The Best Sandwich

Hi Friends!

Hope everyone is doing well. If you are like me today you are celebrating the beginning of school! I never thought I'd be back in "Mom Mode" and living my life by a school calendar in my seventies, but this is where God has me. Today I want to talk about why my tagline is "Fashion, Faith & Fun" I added "Food" this year because I am finding myself in a season where cooking has become part of my outreach. So, there you go! 

If Fashion reflects how we see ourselves and the impression we make in the first few second's people see us, I want my reflection to be Jesus, the God and creator of our universe. That means dressing with dignity and strength. 

Here is how Faith works with my Fashion Sense...

• Proverbs 31:25 states that she is clothed with strength and dignity.

• Nehemiah 8:10 tells me that the Joy of the LORD is my strength.

• Titus 2:7 says that we are to model (there's a Fashion Term!) good works.

Our teaching (what people see and learn from us) needs to show integrity (honesty,) dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned.

Ladies, here is my challenge for you today. Put on Joy and Good Works! The way to do that is by remembering that our joy comes not from what we do or what we wear. Joy comes from the fact that Jesus loves us and is in control of not just what we think we give Him, but of the world! Joy comes from realizing that we are His! Created for such a time as this! The good works we are called to is what we do to point others to Christ. That's all! 

Strength and Dignity, come from joy and good works. They lead us directly back to more joy because of our freedom in Christ! 

In order to bring the Food element in, think of "Fashion, Faith & Fun" as a sandwich! In a sandwich the bread is on the outsides, Fashion and Fun! But the meat, the really good stuff in a sandwich is in the middle! That is our Faith! Without our faith, and dependence on Jesus, the sandwich is nothing but two pieces of bread.

When we wrap ourselves up in Jesus, our whole life becomes richer and more appealing to others. How are you showing the world that Jesus is LORD? 

What kind of sandwich are you choosing to be?

A Tool to Live My Best Life

As I write this late in July, I am preparing to leave next week for Charlotte, NC to attend my annual Christian Image Consultant Retreat and training. I am so excited to see friends that I only see once a year, to catch up with them, learn from them and soak in the expertise of Shari Braendel, from Style By Color, and her amazing team. These women are my tribe!

They are the ones that I can ask questions about anything! They are a bunch of ladies who love Jesus, and rock fashion! We each do it a little differently, some are very minimally in the styling work force, others work it full time. But each of us has a heart for telling women about Jesus and this is the way we have found a way to talk about Him. We are able to share His love for each of them and that they are individually beautiful and unique. We know the best colors for each of them, can help them know the best style lines and accessories to make them shine.

But even better, we can share how He has saved us, given us new hearts and lives filled with joy and freedom.

I love what I do! I am one of the part timers that love to spend time with ladies looking for a new look, a change in fashion, help with organizing a closet of clothes that look great and mix and match to make a wardrobe that fits their lifestyle. 

Why? Because, in 2011, I was one of those ladies, lost, frumpy and not knowing what I needed or where to begin. I went to Shari's Beauty Boot Camp and discovered not just that it was ok to want to look better, that God created me that way and that it wasn't selfish or sinful to seek to be the best version of myself. I learned my best colors and styles and many other things that weekend. But the most valuable thing I left with was the beginning of a new heart for becoming the woman God created me to be. It's been a journey! I haven't finished it! But I've done things and had adventures that never would have happened without that weekend where God used Shari Braendel and Donna Roland to speak truth in a way that opened my eyes and ears to hear from God! In 2016 I trained to become a Christian Image Consultant, I have helped women wherever I've lived in the last 8 years to look better and feel better about themselves and to know that each was created uniquely and beautifully by God. I've catered one of those training retreats! Food for 40 from a kitchen smaller than my closet! I wrote a book! I've grown closer to God and am by His grace, living more in His will in my daily walk through life. 

I am living with more attention to my appearance, with the freedom of knowing that it's ok to love style and fashion! I do love it! It's a tool that I can use to live my best life and to help others see that Fashion, Faith and Fun served up with some good Food is a way to live fully and abundantly in Jesus! 

I'll have lots to share in the next few weeks about all I learn in Charlotte. There will be Fashion, Fun and Food all shared with my tribe of Faithful friends. 

The Fall - Closet Outfit Planner will be coming in September! There will be lots of ideas and fun fashion tips soon!

Fashionably and faithfully yours!

Prayers First

Earlier this month we celebrated Independence Day. Throughout the rest of the month we have experienced all kinds of political upheaval with the Debate, the Assassination Attempt, the RNC Convention and following that came President Biden's decision to withdraw from the Presidential Election coming in November.

No matter what you believe about the politics involved, we need to be in prayer for our Nation.

The United States of America is in my opinion, the greatest nation in the world. No other country gives its citizens the choices that we seem to take for granted. Yet, we have fallen into a time of polarized division about so many things!

We have the FREEDOM to gather and talk about our concerns and ideas. We have the FREEDOM as citizens of this nation to vote for the candidate we think is best for our future. We have the FREEDOM to fund our chosen candidate and to be involved in the process of law making by letting our elected officials know what the constituents want in their districts.

Please don't lose sight of what we have and where we are. We are so blessed to have a voice in our own future. Stop for a moment and pray for our leaders and elected officials as this election process goes forward. Men and women through the centuries have bled and died for this FREEDOM.

We have a choice in how we behave towards each other. We are not enemies; we are citizens of this great nation that have different opinions.... Let's choose to get through this season without more bloodshed. Let's listen to each other and make choices in a few months to keep this nation the best it can be. No matter which side of the aisle you choose, you are still an American! 

Americans are stronger together than we can be with all the division going on now. Pray for strength to stand through the season, to love each other because we are each loved by God and to be kind to one another! We have the FREEDOM to do these things because of where we live! Have the courage to live in FREEDOM!

Blessed to live here with you!