http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?cl=7612584
I found this little clip, and I thought I would pass it on and open it up for discussion for all of you beautiful ladies.
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Beautiful Woman Part 5--Priceless
Priceless
Robin's comment on Beautiful Women Part 4 was where I was going next, and she is already there.
Too often we think value is what we do. We have to perform well. Right now, I am in bed with a stomach virus. I have spent much of the last 48 hours in a flat position. My husband has had to do the dishes. We've eaten out two nights in a row. My son's birthday was yesterday and instead of taking him out to the egg hunt (a touchy topic but not the focus here), to dinner for a fancy dessert, or out for a picnic, I spent the day lying down, trying to keep water down.
My performance stunk. Does that mean I have no value? Sounds stupid, BUT how many of you reading this look at your house and think about how dirty it is? How many of you look at your children and the ways you were a bad mom yesterday? How many look at the way you've not been the wife you want to be? How many of you look in the mirror and see a woman who has not worked out well, made the right menus, or kept to a diet? If any of those fit you, you are focusing on performance.
Now, don't get me wrong. I believe in being a good steward, and the Holy Spirit may be convicting you in those areas, but more often than not, the voice we hear is not about the Spirit. The voice we hear sounds like this:
"You need to get your act together and keep this house clean. So-and-so always has a clean house. You need to get your temper under control. You need to be more patient. If you hadn't gotten pregnant without being married or if you hadn't married such a jerk, your children would be so much better off. You created this huge mess, and your children are doomed with all kinds of curses all because you sinned. You better do something about your love life or your husband is going to want another woman. You need to do this for him or that for him. You need to be more understanding and less demanding. If you were self-controlled you wouldn't be fat (how many women look in the mirror and call themselves "overweight"? Most women use that word for others but throw the word "fat" at themselves)."
The enemy uses this stuff so he can show you all the things you aren't. Let's throw it all in the pot and boil it down to the bare facts: You aren't perfect.
Wow.
Did you know that already? So this isn't new for you, right? Just checking.
The Bible says while we were sinners God sent His Son to die for us. Because of our imperfection, Christ died for us. So, our perfection isn't what makes us valuable.
So what does?
Dictionary.com defines value as:
Robin's comment on Beautiful Women Part 4 was where I was going next, and she is already there.
Too often we think value is what we do. We have to perform well. Right now, I am in bed with a stomach virus. I have spent much of the last 48 hours in a flat position. My husband has had to do the dishes. We've eaten out two nights in a row. My son's birthday was yesterday and instead of taking him out to the egg hunt (a touchy topic but not the focus here), to dinner for a fancy dessert, or out for a picnic, I spent the day lying down, trying to keep water down.
My performance stunk. Does that mean I have no value? Sounds stupid, BUT how many of you reading this look at your house and think about how dirty it is? How many of you look at your children and the ways you were a bad mom yesterday? How many look at the way you've not been the wife you want to be? How many of you look in the mirror and see a woman who has not worked out well, made the right menus, or kept to a diet? If any of those fit you, you are focusing on performance.
Now, don't get me wrong. I believe in being a good steward, and the Holy Spirit may be convicting you in those areas, but more often than not, the voice we hear is not about the Spirit. The voice we hear sounds like this:
"You need to get your act together and keep this house clean. So-and-so always has a clean house. You need to get your temper under control. You need to be more patient. If you hadn't gotten pregnant without being married or if you hadn't married such a jerk, your children would be so much better off. You created this huge mess, and your children are doomed with all kinds of curses all because you sinned. You better do something about your love life or your husband is going to want another woman. You need to do this for him or that for him. You need to be more understanding and less demanding. If you were self-controlled you wouldn't be fat (how many women look in the mirror and call themselves "overweight"? Most women use that word for others but throw the word "fat" at themselves)."
The enemy uses this stuff so he can show you all the things you aren't. Let's throw it all in the pot and boil it down to the bare facts: You aren't perfect.
Wow.
Did you know that already? So this isn't new for you, right? Just checking.
The Bible says while we were sinners God sent His Son to die for us. Because of our imperfection, Christ died for us. So, our perfection isn't what makes us valuable.
So what does?
Dictionary.com defines value as:
1. relative worth, merit, or importance: the value of a college education; the value of a queen in chess.
2. the worth of something in terms of the amount of other things for which it can be exchanged or in terms of
some medium of exchange.
3. to consider with respect to worth, excellence, usefulness, or importance.
Get this. I mean, really get it. "The worth of something in terms of amount of other things for which it can be exchanged or in terms of medium of exchange."
A perfect Son was exchanged for you. That should not make you ashamed. It should scream of your value.
Do not allow the enemy to tell you that you were not worth it.
God says you were.
Do not allow the enemy to tell you to be ashamed.
God says to rejoice.
Do not allow the enemy to tell you to hide in the shadows for your imperfections.
God says to shine like a light on the hill and show off His.
Your value is not in your performance. You do not have value because you contribute. You contribute because you have value, and your value is not based on what you've done. It's based on what God was willing to do for you.
And you know what? It doesn't matter how you feel. Your emotions have nothing to do with the Truth.
The Truth says, "You are so priceless I died for you. I'd rather die than live without you."
That isn't worldly manipulation.
That is divine love, and it is priceless...
...just like you.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Beautiful Woman Part 4-- Contributing Beautifully
Contributing Beautifully
One of my concerns with having you look at Proverbs 31 and studying the contributions of this woman and others like her is the lie the enemy tells us which says we have value because of what we do. He tells us we have value because we contribute.
Let me give you a simple thought to meditate on and allow the Spirit to work into your spirit, mind, and heart.
You do not have value because you contribute.
You contribute because you have something of value to give.
Copyright Jerri Phillips 2008
One of my concerns with having you look at Proverbs 31 and studying the contributions of this woman and others like her is the lie the enemy tells us which says we have value because of what we do. He tells us we have value because we contribute.
Let me give you a simple thought to meditate on and allow the Spirit to work into your spirit, mind, and heart.
You do not have value because you contribute.
You contribute because you have something of value to give.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Beautiful Women Part 3-The Beautiful Truth
The Beautiful Truth
I realize most women hate the Proverbs 31 Woman. However, I love her. She embodies everything I want to be. She is organized, giving, wise, well-dressed, happy, secure, selfless, and beautiful.
If you take time to read through the many things that endears this woman to members of her home and those in the community, you will not hear mention of her height, weight, coloring. You will not hear the length of her hair or fingernails. What you will read is the power of her contributions to the lives of those around her.
Do another exercise.
Go to Bible Gateway, look up Proverbs 31, copy it to a Word document, and print it out.
Now, highlight all the places and ways this woman contributes to those around her.
Go ahead. Do it right now. It’ll take less than 5 minutes. You’ll spend longer reading forwarded jokes in your email today, and they won’t bless you nearly as much. I’ll meet you back here (hopefully) tomorrow.
Copyright Jerri Phillips 2008
I realize most women hate the Proverbs 31 Woman. However, I love her. She embodies everything I want to be. She is organized, giving, wise, well-dressed, happy, secure, selfless, and beautiful.
If you take time to read through the many things that endears this woman to members of her home and those in the community, you will not hear mention of her height, weight, coloring. You will not hear the length of her hair or fingernails. What you will read is the power of her contributions to the lives of those around her.
Do another exercise.
Go to Bible Gateway, look up Proverbs 31, copy it to a Word document, and print it out.
Now, highlight all the places and ways this woman contributes to those around her.
Go ahead. Do it right now. It’ll take less than 5 minutes. You’ll spend longer reading forwarded jokes in your email today, and they won’t bless you nearly as much. I’ll meet you back here (hopefully) tomorrow.
Copyright Jerri Phillips 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Beautiful Women Part 2--The Double Standard
As some of you noticed or realized when looking up the women I listed, nowhere does God mention their weight or size. Nowhere does God tell us the color of their hair or eyes. In fact, we are given no specific details. All we are told is someone thought they were beautiful. We don’t know why. We don’t know what the winning characteristic was. We only know these women were beautiful.
I have a few blogs that I read. I don’t read them because the writers are a size 4. I don’t read them because the writer has straight teeth, milky skin, and silky hair. I read them because they feed my heart. They speak to me when I hurt and smooth balm over my wounded places. I read them because they make me laugh and help refocus my mind when I’m having a stressful day. I read them because they challenge me even when I would rather someone tell me there is integrity in mediocrity.
Most of us think the same way about the ladies who write the blogs we read. We don’t consider their weight, hair color, if they have two arms and two legs. We just know they are beautiful women who sow into us. We see them as wonderful and precious. We thank God that He has brought them into our lives because they are invaluable treasures.
But, when we look in the mirror, we use different criteria.
Suddenly, our value is inversely related to our dress size. Why is it that these women we think so highly of think so highly of US but we can’t? What do they see what we don’t? Could it be that they see the size of our hearts, and we can’t get beyond the size of our hips?
Copyright Jerri Phillips 2008
I have a few blogs that I read. I don’t read them because the writers are a size 4. I don’t read them because the writer has straight teeth, milky skin, and silky hair. I read them because they feed my heart. They speak to me when I hurt and smooth balm over my wounded places. I read them because they make me laugh and help refocus my mind when I’m having a stressful day. I read them because they challenge me even when I would rather someone tell me there is integrity in mediocrity.
Most of us think the same way about the ladies who write the blogs we read. We don’t consider their weight, hair color, if they have two arms and two legs. We just know they are beautiful women who sow into us. We see them as wonderful and precious. We thank God that He has brought them into our lives because they are invaluable treasures.
But, when we look in the mirror, we use different criteria.
Suddenly, our value is inversely related to our dress size. Why is it that these women we think so highly of think so highly of US but we can’t? What do they see what we don’t? Could it be that they see the size of our hearts, and we can’t get beyond the size of our hips?
Copyright Jerri Phillips 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Beautiful Women Part 1--Of Sizable Importance
In the last few weeks I've seen the topic of size and women's self-image on several blogs. As I prayed about this, the Lord gave me the most wonderful homework, and I pass it on to you.
Find in the Bible the size and weight of any of the following women:
Ruth
Esther
Naomi
Rahab
Debra
Sarah
Bathsheba
The Shulamite Woman in Song of Solomon
Abigail
I'll give you until Friday to find out, and then I'll tell you the rest of what God had to say about it.
Blessings!!!
Copyright Jerri Phillips 2008
Find in the Bible the size and weight of any of the following women:
Ruth
Esther
Naomi
Rahab
Debra
Sarah
Bathsheba
The Shulamite Woman in Song of Solomon
Abigail
I'll give you until Friday to find out, and then I'll tell you the rest of what God had to say about it.
Blessings!!!
Copyright Jerri Phillips 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)