Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts

Monday, May 16, 2011

An explanation..


A while back ago, I posted a poem/song that I've now come to find out was rather depressing and frightening to some people close to me.

Know this: I am not suicidal nor depressed, and never have been.

But I am a girl. Who struggles with the way people view her, with loneliness, with feelings of unworthiness.

I often write championing the cause of waiting and letting God be the one to fill the void in our lives. But the thing is, I can write all I want, and still not believe it myself.

I struggle! I'm human! I'm not perfect.

And the devil knows this. He knows my weaknesses. Those feelings of unworthiness, the fear of being alone. And he knows exactly how to play them.

I purposely was vague in that post, not wanting to offend or cause guilt to some friends of mine. You see, I spoke of prom.

Prom.

Oh the feelings of dread and joy associated with that word. An American tradition gone horribly awry.

You see, no one had asked me to go to the prom.

Now, many people might say "Just go with your friends as a group!" And many people did say that. But to me, and perhaps I was seeing a little too deeply into this, prom wasn't about the party. It wasn't about the limos, the dresses, the music.

It was about being asked. Asked to dance. Considered worthy enough to be asked.

And I wasn't asked. I didn't go. And I didn't dance.

That night I sat at home listening to depressing music, watching pictures of prom go up on facebook, and all I could think was, "Why didn't they ask...? What kept them from asking me...? Am I so undesirable to have as a date?"

And I forgot what mattered the most. I forgot how I had encouraged so many young girls to wait through highschool to date. I forgot my own commitment to wait. I forgot about the one God has waiting for me. I forgot about the ONE above who was quietly whispering, "I already asked."

And instead, I wrote that song. I vented my grief and despair over never having another prom (for I graduate this week) to go to, never being asked to dance. I let Satan have his way with my weaknesses. I let him manipulate those feelings of loneliness and unworthiness and that seeped in through the pictures on facebook, my friends innocent comments, their unconscious actions.

How could they have known? But I blamed them. And wallowed that night.

Yet the song has two lines at the end that "go up". Maybe. But they weren't heartfelt. They were done out of obligation to keep up the profile, the image people had known me for.

So why do I write this?

I write this to show that even those who proclaim to be strong and untouchable, those who seem perfect and we put on a pedastool... we're not immune.

That night God brought several girls online to talk to me. Each one had been touched by what I wrote and I was able to be ministered by them! and to them. I saw, and they saw, that we are not alone. And by that, one lie was conquered. Loneliness.

I went to my writers forum, and in the midst of my tears, God brought out a batch of "thank yous". Fellow brothers in Christ thanked me for being an example of a heart for the Lord and for the love God had given me for them. And with that, another lie was conquered. Unworthiness.

What Satan meant for evil, God meant for His glory.

Amen and Amen.





Monday, February 14, 2011

To all those single ladies on the Great Day of Love...

Several times recently, the topic of beauty has been brought up amongst my friends and I.
And as a person who struggled (and struggles) daily with a low self image, I know what it's like to view yourself as

[worthless] and [inferior.]

So what do we as women of God do to defend against these feeling of worthlessness? We turn to make up, hair products, new clothes, and body treatments. Many people have opinions on why we do this, but as a single woman, I can say that mine is a little different.

I want to be cherished. I want to be cherished by a man of God who delights himself in the love and law of the Lord. But as it happens, I don't have a husband, boyfriend or fiancé to do that for me. And so I turn to myself to cherish myself. Which results in make up, hair products, clothes, (even flowers!) that I buy myself so I will feel cherished.

There's something wrong with this picture though. I'm not allowing myself to be cherished by someone else, when I'm so busy cherishing myself.

Because you see, someone is cherishing me.

And He finds me ravishing and gorgeous and perfectly suited to His tastes in women: Clothed in white garments and washed by the blood of the Lamb.

I hide, like a frightened child behind a mask of chemicals, oils, and elixirs, trying to disguise the beauty God has given me with something fake and false that is akin to the perfection we see in

[Barbie dolls] and [Disney Princesses.]

Have we truly let beauty be equated to plastic toys that could be used as toothpicks and animated figures of fabled legends? Where did the timeless beauty of
the Shulamite in Song of Songs go?
What happened to her abandonment to love?
Or the beauty of Ruth?
That singular trust and obedience of a submissive spirit to her Lord's will?
Or the beauty of Esther?
The confidence and faith of a woman sold out to her Savior?

Are these attributes considered ugly and unlikable? I think not. God said in 1st Peter that the kind of spiritual beauty the women listed above had was a

"...precious thing...of great worth in the eyes of God.."
that he will
"...delight over you with singing and great joy..."
(Zephaniah).

If we have the joy and delight of God in the light of being His precious creation are we blaspheming God and saying that what He created is "not good" simply cause we aren't idolized as a child's toy?

God created the woman out of the rib of Adam and said it was very good. We took nothing away, nor added a thing.

If God didn't, who are we to do so?

I admit. I am guilty of this constantly. But what kind of mask are you hiding behind? Are you a slave to the perfection of a finicky world? Or are you using the things provided you, as Esther did with the beauty treatments Xerxes provided, to merely enhance and let your glorious and true beauty shine?

Esther may have been beautiful, but what was she remembered for in the long run?

Her beauty?

Two questions for you to think about:

1. Do you fall victim to these lies? If so why kind of mask do you hide behind and why?

2. Are you calling God a liar? Do you deny His proclamation of your beauty? Is so, why do you think that is, and what could you change to stop that?

[Twist back the image of beauty the world has brainwashed you with.]

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Thursday Tidbits

Just a few things to note.

1. Incase anyone was wondering, I got contacts this week. Apparently, the glasses aren't doing their job, which is rather a let down.
[I thought they were rather awesome, in my humble opinion.]
But as Dr. Bestwinna let me know, my right eye is 4 times worse than before. Yeah. Shocked me too. Didn't think I would get my parents' eyes so early. :P
[Love you mom and dad!]
And now I am no longer a cyclops. My left eye needs them now too. Great. Oh, and to top it all off the right one has astigmatism. Lovely. SO. I have contacts. And since I had them for a short time before, [in the right eye only, since the left one was fine two years ago] the right eye's contact fits fine, and I don't notice. The left however....oh dear. I can't seem to get used to it. I'm beginning to wonder if I have it in wrong. >_> It hurts and my eye is leaking like Niagara Falls. Which, believe me, isn't pleasant.
At all.
[See? It's red. Like MY EYE.]
But the contacts look nice on me. :D And I don't have black rims around everything anymore!

2. Numéro deux.
[That's French for Number two.]
The Rebelution tour is coming to Nashvegas! Huzzah! If you've never heard of the Rebelution, check this out:


Wanna come? Sign up here!
I'll be at the door, registering people. So..I guess if you want to see me too, sign up. :P Cause I'm such an amazing draw.
[Sarcasm, anyone?]

3. Update on my reading list.
Currently reading:
-Twelfth Night by The Lovely Shakespeare
and
-Radical by David Platt
Twelth Night is almost finished [after which, I have to write a few papers and answer questions. Good times. :D], and I'm entering the fourth chapter in Radical. Radical is slower to read, but much more challenging, mentally and spiritually. And also more rewarding.
[Twelfth Night is just fun.]
I noticed something. No one is joining me in reading even one of the books on my list.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!
I know, I know. I'm some freak who LOVES to read. Get over it. You should too. It's fun. And rewarding. And ... learn-i-ish. I love made up words. :D
But seriously. Huckleberry Finn is not hard to read. For that matter, neither is Shakespeare. Despite what your 8th grade English Class taught you years ago. You CAN love Shakespeare. Trust me. I'm not the only one who does. :P
[I'm pointing to you, you writers I know that follow my blog. You traitors of all things bookish.]
[Can you see my lovely sense of the dramatic here?]
So. GO. READ. JOIN ME. PLEASE. Do you think I enjoy explaining all of Shakespeare puns with Mumsie Dearest? I thought not.
I leave you with this. Simply cause I find it horridly ironic and it's one of my favorite verses to quote. Especially when Dad starts egging on me to study for the ACT. Again.
[Which is rather a smart thing to do, but don't tell anyone I admitted to it.
I mean, I can trust the World Wide Web, right?]
Here it is:
{But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There's no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you're no good for anything else.}
-Ecclesiastes 12:12 MSG

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Monday, Monday, Monday.....(said with a deep voice that rumbles)

Miscellany Monday @ lowercase letters


So yes, I have a long post comin' your way today, cause it's Monday. :D Which happens to include pics. Huzzah!

1. KA trip.

Which was awesome. Here's some stuff from it.

Me, trying to get some last minute editing done! I like this pic. It's funny and cute. And my hair looks awesome. :P In case you were wondering, yes I cut it. Again. I can't help it! I love it short!

Lunch on Saturday, I have the grey hat on. Oh, how I miss you guys!

Some of us goofing of as Pirates vs. Ninjas. XD I was a Pirate!

Samii, StoryGirl and me! *Sorry SG! I forgot your name! Eyi!

2. A new book.

Yup. And you have to buy it. It's just too amazing. Here's a vid on what it's all about.



This book has changed my life, and I'm only in the third chapter. Here's a tid bit for ya.

It's easy for American Christians to forget how jesus said his followers would actually live, what thier new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the sake of the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily....

But who do you know that lives like that? Do you?

3. Discussion

Last night Mom, Dad, Janessa and I had some powerful discussion on what we (as a family) believe as Baptists. It was challenging, encouraging, and heartening to be fed the truth. Time after time, we pulled out our copies of God's Word and checked what we believe to what we know the Bible says. How amazing is it to know that God has an answer to everything? Whether or not he decides to make it known to us...
Here's a bit that was especially powerful for me.
God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
Romans 8:28-30
I don't know how to keep going on miscellaneous things today. Today is just too thoughtful to fill with random musings. Last night's talk left too big an imprint on me to be spouting off about Sharpies and shopping sprees....and after that video..I don't know if I want to. God has a bigger calling on our lives than the best deals at the grocery store. Are we responding to it? And I leave you with this. A video that did more than change my life...it's changed my future.





Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Changes, changes...

Some of you may have noticed the changes on my blog. Well, a lot is happening to do so.

  1. If you want to keep up with my re-enactments, go to it's own specialized page, newly made for your convenience!
  2. I am a writer, so my blog might be a little more literary minded this school year. Including my study of Shakespeare's works for my Brit Lit cred. :D
  3. The new name. Don't worry, the url is still the same. But I've come to a realization this summer. God has equipped me with a talent for words, and I intend to use it to tell stories of grace, hope, forgiveness, and sacrifice. Some times that means I have to dip into the real world for examples of sin, despair, cruelty, and deprivation. Understand that this is real writing. Not some fairy tale. Not a lovey-dovey story that makes you feel good and your innards warm. As a friend of mine once said, "I want to be God's frying pan and go around whacking heads. People have got to wake up." Wake up indeed.
  4. Pictures.....ah yes. Those lovely things. Weeel, the laptop crashed, so posting pictures is difficult now and editing them is near impossible. I'm working on that. ;) Re-enactments are hard to come by in the summer (when it's 99 degrees for a week straight). But trips aren't! :D And I have plenty of those coming.
  5. Sewing Projects!!!! I have yet to update that page (or develop it for that matter. ;) ) I have several projects done, and finished, that I would love to post and talk about! Check out that page soon for some awesome stitching!
To keep you all up to date, here's a look at what this year is bringing:

  • NC trip (#3 of this year) and trip to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC.
  • Several re-enactments. Including the Fall Encampment, Red River, Yule Fest, Daniel Smith Days, and possibly Fort Loudon, which I am especially excited about.
  • The usual Thanksgiving Trip to NC.
  • A "talked of" Christmas trip to....Texas? O_o
And in addition to:

  • School!
  • Novel deadline (August 15th at midnight)
  • New novel!
  • Graduation! O_O There's a shocker for ya. ;)
Some updates on my life:

  1. The Kansas trip went great and I had a blast! Learned so much from the people there and can't wait to go back next year.
  2. Contacts?
  3. A new impersonation for re-enacting. Drumroll please!!! : It's a young widow. Hoohoo! There's gonna be some fun with that. :D
  4. This is a little more serious. I have felt God leading me into the mission field after (and during) college. For quite a while he has placed the people of Europe on my heart, where religion there is a culture, not a relationship with God Almighty. Please pray for me as I find out what God has planned for my life and prepare for His calling.
So, anyways. Lotsa going on. And more to come. ;) (Don't worry, patience isn't a virtue I possess either. XD )




Tuesday, May 4, 2010

4 Random Things...and some announcements.

Apparently, the flooding has reached national headlines...didn't realize that. But it's bad. realllll bad. Most of Nashville is underwater and will be for quite some time. This is horrible for our economy...which ain't the greatest anyways.

The dams here are also brimming, but they can't let out anymore water as it would destroy even more. This is very dangerous. If the water overflows, it could damage the dams.

Clean drinking water is also running out and people are being asked to conserve. This comes at the worst time, when everyone is planting their gardens and farms..that need water.

For those of you who care, I AM okay. There's been some flooding near us, closing off some of the major (and minor) road ways which make it hard to get to anything, like jobs and stores. Schools have been closed as buses can't get where they need to, and most of the schools have suffered damage as well.

The biggest concern in mold. Everyone is trying desperately to clean the water up, but in some places it's over 10 feet deep. Mold sets in after two days, and we're pretty darn near that mark. This could be disastrous to people who've already lost almost everything by just the water. Mold means you have to replace everything, down to the sheetrock.

Please keep us all in your prayers as we try to help others worse off than us. We need them.

Now, 4 Random Things for the Planting Chums!

1. I LOVE Sharpies. Seriously! They're so much fun! I recently bought a huge package of them with the double ends in all these bright colors!! MUCH love. :D

2. I sleep with my cat. I do, I do, I do!!! :D Usually she curls up behind my knees.

3. I spell "grey" with an 'e' not an 'a'. E looks better...more...green. XD

4. I do NOT "lol". Blegch. Nasteh uncreative abbreviations. It's *laugh* or "That made me laugh!" Whoever invented texting DESTROYED the English Language. UGH.

So...now that I've had my little rant. :D What about you? What are four random things about you? Comment to let us know!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Tagged

Okay, so Sam tagged me. Here goes:


1.What is your favorite color? Coral
2.What is your favorite place to shop? Goodwill, Target, and Walmart. I'm a bargain shopper. :)
3.What is your junk food? Cape Cod kettle cooked potatoe chips
4.What is your favorite thing to do in the summer? picnics and visiting family
5.What is your favorite dog breed? Scottish Deerhounds
6.What is your favorite flower? orchids, calla lilies, lilies, geraniums
7.What is your favorite hairstyle? When my hair was long: down and wavy. Now, up out of my face
8.What is your favorite thing to wear around the house? comfy sweater and "twirly" skirt and moca-socks
9. favorite thing to do with your family? play games or make dinner together
10.Who is your best friend? Allison and Danielle
11.What is one of your fav Bible verses? Jeremiah 1:6-8
12.What are your fav shoes? my cowboy boots, potatoe shoes, "garter" shoes, and turquiose ballet slippers

I tag Danielle, Allison, and Jessica