Reflection

"Celebrate your uniqueness and rejoice in the future God has planed for you. Be confident and start enjoying you!" Joyce Myers from The Confident Women Devotional

So while at the gym today I watched the new show The Revolution, and the style dude made a challenge for everyone to find a trait they like about themselves and dress to show it off all week.

So while watching the rest of the show I tried to think of what I thought my best asset was...then I continued this pondering while running errands with my mother, before my bath while staring at myself naked, and afterwards, in my pjs....then came to the conclusion that I cannot think of a single cotton-pickin' thing.

Staring into the mirror, it's not that I think myself unattractive necessarily, I just can't seem to see it currently.  I know that what is being reflected from the mirror isn't my actual appearance because it differs depending upon who is observing it. All that is being revealed is the person I see myself as within my own mind.

While I know logically there probably is something, I don't feel it right now.  I know logically that I'm not fat or huge, I know logically one cannot feel fat, you either are or aren't-that doesn't stop me from feeling it. 

I feel fat, I feel ugly...so sue me.  I'm not going to lie just because it's illogical; since when did a women's feelings EVER become logical in the first place? The words don't mix.

I would probably drive Spock insane.

The difference is that just because I feel fat and ugly, doesn't mean I think on it, or focus on it.  I acknowledge that is how I feel because I don't see the point in lying about it, but I also acknowledge that the feelings are probably to most untrue and choose to think on other things.

It's hard to 'celebrate my uniqueness' when I don't honestly feel that unique (yes those pesky feelings again I know) I guess I'm not that confident. My mind replays all the classic good christian responses.

"God doesn't make junk (or trash)"
"I was beautifully and wonderfully made"
"I was made in God's image, carefully hand-formed"
Psalm 139
"Pray for God to reveal your talents"
"You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength"
"You're good at lots of things..."

I myself have said these to others struggling, and yet when thinking them to myself, find very little comfort or warmth. I have wrote blogs on what I like about myself but cant seem to connect to them currently.  So what to do?  I shave my legs, put a small, but loose, tee and my little red shorts. TELL myself in my head, "no matter what you think, what you feel-you know you are beautiful, and deserve to be treated with love and respect. You are a nice person, and should therefore be nice to yourself, regardless of your feelings at the moment. You have a purpose, through Christ Jesus"

"Even if you are finding difficulty loving yourself, you are still loved. You will always be loved by and for Him, regardless"

After that, I busy myself with chores of the night and good conversation. Write a basically pointless venting blog, and decide to write a letter to my friend.

Be Your Own Kind Of Beautiful, His Kind Of Beautiful

 

Psalm 139

King James Version (KJV)

Psalm 139

 ¹O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
 ²Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
 ³Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
 ⁴For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

 ⁵Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
 ⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
 ⁷Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
 ⁸If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
 ⁹If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
 ¹⁰Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
 ¹¹If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
 ¹²Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
 ¹³For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
 ¹⁴I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
 ¹⁵My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
 ¹⁶Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
 ¹⁷How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
 ¹⁸If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
 ¹⁹Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
 ²⁰For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
 ²¹Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
 ²²I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
 ²³Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
 ²⁴And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Something quick that's been on my mind...I've been thinking about and talking with  my mother about the beauty of nature & she made a comment about if the world so beautiful  now just imagine what it will be like in heaven.   I realized how  unique & beautiful we are....if nature is that amazing, and when we see angels we think how beautiful they are & yet we were made in the image of God!  How awesome is that!  

Right now, after the holidays & the weight-gain associated with it, all the junk I've ate and how much I feel icky, ugly, fat, & gross. No matter how many people have told me they think I'm beautiful, or look a lot better it's just hard to see it myself.  So when this came to mind, I'd like to think that it was my heavenly Father reminding me.

Joyce's Confident Women Devotional I started this year talked about a verse in this Psalm (my favorite Psalm by-the-way) & how we are unique; that no talent we have increases our value or a talent we don't have decreases it.  With my battle at finding my self-worth & not giving in to my feelings at the start of this year, this was a nice reminder.

 

I'm about to start a fast on sweets &  portion sizes & I think my focus may be to begin my 'things I'm thankful for journal' this time with at least one thing I'm thankful for each night.  Also I'm sure that when I start eating healthy again it will help me feel better about myself because honestly when you take care of yourself & eat healthy, you feel better & more confident. You should love God enough to take care of the hand-crafted, personal, & unique image of Himself He gave you & ONLY you.

Ending It All With Some Joy

I want to end this year with finishing out my 100 things that bring be joy.

 
82. all types of boardgames, especially Monopoly

83. Christmas

 
84. My Lieba

85. Twilight Zone

87. Doggy hugs

88. Running 5k races with my sister

89. Hanging out with family

90. The Muppets

91. Dr. Seuss's The Lorax

92. surprises, whether surprising someone else or getting my own

93. candlelight

94. driving around looking at tacky Christmas lights on houses

95. dog sweaters

96. The human form (thanks to Marie for the Picture)

97. giving platelets with my sister

98.  picking out a real Christmas trees

99. being able to give & bless another person

100.  a smile.

The True Depth of a Child

Who's to say children cannot comprehend deeper concepts.  I think it is adults that have a hard time grasping the depth of the young untainted imagination.  It's like a non-swimmer falling into the deep end of a swimming pool. When we realize we can no longer feel the floor underneath us we start to freak.



Part of what I think helps creates this is a child's faith. I think it's why Christ loved the children so-he could reach them more, pain hasn't blocked them yet...

"Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." Mark 10:15 KJV

There are but a handful of people I think really embraced and tried to flourish the child's mind, men such as Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, C.S. Lewis, Jim Henson, J.R. Tolken stand out in my mind in particular...

Random note I know but there ya go.

Proverbs 31 Movement

Those who have read & kept up with my blog know that I've always tried to become more of a "Proverbs 31' type of girl, so this movement just excites me!  It's exactly what this world needs to me.






God is awesome! ...I know I get happy over the silliest things! I've learned to love myself, who I am and the characteristics and trademark details that make me unique, but still-for someone who struggles with knowing that I'll never look like the woman I wish I did, I'll never be a Victoria Secrets model, this speaks volumes.  I think this world would have more beautiful women in it if we worked on inner beauty instead of outer beauty. Usually the outside appearance will catch up with the inside, but the inside appearance doesn't generally tag along with the outside.

His Joy

My chest hurts with love & pain mixed, my stomach feels sick...so much has gone on outside & inside within me. Some good some bad.  Old friends returned, close friends felt pushed away...I've hurt those I love.

I want to run & I can't.  I just want to hold onto someone & cry, but can't.  I want to write the feelings, but no words flow from my finger tips, I want to draw out my emotions, but no pictures form within my mind. 

God give me your peace, your sweet serenity, comfort, joy amongst the storm that envelops this holiday season. Help me remember the true meaning of this holiday, the birth of Your son, Jesus Christ, and His love for all mankind.

I know that with You, Your love, all will be okay.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 KJV

Call me, oh God my Father, help me achieve your will for me. 

Shoreline

There's something about sitting on the beach, no matter the season, and watching the tide. The wind brushing against you, the waves as they finally grasp the edge of the shoreline just to get pulled right back into the ocean.

How many times do our lives feel as if they are doing the same thing?

I know so many people who are going through some very difficult and trying times this holiday season, and others who are finally seeing the much needed blessings come after their long trials have finally seemed to come to an end.

But isn't that what life is generally about; the trials and how we pull through them?  Dont the trying times of our lives form our character, and strengthen our trust in the Lord?  If we never needed to be rescued by Him, how would we ever know that He could, or would for that matter? We all know that God the Father gave His one and only son, Jesus Christ, for our sins and that whoever believes in Him has everlasting life, but I think too many times we take this sacrifice for granted. We just expect it and think His love stops there, never realizing that God's tears at every trial we encounter create the current that lovingly pushes us closer and closer to the sand. 

And how would we know what we are truly made of?  The shells and sea creatures we carry along with us and deposit on the shore's edge, painting a different backdrop with each powerful drop of water against the sand. Each one of our lives is a work of art, and the things we carry along with us and deposit upon the shore are what its made of.