My Pursuit For BEAUTY

For the past 5 - 6 months or so, I have taken up the priority to have a healthy body. I lost some needed weight and started a healthier lifestyle. I exercise several times a week and maintain a healthy eating habit. People always ask me how I lost the weight and what I did. My answer is always - DISCIPLINE! Hard to do! Sometimes when I answer that question I feel like I am answering like this - HELLTHY LIFESTYLE! It's hard! However, so rewarding and not only do I feel better, I feel like I have accomplished something and that discipline over food and my health has led to a considerable increase in my spiritual discipline, too!

Anyway, the reason that I am writing this post is not to give you some health inspiration or trainer tips. It's because I have learned so much along the way. I started this "health kick" out of insecurity. I felt fat and disgusting and hated the mirror. I felt unworthy and I already felt sorry for my future husband. I did not feel beautiful or enthralling in any way, not just physically, but not in any way. I felt like a failure as a woman. I always had a picture of what I assumed beauty was. I pictured a beautiful woman to be graceful, elegant, gentle, tender, poised, slender, and toned. I pictured her to be soft-spoken and fun with a twinkle in her eyes that suggested so much wisdom behind them. I pictured her to be thoughtful and careful with her words, always with the understanding that anything that fell from her lips represented a piece of her soul and that she guarded it by her caution with her words. There are many other things that come to mind when I think about a beautiful woman, but all of them, I felt I couldn't establish myself in or couldn't even think that those characteristics described where I was. So, insecurity drove me to strive for the "beauty" that I longed for and the first goal was to attain the "perfect size."

Months later, I can go through this above list and it makes me think. I fall over my own two feet all the time. I run into people because I'm not looking where I'm going. And I get embarrassed! So, walking in grace and elegance, kinda flies out the window at times . . .

I have a son. He's all boy! I love that about him. So, we play. We are rough and rowdy. I wear tennis shoes almost everyday and when I'm not wearing tennis shoes, you can catch me in flip flops. I can't stand heels. They are uncomfortable and hard to walk in and since I'm already prone to embarrass myself by tripping over everything in my path, it's probably not wise to put myself through it all anyway. Plus, they really don't go with my jeans and hoodies . . . So, gentle, tender, and poised - nah! There are times that boxing with my son and running holding hands takes precedence over those traits.

I lost 25 lbs. but gravity does not ignore me and I can not overcome my DNA, so slender and toned - well, I supposed that's up for interpretation. Sometimes I just can't do enough sit-ups and I get so tired of jump roping. I'm the size that I am and I will never be a size 6 with "perfect" measurements. I will never look the way I did in high school. I will never get rid of my stretch marks or scars from my pregnancy. I will never undergo surgery to have anything lifted, tucked, or sucked out, so really, there is not much that I can do anymore . . .

Let's continue through the list. I love to laugh! I have been told that I laugh too loud and I have many bouts of girlish giggling. So, soft-spoken, well, maybe I don't fit that bill either. Fun? Sure, maybe there are times that I can be fun. But, what about the wash, the car, the dishes, the bible, the bath that Caleb needs to take, the toys that need to be picked up, the lesson that I need to plan for Sunday? The list could continue. What about that stuff? How fun is all of that stuff? Thoughtful, careful, guarded? I do not think that the desire to immediately clasp both of my hands over my mouth after almost every sentence to certain "free" people qualifies me for the Proverb 4 award winner. So, what did that leave me with? The search for my description of "beauty" showed me that in every area I still came up short!

Well, that left me with the option to either change my perspective of "beauty" or to do the extreme with surgery and attempts to change every behavioral pattern that I had. And to be honest, I actually considered all this! But, when it came down to the decision, I chose to pursue what God thinks "beauty" is and that leads me to now . . . a wonderful journey of healing and acceptance!

It didn't take me very long to figure out how to understand "beauty" in God's eyes. I found it in the very first place that I looked. I opened the Bible. It said amazing things! It spelled it out so clearly for me that I was using the things of the world to dictate my thinking on "beauty" instead of going to the Creator of "beauty" and asking Him what He really made. I found wisdom in things like, Proverbs 31:30, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” The Book of Ezekiel, specifically chapter 16, sheds new light on beauty and its abuse of it, as well. It’s really long, so you’ll just have to read it for yourself. But, here’s the kicker! 1Peter 3:3 – 4 says, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful." Holy cow!

So, God what you are telling me is that my beauty really has nothing to do with how I look? That’s amazing! AND that definitely takes the pressure off to pursue and be this image of what is ingrained into our thoughts of beauty. These scriptures also challenged me to find out where my validation comes from. Is it from God or from the world? When I read Psalm 45:11 “The king is enthralled by your beauty...” who is my king? Am I making my Father God the “King” or the guy in the pew behind me? So, after I read all the above scriptures, He hits me with the big, fat, KO sucker punch with Colossians 3:1 – 3, which says, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Reminding me to look to God for the ways in which my thinking needs to be renewed and I praise God that daily He reminds me of these scriptures and His lessons. I wrote 1Peter on my bathroom mirror so that every time I look in it and think unkind things against God’s Holy vessel, I am challenged. Well, these are my challenges and I have recently discovered that I am not alone in these struggles. I want to continue to pursue God’s perspective on all kinds of things. Isn’t that our goal always, to be more like God, to have our minds renewed constantly in that of Christ Jesus’?

THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO THE DEMISE OF THE EVIL ONE. DEVIL - YOU ARE GOING DOWN!

Alright, I hope that has caught your attention. That was the point. Basically, I am sick and tired of the stupid Devil. That's really it! He is real, he is really there and he is really out to get you. He's got your number and he’s out to kill you (and me), steal from you (and me), and do everything he can to destroy you (and me). He is actively fighting against us. We are human; we are flesh and blood still. We aren't in Heaven yet, so, although we are reborn of the Spirit, we still inhabit this body as long as God sees fit. So, we are completely susceptible to the Devil and his active work of demise against us. But, now we know and that’s the first step in any battle – being aware of your opponent. You should know his strengths and weaknesses, his provisions and equipment and his tactics and strategies. You should go into battle with knowledge in all this or you are not prepared and not very wise. Prov 20:18 says, “Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance.” Prov. 24:6 says, “for waging war you need guidance...” And trust me – rising up against the Devil is WAR!

But, Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." See, we don't have to be scared of the Devil or his ploys. WE HAVE TO BE AGGRESSIVE ABOUT OUT FREEDOM IN CHRIST! We have to be just as active in fighting him otherwise we will be defeated. We can not shrink back in complacency or in fear – NO! We have to take ground and vigorously assail the Devil. We have to call out to our Creator to reveal with His Holy Spirit all that we have been attacked with and we have to tell the Devil where to go and guess what? HE WILL! I love The Message version of Jam. 4:7, “So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud NO to the Devil and watch him scamper.” He won’t just shrug his shoulders and look at you with a look that says, “Are you really serious this time, because this worked the last time that I tried this on you?” NO! He will flee like the coward that he is because the name of Jesus and the fact that you used the authority of that name causes him to tremble in fear! Demons shudder at the name of Christ and His authority.

If we know this with our heads, if we have the knowledge of this, then why aren’t more people using it to dispel the darkness? Why aren’t people rebuking lies that they have been told? Why aren’t people stopping the Devil at his first word? Maybe it’s possible that people don’t realize that it’s an attack from the Devil. Think about it. Do you think that maybe you have been told lies? Do you think that you believe a lie right now? Do you think that it’s possible that you are captive by the Devil? He has attacked me with a quiet and cunning voice that has led me to believe that I am unworthy, that I will never be good enough for the things that I was designed for, that forever I will be inadequate. Have these thoughts crossed your mind? I am sure that they have.

One sure way to tell if you are under the assault of the Devil is to contrast them to the thoughts that God has towards you. Think about scriptures like these:

Isa. 54:10, “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed."

In Jer. 31, He tells us, “I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”

John 17: 22 – 23 “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

This is profound! Not only did God love us so much that He would send His only beloved Son to die as ransom for our sins, but He loves us, just as much as He loves Jesus! That’s crazy, isn’t it!

I challenge you to get aggressive about your freedom in Christ! Nailed to that cross was every insecurity, every fear, every worry, every pain of your heart, every shameful thing that the Devil reminds you of, every sleepless night, every inadequacy, everything that hinders, right next to your sins! It was all crucified with Christ! He has already overcome every one of these obstacles. Praise God! So, start reminding the Devil of that and see what happens!

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Eph 3:16 - 19

quote of the day . . . kinda!

This is hilarious! Katie Russell is not only incredibly beautiful and a glorious princess, but she has the most dynamically unique personality that I have ever known. She is amazing and she has a blogsite. So, if you go look at her blogsite profile, you will see this question - You're trapped in a well with a goat and a slinky. Describe how you will escape.

This is her ingenious answer:

"I would milk the goat until the level of milk had risen to the top of the well and then I would sell the slinky to my brother. "

See! She's hilarious! Check out her REAL, Godly inspiration. Kate, you are genuine and there is no one like you. I admire you and when I think of you, my heart is filled with joy and desire to see your captivating smile. I want to be more like you and you challenge me in so many areas. God is going to bless your socks off because you put Him first. You are truely His open vessel and a miraculous role model to so many young people. You bless my heart and I love you just the exact way that God made you. I hope that even when God has you move throughout the earth to show people His glory, that you and I will never, ever lose touch. Keep on keeping on, Girl, 'cause the God of all wants to use you!

waiting to see your smile!

"Those truly linked don't need correspondence. When they meet again after many years [or months] apart, their friendship is as true as ever."

~Deng Ming-Dao

I can't wait to see you! Hugs . . . oh, the hugs! Wrap my in your loving arms like you haven't seen me in 3 months! Sunday . . . God speed Sunday!

I haven't had a real heart to heart post in some time - so if you were holding your breath, first of all, please don't ever do that again, and second of all, here ya go, but really - don't ever do that again! Anyway, I've been thinking a lot lately about stewardship. Have you ever thought about stewardship outside of the context of just money? I know that often times there are churches that park too long on this topic and send out a wrong message that says, "Hey, we don't really care about you, but give us your money!" But, really, stewardship extends past just money. It includes money, but it includes a lot of other things too, for instance, things you own, relationships, TIME, ministry, your health, jobs, well . . . everything, really! I am completely challenged in this area of my life. I want to be a good steward over everything that God has put into my hands.

God's Word is very clear about these things. Ecclesiates 9:10 says, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might . . ." What does that mean to you? To me, it is very obvious that it means I need to examine ALL that God has put into my hands and ask the Father to help me to best manage it! Let's dig deeper! 1Cor. 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." This passage isn't just about your diet, but it does include your diet. (Side note: PEOPLE - God gave you this one vessel! Take care of it! Be good to your body and it will be good to you!) Notice that we see the same word ALL! Just as God wants our everything, our everything should be given to God for His glory! The only reason that God gives you anything is because He wants to bless you and in turn you should use it to glorify Him! WHAT IS IN MY HANDS, OH LORD, THAT YOU WANT ME TO USE TO GLORIFY YOU?!

Think about this passage. Luk 16:10, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." Think about that for just a second, let is really sink in. Do you think that it's possible that you are waiting for God's blessings to pour out over you, but He's waiting to give them to you because He wants you to take care of the little things first, so that you can be trusted to be a good steward over the larger blessings? Is it possible? I think that is definately is in my own life! I can picture God just standing over me with His hands FULL with my hearts every desire as I sit here trying to make the simple decision whether or not to get out of bed and accomplish something or just lie there for a few more minutes. That may not sound like that big of a deal to you and maybe it's dramtic to say that fullfilling God's destiny for me hinges on the time that I wake up in the morning. It probably doesn't, thank you Lord, because His grace covers things like that. BUT! This is just an example of the way that I see this passage being illustrated.

God has SO much that He wants to see me accomplish for His purpose in my life and for His name to be exhalted by that purpose, but until I can manage success in the little tasks that He gives me, I am not qualified to take on the bigger roles that He has for me later in life. So, pray for me, Brothers and Sisters! Pray for each other. God has a purpose and a destiny mapped out in each of our lives - it's our job and mission to fullfill that to the fullest, otherwise God can't recieve the fullest honor, praise, and glory that He is fully deserving of! God bless you all!

quote of the day . . .

"STOP SAYING I'M SORRY!"

~ Chad Trost

SISSY'S!

GOOD MORNING BROTHER! HAVE A GOOD LUNCH!

DANCE! DANCE WITH YOUR GOD TODAY! He loves you so much and He is waiting, just waiting! It doesn't matter if there is music on, because He has already put a song in your heart! Let yourself go - no one is looking but the Lover of your soul! The King is entralled by you today! Be free . . . .


" . . . Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful . . . Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow."
~ Jer. 31:4, 13