The Woman in the Church

The church was packed that Christmas Eve; candles lit the whole room with illuminating vibrance. Carols rang out to shout the glory of our God becoming a baby to save the world. Hundreds, maybe thousands, gathered of different sizes, color, and culture. It was magical.

A woman with a child walked in and sat down in the pew. She tried to convince the child to sit still. She was not dressed in homely clothing; she didn't look poor. She wore a dress so high on her legs it was shocking and enough plunging neckline to make the dress look more like a towel than a dress. She had the highest, glittery, spiked platform heels one could imagine and the loudest hair and makeup to complete the look. A Proverbs 7 woman was what she portrayed, the woman who beckons attention and arouses lust.

Men were having to turn heads and the squirming people around her were obvious. There was one woman sitting to one side who started rolling her eyes; she whispered and made subtle gestures toward the highly immodest woman. 

Yes, this story is true.

I saw the whole thing play out and was angered -- not at the actions of the woman with the child, but at the actions of the woman in the pew. Now we talk a lot about modesty and it's important, and I hate that women are viewed as objects of lust rather than the magnificent artistry of the Lord, but, Sisters, are our judgmental actions pushing women away from Christ?

Jesus had the same issue.

Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

John 8:2-11

Imagine this adulteress brought to Jesus. If she was caught in the act of adultery, she probably had lack of clothing when cast in the midst of the crowd. The people would have been staring and casting judgment, even to death. What does Jesus do? He starts writing in the sand. We don't know what He was writing, but in the high tension of the moment, He just bends down and scribbles. Think of the crowd and how the eyes that cast judgment on the adulteress turn to Jesus and change to eyes of wonder. When He speaks, everyone listens. And when their hearts are penetrated, they leave. Jesus took the focus off the woman and onto Himself so that He could speak to the hearts of the people.

This is the point, Sisters! 

The woman who was in church that day I might never see again until Judgment Day. I mourn because I don't know her story. I don't know if she is a follower of Christ. I didn't get to meet her that day and none of the people around me got to meet her, either (as far as my observance).

That woman could have been the "adulteress woman" like the one cast in front of Jesus. And I was not the reaching hands of Christ to her to tell her that none condemn you and to sin no more. I was more concerned about guarding my brother's eyes than saving a soul.

So dear Sisters in Christ, we are faced with the adulteress woman every day. She is dead in sin and has the fate of eternity away from Christ. Jesus may have directed His eyes to the ground, but He did not divert His attention away from her soul. My prayer is that you will help me reach out to these women, looking beyond the exterior and looking to their hearts who need Christ.

Braided

Buy of the Week

I love this idea. Everything on this site is $10 or under.

Check it out!

http://www.10dollarmall.com/list/womens-clothing-and-accessories

**Please note that not all items from this store are recommended by SnP. Happy Shopping, but be mindful of what you purchase as an ambassador of Christ!**

Dreams Change

    Let me let you in on a little secret.
Dreams Change.

And it's not a bad thing, either. I'm sure if you think hard enough, there's some dream you had a few years ago that isn't something you'd consider important to accomplish now. Now I'm not saying to just give up all your dreams and be done with them. Each dream you have, each goal you want to accomplish, is all just a part of the bigger picture. And, whether or not you actually meet all of your goals, the skills you obtain while striving for them can mold you into the person God wants you to be.

I'm going to share with you a dream I once had, one that God did not allow me to accomplish. When I was eight years old, I wanted more than anything to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee. I spent hours studying over lists of words, most of which I didn't know the meaning of, and in third grade, I was 4th place in my county spelling bee. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get as far as I wanted to, but I knew there was always next year. I continued to study, but for the next three years I never did as well as I had done the first time. For some reason, every time I tried, I got so nervous that I wouldn't make it past the first few rounds because I'd choke up on an easy word. At first, I was so frustrated with myself that I didn't know what to think. But now, I believe that the reason I got so nervous and made mistakes was because it wasn't God's will for me to win. I never realized that God was just as much on my competitors' side as He was on mine, and that winning was His will for someone else. In 7th grade, I became interested in other things and decided not to compete, and in 8th grade, my last year to be eligible, I truthfully just didn't even think about it. Now I'm sure you're thinking, why did she give up on herself? She had a chance, but she didn't take it, and now she'll always wonder what could have been if she had just kept going. But this story is not a sad one, and here's the reason why.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "'I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and to give you hope and a future.'" 

  

Winning the National Spelling Bee was not God's plan for me, but those hours studying were not wasted. I realized how much I love words, and that instead of a speller, God wants me to be a writer. If I had not competed in spelling bees when I was younger, I don't think I would be writing this to you today. The four years I spent on a dream I never realized were four wonderful years that I wouldn't trade for the world. Because they contributed to my bigger picture. So don't think of any forgotten dreams you may have as heartaches. Because dreams change for a reason, and an old dream is just another component to make the masterpiece that is completely you that much more beautiful.

 

A Mile in Those Shoes

I love these charts. It can be so helpful to know the names and styles of shoes.

What is your favorite style shoe? 

Spring Trends ~ Sporty

Waffles, Anyone?

Today is Friday, which means that tomorrow is Saturday! Is anyone else excited about the weekend? What a better way to start out your weekend than a quiet time with Jesus and a big, healthy breakfast of waffles (homemade to be exact)!

Gluten/Dairy-Free Waffles

~ 1 cup corn flour

~ 1 cup gluten-free oat flour

~ 1/2 cup sweet rice flour (or other)

~ 2 teaspoons baking powder

~ 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

~ 2 cups almond or rice milk

~ 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

~ 3 Tablespoons ground flax meal

~ 3 Tablespoons oil 

~ 1-2 Tablespoons honey or agave

~ 1 teaspoon vanilla

~ 1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

1. Mix dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Whisk together wet ingredients and add to dry ingredients. 

3. Lightly mix together until combined. Do not over-mix!

4. Cook waffles on a hot oiled waffle iron.

5. Top waffles with maple syrup, fruit, or peanut butter. The ideas are endless!

Note: To keep waffles warm until ready to eat, place in a single layer on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven.

Buy of the Week

What time is it? You'll know with these pretty timekeepers.

Watch One

Watch Two

Watch Three

**Please note that not all items from this store are recommended by SnP. Happy Shopping, but be mindful of what you purchase as an ambassador of Christ!**

F.S. ~ Embroidery

Finishing schools of yesteryear not only encouraged young women to be proficient in social graces, etiquette, and manners, but also in the art of homemaking. To be truly finished, a young woman would be accomplished in handwork such as knitting and embroidery.

Embroidery can be done on the hem of an apron, on the face of a pillowcase, on a cloth sachet, or simply on a piece of linen to be framed. There are patterns for embroidery, but unlike specially knitted things or counted cross stitch, one does not have to have a pattern to embroider. Use these stitches to create your own beautiful embellishment.

Dove Beauty Sketches ~ Part 2

A viral video by Dove has hit the Internet. Here is the video.

When I first saw this, I thought that it was a really creative way to talk about beauty! As women, the picture we paint in our minds is usually negative. We focus on the aspects we don't like. 

Now, let's not talk about sales behind this ad. (Dove is a company that sells beauty products.) Let's talk truth about beauty!

The two completed sketches in the video look very different, but what if the woman really did look like the first picture? Would that make her any less beautiful?

As we have talked before, the definition of beauty is one that changes from culture to culture. In order for us to not have a worldly definition of beauty, we must be founded in the Lord's standards.

"Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth." 
Psalm 50:2

"Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor..." 
Ezekiel 28:17

These two verses show two very different versions of beauty. The first talks about the beauty of the Lord and its perfection. The latter verse talks about the beauty of man being corrupt. Is it not amazing that scripture tells us God has a standard for beauty? The standard is one that is holy and pure and God calls us to strive for that perfect everlasting beauty.

"...but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."
1 Peter 3:4

So I'm going to say something that might shock you. 

Girls, you are less beautiful than you think.

This being said, I'm NOT talking about exterior beauty -- beauty that is perishable with time and death or that changes with culture or fad. Beauty within the soul is what we should strive to attain that will last into eternity with Christ. Apart from Him, our hearts are not beautiful at all because of sin. It is only the perfect beauty of Christ that covers us and gives us the longing to become beautiful.

I'm not against Dove. I think more people need to encourage women to embrace the bodies the Lord gives us. We should strive for beauty (on the inward person and the exterior) -- NOT for the sake of beauty, but for the glorification of the Lord Who is the Author of beauty!

"One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple."
Psalm 27:4

Dove Beauty Sketches ~ Part 1

This video has gone viral. Take a look, then watch for an upcoming post!