Dove Choose Beautiful | Women all over the world make a choice

I had to share this one! Saw it on a friend's page and was moved to tears! TOO MANY WOMEN JUDGE THEMSELVES SO HARSHLY!!! We are all beautiful because we have been created by the ARTIST CALLED GOD!!! He is the one that has made us how we are and HE said IT IS GOOD!!! Who are we to say that we're not?!! WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL!!! I pray that if anyone of you had to choose a door to walk through that you would choose the BEAUTIFUL one because that's how God sees you! That's how I see you! That's how I pray you see yourself too! God bless you all!

Stubborn!

The definition of stubborn, according to dictionary.com is: "unreasonably obstinate; obstinately unmoving…" The definition for obstinate is: firmly or stubbornly adhering to one's purpose, opinion, etc.; not yielding to argument, persuasion, or entreaty."

There are many stories of stubborn people and the consequences that followed in the Bible. One such stubborn person was Jonah. Jonah was a prophet who was sent to Nineveh by God because He wanted to give them a chance to repent from their evil ways. Jonah didn't agree with God's mercy on the evil people of Nineveh (as if he had a say in who God can be merciful with). His stubborn-self took a trip to Spain, by ship, the complete opposite side of where Nineveh was on the map! There was an awful storm on the way. Jonah asked the men to throw him over because he knew that the storm was God trying to get his attention. He asked the people to throw him over into the water so that they wouldn't suffer his consequences and possibly drown to death. The storm calmed and Jonah was swallowed up by a great big fish. This fish took him towards the direction he was supposed to go in the first place! When it arrived at the shore, three days later, it "puked" and out came Jonah. He set off for Nineveh and spread the message God had for them. Wouldn't you know, they repented! His stubborn heart was angry with God for forgiving those people. He was stubborn in accepting God's leading to go to Nineveh and he was stubborn in accepting God's mercy on those people. When his work was done he continued to travel. The sun was scorching and there was no shade to be found. The Lord grew a plant for Jonah to have some shade. The next day he allowed a worm to have a go at it and it killed the plant. Now Jonah was angry about this too. The very last two verses of the book of Jonah it says, "Then the Lord said, "You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city?" Jonah 4:10-11 (NLT)

God is merciful, patient and reasonable. We need to reflect those attributes out to the world. When we're being "unreasonably obstinate" are we reflecting God's attributes? "…make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5b-8 (NLT) 

Gold-mine!

Just recently a new family moved in to the house that’s across the street from us. This family owns two dogs and we couldn’t wait to meet one of them, the Great-Dain. A few Sunday’s ago I was hanging out in the front of the house with the family and our dog, a Mini-Schnauzer named Chip. That day, our new neighbor brought both of his female dogs over so that we can meet them!

Okay, before I continue I need to let you in on a debate our family has been having for a while now. We cannot decide whether to neuter our dog or not. So, he’s still, without, you know, experience in the area of female doggies. (I hope you get my drift). Anyway, the dogs were doing their thing of getting to know each other, you know, sniffing each other all up in their privates and don’t you know! Athena (the Great-Dain) was, well, let me just be blunt, in heat! Chip’s ears turned up and he was ready to go! He stood up on both his hind legs and started to inch towards her back side when I pulled on his leash and told him to stop (which if you have a male dog you know is totally useless!). It was so funny watching this dog actually try to attempt the impossible! Even though he was standing on his hind legs it was useless! She’s such a tall dog that his head could barely reach her belly. He was nowhere near her “gold-mine!”

I have to give him credit for at least trying. That’s the type of attitude we need to have as believers in the One True God. Sometimes when we are faced with difficult challenges in our Spiritual walk we cave. There are times we give up without even trying. If we were like Chip we’d try anyway! Yes, my dear friends, I was reminded of a very important truth by the leading of the Holy Spirit. This truth is this, when we believe that triumph over the challenges of life’s circumstances are completely out of reach, we need to try anyway!

We need to stop giving up and feeling defeated afterwards! We need to stand up firm and stand our ground! “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then…” Ephesians 6:13-14a (NIV) Yes, we need to go for the “gold” no matter how difficult we may think or feel the situation is. Nothing is impossible when God is involved. If He led you…if it is in His will…if the Spirit is prompting you then go for it! “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-22 (NIV)

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My dear friends, thank you for reading! I'd love to read your thoughts on this topic in the comments below. Praying for you! 

Good Friday

r.T.m.
Reflecting Truth Ministries 

When others see you what do they see?

"As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart."

Proverbs 27:19 (NIV)