Beauty flows

There's a part of me that says I don't want to know what it's like to have this type of "beauty"....The woman who's seen so much loss, hurt, rejection and loneliness in life.  The beauty that comes from living and learning.  The beauty that is found in someone who learns to trust in God for what can't be seen but what can be felt and experienced.

To be honest, there are days when I want to possess the beauty that causes a head to turn, that causes grown men to act foolishly around their friends.  I want to be the woman who doesn't have to hide body flaws, has perfect teeth, hair, skin and a drop-dead figure.  That's just not the case for me.  I'm not unattractive but I'm not THAT woman...but what I am is a woman who has been broken.  I've felt the pain of being next to a man as he gives his attention to another woman, I've felt the pain of a husband who chose to love on another woman while we were married, I've felt rejection - both physical and emotional and THROUGH IT ALL....my beauty OUTSHINES any other woman I've been rejected over.  I HAVE THE LIVING GOD dwelling inside of me.  I am HIS!  I am loved with a love sooooo great that His eyes never wander from me.  He seeks after me. His faithfulness is more than physical and fleeting - it's constant.  It flows through my veins and reminds me I AM BEAUTIFUL!

Women and men alike - WE ARE BROKEN AND BEAUTIFUL!  We have been tested and found faithful.  We may not be Victoria's Secret models or GQ models but we are a treasure to the One who matters most.  We are cherished by The King of Kings and The Lord of Lords. 

#startingover15 isn't about starting over once - but over and over again.  We have to remind ourselves regularly that we are precious in His sight and it's through our broken and humble spirits that God uses us.  Isn't God wonderful?!!!

Never stop loving

Taking it all in...someone's father died this week.  Someone's brother took his life.  Someone's little girl breathed her last breath.  Someone's best friend and spouse crossed over to the other side.

Basically - we are not given any more minutes in any given day to show those who mean the most just how much we love and appreciate them.  It doesn't matter if they show it to us....we have to love again and again and again and again.

I know how much "LOVE" I have within me.  I know I don't always feel like showing it.  There are days when my feelings are hurt, when my needs go unmet, or when I just don't get my way, but that doesn't give me an excuse to stop giving love.

Love is a gift both given and received and I do not want my children, grandchildren or husband to ever doubt I love them.  How empty my life would be without them!  I know....I experienced many days/nights where loneliness was my companion.  Never again, do I want to live life alone.  Now...I'm going to dance like no-one is watching, sing like I just don't care who hears, laugh when I'm sad, put my make-up on, get dressed and live life to it's fullest - because tomorrow may just not be mine.

I choose to start each day over - with a heart full of love.  I choose to hold hands with the man God gave me.  I choose to love my kids and grandkids because they are nothing short of amazing.

How about you?  Will you choose to love again and again?  #startingover15 is all about that...let's love again!

If you could see you, the way I see you

 

It's been too long since I've sat down and taken a few minutes to share from my heart, my apologies. 

How many of us get tossed about from time to time in a way that causes us to doubt ourselves?

I know I do.

Just recently someone I love dearly made a statement that stopped me and made me really think about this, once again.  I know without a doubt that God loves me JUST HOW I AM!  He doesn't look at my size, my shape, my wrinkles, my hair color, my skin, my teeth, my clothes...He looks at my heart, my mind, my soul!  He absolutely LOVES me!  Just as He absolutely loves YOU!

It does not matter what has been said about us, the roads we've traveled, the sin in our past.  Once we ask God to forgive us, cleanse us and make us new again, He does!  We don't have to beg.  We don't have to bring sacrifices to Him like they did in Biblical times.  He paid the ultimate price on Calvary for every sin that was committed from that day forward.  We just have to forgive ourselves and allow The Lord to finish what He has started in our lives.  Join hands with Him and walk the walk with Him.  

God is good to us...in the United States, Ireland, Canada, the Netherlands, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, South Africa, Germany, Malaysia, the Philippines, Russia, France, Brazil, India, the United Kingdom, Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago (all the places where people have visited my blog).

Let's join together across this world in prayer for all of us who are striving to become all God wants us to be!  Lord draw us closer to You!

Here's to #startingover15

WE ARE CHOSEN!