And if not, He is still GOOD…

Is he still good if he says No?

Have you ever had one of those moments where God says No? Maybe you asked for something to work out and no matter how much you prayed and cried out to him it seemed like he wasn’t listening?

Maybe it was the job you wanted that didn’t work out, you studied for an exam but your marks don’t reflect the effort you put in, you prayed for healing, but God did not heal them…they died. There’s that problem you’ve been praying for a while now…and nothing seems to change. There’s wars, poverty, conflict there’s so much sadness in the world… why???

I’m sitting here trying to reconcile all of this in my mind. But he said “ask and it shall be given to you”. He said “Look, I am the LORD, the God who rules over all flesh. Is anything too difficult for me?”

He was the same God who turned water into wine- he didn’t even flinch when he did this miracle, he raised Lazarus from the dead. Yet all this evil still persists and I sit here and ask myself..but why God??

Daniel 3 tells the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who stepped into King Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace because they refused to bow down to the Kings statue. In verse 17-18 they say “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” When they stepped into that furnace, they did not know for certain whether they would be saved… but they did it anyways. Though the situation looked hopeless, they knew they served a God who is greater than kings and armies. In this case God came in and saved them. The important thing that I learn from this story is that they were prepared to die for God whether or not he saved them. Scary as it sounds, I think we need to develop that kind of attitude too. Will we praise God and still serve him even when things don’t work out they way we had hoped?

Isaiah 43:2 says: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

It doesn’t say I will save you from the waters OR you will not walk through fires. Gods promise is to be with us even in those difficult times.

I don’t have all the answers, but I know that hard times do come. In fact the Bible also promises us of that. John 16:33 says “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The hope that I have is not in this world, but in the world to come- In eternity. My hope is in the fact that we will sit at the feet of our maker and none of these things will matter at all. When we begin to look at our problems in light of eternity, all of a sudden all these things don’t seem as big and they don’t hurt as much.

I guess what I’m saying is that despite all that happens, I have hope. That’s what keeps me going. My hope is not in anything this world has to offer- its not in wealth, in success, in that job, in health, in status or other people’s approval. My hope is in Jesus- I fix my eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of my faith. So without a doubt, I can say that even if he says no… I know that he is still good.

For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley
When things go wrong, he’ll make them right
And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times
The God of the day, is still God in the night

Lord help us, so when the day of testing comes… may we know that you are still God and that you are still in control. May we have faith to trust you and may we resolve in our hearts that we serve a God who is mighty and able to save. But if he does not we will still serve him.

I like big buns and I cannot lie

This summer, I’ve been wearing my hair in a bun 90% of the time. I know that sometimes, I get tired of trying the same look. With such a wide variety of styles to try, here are some examples of quick and easy bun styles for inspiration.

1. The top knot

2. The ballerina bun

  

3. The braided bun

4. The messy bun
   What are your favourite bun styles to try?

When the sun is your filter…

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here in Calgary lately, so I’ve been wearing a lot more colour than I usually do!

I was reorganizing my closet recently and found this skirt that I haven’t worn in about 2 years! Seeing as we only have a few weeks of decent weather left I vowed to make it work! I’ve paired it with a blue top that’s actually a dress tucked in (who else does this?) it’s a great way to recycle clothing in my opinion! If you notice the top/dress has a slight ruffly texture to it. I love to mix textures/patterns because it makes the entire outfit somewhat ‘more fun’.

Im also somewhat on a hair journey. (I say somewhat because Ive been on this journey for about 3 years now and I go through phases where some days Im really careful about how I treat my hair..and on other days I don’t care at all…) Anyways.. Im wearing my hair in a bun a lot more these days because its easy and it helps to protect the ends from damage/ breakage.

Makeup Brush Guide

With so many shapes and sizes of makeup brushes out on the market, it can get confusing/slightly overwhelming knowing which one to get, what to use and when/where to use it!

Here’s a simple breakdown of how to use the various types of brushes!  

Hope you found this post useful 😊

African Themed Bridal Shower

I recently attended a friends bridal shower where the theme for the day was Ankara/African inspired fashion. I love any occasion where you can be creative in your outfit and have fun.

Africans are known for they love of flair and colours. 😝

Here are some of the pictures from the event 😊

  
  

Everyday Morning Makeup Routine

If you are like me and are always in a hurry, you’ll know that getting ready in the morning and in particular for me, applying makeup in the morning can sometimes be a struggle. Today I thought I would break down my everyday makeup routine into 5 easy steps. This routine is an art that I have learned to whip out in 15 minutes (sometimes less depending on how many times Ive hit the snooze button). I’ll share how I do it and approx how much time I dedicate to each section.

Step 1: Moisturize

30 seconds

Technically not makeup, but because the face is our canvas, it needs to be well moisturized for a smooth, flawless finish.

Step 2: Eyebrows

5 minutes

I know you may be thinking- but its just the eyebrows..why do you spend 1/3 of your time there?? I personally think that well groomed eyebrows are the most important step in my everyday make up routine and I always make it my first step. The eyebrows frame the face and when done correctly, can give an instant facelift. When I do my eyebrows I don’t aim for them to be identical, I just take my time making sure that the shape is just the way I want it. Choose a brow pencil that is easy to work with. I use Annabelle Skinny Brow Liner because it gives a really precise fill and it comes with a brush on the other end to blend with for softer looking brows.

Tip- Do eyebrows first to give moisturizer a few minutes to absorb into the skin before applying the foundation/ powder

Tip- Use a concealer a few shades lighter than your skin tone to line the lower part of the eyebrows. Use a concealer the same shade as you skin tone to line the upper part. This will give the illusion of freshly waxed/threaded brows.

Step 3: Eyes

3 minutes

Eyeshadow Palettes are a great way to save on time because the creators have a selected a series of colours that look good together and organized them in one place. The Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette is a great choice for its selection of neutral colours. I pick 2 colours (one light one darker) and apply either using my finger (yes fingers) or a brush.

Tip- Use your finger to apply eyeshadow to the lid then use a blending brush to blend out any harsh lines

If I am really in a hurry, I skip the eyeshadow and go straight for the eyeliner and a coat of mascara.  When applying mascara, remove the wand from the tube in one motion and apply to the top lashes first. Apply lightly to the bottom lashes- one or 2 light strokes should do.

Step 4: Face

5 minutes

I begin by applying the Maybeline Baby Skin Pore Eraser to prime/ fill my pores for a smoother finish. (Lets be honest, when your in a hurry, this step is optional)

Then I apply my foundation using a beauty blender. Picking and sticking to 1 foundation as my daily foundation has helped me out a lot. I used to have a selection of foundations that I would choose from depending on the look I was trying to achieve that day. Some days, I would apply a foundation and have to remove and re-apply because the shade made my skin look funny under a certain light or some other reason.The mornings are not the time to experiment. Know what works and stick with it. I use 2 pumps of the Nars Luminous Weightless Foundation every single day because I know thats what works.

Tip- Apply foundation to skin using fingers then blend using beauty blender. Using fingers warms up the foundation and allows it to blend easier. Also, less product is wasted using this method.

I use a concealer to conceal dark under eyes but this step is optional when in a hurry

Using my Mac Mineralized SkinFinish Powder, I set the foundation (this step is so essential for a flawless finish and takes only 30 seconds)

Step 5: Lips

1 minute

For an everyday look, I would recommend a pretty light pink/nude lipstick (depending on your skin tone) and a gloss. I use the Rimmel London Lipstick in Asia (077). I combine it with my Mac Lip Pencil in chestnut.

By far the biggest thing that has helped me was displaying my most used items so that I don’t have to go digging for anything when Im hurrying to get ready. I will make a post in the future detailing exactly how I store/organize the items I use on a daily basis.

In the meantime, I would love to hear some things you do to speed up your morning makeup routine?

Orange is the new black

This summer I’m loving wearing Orange! It’s strange because it’s never been a colour that I’ve ever loved but I fell in love with this skirt the moment I saw it! I’m attempting to do away with my greys, blacks and pastels to wear a lot more bold colors this summer! ☀️

Top: H&M

Skirt: H&M

Bag: Calvin Klein

Shoes: Arnorld Churgin

   

 

Polished Gold

Why not Go for the Gold?
I’ll admit when I got my first gold nail polish, I remember thinking.. its cute but ill never wear it. Now its turned out to be my favourite dressed up neutral. It goes with any outfit, any look and is great for any season (in my opinion). A muted gold is sophisticated, trendy and a great alternative to a pale pink or nude nail polish (and a little more exciting). So if your looking to change things up a bit… Go for the Gold!

Monday Motivation

“I want to scream it out, from every mountain top-Your goodness knows no bounds, Your goodness never stops, Your Mercy follows me, Your kindness fills my life, Your love amazes me”

Today I wanted to share a little bit of something I’ve been dealing with for awhile now. It’s that whole issue of ‘gratitude’ being thankful and giving thanks for where I am in my life right now. I would say to myself ‘why should I be grateful to God when I am in this situation?’ If he would just help me out a little bit more then maybe it would be easier to be grateful-to give thanks.

You see what we (if your not part of this problem just smile and nod like you understand us little people) often fail to see are the blessings that we already have in our lives. Right now I lay on my warm bed after waking up from a full 8 hours of sleep.  I’m well rested and in a while I will walk to the kitchen and make breakfast. I may even stare at the fridge for a while wondering what to eat because I will have several choices staring back at me. I will workout for anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour today (because I’m alive, I’m healthy and because I can). I will have lunch, I will have dinner. I say these things…not because any of it is remarkable, but because most likely, most of you reading this will have a similar day today. Yet there are people who can only dream of having 3 meals today. Some people are not well enough to get out of bed in the morning. It is not because we are remarkable in any way, but because for some reason God has chosen to favour us in this way.

My point in all of this? No matter what situation we may face today, we all have a reason to praise God. If we’re alive, we have a prayer answered and we should be grateful to him whose mercies know no end.

My prayer for everyone reading this post this week is that we would be transformed in such a way that we would be able to give thanks to the Lord in any season we may find ourselves in. May our eyes be focused on him and all the good that he has done for us, instead of on our problems.

I was forever changed when I stopped looking for a change in my circumstance to make life better and started looking to Jesus and his hand in my Today. I realize that he will be with me tomorrow, he was with me yesterday and he is also with me Today. I really don’t need my situation to change to start giving him thanks, I can start right now.

He is Good. He is Faithful. Amen.

Get Ready with Me+ OOTD

If you like my video, please comment, like, subscribe and let me know if you would like to see a tutorial and also what other type of videos ya’ll would like to see.

****Products Used (In order)****

Hair

• Bendy Rollers (Left those in for about 2 hours in total)

Brows

• Milani Easybrow in Dark Brown
• Mac Studio Finish Concealer NW40
  

Eyes

• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil
• ELF Studio 111 Piece Everyday Palette
• NYC liquid eyeliner

Face

• Milk of Magnesia (as a face primer)
• MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation NW45
  Mac Studio Finish Concealer NW40
  
• Ben Nye Banana Powder
• Sleek Contour Kit (Dark) to contour cheeks and nose
• Rose coloured Blush from ELF Palette
• Mac Mineralized Skin Finish Powder Dark Tan

Lips

• Mac Magenta Lip liner
• Mac Rebel Lipstick

Thank you for watching 🙂

xoxo lovelies ❤