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Makeup

As you most likely already know, I’m going to be playing the role of “mother-of-the-bride” fairly soon. With this gig comes a lot of pressure! According to my mom, my appearance can only come in 2nd to the bride. Have I mentioned pressure? I knew I would need to step up my game to pull this off, so, earlier this week, I went on a field trip to Ulta for makeup.

Leaving My Comfort Zone

Makeup doesn’t exactly land on my Top 10 list of important things. In fact, it falls closer to the Bottom 10. I wear it, but I’ve never invested much in the way of time or money on it. By the time I was done being made up at Ulta, they had me looking pretty good without making me look like someone I’m not. That’s the goal!

How Much?

Once I had given my permission, the girl who worked on me retrieved the products that she used, put them in a little basket, and sent me on my way to the checkout counter. I didn’t know if I was to pay her for her time and efforts, or if payment indirectly came through the purchase of products. I quickly learned that answer when the cashier told me the cost. (Insert multiple emojis with eyes wide open) I spent more money on makeup in one trip to Ulta than I have in my entire existence! I got the goods, now it’s up to my sister, Jayne, to apply it. I’m not going to bear this pressure all alone!!

Is It Even Necessary?

All this talk of makeup and improving my outward appearance got me thinking. First, I’m so thankful that God loves and accepts me just as I am, blemishes and all. He’s more concerned with my inner beauty anyhow. There is no need to hide behind a mask, makeup or otherwise. He already knows everything about me. And He knows everything about you too. Yet He still loves us beyond our wildest imagination. Perhaps you need reminded of that today. You and I were carefully constructed by the God of the universe.

“So God created human beings in his own likeness. He created them to be like himself. He created them as male and female.”

Genesis 1:27 NIRV

Let that sink in for a moment. We were created by God and in His image. Remember, He doesn’t make mistakes.  David recognized God’s handiwork in Psalm 139:

“You created the deepest parts of my being. You put me together inside my mother’s body. How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well.”

Psalm 139:13-14 NIRV

But then there’s that matter of sin which brings me to my second point. When Eve took a bite of that forbidden fruit, sin entered our world and separated us from God. He, of course, had a solution for that too. His name is Jesus.

Solving the Sin Problem

“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.”

1 Peter 1:18-20 NLT

“The blood of Jesus is the covering that allows us to enter into the presence of a perfect and holy God. It was shed on our behalf, and it grants us membership into a divine family and access to God’s presence. It is the most precious treasure, and we should never lose our gratitude toward it.”

~Dr. Paul Chappell

The Perfect Makeup

The shed blood of Jesus covered our sin. I guess you could say it is the ultimate makeup. The Ulta makeup was pricey, but the ultimate makeup—it is priceless! May we never forget who paid the bill for our sin and what it cost Him.

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(Out of) Balance

Have you ever been on a seesaw? It’s been a while for me, but I remember how hard it was to get in balance with the rider on the opposite side. The heavier one ended up sitting on the ground while the lighter person was suspended in the air. Getting in balance required some delicate redistribution of weight. I have found that to be true in my life with the weight of my various commitments as well. That has never been more obvious than in the past few weeks when my pace essentially went from “rabbit” to “turtle” overnight!

Two Extremes

Rabbit

The weight of my “to do” list last fall nearly grounded me. It’s not that any of my commitments required too much of me, but rather, it was the sum of those commitments that pushed me to my limit and beyond. I didn’t know if I was coming or going some days. God was faithful to provide, as always, but I knew I needed more balance in my life—less Martha, more Mary! What kept me going was knowing that January, and a chance to catch my breath, was right around the corner.

Turtle

It’s January! I am enjoying the life of a snowbird once again. Fewer commitments equals less stress and more margin. That’s all good, but the drastic change of pace has been a real shocker. I’m not good at sitting still, but I’m getting some good practice this month! 

December and January have been extreme, in opposite directions, and I could use some balance.

How Do We Find Balance?

Jesus perfectly demonstrated balance in His life here on earth. The demands placed on Him were FAR greater than anything I’ll ever experience, yet a 24-hour day was enough for Him. How did He do it? He looked to God, not to people, to determine His priorities. Sometimes that meant that He had to say “no” so He could say “yes” to what was most important.

“Very early the next morning before daylight, Jesus got up and went to a place where he could be alone and pray. Simon and the others started looking for him. And when they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “We must go to the nearby towns, so that I can tell the good news to those people. This is why I have come.””

Mark 1:35-38 CEV

When we’re “out of balance,” let’s learn from Jesus. He not only modeled it, but He also taught it:

“But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.”

Matthew 6:33 CEV

I frequent Aldi and one of my favorite cereals they sell is called “Balance.” The cinnamon version is my preference. Balance, at Aldi, is comparable to “Life” cereal made by Quaker Oats. If you’re of a certain age, you may remember a commercial for Life featuring Mikey back in the 70s. Much to his brothers’ surprise, he liked it!

Balance—like Mikey, I like it!

*As I continue to work through the subscriber issue to my blog, I kindly ask that you subscribe/resubscribe below if you’d like to receive email notification of any new posts. Thanks in advance!

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Just Wrong

Wrong

How are your holiday preparations coming along this advent season? Are you feeling stressed by any chance? With my daughter’s wedding coming up right around the corner, I have a little extra on my plate this year. If you know me, you know that I don’t do well with chaos. I need order!

Not Quite Right

In my attempt to get my gift shopping done as efficiently as possible, I placed a “ship-to-store” order with JCPenney last week to complete my shopping. When I picked it up, brought it home and opened it yesterday, it was WRONG. I had ordered two similar items, one for my son and the other for my father-in-law. The only differences were the size and color. The gift for my son was correct, but it seems my father-in-law is getting a BRA for Christmas! Someone at Penney’s sure did get it wrong. I’m sure he/she was in a hurry just like the rest of us this time of year.

Same

A dear friend of mine got me a devotional for advent and dropped it off here on Monday morning so I wouldn’t get behind with the readings. Well, guess what? I took me 5 days to get past the cover page and Week #2 begins tomorrow. This morning I was able to make up for lost time and read through the devotional and accompanying scripture passages. Guess what I learned? Just like the Penney’s employee, I also got it wrong! It happens every year. I get so caught up in my list of things to do that I run myself ragged trying to get it all done. It’s easy for me to lose focus on the reason for the season–Jesus, and instead be consumed with checking things off my list. I have a feeling I’m not the only one. Perhaps you need reminded of that today, just as I did.

Let’s get it right this time and stay focused on preparing our hearts for the Ultimate Gift, Jesus, this advent season.

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Matthew 1:23

I’m off to Penney’s…it seems Pappy isn’t going to be able to use that 36A bra that was in the bag!

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*In a separate matter, I haven’t had the opportunity to write as much as I’d like. I recently became aware that only a handful of “subscribers” to my blog were getting the email notification. I’m not sure when that issue cropped up. You may have missed some as a result. The link to “subscribe” wasn’t even working. I am using a new plug-in as of this post. I hope that resolves the problem. Earlier today I manually “subscribed” all those who were on my previous list. Because that list was incomplete, I took the liberty of adding some others. If you are not interested in receiving notification of my posts, please feel free to unsubscribe.

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Stuck

stuck in a pit

“How are you doing?” It’s not a question we care to answer honestly with just anyone, so the answer is often short and sweet. I do hope you have someone in your life with whom you can discuss  the topic on a deeper level. After all, we were made for community. Are you feeling stuck in your circumstances by any chance? If so, keep reading. There’s a remedy for that!  

Grief Journey

My dad passed away nearly 8 months ago. It’s been a REALLY busy 8 months, possibly on purpose, but not necessarily. Some days feel like a struggle to stay afloat. I didn’t really have time to work through my grief or even give much thought to it. So, in response to a nudge from the Holy Spirit, I signed up for something else to do! I signed up for GriefShare through my church. It wasn’t because I needed something else to do, but rather, it was because I needed to do something else—address my grief. It was my way of forcing myself to sit still long enough to face my grief and work through it. The bonus, I think, has been going on this journey with a group of women that I didn’t even know beforehand. We’ve come to enjoy spending our Monday evenings together.  

The title of last week’s lesson was “Stuck” and I’m sure we’ve all been there at one time or another. Maybe you’re there right now. I don’t know the current circumstances of your life, but I have a feeling you are facing some challenges. After all, Jesus assured us that we WILL have trouble in this world (John 16:33). Trouble comes in all shapes and sizes—a troubling diagnosis, a pink slip, a broken relationship, financial strife, the death of a loved one, etc. Sometimes the trouble is so overwhelming that we become paralyzed by it, unable to move. We get stuck!  

The Solution

If you find yourself stuck right now, I have the perfect antidote—gratitude. It’s a popular topic this week as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving. Do you have an attitude of gratitude? We learned in GriefShare that gratitude is a healer.  By placing our focus on the good, the difficulties we are experiencing lose their potency. Look around—search for beauty and blessings. They are there! Let’s not allow our feelings to boss us around. Instead, let’s stand firm in the truth.  

The Reason—Jesus

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT 

As followers of Christ, we ALWAYS have reason to be thankful. Jesus saved us from our sins by dying on a cross. That’s how much He loves us. And three days later the tomb was empty—He defeated death! Through faith in Jesus, we have the promise of spending eternity with Him.

We can trust Him with our trouble and be thankful in the midst of it.  No matter the difficulty, we can find comfort in knowing that God is with us and will bring goodness and love into the situation. 

“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” 

Psalms 23:6a NIV 

For that, I am thankful! Clothe yourself with an attitude of gratitude as you gather round the table to celebrate Thanksgiving. It’ll look good on you. So good that you may never want to take it off!  

Wishing you and yours a blessed Thanksgiving!  

The outcome of an attitude of gratitude.