Today: Let Your Light Shine Thursday Link Up

Today.

I woke up feeling like it was just another day. Another day to get up and do the regular routine: Get ready, go to work, come home, workout, make dinner, go to sleep and repeat. 

But today is so much more than that. It's a new day that I am was blessed with. A new day that my life has been "reset" with new mercies from the Lord. A new day to show new love. A new day to try new things, meet new people. It's a new day to view this world a little differently from the day before. It's a new day to forget about past failures and make way for new opportunity. 

Yes, today is a new day. Today, is a great day. 

I got up, spent early time with the Lord, worked out early, came to work early and connected with a co-worker in India who is saying so- long to Thursday. Today I enjoyed 2 eggs for breakfast instead of a protein shake. Today, I made sure to say I love you to my family before their day started so they knew someone was thinking of them. Today, I am not focused on the things that make me feel down but am choosing to focus on the things that make me feel alive.

I am excited for what the rest of the day will bring. 

Today. Yes today, is a beautiful day.

______________________________________________________

Lets welcome today with 

Let Your Light Shine Thursday!

You know what time it is, let that beautiful light shine!
Each week we appreciate those of you who come by to share your posts on fashion, beauty, faith, love, and all the in between.

Today I have a special announcement! We have a new co-host joining Let Your Light Shine! Her name is also Aisha (like mine!). How weird is that?! 

Aisha comes from Rooted in Salt which is such a beautiful blog full of life, love and beautiful testimonies! She is such a wonderful person from the inside out- I feel so blessed to call her a friend and sister in Christ!

She has agreed help take LYLS to a whole new level. I am so excited to re-vamp this link-up. More to come on that!

RULES: 

1. Link up your favorite post this week - It can be related to faith, fashion, food, family, or whatever else you would like to share that helped you shine your light from the week!

Don't worry if you don't have a blog to link up - just leave a comment with how you let your light shine this week!

2. Follow Rooted in Salt & Made with Zeal on Bloglovin, or any other social media outlet (FB, Twitter, Instagram, or GFC)

3. Link back by using the button above or your own link.

4. Visit other blogs and meet new blogger friends!

Each week we will be choosing our favorite posts to feature and share with you all! So link up for your chance to be featured!!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://truesoulandspirit.blogspot.com/shine" title="Let Your Light Shine"><img src="http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l63/AishaLeuthardt/LetYourLightShine.png" alt="Let Your Light Shine" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Linking up: WIWT, Treasure Tromp, Week's End

-A

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An InLinkz Link-up

It's Better To Be ________ Deprived Than God Deprived

Hi Everyone! 

I am so happy to be back! My fast is now over!

For those who don't know, I fasted from social media, netflix and blogging for 21 days to start off the New Year. I have to say, it was much more beneficial that I thought it would be. & by beneficial, I mean it gave me the ability to "unplug", focus more time on things I wanted to (like prayer!) and helped me understand self-discipline and self- deprivation a little bit more.

I realized how consumed I was by social media and how much time it took away from things I love! I literally felt like I couldn't be away from social media because I would "miss" what was going on but in actuality, I was paying way too much detail and time in other people's lives than I was my own. I was too pre-occupied worrying about everyone else than really focusing on Aisha. 

After 3 weeks of separation, I got onto social media this morning, checked up on people and things and literally realized- wow, I didn't miss that much. & the people/things I always wanted to check up on because I needed to know what was up, didn't give me any sort of gratification this morning. 

The main thing I realized: How much time and energy I was giving to people and things when I should have been focusing my energy on myself, my family, my dreams!!! Not to mention how crazy that sounds, right?? 

I was happier with myself because I wasn't comparing myself to girls in bikinis on the fitness pages on instagram, I felt more self worth and fulfillment because I focused my energy on the Lord and on things/people I love, and I also lost a lot of anxiety I had when comparing myself to others because their instagram showed them doing something I thought was cooler than what I was doing. 

That was not the point of my post, believe it or not. What I wanted to talk about today was how I learned about self-deprivation- and the importance of it. 

I am a person that has let anger consume me, jealousy overpower my reasoning, the need of control to impact my decision making. 

All of those things were self-consuming, when Jesus has called His children to be selfless servants. 

I had to put things that consumed me aside to honor God and be intentional with our relationship. 

In a sermon at our church, a guest pastor said this: "It's better to be ____ deprived than God deprived". 

That was eye opening for me. What would I give up to have God every single day, every single second, for the REST. OF. ETERNITY. 

I WOULD GIVE UP ANYTHING.

I want to live for what counts. Jesus. 

I am drawing the line of conviction. I am drawing the line of association. I am drawing the line of confidence.

I don't have to give up my morals or beliefs or compromise those things to please others or because someone else thinks their way of doing things is the right way. I don't have to settle to fit in or be like everyone else. Because God has set me apart from the world and from myself to be completely reliant on Him.

So I will give up relationships, material things, the need for control, and everything else that can separate me from God because He is the only thing I need. 

I no longer want to be independent from Him. 

Who knew fasting from social media would show me all that?! 

He is good, ya'll!

xoxo,

Aisha

More on the sermon of drawing the line: The Year of the Line

Intentional Fast// LYLS Thursday Link Up

Hey Everyone!

I honestly CANNOT believe it's Thursday already. This week flew by.

Entering the New Year, I really wanted to start out with something intentional with The Lord. So what I decided is to fast for 21 days. I am fasting from all of my social media websites. I decided going into this that I would still do blogging, but I have felt in my heart that God really wants me to give up all my extra virtual activity and focus on strictly Him for 21 days. So I haven't blogged because of that- but have been awful with communicating that. 

So until January 25, I will be holding back from blogging along with my other social media websites because I truly believe this fast will do wonderful things in my life and I want to be 100% intentional with Jesus. 

When I come back "on", I will be sharing with you my Resolve for 2015!!

Things will be revamped, I will no longer be "blogspot.com" anymore, and I have so much more to share with you!

xoxo, 

A

Today is Let Your Light Shine Thursday!

You know what time it is, let that beautiful light shine!
Each week we appreciate those of you who come by to share your posts on fashion, beauty, faith, love, and all the in between.

Today we are sharing a post from  I Spy Oby.

She featured a great ensemble last link-up from her Winter Wonderland post, plus she was one of the most visited links. Great job, Oby!

RULES: 

1. Link up your favorite post this week - It can be related to faith, fashion, food, family, or whatever else you would like to share that helped you shine your light from the week!

Don't worry if you don't have a blog to link up - just leave a comment with how you let your light shine this week!

2. Follow I'm Perfectly Human & Made with Zeal on Bloglovin, or any other social media outlet (FB, Twitter, Instagram, or GFC)

3. Link back by using the button above or your own link.

4. Visit other blogs and meet new blogger friends!

Each week we will be choosing our favorite posts to feature and share with you all! So link up for your chance to be featured!!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://truesoulandspirit.blogspot.com/shine" title="Let Your Light Shine"><img src="http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l63/AishaLeuthardt/LetYourLightShine.png" alt="Let Your Light Shine" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Linking up: WIWT, Treasure Tromp, Week's End

-A

Follow me: Facebook || Instagram || Twitter || Pinterest 

An InLinkz Link-up

Stay & Wait

I recently found a new song that I love. The lyrics are nothing less than full of praise. I wanted to share it to give you some encouragement today. I hope you have a great weekend!

"Who spoke the Earth and sky to form
Who sets the sun and calls the dawn
Who breathed me out of dust to life
With the will to trust or run and hide

I will stay should the world by me fold
Lift up Your name as the darkness falls
I will wait and hold fast to Your word
Heart on Your heart and my eyes on You

Who loved me through my rebel way
Who chose to carry all my shame
Who breaths in me with endless life
The king of glory Jesus Christ

I will stay should the world by me fold
Lift up Your name as the darkness falls
I will wait and hold fast to Your word
Heart on Your heart and my eyes on You

God of wonder and God of grace
Let my soul stand always to praise You
Fix my eyes on Your perfect way
And I'll never look back

I will stay should the world by me fold
Lift up Your name as the darkness falls
I will wait and hold fast to Your word
Heart on Your heart and my eyes on You

Who lifts the poor and heals the blind
Who trampled death for all mankind
Who stands for all with arms stretched wide
My King forever Jesus Christ"

Firmoo Glasses Product Review

Good afternoon, Everyone!

I hope everyone is having a great start to the week! It's been kind of hard for me to get back into the groove of things- I am tired! Good thing I get free refills of coffee at my job :)

I posted the picture above because it was the first day I tried glasses! I have never been a "glasses" person but I have always thought the big frame glasses are always so cute. So I ordered these glasses from Firmoo.com and am so glad I did! I love them! 

I got so many compliments about them that now they have become part of my regular wardrobe. They are comfortable to wear, stylish, and have great lenses.

They made me feel good, look good, and feel smarter! Ha! Ha! 

A couple of my friends have ordered the same pair that I am wearing- you can, too! 

Here is the link: 

http://www.firmoo.com/eyeglasses-p-2600.html

I have the black pear but the ones above are so cute- I think I am going to order that pair, too :)

I am so happy with my Firmoo glasses! 

What do you think?

-A

Happy New Year!

Hello Everyone!

Long time so see! I hope everyone had a great holiday. Mine was beautiful. It was nice to log off of everything (including work!) to spend time with loved ones. 

What did you do this Holiday? 

I had some awesome pre-Christmas events- including my church's Christmas show and a Winter Gala. It was so fun! You can see in one of the pics a guy dj-ing. That's my pastor! He is the coolest guy ever.

This year, all of us sisters were able to get together to celebrate Christmas, so that was really nice. We had a How To Train Your Dragon movie night. That was fun.

I ended holiday festivities with good friends playing games, eating good food, and chatting away. It was a great time!

Now it's back to work and back to routine. I am excited to get back into my regular schedule.

Oh- & I am planning a mission trip- any suggestions on where to go??

What was your favorite thing you did over the holidays? 

xoxo,

-A 

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