OLD BARNS AND BEAUTY   

Why the picture of the old barn in a beauty article?

Read on...

 Ephesians 2:10

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

 

    Sometimes we forget that we are special. 

    Sometimes we don't even know, or have forgotten because of the cares or unfairness of life.

 

I have noticed through the years my brother Ron often telling his children that they, or something they did were 'Special'.

Today, when my grandchild did something really kind, his siblings and I started singing "For he's a jolly good fellow!"  Let me tell you, he was taller and even more sweet than usual for the rest of our visit.  He saw he was special, he heard it too, and as he looked in surprise from one to the other, the smile on his face told me he knew it!



 "As I walked on a little country road in Lancaster Co., PA about 22 years ago, I unwisely burdened my 11 year old daughter with yet another complaint of how draggy I felt and looked.

 

     There was ...a long pause in our conversation and then she just commenced strutting down the road in front of me like a queen on Red-Bull. She turned to face me and said "Mom, if you walk and act like you are beautiful...you will look beautiful"

 

     And so sisters,

I realize we feel we have 'better, more important' uses for money and time than taking care of ourselves and looking nice, but I now look at things differently.

 

When we have neglected our housework, or just fallen behind, do we open our door wide and exercise gracious hospitality?

I

 

When we are dressed shabbily, or haven't plucked the dark chin hairs or fixed our hair, do we walk with the same open-ness, smiling at people and being sunshine?

 

I don't. 

 I want to hide behind the shelves when I see someone I know.  Or delay stopping to visit someone I feel led to visit.

 

Years ago, in Hobart NY, some ladies from my church went to a yard sale.  The pastors wife was with us.  Three of us were fairly newly married and pretty sheltered.

Something really cool happened that day, at that sale, with that pastors wife (and you know who you are).

 

The table was filled with clothes and we were all dutifully searching out bargains and treasures when our attention was turned to Mrs. Pastor who was holding up a VERY scanty bit of lingerie, indeed!

 "Hmmm", she said, "I guess fifty cents is not a bad price to pay to boost your sex life." 

 

I have loved her every since.   I do not know if she bought it, I guess my embarrassment and shock at the time wiped other memories of the event away.

  But I remember that best part.

 

 

      More recently a friend of ours posted a photo of herself wearing a beautiful scarf.  If I remember, it was a splurge to her, to someone anyway.  It transformed her with color and style and I could see in her expression as well a change.  She was radiant.

She knew she looked really great.

 

And what's more, her friends were happy she felt this way.!

 

We were proud I believe, to have the spark we love so much be seen by the world.

  Why?

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

 

 

 and because

we are family, Gods family.

  We carry His name, we want to bring Glory to that Name.

 

We are not in competition with each other, we are walking together, encouraging each other, active in illuminating the gifts, talents and strengths of each other.  For the Name.

 

 

If you need a new scarf, or piece of lingerie, a new foundation or anti-wrinkle cream, or a new shade of lip color...perhaps it is time. Take some special care of someone very special. 

 You.

..and let those things which better showcase the outer beauty, encourage you to share the inner beauty.

 

Maybe we also should have a little Red Bull, and practice the wise little 'Laura Strut'

  then we will begin to feel the Truth of It.

 

If you see me today, remind me to stand tall and walk in confidence.

 

OK

Please don't be offended by the barns or the comment below.  I intend them to be as amusing to you as the saying was to me when I first heard it.

 

now the answer to the question, "Why the barns in an article about enhancing our beauty?"

 

"If the old barn

  needs a coat

     paint it!"

 

said the old man at church during heated discussion regarding appropriateness of make-up.

 

 

Charlene 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Spirit of his Son

 

 

I sat here this evening for time with Gods Word, specifically to practice the presence of God as I have been hearing about from various sources for several weeks. I harbored no idea of what that would 'look like'.  I began to read scripture, then stopped after this one verse.

 

Galatians 4:6
Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."

As you know, there are several titles for the Holy Spirit that are very familiar to me,  they are names, and evidences that we are accustomed to: The promised Holy Spirit, The Counselor, Teacher.  But this description, 'Spirit of his Son', stood out to me. I pondered that.  What followed in my time of devotions tonight, I want to share.

I know this may be a bit juvenile, but as all matter exists in one of three ‘forms’, solid, liquid, vapor, I have found it helpful sometimes to think of God like this. The Holy Spirit represented by ’vapor’ flowing, filling vessels, taking their form for His dwelling or the fragrance in the breath of praise, and so on.

But for some reason, when I read …”The Spirit of his Son”…Spirit of his Son  in  our hearts, I was a little bit shocked.  WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?
Such a precious, expensive, costly gift.  What Power poured into such weakness! What glorious majesty living in such a humble clay pot!
“God, help me to comprehend what that means.!”

I know, there are doctrines, and verses and snippets of sermons in my mind. The knowledge is there. God is Gracious and Merciful to me, and gives me Faith to believe what I read in His Word, but… 

"God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts!"

I sat and pondered this for a few moments

My mind, (as it is wont to do quite often), wondered to a room in the Assisted Living Home in New Brunswick, Canada. I can see in my mind my parents lying there asleep. I easily envision them, but wait, is Mom up and wondering around, in Alzheimer's confusion, tidying up and putting away things where they may never be found again? Is she filled with one of those awful waves of anger that come over her unbidden as the disease progresses through her brain? Are they remembering each other? Is Mommy afraid to get back in that bed with that strange man? Is Daddy reaching out to his bride of 64 years, reassuring her that he is indeed her Gordie?

Oh God I begin to cry, “lay your peace around them!”    And I turn to prayer, with hands outstretched toward My Father for these His children. I imagine an angel by the bed, then I imagine Gods hands around them, and peace replaces my anxiety.

I turn to praising God.

  Almost without a conscious effort I am worshiping Him, and together, it is as if I move in flight, I sprinkle faith and love, to each member of the family and others that come to my attention. I am conscious of not being alone, of course I am not, for how can I a mere human, even imaging this kind of ministry.

 I am Not alone….I am humbled, yet happy and I am surrounded by warmth and a most mellow Peace.

  Even when my attention is directed to a little crack house where exist souls I love and weep for, even there….most powerfully there, Faith, Love, Forgiveness, The Sprinkled Blood of Jesus, plainly do the work that I long for and cry in anguish for on other occasions. Tonight, the work of prayer was done peacefully. And my soul felt satisfied that blessing was directed to those I prayed for.

 

 Romans 8:26

 American King James Version
Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered

Weymouth New Testament

"In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness; for we do not know what prayers to offer nor in what way to offer them. But the Spirit Himself pleads for us in yearnings that can find no words,"

 

  and once again I had no requests, just worship and adoration and thankfulness.

After some time I returned to reading.

I was using my laptop tonight and as began to read again the scripture for the day, my eyes went to the cross references.

Now, those of you who know me best know that I have felt that the ‘locust have eaten’ many of our last 40 years; that the journey, for several reasons has been a wilderness, and as we work through the effects of the wilderness experiences we often ask “Why?” This is never far from my heart especially when my mind goes to my children and grand children


 

Well, the Holy Spirit used this time tonight to pour out a Double Blessing on me. Through that wonderful time in the Presence of God, this mounting up with wings;  not only was there ministry to others through the power of prayer, but to my heart as well.
That amazes me,

And this amazes me:

 there in the margin of today’s devotional these Words catch my eye:

“…in the wilderness these forty years…”

 

I felt a tug at my heart, then I skimmed the verse, a little surprised that it was listed as cross reference for the main verse. I have heard it before many times of course, but tonight it was a message for me. My Rhema.

I read the passages as a whole as they were written there in the Daily Studies http://biblehub.com/

 

John 13:7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter."

 

Deuteronomy 8:2 "You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

Ezekiel 16:8 "Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine," declares the Lord GOD.

Hebrews 12:6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."

1 Peter 4:12,13 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; • but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.

2 Corinthians 4:17,18 " For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, • while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

And that, my friend, was Gods gift to me during time of devotion tonight. Isn’t God good!