Monday, September 7, 2009

What is Beauty?

Your beauty should come from within you-
the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit
that will never be destroyed and is very precious to GOD
1 Peter 3:4
From all around, we see beauty.  You can not turn on your computer, watch the television, read a newspaper or even look at a billboard sign along the road with out seeing the expectations that society has placed on women.  It is so easy to see that around us we have expectations to meet up to.
As a child you see these images and it starts to leave an impression on you.  Young girls are expected to measure up to these standards.  Staying very skinny.  Trying to wear makeup as early as possible.  Wearing the most up to date, trendy clothes.  There is pressure all around to be perfect. 
Growing into the pre-teen years is no different.  The expectations grow higher.  Getting ready for school becomes very important.  Making sure your hair is just right and your clothes are perfect.  Finding ways to sneak a little foundation or blush on your face is important.  You start to really think about body image.  Many questions start to run through your head.  Wondering if you are skinny enough, or if you are too fat.  Wondering when you breasts are going to develop.  If boys don't start taking notice of you, you start to panic and want to know what you can do to look prettier.
The pressures on a teenage girl are unbelievable.  You want to look perfect every day.  At lunch time the idea of eating anything, is scary, you don't want anyone to see you eat, they may think you are fat, or that you are going to be fat.  Any comment that you hear while you walk down the hallway will adjust to how you see yourself.  If you were never asked out, then slowly your self confidence will start to get smaller and smaller.  All of these things put together are a lot of pressure.
Even as an adult, it is no difference.  Being perfect, looking perfect will consume you.  Comments from strangers can break your heart and stick with you for a lifetime.  You wonder what others think of you and how people perceive you.  The same feelings you had as a child, and growing up never really go away.  And many of the experiences you had, especially the negative ones, will stick with you, and help guide the choices you make.  
The one thing that can break this, is to remember that no matter what happens, you are a child of God.  God made you special, and sees you as beautiful.  By taking care of yourself, and remembering that you are beautiful, the world will be put into place.  
The one thing that we each have to remember is that beauty on the outside over time will fade, the beauty that will remain is the beauty in your heart.  That is true beauty.  Just because someone has perfect skin, features, is the perfect size does not mean that they are beautiful.  If they do not have a beautiful heart than they have nothing.  
The key to beauty is to take care of yourself.  Eat right, exercise, shower and take care of your skin.  If you can do that, then you are going to just show what beauty that God gave you, and you will see just how beautiful you truly are.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Who Is In Charge?

There is no authority except from God,
and the authroities that exsist are 
appointed by God.
Romans 13:1
When it comes to having children, one of the very first battles every new parent faces is discipline.  Children crave the discipline, however they want to test there boundaries.
Every year I am learning more and more about children testing their boundaries, as my children are doing this on a daily basis.  They want to see just how far they can push the boundaries, and what else they can do.
While it is easy to believe that they are doing this just to make me angry, they are learning and growing.  By standing firm in the decisions that are made, I am teaching my children just how important the rules are.
By starting off with rules at home, it becomes much easier for them to follow rules at school, and through out their lives.  As we grow there are new rules.  We start school and have rules.  We get our first job, and again there are rules there.  
God gives us the authority to set rules for our children and help them to learn how to follow the rules.  These include the rules that have been handed down by God to us.
Learning to follow the rules is the most important lesson that we can learn in life.