I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

Go back a few years and try to recall the anticipation and explosion of pure excitement as you anxiously awaited the ice cream truck. I remember watching all of the neighborhood kids peek out the windows every summer afternoon looking for the white truck that played hokey, loud music, always seeming to hook children as soon as they heard the first note. I was never one to chase the ice cream truck and scream "I want ice cream" in a loud voice, making it seem like the world was at end if I didn't get any. But it got me thinking. Imagine if we set an example for the children of our homes, church, community, and schools to get anxious and overwhelmingly excited about serving a mighty God. What IF we taught them to put their sheer joy and desire to trust, love, and serve God like they desire ice cream? Imagine how different our world would be!? Let's put that desire, passion and endless longing into our own love for our Savior. Man, how our lives would and CAN change. Never miss an opportunity to share His love, aka- chase after the truck screaming, "I want ice cream!"

Praise Him for His powerful acts; praise Him for His abundant greatness. (Psalm 150:2 HCSB)

Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our King, sing praise! (Psalm 47:6 HCSB)

fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. (Philippians 2:2 HCSB)

Grace be with all who have undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 6:24 HCSB)

Fabulous Friday Deals!

Are you busy gearing up for an exciting weekend? We have a few new goodies just for you!

Check out a few products that have been added to our "Valentine's Day Storefront"
http://www.lizzychristian.com/store.html

You can sign up to receive our weekly "True Beauty" devo for Middle/High School girls by filling out the "contact" form on our website. Simply put "join mailing list" in the message!
http://www.lizzychristian.com/contact.html

Here was yesterday's True Beauty mailout:
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Second--True-Beauty--Lesson-Now-Available----Mirror--Mirror-on-the-wall-.html?soid=1106634227953&aid=QGN97hEfIW0

Help change a life - by picking up a pen!

There are millions around the world who are currently trapped in the human trafficking community . . . but there are organizations like Abolition International and the A21 Campaign who are not only trying to end human trafficking, they are working toward helping the victims heal and begin a new life.
You can make a difference . . . by picking up a pen!



Consider writing a letter to one of the girls in the A21 Shelter . . .

Click here for instructions on how to write your letter: http://www.thea21campaign.org/write-a-letter.php

"Do all you good you can, be all the means you can, in all the places you can, as long as you ever can."

Lord, You Steady My Heart!

Let Him mend the wounds and heal the scars . . . Let Him STEADY YOUR HEART

Kari Jobe released her brand new album yesterday. If you haven't already heard it, her song "I Am" has played numerous times daily on Klove and other Christian radion stations. It's a piece of melodic heaven. I didn't think a better song COULD exist. Her album released yesterday and another one of her new songs, "Steady My Heart" is already one of the top songs on Itunes, and I know why! Let me tell you something ... the first time I heard this song the tears began to fill my eyes and slowly streamed down my face. The Lord definitely spoke through her and I hope it can inspire, encourage and revive your spirit today.

These are the lyrics to the song, "Steady My Heart"

Wish it could be easy
Why is life so messy
Why is pain a part of us
There are days I feel like
Nothing ever goes right
Sometimes it just hurts so much


But You're here
You're real
I know I can trust You

Even when it hurts
Even when it's hard
Even when it all just falls apart
I will run to You
Cause I know that You are
Lover of my soul
Healer of my scars
You steady my heart
I'm not gonna worry
I know that You got me
Right inside the palm of your hand
Each and every moment
What's good and what gets broken
Happens just the way that You plan

And I will run to You
You're my refuge in Your arms
And I will sing to You
Cause of everything You are

We serve a God who is very real, mighty and trustworthy.
 He never wants to see us broken, but we can fall into His arms and never let go.

Disecting each of these beautiful lyrics, I'm in awe of how mighty our God is and how He loves us through everything we've done, no matter how many times we turned our backs on Him. He knows we're a mess ... He knows we're sinful, yet He still loves us and wants nothing more than to shelter us with His unconditional love and protection.

"Even when it hurts, Even when it's hard, Even when it all falls apart, I RUN TO YOU"

Life can be tough! We all face an abundance of trials and obstacles that we need to overcome, but we can lean on our Savior no matter how difficult things may be. We can call to Him no matter how broken we are. Sometimes we have trouble admitting we need help . . .it's a "pride" issue. Leviticus 26:19 says, "I will break down your stubborn pride." Praise the Lord - there is hope for us! Christ can heal our pride and continues to be ready, willing, and available to help us, comfort us, guide us, and lead us through life's smallest and biggest trials and obstacles. We need to realize what an incredible Savior He truly us and open our arms to Him and let Him in. Let His love consume us.

"Wish it could be easy, Why is life so messy, Why is pain a part of us?"

I think we all ask these questions from time to time. Life is life ... things are doing to be difficult, money doesn't grow on trees, people die - these are all "facts of life" that we need to face. Life isn't always roses and chocolate, we have to wake up and face the things we try to shove to the backburner and hope will disapear. Want to know why we CAN face these things? Christ is right beside us, holding our hand.

I envision the first day a 5 year old girl starts school. She is the firstborn, her daddy's "princess," and he wants nothing more than to accompany her through the wide range of emotions she faces as she eagerly and anxiously opens the door to her classroom - a world full of new possibilities. Christ is our "daddy." He knows that some tasks are going to bring laughter, sadness, anger, frustration, and He promises to always be there with us as we face them. Psalm 46:1-3 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult."

"And I will run to You, You're my refuge in Your arms, I will sing to You, Cause of everything You are."

I'm thankful for our King. I'm thankful for a God I can run to. I'm thankful for the refuge in His arms - I'm thankful for the love and protection of being there. Everytime I stray away or take a back road from the path he so obviously put before me, He always bring me back, making it so obvious how much He loves and cherishes us.

He loves you and wants nothing more than to heal your scars and be the arms wide open for you to cling to during the up's and down's of life. Will you let Him in? Will you make Him your first love?

Let our prayer today be, "Lord, Steady My Heart!"

Purposeful Christianity: Live with passion!

I don't know about you...but it's time for me to start living with passion and purpose; letting Jesus be my guide. Stress, anxiety, busyness, cramming for an exam, working multiple jobs, and running a household are all excuses we use to stay in our comfortable lifestyle - which for many people often lacks passion and purpose for Jesus Christ. We all get so caught up in "life" that we don't take time to smell the roses, get motivated, and become purposeful and passionate beings for Christ. At the end of my life, whenever that may be, I want to know that I listened to the Lord telling me to step out of my comfort zone and do things for Him that I would NEVER do on my own. If we say "YES" to stepping out of our comfort zone, then we are fully relying on Jesus Christ and not giving in to our sinful, prideful tendencies and saying "no" to that little voice in our head that tries to list off excuses of all the things we need to get done before we can serve Jesus Christ and take opportunities to spread His love with a world in need.

Here are some practical ways to sharpen our focus on others but ultimately on Christ (out of service to Him and to tell about Him):

• Say "YES" to the friend who's been asking you for hang out/quality time all week. Life may be crazy, but you'll never regret investing in the life of another person in Jesus' name.
• Volunteer at a local food bank. Take the time to thank those faithful volunteers who serve there every single day. What self-less people!
• Sign up to deliver "Meals on Wheels" once a month! Visit: mowaa.org
• Pay it forward by purchasing a cup of Starbucks coffee for the person in line behind you at a local coffee shop - someone's done this for me and it really made my day!
• Get a group together to assemble packets for the local homeless shelter!

Matthew 25:40
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Superbowl Menu Planning

The countdown has begun! The Superbowl will be here before you know it. Everyone looks forward to a great football game, great company, hilarious tv commercials, and of course, the FOOD.

Here are some menu planning resources, recipes and ideas to get your "SUPERBOWL" menu planning juices flowing . . .



Delicious 7-Layer Taco Dip

 Delicious 7-layer Taco Dip:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Seven-Layer-Taco-Dip/Detail.aspx

Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with Blue Cheese:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bacon-Wrapped-Dates-Stuffed-with-Blue-Cheese/Detail.aspx

Buttery Soft Pretzels:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Buttery-Soft-Pretzels/Detail.aspx

Buffalo Chicken Wings:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Buffalo-Chicken-Wings-I/Detail.aspx

Best Ever Party Appetizer:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Ever-Party-Appetizer/Detail.aspx




Try this Fabulous Football Dip!

 Fabulous Football Dip:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fabulous-Football-Dip/Detail.aspx

Great dip recipes:
http://americanfood.about.com/od/resourcesadditionalinfo/tp/Dip_Recipes.htm

Delicious chili recipes:
http://americanfood.about.com/od/resourcesadditionalinfo/tp/Chili_Recipes.htm?once=true&

Homemade pizza recipes:
http://americanfood.about.com/od/resourcesadditionalinfo/tp/Homemade-Pizza-Recipes.htm

Go HERE for the best Superbowl Desserts:
http://www.cooksrecipes.com/holiday-recipes/super-bowl-party-recipes_treats.html

Great Article by Kosiarz - please read!

It’s the beginning of January. The gym is packed. You drive around the parking lot three times to find a spot. There’s an annoying waiting list for childcare and the treadmill. Toes will be trampled on in Zumba class and there are not enough personal trainers to go around.

I put up with the overcrowding because I know in a few weeks things will ease up. New Year’s resolutions will quickly fade as life, stress, people and circumstances take over the ambitious goals we set.

For each of us resolutioners, failure will be an option.

Maybe this is why more and more people say they are not setting goals for 2012 ... the risk of failure just isn’t worth it. I get that and I’ve avoided goals because of the F-factor.

But the truth is, when I am not willing to risk failure, what I really have are just … wishes.

Iwish I could be a better writer and leader.
I wish I knew how to be a great photographer.
I wish that scale would drop some digits.

Wishes will get us nowhere.

Pray. Plan. Pursue. Praise.

These four words?

They have the potential to change our lives in 2012.

Here’s why:

Pray. "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way; walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21). ... As we pray, we draw closer to God’s presence. May 2012 be the year we hear His voice louder than ever in our lives.

Plan. "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). ... God is a winner and therefore only produces winners. As we tap into His plans we see they include victory, not defeat.

Pursue. “ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). ... God’s Word works. Refusing to compromise the pursuit of Truth in our lives is where we will find our unshakable confidence for the year of 2012.

Praise. “ Celebrate what God has done as you look ahead as to what God is going to do.” Taking breaths of thanks for all He does each day in 2012 will be powerful.

Faith convinces me it's worth it to believe again, risk again and yes, possibly … fail again.
But in 2012 I would rather try and fail than to be disobedient to God and pass my purpose onto someone else. So, I’m putting my wishes away and focusing in on these four words.

N. Kosiarz. (2012, January 5). Failure will not be an option. Retrived from

 http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/nicki-koziarz/