What's up?!!!!
I'm so sorry that I haven't been updated like I need to be, but my writing has been forced to take a backseat to my latest assignment from God; teaching.
I've been volunteering with Doulos Boot Camp at my church and, I must admit, it's taking up a great deal of my time. But I truly adore the work I am doing with the youth. The program is designed to help mold the participants into dedicated "bond servants" for Christ. It's so beautiful to see them transforming into a little army for God, as opposed to being conformed by the things of this world.
I am overseeing all of their special projects that involve writing. The most popular project of the moment is their blog, DoulosBlog2010.blogspot.com. It's AMAZING! If you've ever used your age as an excuse for why your relationship with God isn't what it should be, then you should definitely read their posts. These teenagers are making huge strides to devote their lives to God, and I feel so blessed to be a part of it.
So, be sure to check out the blog and PLEASE leave comments for the kids!
Miracles & Blessings
Ashley Danielle
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
To Be Real: Speak
(NOTE: This is the second installment of a three-part series on ways to grow beautiful in God’s eyes by learning to be real about your relationship with Him)
You guys may not believe this, but I’ve been told that I can be a little blunt.
I know, I know. You’re probably thinking, “Not you, Ashley! We know you always carefully think of the perfect words to use in any given situation.” Well, that’s not always the case.
Direct, I am. Tactful, not so much. But hey…I’m working on it.
But it’s really not something I feel I should make apologies for just yet. I’m not the type to just throw words around carelessly and not consider how they might affect the person I’m directing them towards. As Christians, we are told that “fools will be punished for their proud words, but the words of the wise will protect them (Prov. 14:3 NCV)”. So, we should always think before we speak.
However, we should never compromise our loyalty to our great and magnificent God in an attempt to not offend anyone else.
A couple of days ago, a good friend of mine told me about a disagreement she and her former roommates had about the décor of their apartment. The extreme differences in their personalities created a diverse interior design atmosphere. Just as my friend is a devout soldier for Christ, one was a self-proclaimed atheist and the other didn’t appear to lean either way more than the other.
TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, VISIT: Southern Beauty Magazine
You guys may not believe this, but I’ve been told that I can be a little blunt.
I know, I know. You’re probably thinking, “Not you, Ashley! We know you always carefully think of the perfect words to use in any given situation.” Well, that’s not always the case.
Direct, I am. Tactful, not so much. But hey…I’m working on it.
But it’s really not something I feel I should make apologies for just yet. I’m not the type to just throw words around carelessly and not consider how they might affect the person I’m directing them towards. As Christians, we are told that “fools will be punished for their proud words, but the words of the wise will protect them (Prov. 14:3 NCV)”. So, we should always think before we speak.
However, we should never compromise our loyalty to our great and magnificent God in an attempt to not offend anyone else.
A couple of days ago, a good friend of mine told me about a disagreement she and her former roommates had about the décor of their apartment. The extreme differences in their personalities created a diverse interior design atmosphere. Just as my friend is a devout soldier for Christ, one was a self-proclaimed atheist and the other didn’t appear to lean either way more than the other.
TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, VISIT: Southern Beauty Magazine
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
ASHLEY AMISS: "No Fishing"
Without question, our past greatly affects who we currently are and where we are trying to go on our natural and spiritual paths. I don’t know about you, but I know for a fact that if I had not made it through the struggles I have encountered in my 23 years of living that I would not be the woman I am today. The countless mistakes I’ve made in my life have all been learning experiences to me: the difference between love and hate, between friends and family, and between mediocre and extraordinary.Whether we used to be known as the Life of the Party (another tequila shot, anyone?), the Aimless Wanderer (just how many majors have you had since you’ve been in college?), or the Wild Child (alright! street racing time!) it’s never too late to change.
But change is not always so easily accepted by those who knew us when we were still trying to find our place in life.
Recently, a spiritual leader and new friend of mine said some of us need to get shirts with a big “NO FISHING” sign on the front to warn people that fishing for the old version of our new selves is pointless. After my burst of approving, yet very unlady-like laughter (hey, it was funny). I began to ponder even more on his statement. For those of you who may have moved away from home, how often do you find your family members bringing up the things you did when you were headed ‘on the road to nowhere’ without even attempting to mention how you finally got your “Productive Path GPS” working properly?
Some of us are still in the city in which we were raised, and have to deal with the occasional run-in with old acquaintances who refuse to accept that you are steadily growing into the man or woman God has intended for you to be. They find your longer skirts unappealing, can’t believe your blouse it buttoned almost all the way to the top and as soon as you walk away, they start sending mass text messages about how fake you have become.
TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, VISIT: Southern Beauty Magazine
Miracles & Blessings,
Ashley Danielle
But change is not always so easily accepted by those who knew us when we were still trying to find our place in life.
Recently, a spiritual leader and new friend of mine said some of us need to get shirts with a big “NO FISHING” sign on the front to warn people that fishing for the old version of our new selves is pointless. After my burst of approving, yet very unlady-like laughter (hey, it was funny). I began to ponder even more on his statement. For those of you who may have moved away from home, how often do you find your family members bringing up the things you did when you were headed ‘on the road to nowhere’ without even attempting to mention how you finally got your “Productive Path GPS” working properly?
Some of us are still in the city in which we were raised, and have to deal with the occasional run-in with old acquaintances who refuse to accept that you are steadily growing into the man or woman God has intended for you to be. They find your longer skirts unappealing, can’t believe your blouse it buttoned almost all the way to the top and as soon as you walk away, they start sending mass text messages about how fake you have become.
TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, VISIT: Southern Beauty Magazine
Miracles & Blessings,
Ashley Danielle
"Lupus & Healthy, Summer Skin"
In honor of Lupus Awareness Month, I’ve decided to provide our beautiful readers who are living with Lupus with a few tips on how to enjoy the summer sun while being mindful of their delicate skin. According to the Lupus Foundation of America, Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body. Autoimmune basically means an individual’s immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign invaders of their body and its healthy tissues; therefore, it creates auto-antibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. A symptom of Lupus is extreme, skin sensitivity to light. This can result in the appearance of rashes or skin lesions. These markings can be subtle or quite noticeable but should always be taken care of properly. With summer right around the corner, the lure of teeny bikinis and relaxing afternoons at the park may affect your better judgment.
- Try your best to reduce your skin’s exposure to direct sunlight. I know this may
sound like a hard task for summer, but the long term effects could be dangerous to
your skin and overall health. Also, be aware of some forms of artificial light.
Fluorescent and halogen bulbs produce UV light that can be very harsh on the skin
of people with any form of Lupus.
- WEAR SUNSCREEN! As someone living with Lupus, you should already know that too
much exposure to the sun is a big no-no. Wearing sunscreen year-round should
already be part of your daily skin care routine, but consider increasing the SPF
level you usually use in the upcoming summer months. One easy way to do this is by
using a moisturizer with a higher than usual SPF. Some say anything over SPF 15 is
good, but I’ve heard great things about Health Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 –
Sensitive, which protects against UVA and UVB rays (as all of your moisturizers
should). Plus, it only cost about $14 at your local drug store.
TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, VISIT: BeautyGirlMag.com
- Try your best to reduce your skin’s exposure to direct sunlight. I know this may
sound like a hard task for summer, but the long term effects could be dangerous to
your skin and overall health. Also, be aware of some forms of artificial light.
Fluorescent and halogen bulbs produce UV light that can be very harsh on the skin
of people with any form of Lupus.
- WEAR SUNSCREEN! As someone living with Lupus, you should already know that too
much exposure to the sun is a big no-no. Wearing sunscreen year-round should
already be part of your daily skin care routine, but consider increasing the SPF
level you usually use in the upcoming summer months. One easy way to do this is by
using a moisturizer with a higher than usual SPF. Some say anything over SPF 15 is
good, but I’ve heard great things about Health Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 –
Sensitive, which protects against UVA and UVB rays (as all of your moisturizers
should). Plus, it only cost about $14 at your local drug store.
TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, VISIT: BeautyGirlMag.com
ASHLEY AMISS: "To Forgive Is Divine"
Coming in a close second to “I’m sorry”, the words “I forgive you” may be the most difficult three-word combination for any human to utter. No, let me rephrase that. They may be the most difficult to utter honestly.
I don’t normally go around quoting Alexander Pope, but he hit the nail right on the head when wrote “to err is human, to forgive is divine.”
Now don’t get me wrong, I haven’t always had such a forgiving heart. I could have been labeled as a “Master Grudge-Holder” not so long ago. Betrayal was not something I took lightly, and I figured one act of dishonesty or maltreatment was enough for me to completely dismiss a person from my life. No looking back. No second chances. I even remember times when someone would challenge one of my unwavering grudges with a comment like: God forgives us all of time, why can’t you?” Then, I would slyly reply, “In what world do you think I am on the same level as God?!”
As you can tell, I was clearly delusional.
Why is it that we give so much power to those who have wronged us? When we hold on to grudges, not only does it drain us spiritually, it often doesn’t even make the person we are holding the grudge against break a sweat. Without their knowledge, we unnecessarily hand over our day-to-day emotional state to someone who is probably still going about their carefree lives.
About a month ago, a female friend of mine (who is actually more like a sister than a friend) and I exchanged rather unflattering words after we let rumors interfere with our relationship. As most of us do when engaging in arguments, she threw a few verbal punches that were extremely below the belt. A couple of weeks went by before we looked each other in the eyes, let alone spoke to one another.
TO READ THE REST OF THOS ARTICLE, VISIT: Southern Beauty Magazine
I don’t normally go around quoting Alexander Pope, but he hit the nail right on the head when wrote “to err is human, to forgive is divine.”
Now don’t get me wrong, I haven’t always had such a forgiving heart. I could have been labeled as a “Master Grudge-Holder” not so long ago. Betrayal was not something I took lightly, and I figured one act of dishonesty or maltreatment was enough for me to completely dismiss a person from my life. No looking back. No second chances. I even remember times when someone would challenge one of my unwavering grudges with a comment like: God forgives us all of time, why can’t you?” Then, I would slyly reply, “In what world do you think I am on the same level as God?!”
As you can tell, I was clearly delusional.
Why is it that we give so much power to those who have wronged us? When we hold on to grudges, not only does it drain us spiritually, it often doesn’t even make the person we are holding the grudge against break a sweat. Without their knowledge, we unnecessarily hand over our day-to-day emotional state to someone who is probably still going about their carefree lives.
About a month ago, a female friend of mine (who is actually more like a sister than a friend) and I exchanged rather unflattering words after we let rumors interfere with our relationship. As most of us do when engaging in arguments, she threw a few verbal punches that were extremely below the belt. A couple of weeks went by before we looked each other in the eyes, let alone spoke to one another.
TO READ THE REST OF THOS ARTICLE, VISIT: Southern Beauty Magazine
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