Valentine's Day

"A woman's best makeup is her smile." I found the quote on a friend's Facebook page and it has stuck in my mind as an very important truth. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I understand that there are a lot of single women who are questioning their relationship status, and maybe wondering if they just aren't pretty enough to "get a guy". While I am by no means a relationship counselor, and I'm not very good at giving relationship advice, there is one subject that God has given me a passion for: The truth that God has designed each and everyone of us perfectly, and He loves us just for who we are. Relationships are one life scenario where girls often feel the need to get "made up" in order to impress their date or the boy they have their eyes set on. But God is not like that. He sees every detail of your face, your skin, your hair, everything, and He loves you. He doesn't care if you're a size 2 or a size 32. He never comments that you are too short or too tall, too boxy or too curvy. "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well" Psalm 139:14 In this verse the psalmist is praising God for His wonderful workmanship on a very personal subject, the psalmist's own body. Contrary to what we often believe, our bodies are another one of God's creations~a project that He has made just the way He wanted it. However, we often don't think of our bodies as one of God's miraculous creations. We stand in awe of the mountains, look with wonder at canyons, rejoice in the beauty of bird on a fence post, gaze in praise at the vastness of the oceans and plains, but we don't often take time to complement God on the wonderful job He has done in creating our bodies in way that makes us so much more than beautiful in God's eyes. I think that the band 3 Cord Wonder has done one of the best jobs at putting this idea into words in their song "Made Perfect". In the song, God is talking to a young woman who is upset with the way she looks, and is describing how He made her perfect. The lyrics to the first verse and chorus read:

The girl you see in the mirror

isn't who I see,

When I look at you

I see reflections of Me,

You don't like your face

so you paint over My masterpiece,

You hide your face

so you hide My face

and fail to believe:

That I made you

the way that you would be most beautiful,

And I planned you

way before the universe was born,

When you try to change yourself

it only makes Me cry,

I don't know why

you try to make better

what I made perfect.

This song is always really touching to me because it brings to light the embarrassing fact that, when we stand in front of the mirror and look in disgust at our bodies, we are not criticizing ourselves, or our parents who gave us the gene for that big nose or that tiny mouth, we are criticizing God, and second-guessing the fact that we are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made. The psalmist says in Psalm 139:15-16, "My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." The idea of being woven together implies that we were not just a combination of God's spare parts in the baby factory. We were painstakingly put together in just the pefect way by God's own hands. And so, I want to encourage everyone this Valentine's Day to take a look at yourself in the mirror and, instead of cringing at that nose, shrinking from that mole, imagining that blonde hair as brown, or those brown eyes as green, take some time to praise God for just how beautiful He has made you. Afterall, God knew just how to make us the most beautiful. As a friend once told me, Jesus thinks you're drop dead gorgeous.

**If you are interested in hearing all of the 3CW song, I have posted a link to it under the "Encouraging Links" section of the blog.**

In Everything, A Purpose

It was Saturday night. I sat down in my recliner, propped up my feet, and snuggled in to start a novel for a class. Tea by my side, I burrowed underneath my plaid snuggie and cuddled up close to my oversized stuffed frog. All things considered, I should have felt relaxed and peaceful. However, while I was reading, I couldn't help but feel lonely. My roommate was puppy-sitting for a friend and wouldn't be home until late. My family was having fun attending a wedding back home. My fiance was spending time with friends in the town where he attends college. I had been working on homework, minding my own business, when out of nowhere, this flood of lonliness washed over me, and I remember thinking to myself, I need a cat. I felt the desire to have something that was always there, something that would cuddle and bring me comfort when I felt alone, something that wouldn't go away just when I made a stupid mistake. Since I am renting a house with a strict no-pet-policy, this new companion was out of the question. It was then that I asked the infamous question, "Why, God?" Why did you put me here without my family and my fiance? Why are you allowing me to go through a season like this? I don't like the way it feels. As the questions came, so did something I wasn't expecting. Peace, an answer. As I paused my complaining to think about what God could be doing, the answer was crystal clear...growing. I realized that God was using this time of lonliness to draw me closer to Him. When I literally had no one there for me, God was there, and He had never moved. By allowing me to feel completely alone, God helped me to realize that He is always with me. My parents and fiance all have to hang up the phone, log off of Skype, and stop sending emails at some point. God never has to leave. I realized that God is using this time, the time when I am away from those who are most important to me, to develop an intimate God and Dani relationship, to teach me to lean on His love, to fall into His arms, and to acknowledge His eternal presence. I am reminded of Joshua 1:19 where God promises, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (NKJV). Have you ever, or are you lately, feeling confused as to why God has allowed you to end up where you are? I would encourage you to pause, and to pray, and to make a conscious effort to look for ways (maybe make a list) that God is showing you His presence and drawing you to Himself through these circumstances. After all, God says in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (NKJV). No matter what I, you, we are going through at this very moment, God has it all under control, and He is doing it for a reason. So, what did God allow me to learn this week? In everything, a purpose.