Wedding Makeup Challenge

So it's hot...

Anyway, I have set before myself a challenge to try a new makeup product each month before my wedding to find some trusty tools for my big day. 

My pick for the month of July was gel eyeliner by Sonia Kashuk, $10 from Target.

It was advertised in the June 2012 issue of BRIDES and I thought it looked "try-worthy."

Results:

<3 <3 <3

3 out of 5 hearts

It worked okay, but the best results were when I wore it over my regular waterproof eyeliner. It wouldn't smudge onto the top of my eyelid until I had worn it for several hours, so that is an improvement. Still smudged slightly at the corners of my eyes after a few hours.

(Eyeliner brush from The Makeup Bar)

Any suggestions on what to try next month? The 3 products I most want to experiment with are primer, mascara and lipstick.

Stay cool!

7-19-11

One year ago today, I asked God for something rather specific.

This request is written on a piece of wood and is from a sermon that our church does every year. It represents "staking your claim" in God's promises and is a visual representation of what you have asked God for in faith. (Another story behind this...ask me some other time!)

So here I was. I was getting ready to start my senior year. I was going back to teaching. I was in a very good place in my relationship with the Lord. I was really happy with where I was in life. But I wanted to ask God this one thing...

There was no one I was interested in at the time and I was looking at finishing school in just nine short months. In my mind, it was a reasonable request that I at least meet the man who I would marry and begin to build a friendship that would eventually turn into something more. If that still wasn't in God's timing for this year, then ok. At least I'd asked. And of course I had been praying about who I would marry for years, thinking about qualities that I desired, and actually praying FOR whoever that man would be.

But this time, it just felt different.

Anyway, back to 7-19-11....

About two weeks from that day, my friend Claire Myers told me about "this guy" from her church. (Also another crazy story in and of itself!)

Then on 8-18-11, I met Kurtis Hanni for the first time at the Starbucks by dance.

Then one month from that first meeting, we were dating.

Then nine months later, we got engaged.

So here I am a year later, planning a wedding and preparing to become a wife to the most loving, intelligent, God-fearing, funny, handsome man I have EVER met.  

I am thrilled beyond words.

Yet I managed to find a few for this post :)

I share this because I am always encouraged when I hear or read about God answering prayers and working in the lives of fellow believers. My story...our story!... isn't a formula or a blueprint, but yet another piece of unique evidence of a faithful God.

And He is so very faithful...goodness...I can hardly articulate it.

"...no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him."

1 Cor. 2:9

It Won't Be Taken Away

In today's selection from Jesus Calling, a scripture resonated with me in a way that it hadn't before.

"...You have chosen the better thing and it will not be taken away from you."

This scripture is Luke 10:42 and is referring to the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus was commenting on Mary's choice to commune with Him and how that wouldn't be taken from her.
The devo today talked about the rewards of choosing to commune with God even though sometimes it is not appreciated or even misunderstood by others, like in the story of Mary and Martha. God promises returns when we choose Him, and those rewards are not to be taken away.

This hit home with me as recently I found out that my internship will not pan out how I desired. I enjoyed the work, was very good at it and have received excellent feedback from my immediate superiors. For reasons beyond my control and theirs, it just simply isn't going to pan out beyond the end of July.

A choice is before me: blare my "I'm discouraged" horn (and in this case, I would have good reason to) or hum a different tune.
As we all know, throughout our lives there are seemingly worthwhile ventures that we invest ourselves in and seemingly get nothing. They are "taken away from us," so to speak. It is an encouraging reminder as God's kids that no matter what endeavors in our lives fail to bring returns or are taken away from us, those daily decisions to commune with Him, the hourly decisions to choose HIM over all, will never fail to reward and it can't be taken away from us. I like that kind of security. That's just how it works in God's economy.

God's economy > any other economy.