Woman to Woman

Beauty is only skin deep.  What does that mean anyway?  I know there are several ways to look at this phrase but the way I read it is definitely not a compliment.  What makes a woman beautiful? Yes, make up covers skin imperfections but do cosmetics make a woman beautiful?  Do fancy clothes or expensive jewelry make a woman beautiful? I think not.

Let's imagine for a moment a woman named Daisy.  One look at her and you feel inadequate.  She obviously has it all.  Daisy has perfect skin.  Her body is shaped perfectly with a flat tummy and no saddle bags.  She has long, thick blonde - no, golden - hair with just a slight wave in it.  She has long thick lashes and perfectly shaped nails that are always polished to perfection.  Her clothing is always ironed, neat and tidy with matching shoes to go with each outfit.  She looks beautiful.  And then she speaks.  With all that outer beauty the assumption is that her words will be as flowing and sweet as milk and honey, as kind as Mary Poppins and as inspirational as Mother Teresa.  But that is not the case.  Her words are full of anger and bitterness as is her heart.

You see, beauty is not about the outward appearance of a person.  Beauty is about what's inside.  Kahlil Gibran said, "Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart."  How soft a woman's heart is toward others.  How warm and tenderly she looks at her children, her friends, her family, strangers.  Beauty is seen in how she willingly helps and serves others.  A woman's true beauty is found in how she makes others feel.  Real beauty is in authenticity and genuineness.  These are the inner qualities that make a woman beautiful.

Beauty is inside, true, but does that mean we don't have to take care of our outer selves?  Absolutely not.  I heard Chuck Swindoll speak one time about women taking care of themselves. He was encouraging them to make the most of how God created them and to respect their body by taking care of it and always being presentable.  My husband tells this story of his mom often.  When she was getting ready to go out, anywhere, she would always take time to "put on her face."  She could not/would not go out until she was presentable.  It was a matter of self-respect.  How you present your outer self says something about how you feel about yourself as a whole.

In Chuck Swindoll's speech, there was one little line that spoke volumes.  He said, "Teeth, have them!".  I still crack up every time I think of that line.  But there is some truth in it.  We do need to make the most of what God has given us by making sure we do what we can - by using make up sparingly to enhance our features.  By wearing cloths that flatter our shape.  By eating healthy, exercising and getting plenty of rest.  The Bible proves to us that God cares about our bodies in Philippians 3:21 and so should we. We must keep it in shape, tend to it's needs; it is the only body we will have here on earth. In addition, we read in the Bible about the sacredness of our bodies.  Think about that!   "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price.  Therefore honor God with your body."  1 Corinthians 6:19 & 20   When I think of my body as housing the Holy Spirit, it makes me want to take care of it.

I don't know who said this, it is listed as an unknown author but this about sums it all up:

 "Beauty is being the best possible version of yourself on the inside and out."

I think that is what God wants from us when He instructs us to honor Him with our bodies --

 Be the best possible version of yourself, on the inside and out!

   

      

We Forget Sometimes

As a preschool teacher, I always felt it was important to share how a child's day was with their parents.  I also liked to capture things the children said.   I would ask the children a leading question and then jot down their answers and at the end of the year, I would provide the parents with what I called a Dictation Book.  After one particularly hard behavior day -  lots of tattling and bickering going on - that's what 4 and 5-year-olds do, right??  - anyway, I thought we needed to take a breather so I had everyone sit criss-cross applesauce on the floor - (in old-school terms that would be Indian style).  I turned out the lights and we sat in silence for about 3 minutes.  To them, that was an eternity and by the end of the 3 minutes someone started giggling and it, of course, had a ripple effect. Once the hilarity died down we were ready to have a TALK and I asked a leading question.

"Ok", I said, "we have had a hard time getting along today.  Really, guys, how should we be?"  That's all I said.  Micah's hand shot up - I should be good and loving.  Brayden chimed in - I should be nice. Laura was more specific - I should be nice to people.  Andrew piped up - I should be a sharer.  And so it went, I should be:  a listener of God, noble,  kind and not listen to the devil, be myself and be good to God's creatures, good to my friends oh and kind, forgiving and on and on.  These kids had it right. They just forgot for a moment.  They were all caught up in doing what preschoolers do and they forgot how they should be.

As adults, sometimes we forget how we should be.  We get all caught up in the excitement of a kids baseball game and we forget.  We get caught up in a heated political discussion and we forget. We get caught in the middle of a neighborhood dispute and we forget. When we feel ourselves being some way other than how we should be, it is time to stop and take a breather.

Looking at how God is - His character - serves as a reminder and gives us a plumb line to hold ourselves up against.   We are filled with God's love -- not dotted, not sprinkled, but filled -  it should ooze out of us like the jelly when you bite into a jelly filled donut.  "...for we know how dearly God loves us because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love." Romans 5:5  God is good.  Even Jesus proclaimed God as good. "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked. "Only God is truly good." Mark 10:18  Being good isn't just about being obedient, it isn't just for children.  Oh no, being good can mean so much more - honest, virtuous, having integrity, and noble - as my little Ian said.

The Bible is very clear on how we should be.
"But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also.  If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you."  "Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate."  Luke 6: 27-31, 35-36   

Kids sometimes forget how they should be. Adults sometimes forget how they should be.  It is just a fact.  I think God's expectation of us is that we always aim to be the best person we can be.   Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you."  2 Corinthians 13:11  And Mark instructs, "But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."  Mark 5: 48
Perfection is a pretty high bar.  We won't truly be perfect until we get to heaven, but we can aim for it now.  Aim to be more Christ-like.  Look inside yourself and see what area God might like to see you work on.  I know what area He has pointed out to me.

As you peer deep inside, go into it with an open heart and mind and a can-do attitude claiming the verse: "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13.   Let's take it from the mouths of the babes and be how we should be.  How much more beautiful our homes, our blocks, our towns, our cities, the world would be if everyone was how they should be.
It could happen. But it has to start somewhere - let it be with me! I invite you to join me.

Whisper His Name

How many times have you put your child to bed only to hear in an ever so quiet voice, just as soon as you sit down, "Mom."  You know your child needs one more hug or one more reassurance that there are no monsters under the bed, so you pull your tired body off the couch and go into your child's room and deliver what they need at that moment.  In our house, when the kids were young, this might happen several times on any given night and each time, I heard, "Mom" I would get up and go into the room to reassure, deliver a drink of water or just stand in the doorway and allow them to see that Mom is still home.  My children knew, I was just a "Mom" away.  They could whisper my name and I would come.  That's what mom's do!

That is how the Lord is - He is just a whisper away.  He hears when we call out to Him for help or reassurance or to fill our cup with His love.  "The  Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles." Psalm 34: 17 Why does He do this?  Because as a parent - Our Father - He promises to be there for us.  He gives us little (and sometimes big) glimpses of Himself so that we know He is still there, just as He promised.  (Heb.13:5)  That's what a parent does!

The reality of it is that God actually calls us to call upon Him.  Psalm 27:8 says "My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."  God is saying here, call out to me, whisper my name and I will come running to your aid.  This makes me think of the song of long ago written by Carole King and  sung by James Taylor, "You've Got a Friend".  The lyrics go something like this...

When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand
And nothing, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there, to brighten up even your darkest night
You just call out my name and you know wherever I am, I'll come running to see you again
Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, You've got a friend.

God is that friend - He is there at the whisper of His name.  Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall all we have to do is call.

A very long time ago, we lived in Chicago.  One extremely harsh winter day I experienced this very thing. Driving to work in the car, we hit an ice patch and our car started sliding sideways. All I could see was the oncoming traffic heading straight toward us.  At that moment I merely whispered - "Jesus, help us."  The next thing I knew, our car was up on top of a concrete island in the middle of the roadway.  When the tow truck arrived, the driver asked how we got up on top of the island without so much as a bent wheel or axle.  All I could say was, "Jesus did it!"  I know without a doubt that Jesus heard my whispered cry for help and He helped.  He was just a "Jesus" away.  

While this is an extreme example of God showing up to save the day, we can count on Him for all things.  He is just a whisper away when we need patience.  He is just a whisper away when we are tempted to gossip.  We can whisper His name when we need to refocus our day or when we would much rather speak a sarcastic remark than be still.  We have a tendency to forget that God is available to us 24/7 for all things.  

"Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him."  Psalm 105: 4

The beauty in this is that He wants to be available to us 24/7.  "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives."  Psalm 37: 23  He wants to be of help.  He wants to be the friend we call on.  He wants to give us that drink of water or whatever it is we need at the moment.  "Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior! For each day He carries us in His arms." Psalm 68:19  He wants us to whisper His name so He can pick us up and carry us through the storm, through the muck, through the daily stuff that so often we struggle with.

Whisper His name and He'll come.  That's what He does!

"How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings.  You feed them from the abundance of Your own house, letting them drink from Your river of delights.  For You are the fountain of life, the light by which we see."  Psalm 36: 7 -9


And if you don't know my friend, Jesus, just whisper His name.  
Whisper His name and He'll come into your life to be your friend 24/7.

Whisper His Name and see!

      



 

A Purpose-filled Life

Most people struggle at some time or another with wanting to know their purpose. This oftentimes happens during a particularly frustrating time of life or when hardships seem to abound and sometimes, at the beginning of a brand new year.  We begin to doubt ourselves and wonder, "Why on earth am I here?"

Imagine a young girl taken from her home to a king's palace.  For twelve months she is given beauty treatments with oil and special perfumes.  Sweet!   She got to choose fancy clothing and exquisite jewelry to wear.  Every girl's dream!  She was ultimately crowned as the Queen.  Is this a fairy tale? Sounds like one to me.  But, oh no, it is not.  This is a real story.  The young girls' name is Esther. I can only assume the entire time Esther was being pampered and trained she was wondering to herself, "Why me?  What on earth am I doing here?"  Esther discovered some time later her purpose for being chosen to go to the palace and being made queen.  The King had a powerful official in his kingdom by the name of Haman.  Haman was enraged by Esther's uncle, a Jew, so Haman determined to destroy all the Jewish people in the empire. The plot thickens...Wicked Haman spent the next year devising a scheme to do just that and then bribed the King. The King gave in and told Haman he could do what he wanted.  And so, the fate of the Jews in that empire was sealed.  Until....Esther's uncle, Mordecai, learned of the scheme and told Esther.  Esther sprang into action...giving instructions for the Jews to pray and fast and then devising her own little scheme to have a banquet for the King and Haman where she would reveal Haman's plot to kill the Jews.  In the end, Haman gets what he deserves, Mordecai is rewarded with fine robes and a position of authority in the palace, the Jews were filled with joy for being saved and they were honored everywhere, and Esther realized her purpose.  Mordecai says it best, "Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for such a time as this?"  Esther 4: 14  I believe she was.

While this is a very brief synopsis of the story of Esther, it very clearly shows that she did not know what God had planned down the road.  Usually, we don't either.  One thing we can be assured of from this story -- God does have a plan.  He always has a plan and a purpose for each person just as there was a plan and purpose for each person in the story of Esther.  Just as Esther's purpose was hers alone, your purpose is individual to you.  No one else has exactly the same reason for being on earth.  No one else has exactly the same reason for being wherever they are or with whomever they are with.  "This is what the Lord says -- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow."  Isaiah 48: 17  This verse is written to you as an individual.  It is written to each of us as individuals.  I think that is why Jesus is called our personal Savior.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen.  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me."  Jeremiah 29:11-13  God created you to seek Him, to know Him, to have a relationship with Him and to bring Him glory.  "Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory.  It was I who created them."  Isaiah 43:7 

If bringing glory to God is one of our main purposes, how can we do that in our daily lives?  What that looks like for each of us may be very different.  For some just walking into a room glorifies God. These are people who bring with them joy wherever they go.  People are naturally attracted to them because of their uplifting nature.  For others glorifying God is much more subtle - perhaps behind the scenes service.  For yet others, it might be the use of a gift or talent for God's glory, singing, for example.  "God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it will all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.  All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. "  1 Peter 4: 10&11   God gives each person that knows Him, a gift.  Using that gift brings glory to God.  There is a children's song called This Little Light of Mine.  The words go like this: "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine"....next verse..."Hide it under a bushel - NO - I'm going to let it shine"...next verse..."Shine all over the neighborhood...let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."  God wants us to let our little lights shine - by using our gifts and talents for Him - to bring Him glory - to let the light shine on Him, so that all men will see Him.  That is how we bring Him glory in our daily lives.  That is ultimately our purpose.

Ok, you say, I can't sing and I am not necessarily the life of a party, but I can cut hair.  How can I use that talent to glorify God?  You can bring glory to God by being the best hair stylist you can be.  You can glorify God by being a good listener - women in the hairdresser's seat want to talk - they need someone to listen.  You can glorify God by just smiling at your client.  Do you see what I mean?   Whatever you are good at doing, look at it from the perspective of God - why did He give YOU that talent?   What does He want to do with it through you?   That, my friend, is your purpose and fulfills His plan.

Can all of us be an Esther and save a nation?  No. But can each of us do our part in bringing glory to God?  Absolutely!  That is your purpose and that is my purpose!  "He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love."  Ephesians 4:16

I have found as I get older that knowing that I am a part of God's plan and that He has a very specific purpose for my life has been empowering.  I didn't always know - I had to ask.  You won't have to guess, you won't have to figure it out for yourself.  As His child, you can ask Him to reveal to you how He wants to use you.  You can ask Him: "Father, Why on earth am I here?  What is my purpose?"   If you listen and are prepared to obey, He will tell you.  He may tell you through scripture.  He may tell you through another person.  He may tell you through an event.  But He will reveal it to you.  Rest assured!  You have to be paying attention in order to know which direction He wants to lead you!

He has promised that if we trust Him, He will point us in the right direction. So, this new year, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5 & 6

You don't know that God may need another Esther (or another Mordecai) for such a time as this!

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Meditation

Today I read the little book of Micah in the Bible.  I have to confess that as I was reading it, I was having a hard time following it and figuring out what it might mean to me and how I might apply those words to my life.  As always when I don't understand what I am reading, I picked up my handy dandy Nelson's Commentary by Warren W. Wiersbe.  I can usually find some help in clearing up what I clearly do not understand.  It did give me the answers I needed and "so much more".  The "so much more" is the topic of today's blog.

In Chapter 7, Micah is completely miserable because the folks he is preaching to are not "upright" (vs. 2) they are "evil doers" and "unethical" (vs. 3) they are all "untrustworthy" (vs. 5 & 6).  But Micah, takes a stand..."But as for me..." (vs. 7) - here comes the so much more -  "...I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." (vs. 7)  Can you just see Micah standing on top of a hill with his arm ramrod straight and his index finger pointed to the sky and to the God of His salvation.  "As for me", Micah says,  "I will watch, I will wait and I will pray!!!" for Micah knows "God to be faithful".  Micah knows "God to be righteous". (vs. 9)  Micah knows "God to be forgiving". (vs. 18)  (Nelson, pg. 597)  Micah knows God to be merciful. (vs. 18)  Micah knows God to be compassionate. (vs. 19)  Micah knows God to keep his promises. (vs. 20)  Micah had probably spent a lot of time listening to God and thinking about who God is, for him to know, how God is.

After reading the Commentary and rereading these verses, I had to ask myself, "Do I know God the way Micah knew God?"  This is where meditation came in.  Faithful, righteous, forgiving, merciful, compassionate and trustworthy - these are all attributes of the Lord of Lords - the Almighty God.
Meditation simply stated is thinking, long and hard about something; pondering it, contemplating it. Really allowing it to sink in and flood your being - filling you full with the immense-ness of it.  This morning, after reading the book of Micah and the commentary, I sat quietly in my little sanctuary - the room upstairs that I call mine - and thought long and hard about God's faithfulness to me and my family all throughout our years. About each time He met a need, caused something to happen or swept in to save the day.  I thought about God's righteousness and the times He dealt with me justly.  I thought about how God forgave me when I was unforgivable and how He calls me His child now and forgives me when I make wrong choices.  I thought about the mercy God showed me when He sent His Son to die on the cross for a sinner such as I.  I thought about the compassion God has shown me when I have come to him with a hurt heart and He allows me to climb upon his lap and just rest in Him, receiving His comfort.  And I thought about all the promises God has given me through scripture and how He has kept every one.  And as I meditated on these things, I wept.  I was full to overflowing with the immense-ness of God and who He is and what He means to me.  And then I had a time of rejoicing - for I get to call my God - Father.  And He calls me - child.

Meditating on the things of God is a practice that ultimately brings us in a closer relationship with Him.  We get to know Him better the more we think about Him.  We get to know ourselves better as well.  King David declared, "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long."  Psalm 119:97 The truth of the matter is, I believe it pleases God when we think about Him and His Word all the time, not just when we are in our quiet time or just when we are at church.  For what we think about becomes part of us.  Meditate on that for a moment.  What we think about becomes part of us!

The apostle Paul in speaking to the people of Philippi encouraged them to settle disagreements, to be joyful, not to worry about anything, tell God what they need and thank Him for His provision so that they would experience God's peace and, he told them, that peace will guard their hearts and minds as they follow Christ. (Phil 4:1-7 - paraphrased by me)  And then Paul closes with one final instruction, "And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise...".  Philippians 4:8  God is truth.  God is honorable. God is right and just.  God is pure and holy.  God is lovely. God is one to be admired and is worthy of praise.  God is perfect. Think on these things.

As I meditated on God's faithfulness, I was challenged to be more faithful.  As I thought about His forgiveness, I wanted to be more forgiving.  I prayed that I would be more compassionate.  All these things that I was meditating on about God became the desires of my heart.  It became part of me - or at least who I want to be.  And with God's help, I can be that person.  And so can you.

Meditate on the things of God.  You could start your meditation with this verse - dissect it and meditate on one portion at a time. Philippians 4:8 "Fix your thoughts on what is true..."   Think about what you know to be true - God's Word, God's love for you, the fact that God is perfect and holy and good.  As you are meditating it is sometimes good to write down what you are thinking so you can refer back to it.  Remember what you think about becomes part of you.  Thinking on the things of God will make them become part of you.  You will develop a desire to be truthful with yourself and with others.  "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."  Philippians 4:9   If meditating on the things of God was good for the Philippians and Paul and Micah, it is good for us.

Meditation is thinking on these things - the things of God.

"I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to Him, as I rejoice in the Lord."  Psalm 104: 33&34

Reference
Nelson's Quick Reference Chapter-By-Chapter Bible Commentary; Warren W. Wiersbe; p.597