Taming the Tongue

Some of the most beautiful sounds
are hearing people praise our Lord with song, hear them preach the word of truth, and hear the body encourage one another.

Some of the most horrible things to hear are comments that hurt the greatest of feelings, snarls that stab someone in the back, and rude remarks to a family member or friend. 

The sad thing is...they both come through the same area of the body >>> the tongue.

Throughout my years I have always been known as the really LOUD girl who talks to much. It's okay if you just nodded and said yes to the previous sentence, because we all know it's true. However, as the years have gone by, God has shown me so much and has worked on my heart and mouth in order that I say more that glorifies Him and shows less of my nasty nature. Thank God, that's all Him and nothing of me. This is definitely an area of struggle for many of us, and especially for me. My personality is very open and I say what I think...Most of the times, I don't reciprocate that phrase and think about what I say. God has showed me so much about myself and my wicked heart, and through that, the things that come out of my mouth are far greater than they used to be. I used to spit nasty remarks to strangers and friends, say I was joking about it, then move on. Or remember that time when I snapped at my mom for waking me up too early? Oh wait, that was this morning!
See how easy it is to allow Satan to come in and use your tongue for the greatest works of evil? With my nasty remark I made to my mom this morning, I felt horrible after. As I read my Bible and prayed, God opened my eyes to some things. I am currently reading in James and Psalms and the scriptures went hand-in-hand with what I dealt with this morning. Don't you love how God does that? :)

James 3 talks about taming the tongue:
" 3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

When I read this, I was CUT to the heart. I asked my mother and father for forgiveness and God showed me so much. 

The devil wants to to use your tongue for the following: 
1. To hurt others

2. To lift yourself up- "bring on the pride"
3. To sing praises to him (this is will come if we follow this world)

God wants to use your tongue for these reasons:

1. To encourage & love others

2. To lift His name up

3. To sing praises to Him (when we are having a good day & a bad day)

4. To PREACH his great Name and
 make Him known throughout this earth!

The TONGUE was made by God and God desires that it is used for HIS glory! The tongue can be used for so much good but also for so much bad. I pray that today we would desire to keep our tongues and words to the utmost of God's glory. Through the Holy Spirit we are able to kill the inner man and let the mind of Christ rule in our bodies. With this, our tongues will always praise Jesus.

I want to be a Proverbs 31 woman and let this scripture be lived out in my life! Woman or man, Lord let this 

be our prayer:

"She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness."

Proverbs 31:26

I love yall very much!
God bless,

Beka

Today I Saw Him Walk

Today I saw him walk....
This morning I woke up at a really ungodly hour (4:20am) to drive to see my wonderful fiance graduate from college. It seems like yesterday I was running around in my high school basketball gym, looking over my shoulder to see if my new crush was looking at me...Surely enough he was. :) A few weeks later we started dating at the ages of 18 and 15, not knowing what we were doing or where this relationship would take us. This morning as I reminisced on these past times of mine, I saw the man that Felix has become over those 5 years. God has grown him in so many ways and it is amazing to know that God has completely planned out every single part of his life up to this point. I am so proud. 

Sadly I admit that it was REALLY hard to get up this morning, as I had to force myself off of our living room couch while my alarm buzzed in my ear. Because I had work until 1:30am last night I had gotten home late. Not to mention one of my great friends came over and we studied French for a while then caught up on life. Needless to say, we got about an hour of sleep (literally) then were on our way to Ruston to see Felix walk. 

We packed the car and headed off on our 4 hour journey, exhausted, and with loads of coffee. Hilariously enough, my mom's prediction of our car ride came true. We jammed to Christmas music & our future wedding playlist for about an hour and then...We were OUT COLD. I threw my body on top of my friend's in the back seat and we both fell asleep. It was a good ride up with some great laughs.

....

As we all know, graduation ceremonies are probably the most boring things ever (after horrible PowerPoint presentations). The whole ceremony I couldn't help but look down at my future husband, sitting in his chair, thinking of how proud I was. I zoned in an out of the ceremony, but I thought of how wonderful of a man the Lord has made him in to be and how much he has accomplished in his life thus far. 

The Lord has used him in so many ways around his campus, in the lives of his roommates and friends, and all throughout our church and friends in our hometown. This man has had such a wonderful influence on so many and I couldn't be more proud of him. When they called his name and he walked up to the platform to receive his diploma, we shouted and hollered his name with great pride, and from a far distance I could see a smile on his face. 

So, without further a due, I now introduce to you, my wonderful Fiance...The graduate.

(isn't he cute?)

Here is the most beautiful part of the story: on our way home from Tech, Felix and I were listening to some worship music when he said, "Bek, let's pray! I'll go and pray and thank God for something, then you pray, then i'll pray, and so on." We started to pray and went back & forth thanking God for so many wonderful things and people in our life...Funnily enough, my tired body gave out after a round or two, and I began to dose off while he continued the most beautiful, passionate prayer. Falling asleep to your future husband talking to God is seriously one of the most calming things ever. I cannot wait to marry this man.

He is already the best personal trainer and is going to be rockin' the business soon. He moves into our new home this week and starts his job next week! I am so happy for him and cannot wait to start our lives together. This brings us one step closer! 45 days until the wedding bells ring. I am so pumped!

I love you, Felix.
I am so proud of you!

Sister, Sister

It's been a crazy few weeks,
 which has resulted in a lack of blog posts and lots of missed sleep. This morning, I got to wake up late, go to class, and now I have a break to do some homework and write before my next class. So, how do I spend it? Listening to Michael Buble's Christmas album and writing about my favorite sister. This week, God has shown me so many things here and there. Although I absolutely LOVE fashion and being creative through my wardrobe, I believe God is pulling  me back to the true roots of why I started this blog in the first place: HIM. Someone was joking with me the other day when they said, "You take so many selfies for your blog." As I agreed and laughed it off, the next thing that came was super convicting....I realized it was true. Please do not take this is in any offensive way, cause this was something God showed me personally. Blogging about fashion rocks and in no way am I downing those of us who do it... I love taking pictures of my outfits to share with you all, and I will continue to do so, but I desire to write more and more about my Savior, what He has given me, and other things other than my day-to-day fashion. So, without further a due, I am dedicating this soon to be sappy post to my beloved sister, Rachel. She is one of the greatest gifts God has blessed me with and I could not imagine my life without her. I took these pictures about 2 weeks ago because I loved her festive LSU outfit that she wore to school. Although her outfit is a cute one, let me tell you a little but about HER.

If you were a 90's kids, you grew up watching (or at least knew about) the show SISTER, SISTER which featured the Mowry sisters. They were twins and everything about them was the same, except for a few things...If you look at our lives, you could easily say the same thing.. Here is why:
We are both studying Spanish with a minor in linguistics.

We both love to travel.
We both have a heart for missions.

We both sing (in choir and everywhere else) together.
We are both managers at Canes.

We play the same sports.

We are both adventurous and love roller coasters, heights, and the deep blue sea.
Bascially, we are the same person.
 When someone mentioned that to me the other day, I had to sit back and think about some things that we actually did NOT have in common. Although it was pretty hard, this is what I came up with:

Rachel is obssessed with Nutella. I would rather a spoonful of Biscoff.
Rachel likes action movies. I like chick-flicks.
If she could listen to any christian genre, it would be gospel. Mine would be rock.
Rachel is classy. I like to classify myself under the "hipster" umbrella.
Rachel is right handed. I'm left-handed.
Rachel is good at English. I'm good at math & science.

Rachel hates technology. I LOVE it.

Rachel has brown hair. I have blonde hair.

Brown eyes vs. blue eyes.
Rachel takes time to think through her actions/words. I blurt mine out. (that's a bad thing haha.)

Rachel is sweet and soft-spoken. I tell you how it is.

So, there you have it. The same person with different personalities!
Funny things aside, Rachel is the most wonderful sister for so many reasons. When I did not know the Lord truly and personally, I hated my family, especially my sister. In public, it seemed as everything was alright, but I was so jealous of her all the time. I used to curse her and my parents, rebel against them, and want to be the farthest away from them as I could be...However, Rachel was always there to love me and pray for me. Even though I did not love her as I ought have, she interceded for her rebellious little sister. I am so thankful she prayed for me in my roughest of times, and she still does today. When I truly gave my heart back to the Lord when I was 14, God showed me the wonderful sister and family I had and the LOVE they had shown me through my hard times. No one loved me as much as God did, and he gave me my family to love me and take care of me. He gave me my sister, whom I love very much.
Rachel encourages me daily to become a greater woman of God and I hope to have a heart for the Lord like she does. She loves the word of God and treats those around her with such love and compassion, just like Jesus would. She is a tremendous blessing.
Today, I am so privileged to have traveled on so many missions trips with her, teach vacation bible school with her, perform in plays with her, catch her whizzing softball as it came from the outfield to my position at homeplate, witness on the streets with her, shoot hoops with her, chill in our hammocks together, and most importantly, strive to follow Jesus together.
She is the greatest sister and I could not have asked for a better person to do life with me the last 20 years.

 In the Amazon Jungle

This one's to you, Sis.

I love you so much. Thank you for always pointing me to Jesus.

Who has influenced your life? Why?

"Frumpy" Sweater Friday

I love big,comfy sweaters.
However, sometimes they look frumpy.

I am super excited to show you how to "dress up" your typical "I want to wear a massive sweater today" syndrome. When you usually think of comfy, you think of baggy, warm clothes. I know, I know, yesterday was the perfect weather for that sort of thing. It was windy, everyone was rushing off to their next class, appointment, or event. Well, instead of throwing on the comfiest of sweat pants, I thought to myself,
"how can I utilize my favorite comfy sweater in order to make a stylish/comfy outfit?"

When looking in our closet, we (as woman) usually think "Okay, whats it gonna be today...Cute or comfy?"
Let's just stop right darn tootin' there and realize something...
it can be BOTH people!
Dressing cute is something I love to do, but trust me, I ALWAYS want to be comfy. If I'm not, I want to fidget, I feel uncomfortable, and have to watch how I sit, cross my legs, and blah blah blah.
 So, how can a comfy outfit be transformed
to go the extra mile?

1. SCARF IT UP.

(via me)

 

Dixie wanted to help me! Haha.

As you can see, I am wearing my comfiest sweater (hand-me-down from Grandma...whattt.) Dressed with my favorite Steve Madden boots, super comfy Levi jeans, and a scarf, this outfit is both super comfy and cute. With all of the browns going on, I decided to throw in another neutral, but a lighter color. The lighter purse adds some interest and it's hip & vintage (which I am all about).
//sweater: via grandma $0//Levi's: $40 on sale// scarf: gift $0//
 Steve Madden boots: Christmas present $0// purse: Burke's outlet: $15//
total cost: $55

2. Make a STATEMENT. 

I am in love with this look for so many reasons. We can dress a typical sweater up in a jiffy. With one accessory, all can change!! Look at how beautiful this statement necklace makes this outfit. BAM. This is probably my favorite accessory nowadays. I love me some statement necklaces. Tshirt, sweater, v-neck? No matter what "plain-jane" top you have hanging in your closet, a STATEMENT NECKLACE can easily fix that! 

3. Throw a HAT on. 

Ya wanna know the best thing about this fix? Alot of us have bad hair days too! This is an easy way to make a statement and look HIP too! I love this look and I'm so excited about it because I just bought a hat like this for myself. Here is my recent purchase from Target!! I'm a little happy about it because all of the comparable hats were over $40 bucks...Thank God for Target! I can't wait for it to come in...

Check it out HERE.

4. Tie/Loop a BELT around that frumpy thing.

Belts are an easy way to dress up and outfit and accentuate those curves!! Sometimes your body can be ultimately hidden in a sweater, but with a belt, that's outside of the question! Throw on some loafers or flats to finish this outfit, and you're golden!

5. Throw it over your favorite CHAMBRAY or BUTTON-UP.

Paired with this amazing chambray top and a necklace that I'm head over heels for, this is a win-win outfit. Nothing more to say.

Well, there you have it ladies! The comfiest sweater in your closet can now be transformed into 5 different looks! 

It's the weekend....
Go grab your favorite sweater, run around town with the joy of Jesus,
and snap a shot of your fun! Send me the looks you come up with and I'll feature them!

More than anything (fashion or frumpy sweaters), be sure to glorify the Lord in all you do today. Make Him the Lord of all you do!

Also, be sure to check out WHY SHE SING's blog today...It's about sweaters, too! 

With Love ❤, 

Beka

"charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."
Proverbs 31:30

Reception Song >> Study Break

It's here.

What we college folk like to call MID-TERM WEEK. 

*dramatic horror music*

To say the least, I haven't studied ahead like I always aspire to. Hey, its the thought that counts, right?

With our wedding being only 77 days away (yippee) we have seriously had to just drop what we are doing in some situations and plan this thing. In this case, I woke up this morning earlier than usual to start studying for my exams today. Needless to say, when I heard my mother jammin' out to Justin Beiber's "Baby," I was automatically dancing into the kitchen. 

"We need to pick out reception songs, Bek."

"Well, let's look some up!"

That might not have been the best idea. It was like a snow ball. Once you start rolling that thing down the mountain, you're done for. It gets massive. 

Oh well. We had a blast.

Mom and I were jammin' out to the latest songs, and of course, our favorite Motown hits. 

Although I am still struggling to find a song to walk down the aisle to, I can rest assured in the area of reception music. Here are a few songs we picked:

.....

1. Baby- Justin Beiber (not the most "classic" but hey, the ladies like to dance to it)

2. "Coming Out' - Diana Ross (total classic dance and make you feel happy song)

3. "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You." - Elvis Presley

4. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody"- Whitney Houston

5. "Aint No Mountain High" - Marvin Gaye 

AND..OUR 1st dance as a couple's song is..... ________!
You really thought I was going to tell you? hahaha.

.....

That's just a sneak peek of the wedding plans for the day!

What songs did you play for your wedding reception?
If not married yet, what songs have you always wanted to play? 

Check out these inspirational photos
that I absolutely adore!

"Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises
unto him with the timbrel and harp."
Psalm 149:3

Sun-Day, Scarf Day!

Happy Sunday Everyone! 

What a fabulous day to be alive. God is absolutely wonderful and today I am super thankful for His GRACE and the ever coming day in which I will see Him face to face!

Last night, I had an outfit already picked out for church (because I scramble and throw clothes everywhere Sunday AM if I dont't) but this morning, I decided to wear pants with my outfit instead of my original skirt...What do you think of my fall, peplum look?
I am in love with it because the scarf is not too put together, but the Peplum adds structure and shape to the outfit. Not to mention, my favorite booties and earrings pull it all together for a look that will make you want to go buy a pumpkin and sit by the fire!
Check out my outfit and then see how to enter my first giveaway!

 my favorite earrings

Shirt: Versona $20// Pants: Gift from grandma $0// Scarf: Plato's $6// Earrings: Versona $3.99// Booties: Walmart $14.87
//Total Cost= $44.86//

SCARF GIVEAWAY & RULES:

First Scarf // Winner drawn on Oct. 18th

I am super excited to announce my blog's first Giveaway! Praising Hands, Traveling Shoes has paired up with The Purple Cow to provide my readers with 3 chances to win FABULOUS scarves for the fall season. This month, you will enter to win each scarf M-F on the current week. The winner will be chosen on the Friday of that week and will be announced that Saturday.
The first scarf to be given away is a beautiful burnt orange scarf from Cato via The Purple Cow. It's gorgeous & absolutely perfect for fall.

HOW TO ENTER:

You will be able to enter the scarf giveaway using the Giveaway Widget on my blog page. There are 6 different means by which you can enter. The more you do, the more times your name is entered into the giveaway.
1. Instagram: Follow me (rebekah__elizabeth), repost my scarf giveaway post with a shoutout, and hashtag #praisingandtraveling 

2. Become a Fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/praisingandtraveling

3. Follow my blog
4. Comment on my blog
5. Pin my scarf photo on pinterest with #praisingandtraveling
6. Tweet about the scarf giveaway

You can do all of these (except Instagram) using the Scarf Giveaway widget to the right on my blog ------>> 

Questions? Concerns? Contact me! 

God bless, have a fabulous day of rest, and get to ready to enter tomorrow!

My Day Through the Lens

//my day through the lens//

I had a great day yesterday.

Long? yes.

Stressful? Yes.

Filled with stuff to complete? You bet.

However, it was blessed by God!
Why?

God has been showing me what it truly means to live in his Spirit. By spending time with our lovely Savior, we are able to be filled with his Spirit and live with his mind, heart, and attitude. It is the most beautiful thing in the world. We can have the mind of Jesus! [1 Cor 2:16]

For this reason, I had a great day. I was able to have some divine appointments with new people I met, had a great day observing my highschool, then had a good night at work. Here was my "yesterday" through the lens:

Nom nom nom!!

My favorite boots in the entire world.

Bella was modeling for me on the couch. I couldn't resist!

Dixie wanted some camera action too.

I got a self-timer camera app! Yippee!

Safe to say, I had a fabulous day yesterday filled with smiles, laughs, and the heart of Jesus. 

How is your day going? Are you stressed about mid-terms next week? On the mountaintop?
No matter where you are, always remember to PRAISE the Lord. There is no greater friend, comforter, or Savior like our Lord. Run to him throughout and your day, live in the Spirit, and it will all be wonderful. God bless, friends!

"This is the day the Lord has made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 118:24