Congratulations: Bathing Suit Winner!

The random winner of the Lime Ricki bathing suit is Doreen (doreen.gertsch@)! You should have an e-mail from Pierce My Heart that includes simple instructions on how to claim your prize. If not, please contact us within seven days.

If you didn’t win this month, you can still get a really great––and modest––bathing suit at a great price (especially if you shop their clearance section!) because Lime Ricki’s special offer is still available for all Pierce My Heart readers. You will save 10% off your entire purchase just by entering the coupon code HEART10 at their checkout by May 15, 2009!

Thanks to everyone who participated in this contest by leaving comments on our article. We have another fun clothing giveaway coming up in May, so check back soon!

Congratulations, Connie! We hope this bathing suit will help give you a great start to a stylish and modest summer wardrobe.

- Davonne Parks

No Mistakes

When you look at yourself in the mirror what thoughts come to mind? Do you sometimes think that it wouldn’t hurt to lose a little weight, or that your hair didn’t turn out well? I know that there I times that I think those very thoughts, but let me ask you this: Does it ever cross your mind that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? (1 Cor. 6:19–20) It can be very hard to grasp this concept, but it’s true––the Holy Spirit lives in each saved member of the church.

God sent His only Son to be sacrificed for all mankind (John 3:16). Now think about that––God sent His only Son to die for you; this is personal! When you confess and repent, you are acknowledging that as the truth and are giving yourself to the Lord. God paid a great price for our lives and our souls. What a great honor and privilege it is to know that we are worth so much to the Lord of lords. We have done nothing to deserve this gift because as Paul writes in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I’m not sure if knowing that does the same thing for you as it does for me but after I think about this fact I feel beautiful! I feel strong and bold because the King of kings loves me. I am a sinner, a weak human, but God looked at me and the rest of His creation and saw us as His children. This fact motivates me to cling to Him and to want to show the world what blessings can come to us by giving our lives to the Lord.

There will still be days when I will think that I could look prettier or thinner, but I will never again call myself ugly. That is the challenge that I am making to you today. Always remember that God created us carefully and skillfully, which means that He made no mistakes––we are exactly what He designed us to be! (Psalm 139:13–14). Be proud of God’s handiwork and show the world how beautiful God made you!

By Shelby Garrett

Last Chance: Bathing Suit Giveaway!

Today is the last day to submit photos or recipes of things you’ve baked or cooked to us for use in our Gifted Girls article next month. You can send pictures to Info @ PierceMyHeart . com (remove spaces).

This is also the last day to enter to win our April Giveaway. The winner, who will be announced on April 30, will receive a new bathing suit!

If you have any questions, let us know, and we will respond to you as quickly as possible.

- Davonne Parks

Cooking with Kids

Children were created by God, and while their parents are ultimately the ones responsible for shaping them into well-rounded adults (Proverbs 22:6), we can help to care for them by being godly influences in their lives, whether we’re babysitting, hanging out with a sibling, or inviting a kid from church over for the afternoon.

Titus 2:3-5 instructs older women to teach the younger women, and while that verse is specifically speaking of teaching younger women how to become godly wives and mothers, we can still teach young girls how to behave in a godly manner. One of the ways we can do this is by spending time with them and setting a pure example. As we keep Matthew 19:14 in mind, we can also set an example for, and spend group time with, the young boys we know.

Safety tips

It’s important to keep safety in mind when working with young children, so remember, or print, a few safety tips to use when you’re cooking with them.

Prepare age-appropriate foods. A two-year-old may only be able to help pour ingredients and decorate a finished product, but an eight-year-old will probably be able to assist in cooking an entire meal. It may help to ask the parents in advance what the child is capable of in the kitchen.

Always keep handles toward the back of the stove. Even if they’re old enough to not pull on pan handles, the handles could still get bumped as someone passes them, burning the person the contents spill on.

Supervise all appliance usage. Children should never use a stove, microwave, oven, or any other appliance by themselves, so make sure to help them when appliances need to be used. Even if they’re normally allowed to use these items at home, remember that when you’re with them, you’re responsible for their safety, so use extra caution.

Keep sharp objects out of reach. Don’t allow children to use knives, even if they’re allowed to at home. If they object, explain that you are sure they could handle the job, but that you just want to keep things extra safe. Remember that you are in charge, so don’t give in if they complain; if they learn they can argue to get their way with you, it will only make similar situations more difficult in the future. Then give them a job they can help with to occupy themselves while you cut food. (Better yet, do all of your chopping in advance so this doesn’t become an issue.)

Wash hands often. If either of you coughs, sneezes, handles raw meat (including eggs), or licks your fingers, wash your hands! Germs spread quickly, and things such as raw meat can be extremely harmful, so take precautions to avoid problems.

For more safety tips, visit Kraft Foods or iVillage. Keep in mind that these articles are directed toward the parents of the children, so even though they give directions on how to teach the children to handle some items, it’s better to leave those jobs to the parents for safety reasons. Keep the cooking activity fun, friendly, and kid safe for an experience you’ll both enjoy!

Kid-friendly cooking sites

Recipe Sites:
Nick Junior
Kraft Foods

Printable recipe box:
Instructions
Decorative strips
Recipe card collection

Fun, Un-edible Recipes:
Play-dough
Slime
Clay

Please note that Gifted Girls is featuring recipes and photos of food items next month, so take a photo of something you’ve baked or cooked, and submit it to us by April 28 for use in May’s Gifted Girls column.

By Davonne Parks

The Eyes Have It

On a recent trip to the mall I decided to get my eyebrows waxed and found a new store that advertised “threading.” Since it cost a few dollars less than what I had planned to pay for waxing, I decided to try it out and save some money. My results were amazing!

Tweezing

I would have to say that by far, tweezing is the most economical way to trim your eyebrows. Other than the cost of tweezers, all it takes is some time. Many people have no trouble with tweezing; however, my eyes water so bad that I can’t see. Now, since I had such a hard time tweezing, I have asked around for some tips that have enabled me to tweeze without the unbearable pain, or the bleeding that I always had due to sensitive skin.

1. Soften the hair first with some hair conditioner.
2. Tweeze after a hot shower or use a hot cloth for 5 minutes to help open pores so the hair will be easier to remove.
3. If the pain is too much, use some baby orajel or other tooth numbing product on the area before plucking.
4. Always pluck in the direction of hair growth.
5. To close the pores after plucking, apply warm petroleum jelly.

If you choose to pluck at home, also keep these tips in mind:

• Use a magnified mirror your first few times if possible. This will help you to really see which hairs need plucked and which ones to leave alone.

• The highest point of the arch should be diagonal from the outer corner of your eye.

• The start of the brow (inside) should line up above the inner corner of the eye.

• In this case, less isn’t more. Pluck one hair at a time to avoid over-plucking. Too thin brows take a long time to grow out.

• Always follow the natural shape of the brow. Don’t pluck above the brow – just pluck the stray hairs underneath and on the side the brow.

Waxing

Those who are avid fans of waxing boast about how long this treatment lasts (usually 3–8 weeks). And, while I admit that it does last a while, it also has drawbacks. Waxing takes off a lot of hair at once. We’ve all at one point or another had a band-aid that needed to come off. Some people peel it off slowly to try to lessen the pain, while others rip it off to get the pain over with. Waxing is more like the latter. With waxing, it can also take off the top layer of skin, and in my case I always bleed when I have my eyebrows waxed. Usually the redness lasts around a day or so (possibly longer for people with sensitive skin). With waxing there are many different kinds of wax, some of which can cause skin irritation.

I personally have not waxed my own eyebrows. Usually if you go to a salon to have it done it costs $15 or less, and by doing this, you have someone who does it all the time and is accustomed to shaping brows and using the wax. However, for those of you who want to try it at home, there are several options for you. You can use a hot wax. This method is best if you are going to have someone else help you. Or, if you have the patience to try it, use wax strips (often referred to as cold wax). I have used them several times, and although it takes some time (and a little pain), it does not affect my skin as negatively as hot wax does. Another plus for this method is that it is a lot less mess than the hot wax and is more economical at around $6 and usually has enough product to wax twice depending on how much product you use.

Threading

This did hurt. However, for me, it was not as bad as waxing, and I didn’t bleed afterward. This technique uses sewing thread to pull the hair out. This cost me $8, which I feel was worth it. My eyebrows looked great, there was no bleeding and only slight redness, and it lasted for 3 weeks. The great thing is that I have found a video how-to that really seems to help. I do recommend, however, that if you decide to try this yourself, practice with the thread for a while before doing it on yourself. Try it out on other unwanted hair first (like before shaving), just to practice. If you practice and are able to do it at home, this method would be about as cheap (or cheaper) than tweezing because all it takes is about 2 feet of thread each time you do it. However, for the price of doing it at a salon, I would recommend having a professional do it, at least at first.

Home Tweeze

If you decide to do any of these methods yourself, there are some things you can do to help ensure that you don’t take off too much hair. It’s far better to take off too little at a time than to take off too much! Use an eyebrow pencil to color what hair you want left. Then only remove the hair around it. Take your time. Trust me, through my own trial and error, I have been that girl who took off too much of my eyebrow and had to let them grow back and start over. And always…always remember that beauty is really what is inside (Proverbs 31:30).

By Sarah J. Ancheta

Spring Clean: How To

Now that you’re prepared to clean your room, let’s get started!

The cleaning

Turn on the music you’ve chosen and, if it’s nice out, open the windows. This will help you get in a cleaning mood. Start in your chosen area, and make sure your cleaning supplies are nearby. Pull everything out of your intended cleaning spot. Even if you’re planning on keeping the item, take it off the shelf, out of the drawer, etc. Then clean the area with your cleaning wipes (or if it’s under your bed, vacuum it).

Now it’s time to make a decision! Since everything is already pulled out, you’ll find that it’s much easier to get rid of it––it’s either toss or make a place to put it away (remember that if you put it away, you’re going to have to go through it the next time you clean out your room). If there’s a t-shirt that hasn’t fit you since middle school, put it in your giveaway bag. Shoes that give your feet blisters every time you wear them? Get rid of them! Maybe you have old school papers crammed into a drawer somewhere––glance through them and toss anything that isn’t very sentimental. (Maybe you want to keep that poem or painting, but seriously, who needs a copy of every math test they’ve taken?!) Try giving yourself a limit for sentimental items––for example, “I can keep ten old books”––then get rid of any children’s books that weren’t among your ten favorites. This will help to keep clutter down, and it will make those ten books you are keeping even more special.

As soon as one trash bag is filled up, tie it and label a new bag so you won’t be tempted to go through it. If you’re not sure about something, toss it in your unsure box––that’s what it’s there for! Don’t waste precious time, energy, or momentum thinking about something you can easily do later.

Once you’ve decided what to keep, put the items neatly back into the area you’ve just cleaned, if they belong there. If anything you’ve taken out belongs elsewhere in your room, just put those things on your made bed until you’re ready for them. Now that your designated first place is organized, take a moment to look at it and enjoy what you’ve done! Then move on to the other areas in your room. Work quickly, efficiently, and refuse to get distracted by things you’ve forgotten you have––remember that you can enjoy those items after they’ve been put away where they belong!

Once you’re done cleaning out all areas of your room (including jewelry boxes, nightstand drawers, and dresser tops), neatly put away the items you’ve placed on your bed. This should be fairly easy to do since you’ve already completed the work of placing like items together and organizing everything.

After the clean

Now it’s time for the “unsure” box. Since your room now looks pretty and is well organized, this should be easy. Many of those items you originally thought you may want to keep might now be easy to toss. Go through this box as quickly as you can. If you have to think awhile about whether or not to keep it, it’s probably something to get rid of. Ask yourself if you need, love, or use the item in the box. If the answer is “no,” add it to your giveaway bag. Someone who does need, love, or can use the item may have it.

Go through your organized bedroom with a dusting rag and vacuum cleaner to finish the job––this will give the room a fresh feel and scent in just a few minutes. Put away the items in your last box––the box specifically for items that belong somewhere else in the house. Then, run the trash bags outside and put them in the trash can.

After that, place the giveaway bags in your vehicle (or ask a parent if you can put them in theirs). Then take the giveaway bags somewhere––a woman’s shelter, Goodwill, etc. Try to do this as soon as possible, or the bags may end up riding around with you for weeks.

Now that your space is clean, and you’re probably feeling renewed (Psalm 51:10), stop at the library on the way home from dropping off your giveaway items, then head to your room with your book and enjoy relaxing in your (spring) cleaned bedroom!

By Davonne Parks

Spring Clean: Preparation

Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Spring is a time of freshness and renewal. So let’s refresh our rooms!

Supplies

To clean out your bedroom, you’ll need several trash bags, a permanent marker, two laundry baskets or boxes, cleaning wipes, and a vacuum cleaner. Label one bag “trash” and one bag “giveaway” with the marker. One box will be used for items you come across that belong somewhere else in the house––instead of wasting time putting items away as you find them, and getting distracted in the process, you can just toss them in the box and put everything away at the same time as soon as you’re done going through your room. The other box is for “unsure” items. If you can’t decide whether to keep or get rid of something, don’t waste time mulling over it while you’re cleaning––just throw it into your “unsure” box ––we’ll come back to this later.

Preparation

Decide where to begin. You can go about this two ways.

One way is to choose the most dreaded place in your room––does the thought of cleaning out your closet overwhelm you? Start there! Maybe it’s a bookshelf that’s full of childhood knick-knacks and books. Or maybe you haven’t been able to see more than three inches under your bed in years. Start in whichever place feels like the worst place. You’ll have a fresh mind to clean instead of being worn out from doing everything else first. Once you tackle that spot, you’ll feel like you can accomplish anything, and the rest of your room will be easy to clean in no time!

The other way to decide where to start is to simply choose a random spot. Maybe your nightstand drawer will be really easy to organize but you just haven’t taken the time to do it. Do that first! If your dresser seems like a good place to begin, do it. The important thing is to start somewhere––it really doesn’t matter where. Just pick a spot, and determine that you’ll stick with it until it’s done. If it helps you to stay on task, set a timer, and try to get done within that amount of time.

You can also choose some upbeat, appropriate music to have ready for the actual cleaning.  This will help you stay motivated to keep moving.

Remember

Keep in mind that like items should be grouped together––all t-shirts get hung up or placed in a drawer. Separating them will just add to a cluttered feeling in your space. If you have a desk, place all pencils, paper, scissors, etc. into a drawer, or corralled with like objects. Put things where they’ll be used. If you put your make-up on at your vanity every day, keep your make-up in a vanity drawer. The easier things are to get to, the more likely you’ll be to put them away when you’re done using them.

Prepare your room and your mind for cleaning today. Tomorrow we’ll post cleaning suggestions.

By Davonne Parks

Is God Real?

Dear Rachel,
How do you know that God is real?
- Stephanie

Stephanie,
Great question! In our own quest to prove the existence of God, a friend and I recently researched this topic together, and here’s what we found.

I. Scientific Evidence

A.Archaeological Evidence

1.Dead Sea Scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls consist of roughly 1,000 documents, including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1979 in eleven caves in and around the Wadi Qumran on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. The texts are of great religious and historical significance, as they include practically the only known surviving copies of Biblical documents made before 100 AD. Amazingly, they matched exactly with the Bible we have today (Mk. 13:31).

2.Walls of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-20)
It was found with the walls having fallen outward, a feat that architects had previously thought impossible.

3.The Hittites were once thought to be a Biblical legend, until their capital and records were discovered in Bogazkoy, Turkey.

4.It was once claimed there was no Assyrian king named Sargon as recorded in Isaiah 20:1, because this name was not known in any other record. Then, Sargon’s palace was discovered in Khorsabad, Iraq. The very event mentioned in Isaiah 20, his capture of Ashdod, was recorded on the palace walls. What is more, fragments of a stela memorializing the victory were found at Ashdod itself.

B. Natural Evidence

1. Nature
William Paley, a theologian of the 18th century, became well known for his argument concerning the existence of God based on nature.

The works of nature want only to be contemplated. When contemplated, they have everything within them, which can astonish by their greatness; for, of the vast scale of operation, through which our discoveries carry us, we see an intelligent Power. Every organized natural body, in the provisions which it contains for its sustentation and propagations, testifies a care on the part of the Creator. We are on all sides surrounded by such bodies; examined in their parts, wonderfully curious; compared with one another, no less wonderfully diversified. There is no subject of which, in its full extent, the latitude is so great, as that of natural history applied to the proof of an intelligent Creator (Natural Theology).

God has revealed Himself in nature––a fact that the Bible also supports. In Romans 1:20, Paul writes to acknowledge the evidence of God in nature.

“Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” Romans 1:20.

2. The Big Bang Theory
A well-known scientific law is that from nothing, can come nothing. It’s a law, not a theory, which means that it has been proven. The Big Bang theory transgresses their laws. It has never been proven and probably has more evidence against it than for it.

C. Our Bodies

1.Our bodies are too amazing and complex to have happened by chance. Brad Harrub, a neurobiologist, said:

You can’t have a poem without a poet, or a house without a house builder. You can’t have design without an intelligent Designer. The complexity within a cell, the complexity of Earth’s atmospheric conditions, the distances between the planets, everything was put here for a purpose. If we look at the human nervous system, for example, we see that it is composed of billions of cells, and that it was purposely arranged to be able to conduct a nerve signal from one part of the body to the other. On a microscopic level, we see that a single cell has ion-gated channels, voltage-gated channels, and a membrane potential. It was specifically designed to do one thing, carry a nerve impulse from one cell to another. When you look deep inside the cell, you find the DNA, the biological code of life that allows the cell to perpetuate itself. Within the cell, you have an incredibly complex biochemical code, and yet we are expected to believe that it “just happened by chance”? Over and over again, as you look throughout nature, you see what is almost like a “neon arrow” pointing to a Creator, an intelligent Designer. That designer is God.

II. Biblical Evidence

A.The Earth is spherical and hangs on nothing. The Bible recorded these facts long before men commonly regarded them as facts (Job 26:7; Is. 40:22).

B.The Bible also records paths of the water, meaning currents. Matthew Maury (1806-1973) is considered the father of oceanography. He was bed-ridden during a serious illness and asked his son to read a portion of the Bible to him. While listening, he noticed the expression “paths of the sea” in Psalms 8:8. Upon his recovery, Maury took God at His word and went looking for these paths. We are indebted to his discovery of the warm and cold continental currents.

C.The Bible also reveals the water cycle. The water cycle was not fully understood until about 30 BC by a Roman engineer named Marcus Vitruvius. Yet every aspect of the water cycle was fully revealed in the Old Testament. The Bible’s description is in perfect harmony with modern science (Ecc. 1:6-7; 11:3; Job 26:8; Amos 9:6).

“He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight” (Job 26:8, NIV).

“He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind” (Job 36:27–28, NIV).

“The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again” (Ecclesiastes 1:6–7, NIV).

III. God Is Creator

A.We have an intelligent Creator and He is God! (Acts 17:22–26; Gen 1:1)

B.“He is One Who cares for us. He provides for us. He provides for our needs, both physically and spiritually. He sends the rain on the just and the unjust. He sent His Son to die for all who were unjust, that we might become His children. Having the ability to go to live with Him forever in His house is beyond our ability to comprehend. The term ‘Father’ conjures up in our minds the idea of a loving family.” -B.J. Clarke, Minister

IV. Conclusion

A.There are many more examples, both scientific and biblical, that we did not mention.

B.Through scientific, natural, and biblical evidence, God is screaming that He exists. But what does that evidence say about Him? It says that He is an intelligent Designer who is capable of creating and sustaining the universe. It tells us that He is a Creator of amazing organisms and intricate systems. It tells us that He is much greater, and more powerful, than any force we could ever imagine.

Visit ChristianAnswers.net for more archaeological information.
Visit Bible.ca for more scientific information.

Stephanie, we hope this helps you believe He Is, so you can begin or strengthen your relationship with Him.

By: Rachel Conley and Rebekah Davis

Earth Day and Free Stuff!

Go here to read our recent Earth Day article, here to read our article about organic cleaning supplies, and here to read all of our April articles about caring for God’s creation.

Just for today deals

Today only, you can take this coupon to any Walgreens, and they’ll give you a free reusable tote plus 15% off your entire purchase (time to stock up on that summer nail polish!).

If you’re planning on eating out tonight, you can get a free made-from-scratch Strawberry Lemonade from O-Charley’s.

You can take three plastic bottles to any Disney Store today to receive a free gift.

Deals after today

If you’d like something free, but aren’t going out tonight, check out this offer from teeccino.com – just register online and they’ll mail you caffeine-free herbal coffee!

There are free Dave Ramsey events all over the nation tomorrow night (April 23)!  He is a practical financial expert who has great advice to offer, and this will be a great event for anyone who will eventually need to know how to manage money (which is probably all of us!).

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a free bathing suit.  Whether you win or not, you can still get a 10% discount on your entire purchase.  Details are in the article.

If you’re planning on getting a summer job, check out this offer from Office Max – they’ll print 25 copies of your resume for free now through May 30!

Thanks

Thanks Crystal for sharing most of these freebies.

Let’s enjoy and appreciate the earth that God created, not just today, but every day!

- Davonne Parks

Sew Cool

We recently posted an article about how to make bears, bibs, and blankets for other people, helping others in need, much like the virtuous woman did in Proverbs 31:20: “She extends her hand to the poor, And she stretches out her hands to the needy.”

Today we’d like to share a few photos of things other young women have sewn, also similar to the Proverbs 31 woman. Proverbs 31:22 “She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.”

(Click on images to enlarge.)

Coming up

Gifted Girls is featuring cooking next month, so please send recipes or photos of baked goods to Info @ PierceMyHeart . com (remove spaces) by April 28 for use in next month’s article.

By Davonne Parks

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