Monday, April 26, 2010

So Long, Insecurity... Mad Enough to Change

This title of this first chapter says it all.  My question to myself and to others is: are you mad enough to change? Change what you may ask.  Well change your circumstances, your job, your financial situation, your weight, your attitude, the mess inside your home/car/yard, anything that makes you mad that it is still the way it is after all these years.  Well some of you may want to change things that are out of your control but we are being realistic here and changing things that we can change without causing harm to others.

I asked myself this question: what word tells others that I am mad.  Is it ticked, really peeved, or irritated.  Your word may be something a little more, should I say harsh, blunt, in your face, unspeakable.  Whatever your word is YOU ARE MAD.  Still my question is and Beth's question is are you mad enough to change?

I hope that I am not alone in this but sometimes I am so mad and I don't even know what I am mad about or who I am mad at.  Crazy right.  I feel like that sometimes.  Like I am crazy, like I am all alone with these strange feelings.  You know Eve had to be feeling these same feelings, right?  I mean she was the first woman, the first one to cause all this pain that we as women are enduring today.  Really, way to go Eve.  But there is lots we can learn from her and so many other women in the Bible.  I am sure Eve thought at some point during the whole apple incident; "boy do I need help! Here we go I have gone and eaten this apple and look at the mess I am in now." Do you ever feel like Eve?  Like you need help and I mean more than what you are already getting.  Beth  Moore talks about this on page 2.  PAGE 2 (already, we are  just getting started in this book and she has hit the nail on the head early).  I NEED HELP! 

I will be quoting a lot from Beth's book so pardon me if I don't do it by the book.  As Beth says: "Several days ago I sat in a tearoom across the table from a gorgeous woman I love dearly.  She had been married for three months, and they did all the right things leading up to that sacred ceremony, heightening the anticipation considerably.  After an hour or so of musing over marriage, she said to me, "Last weekend he seemed disinterested in me.  I'll be honest with you.  It kind of shook me up.  I wanted to ask him, ' So, are you over me now? That quick? That's it?'" I'm pretty certain her husband will perk back up, but what a tragedy that she feels like she possesses the shelf life of a video game."  This spoke to me just like it spoke to Beth when she was meeting with her friend.  Beth goes onto say that she is sad that her friend can't feel desirable as herself.  Well at this very moment, I don't feel desirable.  Babies do things to your body, life seems to get in the way, weight seems to creep on you and then you wake up one day and you look in the mirror and say who's that lady?

Is something wrong with us?  Beth says "something is wrong with us for us to value ourselves so little." Truth be known I guess I don't value myself like Christ values the church.  Sometimes I think if I did then I wouldn't have let myself get into such a mess. With guilt, not feeling beautiful, my weight, my anger getting the best of me, my lack of being anywhere close to being a proverbs 31 woman, oh and so many more things. There I go again just putting the expectations up there but I know my potential, I know what I am like when I am happy with myself, with my looks, my weight...to me everything else falls into place.  Or does it?   IF we put of value at the foot of the cross then we are right where we should be: on our knees, face down.  Humbling ourselves before the Lord with all our insecurities exposed for the Great Physician to fix.  No human person can do what only One Godly Man can do: Forgive, Clease Us, & Love Us Unconditionally! 

We can not place the blame of our in securities on one person or one gender.  There are so many things that add up to our insecurities and for each of us the list will be different but with a lot of similarities.  "Men are not our problems; it's what we are trying to get from them that messes us up."  We should not use men as a mirror to see if we are beautiful, desirable, worthy of being noticed.  Men are to be our partner, companions, friends.  Men have their own problems and insecurities that they are dealing with as well.  "Men's insecurities take different shapes, but make no mistake; they've got them."  We can not put all our trust in men to be our everything.  When that friend turns her back , your fired from your job, your children are driving you up the tree....they can't handle an emotional basket case.  They want us to be strong.  Here is a song that really talks to me:

Three in the morning, and I’m still awake

So I picked up a pen and a page
And I started writing just what I’d say
If we were face to face

I’d tell you just what you mean to me
Tell you these simple truths

Be strong in the Lord And never give up hope You’re gonna do great things I already know God’s got His hand on You So don’t live life in fear Forgive and forget But don’t forget why you’re here Take your time and pray These are the words I would say

Last time we spoke you said you were hurting
And I felt your pain in my heart
I want to tell you that I keep on praying
That love will find you where you are
I know cause I’ve already been there

So please hear
these simple truths

Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You’re gonna do great things
I already know
God’s got His hand on You
So don’t live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don’t forget why you’re here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say
from one simple life to another
I will say…
come find peace in the Father
Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You’re gonna do great things
I already know
God’s got His hand on You
So don’t live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don’t forget why you’re here...
Take your time and pray
And thank God for each day
His love will find a way
These are the words I would say




May we find comfort in these words and realize that we need to have a place where we can go to let go, cry, scream, be sad, lonely, needy, just want to be held but we can't put it all in one basket.  Go to your spouse, boyfriend, friend, parent but most importantly take it to your Heavenly Father.  He knows what  you need, how you need it, why you need it.  He already knows!  Love in Christ fellow Chickie's!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

So Long, Insecurity you've been a bad friend to us

This is a book by Beth Moore that I believe men and women alike should read.  I have not read the whole book and must admit I just started and would love to have you on this journey with me as I dive into each chapter of So Long, Insecurity you've been a bad friend to us. 

I know I have so many issues that I have dealt with through the years and continue to deal with that I just want to throw up.  I was once told by my cousin that there is light at the end of this tunnel.  Well, I am so ready to be at the end of the tunnel when it comes to my insecurities, my anxiety, my anger, my whatever.  Yes I am having issues these days and I am sure through this journey that all the world will know what I am struggling with.  So join me and dive into discovery what your insecurities are and be ready to hand them all over to our Lord daily!