Why You Should Stop Letting Instagram Control Your Life

Why You Should Stop Letting Instagram Control Your Life
The two friends analyzed the picture, brows furrowed in concentration.

“But do you think it’s Instagram worthy?” asked the taller of the two. Her small, brunette friend grabbed her iPhone and held it close to her eyes, scrutinizing every detail.
“Yeah, for sure. Your hair looks awesome. Plus that app we found to add makeup makes your skin flawless, you will definitely get at least 200 likes.”
Triumphant, the willowy blonde hit share.
The next hour was marred with compulsive glances at her phone.

She bit her lip, she had only gotten 24 likes and it had been up for 45 minutes: an awful like-to-minute ratio.

She turned to her friend, “Should I take it down? I’ve barely even gotten any likes. How many people have already seen it? Do you think people will notice if I take it down at this point?”
Her friend fell silent, a sympathetic look crossing her face.

We have have the need to feel loved, to feel accepted. Deep within our souls, we long for validation.

We want to be liked.

That longing is normal. I mean, who doesn’t want to feel loved or cared about? The rise of social media has made of all highly aware of just of how popular we are among our peers. The number of likes you get on a picture, the number of followers you have on Instagram, or the number of views you get on your snap story has enabled us to quantitatively determine our popularity.
I know I’ve struggled with this.
The scenario I described above is pretty much a conversation I’ve had with my friends countless times. It’s only been over the past year that I’ve realized that the number of likes I get or the number of followers I have does not determine my worth. In fact, it has zero correlation with my worth.

My worth is found in Christ.
Your worth is found in Christ.
He never changes.
He never gives up on you.

Isn’t that truth so much better than finding your value in the hands of the social media landscape? Whose whims change on a daily basis?

We all have that need to be accepted.

The need is rooted deep within us.

It stems for our need for Christ. Our souls long for completion through an intimate relationship with Him. It’s actually not really about the number of likes, views, or followers.

It’s something much, much deeper than that.

What you truly want is to be accepted and loved unconditionally.

To be fully known and fully accepted.

To lay yourself bare, flaws and all, with every facade stripped away, to have every horrible thing you have ever done exposed-and still accepted and embraced.

That is shocking, compelling, and radical love.

That type of love and acceptance can only come from having a relationship with the Creator of the Universe, who loves you regardless of your Instagram following. Whenever I struggle with my identity I always recall 1 John 3:1, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” And that is what we are!
We are children of God.

Just let that sink in for a second.
When you walk around with that kind of power at the forefront of your mind, does it really matter how many people have viewed your Instagram Story?
Jesus Christ died for you.

When you are armed with that truth, who cares if you get 15 likes or 1500?

Social Media can be a really good thing. It’s fun to share exciting things happening in your life with your friends. And it can connect friends from all around the world, building friendships and connections has never been easier.

But it can be a negative thing when it controls what you do or when you compulsively check to phone to monitor the number of likes you receive. I challenge you to examine your relationship with social media. Does it dictate what you do? Do you find yourself tying your identity with who likes your picture? Or how well a post performs?

Instead of being focused on your social media accounts, dig into the word of God, grow into your identity as the daughter of the Most High. Spend time praying and drawing near to Him. He promises, “you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Find a good book that challenges and grows you as a Christian. Understand that your worth stems from Him and Him alone.

We’re in this together sister,

Rach

Spring Wedding Guest Dresses Under $50

Spring Wedding Guest Dresses Under $50
Wedding season is officially here! And that means different dress codes and different outfits for each wedding.

That can be daunting-sometimes the dress code being more casual to others being black tie! It can also get pretty pricey as you shell out cash for each different wedding. So don’t worry girlfriend-I have compiled a list of my favorite wedding guest styles and they’re all under $50 so you can look bougie on a budget!

1. Daisy Print Maxi Dress

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2. Floral Maxi Dress

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3. Pleated Maxi Dress

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4. Feminine Pants Set

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5. Floral Mini Dress

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6. Gingham Print Mini Dress

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7. Floral Tie Maxi

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There ya go! I hope you enjoyed this guide to inexpensive wedding guest dress ideas! I am all about finding great styles for a deal. Let me know if you liked it by commenting below!

LYLAS

Rach

Most Instagrammable Places Around LA

Most Instagrammable Places Around LA
So you’ve booked your ticket to La La Land-you’re completely ready to go. As you google “awesome spots in LA” you feel the daunting task looming before you.

This city is HUGE.

And there are about 1,000 different ways you can fill your three day weekend and you want to create some awesome content and have a great time.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worried girlfriend, I got chu.

I’ve detailed all the places I went for my LA trip last February so you don’t have to worry complete with exact addresses so you can find htem!

We stayed in West Hollywood near Melrose so most of these places weren’t crazy hard to get to and traffic wasn’t as bad as I expected or heard! Alright, lets dive right in!

1. Paul Smith Wall

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I have seen many pink walls in my day and this one is crazy awesome. It gets super packed though, so I would recommend coming early in the morning otherwise there will be a huge line formed outside it. It is also better for lighting and shadows if you come in the morning! Its located at 8221 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

2. Beverly Hills Hotel

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This historical hotel not only has a beautiful aesthetic, but just an amazing vibe and is a staple to the Beverly Hills community. It definitely makes for some amazing photo ops, but I would recommend exploring inside if you have time! It is located at 9641 Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

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3. Rows of Palm Trees in Beverly Hills

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There are not many places you can get rows and rows of palm trees AND the Hollywood Sign in the background! This is one of these unique locations. It is a super quiet residential area so not many people even know this location exists! Quite the find my friends. The location is on Windsor Blvd between 4th and 5th streets.

4. LACMA

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LACMA is stunningly beautiful. The art is phenomenal and definitely makes for some lovely captures! I recommend going first thing because this one gets very crowded as well! It is located at 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

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5. Venice Beach

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This is one of the most iconic photo ops in California and it doesn’t disappoint. Tons of people are attempting to get the same capture as you, so keep that in mind, and you kind of have to stand in the middle of the street to get it. I would definitely recommend going in the morning to make this easier. We went at the busiest time though and we still got some amazing shots! It is possible just more difficult! It is located at Pacific Ave & Windward Ave, Venice, CA 90291

6. Santa Monica Pier

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I recommend doing Venice Beach and Santa Monica together because they are so close! Santa Monica has such an awesome vibe. Literally just walking around you’re going to get some awesome captures. I also recommend renting a bike and just cruising! It is located at 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA 90401

7. Bluestone Lane Flower Shop

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If you know me at all you know I love adore flowers and I run on copious amount of coffee! So this place is my jam. Beautiful flowers and an amazing aesthetic. It is located at 8100 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048 (there are several but this is where we shot).

8. Disneyland

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This is such a no brainer! The happiest place on earth is without a doubt going to yield the best captures! If I could go to Disneyland every single day I for sure would! I love love love Disney!

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9. The Hollywood Sign

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Want a Hollywood Sign pic but maybe not really into hiking?! Don’t worry girl, I got you! Travel up to this location all the way and there will be parking and you just have to walk a short distance to get your capture with the sign! It’s also such a beautiful drive into the Hills of Hollywood! The location is 3160 Canyon Lake Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90068

That’s it girlfriend! That is my overview of all the Most Instagrammable Places around LA! if you have a place that I missed, please let me know! La La Land is such a wonderful place and there are way too many amazing photo ops! These just happened to be my favorite!

LYLAS

Rach