Missing the Promise

Late this afternoon as I left a store I noticed a couple of teenage girls standing in the parking lot, staring up at the sky behind me and taking pictures with their cell phones. Naturally curious, I turned around and saw this:

This was one of the biggest and most beautiful rainbows I've ever seen (sadly, the picture doesn't do it justice). Part of me wanted to go back into the store and tell everyone to come out and see it. I wondered how many people walked out of that same store and missed this gorgeous sight because they never bothered to turn around.

It got me thinking about promises. After all, the rainbow symbolizes a promise made by God to Noah thousands of years ago, after the great flood:

Then God said, “I am giving you [Noah] a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. ¹When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.” (Genesis 9:12-17)

Having gone to church all of my life, I'm well versed in the promises of God, but I wonder how often I miss them because I simply forget about or overlook them. When I'm stressed out and losing sleep over some project at work (as I was this week), I need to be reminded of this promise:


“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 28:11)

When I feel like my life is going nowhere, I need to cling to this promise:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

When I become anxious over money or health or just my future in general, I need to recall this promise:

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

When I'm tempted to try to find peace in the things of this world, this promise should come to mind:

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid." (John 14:27)

I could go on and on, as there are many more promises of God mentioned in the Bible. I'm thankful that  the symbol of God's covenant with Noah made so long ago is still shown today, and that it serves as a reminder of His faithfulness to fulfill ALL of His promises.

Honoring God with Our Bodies

I'm in the middle of Gary Thomas' latest book, Every Body Matters, and it's a wonder that I'm not limping around from having my toes stepped on so many times. The book discusses how physical fitness relates to and impacts our spiritual health. In all my years of church attendance and small group Bible studies, I can't recall hearing a sermon or sitting in on a Sunday school class that addressed the subject of physical fitness, so this book has been a real eye opener for me in a lot of ways.

Here's a section that really caught my attention (thus the cause of my aching toes):

How we treat our bodies is a question of stewardship even before it is a question of health, comfort, enjoyment, or pleasure. If we're truly going to be made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work, being more energetic and even being healthier can be essential elements of effectiveness. Many issues of disability and illness are beyond our control; they fall under the providence of God and the genes he has given us. But many issues--how often we exercise, the amount and quality of the calories we take in--are entirely a matter of choice, and these are what we are held accountable for.


The problem with the therapeutic model--eating and exercising to look good and feel better--is that everything is related to self: "I shouldn't overeat because it will make me less healthy." "I should exercise because I don't want to become weak and lose my breath climbing the stairs." Talking about discipleship brings God back into the picture: "I shouldn't overeat because God tells me not to, and it dishonors him as Lord when I disobey, and I want to be as strong as possible to serve him as best I can." (pg. 47, 48)

Letting Go

I'm an admitted clothesaholic. I adore fashion and trying new outfits. Coming home to find the latest issue of InStyle magazine in my mailbox is one of the highlights of my month. And for those reasons and more, my closet is on the verge of bursting at the seams.

Several years ago I realized that I was running out of clothes hangers, and I found myself buying more and more to accommodate my growing wardrobe. Finally I faced the cold, hard truth that I had way more clothes than I could reasonably wear, and I promised myself that from that point on, whenever I bought a new item of clothing, I had to give away an item. No more hanger buying for me!

For the most part over the years I've stuck to that promise. The last couple of months, however, I'm finding myself once again with an overstuffed closet. I've pulled out a few items to get rid of in exchange of the lovely new clothes I've purchased at after-Christmas sales. Still, I find myself having a hard time letting go of some items. Even though I haven't worn something in over a year, there's always the possibility that I'll wake up on some random day and have an undeniable urge to wear it, right? And those pants that just don't fit exactly right--well, maybe I'll finally drop enough weight to have them look decent again. And that top that I got for $6.99, marked down from $39.99--what a bargain! I'd be crazy to get rid of it just because I never wear it!

Silly, I know, to hold onto items that no longer serve their purpose in my life. I'm going to go back through my closet yet again and try to be ruthless about letting go of items, no matter how sentimental or how much of a shopping bargain they are. Am I the only one who has trouble getting rid of clothes? Or is there something else that you have trouble saying goodbye to, even though you no longer use it?

Book Review: A Woman's Guide to Fasting

My most recent review for Bethany House Publishers is of A Woman's Guide to Fasting by Lisa E. Nelson. 

The book mixes spiritual aspects and Biblical backgrounds on fasting with practical advice. Nelson draws on her own experiences and shares some of the lessons she's learned through fasting, as well as some tips for successful fasting. 

My own experiences with fasting are rather limited; I didn't grow up in a church that embraced that particular spiritual discipline, and have only fasted a handful of times (and for no longer than a day at a time, at least when fasting from food). Nelson, on the other hand, has fasted many times, some as long as 40 days at a stretch. It would be easy to feel intimidated by her lengthy fasting experience, but she does a good job of emphasizing that the length of fast is not as important as the heart behind it. I especially appreciated the fact that she admitted that there are times when it is a real struggle to get through a fast, even after all her years of experience. 

As the title suggests, the book is intended for women, although I'm not sure that the advice offered would differ from advice offered to men. At any rate, if you want to incorporate the discipline of fasting into your spiritual life and are unsure of where to start, or if you've struggled to complete a fast, this book may be a good source for you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House Publishers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Explore. Dream. Discover.

Adding this one to my growing list of favorite inspirational quotes:

My Quest for 2012

I'm not big on New Year's resolutions; they often seem like I'm setting myself up for failure, as inevitably my resolve to exercise every single day/disavow fast food/balance my checkbook every day will fail, and I'll give up altogether. Some people do great with resolutions--I just don't happen to be one of them.

Instead of making resolutions for 2012, I'm continuing my quest for healthy living. Certainly this largely involves my physical health. I'll get back to the boot camp grind tomorrow (which will be hard to do after two weeks off!) and will do my best to run or fit in some other form of exercise on my non-boot camp days. I'll try to cut back on the number of times I eat out, especially fast food, and do more cooking at home, which will help not only my waistline but my wallet as well.

The healthy living isn't just limited to the physical, however. I want to stay mentally sharp and challenge myself to try new things. Perhaps I'll take the intermediate ballroom dance class, since I enjoyed the beginner class so much, or I may try a different class or new hobby. I'm hopeful that I'll meet more people who challenge my thinking and who encourage me to be a better person.

Most of all, my quest involves my spiritual health. I feel like over the past year God has taught me so much about His provision and has helped me finally feel content with who I am, at home in my own skin. That's not to say that I wouldn't welcome some life changes, but I feel more comfortable at this stage in my life than perhaps I ever have. I'm grateful for all God has taught me, but I don't want the teaching to end (and I know it won't). I eagerly anticipate what He's going to do through and for me in the coming year.

How about you--are you a resolutions kind of person? What are you focusing on for 2012?

Favorite Moments

For the first time all year I took an entire week off from work and have really enjoyed it. So much so that going back to work tomorrow is going to be really, really hard. But before I start dreading that early morning alarm clock, I'll reminisce about some of my favorite moments from the past week. Naturally, they all stem from my and my parents' visit to Georgia to see my sister, brother-in-law and three nieces. We were only there for a couple of days but, as always, there was plenty to enjoy. Here are a few favorite moments:

• I usually stay in my oldest niece's bedroom. True to her name, Grace graciously gave up her bedroom once again to accommodate me, and left me with this lovely welcome note (complete with mint) on her bed:

Later, after being reminded (thanks a lot, sis!) that hotel guests often leave tips for good service, she added a postscript to the other side of her note:

So it's official--I have the most clever nieces in the world. For the record, I did leave a tip, although slightly less than the requested $5 because (a) I didn't have a $5 bill with me and (b) I didn't want to cause trouble among her sisters by appearing to show favoritism. It wouldn't take long for those girls to clean me out!

• One of the gifts I gave my middle niece (Sophia) turned out to be a big hit. I gave her a beauty salon set that included fake nail polish, lipstick, eye shadow, makeup brushes, comb, flat iron, etc. I lost count over how many "makeovers" Sophia gave me during my brief stay. Thankfully the "makeup" was plastic and not real, or else I'd probably have ended up with blue and purple eyeshadow all over my face. 

• My youngest niece, Evelyn, enjoyed reading a Winnie the Pooh "look and find" book. I laughed every time she'd find one of the objects that the book called for--she'd excitedly say "I found it!" or "There it is!" So cute and so proud of herself for finding it!

• I also loved hearing Evelyn's laughter, particularly when she got really tickled over something (such as actually being tickled). There is nothing like a three year-old's giggles to get me laughing, too. 

• My sister and I found some time to get away together for a quick shopping trip. We were both in search of jeans, and to our shock, we each found some that fit. Considering how challenging jeans shopping can be for women, that was a minor miracle. We credit each other for being our lucky shopping charm, so I think that means we'll need to meet up at least once a month from now on to go shopping together. 

With fun moments like these, you can see why I'm reluctant to return home to the real world and to get back to work. So what were some of your favorite moments over the Christmas break? 

Cheers to 2012

I loved this quote that I found on one of my favorite blogs, Sequins and Stripes. I'm looking forward to some good changes--and maybe a surprise or two--in the new year.