Beautiful!

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! 

Notice the BOLD CAPS?? That means I'm yelling at YOU! I just want to make sure that you hear this loud and clear! YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

Self image...ugh! I've battled that my entire life! I've been told no less than a million times how beautiful I am by my dad. If you know him...you know how he says it..."Isn't she beautiful?" He will literally ask anyone that is near him, whether he knows them or not!!! So embarrassing! I deep down love it, but I'll never admit it to him because I like to respond with "Dad, please!" then I roll my eyes, shake my head and graciously thank the person that says YES just because they feel compelled to because my DAD is asking! :-)

Why is my nose so big? I have too much cellulite! My stretchmarks look like road map! My hair is gray, why   do I have more gray than most of my friends? Why are my legs skinnier than everything else? Why are my wrinkles coming in faster than I can pick the right wrinkle cream?? Why am I so white? Why can't white teeth come naturally? Who would want me, when so many other woman are prettier? (going through a divorce doesn't help..lol) Do ANY of these sound familiar? OK maybe not the same issues but do you have a list of whys? Things you'd love to change? Pick out the good things and focus on those. I love my eyelashes, they are thinner than they used to be but I have always liked them, I love my feet! They are pretty!  Can you pick out things that you like? Focus on those and then remember that our inside is what really matters...KNOW that YOU are BEAUTIFUL!


I praise you (God) because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt. (PS 139)


God created me, He created YOU! He made us different for a reason. I'm all for keeping up a nice appearance and coloring my gray roots! I'm not saying that taking care of yourself is a bad thing. I'm saying truly not knowing how beautiful you are is a bad thing. Our beauty comes from within..True beauty and all that  know you can see it. Don't worry about what the world thinks...worry about what God thinks of you. He made you PERFECT! Perfect in His eyes. So I challenge you...(and me, which is why I wrote this. :-) I need it too!) to say this...I AM BEAUTIFUL! loudly and proudly...I AM BEAUTIFUL!

Remember Fiona the ogre in Shrek? She told Shrek that she thought that she'd be a beautiful woman after their kiss but instead she was still an ogre...Shrek replied "YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!"

You are too. Encourage someone today and let them know how beautiful they are.

I'm an ANT!

I am fascinated by this devotional and had to share! Ya see, I feel like an ant...not an aunt but an ANT. I mean I am an aunt, and I'm very proud of that title but an ANT seems so insulting. I feel small, weak, and constantly running around non stop in the cracks..in the chaos...and feel lost in the busyness of the day, traffic, and "ant" race. Then....God speaks to me, through this devotional..what an awesome God! I have never read this particular scripture before or atleast it didn't speak to me when I read it before...but it sure did a few days ago! As a matter of fact. It spoke to me so much that it's been imbedded in my thoughts!

So the scripture says that Ants are creatures of little strength yet they store up their food in the summer. I know that I have strength but some days seem so little. I know that I have great faith but some days it seems so weak. Some days I feel like I can take on the world and some days the world stomps on me repeatedly! (All can relate, I'm sure) The more that I find out about the ants...I realize that I AM an ANT! I am preparer..probably to a fault but nevertheless...ants prepare by storing their food in the summer. They carry more than their weight! I do that, of course most of it is on my shoulders! lol It shows strength! I'm no longer insulted that I feel like an Ant! I'm refreshed by the very thought. :-)

Scripture Scripture Proverbs 30:24-28 “Four things on earth are small,yet they are extremely wise:Ants are creatures of little strength,yet they store up their food in the summer;hyraxesare creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locustshave no king,yet they advance together in ranks;a lizard can be caught with the hand,yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

Observation
I love these proverbs as they affirm God's creation and how He created nature and life; that the creatures of the earth are created with such innate intelligence that one can only marvel in God's awesome providence; so great that the mind cannot conceive or understand, but instead believe in his glorious ways. The fact that ants are able to carry things exponentially heavier then they are and how they store their food in the summer, how the hyraxes will make use of what God has provided as shelter, how locusts without leadership know how to move in organized ranks and how lizards are able to venture and get in to almost any place they seek.

Application
As I listened to and read these proverbs, it brought to mind how God's creation can reaffirm useful points of success for me. 1. That like the ants; preparation is important. Planning ahead allows one to often be able to handle much more then we think we can handle, just like the ants. 2. Like the Hyraxes, God does provide resources and opportunities. We just need to be able to see God's provision and use it. 3. As the locusts are able to be organized and work with one another even without a leader, so to can we in seeking to work relationally and productively with others. 4. Lizards seem to be able to get into any space or dwelling they want even though they are vulnerable to capture; so to can we be bold in moving out and into areas and things that God calls us to, even though there will be risk involved.

Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for speaking to me through the ingenous ways of your creation such as the wise creatures of nature. Through your scriptures, you paint a beautful mural of life, a master piece that can teach, guide, enable and prompt us with your loving wisdom. I am thankful.

Money....Money....Money....

 Money has been on my heart a lot lately. Lack of is probably one of the reasons.. :-) Another reason is this...I'm a tightwad! I'm not a "cheap" person ..I like to call it "THRIFTY!" I would rather spend very little and sleep well at night than to overspend and stress out about it. My son just opened his first bank account...I have been a tad bit concerned because he has an ATM card now. (I think they are evil! lol Ok  not really evil but way too easy to swipe!) If you have to go to the bank to get out cash to go to the store to use the cash...it takes effort. An ATM card on the other hand is more than happy to be readily available to use at all times...any given moment...during weakness...no time to think...just swipe away! I sound a bit crazy don't I? But you know deep down it's true.. :-)


Don't get me wrong..I heart my ATM card :-) But I have to keep myself in check. Checking the account says a lot about priorities. I received this devotion today and it is too awesome to not share.


I think when it comes to money...It controls us. People lie, cheat, and steal for money. They fight over it, they kill for it, they end relationships over it. I know that we need it to survive and that people work very hard to make it and deserve the nice things they work for but when it takes over your life and you can't be happy without it...it's a problem. I'm just like everyone else, I want nice things, I want to be comfortable, I want the occasional mani-pedi, but I am ok when I have money and I'm ok when I don't. 

If you are still reading this...I may have lost a few people...lol  Just know that it's not a bashing money blog..It's a be happy in your circumstances blog.  So, what does your checkbook say about you??


Read on... :-)

What My Checkbook Says About Me By Glynnis Whitwer

"One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty." Proverbs 11:24 (NIV 1984)

Imagine walking into church one day to discover all your financial information on display. Your check register is copied as a bulletin insert. Your bank statement is in the pastor's PowerPoint presentation and his message is based on how you spent your money last week. Some people would sprint out the back door, horrified at the thought of their spending habits being exposed!

The way we handle money - how we earn it, spend it and give it away - shows what's important to us. A peek inside our checkbooks will tell what we value.

In the early years of my marriage, our checkbook definitely revealed the truth about what I valued and trusted ... and it wasn't God. My husband wanted to give 10% of our income to the church, and I continually talked him out of it, bargaining the percentage down with the promise of increasing it over time.

My lack of faith (in God and my husband) screamed through the entries in my check register.

Years later, I finally gave in to my husband's repeated requests to tithe. Sadly, it wasn't with serene faith and confidence. Rather, I secretly believed I'd be able to say, "I told you so" once and for all.

Imagine my surprise when God proved Himself faithful in spite of my unfaithfulness.

I learned a life-changing lesson: God can be trusted. Listening to great sermons didn't teach me this. Hearing how God answered my friend's prayer didn't teach me this. I had to learn it for myself. And one of the best ways to experience God's trustworthiness is to trust Him with our money.

Though many of us are uncomfortable talking about money, the Bible has over 2,000 verses referring to it. God knows that how we manage this necessary part of life is important to being an effective Christian because we practice obedience in an area few see.

Holding on to our money with an open hand shows we trust God. He's given us everything we have: our health, our jobs, our homes and our financial resources. Giving back to Him shows we trust that His Word is true, and we trust God to provide for our needs.

At the very heart of the whole issue of giving money to God is whether or not He can be trusted. The answer is "yes!" God can be trusted! Today, through the grace of God, my checkbook lines up with my words.

Dear Lord, You are worthy of all my trust. Forgive the times I doubt You and choose to trust myself. Thank You for giving me another chance to obey Your request to give with a generous heart. Help me to be a woman who lives out her faith in her checkbook and with her words. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Enemy is on my path!

I had to share a great message that really touched my heart. I am working on a new bible study through Proverbs 31 ministries. It's from the book "An Untroubled Heart, finding faith that is stronger than my fears".

I am the queen of Bible studies! I love starting them, I get excited weeks before they begin, I can't wait to feel refreshed and renewed!!!  I get through 2 weeks and I fall behind...my days are overloaded with appointments..I'm tired after work...I get discouraged and then I struggle to catch up. I will say that I DO eventually catch up but during the catch up phase...I feel disappointment in myself and wonder if I should even bother signing up anymore. So where is the refreshed and renewed feeling that I was so excited about????

It comes...just not during the catch up phase....It comes at the end.  So if you feel that you shouldn't sign up for Bible studies because you aren't sure if you can finish them.....Do it! You WILL be glad in the end!

OK sorry for the rant there...:-)  So I started this new Bible study a few weeks ago and boy do I need this one right now! I'm separated, have an ill child that is home bound, working a lot, dealing with home issues with mold, seriously I could go on and on.. I would like to say that I'm some mighty wonder woman that never cracks under pressure but that would a complete lie! I'm human! I'm cracked in more pieces than Humpty Dumpty! :-) But with me...I can be put back together again.....I want to share this awesome message in my Bible Study! I hope it blesses you in whatever you are going through the way it has blessed me!

During our journey through life, we will encounter the Enemy on our path from time to time. He can show up in different forms such as trials, fears, broken relationships, discouragement, failures, and temptations. yet our Lord has provided a way for us to stand guard against the Devil's tactics. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7) You and I can guard against the Devil by remembering that Christ conquered him on the cross. Satan no longer holds us in bondage to fear. When apprehensions come, our faith falters. We stand guard against the Devil remembering God's words are true. "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5.) 

Resisting the enemy is another way to guard ourselves. While he still has the power to tempt us, we can experience victory. As we submit to God and believe His truth instead of doubting it, the Devil will flee. Finally, we must "put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes". (Eph 6:11). When we dress ourselves each day in God's armor, it acts as a hedge of protection that keeps the Enemy from showing up on our path and burdening us with hardships.

Good stuff! We know the Enemy is on a constant mission to break us down...we need to stand firm and know that God is much bigger, greater, and stronger than the Devil! The battle has already been won for us!

"You never did let go"

Good Morning Y'all! 

I read a poem on a blog today and thought....really? Was it written for ME? 

Once you read it, you may also think it was written for you too. I think we tend to want God to take care of everything, when we are upset we want Him to take the pain away, when we are in need we want Him to provide but how many times do we try and handle everything ourselves? It does not come natural for us to give ALL of our problems to God and not stress over them. It's not natural for us to have total faith that He has everything under control. However, that does not mean that we can't do it or that we shouldn't do it. It takes drawing close to Jesus and reading His Word daily. No doubt, it's my biggest struggle ...but one day I will able to say....It was my biggest accomplishment! (it can be yours too)

Just as my child brings his broken toys

with tears

for me to mend,

I took my broken dreams to God

because He was my friend.

But then...instead of leaving Him

in peace

to work alone,

I hung around and tried to help 

with ways that were my own.

At last I snatched them back

and cried,

"How could You be so slow?"

"What could I do, My child?" He said.

"You never did let go."

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

The F word!

FEAR!

I've struggled with FEAR all of my life..when I was a child, I feared everything! If I even heard there was a storm, I FEARED that we would get struck by lightening. (OK even at 42, lightening and thunder scare me to pieces!) Since Katrina, if I hear of possible flooding, I FEAR that my house will flood again. When I was little I FEARED the boogie man would come (we had some pretty popular 70's horror flicks!) I FEARED my family would die, I FEARED I didn't fit in at school, I FEARED that people wouldn't like me, I FEARED that I would let people down, I FEARED everything!

Now I'm a grown woman and unfortunately I have to say....I've Feared ever since! It's easy to be at ease and comfortable during the good times, but my stinkin thinkin made me doubt even in the good times that MAYBE something bad was going to happen.

During the hard times...I'd have to say that I'm in the hard times...my family is in the hard times...and Fear has taken over my life on many days, I mean MANY days! I KNOW God's Word! I've said it, I've preached it, I've handed it out to everyone that'll listen, and yet I still have that struggle during the rough days to believe that I can HAND it to God and He has it ALL under control. Maybe it's the stubborn, hard headed, controlling part of me that has  a hard time believing that someone that loves me so much would take every care away and handle it for me. I'm a mom, and have been a single one for most of my children's lives, so I have to handle it. I have to remember for everyone. I have to plan it all out. I have to make sure it's working smoothly. I have to fix everything...(sound familiar????) I need an assistant just to keep up with our Dr's appts!! so how can I just hand over my Fears? What if I let go? What if it doesn't get better? What if? What if? What if? sigh....Isn't that exhausting?? How many times a day do we wonder WHAT IF?  well....

This is where it needs to stop! I pulled some great scriptures from Renee Swopes "A Confident Heart" book and let me just tell you.....I NEED this to survive! We all do!

So I am declaring that TODAY is.."I'm trying my best to NOT let Fear stand before my Faith Day!" Notice that I didn't say that I was NEVER going to let Fear stand before my Faith?? I know darn good and well, that it'll still happen but I will try my BEST to make it happen and every day read the Truth...and the Truth shall set me free! :-)

Please read the scriptures and let's let Faith stand before Fear!

Every time doubt threatens to cast a shadow over our hearts, let’s run back to Jesus, turn toward the Light of His Truth, and stand in the shadow of the Cross.   In the shadow of the Cross – everything changes:

When you feel inadequate, God says: You are CHOSEN.
“‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he’” (Isa. 43:10).

When you feel afraid, God says: You are REDEEMED.
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine” (Isa. 43:1).

When you feel unloved, God says: You are LOVED.
“You are precious and honored in my sight, and . . . I love you” (Isa. 43:4).

When you feel forgotten, God says: You are REMEMBERED.
“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isa. 49:16).

When you feel insecure, God says: You are SECURE.
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders” (Deut. 33:12).

When you feel unable or unstable, God says: You are ABLE.
“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights” (Hab. 3:19).

When you feel worthless, God says: You are CALLED.
“You are a chosen [woman], a royal [priest], a holy [daughter], God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend


This week has been a trying week. I've been disappointed, let down, shocked, belittled, stressed, worried, defeated, confused, ...blah blah blah....(anybody been there before?) I know that THIS TOO SHALL PASS...but not quick enough for me. Sometimes it seems like the weight of the ENTIRE world is on my shoulders and to be quite honest....I do NOT like it! 


This is not a pity party...This is actually a very encouraging blog...REALLY! :-)


I have read this scripture so many times but today during my prayer time it stuck out like a sore thumb...like a neon light shining...such an awesome scripture at just the right time! Ya see, during the midst of my turmoil and my confusion...I had comfort and peace knowing that my childhood friends were one phone call away, to talk to me, to listen to me, and to love me...unconditionally! I have been blessed with the SAME friends since I was a little girl. We played together, hit puberty together (God bless our moms!) lol, we had failed relationships, perfect shopping trips, laughed til we cried, cried til we laughed, bickered, and held each other through heartbreaks, failures, and weaknesses but regardless of what was happening.....we LOVED each other and encouraged each other. My friends have been there my entire life and still love me :-) What an honor to have those kind of friendships. 


God feels the same way....no matter what we've done, he loves us. He's never too busy for us. He is excited to spend time with us and will always be there..ANYTIME we need Him. Wow! That's LOVE!


So I will close with this prayer to my friends (and family)


Lord, 
Bless my friends and their families as well as my family...Show me ways to touch their hearts with a kind word, favor, hug or my prayers. Make me the kind of friend that sharpens their lives...and give me the wisdom to know when to speak and when to listen.
Thank you Lord for my awesome lifelong friends.....
Amen!