For Your Eyes Only

Many girls want to compliment their eye color and one thing to remember is that not all girls really 'need' to wear makeup. Once you begin wearing cosmetics you'll most likely wear it every time you go out of the house. My mom told me about a time when her mom wanted her to go into the front yard to help with the gardening. It took her 45 minutes to get out to the yard and her mom wanted to know what took so long. "I had to put on my makeup mom, you never know who would be walking by."

Keep in mind, my mom was not raised in a Christian home and her ideas about beauty were not lead by the Holy Spirit. It's also important to seek wise counsel from your parents before using makeup. My sister and aunt have very sensitive eyes and they cannot wear eye makeup without having an allergic reaction. Some girls get very red eyes and are allergic to cosmetics being around their eyes.

I cannot say at what age a girl should be able to wear makeup, that is entirely up to your parents. I have several friends who don't wear any makeup at all and they are beautiful just the way that God made them. Some girls have scars around their eyes and wish to conceal them, or dark circles as well. There is a lot that goes into applying makeup and doing so properly. You'll always want to talk to your parents about any decisions you make about your appearance.

If your parents do not wish for you to wear makeup yet, then this article may not be suited for you. This article has some tips for those who do wear makeup, with their parents consent.

How to compliment your eye color

Hazel
If your eyes are this color you are blessed, because it is a beautiful color and the natural color of nature. They will work with most colors, especially green, gold, and deep purple. You don't necessarily need to wear eye color in order to compliment your eyes, just wearing a certain colored sweater or shirt could bring out the natural hues of your eyes.

Green eyes
You should wear a variation of green colored clothes that reflect the light.
Gold will also reflect in green eyes and brown will contrast and bring out the hazel lights.
Brown, green and gold eye shadow will compliment this eye color.

Brown eyes
Brown or taupe eye shadow is the best color for brown eyes and dress colors such as beige and brown will compliment this warm eye color. Never think dull, brown is so beautiful with a huge variety of shades from light to dark.

Blue eyes
If you are blessed with this eye color you will not need to do much to emphasize them but think cool. Blue denim is one of the all time favorites and looks especially wonderful with blue eyes.

Gray eyes
Dress sense to go with this eye color should tend toward the lighter shades and try a light silvery blue shade of eye shadow to really compliment your look.

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Top Healthy Eye Tips
Healthy eyes are beautiful eyes. If your eyes are swollen, or red, no amount of makeup is going to disguise this fact.

If you wear contact lenses, make sure that you attend to all the care instructions for them. Also, protect your eyes by using cosmetics with sunscreen included.

When putting on eye makeup, make sure it goes with the rest of your look. Too many girls forget that even though the eyes are important, they must be in harmony with the rest of the face.

Choose eye makeup that goes with what you’re wearing, and with the look you choose on the rest of your face. Don’t let your features go to war with each other to be the most prominent. Overdoing it can just look inappropriate.

Lay a good base. A layer of foundation on your eyelids will help smooth out imperfections and help your eye shadow and liner look great. You can also get an eye shadow primer to help minimize oil creases midday.

Choose a color theme. This doesn’t meant that you have to use a monochrome scheme for your eye makeup, but it does mean that it’s a good idea to keep an idea of color harmony in mind as you apply your makeup. For ex; purple eye shadow would not coordinate well with bright red lipstick.

Pay attention to your eye shape. What works on one person won’t necessarily look good on another. Figuring out what shape and set your eyes are can go a long way to helping you get the right look.

Select quality cosmetics. It really matters whether or not your makeup is high quality. Don’t let your tools work against you just because you can get a cheaper brand. You’ll never achieve the same looks you can with a better brand. An inexpensive good quality cosmetic line we have tried is Rimmel, and yet you can invest in cosmetics from companies such as MaryKay or BeautiControl. Their cosmetic lines last a long time and they have a beautiful collection of subtle colors to achieve a natural look.

Use specialized cleansers to remove your makeup. Soap and water are harsh and can irritate the eyes. Specially formulated eye cleansers are gentle and made to remove cosmetics. Again, MaryKay and BeautiControl have gentle eye makeup removers that are oil free and safe for contact lens wearers.

Apply mascara on the tips of the lashes only. Harsh makeup in daylight can look silly.
Soften over-prominent eyes. Just because the eyes are the first thing we pay attention to doesn’t meant that they must be the focus of every look. If you feel that your eyes are too prominent, apply medium shadow and don’t use highlights.

There's no need to compete with another girl and her makeup style. Talk to your parents and form a look that’s your own and that gives the image of a godly young lady.

Proverbs 7:2, "Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye." (KJV)

A 'Love'ly Heritage

Some History of Valentine's Day

Many have argued the exact origin of Valentines’ Day and how it came to be. Some believe that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the unfairness of the law, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers, in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories conclude that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. That would be pretty interesting, considering that when I think of the word ‘priest’ I think of the Catholic Church. Therefore, if he did help the Christians escape persecution, which would have been completely amazing.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl, who may have been his jailor's daughter, who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine’.

One very historic thing has taken place on Valentine's Day, was the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Al Capone planned the death of Bugs Moran, who was the current leader of the rival North Side Gang. In February, Capone spies discover that Moran is planning an important meeting, which just happened to be on Valentine's Day, at a garage that the North Side Gang uses as a liquor depot. In 1929, Capone's hit team lies in wait, armed with their most awesome weapon, the Thompson submachine gun (the Tommy gun). Seven of Moran's gangsters go into the garage; two decoy police cars pull up with Capone's men disguised as cops. They went into the garage, and told Moran's men to put down their weapons. When they did, Capone's Tommy guns erupt. Within ten seconds the men are lifeless on the floor. Not at all what God would want for us.

Some other interesting facts about Valentine's Day include the following:

- 188 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually
- The per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2005 was 25.7 pounds. Candy consumption has actually declined over the last few years; in 1997, each American gobbled or savored more than 27 pounds of candy a year.
- The combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut roses in 2005 for all operations with $100,000 or more in sales was $39 million.
- In February 2006, stores sold $2.6 billion worth of merchandise.

And some city names that sound lovely are:

Valentine, NE; Loveland, CO;

LovejoyGA; Lovelock, NE; Love Valley, NC

Lovelady, TX; Loves Park, IL

Loving County, TX; Lovington, NM

Loving, NM; Love County, OK

and Sacred Heart, MN.

I am so glad that we have the ability to develop our own history. Holidays are so materialistic and commercialized these days. The world uses Valentine's Day as such a sensual holiday today that the innocent part of it has seemed to have vanished.

If we had the opportunity to create such a grand history for the future generation of America, what would it be? What do you have planned for Valentine's Day? You don’t have to be married or be dating to give Valentines out to people. Give some to your family, your neighbors, or your friends.

Did you know that there are seventeen verses in the Bible that state the phrase ‘love the Lord’? Did you know that there are over 372 references to love in the Bible?

Keep in mind that Jesus is our best Valentine.

The Remote ConTroll "America's Top Model"

The remote control is a hand held device used for browsing your televisions channels from the comfort of your sofa, but it can also become somewhat of troll if we're not wise. In this monthly column we'll take a serious look at today's television from a scriptural perspective.

“America’s Next Top Model”

On this reality show, which Tyra Banks hosts, girls are expected to basically lose all self respect and dignity. You would also have to be willing to push the competition aside just to win it all. One girl almost caught pneumonia because she had to pose in a pool in the winter time. Not only is this show unsafe for anyone, especially girls with low self esteem, it is also completely unsupportive of biblical, holy living.

Some television programs seem innocent enough when you watch it for the first time, but once you start watching it a little more, and a little more, at first you don’t hear them taking the Lord’s name in vain, and you don’t see two people posing immodestly.

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"You become numb to the fact that you SHOULD change the channel, "

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...but because you have been watching the show for such a long time that you become so what of an addict. All you see is a few people ‘going for the gold’ and ‘reaching for there dreams’, which is what the world is telling you that you should do.

It’s no wonder that there is a generation full of girls crying in the bathroom while they throw up today’s meals and girls so thin that it doesn’t take a doctor to diagnose them with malnutrition. As for me, I don’t need the world to tell me what they think of me, as long as I am pleasing God. If the world considers me a wimp, goody-two-shoes, or, meaning it in an insulting manner, a Christian, I consider myself on the right path.

Allow God to control your remote.

Psalm 101:3a, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes:" (KJV)

Healthy Steps

I feel that the world today is so overwhelmed with diets and counting calories, but all you really need to do to stay healthy is to eat healthier products. There are some steps you could take to living a healthier life. For example, you could try eating organic foods that are not packed full with preservatives and artificial flavors.

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You can get foods that are organic at a local farmers’ market. Some stores specialize in selling organic foods, such as Trader Joes’. We have one in our city, and they sell all sorts of good things. You can also try to grow your own food if you live in a place that has lots of room to be able to grow food. I don’t have room to be able to grow big products like corn, but I can grow herbs in a flower box.

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Did you know that if you go to a restaurant, they are required by law to give you a list of the nutritional information if you ask for it? If you go to jambajuice.com and click on nutrition, it will give you a listing of the nutritional facts in general, or according to a specific diet. Also, be sure to pick up the chalk and draw with it while the pages are loading, it's lots of fun! ;O)

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'Dieting' as defined in the world today is a way to lose weight, but the word 'diet' basically means the specific foods that you decide to eat. So, saying that "I am on a diet" doesn't really make any sense. If you always eat at McDonald's, you are on the McDonald's diet. I just choose to eat healthy food. It's good AND good for you. Ba da ba ba baaaaa "I'm lovin' it!"

Are there foods that you eat that your body would say, "Thank you" if you stopped eating it?

1 Corinthians 6:19, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

Contributor - Lady Jess

Hello everyone, my name is Jess and I'm 17 years old. I homeschool with my family and enjoy reading, writing devotions, spending time with my friends,and listening to Classical music. I also enjoy posing as a model for my mom's photography business, and playing the piano. My favorite subjects are history, and Bible.


I volunteer in various opportunities in community service from feeding the homeless, community clean-ups, and Toys for Tots. I pray that God will use me to be of help and encouragement to you as I share my struggles and victories with you. God has worked miraculously in my life and I want to be a blessing to others.

You can view Jess's blog at From The Pages of My Heart.