What a Relief!

Hey, you!

Yes, I’m talking to you.

You do not have to be someone that you’re not.  Quit killing yourself trying to look like others, talk like others, act like others.

God made you to be – well, you.

You with your particular talents.

You with your unique skill set.

You with your one and only personality.

You with all of your quirks.

God doesn’t want you to ignore who He’s made you to be just so you can appear to be like someone else.  He doesn’t want you to throw away the talents and gifts He’s given you in order to fit the mold of the world.

God simply wants you to take what He’s given you and use it to point the world to Him.

Now, relax.

Be you.

And follow Him.

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In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Romans 12:6-8

I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.

Psalm 139:14a

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Job 33:4

 

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A Year of Smiles – Day 318

Reason to SMILE #318: CREATIVITY

Once upon a time, I was a crafter. I loved to create all kinds of things – cards, picture frames, topiaries, wreaths, Christmas ornaments and more. I would spends hours toiling away on projects intended for gifts or just for fun and I wouldn’t stop working until the project was complete. Oh, how I enjoyed those times!

Alas! Those times were cut short when I began a family. Raising kids takes a lot of time and effort. Who knew? (😉😉 Hahaha!) Priorities change when babies arrive – as they should. Hours spent on crafting became time spent rocking, reading, changing diapers, bathing, playing, cleaning. After all, children come first but…

There’s nothing wrong with encouraging your kids to be creative! Finger paints and crayons may not be your medium of choice but fostering a child’s imagination and ingenuity is a great way to challenge your creative skills. Besides, when your kids are creating, you have time for your projects, too! It’s a win – win for everyone.

It’s been a while since I’ve had time to be creative just for the sake of creating but I decided to make time today. After all, Christmas is coming and my tree needs a few more decorations. I chose an easy project but I gotta tell ya. I’ve truly enjoyed my crafting time today. It put a SMILE on my face and, believe it or not, a peace in my heart.

Wow! I’m lovin’ these pom-pom ornaments I’m making. They look almost as good as the ones I saw at Cracker Barrel! 😉 And saving money by making these myself – well, that’ll put an added sparkle to my SMILE any day!

A Year of Smiles – Day 273

Reason to SMILE #273: YOUR PASSIONS

What is the one thing in life that you love most, that you love doing the most? What is the one thing that excites you, that stirs up the embers of passion inside of you? Is it your job? Your hobbies? Charity work? Taking care of your family? Crafting? Building?

One of my greatest passions is writing. (Well, of course. This is a blog, right?) My love for writing began in my high school years, I believe, but I seriously began to hone my craft of word weaving in college. Take a look at one of my entries in a journal I was required to keep for a Spiritual Formation class in seminary:

I have so many things, Lord, so many gifts of this world. Collections of this and piles of that fill my empty spaces. The emptiness is never quite satisfied, however, and I am left with a desire for more. I search for the perfect pictures to cover my barren walls. I seek out the best attire to fill the cavities of my closets. Only the finest furniture can decorate my lifeless rooms. Only the most scholarly books can line my wanting shelves.

I acquire but the shelves still lack. The walls still beckon for companionship. I allow myself to be trapped by selfish desires, by misleading promises and by relentless lies. I dare to believe that objects can fill my empty spaces, that possessions alone suffice.

Lord, only you can fill my emptiness. Only you can line the shelves of my wanting. Only you can animate my rooms of lifelessness. Your goodness alone can fill the cavities and adorn the barren. God, you are enough for me.

Who is this writer? And how can I find her again? 😉

Regardless of the styles in which I choose to write, the passion remains the same. It is a passion given by the Lord and one which I will always use to give glory to His name. That is truly what all of our gifts, skills and passions are for – to honor the Lord, to make His name famous and to reach a dying world in need of the Savior. Our passions may be the driving force behind our happiness and contentment but using our passions to glorify the Heavenly Father will always fill our lives with joy and lead to a life of SMILES.

 

Sing Like the Stars: Just Be You

Praise him, all his angels;

    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon;

    praise him, all you shining stars.

Praise him, you highest heavens

    and you waters above the skies.

Psalm 148:2-4 (NIV)

 

The stars sing.  Did you know that?  I didn’t until recently and I was awed by this discovery.  The Lord is always faithful to reveal Himself and the wonders of who He is but oftentimes, I miss it because I am not paying attention.  Lately, I have attempted to make a habit of leaving my car radio off after I drop my boys at school in the mornings so I can spend the remainder of my morning drive talking with God.  And oh, how He has used that time!

While driving and praying, I saw beautiful trees swaying in the wind.  I saw the most glorious Oak tree with large, twisted branches jutting out and down toward the ground and then curling and stretching up ever so gracefully toward the streaming sunlight overhead and I came to a realization.  These trees don’t have to be anything but trees in order to please their Creator.  A tree does not have to look exactly like the tree growing next to it.  A tree does not have to cover the earth like the grass.  A tree does not have to expand and transform itself into a cascading mountain range.  A tree does not have to reduce itself to a dainty flower.  A tree just has to be a tree – exactly what God created it to be.  What an example for us humans, for the creatures that God created “a little lower than the angels”!

When I taught Sunday School, I often told the kids in my class that even the creatures on this earth praise God just by being what God created them to be.  A dog’s howl and a cat’s meow are beautiful music to the ears of their Creator.  A lion’s prowess, a woodpecker’s peck and even a caterpillar’s crawl all give glory and honor to the Giver of Life.  Oh, and the stars – I almost forgot the stars.  Not only do stars praise the Creator with their shine but they also create steady beats and varying tones that echo through the galaxies in a symphony of worship for God Almighty.  (How cool is that?)

So why do we want to be anything more than what God has created us to be?  Why do we strive to be the same as others?  God has wonderfully created us with a purpose in mind.  Each one of us has different talents, different capabilities and different characteristics that make us who we are.  Be who God created you to be.  Use the gifts and talents He has given you for His glory.  Take those characteristics that you think are quirky and weird and put them to use in fulfilling God’s purpose for you.  When you do, you’ll find that your life, just like the trees and the stars, will create a beautiful song of praise and honor for our Great and Loving Creator.