Come to the Well

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1

This morning, the Lord refreshed my soul and whispered to my ear that He is the only one that can satisfy my thirst for more. My soul ached with fear and worry over the future, my body tired from long nights of studying and activities of daily living, but GOD, you are my GOD. This is a dry and weary land we live in. It is a land that satisfies appetites, fills up homes with unnecessary luxuries, urges you to work, work, work and then begs you to buy more, more, more, but never offers you a fix for an empty, unsatisfied heart. "What does a man get for all the foil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless." Ecclesiastes 2:22-23 Our efforts, our labors, our long work hours and sleepless nights of homework, those days at the mall or movie nights with friends, everything is meaningless. That is, unless we infuse life with an overdose of Jesus. Like the epinephrine pumped into the veins of a patient in cardiac arrest to infuse them with life, JESUS is the only truth that can infuse purpose and satisfaction into our meaningless existence. Without the ONE, we are simply wanderers in a dry and weary land where there is no water. But there is ONE, the Living Water who can satisfy our souls so that we never thirst again, "but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him wil become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14 

A well. Jesus is a well with no bottom. Permanent, constant, ever-full. That place where our thirst is quenched and our souls refreshed. Jesus. All.  

O fill it up, fill my cup and let it overflow. Let it overflow with love.

Look at the birds of the air...

I'll just let the Word of God speak for itself today. 

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or "What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)

GUEST POST: All Things Beautiful by Cat from This Little Life of Mine

I am so happy to be featuring Cat from This Little Life of Mine today. She is such a sweet woman of God and I am so excited for you to read what she has to share about the Lord and our self-image. Take it away!

Hello BEAUTIFUL friends!  I just want to start out by reminding us all we ARE beautiful. {GOD SAID SO} God formed each of you in your mothers womb and He creates everything beautiful.

When Rubi asked me to share with you my beliefs on the importance of our self image in our relationship with God.  I just have to be honest here.  I loved her idea and I couldn't wait to get started.   

One of the first things I did when I started blogging at the end of last year was I shared my testimony.  If you read it you will notice one of the things that was so prominent in my life was my struggle with depression....and my self image or should I say the lack of was always there.  Here is the thing, I have always struggled with my self image AND I STILL DO..... 

I have never been the girl everyone thought was the prettiest.  My friends may tell me I am pretty but I always wonder if they just say that to be nice or since we are friends.  I have never been the girl who likes what she sees in the mirror or had a stranger tell me how beautiful I was, etc.  And to be honest I used to covet those girls who I felt had that.  I wanted their image. But I do believe now there is something we all struggle with...we are all fighting our battles.  This is just one battle among many I am choosing to defeat in order to strengthen my relationship with God. 

So that being said, this post is a very personal one for me and something I feel strongly about.  I cannot tell you how many times I have written a draft only to delete it and start over (I seem to have a love/hate relationship with my "publish" or in this case copy,paste.and send).  I have prayed and prayed and shed tears...tears of pain and tears of joy.  I pray that this post will help someone...anyone.  And again just being honest looking back now I feel I was asked to write this also to remind and help myself.  This has been a blessing and I hope to pass it on to many of you. 

I want us all {myself included} to benefit from this post so please pray with me as you read.

There have been MANY factors in my life that I feel have influenced my self image and there are things I still cannot answer.  But as I have turned my life to God there is one thing I do know and can answer. 

THERE IS HOPE IN GOD. 

When we give our lives to God do we not put all trust in Him? Are we not suppose too?   In a healthy relationship with God we fully give ourselves to Him.  We are not to fear or worry.  We are to love as He loves. 

I completely trust Him but how can I honestly say this if I think I am ugly and have a horrible self image?  How can I truly believe everything He has created is so amazing and beautiful if I don't believe this about myself?  I am guilty.  Everyday I look around in amazement at how great our God is and "wow" at how beautiful His creations are...but I have not noticed myself!Starting now lets make a promise to remember WE ARE BEAUTIFUL!!  You see, I am pretty sure God didn't make myself or anyone else an exception to all things being made beautiful.  Ecclesiastes 3:11 tell us that He created all things BEAUTIFUL.  If we want to fully put our faith in Jesus and trust our Lord, we have to believe in it all....NOT just the parts that work for us.  So we have to know we are beautiful inside and out.  He would of never said it if it wasn't so important to Him. God does not lie.  He is perfect in all of his ways, including his created beings.  We are "fearfully and wonderfully made" says Psalms 139:14. We do not get to pick which parts of the Bible we want to believe. We have to take each word of God as serious as another.  God loves us ALL and we are called to love like He does. So, we are NOT the exception.  We can't just love others....we have to love ourselves to love like He does.

So while I may not be able to fully explain how important our self image is to our relationship with God...{I have a hard time explaining myself}...I hope I have at least helped someone realize their beauty.  Remember you are NOT the exception to God's perfection in all things created!

I often use music to say things I cant figure out the words to say myself.  So here is a song I LOVE and  I feel says it so well.  I get chills each time I hear it and I may or may not tear up. ;)

The Harvest is Plentiful

^"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Matthew 9:35-38

As I gathered my bounty of ripe strawberries and tomatoes, I could not shake this verse out of my mind. The harvest was massive. I picked some, I left some, and I witnessed others rot in the heat of the scorching sun and the hungry bugs. The harvest is plentiful, Jesus said. There is much work to be done but not enough people willing to do it. We are more content  with other tasks like admiring the beauty of the field or warming our tushies to get up and do something for the Kingdom of God. We get to so comfy and cozy in the warmness of our benches, it becomes a chore to get up and labor for lost souls. 

There are so many people who have yet to hear the name of Jesus uttered. There are millions who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior. There are millions more who are literally dying without anyone telling them "Jesus loves you so much He died that you may live." There are crowds of young people living in a trance wondering if this is all there is to life. Like that young man rambling on his cell phone while panting through South Beach. He could not find his car anywhere and was desperately looking for it. You see, the weekend before, He'd had so much to drink and had smoked so much marijuana (this is what He was saying!), that He could not even remember how he ended up in this place. It was all a blur. 

This world needs Jesus, friends. That young man needed Jesus. I hope he found his Mercedes, but even more, I pray that He will find Jesus, the One who gave it all for him to live abundantly, enjoying of the peace and joy that only comes from a relationship with Jesus. 

The harvest is plentiful. There is much work to do. What am I doing for the ripened harvest of souls ready to hear about Jesus? What are you doing for the Kingdom of God? The workers are few. Are you willing to take up the job? 

Defining Femininity: Part II

In yesterday's post, we determined that it is practically impossible to nail-down a set of characteristics that perfectly describe femininity. We'll ask our fellow philosophers for help with this one. Philosophers define slippery things that are difficult to pin-point in terms of family resemblance. Essentially, "family resemblances are a list of common but not required characteristics." Defining abstract terms like "femininity" using family resemblances allows for the inclusion of all women without requiring their total conformity to every single defining characteristic. For example, my family is known for our wide thick eyebrows. However, my mom has thin eyebrows. The fact that she doesn't have the same eyebrows as my dad, brother, and I, does not make her any less part of the family. She is still equally part of the family, but simply doesn't share 100% of the characteristics. She isn't required to paint her eyebrows thicker to "fit" into our family, she already is wholly part of the family. 

The same concept can be applied to femininity. There are characteristics that are overwhelmingly feminine. "These qualities, as gifts from God, may come more easily to us. There are not things we should have to try to do as much as they will be part of who we are." 

So, what are they? From Jonalyn Fincher's Ruby Slippers:

Female body: a soul interwoven into a female body.

Vulnerability: in body and soul.

Interdependence: identity emerges from intimacy.

Sensitive awareness: soul radar for others and ourselves

Emotional intelligence: experience in management of intense emotions.

Cultivation: ability to tend to others, ourselves, and the world.  

The characteristics listed are family resemblances of ways many women are, not the ways all women ought to be. Perhaps you identify with all six characteristics or maybe with only two. That's okay. Only the first characteristic is essential to being a woman. No one is more or less feminine because they don't identify with one or the other, or if they identify with all. 

I've read several books on femininity, and none have given me the freedom to be RUBI without ascribing to a set of "feminine" qualities and roles. I've read the whole Leslie Ludy set of books on set-apart femininity, and I enjoyed them, a lot! While there is much truth in them, there is still something constraining about keeping a specific model of femininity in your mind and forcing yourself to perfect the art of femininity, as if it was an art. Femininity is God-given and innate, and does not conform to a set of rules. That is freeing in so many ways. It's not about an "act" I aim to perfect, but about who I am as a woman created by God. 

God has called me, and you, to a space of freedom where His design for femininity is manifested in the life of every female creation in diverse ways. We are unique in our thoughts, our emotions, our personalities, our passions, our callings, and all of that, is completely okay and a virtue of God's creative work among His created beings. We were all designed to bear the image of a living God; how we do that will be unique to each woman, but the divine purpose remains the same. I thank the Lord for his creative work within me and within everyone of my fellow sisters in Christ. You are all so special and intricately designed for heavenly purposes. Don't ever forget that! Embrace the way God knit you together and ask Him to continually shape you for higher purposes. 

With all my love, 

Linking up with: I love my post!

Defining Femininity: Part I

As I was reading Ruby Slippers last night, I stumbled upon a beautiful reality--the uniqueness of every human being, the creative work of the Creator God, and the impossible task of assigning permanent labels or characteristics to men and women when we are so incredibley diverse. 

When trying to pin-point and and nail-down the definition of femininity, we find there is no cookie-cutter definition that encompasses ALL women. It may describe a select some, but not all. As Jonalyn Fincher writes, "I don't want to take a lovely picture of womanhood and scribble one code (like emotional or helper) all over it. I trust God to be more creative than that." 

We read in Psalm 139: 13-16, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 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." 

This verse alone implies that the Creator delicately constructs our personhood in our mother's womb in a way that is individualistic and creative. He "knit" me together; I was "woven together"; I was "fearfully and wonderfully made" by God. I think it's so interesting to see that God, often portrayed as the epitome of masculinity, knits and weaves, skills usually attributed to women. God, and by extension, Jesus, displays "female" qualities and "male" qualities. We know Jesus wept, even when men are told they should not show emotion. We know Jesus made himself vulnerable, even unto death, when men are told to be strong and defensive. Do you see how defining femininity and masculinity without reducing women and men to permanent characteristics that constrain God's creative work, is impossible? 

Eugene Peterson writes, "God's creative genius is endless. He never, fatigued and unable to maintain the rigors of creativity, resorts to mass-producing copies. Each life is a fresh canvas on which he uses lines and colors, shades and lights, textures and proportions that he has never used before."  

An absolute list of "feminine" characteristics cannot define femininity wholly, but certainly, there are qualities that set us apart from men. We are different, I get that. More on that tomorrow. 

How do you define "femininity"? Do you ever feel the need to "fit" a pre-conceived notion of  femininity that you feel uncomfortable with? 

Equality for Women from Mary

I've been writing about how Jonalyn Fincher's book Ruby Slippers is speaking truth to me about being a woman. Here's a lesson to make Advent that much more meaningful. 

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Since long before John Gray's book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus  came out in 1993, there's been this myth perpetuating  in society that women and men are fundamentally different in every way. The truth is, however, that we are more the same than we are different. There are clear differences--anatomy, for one. But we are overwhelmingly the same. And differences don't mean unequal, but unfortunately it has translated into that for too long. For centuries, this idea has helped conserve the thought that women are the weaker vessel, lacking in leadership abilities, and has reduced women to the sole status of "helpmeet." But God does something interesting when He formulates the plan of salvation. He does something that reveals the heart of God. After all, wasn't Christ entrance into the world for the purpose of redeeming the human race AND revealing the character of God the Father? 

Jonalyn Fincher writes, "With the incarnation, we learn that God thought Mary a full-fledged part of humanity, enough so that she would provide all the human DNA strands for Jesus. In a culture that deified the phallus and honored males more than females, God gets counter-cultural and proves a woman's body and soul is all that his Son needs for his humanity. Jesus would claim his human heritage from a female." 

God saw it fit to provide equality for women from Mary. He could've introduced the Savior of the world in multiple ways--He is God after all. But He chose Mary, a young unmarried teenager, knowing full well she would get judged for her pregnancy. 

Jesus died once and for ALL. "When the Father accepted the male Jesus as a sufficient sacrifice to redeem both sexes, he was also saying men and women are not so polarized or irreconcilable to be in a never-ending gender war. It was not Jesus's masculinity that made him pleasing to the Father. His masculinity was expected and foretold, but on the cross it was Christ's humanity and divinity that counted for us." One man was able to die to redeem all men and all women. Together, guys and gals, bear the image of our Creator. We are equal. "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28 

Seriously, this is my favorite birth story of all time, and you know, I really love birth stories. 

Mary Did You Know by CeeLo Green. I dare you not to sob. 

With all my love,

Linking up with: Matrimonial Monday, Into the Word Wednesday.

Blindness

Yesterday, while on my drive back home from school, I saw one of the sweetest things I've ever seen. A blind woman with her walking stick was strolling the snowy streets of Minneapolis. By her side, a gentleman her age, also with a walking stick, but not blind. He was teaching her the rhythms of the streets, the snowy patches, what could and could not be crossed over.  Whatever she touched with her walking stick, he touched too. He made himself a "blind" man to guide this woman on her journey in the dark.

 I couldn't help but think of how God made Himself flesh, made Himself one of us, to walk us through our journey in the dark. And even still, He remains a constant guide, a helping hand, a gentle man with a walking stick accompanying every moment, teaching us the rhythms of life and abundant living in His grace.

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I'm not blind, but I'm close. Without my glasses or contacts I cannot see anything but blurry figures. It all started in the 5th grade when I complained to my parents that I could not see the board. They took me to the Optometrist and woopty dooo, I needed glasses. I got the ugliest pair of metallic framed glasses I found on the shelf. Needless to say, I didn't feel to pretty. One of the things I really appreciate about my body is my eyes and now they were going to be masked behind these thick frames of metal. Gross. 

Fast forward a few years and I finally put on my first pair of contacts. Joy! My eyes could finally be seen, no longer jailed up behind metal bars. Freedom. 

God's freedom is similar to the freedom found when you finally see clearly for the first time, or when you feel beautiful after years of covering up your eyes. Ephesians 5:8 says, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light." We were once in darkness, but God made flesh came and dwelt among us, gave his life on the cross, was buried, and rose again so that you and I may live, forever. Good news eh? I can see clearly now and one thing I know for certain: even when my vision is blurry, or when I'm living in the blindness and darkness of separation from God, I know the Lord will take up His walking stick, hold me by the hand, and teach me the rhythms of His grace. 

This is not my home.

There are beautiful things in this world, take this gorgeous view of Winter Wonderland we had yesterday for example. God's artistry is truly a sight to behold. When I see the snow trickling down, the barren trees lighting up in white, the squirrels going into hiding, I see glimpses of heaven, snapshots of a world far beyond my imagination that's yet to come. But yet, when I see death, destruction, and sadness ravaging humanity, or the enemy of my soul fighting arduously to erect a wall of separation between God and I, I can't help but declare, "All I know is I'm not home yet, this is not where I belong. Take this world and give me Jesus. This is not where I belong." That line speaks volumes to me because I know that whenever my heart feels heavy, my mind tired, and legs ready to give up, I remember, this is not my home. When I feel like I'm getting attached to earthly desires, possessions, and dreams to the point where it makes me lose my focus on Jesus, I remember, this is not my home. When I'm distracted, disconnected, and devoid of peace, I cling to Jesus and remember, this is not my home.  

If you've ever felt an emptiness that nothing can satisfy, it's that longing, that yearning, that hope planted in the deepest part of your humanity that is crying out: this is not my home. May we constantly keep our eyes fixed on heaven and the beauty of a life yet to come.  

Where I Belong by Building 429. This is the song where the line comes from. Enjoy!

Linking up with: Covered in Grace, Wisdom Wednesday.

Created To Be His Ezer

Photography by Speedy Productions & Vintage Rental by MiVintage

*Disclaimer: I don't profess to know everything about the Bible or fully understand all of what scripture has to say. I'm daily evolving into what God desire of me and daily seeking to know Him more. I know this is a touchy subject so please don't take anything personal, I only want to start a conversation and grow in the knowledge of His truth.

 

Genesis 2:18 shows the awesome moment when God realized it was not good for man to be alone. It reads, "The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." The word "helper" was translated from the Hebrew word ezer. This Hebrew word ezer means "strength" and "power" in the original language. It is derived from two roots: `-z-r, meaning "to rescue, to save," and g-z-r, meaning "to be strong." With that being said, could we conclude that a more accurate translation of Genesis 2:18 is, "I will make a power [or strength] corresponding to man." God created for man a woman "fully his equal and fully his match. In this way, the man's loneliness will be assuaged." How did God form Eve? Not from his head that she may rule over him, not from his feet that she may be a slave to him, but from his rib, that she may be his equal. See this article for a more lengthy analysis the word ezer.

The word ezer is used multiple times in scripture. The following is an excerpt from Jonalyn Fincher's  Ruby Slippers. This books has been speaking truth to me since I started reading it.

"If ezer is limiting, then God has limited us. If ezer is not limiting, then God has called us to an open, free, deep, and wide place." 

Ezer means deliverer, as in "The God of my father was my ezer, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh." Exodus 18:4

Ezer means warrior: "Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people. With his hands he contended for them, And may You be an ezer against his adversaries." Deuteronomy 33:7

Ezer means protection: "Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, Who is the shield of your ezer And the sword of your majesty! So your enemies shall cringe before you, And you will tread upon their high places." Deuteronomy 33:29

Ezer means support: "May He send you ezer from the sanctuary and support you from Zion!" Psalm 20:2

Ezer delivers the afflicted and needy: "But I am afflicted and needy; Hasten to me, O God! Thou are my ezer and my deliverer, O Lord, do not delay." Psalm 70:5

Ezer means a shield: "You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their ezer and their shield." Psalm 115:11

Ezer is capable, vibrant help better than strong mountains: "I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my ezer come? My ezer comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:2

Ezer gives hope: "How blessed is he whose ezer is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the Lord his God." Psalm 146:5

How's that for a side margin comment on Genesis 2? God's Word is so rich!

If ezer signifies so much more than "helper" what does this say about the role of a woman in marriage? Does this mean that woman is also man's deliverer, warrior, protector, supporter, shield, a giver of hope and comforter of the afflicted, and of course, a vibrant help? Does it limit her role, or amplify it? I've seen several websites limit the role of a woman to a "helpmeet." Books have been written about the subject and many women have taken this "helpmeet" translation and argued that a woman must seek to compliment her husband, adapt to his needs, and seek ways to be his helper at all times while being a "keeper of the home." You know, untying his shoes, serving his breakfast, making him lunch, keeping the home clean and in order, among other things. Are these things wrong in and of themselves? Absolutely not. I will gladly serve my husband in ways that make him happy. But I will do this out of love, not because it is my obligation or "role". In the same way, my husband serves me, because he loves me as his equal. 

However, to reduce God's design of women to a "helpmeet" to our husbands is limiting, and not what God is about. God created men for grandiose purposes, as he created women for grandiose purposes. That purpose is beautifully displayed in the original meaning of ezer, that powerful word, mistranslated through the centuries. 

I'm curious to know what you think! What does being a "helper" or "helpmeet" mean to you in your marriage? What's your understanding of scripture in this controversial area? How do you think we can serve our husbands while also broadening the narrow definition of "ezer"?

I'm linking up with: Wedded Wednesday, Into the Word Wednesday, Winsome Wednesday, and Women in the Word Wednesday, Matrimonial Monday.

More Than the Sum Of Your Body Parts

I know now that I am not alone in this, but when I was a teen, I felt like the most imperfect person in a world that cherished perfection. Outer perfection that is. The perfect body, the perfect smile, the perfect hair, the perfect dress, the perfect shoes, the perfect bikini, the perfect allure that made men look twice. I thought that was really important. When I looked in the mirror, I knew I didn't meet the impossible standard of beauty the world had set for me to reach. I felt less than beautiful and therefore, less than valuable. 

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I cried myself to sleep many nights wishing I'd wake up a different person. I spent time looking at my body in the mirror and wondering if God could've spent a little more time on me, maybe I'd look better, maybe those insecurities that only I knew about would go away? My self-esteem and self-worth was in the rocks. So I'd look at other women, some of my friends even, and envy them. I'd tear them apart, find their flaws, and compare them to mine, hoping that somehow I'd make it out on top. This all happened in my head of course. It was poison. More so, we'd silently compete for the attention boys. "Who could get the most boys to like them?" "Why does he like her and not me?" "What's wrong with me?" All the while, putting on a "modest" front when a boy did actually like me. I'd pretend I wasn't interested in the attention, the vulgar references to how "big" that is or how "hot" you look, but internally I'd relish it because it fed my hunger for self-worth. But it simultaneously reinforced what society had been telling me all along, "Only what I look like matters." When someone would say, "You are beautiful just the way you are," I'd smile and say thanks all while replaying all those times standing in front of the mirror angry at God for what I was endowed with. "You are beautiful" doesn't cut it for a girl or a woman struggling with major insecurities. Have you been there?

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I've found healing from that now; it's been a gradual process learning to love myself as an image bearer of God. From a young age, we learn to compare ourselves to others, but what our hearts are really crying out is, "Am I enough?" We try all sorts of things to get that "turning heads" moment, thinking it won't cost us much, just our bodies. "It's just an act, a role, it's not really us," writes Jonalyn Fincher in Ruby Slippers. "We believe we can keep our souls intact...if we only feed ourselves materialism, our souls are left with nothing to grow into...we leave our insides shrunken, flabby, and filthy. We're like headstones at a grave, cleanly chiseled with order and strength, but beneath and within, we are full of dead bones, rotting from the inside out." We focus on the building of our bodies, the perfecting of our earthly bodies through body modification, costly & dangerous surgeries, and expensive splurges on luxurious designer clothes, and neglect our souls. We are like the wasp that George Orwell described:

"I thought of a rather cruel trick I once played on a wasp. He was sucking jam on my plate, and I cut him in half. He paid no attention, merely went on with his meal, while a tiny stream of jam trickled out of his severed esophagus. Only when he tried to fly away did he grasp the dreadful thing that had happened to him. It is the same with modern woman. The thing that has been cut away is her soul."

This chapter in Ruby Slippers resonated with me strongly because I've been there. I know what it feels like to think you're not enough. But here is the truth you need to receive today: You are more than a body. You are more than the sum of your body parts. You are more than what you look like. You are a living soul. God breathed life into you for a greater purpose than to "look a certain way" or "dress a certain way." His plans for your life as a woman, an image-bearer of GOD are beyond what you can ever imagine.

I want to end with the quote that sealed the deal for me and called me to "soul care" rather than an obsession with "body care." 

"Perhaps we need to live as if Christ cared for more than our bodies. What if we lived as if Christ wanted to redeem our souls? What if we paid attention to the insides even half as much as we accessorize our outsides? What if we turned our attention away from the mirrors, away from others' comments, away from over-regard or disregard of our bodies, and began attending to our souls?"

With All My Love,

 

Linking up with: Upward Not Inward, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace, Covered in Grace, Truth Tuesdays, and Newlywed Moments.

Seeking Jesus Monday: I am none of these.

I am growing. I am changing. Phillippians 1:6 tells me to be confident "that he who began a good work in [me] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." I am learning so much about myself as a woman and watching God renew my heart and mind. I'm reading a book called Ruby Slippers by Jonalyn Grace Fincher. It's teaching me so much about myself and God's sacred intent for me and my femininity. 

As women, we often pile on layers of labels that we allow define who we are. We are afraid to stray away from those prescribed "roles" lest we fail at being a wife, a homemaker, a mom, an athlete, a scholar, you name it, a woman. We define our worth based on our performance in these prescribed roles and sometimes feel unfulfilled, unsatisfied, or stunted in these roles like a prisoner in a cell. Our expectations of ourselves or other's expectations of what we "should be" are the chains that keep us immobilized. In a daily surrender to Jesus, we must discipline our souls to strip away these layers one by one; they have "tremendous sticking power." Our identity is found in Christ alone. He is the One who created us in His image and His plans for you and I are far greater than a prescribed "role" or "label."  

This prayer is meant to be uttered daily. It's meant to equip us to strip off those layers that bind us and find our identity in Christ alone. I encourage you to write your own prayer of identity and find healing in Christ. 

My Prayer of Identity

I am not a wife, a daughter, a niece, a sister, a friend... (your relationships)

I am not a nurse... (your training)

I am not a student... (your job)

I am not organized, patient, creative, optimistic, empathetic, a good listener... (your gifts)

I am not selfish, demanding, stubborn, prideful, lost... (your failures)

I am none of these. 

I am a naked soul clothed in the righteousness of Christ. 

jeans: ross, top & cardigan: the limited, boots: kenneth cole via marshalls 

Jamie & I having some Saturday afternoon giggles. Love this girl!

Linking up with #YoloMondays

God Is Not An Elephant

Yesterday night, we approach our car parked in the parking lot of our friend's apartment complex and we find a mess. Papers thrown on the floor, someone was clearly messing around in here and it wasn't us! Turns out someone broke into our car for the first time ever  to take our GPS. That's all they took, and left the charger by the way! That GPS died about 10 minutes after they took it without a battery charger but anyway, someone intruded my personal space! Ouch! It sucks when you are purposely hurt by someone else, even a stranger. It hurts even more when it's a close friend or family member that hurts you, breaks your trust, gossips about you, or betrays you. It's a painful, heavy load to walk around with. Last Sunday night I was blessed to attend the Tenth Avenue North's The Struggle Tour. It was great. I love worship nights. I think my favorite part of nights of worship is worshipping with an auditorium full of believers, of other Christians who are equally broken and striving to seek the Lord with all their heart and resemble the image of Christ. I love when bands lead us to put our arms around one another and sing together to the God of our salvation, priceless. Forgiveness can be a touchy subject. How do we forgive those who hurt us? Well I've got news for you! Well Mike does...God is not an elephant and because He's not an elephant, we should not be either! :)

You must be really confused right now...watch the video below to understand!

P.S. Car thieves, I forgive you. And if you want the charger and the GPS stand, I'll give that to you as well! 

With my two amazing friends Jamie and Elizabeth. The upper right photo is Mike from Tenth Avenue North and the bottom right photo is Audrey Assad; she's so sweet.

There's nothing like worshiping the King of the Universe! The bottom right photo is special because at one point in the concert the band transferred to a makeshift stage right in front of our seating area and did all my favorite classics from their previous albums. It was like a personal serenade. Beautiful!

And some pre-concert fun, making faces and having a good time! 

With Love,

Linking up with: 

Seeking Jesus Mondays: Restless

God led me to watch sermon 1 in the Soul Detox series at LifeChurch.tv and boy did He have a reality check in store for me. Pastor Craig Groeschel nailed it when He depicted the troubled soul who wanders the earth, always searching and never finding, constantly anxious and restless, never able to sit still and soak in the presence of Jesus. That is me.  Ecclesiastes 2:22-23 says, "What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest." This world, especially American life, keeps our minds racing, our  bodies exhausted, and our nerves on point all the time. Stress is killing us, worries overwhelm us, depression and mental illness are rife. Our souls are desperately in need of REST. 

I was moved to tears this morning because I know that my inability to find rest in God has led me away from the only true source of satisfaction and peace--Jesus. Psalm 62:1 says, "My soul finds rest in God alone." Matthew 11:28-29 confirms from the lips of Jesus, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." But how can we find that rest in God? There's a three part answer to that. First, in Psalm 46:10 we find God's still small voice telling us to, "Be still, and know that I am God." Notice that God does not say, "Be busy, and know that I am God" or "be productive, and know that I am God." Be still. Try being still before the Lord, doing nothing else but basking in His presence, in silence, thinking of nothing but Him. Try that for 5 minutes and see how hard it is because of the fast-paced distracted life we've become used to. The second way we can find rest in God alone is by waiting on Him. Psalm 37:7, "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him." Sometimes we read our Bibles and pray and then question why we cannot hear God's voice speaking to our souls. Here's why: we don't wait. Psalm 130:5-6 says, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning." Watchmen wait for the morning with the certainty that the sun will rise, because they know that not a day goes by where the sun doesn't rise. Likewise, we need to be confidant that just as the sun is going to come up, God is going to show up. Wait. Lastly, we need to make it a practice to reflect on God's goodness. During our quiet times with Jesus, instead of thinking about all that needs to be done, meditate about all that God has already done! Psalm 116:7, "Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you." Herein lies the key to finding rest in a restless world. 

The key is Jesus. 

"You awaken us to delight in your praise.

You have made us for yourself,

and our hearts are restless

until they rest in You."

-St. Augustine

As I was listening to this sermon and meditating on this message, this song just continued to play in my mind. I hope it is a blessing to you as it has been for me.

Restless by Audrey Assad

Love,

Thursday Encouragement

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday soon. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." 

 Psalm 37:5-7

Your Birth Story

You are not an accident.

Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it. Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God. He thought of you first. It is not fate, nor chance, nor luck, nor coincidence that you are breathing at this very moment. You are alive because God wanted to create you! The Bible says, "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me." 

God prescribed every single details of your body. He deliberately chose your race, the color of your skin, your hair, and every other feature. He custom-made your body just the way he wanted it. He also determined the natural talents you would possess and the uniqueness of your personality. The Bible says, "You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, but by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something." 

Most amazing, God decided how you would be born. Regardless of the circumstances of your birth or who you parents are, God had a plan in creating you. It doesn't matter whether your parents were good, bad, or indifferent. God know that those two individuals possessed exactly the right genetic makeup to create the custom "you" he had in mind. They had the DNA God wanted to make you. While there are illegitimate parents, there are no illegitimate children. Many children are unplanned by their parents, but they are not unplanned by God. God's purpose took into account human error, and even sin. God never does anything accidentally, and he never makes mistakes. He has a reason for everything he creates. 

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

As a future nurse midwife and a trained birth doula, few things make me happier than the birth of a child. The instant the baby makes it out of the birth canal and into the mother's arms, tears stream down my eyes. It never fails. If the birth of a newborn touches me so profoundly every time, can you imagine what it means to the Maker of that new bundle of joy? When I read these words, fully grounded in scripture, I just fall in love with my God more and more. How precious that every single conception is planned by God and holds a sacred purpose. God's design for procreation is so fascinating. Just think about it for a minute. It starts with sex which is designed by God to be a sacred reflection of His love for His Bride--the Church. Out of that sacred act, life is conceived. And for 9 months, God directs the growth of that tiny being until it makes it out into the world. From then on, they will grow and grow, maybe knowing the Lord, maybe not. But every single person, who starts as as an innocent babe, is special to God and created with a purpose. You were conceived in the mind of God. That is your birth story.  I just love it. I can't imagine myself doing anything else for the rest of my life. Birth, with all the goo and the blood, draws me closer to my Creator because I can see first-hand the works of His hands. 

jeans: tjmaxx, button-up: gap thrifted, cardigan: can't remember, flower: mom's dresser, shoes: can't remember, purse: gift from abuelita

With Love,