What Are Your Dragons?

The past couple of days have been difficult ones, and busy.  On Sunday I first noticed that gnawing in my gut that I call anxiety.  Yesterday it was worse, and I couldn’t figure out if I needed to exercise and burn off the excess energy, or take a nap! 

When I tried to figure out what was causing it, I realized it was my schedule.  I had far too many responsibilities crammed into a couple of days.  Not all of them were bad – it was just nearly impossible to fit them all in, and I spent a large part of Sunday ruminating about Monday and how I would get everything done. I had three different appointments at different times and in different places, and that didn’t count my kids’ various activities, and the fact I needed to pick up groceries.  Or my looming writing deadline.

            I have read that our thought life is the greatest cause of anxiety for most of us, so I tried to take control of my thoughts.  I wrote everything down in my calendar – color coded – and just looked at my list every few hours.   Then I tried not to think about it.  I even read Psalm 91 several times.  I’ve got to admit, it didn’t work.  On most days, I can handle my “to-do” list but I had a few very unpleasant tasks to do yesterday and today that I just couldn’t get out of my mind.  I was fearful.

            I’m done now.  Mostly.  And I’m better.  But anxiety has been my dragon the past few days, caused by my over-loaded schedule.  Next time I’ll have to manage my time more wisely, and put in some “fun” breaks as a reward for an unpleasant task accomplished. Lesson learned.

            In order to slay our dragons, we need to know what they are.  What steals your joy?  What takes away your peace and brings you fear, or stress?  When you identify your dragons, you’ve taken the first step toward conquering them.

            Just remember, your power comes from God.  You aren’t in this alone, and you have every resource you need to overcome.

            Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. – Ephesians 6:10

Warrior Princess

        We aren't wimpy girls, destined to sit back and wait for our knight in shining armor to save us.  God fully equips us to go out and fight the battles on our own!  So this month we're going to look at the power we have over the enemy as part of our spiritual inheritance.
         In Ephesians 6 we are told about the Armor of God.  Most of the pieces are for defense, but God allows us to fight, and gives us an offensive weapon to strike back.  The Bible says our greatest weapon is scripture.   Take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.    When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, he used scripture to fight his battle.  Start memorizing scripture - you'll be amazed at how verses pop into your head when you need them!
        Get ready girls, and join the fight!  Our King has equipped us to be on active duty.

For the word of God [is] alive, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  – Hebrews 4:12

Putting Me First

After several nights of very little sleep, I am tired.  I'm dragging around and realized this morning how much physical effort it actually takes to shred cabbage for cole slaw!  During my prayer time I read a scripture in which David is challenge by yet another enemy, and before he does anything else, he makes sure his family is safe.  Then I read another scripture that says "Love your neighbor as yourself."  Well, from both of these I surmised two things:  We need to put family first, and we need to love ourselves.  What does that really mean?  Lately I've been volunteering a lot - giving and giving and giving.  As women we tend to do that, and put ourselves last.  But since I barely have the energy left to shred cabbage, I'm not much use to anybody else, am I?   :-)  So this afternoon I'm planning to take a nap.  Our discussion this month re; inner and outer beauty fits into this.  How beautiful can we be physically and in our attitudes if we are exhausted?  Another thing I've done all morning is take care of the house.  I've put the laundry away, washed dishes, and cleaned.  I want my family to come home to a haven, not a mess.  I hope that by putting my needs first, and taking care of my family, I can regain some sense of balance.  After all, you never see a beauty with dark circles under her eyes!  God bless you in your journey to become the woman God knows you can be!

Being Transformed

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:18

What reflection do you see when you look in the mirror?  According to this passage, we should see a likeness of Christ.  Beyond the hair and make-up, our faces should glow with the glory of God.  It’s not a physical transformation – it’s a spiritual one.

 I don’t always feel like I’m glowing, but the beauty of this passage is that we aren’t there yet.  We are being transformed – in present tense.   We’re a work on progress.  Isn’t it exciting?

God Made You and He Don't Make Junk

            You are uniquely you.  God created you the way He wanted you to be, and had plans for you long before your parents ever gave a thought to having children.

            Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;  Jeremiah 1:5

            Isn’t that exciting?  God likes you the way you were born.  Eye color, hair color, talents, personality -  He designed you that way.  It’s up to us what we do with what He gave us.

            Remember, you are fully equipped to be the woman God wants you to be.

In His Image

      A child was asking me the other day what God looks like.  I said He must look kind of like us.  After all, we were created in His image.  "Does He have arms and legs?" the child asked.   Well, I guess He probably does.  That made me think - if we are created in God's image, that makes us beautiful!  Otherwise, aren't we calling God ugly?  :-)  Just a thought...

     It was something else to remind me of how special we are to God.  He chose US to look like Him.  Not the alligators, or the birds, or the trees, but us.  Wow.  We are made in His likeness.

     When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.  He created them male and female; at the time they were created, he blessed them and called them "man." - Genesis 5:1-2

    

Uniquely You

When I was in middle school, I was given the assignment in health class to write a short essay about what I would want to change about myself.  I was quite happy with myself the way I was, and couldn't think of anything to write.  Even at that age, I realized the teacher's assignment was detrimental to our self-image.  I told her I was okay with my body the way it was and my friends should be too.
    "Really?"  she seemed shocked.  "You wouldn't make your  hips smaller, or change your hair color?  There has to be something you aren't happy with."
     She seemed angry.  And was she trying to tell me my hips were too big?
     I don't remember how I finished the assignment, but her words have stuck with me all these years.  Fortunately, I've realized that God created me the way He did for a reason.  He knew who I was before I was even in the womb.  I have had a fun time this year writing the chapter on beauty for the Princess book, and have discovered a lot of verses in the Bible about how awesome God thinks we are, just as He created us!  I wish I had been able to share these verses with my teacher back then!