How to Whiten Your Teeth with ARC Smile

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ARC. All opinions are 100% mine.

A beautiful smile has the ability to brighten any room and draw others in. A smile can make others feel at ease, welcomed, and loved. It can create an atmosphere of warmth and kindness. One thing I’ve always tried to do is take good care of my smile-from regular brushing, flossing, and dentist visits-but also keeping my smile white no matter how much black coffee or red wine I drink (because we all know I love wine and coffee!).

Never having had my teeth professionally whitened, I knew I wanted to find a solution that actually works. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been using my ARC Smile Whitening Pen from Target and it’s been so convenient and easy to use!

Ingredients that work

The scientists behind ARC Smile wanted to create a product that stood for confidence without the nonsense of products that claimed to whiten teeth-but didn’t actually work. That’s why they only use ingredients that are clinically proven to whiten teeth and remove surface stains.

How I’ve been Using it

I have been using the ARC Smile Whitening Pen twice a day-once in the morning and then again in the evening. It is so simple because you just easily brush it on your teeth, let it dry for 60 seconds, and then avoid eating or drinking for just one hour afterward. It is easy to just incorporate into your daily brushing routine and see your smile transformed. Furthermore, it hasn’t hurt or irritated my teeth at all-just brightened up my smile!

ARC Smile also has white strips that are easily applied for thirty minutes. The last five minutes you use the ARC Blue Light and then remove the white strips to reveal your whiter smile!

Every smile has a story- and ARC Smile has created a product that is building confidence in others by brightening smiles everywhere. A smile has the ability to transform a day. So share your smile with others! One of my favorite quotes is that if you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours. I would love to know-what is the story behind your smile? Tell me in the comments! You can get ARC at Target and begin transforming your smile now!

How I Pray

How I Pray
A feeling of dread gripped her as her small group began “popcorn style” prayer. Everyone’s prayers seemed so much more inspired than hers.

She didn’t really know how to pray. Whenever she prayed, it would usually just trail off into nothing or she would become distracted by the whistle of her iPhone. She waited for a lull to interject a prayer she had been mulling over for the last 15 minutes. But then the worst thing happened—the awkward two-voices-beginning-a-prayer-in-unison, and then the even more uncomfortable, “No, no, you go.” She let the other guy pray his prayer. Feelings of shame and frustration welled up inside her as she wondered, how do you even pray?

I don’t know if any of you have had a similar experience to the one above, but I know I have. Growing up in the church and going to a private high school, I learned the “Christian lingo” pretty rapidly. I figured out what phrases would get the most “mmms” or “amens.” I would throw those bad boys into my prayer to get a little spiritual ego boost, not because I genuinely felt or believed them.

But then I experienced the power of the gospel, and I realized prayer is our way of communicating with our Father.

And He wants to hear us.

He wants to hear genuine prayers.

He wants us to talk to Him. And because we are His children, we can boldly approach His throne (Hebrews 4:16). Once I figured that out, I realized I had been going about this whole prayer thing completely wrong. Let’s examine exactly how Jesus says to pray and His example of prayerfulness throughout His life.


PRAY SIMPLY


When teaching His disciples how to pray, Jesus gives several prescriptions on how to pray and how not to pray. The first thing He says not to do is, “Do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7). So often, we dress up our prayers to look more spiritual to those around us. God knows what is on our hearts (Matthew 6:8).

He just wants us to bring it to Him in honest, humble, and simple prayers.

There is no need to impress. God has already determined your worth by defeating death to make you His own. You already have the best approval of all—the approval of the Creator of the universe—and you are His child.


UPWARD, INWARD, AND OUTWARD


Throughout the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6, Jesus gives a pattern we can imitate. Jesus uses direction to focus His prayers in a few different ways.
The first is an upward focus:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

Jesus focuses on God’s character, His holiness, His kingdom, and His will. He begins with worship. He acknowledges a submission to the Father’s will above His own.

Then He shifts His focus inward:

Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts…

He asks the Father for sustenance. He isn’t afraid to boldly ask. This demonstrates a humility and dependence on the Father and total deference to Him. This inward focus includes reflecting on our own hearts—where do we need forgiveness? Where do we need to seek forgiveness?

Lastly, His focus is outward:

…as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Consider the pronouns Jesus uses during this outward shift. He uses we, our, and us. Jesus is praying for others.

Does your prayer life follow this pattern? As I was considering this, I realized my prayer life is extremely self-centered. I needed to spend more time praising God for His character and praying for those around me.


PRAY SCRIPTURE


One of the most enriching and transformative things we can do is actively pray through Scripture.

Go line by line. Just read it, and then pray that you would be able to apply it and it would transform your heart.

Martin Luther used to do this. He said that when you read the Scriptures, “your first duty is to begin to pray.” Here is a practical example of how you can walk through the Lord’s prayer, praying through each line:

“Our Father in heaven”
Thank you for being my Father. Thank you for calling me your own. Help me remember that identity when the world is telling me my identity is in appearance, approval, grades, or achievement.

“Hallowed be your name”
God, your name is holy—you are set apart. You are worthy of all glory, honor, and praise because you are perfect. Teach my heart to remember you are holy.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done”
God, I pray that I would desire your kingdom to come. Help me desire your will over my own.

Oftentimes, I set my alarm for a set amount of time, flip my phone over, and just start praying through a particular passage until my timer goes off. You will be amazed how much God can teach through that time of prayer and being immersed in His Word.

God has made us His own.

Because we are His children, we have direct access to our Father anytime we want.

Prayer is an open line of communication—He wants to hear from us.

Prayer helps us actively live out our identity as sons and daughters of the King. As we pray to our Father, our delight in Him increases and we experience a deeper, more joyful intimacy with Him. It’s my hope and prayer we become people of prayer-women who are utterly dependent on Christ. Drop me a DM or comment if you have other helpful tips on how we should pray!

Love ya like a sister-

Rach

Waterl<ss: My Secret to Going a Week Without Washing My Hair

Waterl<ss: My Secret to Going a Week Without Washing My Hair

This post is sponsored by Waterl<ss.

If you are anything like me, then you dread washing your hair because you know a long, damaging session with the blow dryer looms before you.

I’ve tried many a hair product to maximize the time between washes, but I haven’t found one that compares to Waterl<ss. If you’re not familiar with Waterl<ss, it’s a hair care company based out of Cape Town, South Africa created by a small group of scientists who wanted to create non-wash products that actually work. They put the products to the test during the water crisis in early 2018! I love partnering with brands that have awesome principals, and Waterl<ss celebrates diversity with lines for all different hair types. They are also passionate about water conservation! Their three-step system to maximizing the time between washes is so effective because it makes your hair look, feel, and even smell fresh-like you washed your hair that day. They want your hair to look just as good on day three as it does on day one. You know me, I go 4, sometimes even a full week without washing my hair. I do it using Waterl<ss’ full regimen of products. Also-think about this-the less you wash your hair, the less damaging heat you put on it. I am convinced this has helped my hair grow so long and healthy.

Making your hair look clean

Waterl<ss’ first step is their dry shampoo. Their No Residue dry shampoo stands out above the rest because there is no residue. You know how some dry shampoos leave your hair looking grey or chalky? Waterl<ss has absolutely zero of that. My roots are a light brown/dark blonde and so I am always cognizant of that-I mean who wants to walk around with grey roots?! Waterl<ss has solved this problem and simply leaves your roots looking clean.

Making your hair feel clean

You know that feeling after you deep condition your hair? The ends are soft and smooth. It’s hard to get that feeling without actually deep conditioning your hair. I know usually around day 2-3 of me forgoing washing my hair the ends begin to get a little brittle. But Waterl<ss has developed such a great solution to that! Their Weightless Smooth dry conditioner leaves your hair shiny, smooth, and soft-feeling like you just deep conditioned it. I always apply the dry conditioner to the mid shaft of the hair down to the ends, avoiding my roots or places near the top of my scalp.

Making your hair smell clean

Your girl loves to work out. I work out every single day. I also love hiking and pretty much doing anything active. But I don’t want to have to wash my hair every single time I work out-if I did that I would be spending an hour a day blow drying-nobody’s got time for that! Waterl<ss’ third and final step is their hair fragrance. This makes your hair smell fresh and clean without being overly “perfumey.”

Waterl<ss’ system has completely transformed how much heat I use on my hair and how often I need to wash it. Their products are so effective and thoughtful. I love being able to go hiking or work out knowing I can go without having to wash my hair afterwards. Their three-step system has perfected making your hair look, feel, and smell so fresh and clean!

The Waterl<ss Collection is available online at Target!

Five Ways to Overcome Shame

Five Ways to Overcome Shame

I don’t know about you guys, but I am a wallower.

 

Whenever I make a mistake, I will beat myself up for hours or even days. Conviction hits me hard. It’s really probably one of my most annoying qualities. All my friends have told me to never, ever wake them up before 9 am. Whenever I am feeling guilty of something, I always have to confess in the early hours of the morning. The Holy Spirit convicts us after we have sinned and that is a good thing: it keeps us in check and makes us continue to walk with God when we’ve strayed. But here’s the thing: we don’t have to feel guilty after we have repented or turned away from our sin. I want to share some truth with you that I need constant reminding of also.

1. YOU ARE SET FREE IN CHRIST

Jesus’ blood has covered you. You are set free from the bondage of sin. You don’t have to continue berating yourself after you have confessed and repented of your sin. Let it go and focus on how you can live your life to honor God instead of analyzing your past mistakes. Dwelling on your past mistakes doesn’t do you any good and it actually minimizes Jesus’ death and resurrection in your mind. Believe that the cross is bigger than your sin, because it is. Once you repent, keep your eyes focused onward and upward. Don’t live in the guilt and shame of your past mistakes, Christ has covered you sister!

2. REMEMBER THAT GOD USES SINNERS

Whenever I open up Psalms, I thank God that He used David. If you are not familiar with his story, David was a “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) who messed up royally. He committed adultery and then murdered to cover up his sin. I know God used someone like David on purpose: to show us that God can use anyone. God uses sinners and even sinners like David can still have a heart after God. It’s more about God’s grace and glory than it is about us anyway-God loves to work through broken and messed up people just like us.

3. WE’RE ONLY HUMAN

One thing to remember is that we’re all on this life journey together. No matter how godly or perfect someone may seem, every single one of us messes up. Everyone has fallen short of God’s grace. There is nothing we can ever do to deserve it. We will make mistakes, even if we are trying with everything we have to walk with the Lord. We are imperfect people.

4. LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES

It’s important to recognize when you’ve messed up and make changes. I know in college, I literally made the same mistakes over and over again. I kept on messing up and then running to God because I felt convicted. Once you’ve made a mistake, put up barriers to help you not make that same mistake. Ask a trusted friend who loves the Lord to hold you accountable to remind you of the power of the gospel. Let your conviction teach you. Remember-God calls us to repentance through kindness-not shame or guilt.

5. GUILT ISN’T ALWAYS HEALTHY

There is a natural conviction that you should feel after you have stepped outside of God’s will. That conviction brings you back to Him and makes you change. But if you have confessed and repented from your sin, then the enemy might be using your guilt as a weapon. I know when I have really messed up, little thoughts creep into my mind and tell me that I am not worthy of God’s love or make me doubt my calling.

These are lies.

God can handle any sin you throw His way. And the cross has already covered it.

It doesn’t matter how huge it is.

He can handle it.

Recognize these lies from the enemy and remind yourself of Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” Whenever you feel guilt about a past sin, remember that you are forgiven.

We all make mistakes. It’s part of being human. The Holy Spirit will use conviction bring us back to Him. But once you have confessed and repented, don’t continue beating yourself up over a past sin you can’t change.

Instead, look to the future.

See how God can use those past mistakes to bring him glory. You are not tethered to that sin anymore because you are set free in Christ. His blood has completely redeemed you! I am unbelievably thankful for that freedom we have in Christ.

-Rach

How to Use Sin to Draw Closer to God

How to Use Sin to Draw Closer to God
Have you ever done something wrong and felt so awful and convicted that you thought you were beyond the salvation of Christ? Have you ever done something and then the next few days had a horrible feeling in your stomach and felt so disgusted about it that you felt like you could get sick at any second?

 

If you’ve ever felt this way, I have some great news for you. You are free from sin through Christ.
Any sin.
Every sin.
All sin.
Once you have realized your brokenness and accepted God’s gift of salvation through His Son, you are set free from all condemnation.
This is liberating.
This is exciting.
This is life changing.

But that feeling of the weight of your sin still won’t go away. You still feel convicted. I am going to go through some helpful pointers to remind you of your identity and some truths that should never be forgotten.

  1. A CHRISTIAN’S LIFE IS NOT MARKED BY SINLESSNESS, BUT BY REPENTANCE

Being a Christian does not magically mean you will never sin again. 1 John:8-9 states, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to forgive us from all unrighteousness.”

In fact the closer you get to the Lord, the more aware of your sin you will be. That means God will shed the light on sins that you used to think may not have mattered as much. Martin Luther said it best, “All of life is repentance.” As a Christian, you will mess up. And you will mess up bad. But the difference is having a repentant heart. That means turning away from the sin and looking to the cross.

2. YOUR SIN IS A CATALYST FOR WORSHIPPING JESUS

So you messed up again. You did that thing you PROMISED yourself you would never do again. You got convicted, prayed, and repented of the sin.

Now what?

Now you praise God for His unending mercy and grace for covering that sin by sending His perfect Son to die for you. Your sin reveals how much you desperately need God and revives a thankfulness within you to praise His Name all the more. Jesus is our advocate. He fights for us. 1 John 2:1-2 states, “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.” He loves us.

3. YOUR FAITH IS STRONG BECAUSE OF WHO YOU TRUST IN

Your faith is rooted in the everlasting, all-powerful, all knowing God. That is where your faith gets its strength. It doesn’t get it from you being able to “be good” or follow every rule perfectly. If it was dependent upon that, you would fail. But no, your faith is derived from GOD. That is where it’s strength is from, not you. So you don’t have to fear because His love never fails (Psalm 136:1).

4. THERE IS HOPE

There will be a time when we are reunited with our Lord. At that time, all our sinfulness will be stripped away and we will be in perfect union with Him once more. Revelation 22:5 states, “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and the Lamb of God will be in it and the servants will worship Him. […] And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

We live in a broken world. We are sinful people who will mess up over and over again. But the mark of a believer is one who repents and is reminded of God’s salvation through His Son and praises the Lord through that trial. Whenever you sin, praise God for His unending and overflowing mercy that covers your life.

-Rachel