More Than Your Reflection

January 31, 2023 Gracie

You Are More Than Your Reflection In The Mirror

What do you see when you look in the mirror every morning?

Bed hair?

Last night’s eye makeup still under your eyes?

Eeeeeck! I’m going back to bed.

Even when we feel like we look our worst, or we don’t feel like seeing or talking to anyone, God knows our potential and He doesn’t want us to waste it.

Every one of us was created for a unique purpose.

That is to say, we are His masterpieces in the making.

I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a wonderful truth to hold on to.

No matter how you interpret your own mirror’s reflection, your faith in salvation through Jesus Christ is precious, and that means it’s worth sharing.

To be created in the image of God means that we were created to be mirrors of God’s glory—one-of-a-kind mirrors that reflect the diverse aspects of His nature. A mirror serves no other purpose than to reflect something else. A mirror is useless when covered in mud; likewise, when we are covered in sin and turned away from God, we are not living out the purpose for which we were created. But when we respond to God’s offer of salvation and allow His Holy Spirit to clean us up, we turn toward our Creator, and His glory is reflected in our lives. It is not our light or beauty the world needs to see, but His. (John 8:12; 9:5). – GotQuestions website.¹

We are His, not because we earned it, but by His grace.

As Peter reminded early believers, we are here for Him, for His pleasure and to serve Him.

⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. – 1 Peter 2:9-10, (NASB).²

So it doesn’t matter what you look like or what your insecurities are – God created you. Even with your imperfections, He can use you for His glory.

While the world looks at your outward appearance, God sees your heart.

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¹Quotation from gotquestions.org, from “Why did God create me?” n.d., para. 7. Web. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://www.gotquestions.org/why-did-God-create-me.html

Our Exceptional God

God’s Creation: This Crab Has Boxing Gloves!

January 24, 2023 Gracie

God’s Amazing Creation: This Crab Has Boxing Gloves!

Are you ready to see some cuteness?

This crab has boxing gloves!

Meet the Boxer Crab!

He’s also known as the “pom-pom crab.”

Or my favorite, “the cheerleader crab.”

You’ll soon see why. 🙂

His scientific name is: Lybia Tesselata.

Pronounced phonetically, “Lie be ah tess a lot a.”

And, trust me, he has a “lot a” spunk and personality.

The boxer crab likes to hang out in the Pacific and Indian Oceans (Roth, n.d.)¹

This adorable little crustacean only measures about an inch long, but don’t let his small size fool you.

He’s not afraid of bullies.

See those pom-pom-looking anemones on his legs?

As only God can do, the boxer crab was created with an amazing defense system. Working together in a symbiotic relationship, the boxer crab and his sea anemones hitchhikers work together to survive daily life in the deep.

Together, they will fight off any perceived threat – Rocky style!

Check this out.

Hey you want a piece of me?

C’mon Pufferfish. Give it your best shot!

God’s Creation

God’s creativity is all around us.

He is the Master Designer.

Every single creature, or blade of grass, or star in the sky has a role to play, whether we understand what that role is or not.

And the boxer crab and other tiny creatures in the world around us?

Even the smallest in God’s creation reflects the power and majesty of God.

We can see His glory in the beauty of a flower, the song of a bird, and the power of a thunderstorm.

What an amazing God we serve!

# # #

¹From the The Mosaic Boxer Crab | Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine. (n.d.). https://www.tfhmagazine.com/articles/saltwater/a-champion-fighter-the-mosaic-boxer-crab-lybia-tesselata-full-article

Our Exceptional God

Perfect Peace

January 17, 2023 Gracie

Perfect Peace Starts With You

Think back.

Do you remember a time in your life when you felt like you were in perfect peace?

For me, surprisingly, it was after our family accident.

As a family, we had suffered a great loss – the tragic, accidental death of our nine-year-old niece Susanna.

It wasn’t until fifteen years later that my husband and I traveled back to Jackson Hole to get some closure.

One of our visits during that return trip was to head up to Rendezvous Mountain – an incredibly peaceful place right there at the top.

We spent quite a bit of time up there, but the highlight was praying on that mountain to God and thanking Him for letting us experience His grace during a time of great sadness. As long as we stayed focused on God and His promises, we felt that perfect peace the Bible verse talks about.

In Isaiah 26:3, the prophet (and great man of God) speaks to the strength and peace that our Sovereign God can provide if we keep our focus on Him.

Everlasting Strength and Perfect Peace Can Be Yours

As Christians, we know that God is good.

We can trust Him to work the circumstances in our lives for the good, even when we don’t understand His plan.

On the other hand, trusting in the things of this world is a losing proposition.

Whatever we trust to the world for, it will be but for a moment: all we expect from it is confined within the limits of time. But what we trust in God for will last as long as we shall last. For in the Lord Jehovah-Jah, Jehovah, in Him who was, and is, and is to come, there is a rock of ages, a firm and lasting foundation for faith and hope to build upon; and the house built on that rock will stand in a storm. Those that trust in God shall not only find in Him, but receive from Him, everlasting strength, strength that will carry them to everlasting life, to that blessedness which is for ever; and therefore let them trust in Him for ever, and never cast away nor change their confidence. – Matthew Henry, Christian Minister and author.²

May you find comfort in this beautiful song, “Stayed on Him” from vocalist Terrian . . .

My sisters in Christ, You are His.

Don’t listen to the voice of fear, but trust God with all your heart and mind.

He is greater and stronger.

He is Jehovah-Nissi, our Banner

Through Him we have eternal victory and our salvation is secure.

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²Matthew Henry quotation, “Complete Commentary on Isaiah 26” – “Henry’s Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible.”[1706.] Courtesy of Studylight.org., Isaiah 26:3-4, n.d. para. 6. Public Domain. Web. Accessed 11 January, 2023.

Our Exceptional God

Our Entertainment Choices Matter

January 10, 2023 Gracie

Have you ever heard the expression, “garbage in, garbage out”?

Sometimes this phrase is used in science circles, but I’m specifically referring to it from a Christianity perspective.

What are we feeding into our minds?

What material is filling up our brains in the guise of “entertainment?”

As we scroll through the countless images offered to us – on our TV’s, social media accounts, and movies – do we ever consider the effect this constant dish of distractions, division, and sometimes warped thinking can have on our brains?

As the popularity of streaming services continues to grow in American households, so do the opportunities for movies and programming that are anything but “family-friendly.”

Recently, I read an interesting article by Bob Hoose in the online publication, “Plugged In.”

Check this out …

Back in the days of cable, you could opt out of R-rated programming produced by the likes of premium cable networks like HBO. That sort of content is harder to escape on today’s streaming giants, and it’s arguably worse. – Bob Hoose of Plugged In.¹

Unhealthy relationships

Gratuitous violence

Profanities and more (you get the idea)

I’m just going to say it – it’s over the top and we can get numb to it all without even realizing it.

Here’s a personal example.

I used to work at a TV station. Profanity in the newsroom was commonplace every single day. After I was there for awhile, I didn’t even bat an eye to it.

Once I became a Christian though, my perspective changed.

Now I notice it all the time in much of the “entertainment” that’s offered.

Take me back to the good old days of movie and TV viewing.

Are a bunch of “f-bombs” in movies really necessary?

I think not.

Somehow, wonderful movies in the past entertained us well with interesting plots and characters – and without the need for all of the profanities.

The more this junk is dished out as the new normal, the more acceptable sin becomes in the eyes of society.

Is This Really “Good” Entertainment?

The founder of the Christian Music Challenge, Al Menconi, has a passion for encouraging others to better discern their entertainment choices.

How is your faith and joy, and with what do you entertain yourself?

Look at your TV choices, songs, movies, podcasts and books. This is where we are finding men’s (and women’s) wrong and shallow answers – instead of what Christ taught. – Al Menconi, founder of the Christian Music Challenge.²

There’s a spiritual battle going on for our minds right now.

Can’t you see it?

Of course, the Hollywood machine is not solely to blame for the growing depravity we’re seeing around us, but it’s certainly guilty of contributing to it.

What are we fed a constant diet of?

Glamorous lifestyles of the famous

Celebrity worship

Greed and selfishness

Political agendas

A constant diet of language, sex, and violence

All of these can desensitize us to the real problems in the world.

If we want to see a change in our culture, we can start by examining what we consume as “entertainment.”

As the audience, we can send a message that content does matter when we make our entertainment choices.

Our faith in God and salvation through His Son Jesus Christ is the most important relationship we have in our lives.

Therefore, it is eternally important to be careful about what we watch, and also what our children are being exposed to.

If parents don’t teach their kids to be discerning about portrayals of sin, our current American culture will teach them that everything is okay.

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¹Bob Hoose quotation, courtesy of Plugged In.com. “So Long Cable. We Hardly Knew You.” para. 7, October 3, 2022. Web. Accessed 3 January, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.pluggedin.com/blog/so-long-cable-we-hardly-knew-you/

²Al Menconi quotation, used with permission.

Our Exceptional God

Don’t Worry About The Future

January 3, 2023 Gracie

Why You Don’t Need to Worry About the Future

Have you ever heard a friend say, “I’m scared about the future.”

Personally, and from conversations I’ve recently had, I can answer “Yes.”

I get where they’re coming from.

Sometimes the mainstream news just gets to be too much to take in.

Bad things do happen to good people

. . . to people we know

. . . to us

Likewise, bad things also happen in the great big world around us.

Even so, God’s Word tells us to be anxious about nothing.

That can be hard sometimes.

Let’s look at God’s Word.

What does the Bible say about anxiety and fear?

In this well-known verse, Paul teaches the Philippians about letting go of fear.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. – Philippians 4:6, (NASB).¹

Anxiety and fear are just as prevalent in our present day.

Is it possible to have a sense of peace when life throws us a curveball?

Don’t Worry About the Future

What is the source of our strength and peace when these bad things come at us, seemingly out of left field?

Actually, it’s not a “What,” but a “Who”!Jesus is our strength when unexpected challenges send our world into a tailspin.

We’re now in the year 2023.

Does the new year seem just a little bit daunting?

An unknown future

Mounting pressures at work

A progressive illness

Challenges in relationships

When life is hard, then it can be hard to feel encouraged about anything.

Does God know what I am going through?

Does He care?

Let me assure you that God absolutely does care.

Please allow me to share a beautiful verse from the Bible that offers us much hope.

It’s found in the Book of Jeremiah and I’m sure that you’ve heard it many times. In fact, a dear friend shared with me recently that it’s her favorite verse.

From Deb. S. :

“It was hard to choose one scripture as so many have given me hope and strength thru my darkest moments. But, Jeremiah 29:11 is one that always comes back to me no matter the situation. When I face anything whether small or enormous, there’s a sense of peace knowing that the Lord knows all, He’s got the plan, and He wants my future to be good.”

From our small frustrations, all the way to the big trials we sometimes face, God is in control.

Combatting Fear With Trust In Him

What can we do when fear overtakes our thought life?

We can pray, and we can ask for prayer and support from our loved ones and friends.

Instead of dwelling in the frustration, we can also reach out to others who might be going through the same struggles.

In other words, don’t dwell.

Learn to excel in turning our need to control a situation over to God.

Through prayer and mutual support from our Christian loved ones, we can use life’s challenges to not only strengthen our own faith, but to encourage others who are losing hope.

We’re in this together!

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Our Exceptional God

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