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Forgiving Yourself…

Penned by | Thursday, May 2nd, 3:13 pm | Filed under Devotions, Inspiration

Forgiveness is such a process, often a twisty and turny road that can lead us through lots of emotions but, ultimately – and hopefully, lands us somewhere in a peaceful land called Forgiveness.  We commonly focus on the process of forgiving the other party…. the person who wronged us, shorted us, or hurt us in someway.  We pray through not carrying hardness in our heart and trying to get to the point where we can maybe even stand a thought of the offending party without rolling our eyes =)  Once we reach that point in the journey, we can often realize though that there is one last hurdle before we feel we can fully wipe the slate clean -

The part where we forgive ourselves.

There is nothing like the guilt and emotional weight of feeling like you are beyond forgiveness.  You absolutely can not imagine ever moving on and leaving the unfortunate incident in the past and, often, it is often in the moments where we need the all inclusive forgiveness of the Father the most that we are most convinced that it is not ours for the taking.  Maybe it’s the shame of the decision, the weight of the consequences, or simply that we knew better but, no matter the reason, forgiving yourself is truly the last mountain to climb as we journey to that peaceful land called Forgiveness.

Today, we challenge to you picture that “thing”, the “thing” that you have forgiven all others for but that you still carry around like a thirty pound weight, refusing to lay it down.  Now, picture the look of total and complete forgiveness in the eyes of the One who made you and whose death on the cross covered ALL missteps.  Know that the sacrifice made on Calvary was more than enough to cover all missteps – past, present, & future… You can truly never sin SO BIG that forgiveness isn’t yours for the taking.   Breath in the forgiving heart of our Heavenly Father, who knew you before you were even formed in your mothers’ womb and whose love for you is fierce and true,  and choose to forgive yourself once and for all.  Lay that weight down and leave it where it belongs – in the hands of the Father who can handle it.

“The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him…” Daniel 9:9

Together in Him,

Your Philanthropy Family

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Wear that Maxi Dress NOW : Philanthropy Style

Penned by | Tuesday, Feb 26th, 4:25 pm | Filed under Fashion, Fun, Inspiration

I think it’s fair to say we’ve ALL reached the point where we are ready for spring to make an appearance!  I know I’m not the only one who has spent a moment or two looking longingly at the bright springy clothing hanging in my closet and thought –                    I want to  to wear these now!

Well….fear not friends… Today we’re going to give you a little inspiration for how to wear those flowy maxi dresses now, even though winter won’t quite let up.

*  3 Staples + A little Creativity = Countless Outfit Options *

* Begin with a simply white button down … bonus points if you can convince the husband, boyfriend, or dad to let you raid their closet!  Either tie or belt it at the waist and roll the sleeve slightly to about the elbow.  The rolled sleeve and thin, feminine belt can help the whole look become more polished.

*  Still need an additional layer? Throw on a fitted crew neck sweater over the button down!

*  Who Says Maxi Dresses Have to be Casual *

*  We started with a simple, loose fitted blouse with a peek-a-boo sleeve and threw it on over a black, tank-style maxi dress.

*  A flowy blouse over a flowy dress calls for a belt so that we don’t totally lose that fabulous waist line!  We went with a sassy silver!

*  For a final touch, we suggest a piece of statement jewelry.  In our case, we pulled in the silver belt by choosing a necklace with the same metal.

*  The Simplest Concoction *

*  There is nothing easier than throwing on your fabulous denim jacket – which, by the way,  we consider a staple in every woman’s wardrobe!  Stick with something slightly cropped to about the waist and dark in color.

*  To add the spring pizazz we are so eager for, we added a scarf in the freshest pattern of bright florals.

*  Love rockin’ your Wearable Compassion T? *

*  Obviously we are huge fans of our wearable compassion t-shirts because of what a huge impact they make with our charities and it is added bonus that they can be worn super casually or like you see them above! If you are like us and eager to rock a casual t, don’t be afraid to throw it on over your favorite maxi dress!

*  If you want a little more structure, put on a fitted denim jacket!

Let us know how YOU rock your maxi dresses year round!!

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Keep Building…

Penned by | Friday, Jan 11th, 11:15 am | Filed under Devotions, Inspiration, Lil Skye

One of the best parts of my weeks are the days I get to spend with a spunky little toddler you’ve come to know on the blog as Skye.  She is a joy beyond words and it is an honor and blessing to be able to watch her grow and learn and explore the world around us!  As I am sure some of you will probably attest to, it is often the moments of learning and play with this precious child, that the Lord uses to speak truth to my heart.

One such moment occured during a busy block building session. She loves to build towers and houses as tall as possible and, in the past weeks, I’ve noticed that the building process has become more and more tedious and exact.  She moves with purpose from the structure we are working on to whatever block she thinks would fit best next.  Her precious little toddler hands grab it as carefully as if it was fine china and then place the block wherever she wants it with the same delicate precision I imagine they used when building the Sears tower.  Ultimately though, the tower grows a block too tall. It wavers for a second and she pauses… We both wait to see if this is the moment it will fall or not.  It usually is…

But. Little Skye is not wavered.  She clears the building space and starts again.  Building, building, building….

As I watched and helped (when I was told to =)  ) I could feel as if the Lord was sitting next to me saying, “Did you see that? Notice what just happened there?  She wasn’t thrown when the blocks tumbled.  She. Kept. Building.”

She kept building.  She could have allowed the loss of her handiwork to completely derail her but, no.  She moved on and just began again. She kept building.

How often are we completely thrown when something we’ve labored over crumbles?  We’ve poured ourselves into a relationship, a project, a work of ministry or a work of art, or some combination of all of these… We’ve worked and worked. And then – in an instant – it’s all laying at our feet.  In that moment, as we survey the damage, we are at a crossroads.  We could stop and let this moment be the end and forever define us and the whole journey….

OR…

We can take a moment to mourn but then begin to clear the area with intention to KEEP BUILDING.  The Bible is full of stories of people who kept building and pressed on.  Mary found herself young, unmarried, and carrying a holy child.  This is not what she had envisioned but she pressed on and something – or rather someone – glorious came to be as a result. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers but knew that the Lord had something great for him…. so he pressed on.  Daniel found himself facing a deadly den of lions.  Instead of laying down to accept a certain fate, he believed for the Lord’s redemption and he pressed into it.

I pray that, no matter the place you are today, that you keep building.  I pray that you press on to the next great thing that our Creator has for you and that, while you may mourn the thing that has crumbled today, that you are able to keep building tomorrow.

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

~ Phil. 3:13 – 14 ~

 

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New Mercies…

Penned by | Monday, May 21st, 8:57 am | Filed under Devotions, Inspiration, Musings
Happy Monday everyone!!! We pray that your weekend was refreshing and that you were able to enjoy the amazing weekend that the Lord provided us!  As we begin our week and the sun begins to creep up to usher in this Monday morning, we are reminded of a promise…
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
~ Lamentations 3:22 – 23 ~
      His mercies are new every morning – now THAT is a promise that makes beginning a new week refreshing!! His faithfullness is endless and without limits!  Because of His mercy , we are NOT CONSUMED!  We are not swallowed whole by the world around us and the worries that it can bring, but rather, as believers, we can walk in the new mercies of our God daily!!  His compassion and love for His children will never run out and He will never grow tired of extending a hand of mercy to us each morning!  Let us paint a picture…
You awake to a screaming alarm clock….
You’ve hit snooze once or twice (ok…let’s be honest… who only hits it once??)  and realize that you are now about 10 minutes behind on your morning routine. 
Maybe you have children to get out of bed, tackle into clothes, and out the door to school with bonus points if they get to sit down to eat.
 
Maybe you have a dog that is whimpering to go out and some work to to complete before heading into the office. 
Maybe you just simply can not find the motivation to even put your feet on the floor and all you want to do it pull the covers over your head….
Before your alarm went off (the first time) and before your eyelids gave their first flutter of conscienceness, a loving and merciful God was waiting for you.  He is ready to greet you with fresh and new mercies to face whatever your day holds.
The amplified Bible says it really well…
They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness. .

We could all use some stability couldn’t we?? Well, good – because we have a Father who wants to provide it! We pray that you encounter His new mercies this morning and that you know that through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, for His compassions will not fail us.

Together in Him~

Your Philanthropy Family

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~ Courage ~

Penned by | Monday, Apr 30th, 11:27 am | Filed under Devotions, Inspiration, Musings
Courage.
It’s a character trait that we all want to have. There are few greater compliments than someone telling you that you are brave, unafraid, or courageous and it is a wonderful feeling to look something frightening in the eye and overcome.  Unfortunately though, getting to that point of actually DOING the courageous thing is often paved with some excuse making and a smidge of nausea =)  (Oh…is that just me?)
In the early chapters of the book of Joshua we meet a young, new leader – the books namesake, Joshua.  He’s facing some major tasks and, as the late Moses’ assistant,  has some LAAARGE shoes to fill!  The Lord tells him that he is going to become the leader of the Israelites and lead them across the Jordan River into the Promised Land… that is a serious task!!  Can you please imagine with us for a moment THAT conversation!?!?! We’re picturing sweaty palms, a pale face, and some SERIOUS need for fresh air!
BUT THEN – God says something that changes everything (He is SO good at that!) -
 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you….This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 
Be courageous Joshua! I have your back! You can do this tough/scary/big thing! Be strong and FULL OF COURAGE!! I’m with you!
Ready for the best part? (Oh yea…there’s more!) God’s promise of support and His commands to be courageous is for us too!! It didn’t expire thousands of years ago on the banks of the Jordan river.  Suddenly, the thing that the Lord is asking of us seems slightly more doable.  We have a big God in our court whose promise to Joshua still applies today!
” Be strong and courageous (insert your name here)! Be careful to obey all of the instructions I give you! Do not be afraid or discouraged (insert your name here)! For the Lord your God is with you WHEREVER you go!”
What is something courageous that the Lord is asking you to do this week? We pray for boldness for you as you jump into the amazing tasks He has for you!! He has your back today and everyday afterwards!! Be courageous!

 

Together in Him,

 

Your Philanthropy Family

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