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So, just a few hours remain of 2019. I've been blessed in so many ways:
Happy New Year to you all! *This post was written upon request from www.freespiritpublishingblog.com    God knew I needed one of those rare blank squares on my calendar today. His timing is so good.
The uptick in activity the start of school brings is a big adjustment for all of us. Enter: Fall weather and cold season. Another adjustment. From what we wear to new mixes of germs, challenging our immune systems. This month, in particular, has been a lot to manage. Aside from being sick, it is mostly good, just a lot to manage. From working on 4 book projects at once, to learning a new curriculum at school, to presenting at multiple events, getting my daughter to her various activities, and trying to stay healthy, I really needed a recovery day. Here's my dream day recovery recipe:
Plans for the rest of the day? I mean, it's only 7am right now!
I know, it doesn't seem like that much to make me happy. It's just so opposite what I normally get to do. I feel blessed, reading back this list of things I can enjoy today. I hope you have days like this too. What do you do to pamper yourself or unwind on those rare, blank square days?  Joyce Meyer says, "Every time you look in the mirror, remember that God created you and that EVERYTHING he creates is beautiful and good."
In a world where comparison seems to be how we gauge our success or determine who we think we should be, sometimes it's hard to feel great about who we are. Theodore Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." There is definitely truth in that. However, when we compare our insides to someone else's outsides, it is an unfair comparison. There are two main reasons for this: 1. You have no idea how much work was put in behind the scenes. Something that seems to come easily to someone else may actually have taken years of practice. Don't think of yourself as "less than" because others seem to have it all figured out. No doubt, they went through their share of struggles on their way to success. 2. You are seeing others through the filter they choose to present themselves. Someone may appear to be a natural beauty. The part you don't know is the amount of time and products used on their skin and hair or the filters they use on their photos. They may seem to have the perfect family, career, and lifestyle, but you don't see what happens behind closed doors or what it took to get there. Sometimes people show their best and hide the rest. Jealousy comes from forgetting what we've been given. We were all created in God's image. The Bible tells us right up front, in Genesis 1:31, "Then God looked over all he had made and he saw that it was very good!" God doesn't make mistakes. You ARE enough and you are good. It may be tempting to think God has more favor on others. But, when the sun shines, it shines on all of us, even those who don't "deserve it." When it rains, it rains on all of us. If we all got what we deserved, we would actually have horrible storms most of the time. We can be thankful that God is so merciful and forgives our sins. If we feel like good things are not happening for us, maybe it's just not happening YET. God's timing is a mystery, but it is perfectly planned. When you make popcorn, you put all of the kernels into the same pot, with the same oil, on the same temperature, at the same time, but they don't all pop at the same time, do they? No one wins when we compare. It doesn't matter how many degrees, dollars, likes, or follows other people have. What matters is that you are His. Satan would like nothing more than to have you feel insecure because you'll stop shining Christ's light. The only approval we need to seek is God's. His thoughts about you are what counts. David expresses this in Psalms 139: 13-17, "You made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous- how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a singe day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God." So next time you look in the mirror, smile and remember, "For we are God's masterpiece. he has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." ~ Ephesians 2:10 |
