**"He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him" ~ Proverbs 30:5**

This week in our New Years Revolution, we are going to be talking about picking up our shield of faith.

Faith is a mysterious word- don't ya think?? Kinda vague etc. Thankfully, God knows we need stuff like this spelled out for us, so He graciously gave us Hebrews 11. Here, you will not only find a definition of faith, but you will also read the stories of faith-full (or full of faith people) that we can learn from. (Promise me you'll read Hebrews 11 this week- God's got something for you there)

Check out The Message version of Hebrews 11:1,

"The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd."

"Simply put, faith is acting like God is telling the truth. The key thought here is action. By definition, faith is not talking about or thinking about or even celebrating God's truth. It is the process of adapting your behavior, your decisions, and ultimately, your whole lifestyle so that is accords with what God has asked you to do- without needing to see the evidence that it will all work out in the end. The act of faith is what becomes a shield of protection against the enemy's attacks." #armorofgodstudy by Pricilla Shirer

Yowza- there's Truth is Pricilla's statement. Re-read that paragraph- underline the words that stick out to you, let the word of God get into your heart and transform your thinking about what it means to have faith. THIS is a good place to start as we kick off our journey into faith this week...

Shield of Faith Video Devotional

This week's Shield of Faith video devotional is brought to you by one of my dearest, and oldest friend's, Shannon Simmons. Shannon and I went to college at the University of New Mexico, where we played Division 1 volleyball together. Shannon was one of the only Christians on the team; and without her friendship, encouragement, strength and wisdom, I would not have been able to make it through those 5 years.

Shannon knows who she is in Christ, and I feel as though she has always known this Truth. That divine confidence burns brightly and shapes her magnetic personality. She is fun, joyful, and truly has the gift of wisdom. Believe me... if you are hard pressed to see a situation rationally- Shannon's the girl you call.

Detox & Nourish: The Skin

Detoxing from toxic skin & body care products
Nourishing the largest organ in our body with clean products and effective beauty routines

Our skin is our body's shield from the world we live in. In addition to keeping everything covered up and safe, it is also the largest exit portal for toxicity. When you take good care of your skin, you will not only look and feel better, but you will help your body release toxins- which will impact your overall health.

So, what we put on our skin matters!!

In fact, everything you put on your hair, skin, face etc. gets into your bloodstream and affects your overall system- much like the food and water we put in our bodies. God created our bodies with a remarkable ability to cleanse and detoxify itself. However our environment, food and beauty products have become so toxic, that our bodies sometimes have a hard time keeping up. When this occurs, we suffer from symptoms of toxic overload. Here are a few common symptoms that are associated with toxic overload in the body:

skin problems
allergies or food sensitivities
bad breath, body odor, foul smelling gas/stools
depression, anxiety, mood swings
constipation, diarrhea, irregular bowel movements
excess weight- that you are unable to lose
headaches

The list is long, so I won't bore you.

But here's what I want to know: Have you taken a look at the ingredients in your beauty products? Could you be poisoning yourself every day without even knowing it?

In my opinion, the less ingredients a food item or a beauty product has the better.

STAY AWAY FROM ANYTHING WITH THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS:

Parabens
Synthetic Colors
Fragrances, or Perfumes
Phthalates
Triclosan
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) / Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)
Formaldehyde
Toluene
Mineral or petroleum oil

Now that I've got your attention-

Do this simple beauty secret that is guaranteed to nourish your skin and help alleviate toxic overload in the biggest organ of your body:

DRY BRUSHING

Dry brushing is an ancient Ayurvedic technique that exfoliates the skin, stimulates the lymphatic system, improves the detoxification system and helps with the appearance of cellulite. It's like an expensive spa treatment without the expensive spa!

You will need a stiff bristled skin brush (like the one in the picture above). Before getting in the shower, starting at your feet (using a swift stroke with as much pressure as you can stand) sweep up in long strokes toward your heart. Once your legs are finished, do your arms, starting with your fingers and brushing toward the heart. Then, brush a couple of strokes down your neck and chest. Brush clockwise on your abdomen and with upward strokes on your back. This will create an amazing and revitalizing feeling throughout your body. You've just electrified your circulation and aided your detoxification system in the body. Know this... the first time you do it, you may be shocked at the sensation- but it becomes therapeutic before long.

Now, it's time to nourish. I LOVE to use sesame oil to soothe and feed the skin. It doesn't smell so great, but it is superfood yumminess to the skin. (Sweet almond oil, avocado oil etc. works good too) Apply the oil from the feet up- in the same way you conducted the dry brushing.

Then, hop in the shower. Use a very pure soap- with as few as ingredients as you can find. I like Kiss My Face brand's Olive Oil Soap with lavender essential oil. It only has 4-5 ingredients! The soap pictured above is my homemade lavender soap- let me know if you want some. ;0)

Wash as usual, apply a CLEAN lotion- one without all of the crap listed above and go on with your life. Do this beauty routine up to 3 times a week, and I promise you'll notice a difference.

Weekly Workout:

Do this week's workout with Amber and Shannon, or take this graphic with you to the gym.

Let us know what you think of our workouts & devos on our Facebook page, or on our Vimeo account.

Recipe of the Week: Roasted Vegetable Chili:
1 to 3 – yellow squash
2 1/2 – cups eggplant
1 – small onion
1 – yellow bell pepper
1 – tbsp olive oil
2 – cloves garlic minced
1 – can Rotel tomatoes
2 – can 15oz kidney beans
2- 14 oz can tomato sauce

Chop first four ingredients and put in 9 X 13 pan. Add garlic and olive oil and toss to coat well. Roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove and add all ingredients to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add a dash of cayenne pepper for a little extra heat and a cup of vegetable broth (or homemade bone broth) because it does get a little thick.

*** Just a quick note on the bone broth: This past week, I visited my hand surgeon (3 weeks post surgery) to have my cast switched out. He was so pleased with the way that my tendon was healing that he allowed me to go straight to a removable splint. I was supposed to be in a cast for at least another 3 weeks, but PRAYER and (I believe) my bone broth consumption accelerated my recovery. Praise & glory to God first and foremost; He is the Great Physician. And, if you want to better support the connective tissue, immune system and gut in your own body, check out the bone broth recipe at the bottom of my Nutrition Powerhouses blog.

"Looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2),

Amber

Week 5: The Sheild of Faith