{"id":7481,"date":"2013-01-16T00:01:39","date_gmt":"2013-01-16T05:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=7481"},"modified":"2013-01-25T12:10:47","modified_gmt":"2013-01-25T17:10:47","slug":"captivating-an-adventure-to-share-why-beauty-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2013\/01\/16\/captivating-an-adventure-to-share-why-beauty-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Captivating: An Adventure to Share – Why Beauty Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Adventure to Share:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Healer, Protector, Provider, Savior, Defender – BEAUTY<\/strong><\/em>. \u00a0So that last one isn\u2019t typically in my vocabulary when I describe our God. \u00a0Before I read this part of Captivating<\/span>, that may have been one of the last words I used to describe Him. \u00a0In fact, most of the words I typically use are associated with the heart of man \u2013 a strong leader. \u00a0But wait! \u00a0Women are strong too\u2026in the most beautiful way!<\/p>\n

Ezer Kenegdo<\/strong>.<\/em>\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure I can even pronounce that right, so I\u2019m glad this is an online study. \u00a0BUT how awesome is this concept! To be someone\u2019s Ezer, to be someone\u2019s \u201clifesaver,\u201d to be someone\u2019s only hope. \u00a0Wow. \u00a0WOW! \u00a0And that\u2019s the role and the responsibility God has placed on the heart of every woman.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWomen are endowed with fierce devotion, an ability to suffer great hardships, a vision to make the world a better place.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

We can be someone’s \u201cEzer\u201d with just a smile, a positive comment, a loving remark. \u00a0I have to constantly remind myself that every day! \u00a0God gives us the opportunity to be someone\u2019s Ezer with friends, co-workers, family, and even strangers. \u00a0You never know what just a little smile can do \u2013 you may have saved someone\u2019s life! And that\u2019s the beauty in you! That\u2019s you, acting in God\u2019s image, and loving a hurting world. \u00a0To be an everyday Ezer Kenegdos\u2026that\u2019s our mission!<\/p>\n

**********************<\/p>\n

After I graduated college, I moved to Philadelphia, a humongous city where I knew absolutely no one. \u00a0The year and a half that I lived there was the most trying time I may have ever been through. \u00a0Many times, I found myself so incredibly exhausted \u2013 in every way. \u00a0Mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically.<\/p>\n

Fortunately for me, I only lived an hour away from the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. \u00a0One lonely Friday night, I decided to escape. \u00a0Escape people, my exhausting life and situation, and run away\u2026to the beach. \u00a0So I threw some PJs, a beach towel, and my bathing suit in a bag, hopped in my old, rusted car and headed straight for the shore. \u00a0Did I have hotel reservations? No.\u00a0 A plan for the weekend? Not at all. \u00a0But what did I find? As the sun was setting over the ocean, I found God. \u00a0As I walked through a local flower show, I found God. \u00a0As I listened to the crashing waves, I found God. \u00a0I found God because I found beauty.<\/p>\n

When was the last time you stopped your life and found God like that? Have you realized yet that this beauty that we find in nature – we are that beauty? \u00a0We, as women, are beauty incarnate<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Does your life exemplify the beauty within you? \u00a0Set aside the make-up and jewelry, your career goals, your obligations, society\u2019s pressures…I want you to take a big breath. \u00a0Come on, one big one!\u00a0 And exhale. \u00a0Good! \u00a0Now surrender all of those things to God and ask Him to help you reveal your true beauty. \u00a0Ask Him to reveal it in your attitude, your thoughts about yourself and others, and your actions.
\n
\nYou are beautiful. \u00a0You are created in the image of God. \u00a0You are essential. \u00a0You matter.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Praise Him,<\/strong>
\nCarissa<\/p>\n

\n

Let\u2019s Pray<\/strong>
\nFather, thank You for who You are and who You have created us as women to be: a living example of true beauty. \u00a0Lord, I pray that all doubts or thoughts of insecurity be surrendered to You. \u00a0We know, Father, that when we rest in Your beauty, all is well. \u00a0Lord, help us to be that example of beauty to those around us, that beauty that we were created to be. \u00a0We love You, beautiful Savior. In Your Holy Name we pray, Amen.<\/p>\n

Your Assignment<\/strong>
\nFind beauty today. \u00a0Meditate on the fact that YOU ARE THE BEAUTY YOU FOUND<\/strong><\/em> \u2013 and so much more! \u00a0Being with a woman who is at rest, a woman comfortable within her own beauty, is an enjoyable experience. She is trusting God, not striving to become beautiful, but allowing His beauty to more fully inhabit her. \u00a0Have you had the experience of being with a woman who was stressed, striving, worried? And how did you feel around her?<\/p>\n

Which woman do you want to be?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
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If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study, click\u00a0HERE<\/a>\u00a0to sign up.<\/p>\n

Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.<\/p>\n

If you would like to send a personal message to Carissa in regards to this blog, you may email her at: Carissa@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An Adventure to Share: Healer, Protector, Provider, Savior, Defender – BEAUTY. \u00a0So that last one isn\u2019t typically in my vocabulary when I describe our God. \u00a0Before I read this part of Captivating, that may have been one of the last words I used to describe Him. \u00a0In fact, most of the words I typically use […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[20],"tags":[129,181,182,1454,1455,1456,425,1451,571,725,1452,1453,936,1009],"class_list":["post-7481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-singles","tag-beauty","tag-captivating","tag-carissa-markantone","tag-defender","tag-ezer","tag-ezer-kenegdos","tag-girlfriends-coffee-hour","tag-healer","tag-john-eldredge","tag-online-singles-bible-study","tag-protector","tag-provider","tag-savior","tag-stasi-eldredge","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p39pHp-1WF","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7481"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7481\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7486,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7481\/revisions\/7486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}