What I want my daughter to know

This afternoon my daughter and I worked together to bake a raspberry pie for her grandpa.  I put on my apron and instantly, she wanted hers. We spent a few minutes locating it because,  let's be honest,  with small children sometimes things end up in strange places.  At least in my home they do.

Baking alongside my 4 year old, I began to think about all the things I love about her. Her independence, her sense of humor,  her wit, her smile, her child's heart that desires to help me, her outgoing personality that can make a friend in a matter of minutes. 

Later in the evening she sat at the counter watching me finish up dinner. She pulled a small tube out of her pocket and applied some lipgloss and grinned at me: "Am I beautiful,  mommy?"

My heart melted as I looked at her and I replied: "You're always beautiful, hunny." And decided to add to it. I told her that what makes her beautiful is her kind and loving heart. 

What do I want my daughter to know?  I want her to know that she is much more than her appearance. I want her to know the value of her character and that working on being a loving individual will always be more beneficial than being what the world says is attractive.

Do I want her to be healthy? Of course.  But as a woman that struggled with her body image most of her life, I also know that health is not only bound to the body, but to the mind and soul, as well. 

I pray as my children grow that I will know how to nuture every part of them and that they grow in the knowledge of their gifts and value them more than appearance. I pray they embrace the people God created them to be and that they know how much they are loved.

Fifty Shades of Grey: love vs. lust, a Christ follower's stand point

For weeks we have been surrounded with the debate about the Fifty Shades series and the new movie about to come out.  We've heard many viewpoints: male,  female,  Christian,  non-Christian and plenty more. While I cannot understand how anyone with self-respect (women especially) would stand behind a story filled with abuse and pornography, I may be able to see how a non-believer would be able to justify reading these books or watching the movie. I am more  shocked at people claiming to love the Lord attempting to justify the same. I will be honest in saying that when the books first came out, I began to read the first book without knowing the extent of the content. I did not make it far before I was convicted to stop. I would like to share my viewpoint, as a Christian because of that conviction and the belief that we should all be saying more on the topic. Keep in mind this particular post is directed at those who call themselves believers and for the most part I will let God's Word do the talking.

Let me start by saying,  I have heard many justify it by saying it is a love story. That although,  yes,  Christian's behavior was unhealthy, unloving and abusive, Ana helped bring him to a place of healing. So, it's all ok. Right? Wrong.

As Christians we are called to love and to help those struggling but we are not called to jump right into the sin with them in order to pull them out. Jesus ate with sinners but he did not join in their sin with them in order to draw them out of their troubles. Ana joining into some pretty twisted situations,  allowing herself to be manipulated and controled and used is not a healthy way to bring salvation, no matter how you cut it.

Love according to God's Word is far different from what the world defines it as. Let me share some scriptures on it:

"Love does no harm to its neighbor" Romans 13:10a

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, 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. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:18-19

Let's not confuse love with lust.

"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." Galations 5:16

This is how we are called to live as believers, to love others and to walk in the Spirit so that we do not seek what our flesh desires, things that lead to destruction, pain, death. Sexual impurity and lust included.

"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21

"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6: 18-20

"It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God." 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." Colossians 3:5

I ask you, as followers of Christ, to read these scriptures and take it as a challenge to stand against what the enemy is using to ensnare so many. We are the 'city on the hill', called to give light to the world,  but how can we do that if we are going with the flow of the world? I speak from a heart of love and concern for my fellow brothers and sisters and also, those around them that need, more than ever, to see people set apart from the destruction of porn and all it leads to. "A little yeast leavens the whole batch."

Please, feel free to comment and share.  Let's take a stand together.

Blessings

I want to be a person ready to give up all my worldly possessions at any given moment. My soul finds no real, lasting satisfaction in the things this world tries to entice me with. They can only provide a false feeling of fleeting contentment.

The truth is, the things that bring genuine joy that I will carry with me for the length of my life aren't really things at all but are more like moments.  Tears of joy; a breeze that blows so perfectly as to catch my attention and draw me to the beauty of God's creation, not made by man's hands but His alone; finding realness in another human being,  raw and unmasked;  listening to my children singing or retelling stories to one another, especially when told with a childlike spin;  holding the hand of the man God gave me.
Moments like this:

These are what I feel truly blessed with.  These are what I want my life filled with.

 I am so thankful to my God,  thankful to my family and to my dear friends, for giving me what really matters.