Contest

So there is a girl with a fun blog who is celebrating her blogoversary with a super fun contest! Here blog url is http://insidecassiesmind.blogspot.com/2010/02/100-followers-giveaway.html and she is having a giveaway for a ipod case (can be used for a cell phone too). All the rules and instructions are on her website! Check it out!

~Butterfly

For those who love their skin!

So last night I was up late trying to catch up on my blog list (all the blogs I read) when I came across a post talking about a three step routine for cleaning your face! I thought to myself that it would be fun to share my routine and what products I use.

Now if you know me personally, you know that I am very careful about my sugar intake and I try to eat healthy just because I know that my body is God's temple and I shouldn't overload myself with junk food.

I am not saying that you can't have fun with food because I splurge once or twice a week with a cookie, cake, or ice cream and daily desserts for me are a small piece of chocolate or a small sweet of some sort so you don't have to kill your normal eating habits but to reduce sugar intake is a great help in controlling your acne and keeping your body more healthy and upbeat!


OK so I am kinda getting off track. I am not talking about food but facial care! lol


So just in case, I will tell you the three important routine steps for facial cleansing and follow each step with my favorite product:

1. Cleanse! You need to clean out your pores at least once every other day to keep it clean, refreshed, and glowing. A WONDERFUL product that is 97.0% Natural is Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream! I realllllly love this cleanser! "The Natural Soap Bark deeply penetrates and cleanses, removing dirt, makeup, and excess oil for clean healthy skin. Chamomile and Aloe gently soothe and soften skin. Rosemary and Echinacea extracts reduce inflammation, tighten pores" (yes I said it! It tightens pores! It really works too!), "and increase cell renewal. " {The portion in quotation marks is what is written on the back of the squeeze tube.}


2. Toner! It may not be necessary for you to use toner when you are younger but as you get a bit older (like your later teen years) you may want to start using toner. I apply Jason's Ester-C Super-C Toner because I like Natural and Organic products (can you tell?)! lol I love Jason's because it has a fantastic fruity smell (doesn't last long, only about 4-5 minutes) and it has pH balancing and Antioxidants! Here is what the description says on the back of the spray bottle, "Natural botanicals minimize pores (again! mini making product here!!!) and balances skin pH to prepare it for moisturizing. Powerful antioxidants help prevent free radical damage and reduce visible signs of aging. Witch Hazel gently refreshes and tones the skin." How awesome does that sound!
3. Moisturize! Everyone should use a moisturizer that is good for their skin type. For those you have oily skin, find a light cream moisturizer, for those who have dry skin, use a thicker cream and for those who have combination skin, buy both and use where necessary! lol Actually for combo skin, that is basically what you have to do. Or you could always use the moisturizer only on your dry spots. Well anyways, I like to use Burt's Bees Royal Jelly Body Lotion. Its kinda in between think and light, not really creamy, but not weightless either. I love how it slowly absorbs into my skin and the next day I can see my skin is glowing! Loooove it! :)

So you are probably wondering, where can I buy this stuff! Well the best place is Vitacost.com because they have everything at amazingly discounted prices! Not only do they carry skin care products but also hair care, vitamins, and health food! You can buy as much stuff as you want and shipping is always only $5 too!

Another thing I want to tell you all is I found this amazing blemish treatment by Desert Essence! It is simply called Desert Essence Blemish Touch Stick. I am a testimony to how well this stuff works! Two days ago I saw that I had a white head coming and I wasn't excited about it. I did my cleanser, then my toner and finished with my blemish stick on the white head and it tingled a bit (that means its working!) and then I went about my school work and chores. I checked up on it that night and saw it was still there and was a bit worried that I would have to pop the nasty little thing but I just applied a bit more of my blemish stick and went to bed. Then yesterday morning I checked up on it and it was less than 1/2 the size it had been the day before! I was so excited! I applied a tad bit more and that evening it was practically gone! This morning it is the smallest bump and I am sure it will be completely gone by morning! This has to be the best spot treatment ever known to man and its only $8 in stores. I highly recommend this product to anyone with the slightest bit of blemishes. Even if you only get blemishes 2-7 times a month like me its worth it (yes its very rare that I get white heads but now I am prepared for whenever I do!).

Really quickly I want to share with you what hair care product I use. Nature's Gate Jojoba Oil Shampoo is amazing! It is great for your hair to revitalize and give it that extra boost of vitamins and it also leaves your scalp itch free! It smells great and feels great. I also buy this from Vitacost.com and each bottle lasts me about 3-4 months (I wash my hair every other day). For those of you with shorter hair, I will probably last you 5-6 months and for you girls with really long hair 1-2 months. Guys can use this shampoo too because its not a for women only product. And for guys this bottle would last about 8-9 months since you guys have such short hair! ;)

Well that's all for now! Tell me what you think!

Post again soon,

Butterfly

Dear blog readers,

I had a great topic to write about running through my mind the other day and now for the life of me I can't remember what on earth it was! Do you know how frustrating that is?!? lol Well when it comes back to mind I will post!

TTYL,
Butterfly

Genesis: The book of the beginning

Today for our morning devotional, we read The Genesis Solution by Ken Ham and discussed the reasons why we believe that God did NOT use evolution to create the earth and its inhabitants. I will list some of the reasons below (the content in quotation marks is from the book The Genesis Solution by Ken Ham):

1. "Evolutionists claim that gradual changes in the earth and its inhabitants have gone on for millions of years and that the fossils are remnants of these lost and long-ago ages. But those millions of fossils are clear evidence of death-bloodshed on a massive scale. If these animals died before Adam, the foundation of the gospel is cut at its roots (Adam sinned and corrupted paradise/Death is the penalty for that sin/As a result, sin, death, and suffering came upon not only Adam, but also the world he ruled/Christ came to save man and conquer death/Ultimately he will restore paradise). Directly denying God's Word, Evolutionism says that death is part of life, that death and struggle have always existed and actually led to man's existence! (Note: There is much Biblical and scientific evidence that most of the fossils were actually formed as a result of Noah's Flood.)" (Taken from page 65)
2. If everything is supposedly getting better on earth because its "evolving" upward, what was the purpose of God's curse? If evolution were true, death and weeds and pain are nothing special, but just a normal everyday part of our lives! Most evolutionists deny the existence of Adam and Eve but if they are right, our world's miserable condition did not result from a literal sin/Fall/curse. But then were is the reason/cause?
3. The whole purpose of Christ's life and death was based on Adam's sin. Jesus came into the world to save man from eternal death because Jesus was the one true sacrifice used to save ALL of mankind! But if the evolutionists are right about Adam never existing and therefore never sinning, what would be the purpose of Christ's coming if we had never "fallen away" in the first place? Who would need to be saved?
4. If God used an evolutionary process to make mankind and create the animal kingdom, how can He be described as the all-loving and all-good God he is? Evolutionists say that the earth is billions of years old and that is has always experienced earthquakes, flooding, volcanic eruptions, sickness, everything under the sun that is not good. The Evolution theory suggests millions of years of harsh struggle, death, survival of the fittest, and extinction of the weak! Could a God of love put man and animals through such torment and horrid conditions for millions upon millions of years? Why would God use such a cruel way to "create" animals and mankind? Our Creator's true nature is 100%, absolutely, without a doubt incompatible with evolution! God said, "Blessed are the meek", not death to the weak! Also in Genesis 1:31, God looked at his creation and said it was "very good" and that means God's creation was finished!!!
5. Since our Creator is omniscient and all-powerful, He could have created the whole earth with its inhabitants in the blink of an eye! Why would he use such a long and harsh process? While Jesus was on earth, he often proved the great power of his words. When he spoke, the storms were stilled in an instant, the blind could see in a moment, the ill were cured at the sound of his voice! Christ has demonstrated his immediate ability to do miraculous things in a split second with complete results!
6. The evolutionary theory denies the existence of an original paradise in which Adam and Eve were created. Evolutionism says that life started in chaos and is gradually changing toward greater perfection. On the other hand, the Bible says the world started with perfection and excellence but has since slowly fallen into a degenerating process of sin and corruption.
7. If Evolution were true, what kind of world can Christians look forward to in the restoration? A world of survival of the fittest? Killing, death, and illness? To the contrary, Creation will be restored to its original perfection like in the Garden of Eden!
8. "If the Bible is God's Word (as it repeatedly claims), and if Evolution is true, then God's Word isn't deceptive. For thousands of years, a literal and common-sense reading of Genesis and the rest of Scriptures has led millions of intelligent Christians to believe that:

(a) The universe was created in six literal days.

(b) The earth is only thousands of years old, not millions. Scripture supplies a genealogy from Adam to Christ, including great detail on ages and life spans. This surely gives some general idea of the time passed. Certainly there is no way that periods of millions of years could reasonably fit between the generations.

(c) Adam was formed directly out of dust, not from an "apeman".

Those that question that accuracy of Genesis are also questioning the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Jesus quoted from Genesis on various occasions. He accepted Genesis as historical truth. He built doctrines like marriage on the literal events of Genesis (Matthew 19 4-6). Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He would not tell us something that was not true. Christians should believe Genesis is literally true because Jesus did! God is not a God of deception!"

9. Genesis provides a record of all significant judgments by God on sin. Here are some:

(a) The Fall and God's curse (Genesis 3).

(b) The curse on Cain for committing murder (Gen. 4: 1-15).

(c) The Tower of Babel judgement (Gen. 11: 1-9).

(d)The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18-19).

(d) The Genesis Flood-the single greatest of all evidences that the Creator continues to have awesome power over this earth and that he sees and punishes man's sins (Gen. 6-9).

Here is Biblical evidence for a worldwide flood:

"(a) The ark was truly necessary for saving Noah's family. Otherwise, Noah and his family could have migrated to a safer place before the flood took place.

(b) All mankind was killed! That's right everyone, we are all descendants of Noah's family!

(c) The ark was necessary to prevent mass extinction of animals (see Gen. 6:19-20)

(d) The whole earth was devastated. God said, "I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth" (Gen. 6:13, 9:11)

(e)All the mountains were covered! "...all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered.... to a depth of more than twenty feet" (Gen. 7:19-20)

(f) Noah was in the ark for over a year, not just forty days. The waters covered the high mountains for five months! (Gen. 7:4, 11-12, 24)

(g) God promised to never again send such a flood (Gen. 8:21)"

10. "The whole idea of Evolution is based on natural processes, as distinguished from the supernatural (God, angels, miracles, divine intervention, etc...). Sir Julian Huxley, an ardent evolutionist, said: "In the evolutionary system of thought, there is no longer need nor room for the supernatural." Evolution is the most common reason people give for why they have rejected the Bible and/or God. It has been the cause for millions of people becoming agnostics or atheists!

Did God use Evolution then? The biblical answer is clearly a resounding NO. Combining Evolutionism with Christianity has solve nothing scientifically; it has only helped Satan undermine the church." Stable, long-term faith in Christianity can't be built in a life that is contaminated by acceptance of evolutionary theory. It is the false foundation. The True Christian faith can flourish in peace only on the foundation of Creation!

If you have ever tried to marry evolutionism and Creationism together, I pray that this bit of information and Scripture will help you realize you were sadly mistaken. Pray about it and read it for yourself and then decide which is easier to believe, the God is all-powerful and perfect or that God used a cruel and unjust way to create the earth. For me, the answer is clear. God created the earth in six literal days and He is all-powerful, all-knowing, omniscient, and omnipotent.

Blessings,

Butterfly

Feeling lonely???

Today I have something I would like to share with you all that I found uncanny!

I received a comment from a sweet girl named Jen and she has a blog called Love Unawakened (love that name btw) and she posted a few days ago about feeling alone when staying pure (because you don't have a boyfriend/girlfriend).
I agree with her post because I feel the same way sometimes.

On Valentine's day, I was watching a cute hallmark movie (i can't remember the name right now) and seeing the couple's together and getting engaged kinda made me feel like "oh it would be so cute to have someone to share valentines day with" but I immediately caught myself because I was having a "oh woe is me" pity party!
I then thought of my "someone" who I will meet someday and I prayed for him that God will fill his heart with love and help him stay strong and pure and wait for me! I felt better after that prayer and I wrote about it in my prayer journal that night.

Whenever you start to feel lonely or think about your life of purity or any decisions you have to make, remember your "someone" is out there experiencing those same kinds of struggles and pray for him/her!

I pray for my someday "someone" every time I think of my future because I know he needs prayers to keep him strong in his fight for purity just as much as I do.

Another thing I did a few months ago is I wrote a letter (three actually) to my future husband. I know it sounds kinda silly but think of how much that letter will mean to him; to know that I was thinking of and praying for him before I even knew him! How wonderful it will be to share those letters with him someday! :)

I remember when I was at my best friend's house a couple years ago, looking through Brio Magazines and I saw an article of a letter written by a young man. I was curious what he had written about so I started to read it and I realized that this letter I was reading was a letter to his someday "someone"!
It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever read and I knew right then and there that I wanted to marry someone like the anonymous guy who had written that letter.

Nothing is wrong with you if you feel lonely because God created us to have this longing to be loved (look at the story of Adam and Eve) but during your single years, let God fill you with the love you need because nothing is greater than his unconditional love! God wants you to not be distracted with thoughts of wedding bells but rather thoughts of how you can use your single years to serve Him and fulfill His plans for your life. Embrace your single years and use them wisely because once you marry, they are gone for good! ;)

So next time you start to feel lonely or are going through a teen/young adult struggle; think of your someone and pray for both of you, that God will fill you with His love and show you what other plans He has for you before you marry.

Love and prayers,
Butterfly

A much needed update on the crazy life of a teen girl who is about to graduate in three months!!!!!

So I have been so bad about posting lately! I meant to post two weeks ago but it never happened because of a number of reasons (one of which is my lack of remembering to post skills)! I apologize for my long absence. I know you all must have missed me incredibly right!?! :)



Well I am going to try to sum up the last month in just a couple paragraphs because I don't have much time (isn't that a problem for everyone?)!
Anyways, I will start with what I can remember... which sadly isn't as much as i wish it would be. lol Lets see... oh well on the 2nd, my family celebrated my brother's birthday and he requested that I take him to see Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief (which will be later in the post) for his birthday gift from me. I got a haircut (post pics below) and had almost 3 inches taken off in length to rid my hair of split ends and whatnot. My mom and I had Bible Study that night so we weren't able to spend the whole night celebrating his b-day but when we came home, we watched White Collar (a mystery/suspense show on USA network that is most times family ok) and then a very tired family went to bed at about 11:30ish (it had been a long day).







On February 3, I did a good 5-6 hours of schoolwork and then went to the movies with my dear grandmother to see When In Rome. All in all, it was a pretty clean cute movie but I would definitely not approve this movie to any kids under age 16-17 to see this movie due to some suggestive dialogue unless their parents say otherwise.

On the 5th, I babysat and had a great time with those darling little girls! I miss them so much! I haven't seen them since the 5th and won't see them again until the 26th! They are the cutest little girls ever (ages 1, 3 almost 4, and 5).

On the 6th, I helped with our homeschool spelling bee. I was the dictionary girl in case anyone asked for a definition or pronunciation but not a single child did so! Oh well, at least I had my hair curled all cute and looked amazing! lol jk

That evening was my friends sweet 16 party! It was so fun! We played Scene It, I have never ever (which I won!), Mafia (a card game), guess the skittles in the jar (which amazingly I won too), and then we had cake and other fun snacks.



On the 1st, (i forgot to mention this before) my brother and I had rifle class (yes I can shoot a rifle and I am rather good at it too) and I got my Sharpshooter badge (I already have Marksman and Pro-Marksman).

On the 12th, I took my brother to the 11am showing of Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief which was an awesome movie! It had great graphics and the storyline was well done too. I also like the actor who played Percy and the actress who played Annabeth did well too. After the movie, we went to a pet store with my mom and younger siblings to see the different pets like ferrets, bunnies, lizards, cats, fish, etc... My little brother (age 2) got a kick out of the different animals! Then we went to McD's for a little snack and then we were homeward bound so little one could have his nap. My mom and I then went to our local summit to work out and we had fun sitting in a 150+ degree sauna for 20 minutes to let ourselves sweat and pull toxins from our body. My face was like a ripe red tomato afterwards! lol It came back to its normal color after about 12-15 minutes though. Of course we both showered after we came home and I ended the day playing with my little brother and cooking dinner.



On the 13th, we had a b-day party for my sister (her b-day is actually Valentine's day!) and she had a few of her friends come over for a carnival themed party. They had so much fun.




On the 14th, it was obviously Valentine's day! We went to church and then came home, bundled up and went sledding! We had such a great time! I went down about 20 times by myself or with one of my brothers/sister and once with my dad and we flew down the hill so fast I didn't think we would ever stop! lol

On the 15th, I did a ton of schoolwork and nearly killed myself trying to grasp my Physics lesson! It was so much to take in but I actually aced it! Praise GOD! ;) I could never do it on my own but God gave me the will power to stick with it and do my best!




Today, my mom and I went to out at 10am to McD's for coffee drinks and then on to Kohl's for some shopping (i still had $$$ left on my gift card from x-mas, thanks Amy!) and we had so much fun trying on different clothes.



From left to right: A purple flower cowl neck dress to wear with leggings; a super cute flowy top to wear to church and fancy restaurants; a cute poplin top with a flower print for everyday; another cute everyday top that has the layered look with white sleeves; and lastly a super cute maxi dress with a floral pattern and criss-cross straps in the back! I want you all to try your best to guess the price I paid for these 4 tops and 1 dress. I will give you 5 prices to choose from but here is a hint, all were clearance items and I had a 20% off coupon too (include tax also). Good luck!

• $11
• $21
• $31
• $35
• $41
  

Whoever guesses correctly will be mentioned as the winner in my next post!

Here are closer pics of the tops/dresses:
Sorry this pic is sideways, at least I fixed the others! lol

All in all, its been a fun month and I wouldn't trade my life for a million bucks! I give God all the credit for my talents and blessings! I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day too! More posts later!

Luv,
Butterfly