Before & After Part 2

Image from What Not To Wear

Yesterday we talked about the process God sometimes leads us through to take us from "before" to "after".  Reaching the "after" can feel so rewarding, but oftentimes, the process can be a challenge.

Going back to our What Not To Wear example, each "project" has to decide that Clinton and Stacey know best.  They're the experts and the "projects" choose to believe that they know what they're doing.

They also have to be moldable and willing to try new things.  There's a reason their friends put them on that show, it's time to jump out of their comfort zone and take a risk.

Lastly, when they step into those hair and make-up stations, they have to trust that they're in good hands and the stylists have a plan.  Whether it's taking them from short to long hair, bleached blonde to brunette, or removing the layers of eyeliner and going for a more natural look; stepping into that chair takes a lot of trust.  (Who knows if my hairstyle "works" for me, but it's rare that I let anyone new touch my locks.  I don't trust just anyone). 

The result?  A beautiful, confident woman.  I've yet to see an episode where the "project" is unhappy with the result.  Sure there may be some tears along the way, but at the end they usually say, "It was all worth it!"        

Admittedly, changing the exterior is a lot easier than working on the interior, but hopefully you get the point.  So how do we manage to hold on while God takes us from "before" to "after"?

It takes faith to believe that God is our creator and He knows what He's doing.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

Jeremiah 29:11

Courage to be moldable and willing to take a risk.  Courage to say okay God, "you are the potter and I am the clay."  

"You are our Father.
      We are the clay, and you are the potter.
      We all are formed by your hand."

Isaiah 64:8

A willingness to trust that God is in control and ultimately He has a plan.

"But I trust in you, O LORD;
       I say, "You are my God." 
My times are in your hands."
Psalm 31:14-15

Patience to wait and believe that this process is a season, and it may take some time.

"Though it linger, wait for it;
   it will certainly come
   and will not delay."

Habakkuk 2:3 (NIV) 

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
         That I would see the goodness of the LORD
         In the land of the living.
         Wait on the LORD;
         Be of good courage,
         And He shall strengthen your heart."

       Psalm 27:13-14 (NKJV)

God is the ultimate "author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).  Be it one process after another, He knows what He's doing.  Yes, in the middle of a process or transition, it can be extremely hard to hold on, see the big picture, and believe that He truly has a plan, but oh, how He has a plan!  Like Paul to the Philippians In Philippians 1:6, I am confident of this:

"He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you" (Amplified).

"That the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears" (MSG).  

 

Before & After

This weekend, my precious cell phone saw her final days.  My little family of two has vowed never again to mention the details that led to her demise as both Mr. Williams and Mrs. Williams have quite different accounts of that fateful day. One fact that is certain: once she took a plunge into a cup of water, both witnesses rushed to the scene of the accident to try to resuscitate her.

Those of you who have lost a cell phone know, reviving a phone after a bout with water damage is a process.  First you take out the battery, then you open the phone up so all the parts can be exposed and you place it in the sunlight.     

Two hours later, I just couldn't take it any longer...did it work?  I put all the pieces together and held my breath as I pressed power.  Moments later, I saw a light and knew she had pulled though.  (I mean, if she can make it through being fully submerged in a vat of yellow paint, she can make it through anything!)

We were rolling...until I plugged her into her charger.  Apparently, when helping an innocent cell phone recover from a water accident, that's a big no, no.  Minutes later, she was fried, never to be turned on again.

Still I tried to put her pieces in the sunlight, then we relied on the ever trusted "bag of rice" trick, but the next morning, she still couldn't pull through my electronic mistake.  Rest in peace cell phone, you served me well.

A cautionary tale for those of you who may find yourself in a similar situation.  Yes, cell phones can bounce back from full submersion in water.  I've seen phones make miraculous recoveries from the most perilous situations, but it's a process.  You can't rush it. 

Similarly, there are times in our lives, where God may be doing a work in our lives, that's more of a process than an instant reveal.  One we shouldn't rush, even though it is incredibly tempting.   

I love a good makeover show as much at the next girl, but wouldn't it be nice to just skip the 20 minutes of the show that shows the process and go straight from "before" to "after"?  I mean, who really cares how they did their hair, or picked their outfit?  I just want to see the finished product!  But as Clinton and Stacy will tell you, without the process, not only is there no show, but there's no "after".

Image from tlc.discovery.com

  
God, wants to take us from "before" to "after", but to get there, we can't skip the process.  Ephesians 2:10 says, "we are God’s masterpiece" (NLT).  He formed us, created us, and slowly but surely, He is perfecting and shaping us to be the woman He has designed us to be, but we can't skip the process.  It's in the process that we are shaped, refined, and strengthened.  The process makes the "after" so rewarding because not only have we seen the process, we've lived it.

When Things Don't Go Your Way

Yesterday, I mentioned Bernie and I went on a church retreat, but did I mention it snowed/sleeted 3 inches?  At the end of March?  Then yesterday as I walked to get lunch, it was flurrying again.  What happened to "spring has sprung"?  It sprung and then decided to hide for a few more weeks.  Spring, please come back!  

In honor of snow in Virginia Beach on the cusp of April, I thought it would be fitting to repost a post written after a Colorado blizzard in April, 2009.  I somewhat expect this from Colorado, but not Virginia!  Shape up Virginia, let's see that sunshine again!

Please forgive the rant, we now return you to your regularly scheduled program...

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”

Proverbs 16:3

Last week, Bernie and I packed up our bags and headed to Colorado for a wedding. I have been to spring weddings in Colorado before and the weather was sunny, warm, and beautiful. Excited for a weekend of celebrating with family and friends, I did what any girl would do, I didn’t check the weather and I packed all of my favorite party dresses and matching shoes—five pair to be exact, and yes, I still managed to carry my bag on the airplane and squeeze it in the overhead compartment. The night before we left, I even painted my toe nails and gave them a new top coat for extra shine.

Fast forward two days…Colorado was bamboozled by a fierce, nasty blizzard. At the end of April? Yes, at the end of April. There I was in Breckenridge, looking out the window as the snow came falling down, wondering exactly how I was going to maneuver my silk party dress and open toed, three inch heels, in four feet of snow.

Sometimes things don’t work out the way you plan them. Several months ago, Bernie and I were praying through some opportunities and for a brief time, all doors were pointing towards moving to Virginia Beach. I couldn’t believe it! After only six months of being married, I was actually going to move home and work for my “dream job”, and it wasn’t even my idea—it was Bernie’s! I was so close to getting “everything I ever wanted.”

Little did I know, as we continued to pray and ask God to open and close the right doors, all of the doors in Virginia Beach suddenly became tightly shut. The week I discovered Virginia Beach was no longer the obvious option, I was upset, discouraged, and so confused. Why would God do this to me?

The next morning, I opened up my Bible and quickly stumbled upon Proverbs 16:3, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” I felt the Lord whisper to my heart, “I have something better.”

Sometimes we get so set on our own vision and desires, that we miss the bigger picture. We make plans that we think are fabulous, but ultimately the Lord is in control and sometimes His path isn’t necessarily always our first choice. It might not be the way we would have chosen, but when you choose to follow God’s way, it’s always the best way.

We didn’t totally leave God out of this decision. For months we had been praying for God to lead the way, but the minute He led us in a different direction than I wanted, I realized I needed to let go of my plans, and surrender my will to His will. It might not have been the answer we wanted, but we prayed for open and closed doors, and God was faithful to answer our prayers—He closed the doors.

We are still waiting and praying for our “open door” but as we wait, we are confident that even though it might not be what we planned on, God is faithful and He has a plan for us.

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord endures forever—do not abandon the work of your hands.” Psalm 138:8

Lord, even when things don’t go the way we plan, teach us to trust that ultimately, You are in control, and You know our way.


Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

You're Invited

With wedding season in full swing, one of the little details I love and admire are all of the invitations.  Party planners know the importance of a solid invitation; it sets the tone and expectation for what's to come.  Who doesn't love going to the mailbox to find an invitation with your name on it?  You're invited...

This past weekend, Bernie and I went on a retreat with our church.  Saturday night, we sang one of my all time favorite songs.  I've mentioned it on Long to Love several times, but each time I hear it, the words never cease to refresh and restore my heart. 

"All who are thirsty

All who are weak

Come to the fountain

Dip your heart in the stream of life

Let the pain and the sorrow

Be washed away

In the waves of His mercy

As deep cries out to deep..."

We're invited—weak, broken, thirsty, tired—we're invited to come and partake in God's incredible benefits.  To dip our hearts in the stream of life and watch as God revives our weary souls.  

So on this rainy, cold Monday morning, I pray that each one of us will take God up on His invitation and come; bringing to Him our worn out selves and watch as He breathes new life into our hearts.  

It's definitely an invitation you don't want to miss!

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters...Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live."

Isaiah 55:1,3

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28

Here are the words and lyrics:

Linking Up

Happy Friday, Friends!  In honor of Friday, how can I not include the most controversial song of the week?  Love it or hate it, this girl isn't going anywhere.  46 million views?  Really??  Email subscribers click here.




Now that's out of the way, how about some links?

Similar to my Five Minute post from this week, Lysa Terkerust has some great verses for days that may be a "one or two verse day." 

Sara from Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet has added a new "Morning Chai Devotion" section to her blog.  It's a great resource first thing in the morning. 

Looking to be hospitable?  Try reading The Reluctant Entertainer's post of The Blessing of Hospitality: Little Blessings That Make a Difference. 

Also, don't think I've ever linked up to elaney before, but she's one of my very favorite blogs.  Her heading is "For Smart Girls With Superficial Interests"...she's fabulous! 

What have you had your eye on this week??

Checking In

Image from J Cogliandro Photography

 This past weekend, Bernie and I had the incredible privilege of attending the wedding of our dear friends Kristin and Corbin in Houston, Texas.  It's hard to put into words just how perfect the entire weekend was.  Few couples are as warm, hospitable, welcoming, and incredibly fun as Kristin and Corbin.  I knew the weekend was off to a great start when we got to the hotel and there were two Taste of Texas steak knives waiting for us.  I love a good steak and combined with the perfect cutlery is a dream come true!

Image from Houstoninan.com

One of the treats of the weekend was getting to stay at The Houstonian hotel.  In addition to my love for red meat, I love a good hotel.  Who doesn't?  A fancy hotel is even more divine.  When given the opportunity to stay at such a place, I want to take advantage of everything the hotel has to offer

—the health club, pool, toiletries, complimentary tea and coffee, apples at the front desk—I want to make the most of every opportunity. 

I fell in love with Bernie all over again when we're walking out the door and he asks, "did you get the sewing kit?"  True love!  Did I get the sewing kit?  Of course I did, but I'm so grateful for a wonderful husband who's such a fast learner.  Now, even when he stays at a hotel without me, he always makes sure to bring me home some hotel swag.     

Has anyone seen the Friends episode where Ross and Chandler stay at the hotel.  Click here to watch the highlights.  They start around 1:30.

Okay, here's where I jump to my point.  Anyone can stay at hotel and just use it as a place to sleep, but beyond a place to lay your head, there can be so many more benefits of the hotel if you take the time to explore and enjoy all the amenities they have to offer.   

At the gym, while on the fancy elliptical, with a personal TV, lemon water in tow, I couldn't help but think how much I was enjoying every detail of The Houstoninan, but some guests might not even know just how great the extra benefits are and simply use it as a place to sleep.

As I continued going up and down the elliptical, I thought about my faith and how on a similar level, many times, I'm happy to just coast along without taking advantage of the full depth of our God.  There is so much more of God to discover than I tend to take Him up on.

At the beginning of the year, the word that stuck to my heart for 2011 was More.  More of God in every sense of the word.  I don't want to be a girl who views God as a comforting place to lay my head and then call it a night, but I want to discover, explore, and experience all that He has to offer.  I want to inhale His presence and feed on His faithfulness.

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; DWELL in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.”
Psalm 37:3 (NKJV)

"God - you're my God! I can't get enough of you!"

Psalm 63:1 (The Message)  

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more ABUNDANTLY."

John 10:10

Related posts on More:
A Bunch
I Just Can't Get Enough 

Five Minutes

How great has it been to have Sweet Meg feeding us with her wonderful posts!  I wish Miami Law School had Spring break every week!  Meg, thanks for sharing your break with us!  We adore you!

There have been many things I've been struck by in Meg's posts, for instance, how did I manage to miss out on the sixth grade fad of pigtail buns?  I was also reminded how fun and attractive the Pittman clan is.  Yesterday, however, one of the things I resonated with was how many mornings, my heart's desire is to give God the "firstfruits" of my day, but sometimes life plows through and it doesn't always happen.  So we have to resolve to take what we can get where and when we can throughout the day.

Yesterday morning, I was running around like a wild woman—stressed, sleep deprived, and overwhelmed.  I was hastily trying to review a presentation and didn't allot myself the time to sit and be with God.

However, something in my heart led me to sit down for a brief five minutes and open to the Psalms where I stumbled upon the following in Psalm 32:7-8:

  "You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance."

It goes on to say, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye."  

The NIV 2011 (when did there become a 2011?) says, "I will counsel you with my loving eye on you."   


Just five short minutes to pause; exhale my stressful self; and inhale the faithful, loving promises of my God.


Meg's right, "nothing cultivates intimacy like sitting still at the Lord's feet," but on the days when my sitting time is limited, I'm so grateful that our God is full of grace and He is more than able to meet us right where we are.  

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”  

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)

Cultivating Intimacy

pic link

A relationship takes work. It has been fun to look back on the highlights of relationships with family and friends, but any relationship that brings me joy or produces fruit is the result of deliberate investment.

A relationship is like a garden. If it is to thrive it must be watered regularly. Special care must be given, taking into account the seasons as well as any unpredictable weather. New seeds must be sown and weeds must be pulled. Similarly, to keep the magic of love alive we must understand its seasons and nurture love’s special needs.
- John Gray, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

Enjoying intimacy with our Father is no different. It requires sacrifice. Oswald Chambers says this: "The great privilege of discipleship is that I can commit myself under the banner of His Cross, and that means death to sin. You must get alone with Jesus and either decide to tell Him that you do not want sin to die out in you, or that at any cost you want to be identified with His death."

But the delight in reaching intimacy is great. "Friendship means being so intimately in touch with God that you never even need to ask Him to show you His will… When you have a right-standing relationship with God, you have a life of freedom, liberty, and delight; you are God’s will."

We can begin to deepen this friendship by looking at what God told Martha in Luke 10. When Jesus came to visit their house, her sister Mary simply sat at Jesus' feet to hear what he had to say. Martha complained that Mary wasn't helping with the preparations, and Jesus responded, "but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her." (v. 42). Tending to our relationship must start with committing time to the Lord each day. Schedule that time, even on your calendar if necessary.

Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Proverbs 3:9-10

God wants the best we can give, including our time. The “firstfruits” of my day are my mornings. I try to set aside time for the word and prayer to start my day in peace and joy. Unfortunately, I don't get to sit down and read every single morning- at the very least I commune with my Father throughout the day by reading prayers posted around the bathroom mirror, a verse of the day updated on my phone, the Long to Love email, and listening to worship in the car. Those are great extras, but nothing cultivates intimacy like sitting still at the Lord's feet. And I can do a better job at committing my best time to the Lord.

Elizabeth started this blog as a way to awaken our hearts to pray and cultivate deeper love relationships with God. That first prayer is a great reminder of the power of seeking the Lord- our lives will be transformed!

Lord for six months, may I seek to learn what it means to love you. I want to love your word, your voice, your presence, your laws, your discipline, your power—I want to love and cherish every part of who you are. Lord, may I wait expectantly as you begin to transform my life by my willingness to wholeheartedly seek to love you with an unabandoned love.

God the Pursuer

Last week I shared about a few things I learned while studying “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” with Scott in our small group. I have a greater understanding of the unfailing and protective love of my heavenly Father because of my family.

Going through the book we discussed the different ways men and woman communicate, interact, solve problems, and feel loved. For example, a man doesn’t like to talk about a particular problem unless there is no way for him to solve it on his own. But women like to talk through everything and like to offer unsolicited advice. Some of the generalizations about the sexes applied less to Scott and me, but a few points were spot on.

“Women are motivated and empowered when they feel cherished.”

“When a man gives priority to a woman’s needs and proudly commits himself to supporting and fulfilling her, her need for devotion is fulfilled. A woman thrives when she feels adored and special.”

Breaking down the way a woman loves and needs to be loved made me very appreciative of Scott and of our story together. I couldn’t figure out how to explain our story succinctly (we met in 8^th grade and got married 12 years later) so, here is Scott’s version:

Scott: Do you want to date? Meg: No

Scott: Do you want to date? Meg: No

Scott: Do you want to date? Meg: No

Scott: Do you want to date? Meg: Ok

Scott: Will you marry me? Meg: Yes

When people ask about our history, Scott jokes about how he finally wore me down. I joke about how he needed to grow up. And a couple weeks ago I asked Scott if he minded the joking, just to make sure he wasn't hurt by it. He simply responded that he ended up with me. That made it all worth it.

And the truth is, I love the fact that Scott pursued me. I love that part of our story. I feel adored just being reminded of how long he prayed and waited for me.

But the exciting part is that each one of us is pursued in the greatest love story of all time. God loved you so much that he sent his son to die for you! The Lord desires to live with you in covenant - that is a promise of commitment. Eternal commitment.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you in with loving-kindness."

Jeremiah 31:3

I have a clearer understanding of how God loves me wholly because of my family. But (thankfully) their love doesn’t even come close! Just look at Hosea to get a clear reminder of how little we deserve a love so grand. God does not break his promises. And one of those promises is to make us whole in his love!

How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

Ephesians 1:36 (Message)

Finally, I love this post by Elizabeth about Returning to God. Here is an excerpt:

What is God longing for? "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."

I'm no Bible guru, but I was SO excited when I stumbled upon the original Hebrew word for "mercy" in this instance. The word is hesed, which refers to a loyal, covenant love; a mutual relationship between God and man.
God wants us!

Linking Up with Cally

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Elizabeth is on her way to a wedding this weekend, and I am engaged, so in the spirit of love and weddings, I wanted to share a little something with yall.

Marshall and I are reading through a couple marriage books, and last night I was reading through "As For Me and My House." He writes,

The apostle Paul didn't say that love bears some things, that love believes only in the best things, that love hopes for a reasonable period of time, or that it endures for a while. No, love is a divine absurdity. It is unreasonable. Paul said, "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." Love is limitless. For-give-ness is to give infinitely, without end.

I also wanted to share a few of my favorite wedding websites.

http://www.greenweddingshoes.com

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com

http://www.weddingbee.com

Enjoy!

God the Protector

Yesterday I began reflecting on how God has used my family to love and shape me. We were reminded of how we should live in the confidence of our Father’s love.

Discussing marriage and the magnitude of the man’s responsibility as head of the family made me appreciate my future-husband vetting team: Chase and Matthew, the Terrorizing Tandem.

Growing up my brothers may have beat me up occasionally or challenged me in countless competitions, but ultimately they did have my back. This is probably true for siblings of either gender (i.e. the Robertson girls), but my brothers were extremely opinionated about any potential suitors. And by that I mean they tortured every single one except Scott. (Scott snuck into our family via a decade of friendship, which caught the brothers off guard.)

In high school, Chase would tell boys that called for me that I was out of the country. Matthew recruited his friends to camp outside of one guy’s house who spread a rumor about me. Chase physically assaulted his friends who even hinted at flirting with me. In college, Matthew welcomed one boy who was visiting by jumping on top of, straddling and yelling at him, “Welcome to the Pittmans!” as a way to wake him from a nap. And I won’t even get into the nicknames they created.

I may have been horrified by their various tactics at the time, but I am now grateful to have had help in making the most important decision of my life, other than the decision to accept Christ as my Savior. I think I was saved from considerable heartache knowing that anyone I might consider dating would have to pass “the bro test”. My brothers were protective of me because they knew what boys were like.

Knowing that Scott was the one was ultimately confirmed in the absolute peace and joy I had from the Lord… but how much my brothers loved him was a huge bonus.

Similar to our siblings, God wants the best for us. He is a jealous lover. He doesn’t want us to invest our hearts in things or relationships that don’t glorify him. Unfortunately, God doesn’t communicate as conspicuously as our siblings or good friends may. We need to be reminded of our worth and infinite value as his children. Women often seek affirmation and acceptance from relationships, but we cannot substitute the unfailing love and adoration of our Maker and Protector. He created us! He created us in such a way that we can only be absolutely fulfilled through Him. God knows everything about each of us and wants us to enjoy his good and perfect will!

Let God's promises soak in. His love for you is perfect.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Psalm 139:13 & 14

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Lord, you are my Keeper and you want to love me fully. I pray for discernment to see if my investments – activities, commitments, relationships, etc. – pass “the God test.” If I truly understand how much you care for me, then I will want to honor you with every part of my life. Give me that vision! Thank you for loving me outrageously.

Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you…
The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

God the Father

First, in honor of Elizabeth’s past Bachelor shout outs, I will admit that I watched most of the finale. The lesson I took away: you will never fully know someone when your entire courtship takes place on camera. Anyone can be sweet and charming on vacation in Costa Rica and South Africa. The one on one dates should include mundane activities such as grocery shopping, driving in traffic or finding parking in the city. Let those true colors shine through! Additionally, the girl who is “runner up” will be scarred for life. Anyway, I promise I'm not cynical about love. Just realistic?

Speaking of relationships, Scott and I just finished up a small group series on relationships where we read through “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.” The book generated great discussion and, supplemented with scripture, made for a worthwhile study. Throughout the past several weeks I have reflected on not only our marriage relationship but also my relationships with the other men in my life- my dad and my two brothers. I am incredibly grateful for my family and recently have seen in a new way how God used each of them to love and shape me. They all demonstrate characteristics of Christ, characteristics that I need to be conscious of and praise Him for.

This would be too much for one post, so I’ll split it up, ending with mi esposo. Lets start with God as Father.

In our small group study we looked at 1 Peter 3, addressing wives (and women in general):

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

This does NOT say that you can’t style your hair or accessorize. I think God enjoys the expression of creativity in our personal style. What the passage does address is the source of a woman’s beauty: “Inner Beauty”

The reason I relate this passage to my father is because the confidence in my inner beauty started with him. I knew I was of great worth to him because he told me and showed me how much he loved me. He sang to me that I was his princess. Not everyone had that reaffirming father-figure, but we all have a loving Father now who rejoices over us with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17) I need to be reminded of how beautiful He thinks I am. As Elizabeth wrote yesterday, we are deeply loved and cherished by God.

My beauty comes from submitting to Christ my Lord. A gentle spirit is not equivalent to a doormat. It takes a truly strong woman to die to herself and let God work in her life. Outer beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. (Proverbs 31:30)

God, I know my identity is in you. I know that you love me passionately as a precious daughter. I pray that I could be confident of that love. And living in that assurance will surely be noticed by those around me. For it is your love that compels me to share about you. (2 Corinthians 5)

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me unconditionally.

footnote:

I can’t say enough about how I’ve been impacted by my mama, aunts and grandmothers… but this one is for the boys.