I woke up today thinking about how some of the most horrible food I've had came in the most attractive packaging. You are probably thinking, "Why in the world would you wake up thinking about that?" Well, a few days ago, I took Hailey to her follow-up doctor's appointment and found out that she is allergic to cow's milk and wheat (gluten). So, we've now been experimenting with dairy free and gluten free foods. Some of them have been pretty tasty, and some of them have been downright nasty! I started to notice that the ones with the prettiest packaging were the ones that tasted the worst. Now, maybe it was pure coincidence, but it got me thinking about other things.
Like, how some of the ugliest people I've ever met are the nicest, kindest, sweetest people I know. While some of the most beautiful people I've met have been the rudest, least generous, most self-centered people I've ever known. Now, that's not always the case. I know plenty of beautiful people who are just as beautiful on the inside, and plenty of ugly people who are just as ugly on the inside. I'm just having a thought here, so don't hate ok. : ) The same can also be said about flowers. Some of the most gorgeous flowers have no smell, or they have a foul smell, while some of the less attractive flowers (or, plain flowers) smell amazing! I guess my point is this: No matter what we look like on the outside; beautiful, ugly, plain, thin, fat, short, tall...we can ALL be beautiful. We should be looking for beauty because it's all around us.
I looked up the definition of the word 'beauty' and here is what I found:
1. the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).
2. a beautiful person, esp. a woman
3. a beautiful thing, as a work of art, or a building
4. something that is beautiful in nature or in some natural or artificial environment
5. an individually pleasing or beautiful quality; grace, charm
6. something excellent of its kind (ie. My old car was really a beauty.)
So, there you have it. My favorite part of number one was where it says 'a meaningful design or pattern' and 'a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest'. God created us in a meaningful design. There is something beautiful about each and every person we see. Especially in someone who is letting the light of Christ pour out of them. When we let Jesus shine through us, people can't help but stop and take a second look. We should look different from the world. That's a good thing. We need to make sure that what is on the inside of us is clean. That way, no matter what we look like on the outside, it won't be a sham or be false.
I read someone's definition of inner beauty and I thought it was really good. She said, "For women, inner beauty should be very important. Inner beauty helps you understand who you really are as a person. There are so many influences in the world that can cause us to lose focus on what beauty really is. Inner beauty is the innate beauty within. It's not a physical appearance that you can see however, it is shown through love and compassion for another person. To your mate your inner beauty could be what really counts. Some people don't just look at appearance to make a conclusion on if they want to be with that person or not. Inner beauty allows you to be unique in many ways."
I liked what she said about inner beauty allowing you to be unique. There's only so much we can do with our outer appearance. But, we can do SO much with our inner appearance. That is what we need to be focusing on.
So, back to food packaging....I think it's just going to be trial and error with trying these new foods however, I think I'm going to stick to the ugly packaging and try those first. 'Cuz maybe they just know their food is good and they don't need the fancy packaging to put on a facade. Wouldn't that be a great way to live? If we know that what's inside of us is beautiful, then we can have true confidence no matter what we look like on the outside.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
If You Can't Do Anything Else, You Can Pray
I've always been the type of person who takes on the burdens of other people. For most people, this can be a really good thing. For me, it hasn't always been. I take them on TOO much and it affects my health at times. Casting my cares at Jesus' feet has always been a struggle for me. Not because I don't trust Him, or think that he can't handle them for me...I think it's because there is a part of me that wants to control things and thinks that, by giving up control, I will lose control all together. That may sound strange to you and believe me, it's a really frustrating part of myself that I have to work very hard at changing.
There was a point in my life where I tried to do this on my own. Not a good idea. What I ended up doing (in order to protect my health, or so I thought...) was shutting off emotion all together when it came to what was happening around me. I turned off the news, stopped looking at the headlines of the newspapers, and avoided circles of people where world topics were always the topic. I just "didn't want to know" anymore. That was just as bad as taking it all in; even worse maybe. I became too desensitized. However, I didn't lose my compassion for others and I kept praying for those around me whom I was in contact with. So, I thought I was still doing a good job, being a good Christian. But, I was still not doing what I was supposed to be doing...praying for this world.
Folks, if we don't pray for this world, then who will? If we, as Christians, become too desensitized and only focus on our own tiny little world of family, friends, and co-workers, then are we really doing our job? Well, yes, but only part of it. 1 John 2:3-6 says, "We know that we have come to know him (Jesus) if we obey his commands. The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." To walk today as Christ did we must obey his teachings and follow his example of complete obedience to God and loving service to people. Not just some people, ALL people.
Later, in 1 John 3:16-20, John says, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." What he's saying here is that when we feel guilty that we are not loving others as we should, we should remind ourselves that God knows our motives as well as our actions. Maybe I can't fly to Haiti right now and help all those poor people like my heart desires, but that's ok! I can pray. God knows I can't fly to Haiti, but he also knows my heart. He knows that if I had the means, I would get there and I would help them. Stop feeling guilty for all that you can't do and start doing what you can do, pray.
The Lord said in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Getting back to taking burdens upon yourself...it can be a good thing. As long as it doesn't drive you down into depression, or steal your focus so much that you start to shift your focus away from God and His power. God is ultimately in control, even though the things that are happening all around us can sometimes make us question that fact. But, it is the truth. Nothing happens in this world that he doesn't already know about in advance. God is not surprised or "caught off guard" when tragedy strikes. This opens up all the questions then of, "Well, if God knew this was going to happen, then why didn't he stop it?" Those are not questions that we need to be asking. We need to be trusting that God knows what's going on and that he has a plan.
God loved the world so much that He sent his one and only Son to die on a cross for our sins; past, present, and future. I've said this before, he knows the end from the beginning. Only he knows the day that this world will end. No one can predict that. He holds every one of your breaths and every beat of your heart in his hands. If that doesn't "awe" you, then I don't know what will. We should be totally and completely dependent on Him. He knew you before you were born and brought you into this world for a reason, for a purpose. If you aren't sure what your purpose is, here it is: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. Pretty simple, huh? We are the light of the world. WE are how this world is going to see Jesus. If we get desensitized to the happenings of the world around us and just give up and let someone else pray for them, it will be catastrophic. Our prayers move the heart of God. Your prayers could save lives you don't even know. You CAN make a difference in this world, just by praying.
It's ok to grieve for others. Whether it be the people in Haiti, the mother who lost her baby in the womb and had to deliver a stillborn child, the homeless man who died on the side of the road, your good friend or family member who is fighting a life-threatening illness, the list goes on and on. It's ok to cry when you pray, or even when you're not praying. Just don't camp out in the grief. Have compassion, but don't let the weight of your problems, or others' problems, consume you to the point of making you ineffective for Christ. We are all in this together. I will leave you with a very familiar verse. One that I daily strive to fulfill. "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." ~ Psalm 55:22
There was a point in my life where I tried to do this on my own. Not a good idea. What I ended up doing (in order to protect my health, or so I thought...) was shutting off emotion all together when it came to what was happening around me. I turned off the news, stopped looking at the headlines of the newspapers, and avoided circles of people where world topics were always the topic. I just "didn't want to know" anymore. That was just as bad as taking it all in; even worse maybe. I became too desensitized. However, I didn't lose my compassion for others and I kept praying for those around me whom I was in contact with. So, I thought I was still doing a good job, being a good Christian. But, I was still not doing what I was supposed to be doing...praying for this world.
Folks, if we don't pray for this world, then who will? If we, as Christians, become too desensitized and only focus on our own tiny little world of family, friends, and co-workers, then are we really doing our job? Well, yes, but only part of it. 1 John 2:3-6 says, "We know that we have come to know him (Jesus) if we obey his commands. The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." To walk today as Christ did we must obey his teachings and follow his example of complete obedience to God and loving service to people. Not just some people, ALL people.
Later, in 1 John 3:16-20, John says, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." What he's saying here is that when we feel guilty that we are not loving others as we should, we should remind ourselves that God knows our motives as well as our actions. Maybe I can't fly to Haiti right now and help all those poor people like my heart desires, but that's ok! I can pray. God knows I can't fly to Haiti, but he also knows my heart. He knows that if I had the means, I would get there and I would help them. Stop feeling guilty for all that you can't do and start doing what you can do, pray.
The Lord said in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Getting back to taking burdens upon yourself...it can be a good thing. As long as it doesn't drive you down into depression, or steal your focus so much that you start to shift your focus away from God and His power. God is ultimately in control, even though the things that are happening all around us can sometimes make us question that fact. But, it is the truth. Nothing happens in this world that he doesn't already know about in advance. God is not surprised or "caught off guard" when tragedy strikes. This opens up all the questions then of, "Well, if God knew this was going to happen, then why didn't he stop it?" Those are not questions that we need to be asking. We need to be trusting that God knows what's going on and that he has a plan.
God loved the world so much that He sent his one and only Son to die on a cross for our sins; past, present, and future. I've said this before, he knows the end from the beginning. Only he knows the day that this world will end. No one can predict that. He holds every one of your breaths and every beat of your heart in his hands. If that doesn't "awe" you, then I don't know what will. We should be totally and completely dependent on Him. He knew you before you were born and brought you into this world for a reason, for a purpose. If you aren't sure what your purpose is, here it is: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. Pretty simple, huh? We are the light of the world. WE are how this world is going to see Jesus. If we get desensitized to the happenings of the world around us and just give up and let someone else pray for them, it will be catastrophic. Our prayers move the heart of God. Your prayers could save lives you don't even know. You CAN make a difference in this world, just by praying.
It's ok to grieve for others. Whether it be the people in Haiti, the mother who lost her baby in the womb and had to deliver a stillborn child, the homeless man who died on the side of the road, your good friend or family member who is fighting a life-threatening illness, the list goes on and on. It's ok to cry when you pray, or even when you're not praying. Just don't camp out in the grief. Have compassion, but don't let the weight of your problems, or others' problems, consume you to the point of making you ineffective for Christ. We are all in this together. I will leave you with a very familiar verse. One that I daily strive to fulfill. "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." ~ Psalm 55:22
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Do You Ever Ask Yourself "Why?"
Do you ever wonder why you do the things you do? This is something I've been thinking about a lot these past few weeks. I get so frustrated because I do the same things over and over again and I can't figure out why it's so hard to break bad habits and start new good ones. For instance, why can't I just walk by a plate of cookies and not look back? Why can't I turn down dessert of any kind really? Why do I let myself get so frustrated at some of the things my kids do. After all, they are just kids! Usually what they are doing is not earth shatteringly horrific, it's just normal kid stuff. Like making messes! It's just a mess. It can be cleaned. So, why do I let it get me so upset?
I finally stopped reading parenting magazines because they are just a bunch of pages filled with "perfect" mothers, the "best" recipes that guarantee your kids will eat them, how to stop a tantrum with just one look, if you wear "this" shirt your baby belly will magically disappear, etc., etc. Maybe these things have worked for some mothers, but not for me. So, then I wonder, "Why doesn't it work for me?" Why can't I get my kids to expand beyond their five favorite foods? Why can't my house remain perfectly in tact like the cover of Pottery Barn Magazine? Why can't I seem to find this magic shirt that makes my belly disappear? You know why, because I live in the real world. I am not a perfect mother, my kids are picky eaters, and they throw the worst tantrums I could have ever imagined. I've had two c-sections and was in a wheelchair for 6 months after my second daughter was born. Not exactly a recipe for tight abs and a flat belly. It's real. It's life.
Ok, taking a deep breath now. Surely I am not the only mother who asks themselves, "Why?" I know I'm not alone and yet there are days when I feel like I'm the only one alive on the planet who does the things I do, or feels the way that I feel. I am grateful every day for my kids, no matter how frustrated I get. I love them so much that I would do anything for them. I guess I just can't get used to the fact that my kids can bring on so many emotions inside of me all at the same time. It's like a yo-yo! I'm up, I'm down, I'm up, I'm down. (Rather, "I love you, I want to sell you on ebay, I love you, I want to sell you on ebay.) You get the picture.
I can take comfort in the fact that even Paul, one of the most devoted followers of Jesus, asked himself the same questions that I'm asking. In Romans 7:15 he says, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do." He goes on to explain that the reason why we do what we don't want to do is because of our sinful nature. In vs. 18-19 he says, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing." Now, I'm not saying that I never do good, or that I go around being evil all the time. But, what I'm comforted by is the fact that even a righteous man like Paul struggled immensely against his flesh. We have our spirit and our flesh and they are constantly at war.
The verse that stuck out to me more than anything this week is Romans 8:13. It says, "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." The 'misdeeds of the body' can be anything from eating the wrong foods, to looking at the wrong images, to speaking wrong things, etc. (Insert your bad things here.) What we are supposed to do is regard the power of sin in our body as dead. When we regard sin's appeal as dead and lifeless, we can ignore temptation when it comes. So, how do we do this?
Well, here are some things I've read in the Word:
1. Go to the Lord in prayer and ask for His help. We should never try to defeat the power of sin on our own because it just isn't possible.
2. Don't think that just because you're a Christian that you're now somehow exempt from all temptation. Be wise.
3. Don't blame the devil or anyone else for YOUR sin.
4. Remember that Jesus promises to help us and fight with us, right by our side.
5. God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for all of our sins. Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. He has already won the war against sin and death. All we need to do is walk closely with him and we'll reach the finish line.
6. Remember that you are a precious gem in God's eyes. He sees you as the most beautiful thing he's ever created. What HE thinks of you is what matters the most.
There, see? I do have a way out! I do know what to do. Now comes the hard part...doing it.
I finally stopped reading parenting magazines because they are just a bunch of pages filled with "perfect" mothers, the "best" recipes that guarantee your kids will eat them, how to stop a tantrum with just one look, if you wear "this" shirt your baby belly will magically disappear, etc., etc. Maybe these things have worked for some mothers, but not for me. So, then I wonder, "Why doesn't it work for me?" Why can't I get my kids to expand beyond their five favorite foods? Why can't my house remain perfectly in tact like the cover of Pottery Barn Magazine? Why can't I seem to find this magic shirt that makes my belly disappear? You know why, because I live in the real world. I am not a perfect mother, my kids are picky eaters, and they throw the worst tantrums I could have ever imagined. I've had two c-sections and was in a wheelchair for 6 months after my second daughter was born. Not exactly a recipe for tight abs and a flat belly. It's real. It's life.
Ok, taking a deep breath now. Surely I am not the only mother who asks themselves, "Why?" I know I'm not alone and yet there are days when I feel like I'm the only one alive on the planet who does the things I do, or feels the way that I feel. I am grateful every day for my kids, no matter how frustrated I get. I love them so much that I would do anything for them. I guess I just can't get used to the fact that my kids can bring on so many emotions inside of me all at the same time. It's like a yo-yo! I'm up, I'm down, I'm up, I'm down. (Rather, "I love you, I want to sell you on ebay, I love you, I want to sell you on ebay.) You get the picture.
I can take comfort in the fact that even Paul, one of the most devoted followers of Jesus, asked himself the same questions that I'm asking. In Romans 7:15 he says, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do." He goes on to explain that the reason why we do what we don't want to do is because of our sinful nature. In vs. 18-19 he says, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing." Now, I'm not saying that I never do good, or that I go around being evil all the time. But, what I'm comforted by is the fact that even a righteous man like Paul struggled immensely against his flesh. We have our spirit and our flesh and they are constantly at war.
The verse that stuck out to me more than anything this week is Romans 8:13. It says, "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." The 'misdeeds of the body' can be anything from eating the wrong foods, to looking at the wrong images, to speaking wrong things, etc. (Insert your bad things here.) What we are supposed to do is regard the power of sin in our body as dead. When we regard sin's appeal as dead and lifeless, we can ignore temptation when it comes. So, how do we do this?
Well, here are some things I've read in the Word:
1. Go to the Lord in prayer and ask for His help. We should never try to defeat the power of sin on our own because it just isn't possible.
2. Don't think that just because you're a Christian that you're now somehow exempt from all temptation. Be wise.
3. Don't blame the devil or anyone else for YOUR sin.
4. Remember that Jesus promises to help us and fight with us, right by our side.
5. God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for all of our sins. Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. He has already won the war against sin and death. All we need to do is walk closely with him and we'll reach the finish line.
6. Remember that you are a precious gem in God's eyes. He sees you as the most beautiful thing he's ever created. What HE thinks of you is what matters the most.
There, see? I do have a way out! I do know what to do. Now comes the hard part...doing it.
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