For the past year, I have been working relentlessly on this project and am confident that it will be a blessing to you and many others. As part of the Beauty Marked community, I want to personally thank you for encouraging me throughout this process with your comments and feedback on the blog posts I've shared. I can't say thank you enough, and believe that Break Every Chain truly is my best work to date.
Selecting a spouse is one of the most important decisions that we can make in our lives. That one decision has a ripple effect, pouring into all areas of life: physical, mental and spiritual. Many different factors come into play when selecting a spouse, but what should be the top priorities? For many people, physical attraction is the number one factor, and sometimes even the deciding factor. But as believers, should our standards be the same? Should physical attraction be the top priority and deciding factor when selecting a spouse? I’ve asked this question of myself and others, and have searched the scriptures for biblical examples and answers to this poignant question. Here is what I believe to be an informed answer:
Hello, beautiful ladies! I hope your Monday is going great so far. I wanted to let you know that I just completed a new guest blog post at Kathy's Prayer Life Lessons and would love for you to check it out and let me know what you think! In the post, I give insight on the two most important questions we can ask God in prayer. I'm really excited about this post and I know that it will bless you. Interest to know what the questions are? Go take a look here!
Thank you for stopping by and be on the look out for some fresh new post here at BeautyMarkedMom!
Emonne Markland Leave YOUR Beauty Mark
Abuse: improper or excessive use or treatment; misuse.
Every day, products and goods are created all over the world for a specific purpose. Forks are made to eat with. Chairs are made to sit on. Computers are made to type on and create documents and images. But what if you took your laptop and tried to cook your lunch on it? Imagine becoming angry when your chicken and vegetables don't sauté. That would be completely ridiculous right? Well, often times, that's what we do with our own lives. Each of us has been created for a specific purpose. And yet, we spend year after year in abuse, misusing the gifts and talents that God has given us by seeking after whatever we want to do and be. Sure, a fish may want to be a roaring lion, but outside of the water it won't survive!
This year, we MUST discover and devote our lives to God's purpose for our existence. There is no more time to be a fish out of water. If people around you have been holding you back and forcing you into a box that your "circle" doesn't fit in, let them go! God is doing a new thing in our lives! It's not going to be a bed of roses, and along the journey to purpose there will be many inconveniences and pressure, but we will come out of the fire like gleaming, pure gold. Today, make the decision to seek God like never before and allow Him to reveal to you your true purpose. Not your plans. Not what your parents, husband, friends or professors always said that you would be. God's divine purpose for your existence! He has such great things in store for us! You won't even recognize yourself by this time next year! You are equipped with God's power to do great and mighty things! I have prayed for you this morning and called many of you out by name. I pray that you will be all that God has created you to be, and never misuse the gifts that are inside of you.
That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you...(2 Timothy 1:6 AMP)
God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible. (2 Timothy 1:7 MSG)
Emonne Markland Leave YOUR Beauty Mark
*This post is inspired by the Sunday morning sermon by Bishop T.D. Jakes from today. Every Sunday on my Instagram account (beautymarkedmom), I write a "Sunday Recap" post from what I learned in church that morning. I have encouraged others to do so, and a number of IGers have joined in and shared what God spoke to their hearts in their Sunday morning church service. It's a great way to review your notes and share what God has spoken to you. If you are on IG, join in and add hashtag #SundayRecap to your post! If you're on Twitter, you can do the same there too! It is great to see what God is speaking to His people around the world.
Steve Jobs was a visionary and innovator that changed the way that we live. Apple products have not only become a vital part of our every day lives, but they have been used to further the Gospel message of Jesus Christ in a dynamic way. As I watch the news coverage and remember the life of Steve Jobs, I cannot help but think of all of the millions of people around the world that have been affected as a result of his passion for technology and determination to make the impossible possible. Even when things seemed to be going down hill for Apple, he fought to bring the company back to life and never gave up on his dreams. Regardless of how amazing each product was, he was always reaching higher and demanding more excellence for the next version. He not only dreamed of great products and user-friendly technology, but he made them a reality that all of the world would benefit from. As I write this post on my MacBook Pro and periodically check my iPhone, I am reminded of how much his products have affected my life. He truly left his "beauty mark" on our world and has been deemed the Thomas Edison of our time.
What dream is stirring in your heart that could potentially affect our world for generations to come? What could you create if you silenced the loud distractions in your life and allowed your creative juices to flow freely from your heart and into the hands of others? How will you be remembered? How can you leave your beauty mark on the world? These are the questions that I challenge you to ponder as you remember the life of Steve Jobs.
We are all created with a seed of destiny waiting to spring forth and bear fruit that will leave a beautiful mark on the hearts and lives of others. May we all be encouraged to discover our potential and use all of our might to passionately pursue the purpose in which we were created for.
Emonne Markland: Leave YOUR Beauty Mark
youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oAB83Z1ydE
P.S. Thanks to Steve Jobs, the following apps are a part of my every day life and are used to enhance my reading & hearing of the Word and my ability to connect with other like-minded people around the world:
