Beauty from Pain- Superchick

                           

My grace is sufficient

It's not the trust that's hard..........it's the acceptance. I hate not feeling good enough, not able. But isn't His power made perfect in weakness? So often, I forget. I get frustrated, and just want to be done with it.

                           
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Okay. 
 But it's hard. It certainly isn't easy. We want to be whole, to be perfect, to be strong. Invincible, if you will. But then Paul says For when I am weak, then I am strong. When I am weak.........
  I trust more.
  I talk to Him more.
  I realize how truly blessed I am.
  My Friends, I hope that you come to realize, as I slowly am, that you are living the life He planned for you. He choose you to face your life, messed up as you are, because He knew you could do it. Every experience is refining you into the beautiful person you are. 
   He allowed you to face these storms.  He knew you could stand against their winds. He cries with you, holding each tear in the palm of His hand. He is waiting with open arms to allow you to come cry on His chest, and  when you do, He will hold you. And then  he will take that burden that's about to pull you under, and put it upon Himself.

 Acceptance. It's okay not to be perfect.
 He is.
You aren't.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content ....
I hope you are.

Love:)
R

Psalm 63

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped. (Psalm 63:1-11 ESV)

Beauty: Redifined

The lie.
The lie is huge.
"You aren't beautiful. You are too fat, too skinny. Too tall, too short." On and on and on.The voices surround you........and you listen. I do. I do, and I shouldn't.

I'm not going to tell you that it doesn't matter. Because you won't listen. And, besides, it's not okay to tell you that it's okay that you're not good enough. Beacuse you are good enough!
   Our culture has this idea of beauty. We define beauty in a certain way, and we have this mental checklist that we go through, trying to check it all off.
  Here's the thing. You can't measure up. No matter how hard you try, as long as you're going through this checklist, you'll never make it. No one will.
 Here's what I'm going to ask you to do.

Redefine your idea of beauty.

Because, see, beauty is relative. Our definition and ideas of beauty are dependent on outside ideas of culture and time and place.
 Here's what I'm saying. God made you beautiful. Weather or not you fit your specific cultures definition of beauty, it doesn't matter to Him.  His definition of beauty is way different than yours . He looks at you living a life honoring to Him, and sees beauty. He looks at the way you serve. Who you are.

How beautiful upon the mountains
   are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
   who publishes salvation,
   who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." (Isaiah 52:7)

  This person probably doesn't have pedicure-model feet. But their feet are beautiful because they are fulfilling the purpose the were made for. They are consistent with the design of their creator.
 That is what makes them beautiful.

When you fulfill your purpose, that is beautiful.

Not only that- you are beautiful inside and out because you are created in the image of the Living God. You are created to be like Him- you are beautiful because you are His handiwork! No one denys the beauty of natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon, or Mount Everest- but you are far morr important to God! Far more Loved. You are so beautiful! You are the beautiful workmanship of your God.
 When you're tempted to believe the lie this week, remember who you are.


Love:)
R

Ps: If you want more on this topictalk to me,or  read Uncompromising, by Hannah Farver. She is an amazing young women who is truly in love with her Savior.  Look it up! :) R

Psalm 46

 God is our refuge and strength,
   a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
   though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,
   though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
          Selah

 here is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy habitation of the Most High.

 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
   God will help her when morning dawns.The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
   he utters his voice, the earth melts.
 The LORD of hosts is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.    Selah

  Come, behold the works of the LORD,
   how he has brought desolations on the earth.
 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
   he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
"Be still, and know that I am God.    I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth!"
 The LORD of hosts is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.
                         Selah

today....

  <sup>Today........Know that I am praying for you all. And that I care. And If you ever need to talk to someone, just call me or e-mail me or something. It's not silly. I'd love to know how to better stand before our Wonderful, Glorious God for you. Please........... Trust me?

Love:)
R</sup>

Ecclesiastes 3

¹For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
 ²a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; ³a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up; ⁴a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ⁵a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ⁶a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to cast away; ⁷a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; ⁸a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace.  ⁹What gain has the worker from his toil? ¹⁰I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. ¹¹He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ¹²I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; ¹³also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.
 ¹⁴I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. ¹⁵That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.^[a]
 16Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. ¹⁷I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. ¹⁸I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. ¹⁹ For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. ²⁰All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. ²¹Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? ²²So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?

How He Loves

What I mess I am. I'm broken, shattered, dirty. But for the grace of Christ. What patience and Love my Father God has. There is no one who can condemn me. Because  I am His. There is no one who can do anything against you, because you are His. His perfect, beautiful, honored child. His grace is so wide and his love so deep, that even that which you feel is utterly, totally, unforgivable, is forgotten the moment you ask. Wow. Keep that in mind today, please. May His peace be yours, and may you feel His love in a way you never have before. I'm praying for you all.:)

Love:)
R

Where I Belong by Switchfoot

Feeling like a refugee
Like it don't belong to me
The colors flash across the sky

This air feels strange to me
Feeling like a tragedy
Take a deep breath and close my eyes
One last time

Storms on the wasteland
Ark clouds on the plain again
We were born into this fight

But I'm not sentimental
This skin and bones in a rental
And no one makes it out alive
Until I die I'll sing these songs
On the shores of Babylon
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong

Where the weak are finally strong
Where the righteous right the wrongs
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong


Feels like we're just waiting, waiting
While are hearts are just breaking, breaking
Feels like we're fighting against the tide

I wanna see the earth shaking
I wanna see a generation
Finally waking up inside
Until I die I'll sing these songs
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong


This body's not my own
This world is not my own
But I can hear the sound
Of my heart beating out
So let's go boys, play it loud

On the final day I die
I want to hold my head up high
I want to tell You that I tried
To live it like a song

And when I reach the other side
I want to look You in the eye
And know that I've arrived
In a world where I belong
Where I belong

I still believe we can live forever
You and I we begin forever now
Forever now
Forever
I still believe in us together
You and I we're here together now
Together now
Together now
Forever now
Forever now

Forever

Thank you Switchfoot.....you tend to be right.

Love,
R:)

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:
 You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
 You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
 You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.
 You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.
 You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.
 You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
 You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.
You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.
 Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.
(MSG)

Love:)
R

Luke 6:17-23

Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon. They had come both to hear him and to be cured of their ailments. Those disturbed by evil spirits were healed. Everyone was trying to touch him—so much energy surging from him, so many people healed! Then he spoke:

   You're blessed when you've lost it all.
   God's kingdom is there for the finding.
   You're blessed when you're ravenously hungry.
   Then you're ready for the Messianic meal.

   You're blessed when the tears flow freely.
   Joy comes with the morning.
 Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they don't like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this.

One smile

  The girl stood in the hallways of her new school, looking around as thousands of other highschoolers walked past her without so much as a backwards glance. Yesterday her home conditions had gotten so bad that Child Protection Services had picked her up and taken her away to a foster home thirty miles from where she had grown up. Now here she was in her new school, and the day passed without anyone speaking to her, or even looking at her. One day turned into two. Two days turned into three. Three turned into a week, and then a month, and then three months went by without someone so much as saying "Hi" to her in the halls.  Finally the awesome pain of not having human contact became to much. No heart was meant to hurt this much. And so, sitting in the back row of her fourth period math class she decided to end her life. As soon as she made the decision, she felt better. All the pain would be gone. She could end everything and no one would even miss her. As she walked out to the hall after class a guy brushed against her, and her backpack spilled everywhere. She crawled on her hands and knees among the students walking past, truing to pick up the papers as everyone walked over them. 'This is just like my life,' she thought. She looked up from picking up the last paper and saw a girl watching her. She waited for her to laugh, and make fun of her. But she didn't do either. She just watched. And then she smiled. The girl looked behind her, thinking that she had been smiling at someone else. But there was no one behind her. Had the smile been meant for her?
 She went home, meaning to end her life. But she couldn't get that smile out of her head. One person cared enough about her to smile. She would wait another day.  After math she searched the halls.There she was. And there, again, she smiled! The girl couldn't believe it. All the rest of the school year, it became their little ritual. They never spoke, but that one smile was enough to keep the girl going another day. School ended, and the girl's prospects slowly became brighter. But she never saw the other girl again. That girl will never know that she saved a life, one smile a day. Just a smile. But it was enough.
 This is a true story. The other night I heard Kim Meeder speek, and she told this story. The girl in the story  is now a dear friend of hers.
 It made me think. What about you. Do you look to the outcasts, the loners, and say "Hi?" I have had a huge thing happening with me and God on how I see people. I had met this girl, and been initially turned off by her because she seemed aloof, and not very friendly. But then I heard her story, and realized how scared she was to ever trust people because of past experience. It made me stop and realize how much I judge people without knowing their story. I do that way more often than I'd like to admit. What about you? Even if it's just giving someone the benefit of the doubt, it makes such a huge difference. One smile can save a life.
 So what about you? Do you want to save a life?


Love:)
R