Candice Elaine: fear

Today is the first day of Spring! Yay! If you're not able to get out and enjoy the gorgeous weather, or just want to browse on your phone while at the beach, here's a few fun things that are happening around the web today..

With a change in weather, it's time to get bikini ready for Spring breaks, and beach days ahead! I'm chatting with Pen & Keyboard about how to stay stylish while you sweat, and some tips for finding the perfect gym outfit!

It's time to celebrate a new season, and what better way to do so, than with a special gift from an awesome collaboration of two great brands! Lilly Pulitzer & Estee Lauder have teamed up to gift you with a beautiful limited-edition collection that showcases the gorgeous hand-designed prints with fresh cosmetics for a new season! The gorgeous gift is a special 7 piece collection that comes free with any purchase of $35 of Estee Lauder products, and you're able to customize which collection you'd like, based on your style.

Not sure which product to add to your beauty arsenal? Some of my friends at Macy's have let me in on a few of their consultant tools, so you can use the same professional methods to find your perfect products at home!
To find your perfect product, use either of these applications:
Estée Lauder Foundation Finder Estée Lauder Skincare Finder

Details of the Estée Lauder Gift With Purchase

Choose a free 7-Pc. gift with any $35 Estée Lauder purchase through Macys.com. The free gift with purchase includes free makeup valued at $120 and a one-of-a-kind Lilly Pulitzer cosmetic bag available only through Macy’s until March 23.

Have a few extra minutes?

Take a look at this post from last year..It's a good one :)

What Are You Afraid Of?

...or read Part 1 of my story Girl Behind The Mirror: Part 1

I'm blessed to work in youth ministry, and this past weekend, I got to speak for the weekend services about facing our fears. It's something that affects all of us, whether we are in middle school or are middle aged. Life can bring some tough things our way, but if we are prepared, we can overcome that fear and move ahead towards greatness. So, I thought I'd share a little of what we discussed this past weekend, here on the blog!

What are you afraid of? It can be something silly like a scary movie, or it can be something that paralyzes you enough to keep you from moving forward. Like an opponent we fight, fear is tricky and takes different forms to invade your life, so in order to overcome it effectively, let's recognize its work and then rid our lives of it.

Fear comes in the form of circumstances. Often we find ourselves faced with a situation that at the time seems very overwhelming, intrusive and almost like a blockade. Have you noticed that when you think about a challenging situation, focusing on how big and overwhelming it is, the bigger it seems to get? Fear finds strongholds in us one bit at a time, but if you realize this, you can begin to block that process.

Fear comes in the form of doubt. Have you ever been given an incredible opportunity, but you felt totally inadequate and unable to seize it? Doubt starts as those small, nagging questions in your mind but can easily shackle us, keeping you from your potential. No matter what people may say about you, or what you feel, know that you have been created to accomplish much in your life, and there's no room for doubts to keep you from that. When you begin to doubt yourself and your abilities, know that you can do all things through God who gives you strength!

Fear comes in the form of excuses. Alright, let's be honest here, we've all made excuses at one point or another, from the time we were little and argued with our siblings, it's easy to blame things on others or to give reasons why we did or didn't do something. Fear can cause us to make excuses so we stay away from the good things, or we continue heading towards the things we know we shouldn't be doing. When we are faced with a decision or confronted with the choice to evaluate ourselves, don't make excuses. Instead, find the areas in your life where you can grow, create an action plan for moving forward, and begin! This will eliminate fear in that area.

Now that we've uncovered fear's tactics, how do we defeat it? Well, I'm glad you asked.

1. Understand that fear is really False Evidence Appearing Real

Many times the things that we allow ourselves to worry and fret about are creations of our own mind. Here's a quick example: remember being afraid of monsters in your closet or under your bed when you were little? All you had to do was to flip on the light to see that there's nothing there; it was a creation of your imagination. While we may not fear monsters at this point in life, often the things we fear are really created in our minds; we allow them to seem far worse and more dominating than they are. Remember, the things we think about become a bigger presence in our lives, so watch your thought life, and think on the positive!

2. Know what God says about overcoming fear.
There are so many verses in God's word that talk about overcoming fear, and I just wanted to share a few.

I will go with you.

Deut 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Don’t tremble. Don’t be afraid of them! The Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He won’t abandon you or leave you.”

I will help you.

Isaiah 41: 13 For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you.”

I have given you power.

2 Tim 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and of a sound mind.”

I am your light & stronghold.

Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light & my salvation--whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life--of who shall I be afraid?

Remember, perfect love casts out all fear. When we see fears for what they really are, and align our lives to God's purpose, we can live free of fear. We can become great and accomplish much. My prayer for you is that you take hold of the calling God has placed on your life, and you allow his power & love to work through you, casting out any shadow of fear. You can be victorious.

Live life the way it was meant to be lived: fearlessly
So, can I ask you again, What are you so afraid of??