True Beauty

This year I have the pleasure of leading a middle school girls small group at my school where I teach music. Now I know.....you might be thinking "pleasure"? Yep it is a pleasure to be teaching a small group of middle school girls:) In all honesty if I had to pick my favorite age group that I teach, it would be middle school. Yes.....they can be quite an interesting and fun bunch of kids to work with.

Over the past several weeks we have been discussing things from getting along with parents to gossip. However I am very excited as this week God has lead me to share with them about beauty.....true beauty. As I began to research and prepare what I would share with them I was sadly reminded about what our society thinks about beauty.

I found the following information on an internet website.
Did you know...
• 24% of women would sacrifice 3 years of their life to be thin
• Girls as young as five have expressed fears of getting fat
• 90% of high school junior and senior girls diet regularly even though only between 10-15% are considered overweight.

In another study researchers questioned 2,000 girls from the UK and the US aged between 10 and 14 and found out that as much as 77 percent of them described themselves in negative terms. Many said they consider themselves ugly, fat and upset when comparing themselves with attractive images shown in advertisements.

To many beauty is all about who we are on the outside. Be honest when presented with the question "Who do you think is beautiful?" where does your mind automatically go? Angelina Jolie, Kate Moss?

True Beauty, the beauty we should really be reconizing is so much more. A beauty that can be seen in a friend willing to sit for hours an listen to the struggle you are going through, a beauty that can be seen in the way your spouse loves you more after you've gained a few more inches here and there, a beauty that can be seen in the sacrifice of one for another.

It is my hope and prayer that true beauty will be seen by these girls next week. And that others will start to see beauty more in the way it was intended by God.

1 Samuel 16:7 - "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Shevach

Shevach - To adulate and adore

Adulate - to praise or admire excessively; fawn over
Adore - to regard with deep, often rapturous love

I have recently been doing a study on worship with my students at HCS in which we are looking at all of the words for worship in the Bible and what they mean. The other day we looked at the word Shevach.

Out of the three Hebrew words we have looked at so far this one has really challenged me the most in my worship lately.

May this word from the Lord challenge and ecourage you today in your walk with God.

Our 2 Cats

Cassie - The Little Lady



Chance - The Little Rascal

The Garden

So a few months ago Troy and I headed up to an empty garden to try and plant some seeds to see what the summer would bring. Troy told me not to go to overboard with planting since it was our first summer to try this. So I tried to control myself and I would say that we went small but I have a feeling we are going to be getting quite a harvest from the garden. Just today I picked 6 zuccinni and there are a ton of small ones that will soon be here and a ton of little cucumbers on the way. Plus the cantaloupe, watermelon, tomatoes, peppers and lettuce. So here are some pictures to enjoy.

Out for a walk

Change

So I've been thinking recently about change and the whole process of it. I used to hate change. I liked everything to be in order. I liked knowing what was coming. I liked living and knowing that things were safe and steady. But recently I have begun to see the beauty in change.

As I sit typing this post, Troy is busy working away on a wall in our living room. We recently removed some horrible wood paneling from the wall and have begun the process of changing it. When we first took off the old paneling it looked horrible. There were a few holes in the wall, some ugly old wallpaper in a few spots and cracks in some of the corners. I had to wonder and worry if it would ever look good. Why did we even take the wood paneling off?

But the process of change has begun. The holes have been covered. Drywall has been put up to cover up that horrible wallpaper. And with just a little paint this wall is going to be beautiful.

Seeing the beauty of change happen before my eyes with this wall makes me think of the beauty that can happen in the changes in life.

Many times change comes and doesn't look so good. It can be ugly. It can hurt. It can look like there is nothing good to come. It can even make us question where God is.

But just like the changing of the wall these changes that occur in our lives can bring about amazing beauty and good through the hurt and ugliness. God is there working amongst the bad to bring about something even greater.

I encourage you today if you are going through change don't dwell on the possible hurt and pain of the now. Look for the beauty that God will reveal or is revealing through the process.

A Beautiful Day

The day could not have been anymore perfect or beautiful. I think every girl looks forward to that day when she gets to dress up like a princess and walk down the aisle to the man of her dreams. And that perfect day for me was almost 2 weeks ago - March 29th, 2008. I was blessed with a beautiful ceremony, reception, great friends, and a sweet man of God to spend the rest of my life with. I offer thanks and praise to God for giving me such a beautiful day and for all of the beautiful days to come with the one He created for me.