31 Days Closer to a Cuter You! and a Give A Way

Have you had that moment yet? You know the one where you unexpectedly catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror? Yeah…THAT one. If you grimaced instead of grinned, join me for the next 31 days for 31 tips and tricks to tweak your look and come closer to a cuter you!

This is part one of a series for the month of May on "31 Days Closer to..." with 5 other bloggers. At the end of this post you'll see how you can win one of 6 great give a ways, and you'll find links to the other bloggers' series. Click on their links. You'll be blessed, encouraged and motivated.

 A Pretty Woman

A few years ago I was a part of a teaching team that used the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge to lead a women’s Life Group.

Each Sunday our group grew in number. 

Each Sunday I was amazed at the honesty and vulnerability of the women in our Life Group.

There were women of different ages and seasons and circumstances.

Stories of heartache and longing were shared. 

One story stood out and touched me deeply.

A woman of Italian descent shared how as she was growing up, her mother dressed her plainly for fear someone would tell her she was pretty.  She related that growing up in Italy, there was such a thing as the malocchio or evil eye. If you garnered any attention out of jealousy, the malacchio would be cast upon you and you were struck with a curse or very bad luck.

With tears in her eyes, this lovely woman said it had only been in recent years that someone told her she was pretty.

What a shame!

True Beauties

When I think of beauty, I think first of my grandmothers. Both of my mamaws liked to look good though they each had very different styles.

Josie May wore makeup and had her hair cut short and made regular appointments at The Beauty Shop. She enjoyed looking nice for church and she wore a red dress to my wedding! 

Mamie Jane never cut her hair but did use a rinse on it to keep her gray from looking dingy. I never knew her to use any makeup other than pressed powder. She also enjoyed looking nice for church and said she considered Sundays her “date with Jesus” so she wanted to look her best!

My own mother, June, never wore makeup until she was in her 40’s and I never saw her in a pair of pants until I was in college! She has always had great taste in clothing and has never dressed “old.”  With her high cheekbones, dark hair and olive skin, my daughter resembles her more than I. 

Blessed and Beautiful

My ideals of beauty came first from the women in my family. My grandmothers and my mother, while wanting to look their best, wear cute shoes and keep an eye on fashion, were more concerned with their inner beauty. 

Inner beauty comes from a satisfying relationship with Christ.  

I like the verses in 1 Peter 3:3-4, “Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”

Since I am starting “31 Days Closer to a Cuter You!” on a Sunday I wanted to focus first on the hidden person of the heart. The heart denotes “thoughts, feelings, mind, middle” (Strong’s #2588) as the deepest part of our being.

Before we put on our outer look for the day, let’s consider what we put on our inner self.

• Romans 13:14 tells us that we “put on the Lord Jesus Christ…”

• Job 29:14 records, “I put on righteousness and it clothed me.”

• Galatians 3:27: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

• Ephesians 4:23-24: “…and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Before the flat iron or the curling iron, before choosing the silver or the gold jewelry, before the casual wear or the career clothing, realize that you are dressed in the righteousness of Christ Himself.

So represent Him well in thoughts, actions and in your outward adornment. 

Not only are you a daughter of the King but you are also the Bride of the Prince of Peace.

His eye is on you and He says you are beautiful and you are blessed.

Now go check out what Jen, Shelley, Lisa, Sandy and Missy have for you today. 
But don't forget about the give a way at the bottom of this post.

• Jen at Finding Heaven  

 31 Days Closer to Hearing God's Voice 

God speaks to us.  He wants us to sit at His feet and let His Words wash over us.  But sometimes, a whole lotta junk gets in the way of us actually hearing what He has to say.  Over the next 31 days, we are going to practice getting our baggage out of the ways so that our heart is prepared to listen to what He has to say.

• Shelly at Life on the Wild Side  

 31 Days Closer to Your Kids 

Maintaining a relationship with our kids is not always automatic, and just because they live under our roof doesn’t mean we’re always connecting with them. Over the next 31 days, I’ll share some practical tips to help you grow closer to your kids.

• Lisa at Glad Chatter  

31 Days Closer to the Life You Always Wanted

Since cancer threatened to take the life I had, I decided that any days I lived beyond cancer would be dedicated to creating the life I want to live. If you've ever thought: One day I will ... scrapbook, organize my pantry, create cute looks on a lean budget, adopt a baby from Ethiopia, look toned on the beach or read my Bible all the way from Genesis to Revelation or any other big or little someday thought, this series is for you.

• Sandy at The Amazing Adventures of Fitness Friday Girl  

31 Days Closer to Health, Wellness and Bathing Suit Season

 It’s the little things.  All the little things you do in a day either contribute to your health …or not.  Whether your goal is to feel better, drop a few pounds or just strut more confidently in your bathing suit, we’ll cover all the little things you can do to get closer to your goal by June 1^st!

• Missy at It’s Almost Naptime 

 31 Days Closer to a New Home

 You don’t need to move to get a “new home.”  I am going to reorganize and redecorate the one I have.  In the next 31 days, I will stop the procrastination and tackle all those little projects I’ve been putting off.  So this summer, I can sit back and enjoy my family.  Join me.

Give away:

 To be eligible for the giveaway, you must tell someone about the “31 Day Closer to” series by telling friends about it on your blog, Facebook, Twitter OR e-mail.  Then leave a comment on the blog saying that you did.  One entry/comment per person, and comment must be on the blog, not on Facebook.  But you may enter once on each blog (for a total of 6 entries possible).  Entries must be submitted by Midnight on Monday, May 2^nd.  Winners will be announced Wednesday, May 4^th. 

We’ll draw one random winner per blog, and each winner will receive one of the following prizes:

Prizes:

$25 Ikea Gift Card,

$10 Starbucks Gift Card,

an original charcoal art piece, by Jen Ferguson,

an original picture frame designed by The Chubby Dove 

$25 Target Gift Card,

Good Girls Don’t Have to Dress Bad, by Shari Braendel