Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Great Resource for Volunteer Opportunities!



I had to share this resource! It's a great way to look up volunteer opportunities to serve in YOUR AREA - check it out:

http://christianvolunteering.org/

Take the 9/11 Challenge: Changing Lives, Changing Hearts!


I've been encouraged by Klove's challenge:
"Imagine if one million people went out and made a difference in someone’s life. On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, K-LOVE honors those who have fallen by encouraging you to love and bless others. Together with the National Day of Service, make a promise to be one of 1,000,000 people around the world to make a difference on 9/11."

Be one of the 1 million to take the challenge:
http://www.klove.com/ministry/make-a-difference.aspx

On 9/11, let's turn evil into good by serving others. Let's go out of our way to encourage someone, reach out to someone or talk to someone about Christ through words, actions or a simple act. Let's reach out to those who fight for our freedom and thank them for their service and dedication to our country. Let's serve the families of fallen servicemen. Let's reach out to our neighbors, cashiers, school-mates and friends.

Think about it today ... what can we do to impact eternity on 9/11 and every day?

Take the challenge!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

New "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" Notecards


Check out our new notecards - can be used for writing and recording scripture, prayers or just another reminder that you are, indeed, "FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY" made!

Enter to win a pack of 5 notecards for FREE by simply emailing LIZVOCALS4GOD@yahoo.com your name and address (to be shipped to if you are the winner).

Friday, August 26, 2011

Help Others Friday: Seeing good in "IRENE"



As people scurry and buy all that's left of water and bread in the local grocery stores, fill up their gas tanks, or possibly even evacuate the area - I think of the next few days. The Lord may be giving us an opportunity to reach out to someone who needs help cleaning up the limbs in their yard, who needs someone to talk too and check on them because they are older, single or widowed and live alone. Maybe God will call us to witness to people who are deathly afraid of storms. I'm not saying "bring it on, Irene," I'm simply saying that God can use difficult times for His good and to further His kingdom. We should all keep that in mind as we encounter the storms these next few days. Be on the lookout. Let God speak to you and possibly use you in someone else's life. Sometimes God uses storms to get people to slow down and think... to think about who we are and what we want to be, what HE wants us to be. I know for me, I always hear him whispering to me to slow down and LISTEN. We serve a mighty, mighty God and we never want to miss something greater that He has in store for us.

I thought this verse was a perfect reminder that God was, has been and IS ALWAYS in control ... Take time to "BE STILL" and see how God can use this storm to further His kingdom!



Blessings to you this weekend!
XOXO, Lizzy
Interested in sponsoring a child from "Food for the Hungry" for just $32 a month? Email me for more information: lizvocals4god@yahoo.com
Add me on Twitter for recent posts/encouraging words/freebies: @lizzychristian

Monday, August 22, 2011

Be ACTIVE in your faith: NO room for back seat Christians!


Last week, I had the privilege of going to Roanoke, VA on a short mission trip and our verse for the week was Philemon 6, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith." What an incredible verse ... and it got me thinking ... are we back-seat or front-seat Christians? Are we sitting there, navigating, reading the GPS, telling others how to be "good" Christians by fufulling the Great Commission or are we doing all we can do and making the most of every God-given opportunity? As a type A personality, I  like schedules, to do lists, staying busy and am not one to just go do something CRAZY. I sometimes think through things way too much. This is a problem. If we get so consumed with life and schedules, how can we be servant's of the most High, always looking for opportunities to serve Him and tell others about Him? Today, my challenge to us all is to slow down and pay attention. Put on your "God Goggles" and don't be blind and ignore those in pain and those in need all around you (physically and spiritually). There are probably people in our own families who need us right now ... and we get too busy to realize it.

I want to leave you with these two quotes from Michael Minot:
"I believe God causes thoughts of people to dance in your mind for a reason. In some way, they need a loving touch from you." (God may place certain people on your mind who need a pick-me-up, phone call or a coffee from starbucks to brighten their day).

"It's important to light up in front of others. Life lived with a spark can be contagious." (Let the Holy Spirit consume you and use to brighten other people's day!)

College Students: Textbook Overload!


To my fellow college students who do not want to purchase every single textbook that is required (because, like you, I've had over 7-8 books for one class...that's a lot of moola), I wanted to share a great resource that can literally save you hundreds!

Rent Textbooks Online: https://www.collegebookrenter.com/index.cfm

Why rent textbooks? I like to purchase/keep textbooks within my major, but if there's a random class I'm not really interested in keeping, I rent it! For example, there was a $200 book I needed that I rented for $30...because I didn't need to keep it!

Check it out. It might save you a lot of $$.

Friday, August 12, 2011

How to: Clean your Makeup Brushes!


Did you know that experts say that makeup brushes should be cleaned weekly or at least every other week? I'm so behind on this! Here are the steps to cleaning your brushes! If you are in need of some good makeup brushes, you can order some from me: www.marykay.com/lizzychristian. These are priced very well, but more importantly they work wonders! I used to buy cheap, cheap brushes that practically fell apart while using them...don't do that! Stend an extra dollar for quality brushes that last.

Here we go:


Wet your brush by holding it, head down at an angle, under luke warm running water. Do not submerge your brush... Work a small amount of gentle cleanser into the hairs. Wash thoroughly but gently - don't scrub.
















Rinse your brush by holding it at an angle, under luke warm running water until the water is clear.





Using a clean dry towel, gently squeeze the excess water from the brush hairs and reshape to original form
In order to help prevent dust and dirt from settling in your makeup brushes, store them in a clean, dry, protected place such as a makeup bag (especially if you take your makeup out and about with you...)

Why Upward Sports?

While preparing some statistics to share at our Coaches Training tomorrow, I wanted to share them with some of you. Sports today are heading in the wrong direction and teaching our youngins' the "win at all costs" mentality at such a young age, that only escalades into their youth and adulthood. In Upward Sports, we try to lay a different foundation - one that doesn't solely focus on the outcome of the game, but the way you play the game and how you handle the outcome (people do need to understand that there will be a winner and a loser, but losing doesn't have to be the end of the world). 

Read these eye-opening statistics:

·     More than 65% of children say they participate in sports to be with friends.
·      One top reason why children say they participate in sports: to have fun and to improve their skills. (and as we all know, some local rec leagues are shying away from “fun” and turning it in to “just competition” …I know it was already like that when I played for rec leagues and I’m sure it’s gotten worse).

Top reasons children quit playing organized sports:
·      Not having fun
·      The coach played favorites
·      Too much emphasis on competition
·      Frustration with not getting to play

·      64% of parents say their children have been dissatisfied with their sports experience
·      Some 41 million boys and girls played organized sports in the US; 70% will quit playing by age 13
·      72% of boys and girls would rather play on a losing team than sit on the bench for a winning team
·      71% of children say they wouldn’t care if no score were kept in their games
·      Only 1 in 5 athletes feel they have to win to have fun

This is why we exist - to challenge and teach kids on both a spiritual and athletic level. We now offer Upward Sports for kids grades K4 - 8th Grade. You can get more information and sign up here: http://www.nansemondriver.org/upward.html

Upward Sports ... "Where every child is a winner" and where children aren't looked down upon no matter their skill level, race, age, religion or background.

Monday, August 8, 2011

God of endless possibilities!


Yesterday in Sunday School, I was reminded of an amazing passage of Scripture - Matthew 19:26, "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." After hearing that, I took it to the next level... how many times have I felt God leading me to do something, talk to someone or "go where He leads," and have said to myself, "I'm not equipped to do that?" I have missed so many opportunities because I felt as though I wasn't equipped. Man alone can not fufill the amazing tasks of Jesus Christ, but with God, there are endless possibilities of what He can accomplish through us. Think about that for a second. How many opportunities have you missed? Is God calling you to witness to someone or do something that you are currently pushing aside because you don't feel equipped for those tasks?

Re-read this verse several times - Luke 1:37, "Nothing is impossible with God." Nothing. Not one single thing.

We serve a God who is everwhere at once, can hear all of our prayers at the same time, created the Universe, knows how many grains of sand encompass the earth, lived a holy life on earth and was/is without sin, died on the cross for our sins, comforts us, blankets us with mercy and compassion, and continues to lead and guide us every single day. Imagine if we opened up and gave God our all. If we surrender our hearts and minds to Him and try to be more like Him, imagine how much our lives would change for the better. What an amazing God we serve.

We don't worship a weak, powerless God ... we worship the sovereign Lord who created all that was created. He is ALL powerful ... and if we let Him, He can do some pretty amazing things with our lives that we could never EVER do on our own.


Friday, August 5, 2011

Stop Wallowing, Start Living!

"Our Saviour kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, 'I can clean that if you want.' And from the basin of his grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes our sin." Max Lucado

In some recent counseling studies, I've been reminded how vital it is to move on and let go instead of continuing to wallow in the past. This is the quote that I came across when being reminded of this ... "It takes a lot of emotional and psychological energy to keep a wound open, to keep a grudge alive. The longer I allow a wound to fester, the more bitterness, anger and self-pity poison my blood and eat at my heart." -Albert Haase 
I was overwhelmed at first, but then thankful. What if the Lord remebered and reminded me every single day of the mistakes I've made? How can you move on and move forward if you continue to wallow in the pain of the past?

Once we forgive, we need to reconcile and move forward, trying not to look back. There will be days when Satan tries to attack those thoughts and memories of painful experiences and that's why it's vital to spend time in prayer and soak up Scripture. Here are some great Scriptures on forgiveness. Write them down and keep them with you ... when you start to wallow in the past of how others have hurt you, soak them up! Pray over them! Let the healing and moving forward continue.

Matthew 5:44-45
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Matthew 6:9-15
This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.


Matthew 26:28
This is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Mark 2:5
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."


Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.


Luke 6:35-38;42
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." ... How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Let's make today a fresh start ... a day to stop wallowing in the pain of the past, but a day to move forward, move on and live for Christ (and like Christ).