Self Reflection: Are you pleasing God or your ego?

                                                 (Photo via tumblr, edited by me)

    
     Today, as I sat and listened to a playlist of worship songs, I was presented with the opportunity to really relax and sit in the Lords presence for a while, something I've been meaning to do more often but always find myself caught up in the hustle and bustle of every-day nonsense that I've been cutting short my time with God, which can probably explain why I've been feeling so distant lately (besides during the week of my missionary trip, where my days entirely revolved around him, as they should every day). In that time I've realized all the things I've been worried about are inconsequential, irrelevant. I've been allowing myself to get discourages by things and ways of this world, as if I've forgotten the fact that I AM NOT OF THIS WORLD. I am not of darkness, greed, sadness, evil and disconnect from God, I am Light, I am hope, I am love and selflessness that can never be spread too thin, for it says so in 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6 
"You are all children of the light and Children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober."
I've allowed petty things like my weight, schoolwork and looking too far into the future, allow me to build up anxiety and develop this dark covering to form over me for the past few months, placing me in a state of spiritual, physical and emotional paralysis and it's only now that I've truly come to grips with the fact that these things are of absolutely no substance or importance and my worrying is in vain. Whether or not I can grate cheese with my abs, go to Hardvard, make millions of dollars in my lifetime or find my "one true love" riding in through the fog with wind blowing through his hair, means little to nothing to God, for those things will not be taken with me into heaven, those things are temporary and I need to start thinking not about the future, but about eternity; have I done what God has asked of me? What God values is how faithfully I've loved and served Him and his people and that is what I must value as well; the everlasting, not the temporary, tangible, egotistical and materialistic aspects. 

THESSALONIANS 5:11-15
"Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else."

These are the things I must strive to do daily, I must make not only strangers but the people around me know they are loved and their work is appreciated, as I often times come across as apathetic on the exterior, my true appreciation for people many times goes unseen. One thing I need to work on is not being afraid to feel and show others what it is I'm feeling, especially when it comes to emotions of joy, excitement and happiness, I have trained myself to contain it, never let it show on the exterior, which is a major faux pas (false step). I must go out of my way to do these things for people, no matter their reactions, I know I am doing the works of the Lord and for that, they will not go in vain. I'm definitely going to make Thessalonians 5 something I read daily as a reminder of the work in which I am asked to carry out daily, maybe even make it a checklist.

Today, I encourage you to think about the things you place worth and or value in, things you worry about and or are striving for and then think about whether or not those thing are valuable and pleasing to God and whether or not those thing are going to follow you into heaven. That will then present you with it's true value. I also encourage you to join me in on going out of your way to try to make at least one someone feel loved every day, let them know their work and existence itself is appreciated. 
On that note, I want to let you guys know how much I truly love, appreciate and care for all of you and as I've emphasized many times before I AM ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU, please, never hesitate to ask questions, come for advice or just ask me to be a listening ear, that is what I am here for. You can always reach me at my email: asknathia@gmail.com or any of my other social networking links like twitter or ask.fm, my username is simply Natvice. We are a community here at Natvice, let's build one another up together!

"You’re weighing your value based on your life lived and what you remember and what you know about you. He’s weighing your value based on your created purpose, your destiny, and your potential when Christ is inside of you. He didn’t pay a price just to love what you’ve been and where you’ve been. He paid a price to love what He made you to be."

- Dan Mohler 

~ Nathia

P.S. Here are some pretty refreshing worship songs I've listened to today, Enjoy!

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Motivational Monday #6

Welcome back to another Motivational Monday, a positive movement where Monday's on Nativce are never dull! Enjoy. Motivational Monday's are going to be a bit different from now on; instead of a heap of photos and videos and quotes I'll present you with just one video, or story/quote or photo, poem etc. that I think spreads a powerful message. I think things will be much more efficient this way!
Today's video is by Jefferson Bethke, enjoy and Happy Monday!

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~ Nathia

What does a Woman of God look like?: Preparing yourself for "The One"

     
     We often find ourselves searching for "the one". You know, the Ideal man who looks like a cross between the best features of Channing Tatum and James Franco and has a voice like John Legend, trotting in on a white horse with a bouquet of flowers and a diamond ring the size of your fist. Okay, maybe that illustration is teetering on the borderline of fantasy and narcissism and if that's what you're looking for, you're probably going to be searching a mighty long time. But have you ever stopped to think on the fact that maybe, just maybe, you haven't found "the one" yet because you yourself aren't ready for him? That maybe God has "the one" in a waiting room, while he prepares you to be the best version of yourself possible by growing in your relationship with Christ and yourself first? Let's take a look into the Bible and see what it classify's as a "Woman of God".

           PROVERBS 31: 10-31
"A wife of noble character who can find?

    She is worth far more than rubies.

11 

Her husband has full confidence in her

    and lacks nothing of value.

12 

She brings him good, not harm,

    all the days of her life.

13 

She selects wool and flax

   and works with eager hands.

14 

She is like the merchant ships,

    bringing her food from afar.

15 

She gets up while it is still night;

    she provides food for her family

    and portions for her female servants.

16 

She considers a field and buys it;

    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 

She sets about her work vigorously;

    her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 

She sees that her trading is profitable,

    and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 

In her hand she holds the distaff

    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 

She opens her arms to the poor

    and extends her hands to the needy.

21 

When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 

She makes coverings for her bed;

    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 

Her husband is respected at the city gate,

    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 

She makes linen garments and sells them,

    and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 

She is clothed with strength and dignity;

    she can laugh at the days to come.

26 

She speaks with wisdom,

    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 

She watches over the affairs of her household

    and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 

Her children arise and call her blessed;

    her husband also, and he praises her:

29 

“Many women do noble things,

    but you surpass them all.”

30 

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

31 

Honor her for all that her hands have done,

    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

     Hmm, nope, I don't see "Must Look Like A Victoria Secret Model" anywhere in the description. According to the bible, the ideal woman is measured by her character, her strength, her heart and most importantly her love for The Lord; not how well she can flip pancakes or how good she looks in a two piece, but how faithfully she loves and serves God and the people around her. A lot of times the bible speaks metaphorically, therefore, you must look deeper into the meanings in order to properly apply scripture to your life, for example, "When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet." is alluding to the fact that when "storms" or hardships come, a woman of God will not fear for she knows she has prepared herself and her loved ones well, they are protected under the covering of God. It's not telling you that you're a terrible woman if you're entire family isn't wearing red robes every time it snows.

Think of it this way, when you go into a relationship, there are two possible outcomes:
1. You Break up
2. You get married
 And to prevent option number one from happening, you need to be sure you are with whoever God intended you to be with and that you have developed into the woman God has intended you to be. The only way to do so is to spend time in his word and pray for not only clarity, but for him to guide you daily in the right direction towards becoming a Proverbs 31 woman. Also, keep in mind your future soul mate, although you may not know exactly who he may be, keep him in your prayers as well, that God will mold him into the man he intends for him to be. 

"As you pray for your future husband, don't just focus on your own desires, but on how your prayers can help shape him into the mighty man God has called him to be. If you pray diligently for him every day and carry this practice into your relationship, you will be amazed at how God molds and shapes him into the man your heart desires." -Worshipgifs.com
                               

Remember, as you grow closer to God, You will grow closer to the Man he has lined up for you, for you two will grow closer together if you are both seeking The Lord first, here's a cutesy diagram to tie everything together and show how this all makes scene:

God is the ultimate meeting point, the more you seek and grow in him the closer you are to your knight in shining armor, (he might just come in riding on a Honda Civic and khakis rather than a horse and silver breastplate). 

"A woman's heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek him just to find her" - Max Lucado

~ Nathia

Another Natvice Hiatus!?

     Yes, it's true, I just returned from a hiatus and I'm going on a slight one again.. But don't worry, I promise you this one will be much more short lived and beneficial to the both of us! Tomorrow I will be going on a project serve missionary trip with my church and will be documenting it in full for you guys! This is the first time in my 17 years of living that 1. I've been on a missionary trip and 2. Have ever been away from home without family (I can also be hopelessly awkward when it comes to meeting new people, it all depends on the day) so this upcoming week is going to be full of exciting and slightly nerve-wracking firsts. Please keep me in your prayers for a safe trip and that God will use me as a blessing to bestow his love upon those around me and that everything will run smoothly! I can't wait to share my journey with you guys, see you soon!

~ Nathia

Four Ways to Make Your Day Absolutely Sweet!

(Photo via linda_lomelino)

     The best way to live an all around happy lifestyle full or glittery-filled moments is to take it day by day, making the best of each of them as they come rather than looking at them (future and present) as a whole (which, may I add, just may drive you insane), save that for your final bow, when everything has fallen into place, I guarantee you, that will be much less of a stress-provoking, optical illusion. Take an artist for example, say you are working on a masterpiece, each day, little by little, you work on your painting, adding new detail and embellishes rather than trying to tackle and perfect the whole thing in one go, all it's parts will come together in due time, simply, keep working. Finally, it's finished, and it's not until then you step back and are able to admire all your work, there is something overwhelmingly beautiful about witnessing this unveiling. Despite this, the in-between process of creation in general is just as beautiful as well, just as enjoyable. When applying this poor attempt at an analogy, to life, looking at how far you have come is much more satisfying than looking at how much left you've got to go, however, in order to be able to do so, you must make a conscious effort to make every day better than the last, do something different, be... proactive (as soon as I wrote that I thought of the commercial) and enjoy life's in-between's . Do not wait for good days to come to you, make them, or you may just be left waiting for a good while; your happiness, your responsibility. 
Here are four pretty simply ways to kick-start your day on a positive note, making sure your "in-betweens" add up to be a beautiful masterpiece.

1. Leave your blinds partially open before bed: Now, normally I tend not to sleep with the blinds cracked open in fear of waking up in the middle of the night to a large man staring back at me, (keep in mind I'm on the second floor)  but I've been utilizing this tip for a while now and it's been pretty effective! By keeping your blinds open, it gradually lets the light in, in the morning, waking you up slowly as the sun comes up, naturally setting off your internal clock (Which is much more sympathetic than the unremorseful, never-ending IPhone alarm clock which resembles that of a nuclear bomb warning). Waking up gradually and naturally, places you in a pleasant mood which ultimately sets the tone for a pleasant day! 

2. Morning runs/ workouts: This is one at first, I had dreaded. 8am workouts? No thanks, give me pancakes or give me bed. However, once I started doing it, I realized how much of a mood booster working out truly is, working out is one of those things you never regret after. Working out releases what I like to call "Happy endorphins" or, if you would like to get all scientific and fancy-medical-term like: Serotonin. it's the feel-good hormone responsible for your good moods, so what better time to release them than the start of your day!?    

3. Take time to truly look for the beauty in things:

You don't have to travel across the world to find beauty or jump out of a plane to truly be able to say you lived your life to the fullest. Beauty and adventure can be found in your own back yard as long as you never lose your inner child-like spirit. Never lose your curiosity or appreciation/amusement for the said "little things", the things that go overlooked like the way all bus drivers wave at each other and watching raindrops race on car windows or looking up at the sky and realizing the phrase "It's a small world" is an insult at best. Really take the time to look and realize how majestic your surroundings are, you are living in a masterpiece.

4. Pray: Time spent with God is time well spent. First thing in the morning, take this time to meditate on the word. Every morning I personally thank God for a new day and ask for his guidance and favor through out it and to make me a blessing to the people around me. Spending time with the Lord helps me clear my mind, get everything off my chest, provides me with guidance and appreciation for all that he has done for me.

Starting your morning off right is key to to a successful, positive day, overall. One last thing I would advise you to do is to set goals. An organized life is a stress free life, knowing what you have to accomplish and setting time frames in order to get them done then leaves you with ample enough time to take out of the day for yourself and give you an accomplished feeling once you've checked everything off your to-do list. Live Happily.

~Nathia