The first week of summer kicked off yesterday and with that, all things bright and sunny. Yay! Summer colors and summer vibes always give me lots of inspiration. I’ve been drawing, illustrating, and thinking up cute ideas to share with you guys.
Soooo…
Today I bring you the 1st set of Styld by Grace’s Sweet Summer Wallpapers! Your phone just got a lot cooler & summery. Scroll down to pick your fave.
I hope you love them as much as I do!
To save: long press on the image of your choice.
A couple weeks ago, the youth and young adults from my home church (Metro Life Church) went up to the mountains of Jasper, Georgia (at Sharptop Cove) to hear from God and have some good ol’ summer camp fun.
The sites were amazing, the food was mouth-watering (it wasn’t your typical camp food. It was homemade deliciousness), and the words/prayers that we were covered with were life changing. Lots and lots of people were baptized, we worshipped, we zip lined, we danced, and we shared the amazing things God has done in our lives.
My top 3 “takeaways” from camp are:
Be open and vulnerable
When God asks us to pray, to speak, to share, to listen, let’s just do it. And let’s do it with a humble and open heart. Sharing what God has done in your life can be scary and it takes vulnerability. But you never know who is listening. There are people needing to hear what YOU have to say.
Embrace the unknown
Going into an environment or place we’re unfamiliar with can cause us to put up walls and become isolated. But the unknown is a great place for us to discover what God wants to show us. The daily grind has a way of masking and muffling the voice of God. When we are in a new environment, with new faces, and new scents and new sites, our eyes are opened and our ears become alert. Let’s be willing to embrace the unknown so we can hear from God more clearly.
Make a remembrance
Whenever I travel or have an experience that marks my life, I make it a point to create a remembrance of it. This year I bought an arrow necklace at the camp site’s store that has inscribed “Be Brave”. It’s a reminder that I must continue to be courageous and do the things God asks of me. Going to camp was a step of faith. And by taking that step of faith, God used me and affirmed me in ways I wasn’t expecting. I also took a load of pictures to remind me of all the fun we had up in the mountains of Jasper, Georgia.
What experiences or trips did you have this summer?
Have you set some time apart to meet with God this summer? What are some ways you can do so before the hectic fall season starts?
This is my favorite summer outfit for 2015! I love patterns and bright colors. And I especially like florals. It’s the first time I purchase a crop top. And I was brave enough to wear one because I’ve been working on getting in better health and shape for the past 3 months. I’m feeling proud of myself! Pairing this high waisted skirt with a crop top is a modest way to rock a crop top. The best part is that I got this outfit for less than $12. Both items were on SALE at H&M. Definitely “Styld by Grace” approved! 😉
Stripped H&M Crop Top (Similar Style) | High Waisted H&M Circle Skirt (Similar Style)
Fossil Silver Boyfriend Watch | OHM Boutique Arrow Bracelet (SOLD OUT. But, I like this Arrow Charm Necklace too) | Forever 21 Ear Jacket (Similar)
Photography by: Tiffany Roura
In order to be anchored by God, we should know who He is. There’s a difference between knowing about God and knowing Him personally. Perhaps you’re thinking, “How can I know something or someone I don’t see”? or “How can I know God if I don’t hear from Him”?
In the last post about being anchored by God, my friend Jenny said, “But in order to be anchored in God I need to know who He is and who I am IN Him”. And she’s right. People, culture, government, cannot be the sources of our identity. Our identity is tied to something eternal. Not even a religion or religious activity can mold our identity. Only through knowing God, who is infinite and eternal, can we find ourselves.
So who is He? How do we find out who He is? And how can we hear from Him? Well, we can know about Him through His word, the Bible. He is three in one: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
God the Father
Genesis 1:1 | Genesis 1:26-27 | Romans 8:15 | Colossians 1:2 | Ephesians 1:14
God the father is our creator. He wove us and thought us before the beginning of time. Because He is our father and our creator, we can say with full assurance that we belong and we are accepted. His word says that He adopted us as His children. We are not a mistake, our lives matter, and our place of origin comes from God. Even if we were born into a family or situation that’s not as good as we would like, we can rest in the fact that God made us, created us, and has a purpose for our lives.
God the Son
Hebrews 8:13 | Hebrews 9:15 | John 18:37 | 1 John 3:5
Jesus the Son of God is the reason why I live out my faith. He died on the cross to reconcile us to the Father after sin came into the world. Nothing was sufficient enough to bring us back to the Father, except for Jesus. He established a new covenant, in which we are saved by grace not by what we can do or say to be saved. If we want to know our standard for living, we should look at the life of Jesus. He was man and God, all at the same time, yet never sinned. He embodies all the truth and goodness of God. We may fall short on a daily basis in our walk, but Jesus paid the price and gives us grace to get back up and keep living by faith.
God the Holy Spirit
John 6:63 | Romans 8:16 | Romans 8:26 | 1 John 2:27
Some people think the Holy Spirit is like a scary ghost that does weird stuff. But that’s actually not true. He is the person of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us and gives us wisdom. The Holy Spirit empowers us to believe, have faith, and to take action on what we believe. He is our helper, our counselor, and He teaches us or gives us understanding of God, and His word.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit come in a package. You are the Father’s children because of the new covenant Jesus made with his sacrifice on the cross and the Holy Spirit is the one who leads us to believe and be witnesses of this truth.
I will never fully understand all that this means or the depth of significance that all this has. And I know this is just the tip of the iceberg. (Make sure to read the verses in each section to learn more of who God is). But knowing more of who God is, each part of Him, helps me see how much my life matters to Him. He has made himself available as a Father, as a brother, a savior, and as a helper to us. He saves us, He teaches us, and he Fathers us. Be encouraged today by His willingness to be there for you. He cares for you and has a plan for you!
Hello there!
Summer is here and it’s scorching HOT in Miami! I love the summer. It’s a time to hang out with family and friends and kind of take it slow. In Miami we go to the beach, have cook outs, go fishing, visit the Keys, and go to Disney World.
For sometime now, summer for me, has been a time to relax but also to seek God in the quiet. When the hustle and bustle goes down a notch, I make it intentional to seek God in a deeper way. There’s something about the quiet that helps us listen more intently to God’s voice in our lives.
This summer will be no different! So I’m taking this summer to share what it means to be Anchored in God. Some of the thoughts that immediately come to my mind are:
I’m looking forward to learning and diving into these thoughts with you. For now, I’ll leave you with something simple. A definition and bible verse. What exactly is an anchor and what does it do? And what does God’s word say about it?
An anchor is a heavy object attached to a rope or chain, used to secure a vessel to the sea bottom. In a figurative sense, an anchor is a person or thing that provides stability or confidence in an otherwise uncertain situation.
And the bible says, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19 NIV)
So, will you be joining Styld by Grace in this mini devotion series? What are you looking forward to learning?
P.S. My girlfriends and I headed to the beach to take some fun pics for this mini series. Will be sharing more throughout the summer!
