The Adventure Has Been Great So Far

February 24, 2008 my life changed forever. I had been having a rough time for awhile. These rough times came from not agreeing with friends, a few bumps in the family road, and boy problems. It just so happened that the boy problems were what was going to open my eyes to God.

I was 13 years old, getting ready to turn 14 in a few months. I had my heartbroken over a guy on that February day. I honestly don't know what had happened between the guy and me, but it was the best thing that had ever happened.

My mom and I went to a Christian bookstore on February 24th and, as I was browsing the Bible shelves, a Bible caught my attention. It was an NIV True Image Bible and my mom bought it for me.

That night, as I was sitting in my room and looking through this new Bible, I found a page in the back labeled "Christianity 101." I was curious do I read it.

This peace came over me and I felt truly happy for the first time in a long time. I realized in that moment that God was with me even when no one else wasn't and Jesus is my True Prince Charming and He had someone planned for me!

I thought I had been saved about two or three times before that. But that night at 10pm, I KNEW 100% sure that I had started a relationship with God!

A lot of things hit my family all at once after that and it was a storm. Instead of questioning God about why these things were happening I clung to God as hard as I could! God knew that I needed Him at that time more than ever.

Now, seven years later there have been tons of hard times, but billions of amazingly happy times! I praise God that He never gave up on me and continued to pursue me and pursues me now. Life is hard, but a life with a relationship with God makes everything sweet and beautiful in the right time! By the way, God loves you and is pursuing you too!

 The Roman Road to Salvation 

The True Image Bible 

Purity in Action

                                                   

Purity: freedom from immorality, especially of a sexual nature.

Meet Joseph. A teenage guy who was sold into slavery by his brothers. He ended up working in Potiphar's (one of the Pharaoh of Egypt's officials, and captain of the guards) house. Potiphar was pleased with what a hard worker Joseph was that he put Joseph in charge of everything in his house! Now Potiphar's wife found Joseph VERY attractive. She tried to get Joseph to sleep with her EVERY day, but Joseph refussed and this was his reason why: ^"But he refused. 'With me in charge,' he told her, 'my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?' And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her." ~Genesis 39:8-10 (NIV)
Potiphar's wife didn't give up that easy though. "One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, 'Come to bed with me!' But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house." ~Genesis 39:11-12 (bold and underlined mine. NIV) Talk about a man of God! A young teenage man who RUNS out of the house to keep his purity! 
So why did I bring up Joseph? I have a Purity ring, once stands for the promise I made to God, myself, and my future husband that I won't have sex with anyone until I am married. I understand that sex is something very personal and emotional. But I was wondering where in the Bible it says to wait until you're married to have sex. Of course I found my answer and an example. The example is Joseph of course, but here are some answers too.
"That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." ~Genesis 2:24 (NIV). This shows that sex has a very strong emotional connection and that God designed it for marriage.
 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price, and she shall be his wife." ~Exodus 22:16 (NIV). God did not mean for a person to be with multiple people, but one person. In the Old Testament this is what would've happened if two people who were not married had, had sex.
"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." ~1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (NIV). Jesus died for us on the cross so we could have eternal life with Him. So if we abuse sex we are hurting ourselves emotionally, physically, and we are hurting God.
"Now for the matters you wrote about: 'It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.' But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.... Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion." ~1 Corinthians 7:1-5,8-9 (NIV). Now this tells us that we are suppose to practice self-control until we are married and that it's not all about passion (this is where the answer to the question Is 50 Shades of Grey wrong? The answer, YES!!!). 
"It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;" ~1 Thessalonians 4:3 (NIV). This verse tells us how God meant for sex to be and how HE wants us to enjoy it!
"Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." ~Hebrew 13:4 (NIV). Adultery: Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not their spouse. The sexual immorality and sexual sins has to be sex outside of marriage. 
These Bible verses give me all the answers to why I'm waiting for sex until I am married. God made sex beautiful when it's done right! Here is a website about purity rings. Here is a music video of a song Kyle Kupecky wrote for his wife Kelsey and sung to her on their wedding day:

Here is a Flipagram about 50 Shades of Grey and Old Fashioned: Forever Love

Protecting Love

 (picture from the movie One Night with the King. You can buy the movie here.)
Happy Valentine's Day!
 I have been doing a 13 day study on the book of Esther through She Reads Truth​ and I read something that got my attention and is perfect to share for Valentine's Day.
"The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden." ~Esther 7:7
Okay, I know you're probably wondering why I'm sharing this verse about a king being angry, but just hear me out. Esther had just reviled to the king that she was a Jew and that Haman was trying to kill her people. I believe the king was upset that Esther had kept her heritage from him for so long, but he was more upset that his right-hand man had used him and was trying to kill his wife and her people.
So what does this have to do with Valentine's Day and love? I believe the reason the king got up and went outside is because he loved Esther so much he wanted to guard her heart. I think he didn't want to scare her because she saw him get mad, maybe yell and throw a few things. I believe he didn't want her to think he would ever hurt her, emotionally or physically when he was angry. I believe he wanted her to know she could tell him anything, yes he might get mad, but after he cooled off he would be there for her. The king loved Esther enough that he didn't want her to see him as anything but the gently husband she needed. To me this is a big sign of true love and a sign of a godly man.
Also through this study, I think the feast in the end of Esther, Purim, happened on Valentine's Day! I did some research and the month of Adar is possibly in February. So, I've made Hamantaschen and Kreplach for Valentine's Day. Here's the recipes:
Hamantaschen Recipe
Kreplach Recipe
Finally, I want to share this music video because it fits my life on this Valentine's Day:

Again, Happy Valentine's Day!

Random Acts of Kindness

 

There are sad things going on in the world and people have bad days. But what if you could make things just a little bit brighter? February 9-15, 2015 is National Random Acts of Kindness Week. The idea is to do something that is nice for someone else to brighten their day.

Some ideas are to place uplifting sticky notes in public places for people to fined. You can also leave a dollar taped to a vending machine so someone else can get a drink or snack. A group of people can bake sweets and hand them out for free to people. You can take balloons to a hospital and ask the nurse at the front desk to deliver the balloons to someone who needs uplifting or doesn't get many visitors.

There are tons of ideas! Ideas that won't cost you a thing and ideas that a group of people can do together. Google ideas or look on pinterest and let's make this Random Acts of Kindness Week one people can't forget!

A Fairy Tale in the making

 

"Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeing; but a woman who fears The Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gates." ~Proverbs 31:30-31 (NIV)

      Today is the last blog post for the Modest Is Hottest Prom 2014. I have really enjoyed doing this "advice" segment and I hope that I have been some help to girls who are wanting to glorify God this prom season. To finish out I have put poses, hair, makeup, jewelry, and nail ideas on my board on pintrest. If you have been reading these prom posts and would like to be on this blog, you can send a picture of your prom dress to atravelersthoughts@yahoo.com and I will post it in my May blog when I come back to the idea  of prom. Just include your first name and what state you live in so I can put it under the picture.

      I'm ending with another verse from Proverbs because we are never to young to start becoming the person described in Proverbs 31 and I think that is very important to remember. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe prom this year. Here are the last two dress options i just had to post:

Pretty in pink

 "Boaz replied, 'I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." ~Ruth 2:11-12 (NIV)   I love the story of Ruth. You have this woman who loved her mother-in-law so much that when her mother-in-law lost everything, she stayed with her! Ruth had lost her husband, a brother-in-law, and a father-in-law. Her sister-in-law soon left them to go back to her home. Ruth could have easily followed her sister-in-law's example and left her mother-in-law to walk the long journey back to Bethlehem by herself. She didn't have to go with her and start providing for them in a place that was hostile towards her. But she did, and I believe she did that because she had such a big heart.
 I believe she loved her family and she took her vows to her husband serious and her commitment to his family serious. I also believe that she had learned about God and His love through her in-laws' example. I think she was terrified to leave everything she knew behind, but she was going to trust this new One True God that she had come to know to take care of her. And He did! He let a man of true noble character fall in love with her. He also let her be in the family tree of Jesus!
 So now, why did I take the time to write about this story? It's actually quite simple. See, I don't think Boaz fell in love with Ruth because of who she was or who her family members were. Honestly when Boaz saw Ruth, she probably didn't even look that pretty. She had been traveling and was now in a field working all day long. So what drew Boaz to Ruth? I believe it was her big heart and her inner beauty. The fact that she didn't mind getting her hands dirty and doing hard work. So my point is, dress up and have a good time girls. But remember that it's the inner beauty that should capture a guys attention and not how short your dress is.
 There are some hairstyles, makeup, jelewry, and modest posesfor photos on my MODESTISHOTTESTPROM board on Pintrest. My user name is Itsbrandirose if you want to look. Here are two really cute, modest, pink prom dresses:

Movie review: Pompeii

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." ~Micah 6:8 (NIV)

 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: "Set in 79 A.D., this is the epic story of Milo, a slave turned invincible gladiator who finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his beloved as the once magnificent Pompeii crumbles around him." *****

   So my friends and I went for a girls night out on Friday and we went and saw the movie Pompeii. Now to be honest, at first I really did not want to see this movie. I was expecting a lot of cussing, sex scenes, and mutilated killings. I agreed to this though because I just wanted to hang out with the girls and have a good time. Well, I was in for quite a surprise!

   The movie started with soldiers wiping out an entire village. But there wasn't much blood unless it was on the sword and the bodies were not too mutilated. As the movie went on there were plenty of fighting scenes, but they were not too bloody at all! Next, the costumes did not reveal too much on the girls or guys and there were no sex scenes in this movie! Finally, I only heard one cuss word towards the end of the movie!

   The movie kept accurate detail of who the people in the village that got wiped out were, how the gladiators were treated, and how the people of Pompeii died. I actually saw some forms of treatment that I had learned about in Sociology that day. For example, the fact that they would put gladiators who are suppose to fight each other in the same cell so they are forced to somewhat get to know each other.

  Naturally I was curious after the movie ended, so when I got home I did some research. Archeologist have found writings on walls of the destroyed buildings in Pompeii that said "Sodom Gomorrah". So the people of Pompeii saw what happened to them as what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19:1-29. Also, the day that Pompeii was destroyed was on the ninth anniversary that emperor Nero destroyed the Jewish temple. From studies we know that Pompeii was a very disturbed community. This is my little history lesson on Pompeii.

  So all in all I give this movie five stars. It was clean and educational. Anyone who enjoys history, a good love story, or just a good movie, I highly recommend going and seeing Pompeii.

Don't take more than what you need

 

"When the turn came for Esther to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her." ~Esther 2:15 (NIV)

    Sometimes prom can feel like a beauty pageant. You have all these other girls dressing up in beautiful dresses with their hair, makeup, and nails done. So you look for the dress that's going to make everyone keep their eyes on you all night. Well, Esther was in a beauty pageant. A beauty pageant for the king's heart! When it came time for her to pick beautiful things from the king's palace she didn't take everything she could carry like the other girls did. She let her inner beauty win the king's heart!

    Now there is nothing wrong with getting dressed up and having good, clean fun with friends. Just remember that it's your true beauty that will win hearts. Esther was modest even though she became queen. She was there to save her people and help be a great leader for God. When you are at prom you are still working for God, so shine for Him. Read the book of Esther and keep her kind spirit and modest beauty while you are picking out your dress.

An ocean of dresses

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. She is clothed in strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days t come." ~Proverbs 31:10,25(NIV)
      Okay, so I will be continuing my Modest prom tips on the blog until March ninth. Hopefully I will have given good tips and in time for all of you looking for prom dresses this year! Be looking on my twitter, instagram, and pintrest for modest prom dress ideas too. The user name for all three is "Itsbrandirose".
      Now the Bible verse in bold is about the Proverbs 31 woman. She is a woman I want to be like and she is a picture of the person we become when we let God into our hearts. There is no age of when to start becoming a Proverbs 31 woman and I believe prom is a good time to put that into practice. So girls think about what you want to be telling your future children about your prom and what your husband will know about your character when he sees prom pictures. Here are some blue themed modest prom dress ideas for you: (P.S. I LOVE the last two!)

Unfading beauty

"When they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." ~ 1 Peter 3:2-4 (NIV)
    Okay, so lets continue our talk about modest prom dresses for this year. Also, I know this verse is very long. So, lets break it down verse by verse.
    "When they see the purity and reverence of your lives."(V2) So this verse is telling us that what should draw people to us is our purity and reverence. Pretty much our love for God and how we respect ourselves.
    "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes."(V3) Remember, outward beauty will fade, but inner beauty will last forever. Think of the most beautiful older lady that you know and think about what makes her beautiful. For me it is how she always has a smile on her face even when she is having a hard time. She has this smile because she trusts in God fully. So don't base all your beauty on clothes, jewelry, and hair. Base it on your relationship with God.
  "Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."(V4) Wow! Lets just take a minute and let this verse soak in. A gentle and quiet spirit is of GREAT worth in GOD'S sight! Wow! The Creator of the whole world and galaxies thinks YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! How could you not think you are beautiful with modest clothes on when the King of kings says His Princess is beautiful in modest clothing!
  Now with that being said, here are some more modest prom dresses:

This is beautiful and very elegant. 

Sweetheart with a beautiful lace covering!

Simple with some sparkle.

The defamer ion of a princess ball-gown with a jacket cover up.

This dress was made for the girl who wants modesty and has glitter running through her veins!

Elegant, pink, and slight sparkle.

The Ultimate Valentine

"We love because He first loved us." ~1 John 4:19
        Today is Valentine's Day. A lot of people will be receiving flowers, chocolate, jewelry, and other beautiful gifts form people who love them. Some people will wish they could just go back to bed and let this day pass because it's "single awareness day" and they don't want to see what they don't have. Then some people will be planning a friends night so they are not alone on this day and at least have friends with them. Finally, some people will just see this as another Friday and not a special holiday.
       When I was young, Valentine's Day was about getting to hand out those cute Valentines to my class mates and getting candy from said class mates and parents. My parents also had this tradition of sending me flowers to school to just let me know that they love me and are always there for me. I can't tell you when that tradition started, but it was something I always appreciated. As I got older I went through a phase where Valentine's Day was "single awareness day" for me and I just wished it would pass. Last Valentine's Day my sweet and loving boyfriend took me to the Cove for a Brandon Heath concert and it was so special and I'm so thankful for that.
     This year I am single, but I am not upset and thinking about how horrible Valentine's day is. I'm not handing out those cute little Valentines to class mates. Instead I am drowning in the love my God has for me! I mean think about it.. GOD LOVES US!! As the verse at the top reminds us, the only reason we love is because He loves us!
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, God died for us." ~Romans 5:8
       My God is SO amazing! He planned me. He has my life mapped out. He is always on my side. He died for me even though He knew I would reject Him for a long time!!
"and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." ~Ephesians 5:2
      God is all about love. I don't see how we could not want to show love when we learn about what Jesus did for us at the cross! Maybe this Valentine's Day you can also think about the strangers that you can show love to with just a simple smile while showering your family and friends with love!
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." ~John 3:16
     I really think this verse speaks for itself about God's love. So Thank You my Ultimate Valentine, God for Loving Me!
    Guys, God love YOU! Strive to seek and serve Him and the right girl will come into your life! Now one more point that I want to make, girls this concerns you who are looking for prom dresses. Girls remember the Bible is filled with tons of verses about how much God Loves YOU. So with that in mind, please pick out prom dresses that would please your Heavenly Daddy!

Kari Jobe in a beautiful and slag rnt red dress.

So beautiful!

True modesty during the prom season

    "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God." ~1 Timothy 2:9-10 (NIV)
     I want to do some posts on modest prom dresses since prom season is around the corner. I feel that it is getting harder and harder to find modest clothes these days, but especially prom dresses! Girls it is important to remember that no matter what the event we are suppose to be a light for God and He wants us to dress modest. Guys in the same way you need to look for girls who you know will e modest and has virtue.
    Here are a couple of dresses I have picked out that I think are modest and very cute for prom:

This dress is so beautiful! I love the color and the tulle bottom! It has just enough sparkle and the straps work great with it!

  This beautiful blue one is short but not too short (one of the hardest things to find.) The top does not show too much and the sparkle is amazing! I love the one shoulder strap too!

Okay, so everything about this dress is gorgeous! The fabric, the style, all of it. You can't go wrong with this dress!

      Keep checking back here for more modest prom dress reviews. You can also find a board on my pintrest that is labeled ModestIsHottestProm. Plus I try to post at least one or two pictures to my twitter account today. I pray that all of you getting ready for prom puts God first in this very special event!