beauty

I hope you had a great Monday!

This past Saturday, we finished the HEAL study. There was a creative activity at the end of the lesson. We formed two groups. One group cut out words and phrases that represent the life that the world offers. The second group went through the Bible and wrote down scriptures that represent the abundant life God promises. We did this on construction paper, very easy to do. After 10 minutes, we read them. It is increadible how much garbage is out there. Even today as I went over the list of the cut outs from two somewhat innocent magazines I could not believe what you and I are exposed to.

Here are the two lists we made:
Cut outs from Magazines

• Perfection Perfect
• Fashion
• Men, Men, Men
• Go Shopping
• Smooth legs
• Beauty
• Independent
• Real Remedies
• Upgrade
• Love in this Club
• SHOW YOUR SKIN
• Weight Loss Supplement!
• Experience what Paradise feels like
• Relationships
• Tough Bisexual
• BAD GIRL
• STD
• Budweiser
• LOVE
• "I need some cleavage"
• Secrets
• Juicy Goodness
• Catch up with the latest chisme (gossip)
• What makes you kissable?
• Flirty
• "I don't see the point of marriage. But when I need love, I get my love."
• DIY Abortions (Do It Yourself) <--freaked me out
• You want a prettier what? Belly button? Toes? Va-jay-jay? You won't believe the parts some women are tinkering with in their quest for so-called perfection.
• Women abusing prescription drugs
• Sleeping Pill Junkie
• Men, Sex & Love
• "We had sex in an airport bathroom."
• ACNE
• Need ade prevention?

Bible promises

• Psalm 37:4 // Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
• 1 Timothy 4:7-8 // But reject profane and old wives’ tales, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
• Proverbs 31:30 // Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
• John 10:10 // I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
• John 10:28 // And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
• John 12:25 // He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
• 1 Peter 3:3-4 // Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

This was an awesome activity, a real eye opener. What are you exposing yourself to? Examine your life. It's crazy the things that we read in magazines, the lyrics to the music we hear and the shows that we watch. The empty promises of this world are everywhere and rather than making us "beautiful" they contaminate us. I encourage you to remove yourself from them and open God's Word. In it you will find an endless list of promises that will wash away the lies we have believed. The abundant life found in Jesus will produce in us an incorruptible beauty. I leave you with this amazing verse and one of my favorite short films:

You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. Isaiah 62:3