3/1/2024
Please BewareEvery single day I have to block fraudulent profiles on my Holding Hope page. They usually attach themselves to someone else who has already commented on one of my posts, and seek their “friendship” with kind and inviting words. Their profiles always look professional, and quite often they pose as men in the military or medical field. They prey on women, hoping to catch someone unaware of who they really are. They appear to be one thing, but are completely the opposite. Please beware~
They aren’t your friend. They don’t want to be your friend. They want to steal your identity and destroy you. I couldn’t help but see a comparison. Scripture warns us that Satan is subtle and goes about sneaking and seeking. He gets into our heads. He lies, accuses, corrupts, destroys and steals~all while looking like an angel of light. He preys on our weaknesses, and once he has gotten into our heads he has us believing all his lies. ◦ Lies about relationships and loneliness: telling you that you will always be alone. ◦ Lies about insecurities, comparison and jealousy: she’s better, smarter, prettier, happier. ◦ Lies about social media: convincing you that this is what life is all about, this is what life should be. This is the life you will never have. ◦ Lies about self pity: no one cares about you. No one sees how hard you work. Your life is so hard. ◦ Lies about your job. ◦ Lies about your pride. ◦ Lies about what other people think. ◦ Lies about your spouse and your marriage. ◦ Lies about your church. ◦ Lies about your life. ◦ Even lies about Christ. What is a Christian to do? How can we possibly fight this? If Satan is that subtle, how will we even know what is a lie and what is truth? And that’s why week after week I post scripture. I cannot emphasize this enough~ my words cannot fight off the lies~ but God!!!! His words are power and we HAVE TO KNOW them!! We overcome when we continually draw nigh to God, by the blood of the Lamb, Christ Jesus our Savior. By the testimony of others. By God’s grace. By the power of Christ. By faith. By being rooted and grounded in His love. We overcome by acknowledging God in every single decision, by asking the Holy Spirit to shed light in our hearts and by being strong in the Lord. How do I know this? Because God’s word says so! I reminded you last week that the Christian life isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. It’s a battle. We have to know who our enemy is but more importantly~ we have to know who GOD is. Let me tell you just a few of HIS truths: ◦ You’re never alone ◦ You’re eternally loved ◦ You’re who God created you to be ◦ EVERYTHING we need is written in HIS word ◦ Our identity is in Christ ◦ He is our all in all Please beware~Satan wants to steal your identity. He will sneak into your thoughts, comments and actions, all the while telling you lies you carelessly believe. That fraudulent friend request will continually come. Satan will never stop until we are at home in heaven. Every single day, every single thing we need is in Jesus, the Son of God. Hold tight to that truth, rooted and grounded in the love of your Savior, Redeemer, Comforter and Friend. Our God who gave us eternal life. Our God who cannot lie. Seek wisdom and discernment through His word. In all your ways acknowledge Him. His light will not only show you the lies of the enemy, His light will show you the truth. The truth that only comes from the truest Friend. SCRIPTURE READING: James 4:4 James 4:6-8 Proverbs 3:5-6 2 Corinthians 4:4, 6, 8-10 Ephesians 6:10-13 Revelation 12:9-12 2 Corinthians 11:3 John 10:10 John 8:44 2 Corinthians 11:14 1 Peter 5:8-9 Hebrews 13:5-6 Deuteronomy 31:6 Jeremiah 31:3 Ephesians 2:10 Psalm 139:14 Galatians 2:20 Romans 8:37-39 Colossians 3:1-2, 23-24 Galatians 6:3 Romans 8:14-17 Ephesians 3:17-19 1 Corinthians 15:28 Psalm 119 John 15:14-16 Zephaniah 3:17 Titus 1:2-3 Colossians 3:16
10/13/2023
Flaws And AllI have been reading God’s word since I was 12 years old, but I can remember my mom reading me Bible stories before I was ever in school. When I was younger, I used to think that the people God used were all flawless heroes of the faith. The older I get, the more my perspective has changed.
The ladies at my church are doing a Bible study right now on Women of the Bible. When you study 5 women each month, it really opens your eyes. God has taught me so many truths through this study. One that has stood out to me over and over is this~ throughout history He has used imperfect women to accomplish His perfect will. Women just like me. Women just like you. And that gives me so much hope. Homemakers and working women, servants and queens, teenagers and elderly, women of ill repute, and women immersed in the work of the kingdom. He never asks them to become someone they are not. He redeems, He indwells and He provides. He uses each one with their unique personalities, flaws and all. And that prompted my thoughts today. God doesn’t want us to change our personalities to fit a cookie cutter mold of what the world thinks we should be, and He certainly doesn’t want us to change our personalities to a cookie cutter mold we THINK christian women are supposed to be. He wants us to be what His word tells us to be. He wants us to be us. He created us exactly the way we are, and He wants to use our unique personalities for His glory. God created me with an introvert personality. I am a housewife and a homebody. And I love it. That is who He made me. He doesn’t want me to try harder to be an extrovert, or be disappointed in myself for not having a prestigious 9-5 job. There will be times that He asks me to step out of my comfort zone to better glorify Him, but He never requires me to be someone else. Here is the thing I want you to get~you be you, not some version of what the world tells you to be. My friend sent me a very revealing quote a few months back, and I’m just going to drop it right here because it says SO MUCH. "We are the girls with anxiety disorders, filled appointment books, five-year plans. We take ourselves very, very seriously. We are the peacemakers, the do-gooders, the givers, the savers. We are on time, overly prepared, well read, and witty, intellectually curious, always moving. We pride ourselves on getting as little sleep as possible and thrive on self-deprivation. We drink coffee, a lot of it. We are on birth control, Prozac, and multivitamins. We are relentless, judgmental with ourselves, and forgiving to others. We never want to be as passive-aggressive as our mothers, never want to marry men as uninspired as our fathers. We are the daughters of the feminists who said, 'You CAN be anything,' and we heard, 'You HAVE TO be everything.'" Courtney Martin We continually hear the shouts telling us that we HAVE to be everything and if we aren’t, then we are flawed. Sometimes those shouts come from within us. You don’t have to BE EVERYTHING my friend. You just have to be you. All of that stuff, that’s what the world is constantly screaming at us. But that’s not what God is whispering to our hearts. Let’s examine ourselves ladies. What are we passing down to the next generation? Because sometimes I believe we all are hanging on by a thread, instead of the hem of HIS garment. Do we really want our daughters and granddaughters to be the ones with all the issues wrapped up in that quote, or do we want them to be themselves~walking through each day with Jesus and wrapped up in Him~being exactly who HE made them to be. We are being the example that they see. We are teaching them with our own behavior. Are we always too busy? Are we always stressed? Are we trying to be too serious, too relentless? Are we too judgmental of ourselves? Are we even being ourselves? Are we happy? Truly happy? Can we be silly, and laugh, can we play and have fun, or are our busy lives consuming our every waking minute? Is your life the life you wish for your daughter? And so, I will repeat what I wrote last week- Who am I? I am crucified with Christ, yet not I, but Christ. I am me, the introvert, shy, wife, mom, grandma, pastor’s wife, homemaker and blogger. Exactly the person God created me to be. And my constant prayer will be that the life I live isn’t the life the world is screaming it should be, but it’s the life I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I pray all our lives can exemplify this to our daughters and their children. I want to encourage you to always use the unique personality God gave you to glorify Him in every single thing that you do. That is my own prayer~ A flawed hero of the faith. Just by being me. SCRIPTURE READING: Galatians 2:20 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 Romans 12:1-8 2 Corinthians 8:11-15
10/8/2022
I Am A LiarI don’t know when it started, but I became quite the little liar when I was a child. I suppose all children go through some stage of lying, but today I’m faced with the reality that I never really grew out of it. Up until one particular day, I found I could lie my way out of anything and get away with it. I asked my mom if I could play outside with my friend. It was summer. I was five. She told me that I could, but not until I cleaned my room. I definitely did NOT want to clean my room. I’m sure I did a lot of complaining because I just wanted to be happy and have fun. I remember this next part like it was yesterday. She said: “and you better not shove it all in your closet or under your bed.” Within minutes I called downstairs to let her know I was finished so she could come up to check. “Wow”, she said as she looked around, “you did such a good job.”And then she asked~ “You didn’t shove it all in your closet or under your bed, did you?” To this day, I don’t know what my little five year old brain was thinking, because I looked her straight in the eye, nodded, smiled and said~ “no mama, I cleaned it all”. And then she opened the closet door. I had tried to make it look good on the outside so I could get what I wanted on the inside. Today as I searched my heart, I realized that I continue to do this. I want my life to be happy and fun~ and I want to tag Jesus on to all of it. So I do “all the things”. All the outward things “for His glory”, but the more I do for “His glory”, the less time I spend with Him. And yet, I want Him to bless it all. This blog included. What was I thinking? I can nod and smile and say “it’s all good”, but I know it isn’t. Too much good robs me of the best. Today, God opened the door of my heart and everything came tumbling out. Bible study books, Sunday School lessons, Children’s Ministry material, Ladies Book ministries, the search for awesome quotes to post on my Holding Hope page and the search for the best words to write for this blog... They all came tumbling out, and along with them came fatigue and comparison, depression and questioning, complaining and defeat. And there on the dresser sat my Bible. The one needful thing. Doing all the outward things doesn’t make God love us more. Doing “all the things” doesn’t guarantee us a happy, blessed, fun Christian life or gain us brownie points with God. Sometimes satan uses our busyness to distract us from the one needful thing and then he labels it “ministry.” I fell into this mindset once again and realized I was lying to myself and to others, but more importantly~ to God. And all along He knew. I almost quit my blog and Facebook page this week. I looked at the numbers, the likes, the shares, the views and decided God wasn’t blessing it anymore. I looked at the numbers instead of my heart. So, I searched and prayed and opened my Bible and then I prayed some more. And just like He always does, God answered. Whenever I get writer’s block and discouragement over my blog hits me hard, I realize it’s because I am not doing that one needful thing. Looking to Jesus. Opening every door, letting it all tumble out and asking Him for guidance in cleaning it up. He always does. And then He gives me the words to pen. And He shows me, they aren’t for the reader, they are for me. Because they are the EXACT words I need to hear from Him. I didn’t get to play outside that summer day so long ago. But my mom helped me by guiding and instructing me on how to actually clean my room the right way. And I got to spend an afternoon with my mama that I will never forget. Even at five, she instilled something in me that has lasted 52 years. God knows what we’re hiding that needs to come tumbling out. Quit leaning against that door and let God open it. He’s been knocking, but sometimes we’re just too busy to hear. Give it all to Him and ask for His guidance. Every day He will instill something new in your heart that will change you~ Just by spending time with Him. There isn’t a ministry book or blog, a Facebook page or podcast (all the “fruit” that’s supposed to make us wise) that can replace time spent with God and His steadfast love. Don’t let satan deceive you. (Genesis 3:5-6) Trying to look good on the outside won’t give you what your soul needs on the inside. Do the one needful thing. Todays scripture reading: Luke 10:42 Genesis 3:5-6 Psalm 107 Psalm 108:1-7, 12&13 Psalm 109:4, 21&22, 26&27, 30. Luke 11:9-13 I am a list maker, a type A, detailed planner and organizer. I confess, what I’m going to write about today was hard for me because I often feel embarrassment for being over the top in this area. (Probably because I am also a people pleaser and worry way too much about what other people think of me.)
I have often longed to be a free spirit. A spur of the moment, care a less kinda girl. Instead, I schedule my days with lists of things I feel are most productive. If I have checked everything off at the end of the day I not only have a sense of accomplishment, but also a sense of comfort. I’m the kind of mom who would go out of town and leave 5 pages of typed, detailed instructions plastered to the fridge for her kids. If I wanted to teach them tasks around the house, I would write out step by step instructions for them. Everything. Always. Orderly. I viewed being this way as flawed. But then I read Psalm 139. I read it and reread it. Over and over God has brought this Psalm to my mind. This week the verses that struck me most were that I am fearfully (*in a manner to impress adoration and astonishment) and wonderfully (*in a manner to excite wonder or surprise) made. (Psalm 139:14) And then God reminded me again when my son in law preached on the passage this past Sunday. He spoke about these exact verses before he even began his message. Because that’s how amazing God is! I am adoringly made in His image. (Genesis 1:27) And so this morning as I opened my Bible I asked God to show me God. (Psalm 84:2b, Jeremiah 29:13) If I am made in His image, my heart longs to be the best representation of that image. I can only do that by truly seeking to know Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Proverbs 8:17, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27) Today in my bible reading He showed me… but it took a while. I was sure I would be meditating on some beautiful, poetic sonnets that would wash peace and assurance over me as I started my week. Instead, my reading had me in the book of Numbers. Usually I follow along with my Bible open as my app reads soothingly to me. Today, I just listened with coffee in hand and eyes closed. And I thought, “Numbers?? Really God? Mondays are already tough.” It’s very easy to zone out as you go through the book of Numbers. I even found myself wondering why God added this book to the Bible. (Shame!🥴) All the details and names and instructions. Verse after verse after verse… And that’s when it hit me. I am just like the book of Numbers! And~ I am fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image. The very thing that I have thought was a flaw about myself is exactly how God made me~ and He thinks I’m wonderful. (Colossians 3:10) It’s hard for me to write that because, to be honest it sounds very pious to me. I am doing a Ladies Bible Study on control and last week I read this quote by Jennifer Dukes Lee~”As Christian women…anything that looks like achievement becomes synonymous with conceit. But that’s not fair to God’s creative genius at work within us.” That stopped me in my tracks. I mulled it over but it was still hard for me to accept. Please do not mistake me here. I am not saying I am perfect because I am made in God’s image. We are all flawed because we are human and we are sinners. We can’t allow certain sins in our lives, and then self righteously justify those sins because “that’s just the way God made us”. My organizing, detailed, sometimes high maintenance, controlling behavior isn’t always a good thing. When my joy is based on my to do list getting done instead of Jesus, I allow sin to enter in. When I react negatively to those I love because they didn’t do something the way I wanted or told them to, I allow sin to enter in. But when I give my traits to God wholly, seeking His will~ that’s when He is most glorified. Today I think He smiled as I listened to Numbers. Maybe He chuckled a bit, wondering when it would click~ and then it did. I am a “book of Numbers” kind of girl, formed in the image of God. Perhaps God knew my children needed that crazy bit of order in their lives before stepping out on their own. Perhaps God knows my to do lists will greater serve His kingdom when I do them for His glory. What a thought! (Philippians 1:20,21, I Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17) You may not have the same crazy quirks that I do. You might be a free spirit. You might be a Peter or a John or a Paul. Maybe a David or Mary or Martha. The crazy, surprising and astonishing thing about this is~ we are ALL made in His image. YOU are made in His image, just like I am. I’m so thankful for ALL of God’s word and the ways He shows us exactly who we are. Whatever your traits, you can use them for His glory! (Ephesians 4:11-13, 15-16) That’s the goal. Heart, mind, soul, strength. His glory. I’m sure it’s one that will never be checked off on my to do list because I’m human and fail daily, but I’m so thankful for God’s mercy and love for me regardless of my failings. (Philippians 3:10-12)If I have purposed throughout my day to bring Him glory through everything I am able to accomplish, there’s a reason He gives me comfort at the end of the day. (Ephesians 2:10) That comfort is His assurance to me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made and I will embrace it. (Psalm 71:21, 139:14) “but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:24 *Noah Webster 1828 American dictionary of the English language.
6/10/2022
That Cheer TeamI’m going to take a small commercial break in my series of late to tell you a story.
It was 1982. My junior year of high school, and I had made the cheerleading squad. We were a small, tight knit Christian school, and the friendships that were formed have lasted my lifetime. I wore a pleated skirt that touched my knees, saddle shoes and a constricting, long sleeve wool sweater. Looking back I cannot believe that was the uniform of choice. I probably lost 10 pounds every game just from sweating so much. I didn’t care. I loved every second. That year I was determined to make 1st Team All Conference for my squad, and I worked hard toward that goal. When the time came for names to be announced and awards given, my name was not on the list. I can honestly say that I was truly happy for my friends. They were seasoned cheerleaders, and I knew they deserved the acclamation. My senior year I was fueled to try even harder. I did everything my coach told me to do. Every game, every routine. No mess ups. 1983. This would be my year. I was confident in the work that I put in. When the names were called, I waited anxiously to hear my own, but I didn’t even get an honorable mention~ and I was crushed. Somehow, almost 40 years later I still feel like that cheerleader at times. Trying so hard to do it all right. Listening to what I’ve been taught my entire Christian adult life. Putting the hard work in, confident that I’ve got this servanthood thing in the bag. Until I don’t. And sometimes I allow it to crush me. I compare myself to others. (2 Corinthians 10:12-16) I press toward my own prize. (Philippians 3:14) I become weary. (Galatians 6:9) I envy and grumble. (Hebrews 13:5) And then grumble some more. (Philippians 2:14-15) As I have studied the topic of surrender to God and our love for Him, many things have come to my attention. Why do we continually mess up? In our Christian walk, in our relationships, in our attitudes? Well, there’s the obvious… sin, duh. But, as I prayed about this more, I came to the realization that a lot of it has to do with the specific sin of ‘my love for myself.’ I can say that I’m doing the things I’m doing (ie~ you know being a good servant and all that 😉) because of my love for the Lord, but when I am serving and someone rattles me with an off hand comment or speaks praise over others and not me~ I find myself right back in those saddle shoes. I throw myself my own pity party. I either feel like I will never be good enough, asking myself why I wasn’t picked, or I start to lift myself up with the~ ‘I’ve worked so hard!’~ mentality. This is a place I wouldn’t be if I was truly being a servant of Christ and doing everything out of my love for Him. Somehow Charisse always gets in her own way. The times I hear myself saying “Nobody loves me. Nobody notices. Nobody cares. I’ll never measure up. Why can’t I be like her?” Are the very times I’m loving myself more than Christ. I am making it about me and not about Him. I am putting on MY uniform and then sweating in my own strength trying to achieve something for myself~ and not for Christ. (Romans 13:14) It’s His armor that should take precedence. (Ephesians 6:10-18) And so, (this might be stretching things a bit~ no pun intended 😉) I believe that even cheerleading can teach us some lessons. On our squad, I always ended up being a part of our “base” when we did mounts. I’m 5’9” so obviously I wasn’t going to be at the top of a mount~ and I understood that 100%. That was my spot. If only I could apply that understanding to my life now! In cheerleading, it was never supposed to be about the girl at the top, or who got the most recognition. It was about our love for our team. Cheering them on and encouraging them to keep fighting for the win~ Isn’t that what our Christian life is all about? It’s not about us. It’s all about Christ. Our love for our great God. Some girls might be center stage in their service and others might be serving in ways no one ever sees. Both spots are equally important. Our love for Jesus is what will shine. And if we tumble. If we can’t hold the weight. If we become constricted because of our love for ourselves. If it feels too heavy or we get weary in the well doing, let us not forget that He is the one holding us all together. It’s not anything that we do, it’s His strength working in and through us. Take off that constricting uniform of self service in the name of Christianity, and Put on Jesus. (Romans 13:14) Plain and simple. We are on the same team! So, cheer your fellow sisters on as they fight the good fight. (1Timothy 6:12) Make no mistake~ it is a battle and Satan knows exactly how to get us to love ourselves more than each other and more than our Savior. (2 Corinthians 10:4) Next week, I hope to end my series with some encouragement on how we can go about loving God more and finding the laughter in our lives. I felt the need to address the fact that we cannot take steps forward toward truly loving God until we realize the battle we are in with loving ourselves. When I look back at my cheerleading days, I’m so glad I was a part of it. Winning All Conference doesn’t even matter to me now, but the relationships that were forged and the spirit of unity we had is a memory I will cherish forever. I feel the same way about all my sisters in Christ. My sweet friends who have worshipped and walked along side me, fighting the good fight for the love of our Savior. The ones who have been a part of my life from day one, some not even realizing the impact they have had on my life. I’m over here cheering you all on and the good news is~ we already know Who wins! Ephesians 4:1-4, 7, 12-13, 15-16, 24
4/23/2022
One Cup Of WaterMost of my children are amazing cooks, and the ones that aren’t readily admit to that fact. It can often be intimidating to cook for them. Mom, whose meals were once the delight of her little ones now takes a back burner. I don’t mind though. I get the fruits of their labor. My daughter-in-law’s Baked Ziti is a favorite of mine. My son-in-law’s have skills in the kitchen that I seriously envy, and my second child shares delectable recipes on her blog with tens of thousands of followers.
And so, The Tuna Casserole. My husband is a meat and potato kind of guy and despite the amazing dishes my kids come up with, he often prefers… well~meat and potatoes. Haha. The only casserole he truly enjoys is The Tuna Casserole. The casserole I have never enjoyed. He bought all the ingredients for it the other day, intending to make it himself. Because I love that meat and potatoes man, I surprised him while he was out and threw it all together. It’s an understatement for me to say he was thrilled. It seemed like such a simple thing. He was genuinely ecstatic. He hugged me and told me he loved me. He boasted that I took it to a ‘whole new level’, and then he said this~ ”Take a picture of it and send it to the kids”. 😂😂😂 In this day and age of social media, that is the ultimate compliment. A compliment on a dish I would venture to say wasn’t my best work, and one I would never share a picture of! But the joy on his face and the love in his words meant the world. They truly made me happy. All for a tuna casserole. As I thought about it, it hit me…Sometimes I look at the talents and gifts of other women and wonder how God could ever use me. I am just ordinary. I overthink everything. I compare way too much. I want to be better, do better, pray more, be more hospitable. Be everything to everyone. My husband, my family, my church, my social media platforms. That’s me. In my mind I’m never measuring up, but striving to be that recipe that reaches tens of thousands. But then God leans down and whispers into my overactive heart and mind~ “Reach one. Start with reaching out to one in My name. Willingly give your heart for My cause and seek to bless one person today. Just one.” It seems so small. Almost too small. Shouldn’t I be making grand gestures for the Lord? But I listen. And I reach out to that one that God has laid on my heart. And I become the tuna casserole. Jesus didn’t ask us to feed the 5,000. That’s His job. He asks us to bring a cup of water to the least of these. One cup of water. One note of encouragement. One visit. One hug. There is no doubt God can use the talents of many to reach thousands for Him, but he can also use the ordinary people like you and I to do the extraordinary. To be the hands and feet of Jesus. (John 13:14-15, Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:1) To be the very heart of Jesus. To love like Jesus loves. (1 John 4:7, 12) It’s wrong for me to compare. It’s something I have to ask God to continually help me with. Each of us are different. God has given some of us amazing talents to be used by Him, and some of us are the tuna casseroles. (I Peter 4:10) And that’s okay, because that’s what He created us to be. I might feel like a mess of ingredients all thrown together, but I’m God’s mess and when I use those ingredients out of love for my Savior, it brings Him joy because I’m not doing it for me. I’m doing it for Him. (Matthew 25:35-40) We’re His workmanship, created for His good works. (Ephesians 2:10). When our hearts are softened to the needs of those around us, even if it’s just one person~ God is glorified. When God sees us reaching out to help the hurting, the joy on His face outshines any grand gesture you could’ve made on your own. Even when that help will never be made known to the tens of thousands, or posted on social media. God sees that tuna casserole. That’s me, and one day when I see Him face to face, my prayer is that there will be joy in the beholding and love in His words~”Well done”. (Hebrews 6:10) And then I’m sure He will hug me and tell me how much He loves me~because that’s just who He is. (1 John 4:16) Be an ordinary Tuna Casserole and do extraordinary things for Him. Not only will it make you happy, but it will bring tremendous happiness to others. (John 13:17) One cup of water is a good place to start.
3/18/2022
Never Alone AgainI was blessed to have a very unusual high school experience.
I know many others could not say the same. When I look back on those years, I truly believe God used every incident to produce habits in my own life for years to come. For that, I am forever grateful. I went to a very small Christian high school that was a part of our church ministry. The friendships that were forged are the kind that last a lifetime. One thing about those years that really stands out in my heart and mind is this~ I never felt alone. I felt loved by a community of believers and friends who always had my back. Through grief they comforted. When I fell away from God, they lovingly picked me up. When I laughed, they laughed with me. When I cried, they held me close. When God moved in hearts, we celebrated together. There was never a feeling of loneliness, unworthiness or judgment. I never felt the need to be something I was not. Many years have passed since I was that impressionable teenager. Sadly, through the years a few people have now and then made me feel like I didn’t quite measure up. I know that I am not alone in this area, and yet it’s an incredibly lonely feeling. There have been times I have fallen away from God and felt shame. Times I would never dream of sharing my failures with others, or even ask for help because of that shame. I was all too familiar with the inevitable reaction of shaking heads and disapproving judgment. There have been times I find myself knee deep in the insecure feelings of “not good enough”, convinced that I’m doing it wrong, saying it wrong, writing it wrong or sharing it wrong. Convinced that everyone else has their act together and knows what they’re doing in their Christian walk, except for me. Convinced I should be someone else. A much better version of me. What have we become? Why are so many churches filled with people that look the part but have no empathy or compassion for others? Who continually find the speck of wrong doing in others, but can’t even see the log homes of pretense they themselves are building? (Matthew 7:1-5) Churches filled with people, often women, who make others feel “less than” and alone. Our church communities should not be this way. I have found that many churches tend to lean one way or the other. Too many churches are made up of people playing a part. People who look down on others who don’t outwardly measure up. The Bible calls them Pharisees. (Matthew 23:25-28) On the other hand there are churches filled with people who share the “come as you are” mantra, but don’t follow through with biblical teaching on how to grow beyond where they linger. There is no solid ground of repentance and forgiveness, encouragement and change. It’s all just a “feel good” atmosphere. The Bible calls this the seeds that have fallen on stony places. (Matthew 13:4-9, 18-23) Both can leave a person feeling very alone. Jesus never intended any of this to be our reality. What was my high school reality? I can remember a friend sharing scripture with me on the bus ride to a basketball game. I was going through uncertainty, and she lifted me up with God’s words. When I found out my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer, I can remember the comfort I felt in the embrace of a friend as she held me in silence and allowed me to cry. I can remember a group of us sharing tears of joy in the bathroom after a revival service at our church. I can remember testimonies of God’s working in front of bonfires. I can remember sharing the gospel with a new student and friend in an empty room off of the church sanctuary, and her prayer asking Jesus to save her. I can remember that Jesus was real to us, and we were real with each other. What habits did my high school years teach me? That we could be truthful without feeling “less than”. That we could share in the good without the worry that others would think we were bragging. That we could cry without being made to feel weak. That we could share our struggles without condemnation. That we could talk about God without feeling like others viewed us as trying to appear “better than”. That we could be real. Real and never alone. Just like Jesus taught. Just like Jesus was here on earth~ and still is today. That should be our reality. A fellow sister in Christ should never feel alone. We should have each others backs instead of sticking knives in them. We should lend a hand when they fall, and give our heart when they’re hurting. We should rejoice when they rejoice, and weep when they weep. (Romans 12) We should reach down and lift them up. We should be the hands and feet of Jesus, and have the heart of Him who saved us from the wretched sinners we all are. (Romans 3: 10, 23) Somehow I think too many forget that part. Today, search your hearts. Look into someone’s eyes and tell them it’s going to be okay. Give them your hand and your heart and lift them up. Share God’s words of love with them. Empowerment as women should not be our goal. Making sure that others never feel alone should be our calling. Just like Jesus. A habit we should never, ever forget.
11/12/2021
What Can I Give Him?His eyes twinkled as he hid a surprise behind his back. You could feel his excitement when he announced- “I have a present for you! “ he handed me the bag and watched as I pulled each item out. A ruler, some pencils, his mom’s best pair of scissors, a brand new tube of toothpaste and a folded up piece of sandpaper. I exclaimed over each thing, and then explained to him that mama might need her scissors and she would be looking for that toothpaste later. He agreed to put everything back, except the sand paper. He handed it to me with a smile and said “in case you want to make something”.
We played for a while and then, when I knew he wasn’t looking, I tucked that sand paper far behind some of my daughter’s things on the kitchen counter. I would tell her later that it was there. As I opened the front door to leave, he came running around the corner. “Grandma you forgot this!” he said, and proudly handed me that sand paper. HOW had he found it??? He wasn’t even in the same room when I hid it!!! I couldn’t stop laughing when I got home and told my husband the story. So often I believe we see the love of God through the lens of our human hearts. We gage the goodness of God on the big picture of our lives. If things aren’t going the way we would like, we tend to feel miserable and defeated. We complain and become ungrateful. We miss the abundance of small gifts tucked away in our lives. Gifts that God has already given to us. We miss the tremendous love God has poured into every single thing we have been so blessed to receive. In our eyes that small piece of sandpaper is worthless and we disregard it. Or, we look at our own heart and what we have to offer the Lord and often feel just like that piece of sandpaper. We see the talents and possessions of others and wish for what they have. We tend to think we have nothing to offer God because we compare ourselves to others. If only we could give God that shiny pair of special scissors or the brand new tube of toothpaste. But those gifts belong to someone else. They aren’t ours to give. And then we look down at ourselves and think we are worthless, just like that piece of sandpaper. How could God ever love or use us? Surely He must disregard us. When Little Gabe came running to me, holding that piece of sandpaper that I had so flippantly disregarded, God opened my eyes. He gave me a glimpse not only into all He has blessed me with that I so easily disregard at times, but also the love He has for me when I humbly come to Him with nothing to offer except myself. You see, I wouldn’t want anything else from my grandchildren. That innocent love they have in the giving is enough to make your heart burst, and I realized that’s exactly the way my Heavenly Father sees me. He doesn’t want fancy, shiny Charisse, He just wants Charisse. God wants us to come to him like a child. We need to stop looking at what we have to offer through our human lens. God wants us to know that He only wants us, not the gifts and possessions we can give Him. If he has our heart, He has everything. That piece of sandpaper is lovingly displayed on a stack of bibles in my home. It means so much to me. A little piece of paper filled with love and assurance that God my Father can use any of us if we are willing to give Him ourselves. Don’t look for the shiny and the new and forget all the little pieces of beautiful sandpaper He has already blessed you with, and don’t tuck away what you feel doesn’t measure up in God’s eyes. Today I will whisper thank you to Jesus for all the blessings He has given me that I so easily disregard in seasons of discontent. I will open my eyes to the love and grace He has so readily poured into my life and I will be grateful. I may not ever know how God can possibly find something in me to be used for His glory but as I give Him all the love in my meager, willing, folded up, sandpaper heart, with a smile I will say- “in case you want to make something”. And I will know that that is all He ever wanted. I Samuel 16:7 Acts 3:6 James 1:17 Luke 18:15-17 Mark 10:24 Micah 6:8 I watched her Fall home tour on Instagram. She stuffed a few pillows into a basket and carefully placed a soft throw blanket on her couch. It wasn’t folded neatly, it was perfectly displayed as if someone had just gotten up from under its cozy, warm goodness. And it hit me. There seems to be a trend that has become quite popular among women. It’s this whole idea of “messy” perfectionism. Influencers create videos on how to achieve the perfect messy bun, how to master the undone look, how to get beach waves and apply makeup so you don’t look like you’re wearing makeup. How to display those perfect blueberry muffins, with just the right amount of crumbs sprinkled across your countertop and how to properly place your cozy fall throws so that they look perfectly messy. Everything everywhere is perfectly messy. Influencers have turned us into imitators. Scroll through any social media feed and you will start to see trends that all look the same. Uniqueness is obsolete. We’re trying to achieve a look that isn’t real. A facade of messy prettiness and a perfect “lived in” home. In one way or another, we all want to be like someone else. And this reminds me of God’s words in Titus 2:13 & 14. God wants us to be peculiar. Not imitators but special, different, unusual people belonging exclusively to God through Jesus. He doesn’t ask us to be perfect. He doesn’t ask us to pretend to be something we are not. He simply desires us to be His. His child. Perfectly messy and all. There is no creating, achieving or mastering characteristics that deem us loved in His sight. We can’t imitate Christianity. God knows us inside and out. He knows and He loves us “as is”. He doesn’t want some fake version of you, He just wants you. That’s it. Mess and all. When we ask Jesus to save us from our sins, God looks at us and sees the sacrifice of His perfect Son because in the asking, Jesus takes all our sin upon Himself and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. When God speaks of being peculiar, He’s not talking about a fake imitation of outward characteristics, He’s talking about your inner heart shining through. Christ in you. Perfectly peculiar. So, how can we be perfectly peculiar despite our messy lives? Here’s a few things I’ve come up with. Be real. Share struggles, heartaches and real life moments with others. We all go through them. Jesus Himself became flesh for us. He dealt with sadness, anger, fatigue and heartache. He never tried to pretend that He didn’t. He was real among us. Too often we try to appear as if we have it all together, despite the inner struggles we might be dealing with. We try to imitate those who influence us. Maybe it’s time for influencers to be real and share their struggles. Personally I know that when I am struggling, it helps to know that others I look up to have struggles of their own. You can help someone out of a lonely, sometimes desperate situation just by being real. Some of us have too many messy bun days…and not in a good way. We need that encouragement from others that we are not alone. Be real. Share Hope. Don’t complain about your struggles on the bad days but forget to praise God on the good days. Tell others how He delivered you, how He has come through for you again and again. Share the knowledge that even though your life might be incredibly messy, God is in the middle of that mess with you. Share His light and love. You become peculiar to others when you share the hope that even though you have your own dark days and personal struggles, you know God’s promises are truth. When the hard, overwhelming days hit, you crawl under those promises like a warm, cozy blanket. And in that moment of peculiar faith, you feel His comfort and immeasurable peace wrap around your tired, overwhelmed, anxious soul. I struggle with this. I want to look like “her” with her cute messy bun and perfect makeup. I want my home to look like “that” with its perfectly messy, yet cozy, warm interiors. I want to be that girl who has her life all together, living for Jesus and sharing Him on her perfect Instagram account. But I’m not. And I shouldn’t be trying so hard to be. I should be me. God in me. Peculiar, unusual, loved beyond measure, forgiven and redeemed, shining from the inside out~ All because of His influence on my life. An imitator of the only perfect One. Jesus who was real among us. Jesus who died for messy me. Peculiar me because of my perfect Redeemer. That’s the real I want to be.
7/3/2021
We Are Powerful. We Are Brave.Brave
That word has come up often this week. A word I would never use to describe myself. Last week I stepped out of my comfort zone and recorded myself for this blog. Before all this brave stuff came up. And then God brought it up. Again and again~That word brave. First thing Monday morning I was asked the question~ What’s the bravest thing you have ever done? I couldn’t think of one thing. I was stumped. When I read that question I thought about women who jump out of airplanes. I thought about women who fight for our country. I thought about women who’ve climbed mountains, who’ve traveled the world, who’ve battled cancer, who’ve lost husbands and children. But I didn’t think about me. I’m not brave. My husband disagreed. He always seems to come up with answers when I’m at a loss. “What about leaving all your loved ones to move 700 miles away with me? Moving to a home sight unseen, and not knowing a single person there. Being 4 months pregnant with your first child and just stepping out in faith when your husband didn’t even have a job lined up. I’d say that’s brave. Or what about giving birth to your first two children with no medication at all. That’s very brave!” But in my head I thought~ no, that’s just being a wife and a mom. That’s where I was wrong though. We aren’t “just” wives and moms and we aren’t “just” Christian women. We are powerful. We are brave. All of us. Sometimes we get into our heads too much. We compare ourselves to others. You know~ all those other women we think are brave. We think we have to be like them to be worth anything to God. We believe the lies of doubt Satan whispers in our ear~ you can’t do it. It’s too scary. You aren’t brave. (2 Corinthians 11:3) Sometimes we just forget that we are brave and have to be reminded. I forgot. Until God reminded me. And so, again and again that word came up. Several women commented on my video that I was brave and confident. I felt like Sarah when God told Abraham she would conceive at 90 years of age (Genesis 18:12-13), because I almost laughed out loud when I read the comments. Are they talking about me? I’m not brave. I’m not confident. But when I remember the exact moment I turned the camera on, my heart knew I could do what I thought I could never do~ Because God reminded me. He reminded me that it wasn’t me at all. That I’m not “just” a Christian, but that Christ lives in me and through Him and because of Him I can do all things. (Philippians 4:13) He is always present with me and at my weakest He is my strength. (Genesis 18:14, Psalm 138:3, 2 Corinthians 12:9) There is such a powerful freedom in that truth. Can you imagine talking about God and saying. He’s “just” God. No big deal. He only created the entire universe in 6 days just by speaking it into existence.(Genesis 1) He only performed countless miracles and transformed lives. (John 21:25) He only walked on water, parted seas, raised the dead and fed 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. (Exodus 14:21-22, John 11:43-44, Matthew 14:16-21, 25) He only gave us the powerful written word to guide us every day. (Hebrews 4:12) He only died on the cross and defeated death to save the entire world from an eternity in hell. (John 3:16-17) He only gives us His Holy Spirit to strengthen and comfort every single second of every single day. (John 14:16) He only hears the prayers of every human in existence~and all at the same time. (I John 5:15) Did I mention He defeated death? Ya, no big deal. I don’t think any of us would say~ no big deal. If He is your Savior, He lives in you!!! THAT power is inside you. THAT is the power that makes you brave. Even if you thought it was utterly ridiculous for me to be so afraid to put myself out there on video, you most likely have your own set of fears. Every one of us have our own giants, even all those women you think are so brave. Giants that we feel tiny next to. But the same God that killed Goliath with only a sling shot, a stone and a little boy (1 Samuel 17) is the same God living inside you.(Romans 8:9) Inside the little girl who doesn’t feel brave. You have a choice today. You can believe the lies that you cannot overcome those giants, or you can believe in the all powerful love of a Savior Who conquered death for you. (Ephesians 1:19-21, Colossians 1:12-25, 18)) A love that warrants grabbing hold of His hand and conquering anything because you realize Who it is that lives in you. That love makes me want to be brave. (Galatians 2:20, Romans 8:37) You can overcome. You can be brave and you can defeat your giants . So let me be the one to remind you again today~ We aren’t “just” wives and moms and we aren’t “just” Christian women. We are powerful. We are brave. Every single one of us.
5/22/2021
Your Miracle ZoneI had a heart to heart with Jesus last night.
Around midnight my husband’s pager went off. I always feel uneasy when his pager goes off, especially in the middle of the night. Not only is my husband a firefighter, two of my son in laws are as well. It was only minutes after he rushed out that I heard a loud explosive sound in my backyard. I quickly jumped out of bed and grabbed my phone to call him. And then it happened again, even louder than the first time. My whole backyard looked like it was on fire. We lost electricity and the sky grew dark again. My heart felt like it was beating outside of my chest. Within seconds the fire truck showed up. I sat at the top of my stairwell in the dark, looking out at my backyard, watching and listening as the firefighters got out, and with flashlights began to assess the area. They had complete faith in their training and fire gear and I was in awe. I watched those brave men outside and wondered if they might step on something electrical or worse, have the whole incident happen again. To be honest, I was scared. As I sat there watching, I started thinking about all the stupid things I’ve allowed myself to be scared of my entire adult married life. Compared to this moment, they seemed so insignificant. So many things flooded my mind, but one stood out above the others~ I’ve been holding out on God because of pride. All these years I’ve been blaming so many things on the fact that I’m “shy” and I’m an “introvert”. For the longest time, I wouldn’t willingly walk up and converse with people at church or around town and I always blamed it on my shyness. God brought something to the forefront of my mind as I sat in that stairwell last night. Lately Facebook has been prompting me to do a video for my Holding Hope page so that followers could “get to know me”. I felt this nudge from God every time I got that notification. I know that this generation is drawn more to visual than written word. It’s easier to watch or even listen than to read. I also know that it is a marketing ploy on Facebook’s behalf and due to my shyness, my response has always been “no way”. I have an extremely hard time doing video chats with my own children let alone recording myself for a bunch of strangers. I tend to be overly critical and find every flaw, not to mention the fact that when you’re recording, you’re pretty much talking to yourself on camera. I don’t know how this generation can do it so easily. I chalked it up to their self love and prided myself on my humbleness. And that’s exactly what Jesus pointed out to me last night~ I was proud of my humbleness, when in reality I wasn’t being humble at all. I was just proud. It’s a lot easier to speak up for God behind a pen and paper or a social media post, but the minute you put your face out there you become vulnerable. I was scared of that vulnerability. My fear was this~ I was afraid of what people would think of me. Bottom line. Pride. Not because I’m shy. Not because I’m an introvert. Because I’m scared of the opinions of others and what they will think of how I look, talk and act. Sadly it wasn’t a fear of how I would represent the Lord, it was a fear of how people perceived Charisse. I forgot the very important fact that God is within me and by my side and by hiding behind my pride and the false identity of shyness, I was hiding His glory and all the joy He brings to my life. The next morning as I read His word, three verses popped out. (1 John 1:4, 2 John 1:12, 3 John 1:4) I thought about how much joy writing for this blog brings me. I thought about how much joy each one of you brings to my life. As I go through notifications, I pray for names of women I will most likely never meet, but it gives me joy to do so. It gives me so much incredible joy to share the hope of God. It brings joy to tell you how He can change your life forever. I don’t want to quench that joy. I don’t want to suppress it. I want it to multiply to all of you. If that means following the nudge of God, stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new, then I know I can do it because God will be with me. I don’t ever want people to see Charisse in my posts or conversations. I always want them to see Christ. So what is the point in my rambling and confessions? I guess to just encourage all of you to examine your own hearts. What are you allowing to hold you back? God’s word promises us that He will always be with us. It’s His training through His word that will sustain and carry us through. If He asks it of us, He will provide every measure of strength we need. Look for God’s leading in your life. Don’t be scared. If He is leading, He’s right there with you and He will continue to be with you every step of the way. Yes, I am an introvert. I am shy. I’m not a people person and it’s very hard to put myself out there~but I can’t lean on that crutch for every situation in my life that feels uncomfortable. I have to step out on faith. Just like my brave firefighter husband, son in laws and friends did last night. And in the process, you might just see some videos in the near future 😉 Philippians 1:6
5/15/2021
Your Head That Is BowedYesterday.
Her head was bowed. A worn and tattered bible lay softly on her lap. She read each word as if it were the greatest treasure she ever held. Her head was bowed. Bills lay all over the old kitchen table. A jar of loose change that came up short. Her words were barely audible as she spoke to her Savior. A smile was on her face. Full of assurance that He would take care. Heads were bowed all over the restaurant. Simple meals sat before them. Prayers of thanksgiving abounded for the goodness God had blessed them with. Laughter and conversation ensued. Joy was present. People were present. Heads were bowed as they knelt next to their bed. A tiny bedroom with only a small nightstand. Soft singing could be heard in praises to their Heavenly Father. A roof over their heads. A soft pillow to fall asleep on. Contended children in the bedroom next to them. Children whose little eyes captured each of these moments and remembered. “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” 2 Corinthians 6:10 Today. Her head was bowed. Scrolling mindlessly on a device filled with staged perfection. Unhappiness furrowed her brow, yet she could not avert her eyes. Psalm 107:8-9, 119:105 Her head was bowed. A device filled with objects sure to bring happiness, one of many credit cards in her hand. “Purchase now” was always such an easy option, yet happiness always alluded her. Philippians 4:19 Heads were bowed all over the restaurant. A fork in one hand and a phone in the other. A mindless murmur of conversation could be heard. No thankfulness. No laughter. People without presence. Proverbs 18:24 Their heads were bowed. Next to each other in bed, yet both in their own little worlds. Each looking at their device. Almost lost in the immense size of the bed they lay in, yet a bed that seemed small for the room that held it. Both still working late into the night. Worlds apart, yet in the same room. Promises to spend time with children had been broken. Again. Psalm 127:1-3 Children whose little eyes captured each of these moments and remembered. What will our children grow up remembering? As they see your head bowed will it be bowed to your Savior or to your device? Devices will always be around. They will become easier and faster. They will always pull us in. They will lie to us in making us believe that the grass is always greener. That other people’s lives are better. That it’s ok to go into debt because you deserve that new outfit, purse, shoes, furniture, vacation. That it doesn’t matter that you work 90% of your life to pay for what you deserve. To pay for happiness. That God is not in control and He will not help you, that only you can help yourself. That it’s okay to check those notifications, to scroll, to answer emails. That you are present with your husband, your children, your family because they are sitting next to you in the same room. Yes, your device is lying to you. I once read~ “Your cell phone will be small forever. Your children will not”. We only have our children for a short amount of time, and then they will be gone. Tomorrow. All your children’s tomorrow’s. What will they remember of your head that is bowed? Teach them to go to Jesus. Isaiah 54:13 Not their device.
7/12/2020
You Are MarvelousThis was very hard for me to write. I prayed and read and dug deep into scripture. Then I prayed and prayed some more because no matter what I came up with, I couldn’t even convince myself~ so, how could I convince you?
I don’t need to tell you this but I’m going to anyway~ Comparison is the thief of Joy. Deep down, you already know that. Sadly, so do I. There’s so much I could write on this subject. 54 years of comparison stealing away joy. I’m not necessarily talking about possessions here (that’s another topic for another post). I’m talking about genetic personality traits that we are unhappy with. Our DNA. Ways we wish we were physically different than how God created us. It all started one night when I was washing my face. I was slathering wrinkle cream all over my neck and wondering why I waited until my 50’s to start doing this. I wished my mom had warned me, so I picked up my phone and jokingly sent a text to my daughters~ “Mom tip #54- start putting wrinkle cream on your neck right now, not just on your face” My daughter Kathryn responded ~”thanks mom, but I’d like to know the other 53 tips too 😂😂😂” I laughed at her response, but it sort of stuck with me. I’m 54. What tips could I leave with my daughters that could help them? Tips that might change their lives? So, I started thinking about putting together a list of mom advice. 54 tips to help my kids. Add one each year. But here’s what I kept thinking about~ All the mistakes I made and regrets I had. The very things I didn’t want my own daughters to experience. One major regret was comparison. Why have I wasted 54 years wishing I could be like someone else? I can remember being this way since grade school. Wishing I wasn’t such a “girly” girl. Wishing I was stronger, more athletic, wishing I was more outgoing, wishing for a different body, hair, face. Thinking I wasn’t cool enough. Wishing I wasn’t so shy. Wishing I was more confident. Wishing I was like someone else. Wishing I was like her... So girls, here you go. Here are some things God has shown me this week, tips that have helped me to work on viewing myself through God’s lens instead of my own. ⁃ This will always be my #1 tip in every situation, no matter what~ ASK GOD FOR HELP. ⁃ Get in God’s word. Comparison has been around since the beginning of time. The story unfolds with Satan tempting Eve by comparing her to God, her son comparing himself to his brother, Rachel and Leah, Saul with David, Gideon, Moses and the list goes on. We can learn so much from reading their accounts. Some went through tremendous heartache because of comparison, but many were great men and women of God in the Bible. They felt lacking. They didn’t feel good enough or qualified enough to do the job, yet God always used them in mighty ways. He showed many of them that their comparison issues weren’t an issue at all, because it was never about them. It was, and always will be all about God. He used them to fulfill the gospel. This was such a comfort to me. II Corinthians 10:12, Exodus 4:11 ⁃ See myself as God sees me and be thankful. I don’t want to live the remainder of the time I have left comparing myself to other women and putting down God’s creation. God thought about every tiny detail of me and of you, and then He said~this is what I want her to be like. This is how I want her to look and this is the personality I want her to have. She will be mine, she will be marvelous and wonderful. She will be precious to me. Isaiah 64:8, Luke 12:7, Psalm 139:1-16 (read it, it’s true!!) ⁃ Every day write down one thing about yourself that makes you happy. Jot down those scriptures from Psalm 139. Stick them everywhere as a reminder of God’s love for you. Shove them in your purse. The next time you’re standing in line at Target and you see that super friendly, outgoing, beautiful lady in front of you and you start to compare and forget~you can reach for your wallet and pull out that card instead. Then smile, because God reminded you how beautiful you are to Him. I know as Christians we can view this as being prideful~but done in the right spirit, it is a heart of thankfulness to God. At times we can be critical regarding the fine line between pride and thankfulness. You know, the whole Pharisee/Sadducee argument (and let me just add, if you’re talking to others about how humble you are, that’s probably your pride finding it’s voice, but if you’re talking to God about how thankful you are, that’s your heart glorifying God). Everything about you is a gift from God. A gift you should be thankful for. If you think about it, when we dwell on the things we dislike about ourselves we are telling God that He made a mistake because we are viewing our opinions higher than His. We are telling God~I don’t believe what Your word says about me. I don’t believe You. But, if we view the things about ourselves that we are happy with and we thank God for them, we are actually glorifying Him through that thanksgiving. I Thessalonians 5:18, Philippians 4:11 ⁃ Realize your mind is your enemy, she is not. She probably has issues deep down inside just like you do. Learn to renew your mind daily by feeding it with Gods word. (Which goes back to tip #2) Romans 12:2. If we don’t love ourselves exactly the way God made us, how can we possibly love others like Christ does? Like we’re supposed to? Resentment, jealousy and comparison will continually steal our joy. Matthew 22:39. Tell the “her” in your life how awesome she is. Tell her how much you appreciate her attributes. Stop that lady in front of you in line and let her know how beautiful she looks today. This is another way you can not only glorify God, but lift up another sister who might be going through a hard time just like you. You will be amazed at how much this will not only bless her, but bless you as well. Ephesians 2:10, Isaiah 52:7 ⁃ Realize social media, television and other people’s opinions are not what defines you. God is Who defines you. When God looks at us He sees His image. He sees the blood of His Son and the redemption it brings. He gives glorious liberty to help us get past that comparison. He sees a precious soul He loves. He knows everything about you. He knows every thought you have and He understands. He knows every word you will speak. He’s aware of every single one of your ways. And He loves you. Not the you that you wish you could be, the you that is reading this right now. Psalm 139:1-4, Genesis 1:27, Ecc 3:11, Psalm 90:17, Romans 8:21, 27, 29 Obviously I’m not talking about things that God has given us the ability to work on and change ie~ “well God made me a liar, so I’m going to perfect it and be thankful for that attribute.” Or “God made me lazy, so I’ll just lay here rejoicing in that.” “God created me to love junk food so I don’t have to listen to my doctor’s warnings about my health.” Etc. I’m talking about comparison in areas that God intricately designed us to be. Our ultimate goal~Be holy as God is holy. Not~ be like Sandy or Becky, Amy or Julie. Just Jesus. Period. You know what all those comparison wishes are? They’re whispers from Satan. They hit you when you least expect it and can change your entire day. You lose all joy and end up feeling defeated instead of praising God for the person He created you to be. The person you are. You are a living gospel message. You are you. Fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image. Do you know what the word fearfully means in Psalm 139? It means~ “in a manner to impress admiration”. 🥰 You are you. A child of the most high God. His perfect blueprint. Marvelous and precious. Don’t ever forget that, it will change your life. |
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