The Quiet Place

Founders Note: Today on the blog we have  Livy who is the founder of crown of beauty magazine. It's coming out this Friday so be sure to check it out and use the promo code: thequietplace to buy it! Unless you've been living in a cave for the past fifteen years of your life, or dwell on an Amish farm out in the hilly countryside, you've probably noticed the way in which the media has a special gift for making girls feel ugly and inadequate. We've all suffered through those nauseating T.V. advertisements in which an underwear model poses, pursing her pouty lips, as her hair blows wildly from a fan. After watching such ads I roll my eyes and try not to laugh. I mean, how lame do the marketers think that I am?! (It's like those drug advertisements that list the deadly side effects, such as hearing loss or your nose falling off, while they show happy old couples flying kites, and walking puppy dogs.) I'm sure you've picked up on the trend in many teen magaz

This weekend I took my roommates to my hometown to show them around and have some time away from school. Last night when we got back we were greeted by our roommates and friends sitting at the dining room table. After we settled in, we joined them for apple cider, pie, and good company. We got to talking and the Lord used my new friends to tell me a few things.... Namely... Hillary, YOU ARE LOVED! <3 God As a perfectionist, getting past my sins to where grace lives is quite a challenge most days. Grasping grace is difficult for me. I think it's because it isn't a logical concept. Logically, by earth standards, no one would let someone hurt them over and over and over and over and over and over and over again AND still say I love you, I forgive you, come home to me. YET, that is is EXACTLY what Christ says to us. It is incomprehensible that the God who made me would let me treat him that way and then forgive me. I just don't get how he has that much love

Tonight it seems like my heart is in pieces. Each piece spread across the world in different places where I wish I could be with friends and family. Especially as the stress of the semester sets in, I long for my friends to be near. There is an ache in my heart that wishes I could be back in the college dorm surrounded by my closest friends who were always at arms length to comfort and encourage me.  It has been difficult being so far away and it feels like my heart has been broken up into little pieces and spread apart. I long everyday for these pieces to be put back together again.  The reality of it is my friends are far away. We're growing up and moving to new places with new jobs, and significant others.  Though I know that we will ultimately be united in Heaven with Christ, tonight my heart yearns to be near them.  This is what it must have been like for Paul and the other disciples to be apart. Deepest of friends, yet their purpose was to go their own way

I AM  in His hands. In His  hands I am FORGIVEN . I am SET FREE . I HAVE PURPOSE . I have a place. I am VERY  loved.  Ephesians 2:8 - 9 For it is by grace  you have been saved,  through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—   not by works,  so that no one can boast. THIS  is my identity through Christ.

Founders Note: Today on the blog we have Vanessa who is the founder and writer of the blog   A Journey To God . She sent us her post via email and once we read it we told her we were definitely going to use it! Today she is sharing her heart on this months theme Identity in Christ. Be sure to check out her blog at the links below!  When I consider who I am in Christ, the first thing that always comes to mind is how he renamed me with his Mercy.  Throughout my adulthood, I had carried with me the guilt of my sin. I wore shame like a badge of honor. I believed I must do this so that I could atone for my failings. I often said that my greatest disappointment was not being perfect. Being that I thought I was suffering my sins in private, meant that I also made terrible choices. Who could make a good choice while covered in guilt and shame? Who could be kind, when you are constantly beating yourself up? Having burdened myself with guilt, I had little room for forgiveness and mercy. Si

The verse above so beautifully captures our theme for this month: Identity in Christ. And it also captures the mission of this blog,  "encouraging young women to find rest in God". When I saw this verse the other day, i was reminded of the importance of finding rest in God each and every day.  The world tells us that that we should find our identity in things and the people around us. It tells that we should strive to find our worth in peoples opinions. But sisters, those are all lies.  As we as christian women strive to find that rest in God it is important that we remember that when we rest in the shelter of his arms it a "safe place" and that is where we find our identity in him. The song, "Oceans" by Hillsong united has resonated in my heart this week, The words--" Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander  And my faith will be made stronger.  In the presence of my Savior"  These words encouraged me to take my faith deeper

Today the Lord spoke to me through this blog  post  titled " Come to Me all Who are Weary " written by Vanessa.  For me, reading Vanessa's words were like hearing Jesus speak right to my heart. He's telling me to forgive myself because he forgives me, because he loves me with an everlasting love. Even now I can feel those words pierce love into my heart that I can't shut out, nor do I wish to. It's that love of Jesus that I have been missing lately. Yet, here in the midst of My Wilderness, Jesus meets me and leads me by the hand back onto the path. Even when I am unaware that I've wandered off, he has found me and brought me home.  The part of Vanessa's post that hit me the most was this... " But once she has nothing, I’ll be able to get through to her.    “I’ll entice her and lead her out into the wilderness where we can be alone, and I’ll speak right to her heart and try to win her back.” (Hosea 2:14) What will it take for you, dear

  Founders Note: Today on the blog we have Courtney from  Titus 2 Minutes . She sent us her post via email, and once we read it, we told her we were definitely going to use it!  She is also one of our sponsors this month, so be sure to check out her blog at the links below! Today she is sharing her heart on this months theme Identity in Christ.   The other day I had lunch with my grandma and she asked me what new lessons the Lord has been teaching me  and what sweet mercies I have been experiencing since being married. (For those of you who don’t know, I have been married to the most wonderful man I know for eight lovely months now!) After pondering that deep question for a minute, I replied that what I have been learning is that my identity is found in Christ. You see, for the first time in my life, I am not working toward anything specifically for me. I am not working at finishing college, I am not working to build my savings, I am not traveling so I can experience other culture

Psalm 102:25 As I read this verse earlier this weekend, i was encouraged that we are all the work of his hands. In Genesis it says that we were formed from dust. Think about that for a minute, God made you and I out of dust. As it says in Isaiah 64:8, "Yet you, Lord, are our Father.We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." The world tells us that constantly that we aren't good enough, or we don't measure up. But those are all lies. Because God tells us we are the work of his hands. We are the work of his hand. think about that for a minute. God formed us just like a potter forms clay, he formed us into something beautiful, despite our brokenness or our sin, he calls us his, he says-"you are mine" As I was thinking about that verse this weekend, I was reminded just how precious we are in his sight. We are worth it to him, and nothing we say or do can change that. God continually shapes us into the women that he call

[This photo was taken the other day with my i-phone, and yes I do live here!] (Do not copy) The verse above reminds me that no matter what I can always find my hope in him. As women we are told to let others define not only us but our happiness as well. We are told to find out worth in the things of this world: success, money...etc. We are also told that without these things we cannot be happy. But God is telling us something completely different in the verse above, he tells us that our hope is an anchor for the soul, and that we can find ourselves in him. God calls us to be anchored in him, just as Hebrews 6:19 says. When we are "anchored" in God, then we do not drift off into the water, we are safe, we are secured in his love. When we are anchored in our faith we are able to put him first. Because let's face it, without him we would just be drifting off into the middle of the water not knowing where to go next. So sisters, always be anchored in him and rest in

So yesterday I linked up with our monthly contributor Kiki and this months the circle topic is two truths and lie. You can find the first post  here , be sure to read that before you read this one. So here are they are again: 1. I went zip lining in south Africa 2. I have never dyed my hair 3. I've held a baby lion. So number two is the lie: "I have never dyed my hair". But in fact, I have dyed my hair  it is currently a really dark brown and I love it!  It's something I started doing a while ago, I've never had any crazy colors, pretty much the same color.  Number one and three are true, I went to South Africa in January of 2011 and while I was there I went zip lining and I got to hold a baby lion. Zip lining was so fun, it was beautiful to see the tops of the trees from that far up, it's definitely something that I will never forget. I shared my experience helping in a soup kitchen while I was there here .   So there you have it. Were y

So today we are linking up with one of our wonderful monthly contributors, Kiki from  In It's Time . If you have not checked out her blog, you should cause she's pretty great! Anyways, today's The circle topic is two truths and a lie, so here are mine: ( Britney)  1. I went zip lining in south Africa 2. I have never dyed my hair 3. I've held a baby lion. So there you have it, theres my two truths and a lie. Now your job is to guess which one is a lie and which of them are true. Be sure to comment below with your answers. And be sure to stop by Kiki's blog and link up!

Founders Note: Today on the blog we one of our monthly contributors Kiki, from In it's Time . Be sure to find out more about her on our about page  here . She is sharing her heart on this months theme Identity in Christ. So we hope you are encouraged! And be sure to check out her blog, cause it's awesome!  When I first heard that this month's topic is on our Identity in Christ, my mind immediately went to this poster I found on Pinterest a few months ago. Created for Donald Miller's blog, Storyline, this poster is full of just a few of the identities we can claim as children of God. We are beloved, we are His children, we are forgiven, and never alone. We are wonderfully (and beautifully) made, we are whole, we are new, and we are adopted, too. That's quite a long list, isn't it? But it's such a good one. One filled with hope, with encouragement, comfort, and security. Sisters, we are all of those things in that list and so much more. It

Merriam Webster dictionary defines identity as: the qualities, beliefs, etc., that make a particular person or group different from others. We are all in seasons of life, and while we are in those seasons we often define ourselves by them. Especially those of us who are in a season of singleness, the world says that we should not be ashamed of our singleness, but, we should see this time in our lives as a gift. As a time to grow in our relationship with God, and to keep on putting him first. Psalm 139:14 is a great reminder that we are fearfully and wonderfully made in him and that our identity should be found in him and not the world. But the truth is sisters, that no matter what season of life God has us in, we are still fearfully and wonderfully made in him. No matter the season we are in, we are there for a purpose. And while we are in that season, we should find joy in it even if it's hard. For me, my current season of singleness has been hard at times, and yes, som

Do you have someone in your life who just lights everything up? Who is always full of God's Joy and aware of his amazing grace? I am so thankful that I do. Today I would like to give a shout out to my good friend Katy. She has a heart full of Jesus and a joy that fills the world. Recently she has followed God to Ireland to fulfill his plan for her there. Her life brings hope to me as I watch her passionately follow after the heart God has given her. I know that her life brings hope and joy to everyone around her and I hope that you will read along with me about her adventures in Ireland & Beyond at  http://katyleota.tumblr.com/ . Her words are sure to change you. An Original Painting by Katy Please Don't Copy

But God, with the  unfathomable  richness of His love and mercy focused on us,  united us with the Anointed One and infused our lifeless souls with life—even though we were buried under mountains of sin—and saved us by His grace. Ephesians 2:4-5 (The VOICE) For the month of October our theme here at The Quiet Place is Identity In Christ. When I first began writing this post, it was my intention to share with you how we are to find our identity in Christ. However, as I searched for verses and other articles on the topic, it isn't my own words that I want to share with you all tonight. Instead, it is the words of a woman who has overcome, who has fought many battles, and yet owns her victory through Christ every single day.  Tonight soak up the words and testimony of this faithful women... Find Her Story Here

Founders Note: Today on the blog we have one of our monthly contributors, Charity from the word of a nerd. Find out more about her  here  on our about page. She is sharing her heart on prayer!  When something in my day went wrong I either A. Called my mom, B. Called my husband, or C. Vegged out watching TV. Neither A B or C would actually help to fix what went wrong, nor could they give me the peace that I need when I am frustrated, but those were the things that I was always programmed to do. I received a false sense of security relying on people or things to ease my trouble. A while ago I had been having a really rough day from the time I woke up. I tried all three of my lifelines and they were all preoccupied with other things. My mother and my husband were busy working, and there was no access to TV where I was. I had relied on these lifelines to help me so often that when they failed even if only once I was livid. I ranted on my moms voice mail, and texted my husband urging hi

According to dictionary.com,  Self Worth  is  the sense of one's own value as a person.   In other words, self worth is how we see our personal value.  How do you see your own value as a person? Do you feel that you have value? What gives you your value? How do you define your value?  After answering these questions for yourself, maybe you feel the need for some assistance in the area of Self Worth. Then you came to the right place ;) Below are just some of the verses that demonstrate how much God values you.  Titus 3:5 He came to save us. It’s not that  we earned it  by doing good works or righteous deeds; He came because He is merciful. He brought us  out of our old ways of living  to a new beginning through the washing of regeneration; and He made us completely new through the Holy Spirit, God brought us salvation because "He is merciful" meaning that God brought us salvation because he chose to show us mercy. Therefore, God shows us mercy because we