I feel the pressures of social norms and the grip they have on my life. Since when are we unable to leave the house without putting makeup on - even if it's just a quick touch up with mascara and powder? Why do we feel the need to make ourselves up and put so much time into our appearance? Since when does make up and putting time into our appearance so directly effect our self esteem - why must it define us and hold this much control over our lives? Disgusting. I am not bashing people who wear make up - i enjoy getting dolled up just as much as any other girl. I also think make up can accentuate the natural beauty each of us posses. What i am bashing is the make up industry partnering with society's power to make us feel like we NEED make up. To associate so much beauty with stupid products. I'm upset that we, that i, as a woman have allowed myself to buy into the lie that i need makeup. So, i feel the Lord prompting me to fast - from any and all makeup whatsoever. Instead of spending time painting my face, I hope to invest this time and energy in the eternal hope and relationship i have with the Lord. Instead of checking my face and making sure my make up doesn't need touching up everytime i look in the mirror, i want to see beyond and rest assured knowing true beauty is not external. Make up Make up FREE! Day 1
Do not let your adorning be external - the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear - but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious - 1 Peter 3:4
May the condition of our hearts and the hearts of those God puts in our path be our priority - all the glory to God and not to us. May we truly understand the beauty of seeking the Lord and the IMPERISHABLE, EVERLASTING beauty each of us possess in the relationship we have with the Beloved. All of the lies we've come to believe as women - God, crush them. May we find our beauty in you. So, one week. Until next Tuesday; I will not wear makeup of any kind - chapstick is the only exception.
The righteous cry out and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. -Psalm 34:17
I worked at Applebees until late tonight. The whole drive home was a blur, since i was exhausted from a busy night at work. After flipping through radio stations, good old 91.5 came to my rescue with this song: Jesus Culture's We Cry Out. Simple lyrics, simple message, yet so so POWERFUL.
Oh Lord, we cry out, we've been lost We need your mercies, O God. We repent for our ways, and we turn to You again.
O Lord,we cry out, we've been lost Change our hearts to YOURS, O God. We repent for our sin, and we turn to You again.
O God, we cry out for Your mercy O God, we cry out for Your grace O God, we cry out, set us free O God, we cry out, once again.
In those seasons and those days when we are weary and exhausted, the Lord brings restoration and REST. He delivers, sends a REVIVAL for our hearts and our souls. May we cry out to Him amongst any and all trials, joys and jubilee. Thank you Lord for your unfailing Love, for Your mercy and Your abounding grace that covers the entirety of our sins and unworthiness. Bring revival, God. Shake hearts of stone, make them beat in and for Your name once again. Bring passion. We cry out to you, Lord. It is all for You. We need You, oh how we need You.
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! ~Psalms 105:3-6
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore i will hope in him." The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. -Lamentations 3:22-27
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For i was hungry and you gave me food, i was thirsty and you gave me drink, i was a stranger and you welcomed me, i was naked and you clothed me, i was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you...?" And the King will answer them, "Truly, i say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to me." -Matthew 25:34-40
Who am i to have the security of living in safe suburbia? Who am i that i have the opportunity to receive a good education? Who am i that i have more than enough food to eat whenever, wherever, at my disposal? Not to mention clean water, medical services, shopping centers, parks, sidewalks, paved roads, cars, beaches, clean air, eye glasses, immunizations, and money.
And who would i be if i remained an ignorant, white woman who never looked beyond the safety and security of the community i was blessed beyond BELIEF to grow up in? Who would i be if i didn't share the resources, the blessings, the opportunities, the gifts I've received surely by God's grace alone? Who would i be if i didn't reach out, if i remained ill-informed and apathetic? Who would i be if i didn't use my one voice for the good and well being of others?
As i drove home from the Waite House today, all of these questions ran through my mind. I have been given an opportunity to be educated, to open my eyes and to serve others in my community - to hear about, witness and spread the news of others without the security i have. I tend to shy away from politics - i guess, in a sense, ignorance is bliss. But if i am ignorant, if i do not fight for what i believe is right, if my voice remains silent, ignorance is crippling. Is my faith enough? Surely, the answer is yes. My faith in a God who sent His beloved son to walk on this earth and touch the untouchable, reach out to those in need, feed the hungry, tend to the sick, RAISE PEOPLE FROM THE DEAD, welcome any and all - that is my God. That is Jesus Christ, my Lord, and my reason to fight. I went to a prayer vigil at the Ramsey County Prison this afternoon, and boy, was it powerful. To see others join together in this fight to partake in the most powerful, yet simple thing was astounding - the power of prayer! It was amazing to see strangers give my U of M classmates and i money to put towards our Food Shelf Drive for the Waite House - simply humbling.
Yes, immigration is a tough issue. I'm not saying i have all the answers or know of a solution to this tough topic. But what i am sure of, is the need to look beyond the title of "alien", "illegal immigrant", "latino" or "black" or "white" and see a human LIFE. There is a need to look past patriotism and love of country and begin to love on and serve others in NEED. There is a reason why so many risk their lives crossing dry deserts and deadly bodies of water in attempts to seek refuge in this country. Truly, this is not a threat but a cry of DESPERATION. And who are we to quickly point fingers at 'outsiders' as the root of our economic problems or current state? That is a truly ridiculous lie. As followers of Christ, are we not called to welcome strangers? Since when does patriotism come before our everlasting faith in our everlasting King? There must be a better solution, than to violently turn foreigners away; than to have the right to demand proof of citizenship from anyone that appears "foreign", for this is truly racial profiling. There must be a better way to approach those held in detention centers by refusing them food/drink, a clean place to stay and taking all their belongings. There MUST be a better way. And it may involve reaching beyond the boarder to the root of the problem.
In the choice between patriotism and humanity, can the well being of human lives be compromised for love of country? Certainly not. "A man may have to die for our country: but no man must, in any exclusive sense, live for his country. He who surrenders himself without reservation to the temporal claims of a nation, or of a party, or a class is rendering to Caesar that which, of all things, most empathetically belongs to God: himself" -C.S. Lewis
How could i stay silent, apathetic and in the dark all of these years? I am but one voice. But backed with purpose, a faith in the Lord's power and the need of fellow human beings, one voice can be a catalyst to a powerful change.
What is your voice being used to proclaim? How will your life make a difference in the lives of others? In what way will you share what you've been blessed with? We have but one life, one chance, one voice - i urge each of us to use it in bettering the lives of others and living out a life of faith.
Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality -Romans 12:13
Can't Sleep = Ramblings, photos, thoughts, dreams on my mind and heart
Healing. Lover. El Salvador. India? Long-term missions? Adoption! Renewed. The Latino community. Teacher. Mentor. Student. Disciple. The complexity of the issue of immigrants without documentation. Marriage counselor? Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you i wait all the day long. -Psalm 25:4-5 "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words". Blessed. Stubborn. Determined. The Psalms. Busy-ness. Applebees. Student teaching. Art. Hermitages.
