I’m Beautiful (and so are you)

I am beautiful!  God says it so it is true!  I can’t always see it, but that doesn’t change the fact that He calls me beautiful.  (So has my husband for nearly 30 years, I have just never been sure I believed him.)  Why is it so hard to dig through the clutter and the voices in my head to see myself as God sees me and hear Him call me beautiful?  Why am I more ready to believe the world and Satan than my heavenly Daddy who loves me more than I can imagine?

There are certainly days that I don’t see my beauty, but that doesn’t change it.

When I’m feeling out of shape and unattractive - I’m still beautiful.

When I’m tired and my eyes are sad and baggy - I’m still beautiful.

When I’m disappointed in my husband and ugly towards him - I’m still beautiful.

When I’m yelling at the kids - I’m still beautiful.

When I feel like a failure - I’m still beautiful.

When I’m lonely and feel like no one cares - I’m still beautiful.

There is nothing that can change the Truth.  God says I’m beautiful - whether I believe it or not.

What else does He say about me that I haven’t believed?  What does He want to use my hands and feet to do that I’m not doing because I am too busy feeling sorry for myself?  I long to surround myself with beauty and be content with what God has given me. I need to slow down, be still, and listen for His voice.

(Do You Think I’m beautiful? by Angela Thomas explores the things that keep us from seeing ourselves as God does.  I highly recommend it as well as her Bible study with the same title.)

Originally published July 15, 2008.

A little bit of spring

 I am tired of gray days.

 I'm tired of being cold.

I'm tired of the garden being bare.

So here is a little bit of spring while we wait for sunshine, warm days, and green gardens.

This is at Brookside Gardens in Silver Spring. Brookside is a great place to wander for an afternoon, especially when they have their butterfly exhibit in the conservatory.

These pansies were on our deck.

 The rest of these pictures are in Williamsburg. Somehow in all the times we had been there, we never went in the spring. I corrected that last spring when I spent two days in Williamsburg with my daughter and her roommate. We found a number of flower filled gardens to explore and photograph. As we wandered between gardens through back gates we didn't always know if we were still in public areas. No one chased us out, so we kept going.

This was a peaceful place to sit and watch people out on the street.

Forever God's Child

This song has made a profound impression on me as our church's worship team has been preparing it for a future Sunday morning. It mirrors my journey with God. Here is the first verse:

Broken and lost you found me
Though hurt had been my way you healed my life.
Called as a child and righteous
You broke the power of sin and freed my heart.
(Find the whole song here.)

I hope it blesses you as well.

Always Loved

Our small group is studying 3:16 by Max Lucado. We are enjoying going back to one of the first verses most of us memorized and revisiting some basic truths.

“For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Last night we looked at the permanence of this promise. Once we are God’s, we are always His.

He says:

No one can snatch us out of His hand. (John 10:28)

Nothing can separate us from His love. (Romans 8:35-39)

He will never leave us. (Hebrews 13:5)

Why does God remind us so often that His love is unconditional and eternal?

One answer was: “Because He knows us.”

The next was: “Because we are feeble and fickle”

We hear so clearly the voices of the past and of Satan telling us we are not good enough. We feel our own insecurity and doubt that a perfect God could love the mess we are. I started thinking about why those are the voices we hear instead of the voice of our Daddy telling us we are loved and have just the personality and abilities we need to become all He has planned for us. I think we miss God’s voice because He speaks to the innermost part of our souls in a whisper. Our world is so full of noise and distractions and our lives are so busy that we can’t hear the sweet voice of our Savior. Isn’t it more meaningful to have someone sit next to us and speak quietly in intimate conversation, than to shout across a crowded room?

God loves you more than you will ever know. He longs for you to quiet yourself and cuddle up next to Him so He can talk with you. Will you take a few minutes to be alone, open His word and let Him speak to you through it?

My Song

All of creation declares the glory of God:

 

1 Chronicles 16:33

“Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the Lord, 

for he comes to judge the earth.”

 Psalm 65:13

“The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; 

they shout for joy and sing.”

 Psalm 98:8

“Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy."

 Psalm 69:4

“Let heaven and earth praise Him, The seas and all that move in them.”

Psalm 19:1

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

Just as all creation praises its glorious maker, we were created to glorify the Lord. Each of us has been given a song to sing.

"He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." - Psalm 40:3

"Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth." - Psalm 96:1

Its melody, harmony and sometimes dissonance are revealed in the way we live our lives. We choose to let God’s glory shine or we silence His song as we become preoccupied with the demands of life.

Slow Down

 Do you ever get tired of the busyness of our modern lives? Phones buzzing, the internet calling, always rushing to do the next thing. Never taking the time to slow down and rest. I sure do.

God's plan isn't for us to race around trying to get ahead. He calls us to slow down and spend time with Him.

 “Take time to rest by the wayside, for I am not in a hurry. A leisurely pace accomplishes more than hurried striving. When you rush you forget who you are and whose you are.” Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

He loves us more than we can imagine and wants the best for us.

“I want you to experience how wide and long and high and deep is My love for you, so that you can know My love that surpasses knowledge. This vast ocean  of love cannot be measured or explained, but it can be experienced.” Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

As we slow down and rest in God's love and His plan for us, we learn to give Him our worry and frantic thoughts.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” Philippians 4:6-8

Jesus came to trade His sinless life for our sins so we can enjoy God's love and live in relationship to Him. He offers us a trade:

Trade our worrying and anxious thoughts for His joy, peace and grace.

Trade our sour attitudes and grudges for His forgiveness, peace and joy.

Trade our selfish pride and stubborn hard heart for His heart that gives freely without thinking about it’s own interests.

Trade our thinking about today’s circumstances for His eternal perspective.

Trade our sin for His righteousness.

The Weaver

In 3:16, Max Lucado tells of watching a weaver set up her loom and begin to work. Then he makes this comparison:
"...Christ in like manner, weaves his story. Every person is a thread, every moment a color, every era a pass of the shuttle. Jesus steadily interweaves the embroidery of humankind.
 'My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,' says the Lord, 'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.' (Isaiah 55:8 NLT)
 A root menaing of the word translated thoughts is 'artistic craftsmanship'. As if God says 'My artistry is far beyond anything you could imagine'."

This reminded me of a story Corrie Ten Boom used to tell. As she talked, she held a small tapestry, but all the audience could see was the tangled mess on the back. All we can see of our lives are the threads of our own experience. Often these don't make sense and we feel like those tangled threads. What we can't see is God's plan in all of those things. As Corrie finishes speaking she turns over the tapestry to reveal the beautiful picture on the other side. Each of us is a masterpiece. Unlike anyone else. There is a purpose and a plan for all of those messy, tangled things we go through (Jeremiah 29:11).

Life is But a Weaving (The Tapestry Poem)

Image courtesy of Piyachok Thawornmat at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Corrie Ten Boom

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.
Oft' times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.
Not 'til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver's skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned
He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.