May 14th 2010
Take care of yourself!! (it's an ouucch for me >.<)
The Proverbs 31 woman certainly did. "She is energetic. Her own clothing is beautifully made--a purple gown of pure linen. She is a woman of strength and dignity and has no fear of old age." (Proverbs 31:17; 22; 25)
Families are hard work. In order to make our family relationships (and other relationships too, i believe) replenishing, we must be replenished.
Psalm 46:10 instructs us to "be still and know that I am God." Let's apply this verse specifically.
Be still, MY MUSCLES, and know God's RELAXATION.
Be still, MY NERVES, and know God's REST.
Be still, MY HEART, and know God's QUIETNESS.
Be still, MY BODY, and know God's RENEWAL.
Be still, MY MIND, and know God's PEACE.
In order to be all that we can be to our families (our societies, friends...), we must be all that we can be mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. We must be balanced. The Proverbs 31 woman was energetic and hard working for the tasks she was gifted and called to do. Proverbs 31:25 tells us this woman could laugh "at the days to come." The picture here is of a woman who enjoyed her life.She worked hard, but she knew how to stop and plant a vineyard. She liked to shop and watched for bargains. She liked to look beautiful, dressing in purple fine linen.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body."
We cannot give our heart to God and keep our body for ourselves. When you take care of yourself, you are honoring God and loving your family.
Source: Girlfriends in God by Mary Southerland.
Do u need to 'fix' ur body? * I really do!!!! * :$ Let's 'fix' it and honor Him with our body. It's not ours.
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
an invitation to join the club
March 29th 2010
My friend commented on my “Speaking Beautifully” note yesterday, he asked:
“What is your imagination about this Proverbs 31 woman?”
What a question, I thought!
I heard about this woman for the very first time when I was still in college. And from that moment on, I’ve been in love with her!!! She was like my superhero, a woman I really admired and wanted to be.
However, as I learnt about her characters - her activities, I always thought that she was just a fairy tale goddess, someone I wouldn’t ever be! No matter how hard I tried, I wouldn’t be like her.
Hello?? For this spoiled – not attractive girl, not to mention all non girly attitudes I have, being a perfect woman like her was just impossible!! It was just a dream.. yeah?!
Let me explain why? Proverbs 31 woman is:
1. Priceless
Verse 10: A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
2. Faithful
Verse 11: Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
3. Good
Verse 12: She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
4. Diligent
Verse 13: She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
5. Enterprising
Verse 14: She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
6. Disciplined
Verse 15: She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.
7. Thrifty
Verse 16: She considers field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
8. Energetic
Verse 17: She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
9. Industrious
Verse 18: She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
10. Persistent
Verse 19: In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
11. Kind
Verse 20: She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
12. Farsighted
Verse 21: When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
13. Elegant
Verse 22: She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
14. Helpful
Verse 23: Her husband is respected at the gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
15. Creative
Verse 24: She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
16. Confident
Verse 25: She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
17. Wise
Verse 26: She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
18. Prudent
Verse 27: She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
19. Loving
Verse 28: Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
20. Excellent
Verse 29: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.
21. Reverent
Verse 30: Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
22. Virtuous
Verse 31: Give her reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate
SHE IS A RARE TREASURE
(taken from "Discovering the Treasure of a Godly Woman, by Elizabeth George)
But, girls, the more I spent time to learn about her, the more God opened my mind that she is real! Yeah, she maybe rare, but she is real!
My thought about her was slightly changed; Proverbs 31 woman can be any woman in this real world.
- She spends her time and money wisely. She uses her talents God has entrusted her, and multiplies them. Talk about get up early and stay up late, yeah, and what she does during that time!!
- She puts her family first. We can tell from how her husband and children think about her, and how they are taken care really really well.
- She may not be outwardly beautiful, but she surely knows how to take care of her body and appearance magnificently. She does exercise, for sure and she eats properly. She knows how to please her family with her look. She dresses in an appropriate way. Her inner beauty and lovely smile brings her irresistible charisma inside out.
- She always strives for the best, and never give up! She is not satisfied with just average results, because she knows her capacity really well.. she knows what she can do.
- She blesses others with her life and all she has.
- She loves and meditates on His words. That’s where she gains her strength!
- And most importantly, she loves God with all her heart, her soul and her mind. She fears the Lord.
So, yeah.. she is someone out there…someone’s real!
And now, girls, I am willing to take a step forward. Rather than thinking about who is this kind of woman whom I know, I want to bring her into my life. I want to be her.
And I invite you all to join the club.
(but, Erlyn, we are singles. I know! Thank God for the privilege, for the time He gave. It's an invitation for all women. We all do have family, whether we're married or single!)
Matthew 19:26 "With man (our own power) this (being this woman) is impossible, but with God all things are possible...." with Him, it is possible to be the woman we desire to be, and hey..., He put the desire in our heart!!
... being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
My friend commented on my “Speaking Beautifully” note yesterday, he asked:
“What is your imagination about this Proverbs 31 woman?”
What a question, I thought!
I heard about this woman for the very first time when I was still in college. And from that moment on, I’ve been in love with her!!! She was like my superhero, a woman I really admired and wanted to be.
However, as I learnt about her characters - her activities, I always thought that she was just a fairy tale goddess, someone I wouldn’t ever be! No matter how hard I tried, I wouldn’t be like her.
Hello?? For this spoiled – not attractive girl, not to mention all non girly attitudes I have, being a perfect woman like her was just impossible!! It was just a dream.. yeah?!
Let me explain why? Proverbs 31 woman is:
1. Priceless
Verse 10: A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
2. Faithful
Verse 11: Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
3. Good
Verse 12: She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
4. Diligent
Verse 13: She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
5. Enterprising
Verse 14: She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
6. Disciplined
Verse 15: She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.
7. Thrifty
Verse 16: She considers field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
8. Energetic
Verse 17: She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
9. Industrious
Verse 18: She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
10. Persistent
Verse 19: In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
11. Kind
Verse 20: She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
12. Farsighted
Verse 21: When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
13. Elegant
Verse 22: She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
14. Helpful
Verse 23: Her husband is respected at the gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
15. Creative
Verse 24: She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
16. Confident
Verse 25: She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
17. Wise
Verse 26: She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
18. Prudent
Verse 27: She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
19. Loving
Verse 28: Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
20. Excellent
Verse 29: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.
21. Reverent
Verse 30: Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
22. Virtuous
Verse 31: Give her reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate
SHE IS A RARE TREASURE
(taken from "Discovering the Treasure of a Godly Woman, by Elizabeth George)
But, girls, the more I spent time to learn about her, the more God opened my mind that she is real! Yeah, she maybe rare, but she is real!
My thought about her was slightly changed; Proverbs 31 woman can be any woman in this real world.
- She spends her time and money wisely. She uses her talents God has entrusted her, and multiplies them. Talk about get up early and stay up late, yeah, and what she does during that time!!
- She puts her family first. We can tell from how her husband and children think about her, and how they are taken care really really well.
- She may not be outwardly beautiful, but she surely knows how to take care of her body and appearance magnificently. She does exercise, for sure and she eats properly. She knows how to please her family with her look. She dresses in an appropriate way. Her inner beauty and lovely smile brings her irresistible charisma inside out.
- She always strives for the best, and never give up! She is not satisfied with just average results, because she knows her capacity really well.. she knows what she can do.
- She blesses others with her life and all she has.
- She loves and meditates on His words. That’s where she gains her strength!
- And most importantly, she loves God with all her heart, her soul and her mind. She fears the Lord.
So, yeah.. she is someone out there…someone’s real!
And now, girls, I am willing to take a step forward. Rather than thinking about who is this kind of woman whom I know, I want to bring her into my life. I want to be her.
And I invite you all to join the club.
(but, Erlyn, we are singles. I know! Thank God for the privilege, for the time He gave. It's an invitation for all women. We all do have family, whether we're married or single!)
Matthew 19:26 "With man (our own power) this (being this woman) is impossible, but with God all things are possible...." with Him, it is possible to be the woman we desire to be, and hey..., He put the desire in our heart!!
... being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
Monday, March 1, 2010
too many eyes
(from Proverbs 31 ministries devotional by Christa Parish)
"But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body." 1 Corinthians 12:18-20 (NIV)
When I was twenty, my boyfriend said to me, "Christa, you're just not feminine enough," and he ended our relationship. I was devastated, not only because I loved him, but because I had been bombarded with the not enough message for the past three years, since I had become a Christian.
Those at the church I attended, while deeply committed to following God, had definite ideas about what a "good Christian woman" looked liked. I wasn't it. So I strove to throw off the "old" me. I read the right books and listened to t he right speakers, and followed carefully constructed do and don't lists. And finally I gained acceptance in the church, but had completely lost myself - any shred of individuality.
I was just another eye (1 Corinthians 12:17) in a crowd of eyes.
For all the proper clothes and activities and friends, I found myself heavy with shame because there were still huge pieces inside of me that wouldn't squish into the "good Christian" mold held out for me. I prayed to be more like this woman or that woman, until one day I realized the only person I should be praying to be like was Jesus. Once I turned my sight to Christ, I began to see how my differences could be of value to Him. The more I became like Him, the more I became the person He made me to be.
My husband continually tells me, usually in response to some quirky idea I have, "I always want you to be who you are," and I hear the Lord's voice in those words. God is glorified through His people, and trying to shake off the personality with which He created us is dishonoring to Him. Each of our unique talents, idiosyncrasies, and abilities can and should be used for Him, and I've learned over and over again God will put us in situations that require just the skills and personality traits He has given us.
In my most recent novel, Watch Over Me, the main characters feel as if they are on the "fringe" of the church body, unable to fit in. For Abbi, it's because of her personal convictions; for Benjamin, it's because of the pain he's carrying around inside him; and for Matthew, it's a physical disability. But all three of them come to realize they are all necessary parts of the body of Christ. They – we – are the eyes and ears and feet and noses. Each of us fills a role in Christ's church, and in the lives of those around us, placed there by God to serve and love one another in our differences.
Dear Lord, You have created each of us in Your image, and also uniquely us. Help us to embrace who You made us to be, to see clearly the strengths You've given us, and rejoice in them. Use our individual weaknesses to turn us to You each and every day, giving us reason to cling to Your promises. Allow us opportunities to use our talents for Your glory and the good of the people around us, both those who are part of Your body and those who do not yet know You. Let our uniqueness be a light for You in the darkness. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
Reach out to someone in your church who may feel like she's on the "fringe" of things and doesn't fit in with the othe r women. Take time to encourage her uniqueness in Christ.
Take a few minutes to think about the talents God has given you. If there are some you aren't using now, ask yourself why that is. Go to the Lord in prayer and see if He reveals a way for you to serve Him with these abilities.
Reflections:
Do you suppress certain parts of yourself because you're worried about what other people may think? How can you overcome this "fear of man" that can prevent you from being all God made you to be?
Have you ever wished you could be more like another woman you know, because she seems more Godly? In what ways can you focus more on becoming "Christ-like" rather than "other-like"?
Power Verses:
Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (NIV)
1 Corinthians 12:4-6, "There are different kinds of gifts, but the s ame Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." (NIV)
Jeremiah 1:5a, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." (NIV)
"But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body." 1 Corinthians 12:18-20 (NIV)
When I was twenty, my boyfriend said to me, "Christa, you're just not feminine enough," and he ended our relationship. I was devastated, not only because I loved him, but because I had been bombarded with the not enough message for the past three years, since I had become a Christian.
Those at the church I attended, while deeply committed to following God, had definite ideas about what a "good Christian woman" looked liked. I wasn't it. So I strove to throw off the "old" me. I read the right books and listened to t he right speakers, and followed carefully constructed do and don't lists. And finally I gained acceptance in the church, but had completely lost myself - any shred of individuality.
I was just another eye (1 Corinthians 12:17) in a crowd of eyes.
For all the proper clothes and activities and friends, I found myself heavy with shame because there were still huge pieces inside of me that wouldn't squish into the "good Christian" mold held out for me. I prayed to be more like this woman or that woman, until one day I realized the only person I should be praying to be like was Jesus. Once I turned my sight to Christ, I began to see how my differences could be of value to Him. The more I became like Him, the more I became the person He made me to be.
My husband continually tells me, usually in response to some quirky idea I have, "I always want you to be who you are," and I hear the Lord's voice in those words. God is glorified through His people, and trying to shake off the personality with which He created us is dishonoring to Him. Each of our unique talents, idiosyncrasies, and abilities can and should be used for Him, and I've learned over and over again God will put us in situations that require just the skills and personality traits He has given us.
In my most recent novel, Watch Over Me, the main characters feel as if they are on the "fringe" of the church body, unable to fit in. For Abbi, it's because of her personal convictions; for Benjamin, it's because of the pain he's carrying around inside him; and for Matthew, it's a physical disability. But all three of them come to realize they are all necessary parts of the body of Christ. They – we – are the eyes and ears and feet and noses. Each of us fills a role in Christ's church, and in the lives of those around us, placed there by God to serve and love one another in our differences.
Dear Lord, You have created each of us in Your image, and also uniquely us. Help us to embrace who You made us to be, to see clearly the strengths You've given us, and rejoice in them. Use our individual weaknesses to turn us to You each and every day, giving us reason to cling to Your promises. Allow us opportunities to use our talents for Your glory and the good of the people around us, both those who are part of Your body and those who do not yet know You. Let our uniqueness be a light for You in the darkness. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
Reach out to someone in your church who may feel like she's on the "fringe" of things and doesn't fit in with the othe r women. Take time to encourage her uniqueness in Christ.
Take a few minutes to think about the talents God has given you. If there are some you aren't using now, ask yourself why that is. Go to the Lord in prayer and see if He reveals a way for you to serve Him with these abilities.
Reflections:
Do you suppress certain parts of yourself because you're worried about what other people may think? How can you overcome this "fear of man" that can prevent you from being all God made you to be?
Have you ever wished you could be more like another woman you know, because she seems more Godly? In what ways can you focus more on becoming "Christ-like" rather than "other-like"?
Power Verses:
Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (NIV)
1 Corinthians 12:4-6, "There are different kinds of gifts, but the s ame Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." (NIV)
Jeremiah 1:5a, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." (NIV)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Proverbs 31:30
Proverbs 31: 30 really has been touching me since the first time I heard about it...
"Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised"
I have been fine with it, because I never felt that I was pretty ..
so, I thought.. " oh yeah ... the verse is really talking to me".."don't feel bad if i am not as pretty as others, bla blaa bla "
'til one day, a make up artist really did something different to me (well she did her job well), and I was transformed into someone I had never been, in a positive and glamourous way.
I felt beautiful ... hm... and was hoping that people would say that I was!
I kept thinking about it, moreover when a friend took a great picture of me... and daaang...it made me want to be praised even more.
And yet, pretty much, I was distracted when people didn't give a comment about how I looked...
uuuuuuh ......
And at that time.....I realized .. what it was in Proverbs 31:30 ....
I really understood that beauty in people's eyes matters nothing...
Oh yeah of course, as a Godly woman, we need to take care of ourselves, including our bodies, our appearances.. etc..
We are responsible to take care the Holy temple within us.
But ... we do it for God~ not to get people's attention, people's appreciation and comments. coz, they are all fleeting...
well, we can also do it for ourselves though..as we love Him, and know how precious we are in His eyes.
We need to remember that our values aren't about how we look, how we dress...
but .... as in 1 Peter 3:3-5
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful."
I really thanked Him to allow me feeling beautiful .... as in glamour and woooow way..
For letting me to experience the "outter beauty" that I always thought I never had and could be!
For allowing me to experience Proverbs 31:30 ...
Now, I can really thankful to Him that it's enough for me knowing that I am beautiful in His eyes, no matter what people say about me..
That, I can take care of myself, and make the best out of me, only for Him not for others...
coz.. what He says about me that matters. only it! And never let people's saying bother me...
Yeah, the fear of the Lord.... a gentle and quite spirit ... those're what I am looking for... and surely the true beauty will come out from within.
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