The Twisted Billboard

Not too long ago, I saw several billboards going up in my area.  I never found out who put them there, but they read, "If my people will humble themselves and pray, then I will heal their land.- 2 Chronicles 7:14"  Every time I drive by this representation of what the Christian church in America is today I am reminded once again why I want no part in it and why I don't like to call myself a Christian.  You may be a bit confused right now.  Perhaps this will help clear things up...

This is what 2 Chronicles 7:14 actually says: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Enlightened yet?  Maybe this will help....

"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."-Revelation 22:18-19

If God is that serious about changing the words in the book of Revelation...would He not be just as serious about the rest of His Word?  And if He is that serious about the whole of Scripture, how DARE we quote a verse for a whole city to see and leave out the key point?  How DARE we lie about what the almighty God has declared?

This is the way the church has gone.  Our pastors don't preach the truth anymore.  It's their job to tickle our ears, keep us happy.  Tell us just enough things to change that we can pretend we've been convicted, but never actually do anything about it.  They teach a false Gospel that involves nothing more than saying a few words and being "in church" the rest of your life.  You can live however you want because you have "freedom in Christ" and He understands and will never forsake you.  

Christians don't know who Christ is anymore.  They think that Christianity is just another religion (only it's the right one and we don't like people who disagree with us) and you know what?  They are right.  Christianity has nothing to do with Christ and everything to do with making people think that they're safe because they go to church and know all the right answers.

I don't have any idea who put that billboard up or what they were thinking.  But the way they twisted that verse around puts words in God's mouth that were never there.  He never said that all men had to do was be humble and pray and their land would be healed.  No, He said that if men would "humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways" that then and only then would He heal their land.  

Are there still Christians left in the Christian church?  I believe yes, that there are a few left who are faithful.  But the church as a whole is not only lost, but MORE lost than those who do not claim the name of Christ.  I am standing here to speak a warning to the church in the U.S.  Persecution is coming.  It will not come the way many of us think that it will.  No one will say that people are being persecuted for being a Christian.  Christianity will probably always be legal in this country.  No, they will throw in jail those who speak against evil and they will call it "hate speech".  They will secretly put to death those "terrorists" who refuse to obey their laws because it violates the law of God.  

May you be one of those who refuses to compromise.  May you never deny Christ by your actions as you proclaim Him with your mouth.  

"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."-Revelation 3:16-22

 

 

 

The Little Engine That Could

Most of us have heard this story, (or a slightly different version of it like this one) read it, had it read to us...at some point throughout our lives. But I wonder how many of us really think about it? When something is too big for you, remember that your God is much bigger and with Him you can accomplish anything that you set your mind to do! :) 

A little steam engine had a long train of cars to pull. She went along very well till she came to a steep hill. But then, no matter how hard she tried, she could not move the long train of cars. She pulled and she pulled. She puffed and she puffed. She backed and started off again. Choo! Choo! But no! the cars would not go up the hill. 

At last she left the train and started up the track alone. Do you think she had stopped working? No, indeed! She was going for help. "Surely I can find someone to help me," she thought. Over the hill and up the track went the little steam engine. Choo, choo! Choo, choo! Choo, choo! Choo! 

Pretty soon she saw a big steam engine standing on a side track. He looked very big and strong. Running alongside, she looked up and said: "Will you help me over the hill with my train of cars? It is so long and heavy I can't get it over." The big steam engine looked down at the little steam engine. The he said: "Don't you see that I am through my day's work? I have been rubbed and scoured ready for my next run. No, I cannot help you," The little steam engine was sorry, but she went on, Choo, choo! Choo, choo! Choo, choo! Choo, choo! 

Soon she came to a second big steam engine standing on a side track. He was puffing and puffing, as if he were tired. "That big steam engine may help me," thought the little steam engine. She ran alongside and asked: "Will you help me bring my train of cars over the hill? It is so long and so heavy that I can't get it over." The second big steam engine answered: "I have just come in from a long, long run. Don't you see how tired I am? Can't you get some other engine to help you this time? "I'll try," said the little steam engine, and off she went. Choo, choo! Choo, choo! Choo, choo! 

After a while she came to a little steam engine just like herself. She ran alongside and said: "Will you help me over the hill with my train of cars? It is so long and so heavy that I can't get it over." "Yes, indeed!" said this little steam engine. "I'll be glad to help you, if I can." 

So the little steam engines started back to where the train of cars had been standing. Both little steam engines went to the head of the train, one behind the other. Puff, puff! Chug, choo! Off they started! Slowly the cars began to move. Slowly they climbed the steep hill. As they climbed, each little steam engine began to sing: "I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I think I can - I think I can - I think I can I think I can--" And they did! Very soon they were over the hill and going down the other side. 

 Now they were on the plain again; and the little steam engine could pull her train herself. So she thanked the little engine who had come to help her, and said good-by. And she went merrily on her way, singing: "I-thought-I-could! I-thought-I-could! I-thought-I-could! I-thought-I-could! I thought I could - I thought I could - I thought I could - I thought I could - I thought I could - I thought I could I thought I could --"

 THE END

Ten Tips on Traveling Light

In less than 2 days, I'll be flying out to the Young Living Essential Oils convention in Salt Lake City, UT!  I'll be gone a full week and I'm only taking a carry-on so packing is proving to be a little interesting!  Here are some tips from my own experience and good ol' Google on how to go from this:

 

 ....to this:

1. Don't pack everything that you can possibly fit, instead pack only what you absolutely have to have.

2. Roll, don't fold.  Stuff fits better.

3. Try to stick with lighter weight clothing that takes up less space.  If you need any bulky clothing while there, wear it and leave more room in your luggage.

4. Mix and match.  Instead of taking a full outfit for each day, take a few skirts and tops that you can wear more than once and mix up if you want a different look each day. 

5. If you're flying, all liquids (toiletries) must be in 3.4 oz bottles and fit in a quart size bag.  But even if you're not, you still don't need to take your giant bottles of shampoo, conditioner, etc.  Take only what you need or even just what you'll need before you can make it to the store.  If you're flying, have your quart bag out and ready so you don't have to dig for it during security.

6. Don't take tons of shoes!  I will be wearing my moccasins (easy to remove at the airport and comfy for walking through terminals) and taking along my flip flops, (dressier flip-flops so they go with anything from very casual to church clothes.)  IF they fit, I'll throw in my Vibram Fivefingers as well, but I don't HAVE to have those.

7. Buy whenever possible.  Small things like toiletries mentioned above, umbrella, even some clothing....if you're going to spend more on checked baggage than you would buying the stuff once you reach your destination, you might as well do so and give it away before heading home.

8. Leave space for stuff to bring home and if possible, take things that you can leave behind when you're through with them.  I'll be doing some shopping at the convention so I want to leave as much space as possible for extras.  If it's just not possible, I'll visit the post office and mail it to myself.

9. Just an idea...don't even take clothes with you.  Wear one outfit and pack your undies.  Once you arrive, go to the thrift store and buy just what you need for while you're there.  If I had an extra day to go clothes shopping in SLC, I would totally try this!

10.  If you're traveling as a family....pack a suitcase for each day with everyone's things in it for that day.  Then all you have to do is grab that one bag, toiletries, etc. and you're good to go instead of unloading a suitcase for each person at each destination.

Lovely

  I am so sorry, girls....I had my post all ready to go and totally forgot to post it before I ran off to work this morning!  Here it is, but make sure you don't miss Bethany's post right below mine! :)

 

  I had seen her in pictures and I knew that she was very pretty, but I was not prepared for the breath-taking beauty that walked into church that morning.  I could easily see why my brothers were smitten with her.  Silver rings graced her fingers and bracelets dangled from her slender wrists.  Her hair was swept up in a loose bun with wisps of hair framing her face and just barely covering the diamonds in her ears.  Her dark eyes lit up when she smiled and communicated energy, life and love.  Though barely seventeen, here was a young woman with the power to give life or to destroy it perhaps without ever knowing.

As I thought about this young woman and the effect that she could potentially, if not already, have on my brothers and all the other men and boys that she will meet throughout her life I realized something that I had not really given much thought to before.  At least, not in quite the same way.

All my life I have been taught at my parents' side, from the pulpit and straight from the Scriptures that a woman should focus on cultivating that inner beauty that comes from being wholly submitted to Jesus Christ.  But the thing that most people never mentioned was the importance of being physically beautiful as well.

In the book of Ezekiel, chapter 16, God describes how He took His Bride and clothed her with linen and silk and put bracelets on her arms, a chain about her neck, a jewel on her forehead, earrings in her ears and a crown on her head.

 From studying both Scripture and God's Creation around us, I think it is very obvious that God loves beauty.  He created women to be beautiful and He designed men to want a beautiful woman.  He created the flowers in the field "which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven".  He created the sky with it's alternately brilliant hues of blue, red, yellow, purple, green.  The peacock is known for its vibrant feathers and the monarch butterfly with its bright orange wings.  Who is to say that God does not love physical beauty?

When Paul exhorted women to, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;" (1 Tim. 2:9) I believe that he was not telling them that being outwardly beautiful means nothing and should be not be thought of at all.  He did not mean that all women who strive to follow Christ should throw away all of their jewels and pretty clothes and never braid their hair.  Not at all for this would not be consistent with the rest of Scripture.

His point seems to be that, as followers of Christ, women should be more concerned with inner beauty rather than being like the women of that time who did little else than make themselves beautiful by braiding gold and jewels into their hair (this was a woman's dowry usually worth thousands of dollars and used to show off her wealth to potential suitors) and dressing themselves in expensive and usually revealing clothing.

Back to my story...I sat there in church thinking about what a precious gift that God has given this girl and how she might use it and I realized that God has given every woman that same gift each in her own unique way, including me.  The gift of beauty.  This gift has been used for evil throughout the history of the earth, but it was originally intended for good.  I got to thinking about different things that I could change in myself in order to use the gift given to me in order to glorify my Lord.

I realized that cultivating inner beauty is the most important aspect of a beautiful woman and it is the only facet of beauty that can stand on its own.  But it is not the only facet of beauty that is commendable.  If a younger woman who perhaps was compromised and not seeking God met another young woman a little older than her...would she be more apt to look up to that sister and want to be like her if the other woman took care to be strong and healthy and carefully dressed herself in a way that enhanced her beauty and made people say, "There goes a lovely woman." when she walked in the room?  I got to thinking that if a teenage girl were going after the world and she met me, could I have an influence on her?  Would she be intrigued to find that it is possible to be both modest and tastefully dressed?  Would she be inspired to be lovely rather than trendy?  Or would she look at me and think that I was just another conservative homeschooled graduate trying not to be too attractive...and succeeding at it?

 

I wondered also if I might perhaps use this gift and any influence that God gives me, to turn my brothers and other young men toward the right path by influencing those women who can do them so much damage or so much good? 

I hope that as I grow older, I will be for younger sisters what my older sister and a few others have been for me.  I hope that I can pass on what I learn about what true beauty looks like and draw others to follow my Lord as well.

Cowgirl Dirt

Not to flood the blog with reviews....but I've got to tell you girls what I found! :)

 

 I've always used a natural make-up but my favorite company stopped carrying it several years ago and since then I've tried a couple of different brands, never really happy with any of them. My sister and I ran across a company called Cowgirl Dirt a few weeks ago. Their make up is made in the U.S. all natural, organic, paraben free and GOOD for your skin!

What I use:

 Concealer I rarely have much trouble with a lot of acne, (LOVE my new skincare products even more than my cosmetics! Will post about them sometime too!) but occasionally concealer is wonderful to have when foundation and powder don't quite do the trick. I haven't actually used any other concealer and I expected this to go on much like my old foundation, but it is very light, covers very well and blends easily.

 Cream Foundation I use the Neutral 4 for my fairly light skin tone. I've never liked foundation because it always felt like I had stuff caked on my face, but this goes on light and leaves me feeling like I'm not wearing makeup at all!

  Finishing Powder This finishing powder goes on very nicely and prevents oily looking skin and unlike what I was using before, it actually stays on!

 

 Blush The blush was a bit tricky at first because it's a powder and I'm used to a pressed blush, but the color is very nice and goes on giving you a natural look.

 Eye shadow I wear hardly any eye shadow at all and the sample container that I got will probably last me forever! I like a very subtle, natural look so I just use a tiny bit to add a little a depth. The first color I tried was too light, but Spur is perfect for me. I was using a cheap eye shadow before for special occasions only and always felt a tad uncomfortable putting it on my eyes knowing it had chemicals in it. No more of that! This stuff is perfectly safe!

 Mascara I haven't worn mascara in a long time. The natural mascara that my sisters used went on so thickly that I looked like I was wearing it and I don't like to look like I am. I would use it for special occasions along with my eye shadow, but Cowgirl Dirt brown mascara goes on every day! It adds some, but not too much and is smooth with none of that nasty clumping. Tip: Use an eyelash curler first and then only apply mascara to your top lashes.

 Lip tint I despise lipstick. It always feels like I can't eat or drink anything once I put it on. Lip gloss stays on for a grand total of like, 10 minutes, so that never worked well either. BUT, like their other products so far, I LOVE the Yeehaw lip tints! They're thick enough to stay on, but thin enough to not feel like I've painted my lips! The War Admiral gives me a nice, deep color while still looking natural and not too red.

 Glitter I've never been into glitter much at all and certainly not caked onto my skin like we see models wearing on the runway. I needed to finish out my order to get free shipping so I got a few samples of this just to play with...and I love it! I always like to look as natural as possible, the way YHWH made me, so lots of glitter is out of the question. But I discovered that just a little sparkle around my eye area makes for a nice subtle look. This glitter is a powder and goes on very lightly with a brush. It also brushes off easily so even if I scare myself a little with how much I end up with, I can just brush and blend it 'til I get the look I want....and then it stays.  Since I use so little, the color doesn't seem to make a difference. I have Snow, Grain and Lavender.

One thing that I REALLY appreciate about this company is that you don't have to buy a full container of each color of something to try it...only to find out that it's the wrong one and you have to start all over again and spend tons of money!

 

Samples are $1 each and you can get at least 3-4 uses out of each one...more often more than that if you use it like I do.  The best way to do it is to guess at what you need and get a couple samples of each product and then just play around and figure out what is right for your skin-tone before you place a large order.  Free shipping on orders over $75 so it's a good idea to place an order together or stock up. :)

A Story of True Beauty

Sherry went to high school during the ‘70s in Artesia, New Mexico. She wasn’t an overly pretty girl. She wasn’t ugly; she just didn’t fit the world’s idea of beautiful. She had freckles, a round face, and while Sherry wasn’t fat, she was big boned. She had a stocky, more masculine looking figure. Over all, Sherry was just kind of plain and ordinary.

You might say, “Well, she must not have been very popular!” But this was hardly the case. You see Sherry may not have been the prettiest girl on the block, but she was vivacious! She was fun! The guys like her; the girls liked her. She had her share of dates though high school. The reason was as simple as brownies and ice cream! Sherry chose to be beautiful on the inside. She kept herself clean and neat, but she didn’t make her outward appearance her main focus. She didn’t spend hours in front of the mirror trying to find just the right outfit to make her look slender; she didn’t hide her freckles under layers of foundation, or spend all her allowance on hair products. She simply decided she was going to be happy with the way Yahweh had made her, and see that she was as pretty as she could be on the inside.

Sherry had a classmate named Vicki. Vicki was a cheerleader. She had a clear complexion, beautiful blond hair, and a super model figure. She had everything: guys, friends, attention; you name it, she had it. Don’t think that because of this Vicki was a snob, she wasn’t. She was a nice girl, people liked to be around her, but her beauty was earthly. She didn’t realize that she needed more than just good looks to get through life. She didn’t know that her own choices would decide if she was popular or not, regardless of whether she looked flawless or if she was fat and had pimples on her face.

Let’s fast forward a few years. My dad, the person who told me this story had gone away to college, met and married another beautiful woman and later moved back to Artesia. One day he walked into a laundromat to see a young woman, grown old before her time doing laundry for several small children. Her name was Vicki. He remarked to me that this woman who had once been one of, if not the prettiest and most popular girl in school was now simply ugly.

Vicki had loved a good looking, popular football player who also seemed to have everything. Not long into their marriage she found that not only was he lazy and irresponsible, but he was violent and dangerous. Finally he had left her for another woman and she was now trying to provide for her 3 young children alone. She had chosen to focus on outward beauty instead of cultivating inward beauty and growing in wisdom. Her choices continue to effect her today.

Later he was shopping in another store when a gorgeous brunette walked in the door! It seemed like the whole place lit up the moment she entered! Sherry had grown more and more beautiful as she got older because she made the right choice.

After chatting with her, my dad found that she also had married. Her husband was not as popular as Vicki’s; he was an ordinary, hardworking, farmer’s son. My Dad had never met this man, but he could plainly see that Sherry was happily married to someone who must have been, and still is a wonderful man!

 

This is a true story and one that happens all the time. May we be like Sherry and seek the true beauty that comes from serving Yeshua!

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."-1 Peter 3:3-4

 

 

Woman to Woman

In case we have any male readers, I'd like to just say that this is a women-only blog post.  So if you're a guy, move along please, nothing to see here. :)

Yesterday morning, I woke up to what should have been a perfect day.  The weather was gorgeous and we started a fire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows for s'mores.  My brother and his wife arrived to announce an expected new addition to their little nest, empty for far too long.  My beautiful new head coverings arrived in the mail and I wrote this post relaxing on the couch with the sun streaming through the windows and a cup of wild orange tea.  Yes, a wonderful day.  Except for one thing.  Several things that I did not or did do that ruin my day until 3:00 in the afternoon.

What, you might ask, happened?

About a year after I got my period, I started having regular menstrual cramps....every month.  Awful cramps that sent me to bed moaning and groaning for several hours.  My family thought I was just being dramatic (I did have a reputation for being a bit of a drama queen) and getting used to being a woman.  They used to say, "What will you do when you have a baby?  It's WAY worse!"  One woman I know had the same problem and after marrying and having children, she told me that it's really not worse.  That in fact, labor was easier.

Anyway, over the past 10 years I have tried everything.  I know what works and what doesn't.  I'm a walking cramp doctor.  I've also discovered that I am not the only one.  So when I finally found something that works for me, I started sharing more openly about it.  This however, is the first time publishing my solution in public and I think it's long overdue.

After trying everything, I discovered Young Living essential oils and started using Lavender, Clary Sage and Ylang Ylang which helped immensely.  I had several ladies talk about using an oil blend called Progessence Plus to balance hormones, but I didn't actually try it until last summer.  I started using 4 drops a day and extra once a month.  By this time, my cramps had lessened somewhat and I had learned to manage them a little better by dropping everything, using oils and going to bed.  I didn't notice a difference with the Pro.+ at first but after 4-5 months I realized that I wasn't having any trouble at all during my monthly cycles.  This has continued since then so long as I kept using the oil....

Which I haven't.  I'm not always diligent in using the Progessence and this past month I hardly used any at all.  Add to that, I did a lot of walking and some squats the day before starting this month.  Very bad idea.

Someone told me not too long ago that her cramps were like contractions.  That, dear sisters, is exactly what happened to me.  I don't think I've been in that much pain since years past when I didn't know anything to use for it.  Everything that usually helps almost right away, did little or nothing.  While my sister-in-law was announcing her baby, I was huddled in my bed feeling like I was having one.

All that to say, I have been reminded of how awful it is to have to deal with this and I won't be skipping my Pro+ for anything!  How silly of me, to know of and have in my possession these wonderful healing oils given by YHWH and not use them!  Also how silly of me to know and have and not share with others.

Progessence Plus is a blend of natural progesterone and essential oils like frankincense, cedar, rosewood, peppermint, clove and others.  One bottle lasts me about 3-4 months if I use it diligently.  Unlike a lot of progesterone supplements, it does not have to be rotated.  You just use it every day and your body will absorb what you need, when you need it and the oils included in it have more uses than just hormone balance so instead of negative side effects like Acetaminaphen, regular Tylenol, Advil, etc. it can actually have positive side effects. :)  It is not only for cramps, it balances your hormones whatever the problem (mood swings, infertility, irregular cycles, etc.) and I believe every woman should be using this wonderful blend! :)

Lemon Essential Oil

Lemon essential oil has a variety of health benefits and uses.  It is grown in California and Italy and cold-pressed from the rind.  It takes 3,000 lemons to make 1 kilo of essential oil!  (That's 2 lb or approximately 67 of these 15 ml bottles.)

Lemon has antiseptic-like properties and contains compounds that

have been studied for their effects on immune function. (CAUTION: Citrus oils should NOT

be applied to skin that will be exposed to direct sunlight or ultraviolet light within 72 hours.)

Uses for lemon essential oil:

Air Freshener. Put 6 drops of Lemon oil and 6 drops of Purification oil in a squirt

bottle mixed with distilled water to use in bathroom as an air freshener.

Gum, Oil, Grease Spots and Crayons. Use 1-2 drops of Lemon oil to remove

gum, oil, grease spots or crayon.

Varicose Veins. Rub several drops of Lemon oil on varicose veins to improve circulation

and relieve pressure on the veins.

 Lemonade. For homemade lemonade, in a blender mix 2 drops of Lemon oil, 2 Tbls.

of honey and 2 cups of pure water. Adjust to suite your own taste.

Callouses / Bunions / Warts. Rub a drop of Lemon oil on a corn, callous, bunion or

wart mornings and evenings until it disappears.

Prolong Life of Fresh Fruit. To clean and increase shelf life of fresh fruit, fill a bowl

with cool water and 2-3 drops of Lemon oil. Drop cleaned fruit into the water and stir.

Be sure all surfaces of the fruit contact the lemon.

 Counter Tops. Add 2-3 drops of Lemon oil to water and spray counter to sterilize.

Dishcloths. Soak your dishcloth overnight in a bowl of water and a drop of Lemon

oil to disinfect and kill germs.

Public Bathrooms. Rub a drop of Lemon oil on your hands after using a public bathroom

Source "110 Uses for Every Day Oils"

You can also add a drop of lemon oil to a glass of water to assist in detox and cleansing, add 10-20 drops to a spray bottle of water and use as an all-purpose cleaner, diffuse to increase concentration or put a drop in your hand, rub yours hands together and cup over your nose breathing deeply to experience the uplifting effects of lemon essential oil.

Check out our giveaway for a chance to win a 15 ml bottle of lemon essential oil along with a bunch of other goodies! :)

(This information is only applicable to Young Living lemon essential oil.  Not all oils are safe.)

For more information about essential oils, see www.ylscents.com/abbiesoils or contact Abigail on Facebook.

Just So Beautiful!

You are so beautiful!  Your eyes are gorgeous the way they sparkle when you smile, your hair is so pretty, your chin is perfect, your pink lips so sweet.  God created you exactly the way you should be and He has the best taste!

I wish that I knew each one of you reading this today and could say that to each one of you personally.  As a young woman, I know how important it is for women to feel beautiful and I also know that so many women don't feel pretty at all.  The society we live in has distorted beauty and created this fake, anorexic model with big boobs and long legs.  When a woman like Jennifer Lawrence is called "fat"....you know to quit listening to those doing the calling!

I have struggled with being content with my looks since I was a little girl.  When I was 11 years old, I had acne like you wouldn't believe (actually, you probably would....I wasn't the only one I just thought I was.)  When I was 16, I still was not content with my looks even though I was the perfect weight for my frame, had long pretty hair and the acne was minimal.  By the time I turned 18, I had started to put on a little weight.  Like my mother, I was hippy and even shorter than her, so on me, 5 pounds looks like 10 and skirts that fit in the hips are huge at my waist.  I gained gradually over the next 4 years, always wishing I could lose it and be perfect but only succeeded in growing more and more dissatisfied with my body.

Last summer, due to stress, lack of sleep and lots of sugar, I gained 20 pounds in 2 months and 30 over the space of about 4 months.  Since then, I have grown to hate the way I look.  I would spend an hour just trying to find something to wear that made me look more slender.  I used to still like how I looked at least on some days, but I didn't at all anymore.  I just wanted to be skinny again.

Over the past 7 months I have gradually come to a realization and that is that no matter how much I weigh, or if I have clear skin or zits or if my hair is wavy or thin....my Lord still loves me and He does not want me to be focusing on what I dislike about myself.

I'm learning to be content with how I look TODAY.  Some talk about loving yourself and as mixed up as they may be, there is some truth in that.  So many of us girls hate ourselves and it shows in the way we dress, act and what we eat.

I noticed something not too long ago.  For a while no one ever complimented me on my looks or told me I was beautiful.  I thought it was just because I was fat until the day that I began to dress myself to look lovely rather than dressing myself to look skinny.  I haven't lost a pound but more than once I've been complimented and even though the flubber is still there where I don't want it to be, I still feel beautiful when I put on a pretty outfit and a flower in my hair...and others think so too because I am happy with the way I look.

I saw a clip of a show once where they were showcasing geeks turned super stars.  A woman on the show had discovered a 13 year old girl who was constantly and cruelly bullied for her looks.  After setting up the story, they brought this young girl onto the stage and I was shocked.  Her outfit was normal, nothing smashing but not crazy ugly at all.  Her glasses were kinda cute, her gorgeous wavy hair was pulled back in an adorable side pony-tail, her features were perfectly proportioned, she was neither under nor overweight...I still haven't figured out what the bullies didn't like.  From the world's standpoint, she should have been one of the popular girls, but she was convinced she was ugly!

I so wanted to hug her and tell her how beautiful she really is.  Not just her, but also every other woman that I meet.  You need to know that you ARE beautiful just the way you are.  Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise...including yourself.

"Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee." -Song of Solomon 4:7

Waiting

His steady brown eyes look into hers with so much love as he carefully pours the new wine into the cup and drinks from it before handing it to her.  She looks up at him knowing that this decision will effect the rest of her life and his.  The covenant has been read and she can choose to reject or accept his proposal.  She takes the cup, smiles and drinks.  The room erupts in applause as the covenant is now agreed to and the man and woman legally married or betrothed.

The man goes away to make a home for his new bride and she waits in anticipation, not knowing when he will return and take her away with him.

This is the way Jewish marriages began in history.  Yeshua repeatedly compared His relationship to us with that of a bridegroom and his bride.  Like the Jewish bride who had to be ready at a moment's notice when her bridegroom arrived, we must be always looking forward to the day when our

Bridegroom will return for us.  We ought to remind ourselves to never do anything that we would not be happy to be doing when He does return and we are at last united with Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, the King of kings and Lord of lords!

 

 

Changing Paradigms

 What if you realize that the way that you think, and therefore act, is wrong? What if you realize that you are stuck in a rut, chained to a certain paradigm that is destroying yourself and those you come in contact with...but you can't seem to get out of that paradigm? What do you do?

I am far from an expert. In fact, I struggle myself to answer my own questions. That's why I'm writing this. I'd like to spark a discussion, share what I think and hear what you think in return.

If I realized that my paradigm was way off, and I have before to some extent, here are the steps that I would take to change my paradigm:

1. The first thing of course is to seek YHWH with your whole heart. Place it in His hands and trust Him to change your paradigm. Change your mind and God will change your heart.

2. You can't just sit back and say, "Ok, God, I'm ready for you to change me." You have to change your the way you think. Think about the actions and ways of thinking that are a result of your paradigm and as you're going along and catch yourself doing that or thinking that way...stop, realize what you're doing and decide to change your mind.

3. Along with step 2, get one or several people that you can be accountable to and who are not also stuck in the same paradigm (or if they are, make sure they know it and are also trying to break away) and ask them to let you know when they see you acting in accordance with that paradigm. You might not notice it yourself, but they will.

Have you ever had to consciously change your paradigm about something? How did you do it?