"Shining Louder or Talking Louder?"

This weekend I took down the curtains in my office to wash them. I didn’t get them hung back up before the day was over, and would not do it on Sunday. So this morning when I sit down to the computer, the sun almost blinded me. My desk is under the window that faces east. (We all know what direction the sun rises from.)

As I was trying to work, in spite of the bright light that was coming in through the window, it made me think about Jesus who is The Light of the world and how as a Christian I am to be letting His light shine through me. This led me to wonder, “Are people able to ‘see’ Christ’s light in me or is it hid by what they ‘hear’ from me?"

Is the light hid or dimmed because of the things I say?—the unkind words, the criticism, the belittling statements, the harsh response, voicing my desires above anyone else’s, the nagging, the blaming, hateful words, fear, defeatism, etc.

Christ’s light should be shining brightly through us but it can be hid if our unpleasant words are speaking louder. People often remember what you “say” more than they remember what you “do”. So our words need to be shining brightly and they will if they reflect the glory of God. They do that when our words are wholesome, seasoned with salt, full of grace, kind, patient, edifying, compassionate, loving, full of blessings, encouragement, praise and so on.

I don’t want my words to hide His light… I want even my words to shine brightly for Him.

"Super Woman"

The other day I told my husband that I was feeling sluggish and needed an “oil change”. Sometimes you can burn the candle at both ends, run here and there, start early and go until late, stay on the go, attend one meeting after another, do everything that others expect of you and just run out of “fuel”. That’s how I felt last week.

I bring this up because most of us seem to have the mentality that we should be “super-mom” or “wonder woman”. Society tries to tell us that this is who we are. Remember the song, “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and never let you forget you’re a man, because I’m a woman.”? Even when I look at the Proverbs 31 women, I feel I fall so short. Am I by myself? I am not talking defeat- I know I am victorious in Christ- I am just saying that I am not and can not always be and do everything everybody expects of and from me. And that being the case, I don’t need to try to conform to that or let the demands of others cause me to miss my true purpose and be the person God intends for me to be. I just need to make sure that my life is pleasing to the Lord and that I am in the center of His will for me.

So, it’s all right if I can’t leap tall buildings at a single bound; if I am not faster than a speeding locomotive; if I can’t be in more than one place at a time. I may not be super woman, but I am who He wants me to be and that is “super” enough.

"The Princess Test"

The other day I was thinking about a fairy tale that I had heard when I was a little girl- you may remember it- “The Princess and the Pea”. I call it, “The Princess Test”. You know the story, a prince wanted to get married but he had to marry a princess- a “real” princess, not a “wanna be”. One day a princess came to the castle but she didn’t look like a princess. They devised a test to determine whether she was a real princess or not. They invited her to spend the night, but the bed she was to sleep on had twenty mattresses on it. Unbeknownst to the girl the queen had placed a tiny little pea beneath the bottom mattress. In the morning, she was asked how she slept. She said she had a terrible night because something hard was in the bed and she was black and blue from lying on it. They knew she was a real princess because only a real princess could be as sensitive as that. So she and the prince were married and lived happily ever after.

I am a princess- a “real” one- because I’m the daughter of a King (our Heavenly King). And I began to wonder just how sensitive I am to even “little” sins. Do they “irritate” my spirit? Are they so much a part of my life that I don’t even notice them? Or do they make me uncomfortable? Does that unkind word, that thoughtless act, that angry thought, that “evil eye” look or that harsh word I speak even bother me? They should, but if they don’t… I failed the “princess test”… and I have to keep working on it until they do.

"Shave Your Legs!"

Ok, I confess… I HATE to shave!! I don’t know who- or why- ever came up with the idea that women should shave their legs! Honestly, it is a PAIN! (Oops, it sounds like I am complaining- better watch that- Father doesn’t like complaining!) I guess I should put it this way- while I don’t like to do it, I am thankful that I can.

Since it’s not one of those things I like to do, why do I do it? Surely, I am “liberated” enough that I don’t have to do what everyone else is doing? Shaving is not one of those things that I do for myself. I do it for my husband. He likes my legs shaven. He doesn’t like to be stuck by “porcupine” needles, or rub up against a “Brillo” pad, or not be able to tell if he is rubbing his own leg or mine.

The reality of it is, most of what we do we do for others- it’s not about us. (Shaving is not about me- I can live without it.) As daughters of our Heavenly Father our lives are not about us, they are about: Him and them! What we do, the way we conduct our lives, should always be putting others first- their comfort, their needs, their happiness. I know, this sounds so contradictory to what we are taught and what society tells us. But this is what the Bible teaches. Therefore, this conduct is what is pleasing to the Father.

Is shaving a big deal? Will it be the end of the world if I don’t? Can I live with unshaven legs? But will it make my husband happier if I do?

“Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself.” (Romans 12:10- CEV)

"Missed Opportunity"

I just realized that I missed a good opportunity to post something here on Valentine’s Day. Who can’t write something about “LOVE”! There is always something to say like- what your honey did for you, how they treated you special, or how they “forgot” to pick up roses and candy on the way home! Oh, well, maybe next year, or maybe not, or maybe I will write something anyway???

There are three things I have learned about opportunities that come our way that we miss: some are never lost, some are lost for the moment but will present themselves again, and some are lost forever.

What do you do with the opportunities that you have missed and know they are gone forever? There are a number of things you can do. You can spend your life trying to get it to present itself again- always trying to make something happen but never succeeding. You can spend your life mourning over it- I call it “crying over spilled milk” (that’s what I usually did). You can beat yourself up about it and as a result either never take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way or wear yourself out analyzing everything so you don’t repeat the same mistake.

I have learned that the best way to handle it is by doing what Paul said- “forget those things that are behind”. (Phil 3:3) Come to grips with the fact that you missed it. Stop beating yourself up about it. Go to God with it and admit to Him that you missed it. Receive His forgiveness and peace, then let it go. . Leave it in the past so that it will not affect your present and/or your future. Use it as a stepping stone instead of a stumbling block by applying the lesson that you can learn from it.

"I Like Me"

Have you ever received one of those “surveys” that ask you about yourself: what’s your favorite food, what are you wearing at this moment, when was the last time you cried, etc. Some of the questions I have to think about because I don’t really know how to answer it- the answers are not always “cut and dry”. One question I always have trouble with is the one that asks: What do you dislike most about yourself?

That is a hard one. I really have to give some thought to it because, honestly, I like myself. I know that may sound conceded but it’s not meant to. When I say I like myself, I am not saying that I am perfect. I am not saying that I have an hour glass figure, I’m a perfect “10”, I don’t have any “character flaws”, I never say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing, or that I never mess up. I am a long way from being perfect- if you don’t believe me just ask my husband. Neither am I saying that there isn’t room for improvement in my life and that I don’t need to make some changes- physically and spiritually. I am well aware of my shortcomings.

What I am saying is that I like who I am because God likes who I am. He made me the way I am and He never makes “junk”. We are told in scripture to “love thy neighbor as thyself”. I am supposed to love myself. Not with a conceded, arrogant, prideful love, but confident in who made me and who lives within me and He is the perfect one. It is important that we find happiness with ourselves and have peace within our own skin. I didn’t make me, but God did and He designed me the way He wanted me to be, so I love what He loves… even if it is me!

"Don't Play With Your Food"

Last night we attended a party to celebrate our grandbaby’s first birthday. Like most parents they provided a cake for Lexi to “play/eat” by herself. (It’s just a strange first birthday tradition that most of us have adopted.) As they gave her the cake, you could tell she didn’t really know what to do with it. When they helped her a little and she finally put her hands in it, she gave a whine a couple of times with a look of “wonderment” on her face.

Her reaction was as if she was confused about the whole thing. Even as young as she is, she already has a pretty clear concept of “no, no”. What was before her was usually a “no, no” but now she was being encouraged, “yes, yes”. I can only imagine what was going on in her little mind. “Why isn’t this a ‘no, no’ now? Am I going to get in trouble for this? Why are my parents wanting to put my hands in the cake?, etc.”

Life can be like that for all of us at times- especially in the day and age we live in. What was “taboo” yesterday is accepted and applauded today. Yesterday you were “marked” and heard whispers behind your back for certain behavior, today it’s the norm. Yesterday morals were important, integrity was encouraged, your word was your bond, marriage was honorable, immorality was unacceptable and carried consequences. Boy, have times changed! Just the opposite is true.

The rules keep changing, standards keep dropping, absolutes keep falling, the boundaries keep being moved and there are no limitations, so people stay in a constant state of confusion about what is right and what is wrong; what they should and shouldn't do.

There is no need for us to be confused. Society may change, men’s opinions may change, peoples values may change, society may flounder, but God does not change. I am not confused over the message (changing messages) the world sends out because I know what God says about the issues. He is very clear and He has not changed them. What was sin to Him yesterday is still sin to Him today. What He called wrong yesterday is still wrong today. What He called unacceptable yesterday is still unacceptable today—and vice versa. It’s very plain and very clear, no need for confusion, just stick with God and you will always know what’s right and what’s wrong… regardless of who says otherwise.

This "Glitter Girl" has been liberated from the confusion that society places on you each time they move the boundaries because I already know what God’s established boundaries are.