"Thy Will Be Done" ... Even if God Says No

Originally posted at Keturah's Korner

I recently came across this book titled Christ the Healer by F. F Bosworth. It was very… interesting, I must say.

Now I don't normally tear books apart, but this topic has been on my mind for several months now ever since I met this guy who believed it was his calling to preach divine healing and that, if you had enough faith, God never said 'No'.

Don't get me wrong, I still think God can and will do miracles. But I think this whole belief of God healing us unconditionally has some flaws. And I think this belief is a very dangerous belief for the Christian person's relationship with God.

Here is a poem from the book;

Death comes, and then we blame our God.

And weakly say, “Thy will be done”;

But never underneath the sod

Has God imprisoned any one.

God does not send disease, or crime,

Or carelessness, of fighting clans;

And when we die before our time

The fault is man's

He is God of life, not death;

He is one that gives us birth;

He has not shortened by a breath

The life of any on earth;

And He would have us dwell within

The world our full allotted years.

So blame not God-for our own sin

Makes our own tears.

Beautiful poem, yes. But let me point out the problems.

And weakly say, “Thy will be done - When is it ever weak to say, “Thy will be done?” Even in the midst of facing death, Yeshua(Jesus) did not say, “Father I demand my way!” but, “Thy will be done.”

Submitting to God is never NEVER weak.

But never underneath the sod, Has God imprisoned any one. - God has sentenced many to death – all, in fact. It was He that said, “If you eat of the tree you will die.”

God does not send disease, or crime, - read 2 Samuel 24 and Exodus 7-12. When David angered God God gave him three choices, all involving hurt, and in the end it was chosen to have a pestilence (plague, disease…) and many died at the hand of God.

And in Exodus when Pharaoh would not let the Israelites free, many plagues were sent, and at the end, even the children's lives were taken.

Of course you could argue this last part that God only punished those that did wrong, or were evil  (which is true). Still, even the truth of that argument contradicts the line of that poem.

And when we die before our time, The fault is man's – if the writer meant the fault being man's as in when the fruit was taken and eaten, then yes, he is correct. But if he means that we only die now because of not being holy enough then he is wrong. And before our time? I must argue that we each die in the right time that God has appointed for us to die. Job 14:5 and Psalm 31:15

He has not shortened by a breath, The life of any on earth - Again not true. He has shortened the breath of many. He even set the time of our deaths.

And He would have us dwell within, The world our full allotted years. - But more than this He would have us to be with Him.

So blame not God-for our own sin, Makes our own tears. - This is very true. WE are responsible for our own tears, our own sin… though we are sometimes the victims of other's consequences. But that's another topic. Despite this, despite us being the guilty one, we can't fix our problems by trying to force God to do our will, or refusing to say, “Thy Will be done.” And most of all, even if we are truly believers of God we aren't exempt us from the casualties of sin.

For this world is full of sin… it's around every corner, in every space.

Some other things I'd like to point out with the belief of Divine Healing:

1. We must pray more and more. Once is not enough. God hears our prayers if they are continued, but if they stop, this is the Devil's opportunity to do his work.

First off, yes, we need to continue praying. But despite our prayers we can't bribe God by making him think we are so Holy. And in the end, whatever we pray for it is ultimately God's will. We can't even start to understand what His perfect plan may be. Sure, to our mortal minds, long life and abundant health seem ideal. But God's way is utmost.

And I'm not saying stop praying. I'm saying keep saying, “Your will be done, Father.”

2. If you are sick, if a loved one is dying, or if you are dying this is a sign of lack of faith.

Not true. Where in the Bible does it say this?

Sickness is a part of life. Death is a part of life. They are both the results of the original sin, but not necessarily of a sin you or someone else has committed.

And think about this for a second. According to this logic, I can die because of your lack of faith. Sure, I may have perfect Faith in God, but yours was not enough to keep the Devil from taking me.

Comforting?

Wow, no. That does not seem like a very strong and almighty God to me… only able to save from the Devil if enough of us send up the correct quota of prayers and have the right amount of Faith.

3. Don't listen to the Devil. Facts are lies from him. Doubting is a lie. If you say, “God heal my cold, but your will be done.” You are giving in to the doubtful spirit of the Devil. Don't be double minded – but ask and believe that what you ask for will happen.

And if it doesn't happen, what then? You must have not believed hard enough.

The book was full of “biblical examples” of all sorts of people doing things or not doing things, using proof that I believe was totally construed. And I'd write about each one in detail if it wouldn't make this post too long ;b Honestly, when reading through the book I was getting riled up.

Why?

Because man was trying to put God into a box and control others at the same time. As the back of the book read:

"The truths discussed in this book, together with the “prayer of faith” have brought healing within the grasp of many thousands of sufferes who could not have recovered with out the direct action of the Holy Spirit. To God be all the glory."

Yes, to God be all the Glory, and may the Holy Spirit take action in all of our lives with out this book, or belief. How can a book hold truths separate from the Bible? Show true healing?

Yes, I believe God loves us, wants us whole, and wants us to be living.

But if He expected us to live only by faith, praying with out a doubt that He'd grant our every plea, then why would He have created labor, herbs, not to mention bodies?

If we are to trust He'll do whatever we ask, never saying no then why do we work for our money? We should just expect Him to give us our every need and want… after all wasn't it Jesus that said do not worry for tomorrow? (disregard the sarcasm, please.)

And He would not have created herbs, for if He heals unconditionally, it would be wrong to use those herbs, as they would be giving in to the lies of the devil.

It would be wrong to try and protect our children from running into the road - “Trust God. His will is never to harm us.” 

Or to wash our hands - “He cleanses us and keeps us from all disease.”

And to try and upkeep our bodies and eat healthy? All stupidity, for God would not make us fat for eating sugars and processed foods if we prayed enough.

But, besides of these sarcastic arguments, what is the real reason I believe this belief is so dangerous?

I believe it is dangerous for this purpose: When God does not do what you want, when He says that dreaded word 'No', how will you react and respond?

For the few people I know of that have held this belief, it has torn their families apart, caused anger and bitterness, and made many doubt God's existence.

Believing in God isn't about what we can get out of Him, but having a relationship with Him, trusting Him to do what's best for you all the while loving Him more than you would your best friends.

It's about trusting and loving unconditionally, not getting "my way".

We need to love God for who He is, not for what He might do for us.

The Importance of Getting Enough Exercise

 

 

 Today I was going to do a product review, but I think I'm going to just post that tomorrow because today I was out hiking with my family all day and never got to take any pictures for the review.

 

So, instead, here's an article I compiled on my personal blog last year that I thought you all would enjoy.

 

In this country, just about everyone already knows about the need for exercise.

 But not everybody takes it seriously. And then, there are some people take it too far. Just like anything else, exercise should be a balanced activity. Enough to burn calories, strengthen your body and refresh your spirit, but not so much that you find yourself cringing in pain for the next week.

 

So, why exactly does the human body require exercise and movement?

 

1. Aerobic exercises benefit the circulation of your blood through your heart and blood vessels -your cardiovascular system. Exercise makes the heart work harder, pump more blood, and it also reduces the risk of developing heart disease. With each beat of your heart, a surge of blood is pumped into your body's intricate web of blood vessels. The pressure exerted on your artery walls as blood passes through helps keep the blood flowing smoothly (what you know as ‘blood pressure'). A build-up of plaques in your arteries, caused by cholesterol in your bloodstream can affect your blood flow and cause serious damage to your cardiovascular system. A workout on a regular basis benefits your heart because it helps lower the build-up of plaques in arteries by increasing the concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) and decreasing the concentration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) in your blood, while keeping the blood pressure at the optimal level.  As a result, your heart is able to do a better job in delivering oxygen to all parts of your body. Blood travels more efficiently, bringing much-needed oxygen from your lungs and nutrients to the rest of the body.  That's why you may noticed that you feel refreshed and energized after exercising. (Information source here)
2. Exercise builds muscle and strengthens bones, as well as preserves bone mass, and increases bone density. Regular resistance training can help prevent the bone-weakening disease, osteoporosis.
3. Exercise helps keep a healthy, balanced BMI (body mass index) and weight.  Once again, most people know this. It's a no-brainer if you're trying to lose weight. Calories burn the fastest and most effectively when the body is moving in some way or another, especially during vigorous exercises such as jogging, quick walking, biking, and peppy dancing.
4. Exercise helps induce better, quality sleep. Many people who have problems sleeping find doing moderate exercise at least three hours before bedtime helps in sleeping better at night. The recent Hibernation Diet Theory teaches that regular exercise could activate production of recovery hormones during sleep and increases the body's metabolic rate.
5. While the above reasons have given us enough incentive already to work out, there is yet another reason. Exercise also benefits the extremely essential lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a vital network of vessels and nodes responsible for regulating fluids, distributing proteins and filtering out poisons in the fluid between the cells. It is a protector and a defence system against infection, viruses, harmful bacteria, and disease. The three most important methods of lymphatic circulation are external massage, muscle expansion and contraction, and intense exercise. This means the more you move, the livelier it becomes. When the lymph is not overloaded, health is maintained by the lymphatic system's natural detox design. But if the lymph is running sluggish and there is too much waste, a blockage in the lymphatic system happens, leading to symptoms like chronic fatigue, water retention, eczema, allergies, arthritis, and infections. 

Oil Pulling

(The following article was taken from the archives of my blog, Apassionata.)

 

Who here has ever heard of oil pulling? If you have, you probably already know about the amazing health benefits of this interesting practice. But for those of you, who, like me, until about a year ago, had no clue about what it is, this post is for you.

What is oil pulling?

Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic remedy for oral health and detoxification. It involves the use of pure oils as agents for pulling harmful bacteria, fungus, and other organisms out of the mouth, teeth, gums and even throat. How this works? You take a tablespoon of melted organic coconut oil (We get ours from TropicalTraditions.com and highly recommend them) OR organic sesame seed oil and swish it around in your mouth for anywhere from 10-20 minutes.

It may seem like a while to hold the oil in your mouth. And in the beginning, it can certainly feel that way. It is something you must get accustomed to doing. What I did is set the timer for 20 minutes, and then try to go about my regular business....chores, writing, school, etc.  Maybe this could be your computer time spell since time seems to go by quicker while on the internet. Just remember to keep that oil moving inside your mouth. If you get tired of swishing, use your tongue to push the oil around. Just don't swallow! The oil is pulling toxins and bacteria from your gums, tongue, and roof of your mouth, you don't want to reabsorb these toxins again by ingesting. Also, do not lean your head back and gargle the oil.

If 20 minutes is too long (or even 10 minutes, for that matter) and gets tiring for you, spit out the oil in the toilet and get another fresh tablespoon. Swish it around for the remainder of the time.

When you're done, spit the oil into the toilet and rinse very thoroughly. Keep in mind all the bacteria, germs and toxins which were just extracted, and this should cause you to want to rinse very, very well. I like to even brush my teeth after a oil pull. (I do it in the morning after breakfast which is convenient for the teeth-brushing)

What are the health benefits of oil pulling?

• Overall strengthening of the teeth and gums and jaws.
• Prevention of diseases of the gums and mouth, such as cavities and gingivitis.
• Prevention for bad breath
• Potential holistic remedy for bleeding gums
• Prevention of dryness of the lips, mouth and throat.
• Possible holistic treatment for TMJ and general soreness in the jaw area.
• Migraine headache relief
• Correcting hormone imbalances
• Reducing inflammation of arthritis
• May help with gastro-enteritis
• Aids in the reduction of eczema
• May reduce symptoms of bronchitis
• Helps support normal kidney function
• May help reduce sinus congestion
• Some people report improved vision
• Helps reduce insomnia
• Reduced hangover after alcohol consumption
• Aids in reducing pain
• Reduces the symptoms of allergies
• Helps detoxify the body of harmful metals and organisms

Scientists believe that the lipids in the oil both pull out bacteria, as well as stop bacterial from sticking to the walls of the oral cavity. Oil pulling reduces the amount of S. mutans (germ) count in both teeth plaque and mouth saliva.

 In addition, oil pulling may also increase saponification in the mouth, creating a soapy environment that cleanses the mouth as vegetable fat is an emulsifier by nature. Oil pulling cleanses out harmful bacteria, as well as reduces fungal overgrowth. These oils also possibly help in cellular restructuring, and are related to the proper functioning of the lymph nodes and other internal organs.

Oil pulling has been said to aid people in weight loss. So if you're wanting to shed a couple pounds, add this routine to your day and see what happens!

Blown away yet? I could go on. There is lots of information which you can find further on oil pulling, I only gave you the basics today.

  Have you ever tried oil pulling? Have any success stories? I'd love to hear about it!

 

Got Acne? This Product May Help! {review}

 

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(Peoples, if you haven't heard, GFC is apparently going down. You can follow APOC with Bloglovin - just click the link above!)

 

Zits. Pimples. Acne.

Any way you look at it, or however you call them, I'm sure a number of y'all have been irked with acne at some point in your life.

It's a pain to adult women and adolescent girls alike, and something we'd all love to abolish if we could.

 

Personally, I've had to deal with zits since about age 13 or so. I'm thankful that it's never been terribly bad, but at the same time I just can't seem to ever rid myself of the annoying red blemishes!

 

I've tried scores of different treatments, from the natural sort to the not-so-natural. Everything from the harsh, chemical-laden Noxzema, to oatmeal and adzuki bean scrubs.

 

Naturally, I was pretty interested to see how the acne facial wash from LuvURCoconuts would work out. I was sent a bottle of the homemade skin formula, and have been using it for several weeks now.

 

I wasn't sure how to use this wash, in the beginning, as it didn't exactly come with any sort of instructions on application. However, after inquiring about it to LuvURCoconuts' shop owner, I found that it could be used either in the shower or separate at the sink.

 

I attempted both methods. First the "at-the-sink" way, which personally didn't work that great for me. It was too oily for my preference there, and took too long to wash off.

 I then tried it in the shower - this is how I've been using it, ever since. It works quite nicely there, and I have no problem with it being overly-oily or hard to scrub off - perhaps it has something to do with all the steam and hot water involved.

 

Anyways. I'm not sure how it's affecting my actual pimples, but it is a nice facial wash for just cleansing the facial pores and all. It brings a rejuvenating, fresh sensation when lathered and applied.

 

As I said previously, I've been using it for several weeks and it looks like it's going to last me a while, which is nice to know. I only use a small amount, maybe a teaspoon, each time I apply.

 

 

The best part about this wash? The ingredients are completely natural. I can rest assured that I'm not dumping tons of junk and chemicals on my skin!

 

If you'd like to try some of this facial wash, check out the LuvURCoconuts shop for yourself!

 

Note: I was provided this item from LuvURCoconuts in exchange for my honest review. All opinions remain mine and mine alone.

5 Ways to Exercise + The Scent of Magnolia & Rose {review}

 

So, we all know the importance of exercise in our lives, right? Of course we do. In this day and age, it's almost impossible not to know.

 

But, just knowing doesn't burn calories or build stamina! You have to get up and move - and sometimes, it can be hard to find ways to work exercise into your daily schedule. So that's what we're going to look at today: 5 ways to get your heart pumping, and blood flowing - in a way that's practical for even the utmost beginner athlete.

 

I know many of you ladies live in the suburbs, or in the city - you might live in places where it may not be very safe to go running by yourself or just take a stroll down the block alone. Maybe where you live do don't have a big yard, and doing laps around the perimeter isn't very appealing to you.

 

The question plagues you every day when you look at yourself in the mirror, or see somebody else working out. What can you do?

 

Have no fear, the ideas are here! Hopefully these tips will benefit both the city girl and country maiden alike.

 

 

1. Get pinning! If you haven't checked out the myriads of exercise pins on Pinterest, you should. I have found lots of great ideas for short work-outs I can do in the privacy of my own bedroom- you don't hardly need any space at all, which is awesome! Want to tone those abs? Or what about your arms, legs? When I was recovering from a running injury, I found out some great quad work-outs which helped to strengthen my knees even when I wasn't running.

 

2. Help out the family!  If you are still living at home with your siblings and parents, then most likely there are chores to accomplish. Even if you have a small yard, you could make an extra effort to help keep it clean and orderly. Mow the grass during the summer, (and don't use the riding kind, either! Where's the exercise in THAT?) rake leaves in the fall, and if you live in an area where it's cold enough, shovel snow in wintertime. Yard work, at my house, is a great way for us kids to honor our parents, especially my dad, who appreciates a tidy living place! Even vacuuming the living room can burn calories, if you want it to.

 

3. Get involved! If you live in a community with lots of neighbors nearby

, than take a walk with some of your family members or friends/church members and see if you can serve by helping with other peoples' yard work. Knock on doors, ask if there's anything they need help with! Maybe you know somebody who has an old wreck for a house and they could use some assistance renovating it. Recently, my family helped a local lady fix up a house she owned. Not only were we blessing her and showing the love of Christ, but it wasn't that shabby of a work-out!

 

4. LIFT! So, you don't need a full weight set and all the hardware to lift weights. You can find old weights at yard sales, or even be creative and find other things to lift without spending a dime. Weight-lifting is excellent for building muscle and retaining it. Not to mention, when you lift weights, the calories will continue to burn long after you've finished a lifting session, as the muscles recover. Isn't that awesome? You can start by lifting smaller weights - 5 pound dumbbells for example - and gradually build up as you feel ready. Just be careful not to overdo it. Go slow!

 

5. Dance! Zumba classes or ballet shoes are not required! You can simply turn on some of your favorite tunes, and get those limbs moving! I have learned different routines by watching YouTube videos and also, my aunt's shown me a few Zumba moves, which helps. But this isn't necessary for you to have fun and get into it. I usually do it in my bedroom where I don't have to worry about anyone seeing me, haha. This is more for modesty reasons, as I think that dancing can be a potential stumbling block to the opposite gender, and I have 5 other male people in my house. Plus, well, my routines aren't exactly anywhere near professional or polished, to put it mildly. *snickers*

 

 So, there you go! I will hopefully be doing more posts on fitness and exercise in the near future. Keep your eyes peeled, and tell me what you think so far!

 

Now, to the other half of today's post.

 

So you worked out. You got a shower, and combined with the endorphins running through your brain, you feel ah-mazing. Now, what would top this bliss off to perfection?

 

A splash or two, of this.

 

 

Perfume from Passion Moon Potions!

 

Sooo you've already seen me do one review post here on natural, homemade perfumes.

Well, this isn't just another natural, homemade perfume!

 

I was told by somebody that my reviews are mainly just a bunch of raves - me "oohing and ahhing" over stuff people send me.

Well, to the person who told me that, you are right - it may look like that, from a first glance.

BUT. I'll remind y'all that every review I do is an honest one - I don't take honesty lightly. If I say I'm being honest, you can count on me to be honest. 100%.

I promise you that none of my reviews flatter in vain or against my opinion. If I don't like something, I'll tell you guys! It just so happens that most of the things I've been sent to review, I liked a lot - hence the apparent "oohing and ahhing". (Just wanted to clear that up.)

 

 

 

I was sent a rose petals perfume and a white gardenia one.

Both scents are delightful - honestly. I kid you not when I say they are my favorite perfumes right now. Especially the rose petals one. (I have always adored the scent of roses - they're one of my favorite flowers, as are gardenias.)

 

 

I have been wearing this one everyyyywhere. It's potent, and that's how I like my perfume. The gardenia perfume is also just as strong in scent.

Both perfumes are oily in consistency, which I like because it's easier to massage it into your skin, and it seems to remain there well...it's not a light type of perfume for body misting.

 

I have already begun considering purchasing another rose petals perfume from this business when this current one is finished. Wait. Scratch the "considering" part. I'm certain that if I buy perfume, this will be the next one I get.

 

Hence, we have the bottom line: YOU MUST GET THIS.  Well, at least try it. If you love flower-scented perfumes, I guarantee you'll enjoy these two. There are also a variety of other lovely scents available in the shop....go check it out now!

 

Many thanks to Passion Moon Potions for providing these excellent products!

 

 

Note: I was provided these items from Passion Moon Potions in exchange for my honest review. All opinions remain mine and mine alone.

 

Woman to Woman

In case we have any male readers, I'd like to just say that this is a women-only blog post.  So if you're a guy, move along please, nothing to see here. :)

Yesterday morning, I woke up to what should have been a perfect day.  The weather was gorgeous and we started a fire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows for s'mores.  My brother and his wife arrived to announce an expected new addition to their little nest, empty for far too long.  My beautiful new head coverings arrived in the mail and I wrote this post relaxing on the couch with the sun streaming through the windows and a cup of wild orange tea.  Yes, a wonderful day.  Except for one thing.  Several things that I did not or did do that ruin my day until 3:00 in the afternoon.

What, you might ask, happened?

About a year after I got my period, I started having regular menstrual cramps....every month.  Awful cramps that sent me to bed moaning and groaning for several hours.  My family thought I was just being dramatic (I did have a reputation for being a bit of a drama queen) and getting used to being a woman.  They used to say, "What will you do when you have a baby?  It's WAY worse!"  One woman I know had the same problem and after marrying and having children, she told me that it's really not worse.  That in fact, labor was easier.

Anyway, over the past 10 years I have tried everything.  I know what works and what doesn't.  I'm a walking cramp doctor.  I've also discovered that I am not the only one.  So when I finally found something that works for me, I started sharing more openly about it.  This however, is the first time publishing my solution in public and I think it's long overdue.

After trying everything, I discovered Young Living essential oils and started using Lavender, Clary Sage and Ylang Ylang which helped immensely.  I had several ladies talk about using an oil blend called Progessence Plus to balance hormones, but I didn't actually try it until last summer.  I started using 4 drops a day and extra once a month.  By this time, my cramps had lessened somewhat and I had learned to manage them a little better by dropping everything, using oils and going to bed.  I didn't notice a difference with the Pro.+ at first but after 4-5 months I realized that I wasn't having any trouble at all during my monthly cycles.  This has continued since then so long as I kept using the oil....

Which I haven't.  I'm not always diligent in using the Progessence and this past month I hardly used any at all.  Add to that, I did a lot of walking and some squats the day before starting this month.  Very bad idea.

Someone told me not too long ago that her cramps were like contractions.  That, dear sisters, is exactly what happened to me.  I don't think I've been in that much pain since years past when I didn't know anything to use for it.  Everything that usually helps almost right away, did little or nothing.  While my sister-in-law was announcing her baby, I was huddled in my bed feeling like I was having one.

All that to say, I have been reminded of how awful it is to have to deal with this and I won't be skipping my Pro+ for anything!  How silly of me, to know of and have in my possession these wonderful healing oils given by YHWH and not use them!  Also how silly of me to know and have and not share with others.

Progessence Plus is a blend of natural progesterone and essential oils like frankincense, cedar, rosewood, peppermint, clove and others.  One bottle lasts me about 3-4 months if I use it diligently.  Unlike a lot of progesterone supplements, it does not have to be rotated.  You just use it every day and your body will absorb what you need, when you need it and the oils included in it have more uses than just hormone balance so instead of negative side effects like Acetaminaphen, regular Tylenol, Advil, etc. it can actually have positive side effects. :)  It is not only for cramps, it balances your hormones whatever the problem (mood swings, infertility, irregular cycles, etc.) and I believe every woman should be using this wonderful blend! :)

How You Care for Yourself

 Seeing the posts for the past couple months about accepting yourself the way God created you makes me smile. Too often we look in the mirror, and see ourselves through the most critical of glasses. In a creation video by Ken Ham, there is talk of colored lenses. Though I'm not applying it in the same way he did, I think it fits here as well. When we look in the mirror, instead of looking through God's lenses, we look through a colored lens. This colored lens blocks us from seeing the way God created us as special, and making us feel fat, or ugly, or too tall, too short. This has been widely talked upon here, so I'm sure I can't say much more that hasn't already been explained. Though I can offer a few basic tips. :)

  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

 As with anything, there ARE ways you can improve yourself. God has made you beautiful! Sometimes we have to let that beauty out in a God honoring way. Here are just a few of my thoughts.

1. Healthy exercise:  Whether you see yourself as chubby, thin, or anything else, exercise is something that everyone can do. Trust me, after a good thirty minutes to an hour of exercising, you may feel tired, but you'll also feel rejuvenated. Our bodies need exercise. I like to accomplish this by popping in a Wii exercise game, since I can't walk around my town alone. But after I exercise, I always feel a little better about myself.

2. Hygiene: A clean girl is a happy girl, right? Brushing your teeth, brushing your hair... this can all shine up your appearance.

3. Smile: This, I think, is the most important so far on the list. When you smile, it completely changes your face. Smiles are beautiful things, that God created. I think a girl looks much more beautiful when she smiles. A smile is also something God can shine through! So don't be afraid to show those teeth. ;D

4. Clothing: Dress in a manner that is classy, modest, and makes you look nice. If you wear too tight, or immodest clothing, that may be the only thing people notice. But if you wear extremely baggy clothing (I wear it all the time at home ;D) you may look as if you don't care about your appearance. Nice clothing doesn't have to be expensive. It doesn't have to name brand. It just needs to look nice on you.

5. Prayer, drawing closer to the Lord: This doesn't have so much to do with the physical as with the spiritual. You can change everything about your appearance, but the only way you'll be truly beautiful is if you have the Lord showing through you. Ask the Lord to draw you closer to Him every day. Trust Him, for He has made you beautiful!

 A lot of people say that how you dress/look is not important at all, and it's true that God made you the way you are. But I believe we can honor God by respecting the temple of our bodies, and dressing in a way that would glorify Him, as well as taking other measures.

 What is something that makes you uniquely you?