I thought this was really cool. when i saw it, i thought it was impossible!!! but i figured it out and did it in 19 min!!! :):) try it.

Book: 31 Girl

<><><><><>

Taking things personally

Being defensive hardens and closes your heart because you dont want to open up and accept that a situation could be your fault. Defensiveness is a sign of a poor self-image because we dont want people to see that we can actually be at fault, and we never want to be the cause of a problem.
Blaming others is as old as time itself. It wasnt Adam's fault that he ate the fruit because Eve made him do it. And it wasnt eve's fault that she ate the fruit because that sly seroant made her do it. Aaaahhhhhh!!!! Can you see how exasperating being defensive is to other people? Learn to accept thhat you can be at fault.

One of the hardest things to say is "im sorry." Learning to say sorry and meaning it is taking a step towrd responsibility and accepting blame. you will be surprised how this simple statement can soften the hardest hearts and diffuse the most volatile situations. However, many people refuse  to say it because it means, that (shock, horror) they were WRONG! yes girls, i know its hard to believe but there are times in your life what you will be wrong. and the sooner you learn you are not always right, the sooner your pride can be squelched and humility allowed to wash over your heart.

Any fool can try to defend his or her mistakes---and most fools do---but it raises one above the herd and gives one a feeling of nobility and exultation to admit one's mistakes.
(dale carnegie)

<><><><><>

Dont blow your own trumpet

Allow others to praise you and dont blow your own trumpet.

Proverbs 31 gives us no indication that the 31 girl sang her own praises. instead she was content to leave that to others. Peroverbs 27:2 says, "Let anoher praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your oen lips." Rather than being egotistical she is a girl of meekness and modesty, which in turn adds to her enchanting appeal.

So, here are 2 keys to  help you avoid becoming a self-taught bugle blower:

1. Eliminate Ego
J. Oswald Sanders said, "Egotism is one of the most repulsive manifestations of pride. it is the practice of thinking and speaking much of oneself, the habit of magnifying one's attainments or importance."

Egotise is a vile disease and results from being infected by pride. God detests pride because it is a sin where we put ourselves on the throne of our hearts rather than God. instead of idolizing Him, we idolize ourselves. We become impatient in telling others how important and talented we are. we blah, blah, blah about the awards we've recieved, the opportunities we've had, the results weve accomplished, and basically how wondrusly wonderful we are. we become self-conceited, self-important, and self-opinionated demi-gods, causing those around us to be nauseated by the foul stretch of pride.

The good news is that you dont need to go around smelling like a slinky swap. Ego can be eliminated by its number one enemy---humility. the only way you can kill the odor of pride is to release the scent of humility. and that brings me to my second key:

2.Practice Humility
Humility is a sweet-smelling fragrance that actually draws people to you. it's an attractive quality that catches people's hearts hearts, praises, and compliments.

Humility is an "attitude of persinal modesty" and to practice humility we need to consisciously resist the urge to self-promote and self-exalt.

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke 18:14

Dont be in a rush to hurry the hand of God. God has all the time in the world, and He's prepared to use it to make you into the humble girl He desires you to be.

in the meantime do as Dan Reiland once said: "Be more concerned about making others feel good about themselves then you are making them feel good about you."

If you have any good qualities, believe that other people have better ones.
(thomas a kemphis)

I know God has been there with me through everything. He's my comfronter, my refuge, and my everything. I have a fair idea where i'd be if i didnt have Him in my life. im so blessed that He loved me so much to send His Son to save me. i know that just because things go wrong in my life, it doesnt mean that God intended it to bt that way. all that matters to me is that He's the one picking up the pieces of my heart. He's cleaning the gunk ot of it and putting it back together. God is truly the restorer of my soul.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book: 31 Girl

<><><><><>

God is saddened when His children are hunched over by the cares of the world and people's opinions. God is the restorer of our souls, and He desires to restore to us whatever has been stolen from us. When you discover who you are in Christ, you can walk with your head held high and your shoulders back. You can walk with strengh and dignity and know without any doubts that God is your heavenly Father, He is the restorer of your soul, and you are His treasured daughter.

Dignity comes when we have a transforming encounter with our heavenly Father, the  indisputible liberator, empowerer, and encourager of all time. He is the lifter of our heads!

The girl in Proverbs 31 girl laughs at the days to come. Basically, this means that shes looks forward in anticipation to the days ahead. Shes not worried about getting older, whether heer family will be safe and secure, or about the challenges ahead. She can laugh at the days to come because God is her sence of security, stability, refuge, and reliance. The Bible clearly tells us not to worry abut the future because God, who considers is infinitely more valuable then the birds and the flowers, will look after us. Worry has no benefits in out life but rather causes stress and health problems. The Bible says that God has inscribed us on the palms of His hands, and He will never forget or forsake us. In essence, God will always be there for us.

Masterpiece
Your light shines lke a candle in the dark
To lead my way and show me my path.
You're all i need to brighten my day
In each and every single way.
You planned me carefully, each little hair.
Created a partner to be my pair.
you gave me feelings for them to share,
To cry, to love and a sense to care.
You crafted my face each little dimple,
a face one day that will be filled with wrinkles.
you gave me mistakes for me to lean on.
You gave me you Word, a book to read,
and helped me in all my times of need.
you showed me a way out of the dark,
and lit up my life like a lamp on a path.
(sabina bernsman)

<><><><><>

THE TONGUE!
its strange to think, but we actually have a wild beast residing inside of us (and no, its not your hormones). This beast is definately not as huge as a wildcat but is potential to destroy, harm, and hurt is gi-normous. its called THE TONGUE!
James 3:7-10 says, "This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you cant tame a tounge---it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a waton killer. with our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very mean and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!"
The Bible also tells us in Proverbs 18:21 that "life and death exist in the pwer of the tongue." Incredible, isnt it? we are able to exert life or death through that little pink thing in our mouths. the words we speak have remarkable power to hearten or discourage the people around us.
So let me ask you a questionL What words do ou speak to the people in your world? Are you like the 31 girl who speaks with wisdom and faithful advice, or do your words literally cut people down with their negativity, cynicism, and criticism?
The old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me," was definetely penned by on every deluded and rhino-skinned individual. The truth is, words have the power to build us up or tear us down.
The tongue needs to be taned and controlled in our lives.

Many people speak before they think, and from their mouth comes yoxic gunk that needs a radioactice warning stakmped on it. Proverbs 15:28 says, "A good man thinks before he speaks; the evil man pours out his evil words without a thought." Once we've spoken, its impossible to put those words back into our mouths again. Sometimes those words are simply foolish and silly. But sometimes they will cause incredible damage that results un broken friendships and critically wounded hearts.
if you find yourself speaking before thinking then you've deveoped a habit in your life that needs to be rewired, you can replace this habit with the habit of pausing before speaking and speaking only good things.

Remember, every time you open your mouth to talk, your mind walks out and parades up and down the words.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

if you want to know
where your
heart is, look where
your mind wanders.

Magazine: 31 Girl

FASHION
The fashion world dictates what we should wear if we wat to be "WITH IT." It's easy for people to also get duped into wearing the latest fashion, even if it's unfailing, ansurb, or inappropriate. And nowadays we are afraid that it's not enough to be attractice, but we must have sex appeal too.
Fashion these days scream sex. we have teeny-weeny tops with messages such as Flirt, Sexy, Sex Goddess, Tart, and Vixen emblazoned on them. Clothing stores, have racks of how-low-can-you-go hipsters, skirts that look more like belts, and pastel-hued hot pants. "Must Have" accessories are belly-button rings to go with that buffed belly.
But clothing stores arent the only ones promoting the "dress sexy" message; its also interesting to note the headlines in popular womens magazines. "101 ways to Dress Sexy," "Must-Have Sexy Looks for Winter," "Hoe to Be Sext," "What's Sext Now," "The 20 Sexiest People in the World," and "Sexy at Any Size."
There is only 1 conclusion: Our society is obsessed with the need to be sexy, and we are bombarded with the message that to be attractive, we have to dress sexy, act sexy, and exude sexy!
However, in Proverbs 31:22 we discover the story of a princess and her new clothes. God knows us girls well! He knew that if He was going to describe a girl that He wanted us to aspire toward, then He'd better put in something about fashion!
In Proverbs 31:22 we find that the girl is one stilish babe! It tells us that not only is her bedroom dressed in style but so too is she. "She is clothed in fine linen and purple." In ancient times, purple and fine linen ere stmbals of royalty. She knows she's a princess, and she dresses like one. Forget sex appeal. She has royal style appeal!

Athough the fashion advice seems ridiculous, i've lost count of the munber if times ive been out to dinner in freezing conditions only to see shivering, scantily clad girls. i dont know what they were thinking, but a mouth full of chattering teeth, a red runny nose, and blue frozen skin is not a good look under any circumstance!

The fashion intellgentsia have demanded the we sacrifice ourselves on the alter of fashion and forgo being comfortable, relaxed, and even warm in winter!!!!

COMMON FASHION SENCE!
Dont swallow the lie that to be attractive you need to be showing off your body in tight, revealing clothing. You will probably hey noticed, but it may not be the tyoe of attention you want, Your smile, personality, and mind are what make you appeaing, not your clothes. (and if it;s cold outside, wear something warm!)
Dont get pressured by fashion magazines into waring whats "in" now.

It is possible to dress fashionably withouth dressing sexy. It is important for us girls to be naive toward the "sexual pull" we have when we dress in certain ways.

You were born of greatness. As God's daughter you are royalty. that means you are pricless and invaluable. dont cheapen your value by your dress code. dress with your worth in mind!

Dont follow the footsteps of others by wearing next to nothing because you want to be attractive too.

"Dont bt anyone's slogan, for you are poetry."
(Sandra Bullock)

The bottom line is that you dont NEED to be he object of a guy's desires or fantasy because you are already are the object of God's desire. you have His undivided attention, love, and adoration. Put simply, you are irrisistable to Him.

<><><><><><>

Big on the inside
It takes a big-hearted person to be genuinely happy when friends succeed and are given opportunities to excel. it takes a girl who is incredibly secure in herself and God to overcome resentment, envy, and jealousy and to help others grow and reach they potential.

Rather then complain and grumble about why we werent given the opportunity to represent our school in sports, sing in the band, or star in the school play, God wants us to model the 31 girl and also have a secure attitude towars seeing others succeed.

He wants us to be proactive in our friendships and bring out the best un people around us.

The Christian walk is never going to be an easy one!

When we compare, we despair. Lets face it, someone else is always going to be more beautiful, more talented, and smarter then us. The sooner we accept this unchangable fact and celebrate our uniquness, the sooner we are able to genuinely see others as a blessingrather then a threat.

"For you crested my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because i am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, i know that full well."
Psalms 139:13-14

You need to realize the God, with His awesome power, has incredibly crafted and fashioned you.

You are perfect, unique, irreplacable, inmitable, matchlesss, exclusive, exceptional, distinctive, absolutelt priceless to Him! Accept it, believe it, and be secure in His love.

God kows your past but, more importantly He has plans for your future.

We go through everthing for a reason. Life is all about lessons, and you never know how God is going to use the test you are going through now to bring glory to Him.

God sees us as so important He wants us to not only be strong women who hold together the palaces of the world but to also add beauty to them! So be encouraged that nomatter how you see yourself, God sees potential in you. He has a job for us to do,and so often we need remind ourselves to stand tall and pillar-like for Him! You never know what palace God wants to build round you.

Desire to be the type of girl who ancourages regardless, and allow God to transform, soften, and grow your hart.

Bringing out the best in others can be one of life's greatest thrills.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~