Hello October

                                                         

As I'm sitting here watching "Castle" after a really bad day at school, I realize I have been MIA for almost a month! I'm sorry I have not kept up with my posts in the month of September. School has been insane, crazy and last month I could not find one free moment to write! But, I'm going to make it up to my lovely readers!

There will be eight posts this month. I will be writing the three that I missed in September on Mondays this month. On Saturdays I will be posting my regular updates.

Here is the schedule for the month of October:

• October 3rd: The Chase by Kyle and Kelsey Kupecky, chapter one.
• October 10th: Proverbs 31 Women of the Bible
• October 12th: Other Women of the Bible
• October 17th: The Cinderella Rule by Bethany Jett
• October 19th: Another Proverbs 31 Women of the Bible
• October 24th: Another Other Women of the Bible
• October 26th: Another The Cinderella Rule by Bethany Jett
• October 31st: A Halloween Special and another The Chase by Kyle and Kelsey Kupecky, chapter 2.
• November 2nd: Another The Chase by Kyle and Kelsey Kupecky, chapter 3 and an update on what is to come.

The Chase: Who are you chasing?

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." ~Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
question to think about and a question from the book: Who are you chasing?
The Chase: Trusting God with your Happily Ever After is by Kyle and Kelsey Kupecky. Kyle is a recording Christian artist and Kelsey is a talented actress who has been in the movies The Heart of Christmas and War Room. She also has a greeting card and gift line out, with her mother Karen Kingsbury, called Possibilities.
I had the pleasure of meeting Kelsey, Kyle, Karen, and a lot of their friends on a cruise in March of 2012. They were so sweet and Kyle and Kelsey set a great example of a engaged couple chasing after God.
I want to share what people are saying about their book The Chase.
“My friend Kelsey and her husband Kyle have written an inspiring and encouraging book about relationships called The Chase. Filled with stories from their own love story as well as their journey toward it, this book is informative and fun too! A must-read for single girls looking for a God-honoring relationship!” - Rebecca St. James, Grammy and Dove Award-winning recording artist and author of One Last Thing

“Kyle and Kelsey are a joy to know. They are genuine, sharp, fun-loving, and committed to chasing after God! They choose to live courageously in this generation. I encourage you to get to know them too through their inspiring story.” -Pam Tebow, speaker and mother of Tim Tebow.

“I'm so excited to read this book by my sweet friends Kelsey and Kyle. Their love story is beautiful, and their relationship is an inspiration of what it means to truly cherish each other!” -Francesca Battistelli, Grammy-nominated Christian music superstar

“Kyle and Kelsey have been friends of mine for several years. I love their passion for God, for family, and for young people. I believe this book will bring truth and light to readers and remind them of God's perfect plan for life.” -Britt Nicole, Grammy-nominated artist

“I have watched Kyle and Kelsey chase after God and I have seen His plans for them unfold like the most beautiful story. Now it’s your turn! If you get one book for your daughter this year, get The Chase!” -Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author.

Okay, now I want to give you my thoughts on part of The Chase. The Foreword in the book is by Karen Kingsbury and I had the privilege of hear some of the stories she shared in person. The part that really shows me that God is in the center of every love story is when she shares that, while on her honeymoon, she and her husband prayed for their future children and their spouses. They prayed this on August 1, 1988 and on that day Kyle Kupecky was born! WOW!

In the Prologue we read about what lead to both Kyle and Kelsey writing letters to their future spouses when they were thirteen. The answer? Godly people and parents in their lives. We also get a glimpse of what life was like for each of them growing up during their teenage years. Finally, we get  glimpse of the day they met and what they want us to take from this book, that Jesus is the only one worth chasing after!

I can't wait to discuss more of this book with you in the following weeks. But until then, I'll leave you with the question asked in the Prologue again: Who are you chasing?

To order your copy of The Chase: Trusting God with your Happily Ever After and to learn more about Kyle and Kelsey, visit their website here.

Things to come.

"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). Happy September 1st! It doesn't feel like August should be over with already and we should be in the month when the seasons change and fall is fast approaching. But we are. I'm a Summer girl myself. I love hot weather, tank tops, flip-flops, long days, warm nights, and the bright colors. But, I'm ready to embrace fall and consume all of the pumpkin flavored things that I can!

I wanted to let you know what would be coming up on the blog for the month of September. First, I need to let you know that Kyle and Kelsey Kupecky's book The Chase: Trusting God with your Happily Ever After is out in stores and online today! If you got to their website kyleandkelsey.com you can see the release party video, it is definitely worth watching! Speaking of The Chase, I will be reviewing and writing about the book on here! I'm so excited!

Now on September 5th I will be posting my first post dedicated entirely to The Chase. On September 12th I will be posting another installment of my Other Women in the Bible series. On September 19th I will be posting another installment of my See You Soon Cinderella series. I will be writing about Bethany Jett's book The Cinderella Rule. Finally, on September 26th I will be posting another installment of my Proverbs 31 Women of the Bible series.

I can't wait to dive into these examples of Christian women and Christian dating this month with you! See you Saturday!

Here's the post order one more time:

• September 5th: The Chase
• September 12th: Other Women of the Bible
• September 19th: The Cinderella Rule
• September 26th: Proverbs 31 Women of the Bible.

Being God's Princess

I've been reading His Princess Love Letters from Your King by Sheri Rose Shepherd. She wrote this book as though God is writing a letter to us personally and a Bible Verse that goes with it. There are eighty-seven "letters" in it. This book has helped me so much. I want to take the first six "letters" I have read so far and focus on the Bible Verses.

"You didn't choose Me, I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My Name." ~John 15:16. Think about this, GOD choose you! He wants a relationship with you and to hear about your day and your problems! He's NEVER too busy for you! He has a job for us. We are His hands and feet to bring forth the fruit "other Christians" and it'll be forever!
"Am I not trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." ~Galatians 1:10. We are not meant to fit in with the world. So, we can't win the approval of people who don't believe in God. But why would we want their approval over God's approval in the first place? A friend of mine once told me, that in one of their college classes the professor assigned a book full of foul language and inappropriate scenes and also talked about how God wasn't real. This friend felt condemned of reading this book. So they went and told the professor they could not read this book. The professor said they had the option of taking an F on the assignment or reading the book. My friend took the F. They chose God's approval over man's.
"'And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty." ~2Corinthians 6:18. God is our Dad. He created us. He wanted a relationship with us. He planned our lives. He watches over us. He cheers us on. He comforts us. He loves us. Therefore, we can call Him Father.
"The Lord said: 'It isn't too late. You can still return to Me with all your heart.'" ~Joel 2:12 (CEV). Anything you have done, no matter how bad, you can still have a relationship with God! He still loves you!
"You are the light of the world-like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all." ~Matthew5:14-15. Someone is always watching you. It could be a teacher, a student, a friend, or a complete stranger. But someone always sees how you act and what message you are sending. Also, you could be the only form of the Bible someone sees. So shine for God!
"Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win." ~1 Corinthians 9:24. The world is going to judge you on a lot of different things. People are going to expect too much out of you sometimes. You're going to put to much pressure on yourself. Stop. Breathe. Remember that you have already won if you have a relationship with Christ. You are Heaven bond!
Here is a link to Sheri Rose Shepherd's website and here's a link to the book I am reading on Amazon.

Proverbs 31 Women of the Bible- part 6

 

Mary was a young girl who was engaged to Joseph. She was from the family of David and the blessing God had in-store for her was amazing! I believe this incredible woman fulfilled all of Proverbs 31 and deserves a whole blog post to herself.

In Matthew 1:18-25 we learn about Mary and Joseph obeying and trusting God. In chapter two of Matthew we read about how Mary and Joseph obeyed God even more after Jesus was born. In Luke 1:26-56 we learn of Mary's willingness and trust. I love this verse: "'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May your word to me be fulfilled.' Then the angel left her." (Luke 1:38). 

The next thing I  find amazing about Mary is how she knew that time with her son was short and she needed to make the most of their days together. "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19) Mary also knew Jesus would provide and when they ran out of wine at a wedding, she went to Him but she was anxious.

Mary was with her son through it all. She did not turn away when He was nailed to the cross and she stayed after He died and was buried. Mary is the picture of perfect obedience, faith, trusting God, and the best mother! This makes her the perfect Proverbs 31 woman!

Other Women of the Bible- part 5

 

Jeroboam's Wife: (1 Kings 14:1-18) Probably worshiped other gods like her husband did. She tried to deceive a Prophet by disguising herself. She received the news that the kingdom would be taken away from her family and that when she went back home her son would die for the evil she and her husband had committed. I believe she was heartbroken about her son and she realized that God was in control. Unfortunately, she had to be completely broken.

The Prophet's Widow: (2 Kings 4:1-7) I don't think she doubted God. I think she knew God sent Elisha right when she needed Him to and her sons were saved!

Naaman's maidservant: (2 Kings 5:2-3) This unnamed girl was a great example of being a light in everyday life! She knew of Elisha and she helped Naaman to head in the right direction to be healed! Everyone can take away the lesson that God can and will use you in everyday life!

Huldah: (2 Kings 22:14-20) There are three important aspects to her character here. She was bold. She didn't sugarcoat God's Word. She offered hope and a sign of renewal. We can learn to be bold when speaking about God from her! (Source: Extraordinary Women of the Bible Lessons to guide Your Life.)

Vashti: (Esther 1:9-22) Vashti was having her own party as her husband had a  party too. She disobeyed the king and got replaced as Queen. I think what a person can lean from her is to think before you speak and seek wise conceal.

Job's Wife: (Job 2:9-10) She didn't build Job up. She actually told Job to curse God so that Job would die! I think she is a great example of what hopelessness looks like.

Job's Daughters: (Job 42:13-15) It was unusual for them to get an inheritance and their names were meant to mean the most beautiful things.

The Daughters of Jerusalem:(Song of Solomon) They symbolized people who work hard. They also symbolize someone who listens to godly advice and know that they are loved by God.

My Proverbs 3 Women of the Bible series and my Other Women of the Bible series will continue into the New Testament and I am really looking forward to studying these women and writing about their legacies! ~Brandi