully talk again next time!

Womanhood (Part One)

(Hey everyone! Here’s a post I originally published on my other blog, Wake up, Girls!. (View the original post here.) I wanted to post it here for my “Yah’s Girl” followers too, so I hope you enjoy!)

As a young teenager, I struggled with the concept of womanhood. When our Bible study group decided to study this topic, I was excited because I wanted to learn more about what I was supposed to become, how I was supposed to act, as a woman in Christ.

But after the meetings, I was so confused because of all the information coming from the people in the group. The verses we talked about were on submission, teaching, head coverings. Yes, I know it’s a sensitive topic and it’s good to know where you stand, but I think it was a lot for me to take in, as an inexperienced and a tiny-bit-immature-15-year-old.

What made it harder was that most of the people presenting their ideas were … the men. I didn’t see any women saying things about how they’d learned to take their identity from the Bible. I didn’t see any women sharing their wisdom with the others.

If you know me, you can see that this topic would be hard for me.

I love debate and freedom. I love the idea of living alone and being independent. I want to do dangerous and risky things, like walking fenceposts, kayaking down crazy rivers, and going on backpacking trips. I’ve even wanted to be a secret agent at one point!

I’ve had the image of the strong, independent woman in my head for my whole life. I wanted to be that kind of person.

But I wanted it for MYSELF. Not for the glory of God. For the glory, courage, and fame of MYSELF.

See? When you start with the heart of the matter you see what’s wrong. The defenses fall away. And you can see the truth.

See, what I realized was that men and women have different purposes. The purpose of the godly man is to be responsible for his family, wife, and children. To protect them. To love them. To lead them where God leads him. He can’t do that if his wife or daughter is constantly second-guessing his decisions or pulling at his hand to move him elsewhere.

And the purpose of women? I’ve learned that it is multifold – but I think the root of it all is to help. To help their parents, instead of tearing them down and making trouble. To comfort and encourage their friends with their troubles. Cook when Mom’s sick. Do the chores when Dad’s away. Babysit for a couple on a date. To help their husbands lead them in a godly way.

Instead of thinking of the men’s responsibility as an encumberment to our independence, why don’t we think of it as a blessing from God? Instead of thinking of our purpose to be helpmeets as a burden, why don’t we rejoice that we have the power to change and to move people? We woman can help people be the best they can be! We can encourage the men in our life instead of scoffing at their leadership!

Something that was really important for me to learn was this: That my Dad has my best interests at heart. In fact, at one point I didn’t believe this. I thought he was out to wreck my fun – maybe he wouldn’t ever let me move out. Maybe he’d never let me date the guy I liked. Maybe he’d never let me leave the province without him or Mom. I thought, “This sucks. Why does he have to be in charge of me for my entire life? Can I never make my own decisions?”

But stop a minute, old Makayla. I know my Dad. He loves God. He loves me. He wouldn’t want to hurt me. He wouldn’t do anything he didn’t truly believe in. He’s not out to wreck my fun. He’s out to protect me – to fulfill his God-given responsibility to take care of me, his baby girl.

When you think about it THAT way … it takes away all the skepticism and all I feel is gratefulness and love.

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So now we know what it DOESN’T mean to be a Godly Woman … what DOES it mean?

There are SO many facets to what it means to be a godly woman that I can’t fit all the concepts in this post! This will be part one of a series on Biblical Womanhood, and I’ll be incorporating the stories of Biblical women in the posts, to illustrate the qualities we can show in our lives today. I hope you’ll follow my blog or continue checking it out so we can journey through this womanhood series together!

“Yahweh, I pray that you would work through this series. Help all the women and teenage girls to know what your special purpose is for them, and to accept the purposes which you have given to men. Thank you for your principles of Biblical manhood and womanhood that we can follow. They are beautiful and desirable, not a burden or an encumberment. Help me as well, to know what to write, and continue to fill us with your words through Your Word. Please renew us all. In the name of your son Yeshua, Amen.”

I hope you all have an amazing day!

Makayla

(By the way, the Womanhood series will be continued on the other blog, Wake up, Girls! Head over and click the follow button to receive notifications for future posts!)

Goals and Habits … Is it God’s Will?

Over the month of December and early January, I’d been making personal goals and accomplishing them, and here’s what I’ve learned; It feels really good. It feels good to do things, and do them well. It’s empowering to feel strong, smart, talented, and organized. And for someone who’s love language is ‘words of affirmation’, having people affirm my efforts and tell me I’m wonderful makes my heart burst with joy!

However … is it really me?

Are my brains, my strength, my talents … are they really mine? Can I crush whatever goal I have simply because I’m determined and motivated? Does health mean everything? Is my body mine, to use however I want?

And I had to concede … the answer is no.

No, my brains and strength and talent is not mine – it’s YHVH’s, that He gave to me to use for His glory. No, my own determination and motivation only goes so far – it’s YHVH who breathes life and energy into me to enable me to work hard in life. And I can’t get anywhere on my own strength – It’s YHVH I need to lean on, trust in, to help me in distress and hard times.

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However, even though we know that we should take this step, how do we do it? How can we smack back our bad habits of trusting in ourselves, of making goals that take YHVH out of the picture? Habits are hard to break – especially bad ones.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. But because my target is youth audiences, I’ll give you some things to think about …

• Are your goals focused on an end goal of being God-oriented, others-oriented, or self-oriented?
• Are you involving your parents, other family, and close friends in your dreams, goals, friendships, and the desires of your heart?
• Are you praying over all your struggles? (Emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, relational?)
• Are you working so hard at your goals that you don’t have time to do things you’re passionate about, or things that help others?
• Are you giving God the glory, if only just in the quiet of your own prayer time?

A habit isn’t broken by mental assent. You’ve got to discover something that resonates in your soul – something that means something to you. For me, my “soul resonating” comes when I’m trying to act in trust in YHVH’s Will for my life. I’m coming to the realization that YHVH’s plan is the only plan I want. Any other plan will fail to satisfy.

So please don’t expect a lifestyle switch to be easy. It isn’t.

But please DO expect it to mold you, and change you. Of course, if you’re afraid of change (like I am) this will be even harder for you.

But are you willing to change? To line up your goals with God’s Will for your life? To break the habits that detract from God’s Will? To trust God to give you the strength for the things He wants you to accomplish?

There’s only One Way to find out.

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I’d also like to add something that a friend told me …. Grace, over at Vibrant for Jesus. She said that we should always remember the MAIN goal, which is glorifying God. That made me think of this verse …

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Phillippians 3:14, NKJV

Paul had #goals too! His goal was the prize of Christ’s calling. What an amazing goal.

Finding Your Identity In God Alone- Inner Beauty (Part 4)

Hello everyone! Welcome back to the blog for another Inner Beauty post! It’s been a while since I last posted in this series, and y’all must’ve thought I’d forgotten all about it! I’ve been waiting for the right subject to discuss next.

(To see parts One, Two, and Three of the series, see the articles linked below!)

• How do we cultivate our inner beauty? Part One
• Taking Inner Beauty a step further … Part Two
• Inner Beauty – Start with your Heart (Part Three)

I know that the subject of “finding your identity” in God is touchy. No one seems to provide an answer for those who honestly want to know how to do it. The truth is, there is no “one” answer. However, I think there is a principle to follow in everyday life, in order to be sure that your life “lines up” with God’s will.

“Make your decisions based on The Word, but leave the resolution to God.”

Me 🙂

Recently I discovered that all of the files on my computer would have to be wiped. And I know I told some of you that there might be a chance it could be recovered, but it was a false hope. The shop just couldn’t clear the virus to grab the content.

You know what that means, don’t you? All the stories I’ve written, even some novels I was starting … Lots of essays, the essays I had been working on when I was trying to catch up and had almost finished … some songs I had written … and around 17 pages of blog post ideas.

The last one is just annoying, but the rest really hurt. I love writing, and I used to spend a lot of my time writing things that flowed right from my heart. I never backed up my computer, and now all those things are gone. What now do I have to remind me of those days, of those accomplishments?

I was really, really sad, when I first found out. (Honestly, I cried a lot.) It felt like something precious had been stripped away from me, and it had been. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to rewrite some of those stories, and I certainly can’t remember many of the songs. My parents decided to let me skip those essays that I’d already written, so I don’t have to write them again. And I’ll continue to blog, dont worry! 😊

Life goes on … but when you’re smack in the middle of the pain, it’s hard to see it.

Photo by Vojtech Okenka on Pexels.com

In the middle of it, I felt peace. I was crying, but I felt at peace. I’m paraphrasing what I prayed, (because I don’t have a perfect memory!) but here it is:

“I don’t know how to fix this, but You can. But if You don’t, I believe that it’ll be okay. I won’t mourn, because I’d know that You wanted it to happen. And my identity is not found in these computer files – it is found in YOU, in who I am in You. Help me. I don’t know how this will affect my school either, but You will make a way.”

If my identity is found and rooted in my WIPs and albums and academic record, and any one of those things tanks, then I will be totally destroyed. But if my identity is rooted in The Most High, and He is the One I go to whenever there’s a passion-demolition, then I can’t be devastated.

(Another journal snippet:)

“But most of all, I know that though everything else be taken from me, I can never lose who I am – who I’ve become – and I can never be stripped of my faith.”

I know know KNOW that God’s got it. And He’s in control of YOUR situations too … whatever disappointment you’re dealing with right now, is His Will for you. Even if it’s something horrible that you never would have wanted for yourself. Girls and boys, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I can see the light at the end of my tunnel. And because YHVH is the one driving the train, I know we’ll make it through okay.

This song is so so powerful. If I watched it right now, I’d cry. Because it’s exactly how I feel about what just happened in my life, and it’s exactly how I want to respond to every other hardship I face in the future. Watch it. That’s an order. XD

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I guess this is where I provide you all with the catchy little phrase so you can remember this more easily. XD But I’d encourage you not to just look at the phrase – internalize it. Make it REAL in YOUR life.

BeautifulYou Tip: Identify in God alone. Bring every aspect of your life back to His Will for you. Praise Him for what He’s doing in your life, even if it hurts. Embrace the emotional strength and spritual maturity that develops as a result of trusting in God alone.

So get out there! Face your challenges. Instead of tearing yourself apart and frantically trying to fix them, leave them in God’s hands. Go ahead and do what you can … but in the meanwhile, He’ll be doing what no one and nothing else can do.

Makayla

You are SO Beautiful!

Have you ever known a girl who was just so beautiful and had such an attractive personality in her own way, but … she just couldn’t see it? In fact, maybe she even thought she was ugly … or dumb … or annoying … and maybe she wanted to be somebody else! Maybe that girl …

Maybe that girl … was you?

That girl was me.

Surrounded by what society calls “beauty”, I looked around, and saw that everyone else had clearer skin. Everyone else had skinny legs. Everyone else had a crush who liked them back (Presumably because of their looks.) And then there was me.

Can I tell you something, little girl with a crown? What you are doing is comparing yourself to others. And each of those girls are comparing themselves to you. And you are both coming up on the short end because you don’t realize that God made you YOU and even if you weren’t born with your struggles, get this: The YOU that God made is gonna have to put up with the hard times as well as the good times. And God will help you! He loves and won’t leave you hanging!

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 (emphasis mine)

And listen: If God is for you, than who can stand against you? Don’t let the world stand against you! Don’t measure yourself by their standards. Trust in God. Commit yourself to developing a beautiful character, an inner beauty.

Little girl with a crown, you are God’s child, and he will give you the desires of your heart … when you seek first His kingdom and righteousness.

I know it’s hard to wait, hard to be different, hard to keep going, hard to change your thinking … But you can choose to let the hard things make you better. Diamonds are formed under intense pressure. In the same way, your pressures can crush you, or it can create a sparkling beauty.

Things to avoid …

• Stop comparing yourself to other girls. Every time you catch yourself, chastise yourself. Tell God, “Thank you for your beautiful creation. We are both beautiful because we are made in YOUR image.”
• Don’t make the situation worse. If you are REALLY down in the dumps about your weight, acne, school, or something more serious, seek help! Talk to your parents or a caring friend, do a little research, you could even talk to me!😉 Seriously … you are not alone!

Step 1 – KNOW that outward beauty is second to inward beauty. Inner beauty is oh-so-important and comes FIRST.

Step 2 – LIVE what you KNOW. Work on your inner beauty. It’s okay to wear make-up and care about your clothing and try to look nice, but really cultivate your inner beauty. Let your inner beauty shine through the clothes you’re wearing. Let your happiness and contentment give your skin a glow.

Step 3 – Wait on Yahweh, and be strong. It takes strength and patience to wait, and these are both elements of inner beauty. Find a role model (your mom, aunt, even a friend) who shows you what inner beauty looks like.

I’ve been there, done that. I’m here for you, girl!!

Stay strong in the Word.

Inner Beauty – Start with your Heart (part 3)

Yes, I may be reading the Bible. Yes, I’m a lot nicer and more polite to my siblings. I’ve been getting better at honoring my parents. But my heart’s not right.

Yesterday we were all singing praise songs. I felt sad and moody and I could hardly sing because I was worried I would burst out crying! What happened? Exactly nothing!

I didn’t feel right. Now you may chalk it up to me only being able to play mandolin for one song. Maybe. But it felt bigger than that, like a stone in my stomach and a bees-nest in my head.

I thought back on the week. I only read the Bible when I had time. I still have a bit of a temper and a habit of acting quickly without thinking (even though I didn’t have bad intentions.)

I wrote this on my vision board last week. I had no idea how much I’d need it.

“Start with your heart.”

I was trying to do all the things, but my heart wasn’t in it. If Yeshua had come back during singing, what would he have found me doing? Sitting on my butt feeling sorry for myself?! Worrying about the future?! That’s not the way I want to live.

Take a pause. Are you trying to do ‘all the things’, but your heart isn’t in it? Are you exhausted from trying to be someone you’re not? Are you disillusioned or depressed with working and striving and never stopping to think about the whys?

I want to live each day like it’s my last. I need my heart to be soft and my spirit willing to do WHATEVER! I need to stop in the tough moments and take it to Yahweh. I need to give Yahweh the very best of myself and my abilities. Obedience. Hard work. Patience. A loving and soft heart.

As a huge milestone in my life approaches (my 16^th birthday) I’m worried I won’t be ready or mature enough to deserve it, to shoulder the responsibility and the change that comes with it. I had so many goals for my 16^th year, goals I haven’t completed, won’t be able to complete anytime soon.

It has to remind me to be worthy of each and every single day that God gives me. To use my time wisely, down to every hour. To live like each day is my last. When I feel Yahweh asking me, “What have you been doing, daughter?” I want to be able to confidently answer, “The work of The Lord.”

BeautifulYou Tip: Start with your Heart. Focus on the best and only reason to have inner beauty and a strong faith – Yahweh. Get yourself right with God … He’s coming back soon!

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

Mathew 25:13, NKJV

I took a pause that day. I didn’t like what I saw in my life. I didn’t like that I wasn’t in it with my whole heart. So I started right then to fix my heart. I know it’s not going to happen right away – it’s going to take time. But I am going to do it. I won’t live a superficial life of exhaustion and striving. I’m going to love Yahweh my Elohim with ALL of my heart and soul and mind and strength.

Taking Inner Beauty a step further … (part two.)

In last week’s post on Inner Beauty, we covered the first step – reading your Bible, the guidebook that God gave you. Now we’re onto the next step … trying to act in beauty in a world that makes it very difficult.

In your family, siblings (and even sometimes parents) can frustrate us and make us feel like they are squelching our inner beauty. But one thing that we all have to realize is that we are only as beautiful as we are at our worst. We all have a great responsibility to treat our families with the same beauty as we would our friends and teachers.

Sometimes it’s easier to act nicer to your family if there are other people around. But if you can have a beautiful attitude when no ones looking (or when you think no ones looking,) that is the best kind of attitude.

Yes, this takes time. But you can start small. Thank your family members for things they do for you – folding the laundry, picking up your book, driving you to basketball. Smile to show them you care. Show a little interest in their interests, and maybe they’ll even invite you to join them.

I’ve never had an older sibling, but as the eldest, I can tell you that I love it when my younger bros tell me “thank you” and “good job”. You might not think your older sister wants your approval on her outfit, but I bet she’ll smile big when you tell her you like it.

And outside the home, with September fast approaching, your friends, activities, and homework are all going to require your immediate attention. How will you handle them? Will you carry your inner beauty with you everywhere? Will you say no to evil and yes to good? Will you abandon the secular and popular and embrace the straight and narrow?

Beautiful You Tip: Remember who you are, whether you’re at home with your family or hanging out with your friends at school. Say ‘no’ to the enemy.

You are an ambassador of God’s kingdom to the nations. Let them see Christ in you, in your inner beauty. Honestly, same thing for the boys. If a guy is cute but has no character, his personality is hardened and ugly. Be a good representative of The Kingdom.

If this all seems too lofty or hard, don’t overthink it. You will mess up sometimes, we all do: But don’t ever think you can’t do it, because YOU CAN!!!

“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:13

Come to God for the strength to do this. Stay strong in The Word of God and in prayer.

Love y’all!

Makayla

How do we cultivate our inner beauty?

“Sure, sure.” You say. “I’ve heard all this talk about inner beauty and this and that, but exactly HOW am I supposed to attain this status? I want it now … but no matter how hard I’ve tried, I keep slipping back! By the end of the day I’m so discouraged that I give up!”

Oh, my friend. No kind of beauty is attained in a day. A dramatic transformation is what every girl dreams of, but it happens rarely, if ever. Lots of people will tell you that their success, beauty, muscles, and grades, are all a result of long days (and nights!) of hard work. Yet it paid off in the end.

Do you truly believe that inner beauty is worth the work? Is it something you’d cherish, and hold close to your heart? Then I hope you will join me in my quest to build inner beauty.

What is the first step? I believe that the first step for me was realizing that the Bible is my guidebook. Sure, we can memorize Bible verses. We can strive to show the nine Fruits of the Spirit in our lives. But the act of settling in and digging DEEP into the Word, starting from the very beginning, was a real wake-up call for me. Reading several chapters a day showed me what a real desire for God’s Words looks like.

Beautiful You Tip #1 – The Bible is your guidebook! Start at the very beginning, and read ALLLLL the way to the end.

Even if you can only read a little bit a day, it is a few minutes of your day that you will never regret! And know that I’m reading with you! (I’m only in Leviticus, but I have already seen so much growth in myself its astonishing!) If there is a day I don’t read the Bible, I feel like I’ve missed something so precious!

The Bible is not a magic pill. But there’s something about the constant truth of Yahweh’s Word that calms my soul and gives me peace, and makes me thirsty to read more.

THIS is a real test. THIS is the hard work that will pay off. THIS is what will help you grow in Christ … the hard days and the long nights … and when you blink open your eyes and realize that you’ve been changed, from the inside out!

I know I’m not perfect, and I can even think back to things I could have (and should have!) done differently this week, but I realized that I learned a big lesson from those mistakes. It’s an encouragement to know I’m walking the right path, and it’s also a gentle push to tell me to keep walking forward and not give up.

(This is the first in a series of articles on cultivating inner beauty. I’m so happy to be journeying this with you and I hope you will come along with me for the ride, dear sister!!)

Love,

~Makayla