You’ll need a tissue for this inspiring video of a water boy turned basketball star.
A mom hearts twists like taffy when a special child hurts. Joyful tears trickle down happy cheeks when he achieves the simplest thing — stacking three blocks, for instance — after two years of tryingfailingtryingfailing and finally succeeding.
We moms with special kids — and these include the super, super bright kids who may have trouble fitting in — delight in our own child’s victories and in the victories of others like this boy’s moment in the sun. (Have the Kleenex handy.)
Women long to here the words, “You Are Beautiful.” Do you want to know the most amazing thing: You are beautiful beyond words because God has given you His beauty secrets. Believe it.
Today I’m writing over at www.BasicsMatter.com. Here is my featured post:
We women long to hear these words:
You are beautiful!
We live in an ugly world with impossible beauty standards. Flawless faces leer at us while we wait in the checkout line.
Blemish-free skin, perfect noses, impeccable makeup. And just below the faces. . .
. . . big bosoms and slender, sculpted bods.
Who can compare? Not me. Not you. No one. Not even super models. Even they are air-brushed.
Still, we desire for someone to tell us: You are beautiful!
And the Survey Says. . .
At a speaking engagement at a church, I surveyed women aged 20 to 60 who attended my workshop “Inside Out Beauty.” The question I posed: What are two things would you change about your looks? They wrote their answers. No names. Complete anonymity.
The results:
All but one mentioned weight. No surprise. Many women are on diets of one sort or another. Other responses: blemishes, hairy arms, wrinkles, age spots, eye color, hair color, even “my whole body.”
Ouch! Why are we women so critical of our looks? How can we learn to see ourselves like Jesus does? The answer may surprise you.
What Does Jesus Say?
We learn to see ourselves like Jesus does when we change how we think.
No diets. No exercise plans. No body waxing.
Instead, we allow Jesus to renew our minds — a mind makeover — and learn we are beautiful, inside and out.
This is tough in our image-conscious world, an ugly world that spews lies: You don’t measure up (or down!). . .you’re wrinkled. . .ewww! Cellulite!. . .your bum is too big. . .or too small.
When you feel insecure in this ugly world, believe Jesus, the truth-teller. The Bible reveals God’s five beauty secrets.
5 Beauty Secrets
The secret to true beauty is believing you are who God says you are. Here are five truths about you, tucked in Ephesians, written by the apostle Paul to the believer in Ephesus.
1. Blessed. Those who are in Christ are blessed. In fact, you have every spiritual blessing in Christ right now. Present tense. You have all the blessings now. Yes! You are fully blessed. (Ephesians 1:3)
2. Chosen. God chose you to be in Christ. Before you were conceived, before the world was created, he chose you. You! (Ephesians 1:4)
3. Adopted. You are God’s child through adoption. You belong to Him. Though you may have a rip in your relationship, you will always be His daughter. Always. (Ephesians 1:5)
4. Redeemed. Through Jesus and by the pleasure of God’s will, Jesus paid your sin debt on the Cross. He died, was buried and was raised from the dead for you. You are redeemed. (Ephesians 1:7)
5. Sealed. You are marked by the Holy Spirit, who guarantees your place in heaven. God granted you eternal life. No one can take it away. (Ephesians 1:13)
Wow! You are blessed, chosen, adopted, redeemed and sealed. Can you become more beautiful?
You can cover up a blemish or tone your muscles or reduce the sugar in your diet and drop a few pounds — or 15, like my husband, without trying. Your mirror may reflect a more beautiful image, and you may feel happier. But your enemy will try to steal your happiness.
Stop the Thief!
You have an enemy. Satan. He steals, kills, and destroys. He is the father of lies. He will tempt you to doubt God and believe his lies, like he duped Eve in the Garden.
Say, “That’s a lie. I have true beauty. I have worth. I am secure. God says so. And He tells the truth!”
Friend, if you’d like more comfort, hope, and truth, I invite you to download my free ebook “5 Amazing Names God Calls You.” It’s a fast download. Just go to my website www.LucyAnnMoll.com and look in the left column. You’ll see the offer. If you run into any problems with the download, send me a message and I’ll send it to you.
Jesus gave the very best solution for rest. Do you know it? Do you follow it?
As our REST series finishes today, let’s zoom in to the one best solution for rest, spoken by Jesus himself. (Here are the other REST posts: post 5, post 4, post 3, post 2, post 1.)
Come.
One word. One simple word followed by a string of comfort.
“Come. . .”
where?
“to me, all you who are weary and burdened. . .”
why?
“and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11: 28,29 ).
When you come for rest, you come by way of Jesus.
No Worries
Come to the One who knows best, who loves you unashamedly, who holds your heart in his nail-scarred hands, get comfy, and rest. No fretting. No whining. No worries. In place of negativity, you experience love.
God knows life throws rocks, even boulders, at you. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV).
The New King James version uses a word in place of “trouble”: tribulation. And this brings me to a story, unfunny then, now I snicker.
Even in Life’s Troubles
Years ago a dear person and I worked out at the gym, sweating, grunting, trying to get in great physical shape, and an innuendo slammed me sideways.
I was going through the tough stuff of revisiting childhood pain, and this dear one intimated that true Christians ought to handle their problems better than I handled mine if a truly were a Christian.
That got me.
All growls and teeth, I snarled, “The Bible says that in this world you will have tribulation. And. I. Am. TRIBULATING.”
Trials and tribulations stress every person on the planet. If this were not so, why would the apostle James write: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (1:2-4)
Trials lead to a faith test, which in turn produces perseverance and spiritual maturity, as long as our hearts are soft to God’s will. This process of spiritual growth, though painful at times, is the reason for pure joy.
This joy, this pure joy, as you and I stand with Jesus in life’s storms — coming to him with every hurt, every question, every fear — proves my rest, for I’ve obeyed him and given all my burdens, all of me to him.
All Alone?
If I try to handle my pain without Jesus, I’ll feel any one or more of these emotions: anger, sadness, despair, frustration, fear, even numbness. Out of these negative emotions flow my behavior.
At the gym, I chose anger and irritability. I could have chosen a different emotion like sadness. Then I’d feel lethargic and frown and sigh “woe is me.”
All is better with Jesus. My circumstance and pain would be the same but I’d feel hope. Resting in him is the safest place on earth.
“To feel safe is to stop living in my head and sink down into my heart and feel liked and accepted. . .
not having to hide anymore and distract myself with books, television, movies, ice cream, shallow conversation. . .
staying in the present moment and not escaping into the past or projecting into the future, alert and attentive to the now. . .
feeling relaxed and not nervous or jittery. . .
calm, unafraid, no anxiety about what’s going to happen next. . .loved and valued.”
By coming and resting, my jitters flutter, my sadness lifts, my anger subsides. Yes, life’s trials and tribulations grab hold of our collars and shake us. Jesus’ words soothe like balm. His invitation to “come” bring calm and refreshment.
Your REST Challenge:
Your challenge, my sister in Christ:
Write on your calendar “Come-to-Jesus Day” on your calendar and set aside the day, even a half day, with Jesus. This is your very own personal retreat. Bring a Bible, paper and a pen. During your personal retreat, read scripture, pray, be quiet, and listen. You will hear him. He has a wonderful word for you. So. . .
come
and
rest.
Did you see the other posts in my 6-week REST series?
This 30-second secret to rest is easy, and it works. It can even draw you closer to God because you’ll have a soul that’s less busy and at peace.
This is the fifth post in my six-week series on REST. You can see my last one here. (It shares too-much-money-and-no-rest conundrum.)
Now for the secret!
Tell yourself,
your kids,
grand kids,
hubby (if you’re married),
the dog, the cat, the parakeet
~ OK, not the furry and feathered ones ~
to practice this one simple, 30-second secret:
If you can do it in 30 seconds, do it.
In 30 seconds or less, can you put the coffee cup in the sink, even better: the dishwasher? Yes? By golly, put it in the dishwasher.
Can you toss yesterday’s undies and socks in the hamper in 30 tick-tocks? Toss!
Coats on hooks? Shoes on shelves? Backpacks in rooms? Then hook, shelve, and room.
Even a 30-second counter wipe sparkles a difference, ushering instant peace and joy and rest.
There’s More
Extend the 30-second secret from things to people. Simple 30-second, heart-to-heart connections that turn in little God moments as you love your neighbor.
Can you say “Thank you” to the Walmart cashier in 30 seconds or less? You know you can.
What else?
Hug your kid? Leave a short comment on a blog post? Text a friend? Oh, yeah.
Send up a prayer?
Read a Scripture?
Sit quietly and breathe deep?
Eat a piece of fruit? Or chocolate?
You CAN accomplish this 30-second secret to rest. I know you can. You do too!
Less Stress, More Rest
Guess what happens when you practice this 30-second secret to rest? You make a rest-filled home and. . .heart. Less clutter at home and more moments to hug and say “thank you.” As you open your heart to these little God moments, you experience rest. Burdens lift. You feel energized.
You WANT to thank the cashier, to breathe deep, to thank God.
Question: What is a 30-second secret you’ll do (or did) today?
