Tag: smile

Stunning

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She dresses with strength and nobility, and she smiles at the future. Proverbs 31:25

How tall are you standing?

How often do you smile at yourself in the mirror?

Is your resting face pleasant?

Are you resting in the satisfaction God is in control and you don’t have to be?

Are you walking a little straighter?

You must, so your crown doesn’t fall to the floor.

When will you begin to enjoy the body God gave you?

When you’re dead?

That will be too late.

Life is too short to worry about every imperfection.

Those are dependent upon the whims of society anyhow.

Live within the blessing of God.

Live within the promise of Whose you are.

Live within the image of God.

That’s who you were fashioned after.

Allow God’s peace to wash over you as you stand tall.

Nothing bothers you because God’s got it all covered.

Have you ever really smiled because you suddenly realized how very valuable you are to God?

Think about it. Dwell in it for a moment.

God created you. You. And He doesn’t make mistakes. Ever.

When you allow His love and grace to cover you, your face cannot help but grin loudly.

Grin. Stand tall. And share this grace and love with the others around you.

Talk about stunning.

Photos by Javier González Fotógrafo, Vitaliy Zalishchyker, & Chase Kennedy on Unsplash

Oceans of God’s Love

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How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7

Ever tried to comprehend the vastness of God’s love for you?

Let’s try.

You and I deserve to be punished for our sin.

Why? Because God is holy.

Because God is holy, sin cannot enter heaven.

Because God created us in His image, we have a spirit, soul, and body.

And with those, we make choices every single day.

To follow God or not.

To bow to our flesh or not.

Because we have chosen sin once and then way more than we’d like to ever admit, we deserve death.

Someone has to pay for our sin.

And that person should be us.

Except for Jesus.

He stepped in and paid it all for us.

He suffered and died in our place.

Why?

Because of His great love for us.

His ocean of love, waiting to surround our very selves.

What will you do?

What is your response?

Will your heart overflow with love and gratitude, spilling onto the lives around you?

Your choices each day either reveal your gratitude to God or showcase your selfish dependence on flesh.

If you really think about God’s enormous love for you, you cannot help but smile.

Are you smiling yet?

Photos by Jamez Picard, Saiph Muhammad, Brett Jordan, & Madison Oren on Unsplash

That Sneaking Feeling

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But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26

You know that feeling?

The one that says you should do something?

That nagging suspicion you should comply with?

If it’s for any sort of reconciliation or compliance with God’s way for you, that’s the Holy Spirit.

He’s whispering to you what you know you should do.

So do you do it?

Why not?

Pride.

Wanting to satisfy your pitiful flesh instead of humbling yourself.

Very tempting, I know.

It’s our natural tendency to feed our flesh instead of what God wants us to do.

Conflict within ourselves is when there’s a choice: our flesh or God.

Helps to remember a couple things.

First, life is so temporary.

The moments we have are fleeting and will never return.

Should we make those moments count, bettering our future?

Or fill the moments with ourself on the throne, never getting those wasted moments back?

And second, as God sees us behaving, what do you want to show Him?

An ungrateful attitude or someone who is learning to put others first?

Do you want to grieve the heart of God or help Him smile?

You could also flip that.

Do you want your actions to cause a win for the Enemy or make it even harder for him to have you?

That little small voice deep inside our head is the Holy Spirit.

He’s there, helping you know exactly what next to do.

The questions is, will you?

Will you listen or keep ignoring Him?

Photos by Luca Zanon, 青 晨, Robert V. Ruggiero, & Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

Walking From Above

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But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13

Do you know how God sees you?

Do you know about your assured value?

Daughter of the King. Son of the Most High.

Chosen. Valued. Loved.

Do you live like that matters?

It’s hard on earth, yes?

It’s hard when life is cluttered with noise.

Noise from frustrating situations.

That noise can become louder than the voice of God.

It regularly reduces us to our emotional state of mind instead of relying on our sound mind from God.

Are you shrinking down, low enough to be surrounded by the noise of this earth?

Or are you rising tall, listening instead to the voice of God?

When you look up and remember, the noise of the world fades away as you listen to who God says you are.

Not in an arrogant ignoring your duties kind of way.

But living with renewed purpose.

With a smile on your face.

Because He knows.

He cares, and He is never leaving your side.

Picture yourself in a beautiful gown.

Or if you’re a guy, fitted in a brand new suit.

You are clean and fresh, standing tall in your new clothing.

You stand up. And as you keep your face towards Gods, you grow taller and taller.

Suddenly, the things of this world are tiny as you rise above.

The noise fades and all you hear is God’s whispered words of love over you.

You walk around, barely noticing the cares of this world, as you walk while under His provision.

You are more than the longings of this world.

You are more than the problems of this world.

You are more than the issues you will always need to face.

You are more because you are His.

Stand tall. Rise above.

Photos by Chelsea Bock, Dave Hoefler, Jack Sloop, & Ion Fet on Unsplash

Your Value

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Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4

You are capable. You are confident. You belong here.

Recently shared those words with a loved one, who was questioning her abilities.

When she repeated them, a smile broke out across her face.

She was reminded of her value.

When walking into a new situation, lack of confidence is normal.

You can begin to question if you’re even capable.

If you actually belong.

When we lose the belief in ourself, our outward actions tend to mirror our timidity.

We become shy. We fumble around, grasping at straws. We actually don’t belong when acting like so.

Do you believe who God says you are?

Because that’s where your confidence ultimately rests.

It’s where your words of belonging were born.

Before God made this world, He thought of us.

It’s like God smiled when you entered His mind, before anything on earth existed.

You are that important.

Knowing this, you can live from this truth.

You are capable. You are confident. You belong here.

Now it’s your turn to smile.

Photos by Brendan Beale, Madison Oren, Bethany Laird, & Ben White on Unsplash

Slaps and Hugs

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A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.  Proverbs 15:13

Life can bring you stress or peace.

Stomach cringes or smiley fill up your bucket type of moments.

You know – slaps or hugs.

Do you have things you do every day you cannot stand?

Or have gotten really old?

Can you forget them?

If you’re honest, some of them you could.

You could throw away the plants that need water.

You could give away the dog.

You could get off that one committee.

You could stop being everyone’s maid.

Make a list.

Then decide if you can honestly stop any of them.

And if you still have some stomach cringing stressful “slap you downs” on your list, move them over to the hug side.

Now, what about your pick me ups? Your hugs? Things that make you smile?

Things in your life you would rather do for as long as humanly possible.

Picking up a book and becoming lost in the adventure.

Tickling the ivories as your fingers fly over the keys.

Lacing up your running shoes to take in a much needed breath of fresh air.

List what makes you smile.

Helps when you need that pick me up. That hug.

Now, remember your slaps you listed? The ones you need to keep in your short life?

Hopefully you moved them over to the good side. The side that makes you happy.

You know – your hugs.

What?

Yes. Change the focus, showing their positive side.

Watering my flowers? Boy, they sure are beautiful!

Creating healthy meals for my family? I am helping us stay our freshest and best, honoring our bodies God created.

Make sense? There’s a positive side to anything.

In our life, there are many stressors. Many slaps so to speak.

So don’t let it slap you down. Don’t let anything steal your peace.

Get rid of extra things you don’t need to bother with anymore.

But all the rest? Look at them in a positive light.

God gives you things. Use your talents and abilities to glorify Him.

And stop slapping yourself silly!

Photos by Andrew Neel, Joshua Clay, Ekaterina Shakharova, & Joice Kelly on Unsplash