If you are a girl reading this, then you are going to know exactly what I am talking about......We spend hours making sure we have that "perfect" outfit....the most adorable shoes. Hairstyles, we have those down to a tea. We will do just about anything to make sure that we look beautiful. Once we feel we have achieved that goal....we take one look in the mirror and squeal in horror as we see once again...the image we have in our head doesn't match what we see in the mirror. Why is this?????? Is it because there is something wrong with us? No, it's because we have yet to "put on" the key to true beauty.
"What is this "key?" you might ask. Here let me show you......
The Bible says in Psalms 147:1 "Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely."
Now, if you are like me.....you are thinking "What does comely mean?"
Comely means beautiful....
There you have it. The key to true beauty is praise! When I read this verse in Psalms, it just blew my mind! It was like a light went off in my head! True beauty, as we have all heard, comes from the inside. Now, I have often wondered...."How do you make your insides beautiful?" I mean, I could run around and help everyone in need, hug a few babies, and scream "peace on earth," but that doesn't make me a beautiful person on the inside.
Only when we have Jesus Christ living on the inside of us and a heart full of praise to HIM can we be truly beautiful. I know what you're thinking......"Does this mean that I have to walk around with my hands folded singing "How Great Thou Art" in a prayerful manner all the time?" haha No, but when you live a life of praise...you suddenly see things in a different manner. You have more joy in your life, the love and light of Jesus starts to radiate out of you.....people notice a change, and you don't mind talking about the ONE that changed you! You learn to love people, instead of seeing them as mess-ups...you see them as messes Jesus is just waiting to clean-up! A life of praise is a life devoted to the Master. It takes time and commitment. But, it is so worth every minute of it!
Lord, help me to "put on" the key to true beauty, and help my life to become a life of praise to you!
9/18/2010
9/02/2010
"Because No One Cared About My Soul"
Psalms 142:4 "I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul." KJV
As I was doing my nightly Bible reading I read this verse. I have read this verse many times before, but tonight it kind of jumped out and grabbed me.
As I read and reread over it, another verse came to my mind.
Ezekiel 22:30 "And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." KJV
As I sit at the computer and try my best to think of something profound to say, something that will bring you to your knees in tears.....I find nothing. Maybe it's because the burden for the country God has placed in my heart is too heavy. But, maybe just maybe these verse are self-explanatory. All I know is this: after sitting here for what feels like hours this is what I have to say..........there is a world out there dying lost because "No one cared about their soul."
Here are a few statistics I would like to share with you about the country we are appointed to.
The Central African Republic:
Indigenous Beliefs 35%
Protestant 25%
Roman Catholic 25%
Muslim 15%
(Animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority.)
"I won't delay
I won't hesitate
I will obey your call
And abandon all to see
The power of God
Your glory revealed
My nation healed"
As I was doing my nightly Bible reading I read this verse. I have read this verse many times before, but tonight it kind of jumped out and grabbed me.
As I read and reread over it, another verse came to my mind.
Ezekiel 22:30 "And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." KJV
As I sit at the computer and try my best to think of something profound to say, something that will bring you to your knees in tears.....I find nothing. Maybe it's because the burden for the country God has placed in my heart is too heavy. But, maybe just maybe these verse are self-explanatory. All I know is this: after sitting here for what feels like hours this is what I have to say..........there is a world out there dying lost because "No one cared about their soul."
Here are a few statistics I would like to share with you about the country we are appointed to.
The Central African Republic:
Indigenous Beliefs 35%
Protestant 25%
Roman Catholic 25%
Muslim 15%
(Animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority.)
"I won't delay
I won't hesitate
I will obey your call
And abandon all to see
The power of God
Your glory revealed
My nation healed"
7/08/2010
"Nevertheless At Thy Word"
First I have to say that I cannot take the credit for the idea of this blog. My mom taught this lesson. I'm just kinda borrowing it! =D
Simon, James, and John (sons of Zebedee) had been out all night in their boats. They were trying their best to make a living on fishing...But, it just wasn't easy when the fish didn't want to be caught! Finally, it was time to return to the shore, repair the nets, and hopefully get some rest. Simon was just washing his net when all of the sudden a man out of no where jumps in his boat and ask to be taken out a little ways. Simon noticed that something was different about this man. So, out they went.
When they were just a little way from the shore the man said "Stop here." Then, He began to teach the people. As Simon sat and listened to what the man was saying, He realized that this man wasn't just another priest or prophet. This man named Jesus was, was God. Listening to the words Jesus was saying, Simon had no idea that his life was on the verge of being forever changed.
All too soon Jesus finished teaching. Simon began to pull up the anchor getting ready to head back to shore, when Jesus said, "....Launch out into the deep, and let your down nets for a draught. ~Luke 5:4" Simon stopped what he was doing, not sure that he had heard Jesus correctly. "What did you say, Jesus?" "Let's go out a little further and let down your nets for a catch." Simon was dumbfounded. But, again he was overcome by the fact that Jesus wasn't just a good prophet..he was God. So, he replied ""And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net." ~Mark 5:5"
"Nevertheless at thy word...." So out they went. Maybe as Simon let down the nets he thought he was going to catch a few fish...at least enough to make a few dollars that day. But, as he began to pull the nets up, they just kept coming and coming. "James, John! I need some help! Bring your boats." Then, before they knew it all three boats were full!
"Nevertheless at thy word..." "Lord, I have to tried to have a successful prayer life before...but,"Nevertheless at thy word!" Lord, I have tried to do this and that before..but, "Nevertheless at they word!"
I don't know who is it that this needs to read this today...but, "Nevertheless at they word Lord!" Try it one more time...do it one more time because maybe, just maybe this is the time that Jesus is gonna step in and make it work!
Simon, James, and John (sons of Zebedee) had been out all night in their boats. They were trying their best to make a living on fishing...But, it just wasn't easy when the fish didn't want to be caught! Finally, it was time to return to the shore, repair the nets, and hopefully get some rest. Simon was just washing his net when all of the sudden a man out of no where jumps in his boat and ask to be taken out a little ways. Simon noticed that something was different about this man. So, out they went.
When they were just a little way from the shore the man said "Stop here." Then, He began to teach the people. As Simon sat and listened to what the man was saying, He realized that this man wasn't just another priest or prophet. This man named Jesus was, was God. Listening to the words Jesus was saying, Simon had no idea that his life was on the verge of being forever changed.
All too soon Jesus finished teaching. Simon began to pull up the anchor getting ready to head back to shore, when Jesus said, "....Launch out into the deep, and let your down nets for a draught. ~Luke 5:4" Simon stopped what he was doing, not sure that he had heard Jesus correctly. "What did you say, Jesus?" "Let's go out a little further and let down your nets for a catch." Simon was dumbfounded. But, again he was overcome by the fact that Jesus wasn't just a good prophet..he was God. So, he replied ""And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net." ~Mark 5:5"
"Nevertheless at thy word...." So out they went. Maybe as Simon let down the nets he thought he was going to catch a few fish...at least enough to make a few dollars that day. But, as he began to pull the nets up, they just kept coming and coming. "James, John! I need some help! Bring your boats." Then, before they knew it all three boats were full!
"Nevertheless at thy word..." "Lord, I have to tried to have a successful prayer life before...but,"Nevertheless at thy word!" Lord, I have tried to do this and that before..but, "Nevertheless at they word!"
I don't know who is it that this needs to read this today...but, "Nevertheless at they word Lord!" Try it one more time...do it one more time because maybe, just maybe this is the time that Jesus is gonna step in and make it work!
5/28/2010
A look through my eyes/I dream of Africa....
Some see it as the home of poverty and sickness. Others see it as that place across the world where people live in a jungles and mud huts. The rich man may see it as a place where he can send his money to help ease the suffering and his conscience. The nurse may see as the place where she can make a difference in someone's health. The missionary sees it as a place to help change lives...and all of these different views are well and good. But, me...I see it as my home.
It is the place that I have worked my whole life to get to. Even when I was young, I always knew we would end up here. We went to Madagascar for the most amazing yet difficult year of my life. We went back home, and yearned to return to this incredible place. No matter what my address has been...this is the place I have always wanted to be. The sights, the smells, the people they have all in some way become a part of me. The way their faces light up when you smile and wave. The way the young girls play clap games in the street. The smell after the rain that brings moisture to the hot, dry ground. The way the pressure builds up right before the bottom falls out of the sky. I love this wonderful place. Maybe, you can't appreciate the view through my eyes. Maybe, it's quite difficult for you to understand. But, that's okay. I understand...I love this place.
Most kids my age are dreaming of college and what they are going to do for their lives. While these things are on my mind, they are not what I dream of....I dream of a place called Africa. This is where I belong. God truly has blessed my life to be able to live it here.
Maybe this wasn't the best look into my world....I just felt I should share. :)
It is the place that I have worked my whole life to get to. Even when I was young, I always knew we would end up here. We went to Madagascar for the most amazing yet difficult year of my life. We went back home, and yearned to return to this incredible place. No matter what my address has been...this is the place I have always wanted to be. The sights, the smells, the people they have all in some way become a part of me. The way their faces light up when you smile and wave. The way the young girls play clap games in the street. The smell after the rain that brings moisture to the hot, dry ground. The way the pressure builds up right before the bottom falls out of the sky. I love this wonderful place. Maybe, you can't appreciate the view through my eyes. Maybe, it's quite difficult for you to understand. But, that's okay. I understand...I love this place.
Most kids my age are dreaming of college and what they are going to do for their lives. While these things are on my mind, they are not what I dream of....I dream of a place called Africa. This is where I belong. God truly has blessed my life to be able to live it here.
Maybe this wasn't the best look into my world....I just felt I should share. :)
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