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Posts tagged ‘self-love’

Fearfully/Wonderfully Made

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In the book of Psalms,
David writes in chapter 139 verses 13 and 14:

“for it was You who created my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You because
I have been fearfully and wonderfully made”.

What does it mean to be fearfully and wonderfully made?

Fearfully
when translated from the Hebrew means
with great reverence,
heart-felt interest,
and
with respect.

Wonderfully
when translated from the Hebrew
means
unique
and
set apart.

Do you know you are
unique and set apart?
Do you feel the enormous amount of

reverence,
heart,
and
respect
that went into your making?

Or do you relate to this meme?

My body no longer looks like this:

Photo by Loe Moshkovska on Pexels.com

Okay, OK, ok, I hear you…
I never did look quite like that!!

BUT,
read more of that scripture in Psalm 139:

Psalm 139:13-16

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

And realize/internalize this message”

Genesis 1:26-27

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

When we badmouth our bodies, we are insulting God, don’t you think?

Last week when our Presbyterian Women met, the Bible lesson we studied was the story of Bathsheba. It pointed out the secular take on who Bathsheba was may be flawed. Instead of a gorgeous seductress, she may have been the victim. Hollywood’s version of her is the perfectly gorgeous Rita Hayward.

Is that how you see Bathsheba?

The artists who have painted her have a different version:

I much prefer this one! A little bit of a double chin, a poochy stomach, and hefty thighs. Yes, I can relate! Now don’t you think she was fearfully and wonderfully made?

We’re all different in our body type – and yet God says we all are beautiful, lovable, and created in His image. Do you believe that about yourself? Even if you’re not perfect?

Matthew 22:37-39

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Did you hear that?
“… as yourself.”

Yes, you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Accept God’s love.
Love yourself …
and then
You can love others!

Don’t let you body stiffen,
and don’t let your mind stiffen either!

There are bodies of all shapes and sizes –
All are made in God’s image –
All are fearfully and wonderfully made!

And – hey guys,
You don’t have to have a six-pack
to be considered handsome!

Those old Charles Atlas ads
are outdated –
and those muscles
don’t make the man!

That guy on the left is my Bob
at the time we met – – –
and his brother, Bill, on the right.
They don’t look like that today,
but they still are fearfully and wonderfully made –
and their bodies have lasted into their mid-80’s!

Hah! Here’s Bob celebrating his 80th a few years ago with his younger brother, Bruce, and his brother-in-law, Stan. When asked, “What makes the man?”

Bob answered, “Character! A man who says what he’ll do and does what he says. A man of his word.”

Being fearfully and wonderfully made
in the image of God means
you are made a hero
because you are made
with the characteristics of heroism.

12 Characteristics of Heroism

  • Brave
  • Filled with Conviction
  • Courage
  • Determination
  • Helpful
  • Honest
  • Inspirational
  • Exhibiting Moral integrity

And that’s not just for you guys out there.
Those are the qualities of a woman made in God’s image, too!

Add faithful to that list…
It’s a part of honesty
and being inspirational
and moral integrity.

It’s faith that gives you that character Bob was talking about!

May God bless you today –
Your mind and your body –
Know for sure, my friends,
you are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Believe it!!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Hugs!

Love from Bob & Jan

Embrace Confidence

These two little darlings exude happiness, confidence, pure joy…
I can’t help but smile when I look at them. (I bet you’re smiling, too)
I’ve been saving this photo for just the right time.
Today is it!

In my devotionals this morning, I read an article by Brenda Wade, Ph.D.
Brenda is based in San Francisco. She hosts a radio talk show, “Modern Love”
and she facilitates trainings on relationships. Her article in the Jan.-Feb. Unity magazine,
Daily Word, is titled, “Overcoming Racism, Healing from Shame, Opening to Love.”

“The love and peace we want to know in our lives begins inside of us,” Dr. Wade wrote.
“This has been on my mind lately as I’ve dug deeply into … my work, leading anti-racism trainings.”

In her article, she went on to describe an incident in her life that deeply affected her self-image. She was only 6-years-old.

“One day at school, my classmates and I were told to line up two by two and hold hands. I extended my hand, but the girl standing next to me refused to take it. ‘I can’t hold your hand,’ she said matter-of-factly. ‘My mother told me your skin is brown because it’s dirty.’ I was confused. My skin was brown, but it certainly was not dirty.”

Photo by Matheus Viana on Pexels.com

It took years for that little 6-year-old to deal with the hurt. Her young brain just didn’t understand. She felt immediate rejection, pain, and the sting of shame. The notion that there was something wrong with her kept her from telling the teacher or her parents. She just carried that message of inferiority with her and it was reinforced by a high school principal who ignorantly expressed surprise that someone of her color could score so high on her tests.

It was further reinforced in graduate school when a department chair “was more interested in my race than my qualifications” – and as an adult when “a landlord candidly admitted he was denying me housing because I am African American.”

Photo by Kat Jayne on Pexels.com

How does someone overcome
such prejudicial treatment
and regain the confidence
that ALL PEOPLE deserve?


That is the question Dr. Walker
deals with in her profession.
She conquered it in her own life with
“years of psychological work,
spiritual practice,
self-care, and healing.”

Dr. Brenda Wade wrote,
“When we feel too hurt or afraid
to let ourselves out,
it becomes impossible
to let others in.”

Photo by Oleg Magni on Pexels.com

Embrace the confidence
that there is
hope and a future
and a return of self-confidence
when self-insight
and self-love
can be applied.

The pain of those early wounds go deep.

We know that
we ALL have a responsibility
to respond to one another in love,
with compassion and respect,
and to stand together hand-in-hand
to obliterate oppression and prejudice.

Embrace that future
with
confidence and determination!

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Pastoral Prayer

Yesterday during our ZOOM church service, our pastor, Steve Hundley, offered the following prayer. It is just what I needed to hear as I embrace with confidence the power of prayer and the belief that God hears, God cares, and God answers us when we cry out to Him:

“How many times in Your earthly ministry, O Lord, did You touch the fevered brows of those who were ill; or, the trembling hands of those who were afraid; or, the sagging shoulders of those bowed down in grief?

Walk among us now, we pray, and touch us for the same reasons…
* Let those who are ill in body or in spirit feel the power of Your presence, and sense that healing is taking place.
* We pray for all those sick with COVID throughout our nation and world…
* Give those who are constricted by fears and anxieties a feeling of relaxation in Your grace.
* Let peace flow over them like a river, carrying them away from self-preoccupation and into the openness of love and sharing…
* Pour out the hope of Your resurrection upon those who are grieving the loss of loved ones…
* May they walk the Emmaus Road with You and feel their hearts strangely and wonderfully warmed…
* In the chaos and uncertainty of the coming weeks and months, give us confidence of faith in knowing that You are Lord of our lives and Lord of this world, and that You are working Your purpose out…
* As Your children, O Lord, You know how often we recoil from those things that should not frighten or upset us in this world. Comfort us with Your presence, and teach us so to live within the disciplines of faith, so that, we are never without You.”

Amen                         

Embrace with Confidence,
my friends,
the knowledge that you
regard all God’s Children as equals…
and determine never to inflict on anyone
the pain of rejection
or the sting of shame.

As God’s children…
Let us live as One.
Let’s just walk around makng the world a better place!
Embrace Confidence!

Hugs to you.
See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek

Feelings Check-in

Are you feeling overwhelmed?
Got too much on your plate?
Take a step back and regroup –
Don’t bite the “Gotta” bait!!

You don’t “Gotta” do nothing
But eat and breathe and live.
Set aside the burdens and
Sort life with a sieve.

Sift out what is draining,
And give yourself compassion.
Let go what’s upsetting
And let yourself start laughin’.

Yup, go find yerself a sandbox
And sit in it with friends.
Share the stuff that troublin’
And watch how the sadness ends.

And when the sandbox play
Comes to an end, get up
And bid the spiders, bees, and ants
Good-bye while you go and fill your cup.

Have a cup of kindness
With some honey to sweeten it.
Chase those blues right out the door.
Tell your stress you’ve beaten it!

When you look at each day smiling,
There is really no denying it,
You can beat the blues and stressfulness.
Go out fearlessly … Bee a Leo: Lion it!!

Are you feeling overwhelmed?
Got too much on your plate?
Set some aside – and get some rest –
There’s always tomorrow; that’s not too late!

Thanks for popping in!

Have a good night!
See ya tomorrow.
Love,
JanBeek

Self-Love

photo of person holding multicolored heart decor

Photo by Marta Branco on Pexels.com

Self-Love

You’ve been told many times
That you have to love yourself
Before you can freely give
Love to someone else.

Well, toss that idea away.
It’s a lie – it’s pure deceit.
If that’s an idea you cling to,
You’re headed for defeat!

The love you have to give
Did not come from yourself.
It came from your divine Maker.
He gifted you with this wealth.

You were made in His image.
You were loved from the very start.
You have love that’s overflowing
From your Heavenly Father’s heart.

Accept with joy the unconditional gift.
Then pass it on to all you meet.
You’ll find by giving back that love,
Love is a two-way street.

I love you, dear and precious reader.
I love that you came to visit.
I freely give my love to you…
Pass it on!
Self-love’s not a prerequisite.

Beauty in Blunders

Beauty in Blunders

What comes to mind when you think of the word “blunder”?
Mistake?
Goof-up?
Stumble?
Stupidity?

How about “Courage in Creativity”?

Yesterday our local chapter of GFWC (General Federation of Women’s Clubs) held its monthly meeting. I have the privilege of serving in the capacity of Madison Valley Woman’s Club (MVWC) Chaplain. As such, I am asked to present a message to the ladies at the start of each meeting. I try to tie it into the theme of the month’s program if I can, and make it inspirational. If one person is personally touched enough to comment about it later, I think there is a chance I have reached my goal. If I notice someone is brought to tears as the message hits home, I know! Yesterday, the MVWC theme was “The Art of Quilting.” The speaker, who only began quilting a decade ago, shared a variety of phenomenal creations. There wasn’t a noticeable blunder among them!

Image  

My message to the ladies was for them to take Courage in their Creativity. Do not be intimidated by what appears to be perfection in others. I have a beautiful cross stitch hanging in my entryway. I brought it to the meeting yesterday for my friends to admire. Then, after I read the message on it and gave them time to admire the handiwork, I shared its blunder.

Image

Can you find the blunder? I shared the following quote from Leaves of Gold, An Anthology of Prayers, Memorable Phrases, Inspirational Prose and Poetry, edited by Clyde Francis Lytle:

There is so much good in the worst of us,
And so much bad in the best of us,
That it ill becomes any of us
To find fault with the rest of us.
         – Anonymous

We are often quick to point out the faults of others, but some of us put a magnifying glass on our own inadequacies and easily see our own mistakes where others might not notice them at all. It is not necessarily true, as Dryden wrote, “Everyone is eagle-eyed to see another’s faults and deformities.” Often we are eagle-eyed to see our own! I didn’t see Lucy’s blunder in her stitchery. Did you find it? She knew that the pattern called for a dozen bees. Count them. She has thirteen. Which one is “deformed”? Which one doesn’t belong? It wasn’t in the pattern. Its body is too square. Its wings are too short. It was stitched to cover up a mistake. I love that bee! It makes my stitchery unique – a one-of-a-kind – just like its creator! Just like each of us!

We may think we are too square or too short or too tall or too fat or too skinny… too something. We DO see the log in our own eye while we overlook the splinter in our neighbor’s. Don’t we?

Now that you know that bee is a blunder, can you see the beauty in it? Can you sense the courage in the creator who covered her “error” with her own original? Now that you know it’s there, can you look beyond the blunder? Or looking at it, can you see why my emphasis is on “Beauty in Blunders”?

Yes, we have our faults. We create mistakes. But, without the freedom to make them, we’d be afraid to get out of bed in the morning! In Leaves of Gold, LaRochefoucauld is quoted as saying, “We confess our little faults only to persuade others that we have no great ones.” Well, no one is fooled! Especially not us! We can’t trick ourselves into believing that our work is perfect. This side of heaven, it never will be! But, take Courage in your Creations! Bee bold and adventuresome! Embrace your faults while you strive to BEE all that God created you to BEE…

Find the Beauty in your Blunders.

God bless you!

 

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