the unsafe question

Are you pregnant?

The question caught her off guard. Was her friend joking? She looked down. She knew her uniform was a little tight-it had been a year since she last had to wear it-but did she really look pregnant?

No, of course not, she told her friend.

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The seemingly harmless question plagued her all day. Feelings of insecurity, shame, guilt, and ugliness flooded her. With no one to turn to, she had to bear this burden all alone.

~
This is a true story. The girl that told me this could not tell it without crying. We barely know each other, yet it was tearing her apart so much she just had to get it out; it didn't matter who, she needed someone to listen.

It is surprising just how many women struggle with insecurity and the "shame" of not being pretty.

Everyone is beautiful. We look at man's standards of beauty, but what about God's standards? Shouldn't we be looking at ourselves (and others!) through God's eyes?

Below are favorite posts on the subject

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Come Away With Me at SimplyHis.

A Love Letter to My Body at Joy in this Journey

As God Sees at Faith and Simplicity

beauty that cannot be captured in ESPN magazines at To Overflowing

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{devotion} tugging conviction

I knew I shouldn't have watched it. I ignored the tugging at my soul as I told Sister don't tag me on Facebook at this movie.

That tugging? Conviction.

 
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My holy Savior reminding me, gently, that it wasn't pure and holy.

Yet, I listened to the enemies lies. The movie is harmless, right? It's not going to change the way I think or live. I'm still a good girl. Movies don't affect me.

It's not easy. It's not very pretty either, that tug of war.

When I feel it at my soul, I fight it. But I know I must give in. I must confess. I have to speak my feelings, raw and unedited. Yes, it's painful. No one wants to admit wrong.

 But then....

 After conviction and confession comes sweet healing. Peace and closeness fills my soul. I am in harmony with Him again, with the sin guilt out of the way.

 Proverbs 28:13 He that coverth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

 Don't let tugging conviction and open confession scare you. After comes the blessedness of forgiveness, tearful mercy, wonderful grace, and quiet peace.

 Psalm 32:3-5 When I kept silence my bones grew old through my groaning all day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my vitality turned into drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin unto thee and my iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the inquity of my sin. Selah.

   

{devotion} burden or banner?

Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

When I see myself taking up my cross, it's heavy. I imagine unbearable weight and stumbling. It's a burden after all, right? Isn't that what Jesus means in this verse?

Studying further into this verse, I was astounded. "Take up" here in Luke actually means "to hold high, like a banner, for all to see."

So the cross I bear to follow Jesus is not a heavy burden, but a brazen banner! I've been going about this all wrong. To follow Him is not a heavy yoke, but a banner to proudly wave so all others can know and see HIM.

~

counting...

#75 buttery popcorn, homemade

#77 soft conviction

#78 friend, non-judgemental

#79 mucinex!

#80 19 yr old brother showing maturity

#82 budding friendship



{devotion} Ugly lies or Beautiful truth?

"I just want to work on my abs."

"I just want to lose X inches."

"I really need to work on my thighs."

"I need to get back to how I used to be."

All day long I hear this. All day long I see unhappiness written across faces. All day long I watch women struggle with self-image. It's my job to "fix" them and make them happy again.

These ladies are some of the most beautiful ladies I have known. Yet, Satan plagues them with ugly lies. I get it. I know the battles they face. I took it to the extreme once.

But now I know the truth. and I want to scream at them, "You are beautifully and wonderfully made!"

I love how Paul put it in Romans. He basically says who are we to question HIS work??

Romans 9:20
     But indeed, O man [or woman], who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"

When Satan plagues you with lies, whether it's about physical, spiritual, or mental image, exchange those lies for the Lord's healing truth!

Ecclesiastes 3:11a
    He has made everything beautiful in its time.