How you view God, reflects your view of yourself

          In this day and age, women look down on themselves. It's probably nothing new, but this is for many reasons and happens in many different ways. The most common way, though, is how they view their God-given body. Their initial shape, weight, and height is a factor of stress, depression, and self worth.   One can usually tell women that are more proud of what God has given them shape wise. Often times, women will wear clothing that shows them off, more than showing Christ off because in our society, if you look good, or feel good, you must be doing something right.

What goes into your mind is usually what comes out in attitude, especially if you believe it. Most women do one of two things; they eat right, or they work out. If I were to go around with a survey asking you why you eat right and/or work out, what would you say? Would it be “Because I want to be healthy”? Or “I want to keep myself looking good”? Or would it be something more like this:

“I want to make myself look good”?

The key problem? Your view. The view you have of yourself, and the one of the God that formed you in your mothers’ womb. Do you have problems with your health? Guess what, it’s a sin problem. Maybe not with you, but sin is in our world, infesting it, trying to take over. You don’t have a perfect body, rear-end, complexion, smile, hair? Guess what, ladies, NO ONE DOES! That woman that you admire so much? (Another “Guess what?”) She had her hair done. She whitened her teeth. She works out.

The main question I want to throw at you is this: What do you have the view of yourself that you have?

I may not love my body. Yeah, I have fat here and there. I have bad hair day(s!). I use whitening tooth paste. It’s not wrong. But make sure your focus is correct, with the right outlook on life, and on Christ. Make sure you don’t pass down to your daughters a wrong outlook of why you are the way that you are.  Don’t let your sisters, grand-daughter, daughter-in-law go on thinking that they have no shot in every living up to anyone’s standards. The worlds’ standards on beauty are wrong. They teach women of all ages that they will never be good enough, beautiful enough, skinny enough, curvy enough, when, darlin’, that’s just not true.

Don’t wear sweatpants cause you feel fat. Wear them because they’re comfortable. Ladies, there are many different styles of clothing. Find the kind that fits your body style, and strut (don’t show off) what the Lord gave you! Don’t want around holding your arms because they flap when you wave, because, a different side of this, is pride. Ask yourself why you don’t to look bad in front of people. Are you afraid of other women judging you, because you judge their flapping arm fat? Think about it…and be honest with yourself.

Now, back to the reason we are on this topic. The younger generation. Those women and young ladies that are impressionable. And they look to you. They look to us.  Help their thinking. Help them by what you say about your own body. No, you don’t have to go around flaunting your good-looking bod. Clothe it with respect, and walk around with your head held high. 

"You may find your worst enemy or best friend in yourself" - English Proverb 

"You can't live a positive life with a negative mind" - unknown 

Love is a journey... Part 1

And we started our journey March 12, 2011. Sunday evening when we were at my home church in Derby Kansas. Not "us" technically. Nick went to a Bible college from the North side of Wisconsin. The Lord has led him to travel with the ministry team that went around, well, ministering to various churches and school's, recruiting students for the college. The team was in my hometown for a two-day weekend, to have a youth activity with the teens, be in charge of Sunday school for them, then have an activity for the College and Career aged group of people as well.

I was busy with work, closing up the place every weekend night, which means 1-2 a.m. evenings. This meant I did not make it to Sunday school, just church - barely. This particular Sunday, I had no idea this team of all guys from a Bible school were going to be in town. (Crazy for a single girl to not know, right?!) So, I walked in a few minutes late to a guy at the podium I had never seen before, but would like to have.

I quickly found my family, squeezed in the pew, and sat down taking mental notes of the other heads I could only view the back of. "Darn it", I said to myself, thinking this would have been a good to day be on time, or even a little early. Any other team we had come to our church had mostly woman in them and if there were men, they were all engaged, married, or, honestly, not that good to look at. This team, however, was a little different. If, you know what I mean!

That afternoon, I didn't think much of it. I had a lot going on that day, so my mind was somewhere else. My sister and I took the day to go horseback riding for my first time. Throughout that time, my poor foot was stepped on by the hoof of a 30,000,000 pound horse (again, not really, but the point is made.)! My sister, Elise, came away with more sustained injuries after being thrown quite a few feet from a rather brat-like horse, in my profession opinion! My thoughts were engaged elsewhere, to say the least.

That is, until we arrived home, at my parents' home for the afternoon. As we told our sleepy-looking parents our stories of the day and started thinking about whether or not we would make it to church that evening, my mind went to those five handsome strangers of which I had no existed until that very morning. I thought about it, and decided I should go. I was very single, after all. While deciding what to wear for the service and the activity afterwards, I chose my trusty KU basketball shirt since they had a game that night I would watch later on. So with my Kansas blue shirt, capri's and tennis, I was out the door. But before I left, I shouted back to my two younger sisters, "Don't wait up for me, I'm gonna go meet my future husband tonight!"....

Top ten [known] changes this year:

 1. I am going to be a wife.
 2. I am going to get a husband.
 3. My last name will change.
 4. I am moving out of state.
 5. I'm turning 23
 6. I will quit my job and start a new one in Arkansas.
 7. I am gaining a mother and father-in-law.
 8. I will start running my own house (or apartment).
 9. I got engaged.
 10. I will be attending a new church, with my new husband, and we will be starting a different kind of  ministry together.

These are just the changes that we are aware of so far. I cannot even describe the level of excitement for starting a new life with someone, and the balanced level of uncertainty with leaving my current life, living conditions, job, friends... The list can go on and on. However, for times sake, I shall stop there.

As an update for those who may not have known about #6, my fiancé got a job in Arkansas as an Assistant pastor at a Bible church. We are ecstatic (and nervous!) about this new direction the Lord is having us take right before we start our new life together. We ask for prayer and wisdom on other decisions we have to make and that God would give us abounding grace to get through these changes. 

Grow up, or you'll grow old.

 "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop 
playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. 

You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it! 
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old.

If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. 

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. 
Have no regrets.

The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those 
with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose."

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died 
peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's 
never too late to be all you can possibly be. 

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS 
OPTIONAL.

We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give."

Giving Thanks God's Way: Thanksgiving Week

Thanksgiving week. What is it for? Well, giving thanks. For all God has done, given us, things we usually forget to thank Him for, and even what we don’t think as a blessing in our lives. Usually it’s so easy to come up with a list of things we are all grateful for. And usually, they’re the same things that everyone else is thankful for. However, this year, God has given me the incredibly hard task of looking to the other things in life he blessed me with this year, and even right now in my life.

The list most people give are:  Family, friends, a house, food to eat, clothing to wear, a car to drive, etc, etc, you get my point; moving on.  

This year is much harder. There has been so much pain, heartache, heart break, let down, stress, worry. 

Yes, all of those things most people are grateful for are wonderful, and I am too grateful for them, but I know there are much bigger, more important things God is asking me to just say “thank You” for. Like heartache that has grown me closer to Jesus. Let down that makes me run to Christ. Pain that only my Lord God can heal..in His time. He is teaching me patience, love, selflessness, diligence, and contentment with this life that He has blessed me with. I am truly thankful for all I have, but He is simply asking me to be content with everything else that makes up the rough patches in life.

Let me tell you, it’s hard. So tough to sit down and praise God for all the pain He has allowed. But I have been thinking about it a wrong sense. I am thankful for how I have grown, what I’ve learned; about me and about my Savior, things I have seen God do in other’s lives. I am thankful. Even though it means that I cry myself to sleep. Even though my plans for getting married have been removed from my life. Even though I go out to eat alone. I wake up with hope. Hope in the fact that I have a bright future no matter what my past looks like. No matter what I have done, or what others have done. God is sovereign, and in that, I give thanks. 

Below is the song that my heart has clung to this week of tough decisions and growing up. 

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

All of Philippians 4  <-----Click here.

think on these things

While pondering what I would do if I knew, as a fact, that I would have one day left to live and what I would do or how I would spend that day, I got thinking a little. Or, a lot, rather.

I would be scared, confused. I would want to spend it with the love of my life and my family. But when I started thinking how I would want it, I started seeing a reality mock up of that day/night. I would be fighting a lot. Arguing, saying things I didn't mean, but would say out of fear for the unknown.

During this epiphany at 2:30 in the morning, I came to the conclusion, this is exactly the reason God does not allow us to know when our end will come. He knew exactly how we would react to matters of money, wealth, power, illness, and He for-knew that we would act as complete idiots with this information. He knew we couldn't handle the truth.

Human's are creatures of habit. And because of this, we don't like when life throws curve balls in the way of our happiness. However, that kind of thinking is why so much depression is caused. Our minds are not open, we are set on our "Ten Year Plan" and if anything deviates from that, our life is off focus and we feel we need to regroup. What idiots we are!

After coming to his conclusion, I for one, am eternally grateful that my Lord does not withhold any good thing from me (Psalm 84:11)

My God loves me. Withholding this news from us, is proof He loves us so much He wants us to live in harmony and love toward each other. Not in quarrelsome attitudes, but unfailing mercy and grace. 



Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8 ESV)