Who are you?

Pr. 31:30: “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”

We have to be careful where we get our sense of identity.  Is it in the image we see in the mirror, the compliments of others, the likes we get on social media?  Perhaps we even get our identity from another person, like our spouse, sibling, boyfriend, or girlfriend?

As this scripture says, charm and beauty are passing, so we certainly can’t rely on our looks as our sense of identity.  I’m not sorry to say to you that it doesn’t matter how beautiful or handsome you are, if you aren’t that way on the inside then it’s truly all for naught.  Maybe no one has told you that lately.

Having all the followers possible on social media or only 10, or losing friends in the real world, should still not be the way we figure out who we are.

Our sense of identity runs deeper than that.  It is who we truly are.  Do you know who you are or do you let others opinions and actions determine that for you?

We cannot allow anyone but our Father and Creator tell us who we are.  He had a plan for us at the beginning, and as a potter shapes clay, He is molding and shaping us over time into the person we are to be.

Daily, we change and grow, but always we are in His righteous right hand, and since He is the author and finisher of our faith, He is the One we should look to for the answer to who we truly are.

We will find out who we are when we spend time with our Father, in His word, in prayer, and in worship.  If you’ve been believing lies about yourself or feeling “less than” or even “more than” about yourself lately, spend some time with the Lord and He will give You a true sense of your identity.  He will let you know who you are in Him, and guide you on the path He has for you.

He has plans for us if we are only willing to accept them and trust Him enough to give in.

What’s it to be?  Who will you trust today?

jamie

Here is a song to get you started in worship.  Go to the Word next…

 

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Legacy

If you’ve been initiated into a fraternity or sorority then your children, grandchildren, siblings, and in some cases, your nieces and nephews are then considered a “legacy.”  Traditionally, this meant they were given automatic admission into that same fraternity or sorority when it came time for them to join.

This morning I was reminded that I was a member of a sorority back in college.  Unfortunately for me, the memories of that time are not some of the proudest moments in life.  So when I think about my daughter being a “legacy” of those moments, actions, or choices, I cringe.  Those are not things I want to pass on to her or to my son.

It just so happens that I was listening to the song Broken Vessels this morning, before this reminder.  So as I was thinking about what a terrible legacy I was passing on to my children, God’s amazing grace washed over me.  Through His amazing grace, I have a new legacy to pass on to my children.  I have a legacy of hope, of beauty, of eternal reward and eternal life to pass on to my children.

I am so thankful for God.  He took the pieces that I chose to throw down and let be broken and shattered and He gathered them and mended them and made me whole.  He didn’t do it just for me, but for my children, my grandchildren and all the other “legacies” coming after me.  Oh, what a beautiful thing!!  I am truly thankful for His amazing grace!

These aren’t just lyrics to a song for me.  This is my heart’s song this morning!

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.  I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see!

Leaving a new legacy,

jamie

Uncovering the beauty

Pr. 21:9:  “Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, than in a house shared with a contentious woman.”  Pr. 21:19:  “Better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and angry woman.”

The truth is that it’s better to dwell in those places than with anyone that’s angry and contentious (likely to cause an argument).  Relationships are hard enough without having someone always looking for a fight.

 

I was walking in the woods behind our house today and found this little figurine.  I couldn’t believe how applicable it was to real life.  Sometimes our relationships can resemble this…soiled, muddy, polluted, and defiled.  During those times, it can be hard to see through the muck to even imagine something that could possibly look better.

 

 

But I chose to wipe off the figurine, and do you see what I saw?  They were still holding hands.  With just a bit of effort, I was able to uncover the fact, that underneath it all, they were still connected.  Do you believe that’s true for our relationships?  I do.  Underneath all the mess, there are 2 people that were once connected, and with just a bit of effort, the fact that there is still a connection becomes visible.

 

 

Inspired by what I saw, I took the figurine inside and cleansed it with some soap and water, and a bit of bleach.  The cleansing revealed a couple with a few scars, but look at their faces.  They look happy and content again…renewed and ready for a new life.

 

 

 

Sometimes, deciding to work diligently to wipe off all the offenses and grime to uncover a renewed relationship can be rough and it can definitely sting.  (Just as if being cleansed with bleach)  But it’s so worth it.  Those scars just make us stronger, and more able to testify to the Lord’s mercy and miracles.  Just like this figurine, there can be new life waiting underneath; we just have to be willing to uncover it.

I couldn’t tell you how long this figurine was buried in the mud.  It was pretty deep in there, and even under some other trash.  But that just proves that no matter how long our relationships have been in the mire, with just a bit of interest and care something beautiful can be revealed.

And the most beautiful part for us is that God is faithful to stand with us during the process.

Get out that scrub brush!

jamie

How to prevent bone decay

Pr. 12:4 says, “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.”

This rottenness in his bones means it preys upon him, and causes decay.  It consumes him.  That sounds horrible!!

I know a good way to prevent this from happening.  Read this question that author, Dannah Gresh, asks.  “Do you spend more time in front of the mirror making yourself externally beautiful, or do you spend more time developing your inner beauty through quiet communion with God?”

1 Peter 3:3-6 talks about women not letting their adornment be merely outward.  We don’t have to have the best make up or wardrobe.  We don’t have to have the perfect hairstyle or jewelry.  We don’t have to be the most ‘up with the times.’  Superior cooking skills aren’t required.

An excellent wife…or a wife of valor, as some translations say…is one who looks well to the ways of her household, and is pious and prudent.

Now, by all means, please fix your hair.  However, if for every minute spent in front of the mirror, we spent a minute or more with God, we will develop a true and deep relationship with God.  When we develop that relationship with God, we cultivate a spirit more like God’s.  This is the prescription to help prevent us from causing bone rot in those we love.

Striving to be truly beautiful,

jamie

Happy Mother’s Day to all you beautiful women of God!

Pr. 11:22 tells us that, “As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.” 

Discretion is the ability to keep private things private, the ability to make wise choices about the words that come out of our mouth, and the ability to make wise judgments about how to behave and speak in certain situations.

Discretion is currently one of the most lacking abilities in our world.  Beauty and attention are 2 of the main priorities in our culture and beauty is worshiped, sought after, and is a billion dollar industry.  Regardless of how lovely we may look on the outside, The Lord says that if we have no discretion, we just look like a pig with a gold accessory.  If we have no discretion, we live and bathe in filth, we cause disease to our relationships and we love to feed on slop.  How unhealthy and unlovely that truly makes us.

Where does our true beauty lie?  Pr. 31:30 tells us that, “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praise.”  There is no beauty product in the world that can shine brighter than Jesus within us.  If we set our eyes on the things above we will be able to see what’s real and what’s truly important.

As in everything else, we can gain wisdom and the ability to be discreet by simply asking The Lord for help and staying in God’s Word.  Without Him we can do nothing, but With Him…anything.  Help us, Lord, to love you and to love discretion so we can truly be the beautiful creations You made us to be.

Perfect song to accompany this post.  Enjoy.   “Captivate Us” by Watermark:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO6uyJcBclw

Come on, ladies!!  Let’s set a new trend.  🙂

jamie