Everything Archives

When was the last time that someone told YOU that you are BEAUTIFUL? I am here to tell you, friend, YOU are Beautiful!!!!!

I know this, because GOD has CREATED us Fearfully and Wonderfully! Psalm 139:14

God does not make Ugly things. He makes everything BEAUTIFUL in it’s time. Ecclesiastes 3:11

I am a nurse anesthetist, I have given hundreds of anesthetics to patients undergoing plastic surgery procedures. There are many women who come back multiple times to receive more and more surgery in hopes to obtain the perfect body. There is nothing wrong with Plastic Surgery or looking nice, as long as that is not the remedy one is seeking to cure their need for ultimate happiness. When our definition of beauty is defined by the WORLD then we will always fall short of achieving Beauty. The WORLD defines our beauty based on what we look like on the outside.

The WORLD would like me to believe that IF I have a certain waist size THEN I’ll be HAPPY……

IF I have a certain breast size, THEN I’ll be ACCEPTED…………..

IF I have straighter, whiter teeth THEN I’ll be BEAUTIFUL……..The list goes on and on.

When our HAPPINESS, our ACCEPTANCE, our definition of BEAUTY is based on WORDLY standards, we will always fall short searching for more, because we will never measure up. The reality is a person can spend thousands of dollars on surgery fixing the outside and still never BE Happy. Because what they are looking to achieve, is something only God can fulfill.

The quest for achieving the perfect body according to WORDLY standards, will always render a person defeated, depleted, empty and wanting more.

When we seek worldly approval, allowing the world to define our BEAUTY, we will be left eternally dissatisfied. When we allow GOD to DEFINE our beauty we will be eternally SATISFIED, never needing worldly approval again.

“All Men are Like grass and all their glory is like the flower of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” 1 Peter 1:24-35 NIV

WORLDLY Beauty will Fade but God’s TRUTH Lasts FOREVER…….

When we seek approval from God, we will have a Beauty that will never fade. In His definition of beauty we are accepted just the way we are. He has CREATED You beautiful, and no worldly fix will make you more BEAUTIFUL than you already are.

The WORLD defines our beauty by our CHARACTERISTICS, what we look like on the outside. CHARACTERISTICS do not make us more BEAUTIFUL our CHARACTER does. God cares about the condition of our hearts and what is in them. When God’s love lives in our hearts—– It RADIATES the beauty he CREATED outwardly, making YOU the most BEAUTIFUL creation. We become so much more in God’s love for us. Have you told someone lately that they are BEAUTIFUL? Pick up the phone, write a note, send a text and tell someone that they are BEAUTIFUL, it will brighten their day, and confirm that God makes all things BEAUTIFUL!

Going Deeper:
How do you define your Beauty? Who do you seek your Approval from the world or God?

I would love to hear from you! Please leave your comments below.

Writers and Speakers from all over the country just got back from the SpeakUp Conference 2015 by Carol Kent and company. I had the opportunity to attend and meet amazing people and learn so many amazing things! So much happened at the conference, it’s hard to describe it all. The whole weekend was filled with amazing moments. Here are the highlights of the most memorable moments following the word WORSHIP. It is all for Him.

W- is for Women, all the wonderful new friends made!

O- is for Organized! Not only was the conference organized and professional, but all the women who have organized their ministries to serve with such servant hearts are amazing!

R- is for Robin Rost! I truly enjoyed worship time as well as her concert performance! To see a live violin performance and her slide show was just inspiring. Her rendition of the Anita Renfroe version of the mom song was spectacular! In case you missed it click here for the clip!

S- is for Speeches! I loved all of the key note speakers, their speeches were inspiring, encouraging, entertaining and uplifting. I loved Cindy Bultema’s closing speech, with her bag full of goodies to remind us that God is bigger! Most of all I am so proud of our speech group, especially Amanda Ripsam who truly demonstrated such courage!

H- is for Here. I loved how we could say to anyone in our small group, I am here for you! Wherever we are God is here for us as well. Even though each of us are on a different journey, we were all obedient to God’s calling by showing up.

I- There is no I in TEAM. No matter what, we are all in this together, cheering each other on. I loved Cindy Bultema’s pom-poms to encourage us, that we are all are all on the same team, for the same purpose, to honor God’s calling and better prepare our stories to share with others.

P- is for Prayer. Enlist a prayer team! Nothing creates a more powerful bond than a bunch a women surrounding an entire room, holding hands, praying. When women read scripture in the circle out loud, each verse was so significant, like it was alive in each one of us. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful conference. All the preparation to get there was so worth it even if I had to travel all the way from Alaska!

AHHHH! Now the aftermath! I have some homework to do!

Work on Book Proposal
Finish this website
Finish writing my book
Start writing some devotionals!
Work on my outline and AIM for speeches!

It is all for Him. Praying for all the women at the conference that God will use each and every one of them. I believe God is preparing us all for something greater. I pray that we will all continue to learn how to discern God’s calling and direction for where he is guiding us. So Thankful for all I learned, all the new people I met and for the great experience! Thank you! #SPEAKUPCONF15