I was reading this post by Kristen about aging gracefully and although we’re 15 years apart, I felt that I can really relate to “aging”. LOL

 

I know it sounds funny but I do think I’m growing old. When I celebrated my birthday this year, I felt like I was little far from my teenage years and college days already. Old. Maybe because when I was 19, I thought 25 was old so now I think about these things.

But slowly, I begin realize that beauty grows in age. The more we get older, the more beautiful we could get. Because time enables you to grow in grace and character. It feels so good to look back on my younger days and find that I’m somehow far from who I was back then. And God has changed me so much. Taught me so much. Brought me to places I’ve never even dared to imagine.

I sometimes fear growing older. Because I’m afraid to be defined by numbers. Because even thought I’m 25, I’m still a child at heart. Only a little wiser. I’m also afraid to grow wrinkles. I’m afraid to look old. But then again, the more years we live, like how my sister Ava always say it, the more we see God’s faithfulness in our lives. The more  wrinkles and white hair we have, the more we see His hand moving and His purpose unfolding.

Yes, I want to remain young for a long time (no wrinkles, no age spots). but I also want to grow~deep within. And growing that way matters to my heart more than keeping younger looking skin but without character.

And so I don’t mind being 25 or to be called old if you want to call me that. Because the more years I live, the more I could celebrate His goodness and witness His grace.

 

…I have upheld since you were conceived,

and have carried since your birth.

Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you.

I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.

Isaiah 46:5

The last time we talked about modesty, I shared a link to C.J. Mahaney`s preaching entitled The Soul of Modesty. One of those which really struck me the most was when he said that after listening to the preaching, he hopes that the ladies would try their best to apply what they heard and learned.

I know many of us girls, upon learning about modesty really want in our hearts to become modest women in the way we dress up. But it`s the application part that`s a bit hard and confusing.

Which clothes are modest? Which are not?
Is my dress showing too much skin?
Is this skirt just right, or too short?

Are there guidelines to follow about dressing up modestly?

Here are three easy steps we can do to check if our clothes are just alright.

1. The Hallelujah Test

This is basically raising your both of your hands (like how you do when on a rollercoaster). If your tee moves up and shows a bit of your stomach, then that means it`s too short or your pants are too low. The same thing goes for your skirt or dress.

2. Check your skirt, dress, and neckline if they are “revealing” when you move, sit or bend.

The most frustrating part  is to get out of the house thinking our dress is just alright until we sit down and or move to pick up something, esp. when riding public transport. (I’ve seen a lot of girls with that problematic look on their faces in public transport and old guys begin staring at them). It’s really helpful to check before we even go out the door. If your dress is long enough when you are walking but gets too short when you sit or wear your heels, you can wear leggings.

3. Ask you Dad, brother or a trusted friend about what your wear.

I find it really cool that my guy friends in church and in my previous church are too gentlemen to remind the girls around about what they wear. I have this Kuya (older brother) from Cornerstone who’s so kind to tell his girl friends when something is too short or too revealing.

The godly men around you…and your Dad! They know which clothes command respect or attract undue attention. And they care about you. So go ask them before leaving the house.

As I end, I would like to share with you these text messages left by Christian teen guys in TheRebelution’s Modesty survey.

I really like what one of these young men said, that modesty shouldn’t be legalistic. It’s really an affair of the heart and being right with the Lord.

We girls are so deeply loved and cherished by Lord and I pray that we would know that love in even more deeper ways that we have experienced before.

Have a great day!


If you (guys)  could say one thing to your sisters in Christ about modesty, what would it be


Age 18 | First, don't be legalistic about clothing. Modesty isn't a list of dos and don'ts but a matter of the heart. Be sure you are in the right place with God and that you aren't trying to make guys stumble and you'll be fine 99% of the time. Secondly, PLEASE, talk with your parents, especially your fathers, about modest dress. Seek advice from older women in your church, your mother, older sisters who can guide you, or experienced friends.

Age 24 | Sisters in Christ, you really have no concept of the struggles that guys face on a daily basis. Please, please, please take a higher standard in the ways you dress. True, we men are responsible for our thoughts and actions before the Lord, but it is such a blessing when we know that we can spend time with our sisters in Christ, enjoying their fellowship without having to constantly be on guard against ungodly thoughts brought about by the inappropriate ways they sometimes dress.

Ava and I were both up till midnight tonight ( well, she`s asleep now but I`m still wide awake). We were watching on YouTube together, looking for something beautiful both of us haven't watched yet. It was a really pretty night. We haven`t done this in a long time.


We ended up reading on Kuya Kevin`s blog about modesty (aka. dressing up and acting appropriately) and  Ava and I read it together, although I`ve read it a couple of times before.

I found that I really don`t get so tired of reading topics on modesty. Not that I`m a fanatic or anything, but I find myself needed to reminded as well.  I know I write about modesty and I encourage girls to dress and act modestly but that doesn`t exempt me from sometimes wanting {aka. being tempted} to wear that cute little mini skirt on a bright summer morning. Esp. when all the other girls are also wearing them.

Sometimes I really pull that little thing out my closet and attempt to wear it. And a battle in mind begins. Protecting my brothers gets least in my mind. Then I do the Hallelujah test {raising your hands and see how high the skirt goes up}, fail it, and get reminded of God`s desire to make me… and see me pure. That He intends me to be a humble, modest and godly woman.  Not to draw attention to myself and to be affirmed by the world of my beauty, but to set my heart focused on Him, because my beauty is in Him... in my obedience, humility, and desire to please Him. Then I put that little thing back in the closet, right where it`s been hiding.

This is a really good reminder today. Thank you, Ava for the linkie!

Sometimes, when I see a girl provocatively dress, I say to myself she probably doesn`t know that 101 guys are going to devour her in their minds today. But then again, maybe she does…

To be honest, I don`t know the truth—the truth why she chooses to dress the way she does, the way she chooses to walk, the way she chooses to act… I don`t know…
Because I`ve never sat  down with a girl and asked her, “Why?”

This was what struck me the most.

If a guy would ask us “Why?”, what are we gonna answer him?


A Little word from Paul.

And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it.
                                                                                   1 Timothy 2:9-10

Our value is not on how the world affirms and accepts us. It is on what goes on inside that heart of hearts. It is on the God who approves of us. The God who wants to make us pure rather than popular.  Who desires to make us a godly example. Holy and exemplary, and full of love.

That little mini skirt would give a few more stares, but wouldn`t do anything beautiful to our hearts or to the men around us {esp. to those who are trying hard to be godly men}.And it only leaves us feeling more empty.

Doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it…

Let me repeat it again.



We become beautiful when when we do something beautiful for God. Not when we do something for the applause of the people around us.

Let`s look up on God and ask us to reveal how He sees us. Let`s ask us what He sees in us that He died on the cross for us, for Him to love us.

And I`m sure, Lord, whatever you see in us, it is that we are worth your love and you giving up life for us.

Thank you, Lord for seeing with all that love.

Oh dear! I`m really not feeling so well so well today. I can`t sleep.

 

I made this delicious banchan last night for dinner---herb steamed eggs—a steamed version of the herb baked eggs I posted here on the blog last month. I tell you, it was really delicious and my meticulous Mom (who`s hard to feed) agreed on that. BUT!

 

I forgot I got allergies with steamed eggs! The last time I had them, 3 years ago in Hongkong, my face and neck swelled like a bloated fish and I felt I needed to go to the hospital. I also had to buy medicine from the local drugstore and use them even though I really can`t read or understand the labels. I just trusted the pharmarcist `cause he looked kinda cute. haha Kidding!

 

See how I got sick and look sicker and sicker that day in HK, 3 years ago…

Eating to our hearts content at breakfast.

{Those are my bff`s Raymond and Arjay}

Uh, oh…That pale face and forced smile…

I`m the kind of girl who wants to get out of the house right away after I`ve dressed up. And make-up time doesn`t take quite long because I  finish quick—except when I`m in the mood or when I`m going out for an important event. I`m always in the mood these days, btw, so my sisters always tell me to hurry up on most days. haha

Here`s what`s on my kit. I think I have a lot more on my make-up bag but these are what I normally use everyday. I don`t have mascara now. I borrow from my sister Ava. haha

 

We just got home from Ava`s talent night. And if there`s one word to describe it, it would be JAW-DROPPING. Ok, three words. Jaw-dropping. Hilarious. Crazy.

 

There were girls who were tossed in the air like stuntmen. Fairies who wore mosquito-net-thin dresses. A lot of sensual dancing. Murder scenes. Acrobatic stunts. Some even bordered on child abuse. Some blew fire. Others were morbid, complete with blood on her mouth for the finale. It was mind blowing!

 

But more than the jaw-dropping performances, what really struck me the most was how far girls would go just to win the crown. And it`s crazy how girls are ready to show even what should be well covered in clothes just to be the fairest of them all. It was heartbreaking. Honestly. I wonder if these girls knew that their beauty is not in how much skin they show but is in their hearts and in how they choose to live their lives.

 

The Essence of A Woman

In beauty pageants, they often ask what is the essence of a woman. Since I would probably not join one in my entire lifetime, let me answer the question now (I practiced this in front of the mirror sometime ago. Please don`t laugh at me. haha).

 

Host: So Cathy, this is your question…

Cathy smiles and takes a deep breath.

Host: What is the essence of a woman?

Cathy: That`s a beautiful question. Thank you. (haha)

Cathy: The essence of woman is in her PURPOSE.

 

Hmmm… On her purpose? Why?

 

A woman is valuable because her life is meant for a special purpose.

 

Stasi Eldredge explains it profoundly in her book Captivating.

When God creates Eve, he calls her an ezer kenegdo. 'It is not good for the man to be alone, I shall make him [an ezer kenegdo]' (Gen. 2:18 Alter). Hebrew scholar Robert Alter, who has spent years translating the book of Genesis, says that this phrase is 'notoriously difficult to translate.' The various attempts we have in English are "helper" or "companion" or the notorious "help meet." Why are these translations so incredibly wimpy, boring, flat...disappointing? What is a help meet, anyway? What little girl dances through the house singing "One day I shall be a help meet?" Companion? A dog can be a companion. Helper? Sounds like Hamburger Helper. Alter is getting close when he translates it "sustainer beside him".

The word ezer is used only twenty other places in the entire Old Testament. And in every other instance the person being described is God himself, when you need him to come through for you desperately."

You are a woman. An image bearer of God. The Crown of Creation. You were chosen before time and space, and you are wholly and deeply loved. You are sought after, pursued, and romanced, the passionate desire of your Fiance, Jesus. You are dangerous in your beauty and your life-giving power. And you are needed.

And that is crucial, dear heart. Whatever your particular calling, you are meant to grace the world with your dance, to follow the lead of Jesus wherever he leads you. He will lead you first to himself; and then, with him, he will lead you into the world that he loves and needs you to love.

 

Do Not Sell Your Beauty

 

My favorite story about beauty was a real-life testimony of an Armani model who was beautiful and popular—a top model. She went from one country to another modeling for top designers, living a wealthy and popular life until one day, Armani put his hands around her waist, noticed  she put on a little weight and told her she couldn`t model anymore.

 

She was devastated. She resorted to drugs and alcohol and tried to commit suicide. Later on, she decided to just move on and stay in Milan to look for someone who would take her as a model.

 

She took her portfolio and on her way  met an old man. She didn`t know what he said would change her life.

 

“Are you here to model, young lady? Don`t you know you cannot sell beauty. Go back home, my dear.”

 

You Cannot Sell Beauty.

The model said it was her first time to hear those words, that you cannot sell beauty. All her life, she was trained to model, to use her beauty to gain a living and achieve. How didn`t she know it long ago.

 

She went back home to America and later on knew the Lord. She`s now an inspirational speaker to girls and young ladies, teaching what real beauty is.

 

 

We may all be far away from the limelight Hollywood and the beauty industry but we may be “selling” our beauty in a different way.

 

We may be using our bodies, our faces,  our God-given beauty to gain the confidence, the admiration, the praises that our heart secretly desires.

 

I feel so strongly, my dear young lady friends, that beauty should not be used for the purpose of getting the admiration and praises of men.  Beauty should used to glorify the King and use it for the purpose why He created it—for Him and your husband and not just any other man or any other person.

 

Your beauty is not on how well you look outside, but on who you are inside. Not on your long, slender legs  or your slim figure but real beauty is in the strength of your heart, the length of your patience, the greatness of your love.

 

Do not waste your beauty. Do not use your physical beauty for the purpose other than what it was created for. Instead, develop the beauty of your heart and know you`re worth in the King who created you and says you`re beautiful!

 

You are beautiful! You are!

As a woman who has been ransomed and redeemed, you can be strong and tender. You speak to the world of God’s mercy, mystery, beauty, and his desire for intimate relationship. You are inviting; You can risk being vulnerable, offering the weight of your life as well as your need for more because you are safe in God’s love. You labor with God to bring forth life–in creativity, in work, in others. Your aching, awakened heart leads you to the feet of Jesus, where you wait on him and wait for him. The eyes of his heart are ever upon you. The King is captivated by your beauty.

Let`s live our lives to please the King, beautiful ladies! ;)

We need you. We need you to awaken to God more fully and to awaken to the desires of the heart that he placed within you so that you will come alive to him and to the role that is yours to play. Perhaps you are meant to be a concert musician or a teacher. Perhaps you are meant to be a neurologist or horse trainer. Perhaps you are to be an activist for ecology or the poor or the aged or the ill. You are certainly called to be a woman, wherever else he leads you.

I found this lovely photos from A CUP OF JO. Very lady-like and princess-like. I wish I had long, blonde tresses so I could try this out. Braids look better on lighter hair that on dark ones, right?

 

But, but, but…. Braids are still braids and are still very beautiful no matter your hair color.

 

Jump over to A CUP OF JO for the full instructions!

 

Remember, nothing wrong with looking beautiful, girls, unless this becomes vanity or unless our perception of our worth and beauty relies on how we dress up and put up our hair.

 

And remember that our concern, first of all, should be the adorning of our hearts instead of our outward appearance—because a gentle and quiet heart is imperishable beauty.

Outward beauty fades away. A beautiful heart that loves to please and honors God will honor forever. 

 

1 Peter 3:3-4 ESV Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.   Proverbs 31:10

I haven’t been married or engaged and I’m laughing at myself writing about becoming a good wife, ‘cause I’m not yet a wife and I don’t know how it is like to be one. ;)

 

But even though a young lady is yet so far from getting married, she can heed the lessons from the Bible and apply what she can at this moment in her life, right?

 

A Treasure

The writer of these proverb started by asking where to find a wife of noble character and she is worth far more than rubies. Far more than rare and costly gems.

 

And so I wondered, is it already hard to find a wife of noble character even in those days? How about now, where are the godly ladies? Is a lady with noble character a rare find?

 

The Ladies of This Generation

In our time, girls are cool if they are “”sexy”  or “not so feminine”. You’re cool if you wear those super short shorts, the fancy make up, the ultra high heels. Or perhaps if you're the other way around. Escape an exploding building like Angelina Jolie or sweep through a group of bad guys with your flying kick like Michelle Yeoh.

 

Girls are cool if they multi-task. If they’re paid with hefty paychecks. Drive expensive cars. Get a high corporate position. Even if they don’t know how to make the right decisions. Even if they rely on drugs and alcohol for comfort. Even if they don’t know how to take care of their kids. Don’t know how to cook. Don’t know how get their hands dirty working around the house.

 

They’re cool. People look up to them. Even if they don’t know that what’s on the inside is far more valuable than what is on the outside.

 

Caught With The Hype

I admit that when I was younger, I wanted to be a Super Girl. Climb the corporate ladder. Be the good-looking girl in town. Get rich and drive expensive cars. And kick the way Michelle Yeoh does it ( No kidding!!)   I thought I’d be valuable if I am all those while totally forgetting to look after what goes on inside my heart.

 

I didn’t care about the mundane tasks. I didn’t care about how to become a real lady. I was so caught up with ambition…I wasn’t looking after my heart.

 

Will you rise up to your calling?

God is calling us to be real women who have noble hearts. Women who value our character more than we value beauty.

 

I pray that we will all learn to stand up against the flow of the world, that we would rise up to become godly examples for our generation. That we would become the “treasures” that are hard to find; to reach girls and tell them about the beauty of having a relationship with God that gives birth to noble character.

 

We are called to become women who fear the Lord and embrace our femininity and our feminine roles the way God designed it to be. Women who are nurturing, and caring. Women of wisdom who knows that we’re more than what the world tells us to be.

 

A woman of noble character….She is worth far more than rubies.

His answer to the question you always wanted to ask.

What`s your favorite beauty product commercial? Mine are those where the models look fabulously flawless. No eye bags. No zits. Perfect skin. Fab hair.  Sure you have your own picks too.

 

Now let me ask you a more personal question. Don`t you sometimes

wish that you look like them? With all the nice curves? The doll-like features? For the boys: Those abs girls swoon about?

 

We sometimes do, right? We want to be like the girls on the print ads. The guys wants to be like those on fitness center posters. We want to be like them. We want to look perfect.

 

Unfortunately, most of the time, we get frustrated. We can buy the most expensive skin care products but when we lack sleep for a few days, the zits just break out. We can pay hundreds of dollars in hair treatment, bask under the sun and get it all dried up. Or we can put on every single kind of whitening cream yet still don`t get as flawless as the girls on TV.

 

Our self-worth shouldn`t be based on how well we look like these guys and girls in media who often don`t look like their real selves anyway. We all know about news coming out that model photos had been drastically edited to slim them down or perfect their look. And if we anchor our self-worth on that, we are only fooling ourselves into achieving something that isn`t real.

 

Our self-worth should be based on who we are to God and what He says about us.

 

Have you seen these majestic views?

O`Brien`s Tower, Ireland

Eagle Island, Ireland

Niagara Falls

Glacial Valley

Lake Louise, Alberta

Grand Canyon

Crystal Shower Falls, Dorrigo National Park

Australia

A Beach in Argentina

Seychelles, Africa

Mariana Trench

 

Whitsunday Islands National Park

Australia

 

Jellyfishes

Valencia, Spain

   Corals

 

Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), Norway

Perseid

Milky Way Galaxy

 

T otally blown away?

 

You know, God has created you far more valuable than all these beautiful things.

 

In Genesis 1:26-27, 31 God said

 

“Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all of life—the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the livestock, wild animals, and small animals.”

So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them.

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way.

 

God created you in His own image. If all these mountains and creatures and stars look beautiful, how much more valuable and beautiful are you knowing that God created you in His likeness, above all of these things He has made?

 

The next time you look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are beautiful, think about all the beautiful things God has created and remember that you are far more valuable than all of them because we are the only ones created in His own image. He even sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for your sins and save you. ;)  Stop basing your self-worth on what media says about you. Believe on the God who created You and loves you. ;)

 

Photo credits: National Geographic

Every girl wants to become a beautiful woman. We talk about beauty regimens, beauty tips, and fashion shows. Some say beauty comes from within so we study hard, educate ourselves and try to become women of good character.

 

But the Bible says that we are called not just to become beautiful or useful. We are called to become godly women who fears the Lord. Womanhood is not just about looking  after our figure, our skin, or our ways. Womanhood is more than just about doing noble things and inspiring others to do the same. We are called to become women who  who are pleasing the Lord and are living His purpose for our lives and for our generation. Women who knows our value on God so we need not seek security and acceptance by beautifying the way we look or the way we walk. Women who anchors our life on God, thereby reflecting His glory and shining His light.

 

And I believe that beauty naturally springs from a heart that desires and lives to please the One who created and loves us.

 

Join me in this series as I study Proverbs 30 and learn about what God says about beautiful womanhood and pray for us ladies to become women who fears the Lord and does His will.

 

“Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting,

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

On the Watsons last week, I saw this new Purederm Dalgi-Yogurt (Strawberry-Yogurt) Mask from Korea and decided to try it out since it looked yummy, delicious and good for the skin.

 

But I was thinking it would also be good if we could make a mask from fresh ingredients minus all the additional chemicals and preservatives.

 

I did a little research and found a strawberry-yogurt facial mask recipe that I would definitely make as soon as the strawberry season arrives.

 

What You Need:

• 1/2 cup strawberries
• 1 tbsp. of yogurt

 

Instruction:

Mash strawberries and add yogurt. Mix till smooth. Smooth over skin and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse off with cool water.

 

This recipe is good to soften the skin and to remove impurities. And it`s nice if you can make an extra batch that you can eat while letting the mask sit for 20 mins. Better than the commercial masks that would leave you craving for strawberries and leave it just like that. ;)

 

Have a great time!

 

 

 

It’s not really a secret right now. All of us know Ancient ladies bathed in milk to keep their skin smooth and good looking. Since we can’t bathe in camel’s milk these days and we aren’t able to take milk baths every time, here’s a little beauty recipe using milk that you can do regularly to keep your skin smooth and fine.

 

All you need is:

• Powdered/ Fresh Milk and
• Lemon Juice

     

Apply and leave it on your skin for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off.

 

That’s everything! Easy, right?

 

Milk is a natural moisturizer that softens the skin. The lactic acid in milk is also known as a gentle, natural exfoliant that removes dead skin cells to reveal younger skin.

 

Lemon which is rich in Vitamin C is known to whiten and cleanse the skin and to kill bacteria.

 

The original recipe, which I learned from my Mom uses Philippine Lemon/Lime called Calamansi which Filipinos use as a natural skin whitener. Filipinos rub it on their elbows and dark spots to even out their skin tone.

 

We’ve got plenty of Calamansi in the fridge right now and I can’t wait to make the mask later.

 

Try it and you’ll feel your skin has become softer right away.

 

Enjoy!