This occurred to me the other day while applying my mascara for a school audition. It took me literary twice as much time to perfect my eyelashes than it took me to perfect every other area on my face. That’s the one reason I never wear mascara, the feeling of having to apply and risking the effects of a messy black eye makes me think twice before applying it..lol.
That said, back to my point: As a school friend did my hair while I applied my make-up, she started bragging about how beautiful the features on my face were. She said they were so perfectly visible for the eye of the beholder. I looked at her and thought the same about her and told her how God has made all of us beautiful, yet different and unique. She didn’t seem to get my point.or just didn’t understand were I was going. She continued over-lifting my outer beauty. Although I was grateful for her comments, I told her “ My flaws are just not as visible” (we both giggled) but than I stopped at that statement and thought through what I had just said.
I didn’t take regret of the statement I had un-intentionally just said, but I did pause and think about it. Well what do I mean by that, truth be told is that some women do stand out more than others, whether it is in height, eye color, hair, size, talents, length, bone structure, body type, eyebrows, etc., Whatever it is!
When it comes to choosing someone for a role in the acting business, the first thing they notice is if your look fits the role. All beautiful girls competing for the same part, one will question whether one gets the part simply for their outer beauty. As this statement is debatable, truth be told, no matter how much talent one has, looks will make the final decision final. UNFORTUNATELY. That’s how the world works.. --“Man looks at the outer appearance.” 1 Samuel 16:7
This is usually a topic that comes up a lot in my class topics and that’s why am writing about it, but also because is something I know we all can relate with. But in all, its mostly to make a point of how much we focus on working on our outer beauty that we forget about our inner beauty. This goes for men as well.
I am definitely a victim of this everyday, yep even today. Sometimes I debate whether I should workout or spend sometime with God or read the bible. Especially when my schedule is full of To-Dos.I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve worked soo hard to make myself look Beautiful for the eye of the beholder that I take to much pride in all the time it took me to look the way i look. My perfectly fitted clothes, perfectly applied make-up, etc. The way i carry myself with Confidence and dignity forgetting about all my Hidden "flaws." Like a selfish heart, an ambitious attitude, a lazy disposition.
In trying to keep up with yesterday’s theme of feminine stereotypes. Yes, how cliché of me. Lol. I once heard that the only girls who harp on inner beauty are the ugly ones. I’ll go ahead and leave this statement open for all of you to decide! Haaa ;) A verse that I Love to read everytime am overly consumed with my outer self is..
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” While outer beauty is purely subjective, inner beauty is judged by the Kings of Kings. We can’t hide our flaws from him. With the Joy of Christ radiating from within, with the confidence that comes from knowing we are all wonderfully and fearfully made, and with the assurance that true inner beauty comes from our matchlessly beautiful father in heaven, you’re probably more beautiful than you think.
The beauty that truly means everything is the beauty that comes from knowing the Lord. That kind of beauty affects the way we carry ourselves, the way we dress but most important the way we view others. I am talking about the all encompassing beauty, the beauty that stands out from the rest of the crowd, the beauty that only God can give. And, if you claim to know Jesus Christ as your Savior, it is most definitly a beauty that you can by his grace strive to attain.
I am not asking you to go to the nearest mirror and strike a pose and say “ohhh look how beautiful I am! How is it that anyone is better looking than me? lol. Nor do I want you to start nitpicking and critzing every actress and deciding that the perfect slant of her chiffon across her shoulder hides the hideous mole she has.-- Ok.. so the second was a bad example. But I do want me and u -to try- to seek the timeless endless beauty of the Lord’s precepts.
As I watched a Grace Kelly film in class a time ago, I came to admire her beauty and kind of focus to much on it. Her poise, elegance, style, demureness, Grace. Whether she was shooting a film, walking along the beach, or hammering it up in a game of charades, her beauty was simply astonishing. Simply Captivating.
Flesh and Blood examples of outward beautiful female actresses such a Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn may inspire us to carry ourselves with a little more dignity, but what should really raise our chins and straighten our backs is to know that we are perfectly, matchlessly loved by Christ. And no am not saying that we should not admire the poise of women such as these; I’m an admirer myself. But It always helps me to remind myself to not let my admiration usurp my desire to be inwardly beautiful, and to admire women who perhaps were not has glamorous as Princess Grace, but were Kindhearted servants of the Lord, and to know that even the most beautiful women on television and magazine ads have insecurities just like the rest of us, and even women as outwardly beautiful as Audrey Hepburn were in desperate need of a loving Savior. Because in the long haul that’s the beauty that truly matters.
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain. But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. –Proverbs 31:3
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Unmasked!
I wrote this a couple momths ago.I was having a month full of heavy trials. Pray it blesses ya. Much Love!
Lord who is it that you saw, a troubled girl full of scars, a broken heart which you have healed. I am forever grateful. In the midst of my pain, in the midst of my tears, you came to my rescue expecting nothing in return. How could I pretend? How could I sing with joy at the work you have done. How could I praise another at the peace I have found.
Here in my room, I will quite my mouth, close my eyes, lay on my face and not pretend to be who am not because you know me to well. From you it’s impossible to hide.
With the constant noise, constant race to strive, leading nowhere worth going. I will rest in you presence, lay on your feet and cry to you, there where you once found me. Unknown and Unworthy.
Am just a girl who is far from perfection, whose sins are forgiven with each new day, who fears the future and has thoughts of what next. Who begs for mercy and prays for forgiveness.
But now there is light, now I can see; now I have hope, now there’s a future of which you hold in your hands. I can try and pretend when I leave your sight like all is well but it is here in your presence that I am unmasked.
Please help me Lord make it known to the world of how grateful I am for the nails on the cross, the pain you endured, the stripes you bared, the blood you shed, the insults you took, you could of rescued yourself but in me you thought.
A girl who would need you on days to hard, when the night was dark and the pain to hard.
Thank you Jesus for being my savior who came to my rescue for nothing in return.
Lord who is it that you saw, a troubled girl full of scars, a broken heart which you have healed. I am forever grateful. In the midst of my pain, in the midst of my tears, you came to my rescue expecting nothing in return. How could I pretend? How could I sing with joy at the work you have done. How could I praise another at the peace I have found.
Here in my room, I will quite my mouth, close my eyes, lay on my face and not pretend to be who am not because you know me to well. From you it’s impossible to hide.
With the constant noise, constant race to strive, leading nowhere worth going. I will rest in you presence, lay on your feet and cry to you, there where you once found me. Unknown and Unworthy.
Am just a girl who is far from perfection, whose sins are forgiven with each new day, who fears the future and has thoughts of what next. Who begs for mercy and prays for forgiveness.
But now there is light, now I can see; now I have hope, now there’s a future of which you hold in your hands. I can try and pretend when I leave your sight like all is well but it is here in your presence that I am unmasked.
Please help me Lord make it known to the world of how grateful I am for the nails on the cross, the pain you endured, the stripes you bared, the blood you shed, the insults you took, you could of rescued yourself but in me you thought.
A girl who would need you on days to hard, when the night was dark and the pain to hard.
Thank you Jesus for being my savior who came to my rescue for nothing in return.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
I am not happy with my body!
I am writing this because it is something I myself have dealt with, deal with and will probably still deal with in the coming years. But I know I am not alone and neither are you! It can become easier and you can over come it>>I PROMISE. I must admit that 4 years ago I didn’t understand what being insecure with your body image was, what an eating disorder was, what it can do to you, and how sooo many fall prey of this.
I Still have not met any woman who doesn't suffer from being insecure at one point in her life. My hips are too big, my stomach isn’t flat enough, My boobs are too big or too small, my legs are sooo flabby or thick. My arms are sooo thick or to thin, I have noo muscle tone. I want to be thin, skinnier, thicker, or just loose a few pounds. Point is “Good enough is never enough!” The more I talk to those in the fitness; modeling; acting industry the more I find out how insecure and judgmental we can be about our own bodies. We can be our #1 “critique.” We can see faults in our body or image that no one else does. We can destroy our own image and become paranoid of our own appearance.
Have you ever been there or am I the only one?!
Reality Check…
• Did you know that if female mannequins were real women they'd be too thin to have babies?
• There are 3 billion women who don't look like supermodels and only eight who do.
• Marilyn Monroe wore a size 14, and she is still considered beautiful.
• If Barbie was a real woman, she'd have to walk on all fours due to her proportions.
• The average woman wears between a size 12-14.
• The models in the magazines are airbrushed - no one, not even models, look that good without some help! Do not be disappointed when you open the next magazine at the grocery store and see _____ in the cover, -PHOTOSHOP. Many have admitted this statement to be true.
And here are some facts that are kinda scary...
• One out of every four college-aged women has an eating disorder.
• A psychological study in 1995 found that three minutes spent looking at a fashion magazine caused 70% of women to feel depressed, guilty, and shameful.
• Twenty years ago, models weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today they weigh 23% less.
Oh yeah, and Sarah Michelle (who is 5'3 and weighs approximately 99 lbs) has publically said this about thin celebrities; "How can women be as thin as we are? We have personal trainers to work us out. We have specially prepared meals."
Point is we are never there. We are never 100% content with our bodies, we will never have “The Perfect” body. Welcome to being human! Welcome to being a Woman! But you can choose today to walk past that and be secure in who God created you to be, you can over pass the thoughts of What ifs; Ands or Buts…What if I only lost 10 pounds or if I only gained 10 pounds or if I was only more toned or if I only got plastic surgery or if I wore a size 2 or 0, that would solve all my insecurities..?? WRONG!
Being in the acting industry my self, Dating a Fitness trainer, Model, Actor for almost 2 years puts me in the “What Ifs” category, but truth is the better in shape I get, the more weight I loose, doesn’t make me any happier! It might make me a little more confident and feeling of accomplishment.. but if I am lacking my inner food, working on the women I am inside, my character and integrity, I will never be content with my outer appearance because there will always be someone thinner; taller; prettier; talented, someone who is more CONFIDENT. That is our “KEY” CONFIDENCE in who God created us to be!” After all, he made us in His own image; In His own likeness!!!
I am not saying don’t work out and eat all the junk you want, NO! DO NOT READ WHAT I AM NOT WRITTING! What I am saying is that even the skinniest models aren’t content with their bodies, what I am telling you is that looks can be deceiving. You will not be any happier than you are now. Instead, keep a balance OF the inner and outer beauty Putting Jesus Christ above all and you will see miracles happen in your life.
A little food for thought!
Are we too concerned with how we look? The apostle Paul warns us not to put too much focus on it. "Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach...Their mind is on earthly things" (Philippians 3:19)...
Pray this prayer when you must! DO not be a victim! Psalm 139: 14-16: "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
I Still have not met any woman who doesn't suffer from being insecure at one point in her life. My hips are too big, my stomach isn’t flat enough, My boobs are too big or too small, my legs are sooo flabby or thick. My arms are sooo thick or to thin, I have noo muscle tone. I want to be thin, skinnier, thicker, or just loose a few pounds. Point is “Good enough is never enough!” The more I talk to those in the fitness; modeling; acting industry the more I find out how insecure and judgmental we can be about our own bodies. We can be our #1 “critique.” We can see faults in our body or image that no one else does. We can destroy our own image and become paranoid of our own appearance.
Have you ever been there or am I the only one?!
Reality Check…
• Did you know that if female mannequins were real women they'd be too thin to have babies?
• There are 3 billion women who don't look like supermodels and only eight who do.
• Marilyn Monroe wore a size 14, and she is still considered beautiful.
• If Barbie was a real woman, she'd have to walk on all fours due to her proportions.
• The average woman wears between a size 12-14.
• The models in the magazines are airbrushed - no one, not even models, look that good without some help! Do not be disappointed when you open the next magazine at the grocery store and see _____ in the cover, -PHOTOSHOP. Many have admitted this statement to be true.
And here are some facts that are kinda scary...
• One out of every four college-aged women has an eating disorder.
• A psychological study in 1995 found that three minutes spent looking at a fashion magazine caused 70% of women to feel depressed, guilty, and shameful.
• Twenty years ago, models weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today they weigh 23% less.
Oh yeah, and Sarah Michelle (who is 5'3 and weighs approximately 99 lbs) has publically said this about thin celebrities; "How can women be as thin as we are? We have personal trainers to work us out. We have specially prepared meals."
Point is we are never there. We are never 100% content with our bodies, we will never have “The Perfect” body. Welcome to being human! Welcome to being a Woman! But you can choose today to walk past that and be secure in who God created you to be, you can over pass the thoughts of What ifs; Ands or Buts…What if I only lost 10 pounds or if I only gained 10 pounds or if I was only more toned or if I only got plastic surgery or if I wore a size 2 or 0, that would solve all my insecurities..?? WRONG!
Being in the acting industry my self, Dating a Fitness trainer, Model, Actor for almost 2 years puts me in the “What Ifs” category, but truth is the better in shape I get, the more weight I loose, doesn’t make me any happier! It might make me a little more confident and feeling of accomplishment.. but if I am lacking my inner food, working on the women I am inside, my character and integrity, I will never be content with my outer appearance because there will always be someone thinner; taller; prettier; talented, someone who is more CONFIDENT. That is our “KEY” CONFIDENCE in who God created us to be!” After all, he made us in His own image; In His own likeness!!!
I am not saying don’t work out and eat all the junk you want, NO! DO NOT READ WHAT I AM NOT WRITTING! What I am saying is that even the skinniest models aren’t content with their bodies, what I am telling you is that looks can be deceiving. You will not be any happier than you are now. Instead, keep a balance OF the inner and outer beauty Putting Jesus Christ above all and you will see miracles happen in your life.
A little food for thought!
Are we too concerned with how we look? The apostle Paul warns us not to put too much focus on it. "Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach...Their mind is on earthly things" (Philippians 3:19)...
Pray this prayer when you must! DO not be a victim! Psalm 139: 14-16: "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Friday, May 28, 2010
I absolutely love LOVE this song!!! :-)
"Set The World On Fire" by BRITT NICOLE
I wanna set the world on fire
Until it's burning bright for You
It's everything that I desire
Can I be the one You use?
[CHORUS]
I, I am small but
You, You are big enough
I, I am weak but
You, You are strong enough to
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
Nothing I can not do
Nothing I cannot do
I wanna feed the hungry children
And reach across the farthest land
And tell the broken there is healing
And mercy in the Father's hands
[CHORUS]
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
Nothing I cannot do
Nothing I cannot do
My hands my feet
My everything
My life, my love
Lord, use me
I wanna set the world on fire
Until it's burning bright for You
It's everything that I desire
Can I be the one You use?
[CHORUS]
I, I am small but
You, You are big enough
I, I am weak but
You, You are strong enough to
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
Nothing I can not do
Nothing I cannot do
I wanna feed the hungry children
And reach across the farthest land
And tell the broken there is healing
And mercy in the Father's hands
[CHORUS]
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
Nothing I cannot do
Nothing I cannot do
My hands my feet
My everything
My life, my love
Lord, use me
Friday, March 26, 2010
Becoming Like Mary
The past two weeks have been a living nightmare in my life. Asking sooo many questions and desperately begging God for a word of direction, just one is all I’ve been in need of, but now is when God has been the most silent. I must admit that my mind has been going in circles day after day.
I never imagined that being such a strong Christian, I would still be attacked in even the smallest of ways. It is teaching me that we are all a work in progress and that only God gives and only he takes. Thoughts of unbelief have triggered my mind but it’s than when am brought back to 8 years ago when I had an encounter with my savior and I completely gave Jesus Christ control over my life! It is teaching me to keep my trust and hope on him even when he is the most silent! It is teaching me to be lead more and more by the spirit of God instead of my feelings and emotions which change with each passing moment!
Here are some late night ponderings from my heart:
Where is Jesus in all this clutter? How can I hear Him amidst the constant noise? Even as I have been desperately trying to steady my gaze on Jesus, I still feel so scatter-brained when all I want to do is focus all my attention on God and what He wants to say to me. It becomes very easy to replace our actual relationship with our Father with the ins and outs of this world...relying on what we know and how we're gifted to get us through each day instead of drawing from the deep well of the presence of the Lord offered to us with each new day, hand in hand with brand new mercies. Often times I feel like my heart is buried under so much clutter with task lists, deadlines and events coming out of my ears.. But every day I neglect to quiet my heart and listen for His voice in the stillness, I have robbed myself of the greatest opportunity...far beyond what I could ever accomplish through, networking, web surfing, e-mails or phone calls...the opportunity to sit at the feet of Jesus and be completely honest, completely understood, completely loved. I am learning and will continue to learn throughout my life that my tank empties quickly, very quickly and after a few days of running around on auto-pilot, all I have left are fumes, burning fumes. Who needs fumes? Not me. Not the person next to me, not u!
I want to know what it means to walk by the Spirit at all times, and the only way I can operate in the Spirit and not my flesh is to find out what pleases Him, to find myself drawing from His presence every day. Lord, help me. To really know Him, not just know about Him. To have a sense of what He is doing all around me now, not relying on past experiences or encounters to get me by. They are now stale. Worthless. Ugly, Smelly.
What is most important? What is the thing that lasts, that cannot be taken from us? Mary knew. She sat at the feet of Jesus and hung on His every word. How she loved Him. Not because of what He could do for her or the miracles He could work in her life. No, she loved Him because He was life to her. Just being where He was was enough. Is that so for me? Am I content to sit quietly before the Lord for however long, asking nothing of Him but that He would make Himself known and come a little closer? Or is He just a means to an end for my life or my career or my relationships or my momentary pleasures. God forbid. He is everything. And in a world that seems to often be spinning out of control with busyness and expectations and daily struggles, He is still here, calling and waiting, extending an invitation for us to come, and simply be where He is. In the presence of Almighty God.
In the presence of Jehovah
God Almighty, Prince of Peace
Troubles vanish, hearts are mended
In the presence of the King nothing is too hard.
I never imagined that being such a strong Christian, I would still be attacked in even the smallest of ways. It is teaching me that we are all a work in progress and that only God gives and only he takes. Thoughts of unbelief have triggered my mind but it’s than when am brought back to 8 years ago when I had an encounter with my savior and I completely gave Jesus Christ control over my life! It is teaching me to keep my trust and hope on him even when he is the most silent! It is teaching me to be lead more and more by the spirit of God instead of my feelings and emotions which change with each passing moment!
Here are some late night ponderings from my heart:
Where is Jesus in all this clutter? How can I hear Him amidst the constant noise? Even as I have been desperately trying to steady my gaze on Jesus, I still feel so scatter-brained when all I want to do is focus all my attention on God and what He wants to say to me. It becomes very easy to replace our actual relationship with our Father with the ins and outs of this world...relying on what we know and how we're gifted to get us through each day instead of drawing from the deep well of the presence of the Lord offered to us with each new day, hand in hand with brand new mercies. Often times I feel like my heart is buried under so much clutter with task lists, deadlines and events coming out of my ears.. But every day I neglect to quiet my heart and listen for His voice in the stillness, I have robbed myself of the greatest opportunity...far beyond what I could ever accomplish through, networking, web surfing, e-mails or phone calls...the opportunity to sit at the feet of Jesus and be completely honest, completely understood, completely loved. I am learning and will continue to learn throughout my life that my tank empties quickly, very quickly and after a few days of running around on auto-pilot, all I have left are fumes, burning fumes. Who needs fumes? Not me. Not the person next to me, not u!
I want to know what it means to walk by the Spirit at all times, and the only way I can operate in the Spirit and not my flesh is to find out what pleases Him, to find myself drawing from His presence every day. Lord, help me. To really know Him, not just know about Him. To have a sense of what He is doing all around me now, not relying on past experiences or encounters to get me by. They are now stale. Worthless. Ugly, Smelly.
What is most important? What is the thing that lasts, that cannot be taken from us? Mary knew. She sat at the feet of Jesus and hung on His every word. How she loved Him. Not because of what He could do for her or the miracles He could work in her life. No, she loved Him because He was life to her. Just being where He was was enough. Is that so for me? Am I content to sit quietly before the Lord for however long, asking nothing of Him but that He would make Himself known and come a little closer? Or is He just a means to an end for my life or my career or my relationships or my momentary pleasures. God forbid. He is everything. And in a world that seems to often be spinning out of control with busyness and expectations and daily struggles, He is still here, calling and waiting, extending an invitation for us to come, and simply be where He is. In the presence of Almighty God.
In the presence of Jehovah
God Almighty, Prince of Peace
Troubles vanish, hearts are mended
In the presence of the King nothing is too hard.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
I love this quote!
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ~~Marianne Williamson
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Best things in life..
God.
Love.
Knowing that you can run to Jesus Christ whenever you want for anything and he wont tell.
Faith.
First Boyfriend. :))
Working Out.
Worship.
True Friends.
Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
First kiss. :))
Making new friends and spending time with the old ones.
Singing in the bathroom.
Sweet dreams.
Healthy food.
Family.
Seeing yourself like God sees you.
Hot chocolate.
Making brownies and Icecream.
The Bible.
Holding hands with someone you care about.
Watching a sunset.
Sleeping in.
Taking long, hot showers.
Starbucks.
Knowing that somebody misses you.
Knowing that all can be solved in the presence of God!
Hearing the words "I Love You" from the ones you love.
Forgiving.
Naps.
Cookies.
Giving.
Lending and burrowing with total peace.
Giving without expecting.
Physically healthy & well.
Energy.
Happiness.
Love.
Knowing that you can run to Jesus Christ whenever you want for anything and he wont tell.
Faith.
First Boyfriend. :))
Working Out.
Worship.
True Friends.
Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
First kiss. :))
Making new friends and spending time with the old ones.
Singing in the bathroom.
Sweet dreams.
Healthy food.
Family.
Seeing yourself like God sees you.
Hot chocolate.
Making brownies and Icecream.
The Bible.
Holding hands with someone you care about.
Watching a sunset.
Sleeping in.
Taking long, hot showers.
Starbucks.
Knowing that somebody misses you.
Knowing that all can be solved in the presence of God!
Hearing the words "I Love You" from the ones you love.
Forgiving.
Naps.
Cookies.
Giving.
Lending and burrowing with total peace.
Giving without expecting.
Physically healthy & well.
Energy.
Happiness.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Discouraged No More
Discouragement is a very real thing. It is no respecter of persons. I'll even go out on a limb and say that we all, at some point or another, have been discouraged. These feelings of dread and defeat generally sneak up behind and take hold of us in our most vulnerable state and don't tend to let go without a fight. This battle takes place in our minds, and the thoughts we allow ourselves to dwell on will either serve as fiery darts or a fire hydrant to the wildfire of discouragement ablaze in our hearts.
Here's what I mean. Discouragement is most often triggered by a news flash that something has gone awry or nothing is working out as planned. During these unpleasant doses of reality, our world often seems to come to a standstill and our initial knee-jerk reaction is to throw up our hands and give up. Throw in the towel. Call it quits. Run away. Far away. Can I be honest with you? I have felt like that so many times. Sometimes things just don't come out the way we so hopefully envisioned them, and when they don't, discouragement sets in and the doubt begins to rear its ugly head. “why is school going so slow, why do I feel like I’ve been at a red stop for more than the required time, why am I sill stuck in the same job for over 1 year and have no promotion, why is my life such a routine, why do I feel like am not getting in better shape or loosing any weight and I’ve been working my behind off (trust me this is a big one for many especially for us girls), why are my relationships not improving, Does God really care about me? Why am I not being used by God? Am I even worth anything to Him? God says He loves me, but how can I believe it when everything I know is crumbling around me? Where in the world is He? Why am I still stuck in the same hole I was in last week? why why why? “Yep, been there. And I want to tell you it's a very real place. But you don't have to stay there. You don't have to be defeated. Life is hard, that's for sure, but we must resolve to look beyond everything our circumstances are screaming at us and be still before the God who created us and loves us through it all. How do we do that? We focus our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. He was sovereign and loving enough to call us to Himself and set us on the journey of a lifetime, and He will be faithful to complete the good work in us, rest assured.
If you find yourself in that dark place of discouragement, Beloved, I beg you. Do not give into the lies. Do not entertain thoughts that are untrue. Choose to believe the cold hard facts that are found in God's Word—AKA as the bible and dwell on His life-giving promises. Read through the Psalms of David and notice how he cried out to God in the bleakest of situations and do the same. Pour out your heart before Him. He wants to hear from you, even if all you have to offer are tears and questions. Ask the Lord to help you focus your eyes on Him instead of the ever shifting circumstances. May we train ourselves to constantly meditate on the excellent and praiseworthy things that Paul referred to in Philippians 4:8, no matter how dark the night may be.. Let us trust the Lord at all times, for He is good. One of my favorite passages of Scripture is found in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
My pastor’s wife (Elizabeth Fountain) once told me that we are eternal beings. I don’t know why but it hit me like a thousand bricks coming my way, it made all the sense in the world. Offcourse, if we live as for eternity instead of the 60s Or 80 Years we have on earth than perhaps we would worry less about our problems, our current circumstances, our physical appearance, about what others think about us and worry more about what God thinks about us. Since at the end that’s all that will really matter!
Here's what I mean. Discouragement is most often triggered by a news flash that something has gone awry or nothing is working out as planned. During these unpleasant doses of reality, our world often seems to come to a standstill and our initial knee-jerk reaction is to throw up our hands and give up. Throw in the towel. Call it quits. Run away. Far away. Can I be honest with you? I have felt like that so many times. Sometimes things just don't come out the way we so hopefully envisioned them, and when they don't, discouragement sets in and the doubt begins to rear its ugly head. “why is school going so slow, why do I feel like I’ve been at a red stop for more than the required time, why am I sill stuck in the same job for over 1 year and have no promotion, why is my life such a routine, why do I feel like am not getting in better shape or loosing any weight and I’ve been working my behind off (trust me this is a big one for many especially for us girls), why are my relationships not improving, Does God really care about me? Why am I not being used by God? Am I even worth anything to Him? God says He loves me, but how can I believe it when everything I know is crumbling around me? Where in the world is He? Why am I still stuck in the same hole I was in last week? why why why? “Yep, been there. And I want to tell you it's a very real place. But you don't have to stay there. You don't have to be defeated. Life is hard, that's for sure, but we must resolve to look beyond everything our circumstances are screaming at us and be still before the God who created us and loves us through it all. How do we do that? We focus our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. He was sovereign and loving enough to call us to Himself and set us on the journey of a lifetime, and He will be faithful to complete the good work in us, rest assured.
If you find yourself in that dark place of discouragement, Beloved, I beg you. Do not give into the lies. Do not entertain thoughts that are untrue. Choose to believe the cold hard facts that are found in God's Word—AKA as the bible and dwell on His life-giving promises. Read through the Psalms of David and notice how he cried out to God in the bleakest of situations and do the same. Pour out your heart before Him. He wants to hear from you, even if all you have to offer are tears and questions. Ask the Lord to help you focus your eyes on Him instead of the ever shifting circumstances. May we train ourselves to constantly meditate on the excellent and praiseworthy things that Paul referred to in Philippians 4:8, no matter how dark the night may be.. Let us trust the Lord at all times, for He is good. One of my favorite passages of Scripture is found in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
My pastor’s wife (Elizabeth Fountain) once told me that we are eternal beings. I don’t know why but it hit me like a thousand bricks coming my way, it made all the sense in the world. Offcourse, if we live as for eternity instead of the 60s Or 80 Years we have on earth than perhaps we would worry less about our problems, our current circumstances, our physical appearance, about what others think about us and worry more about what God thinks about us. Since at the end that’s all that will really matter!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Ready, Set, LIVE.
Today is my 23rd birthday. Exactly a year ago today, I distinctly remember waking up in my bedroom, and no sooner had I opened my eyes I sensed the Lord saying something to me. Yes, Lord? "This is the Year." That was all I got. Was my mind playing tricks on me? No, it was too early in the morning for my brain to conjure up a complete sentence, much less one that had to do with the days ahead. The Spirit was speaking, ever so gently. And with His whisper, my mind began to wander to the endless possibilities of all that statement could entail. When I inquired to know more, it was like I just knew that God was about to reveal the answers to so many questions I had asked for most of my young adult life and to shed light on a path that I never could have found the strength to walk down on my own. And all this occurred before I had even gotten out of bed.
And what a year it was! A year of opportunity. A year of decisions. A year of relationships, old and new. 2009/22 brought me into a new season of which was very hard to adapt. Many blessings and many lessons learned. Good and bad. Many times I found myself wanting to be heard by anyone!? Anyone!? Wanting to scream, cry and laugh all at the same time, I felt confused, I felt lost. Many times I felt like a complete stranger walking down the streets of South Beach where tourist flourish all around and where people seem to be on permanent vacations. I found myself pondering on why I felt sooo different so inadequate. I wondered if I was making it a big deal or if I was just being ungrateful. I have family, great friends, an awesome fiancé and a very close God who I can talk to at anytime, I knew I wasn’t alone but I felt alone. I searched deep within my soul and I came to a realization that it wasn’t loneliness but fear that had penetrated deep within my soul, it was fear of the unknown, fear of change, fear of rejection in a place where I didn’t fit in.
This morning as I awoke, I was immediately brought back to January 19, 2009, that fateful morning when God dropped something into my spirit that would bare fruit in the coming days and cause me to live my life in a constant state of expectation and wonder over all that the Lord was so sovereignly accomplishing in my life. But I must say, as I sat on the edge of my bed and turned over all the events of my 22-year-old life, I was at a loss. I felt as if it was yesterday that I turned 22, that I started attending a new church, moved to a new house, switched cell phone numbers more than once, loss communication with old friends, made new friends, reestablished my relationship with my physical dad of which I am ever sooo grateful to God, got engaged, switched jobs, became jobless and found a new set of dreams to pursue after, all in the same year.
Maybe it's the constant reminder I see on television and magazines ads and storefront windows that youth is something to be coveted but, in reality, can never be held on to for very long. It is fleeting. Our very lives are slipping through our fingers. Or maybe I'm at a turning point, the question looming overhead, "where do we go from here?" After a year of such blessings and change, now what? I haven't a clue. Truth be told, I wanted to be awakened ever so sweetly by the same prompting, a promise I could cling to for the coming year, something...ANYTHING.
But I know my God and I will trust Him even when He is silent. I know the way He cares for His children, the way He cares for me. I know His faithfulness and the ways that He has proven it over and over in my life. I know His mercies, how they wash over me with each new day. I know that what He says is truest of true, and I can stake my very life on the foundation of His Word. Thank You, Jesus. Each new day is full of the richest promises. Promises that cannot be broken. Promises spoken from the Father's heart to ours. Praise Jesus Christ!
So bring it on, 23. I am not afraid to be surrounded by uncertainty anymore. It only increases my faith. I am not afraid to be another year older. Each day is a gift. I aspire to walk by the Spirit at all times, loving and living and giving and serving with every fiber of my being, every minute, every single day, knowing that each day is only moving me closer to the Day of all days, when I will finally see His face. But there's no time to waste, our time here is limited. Ready, set, LIVE.
And what a year it was! A year of opportunity. A year of decisions. A year of relationships, old and new. 2009/22 brought me into a new season of which was very hard to adapt. Many blessings and many lessons learned. Good and bad. Many times I found myself wanting to be heard by anyone!? Anyone!? Wanting to scream, cry and laugh all at the same time, I felt confused, I felt lost. Many times I felt like a complete stranger walking down the streets of South Beach where tourist flourish all around and where people seem to be on permanent vacations. I found myself pondering on why I felt sooo different so inadequate. I wondered if I was making it a big deal or if I was just being ungrateful. I have family, great friends, an awesome fiancé and a very close God who I can talk to at anytime, I knew I wasn’t alone but I felt alone. I searched deep within my soul and I came to a realization that it wasn’t loneliness but fear that had penetrated deep within my soul, it was fear of the unknown, fear of change, fear of rejection in a place where I didn’t fit in.
This morning as I awoke, I was immediately brought back to January 19, 2009, that fateful morning when God dropped something into my spirit that would bare fruit in the coming days and cause me to live my life in a constant state of expectation and wonder over all that the Lord was so sovereignly accomplishing in my life. But I must say, as I sat on the edge of my bed and turned over all the events of my 22-year-old life, I was at a loss. I felt as if it was yesterday that I turned 22, that I started attending a new church, moved to a new house, switched cell phone numbers more than once, loss communication with old friends, made new friends, reestablished my relationship with my physical dad of which I am ever sooo grateful to God, got engaged, switched jobs, became jobless and found a new set of dreams to pursue after, all in the same year.
Maybe it's the constant reminder I see on television and magazines ads and storefront windows that youth is something to be coveted but, in reality, can never be held on to for very long. It is fleeting. Our very lives are slipping through our fingers. Or maybe I'm at a turning point, the question looming overhead, "where do we go from here?" After a year of such blessings and change, now what? I haven't a clue. Truth be told, I wanted to be awakened ever so sweetly by the same prompting, a promise I could cling to for the coming year, something...ANYTHING.
But I know my God and I will trust Him even when He is silent. I know the way He cares for His children, the way He cares for me. I know His faithfulness and the ways that He has proven it over and over in my life. I know His mercies, how they wash over me with each new day. I know that what He says is truest of true, and I can stake my very life on the foundation of His Word. Thank You, Jesus. Each new day is full of the richest promises. Promises that cannot be broken. Promises spoken from the Father's heart to ours. Praise Jesus Christ!
So bring it on, 23. I am not afraid to be surrounded by uncertainty anymore. It only increases my faith. I am not afraid to be another year older. Each day is a gift. I aspire to walk by the Spirit at all times, loving and living and giving and serving with every fiber of my being, every minute, every single day, knowing that each day is only moving me closer to the Day of all days, when I will finally see His face. But there's no time to waste, our time here is limited. Ready, set, LIVE.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Here we go...
Well, it's official. I have now joined millions of others in the adventurous world of blogging. And I know you're thrilled. ;) I'm pretty excited to say the least. Now I know maybe I should by anytime. You and your mom and your friends offcourse. Anytime. Ok?! Ok. You see, I don't claim to have anything super genius and definitely not any revelation that would change your life automatically or in the blink of an eye, but hopefully something that can help you improve your life..perhaps a more profound relationship with God.. I'm just a girl typing on her PC who has sooo much to say and would love to just blurt it out to the world, asking you to read me.. the blog, that is. Since I think more than i breath hopefully i can keep up with this mind of mine which sometimes drives me crazy.. Some will be completely silly, others more serious and others more in depth and will come straight from my heart. The single aspect I'm most jazzed about is the fact that you can respond to my ramblings. We can interact, give a little introduction as the initial blogspot blog, but let me just say you're welcome to stop and hang out a bit. Just living life together, sharing the good and the bad, gleaning from one anothers' experiences which am learning more and more each day, TO LEARN FROM OTHERS EXPERIENCES ESPECIALLY MY ELDERS..! So that's it in a nutshell.haha. Now I'm gonna run out and go for a run! kisses..
More to come on that...
More to come on that...
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