Rest

Illusive,

Fighting to be still

Drains body and mind.

Stop,

Thinking of the list

Wages war within flesh.

Stubborn,

Striving to do more

Weakens humans in need

Of rest.

Sickness,

Pretending no illness exists

Deceives only the mind.

Peace,

Being still before the Maker,

His strength sustains.

Presence,

Clinging to His promises,

He never falters.

Be still.

Know that I am God.

Darkness to Light

Darkness engulfs

An empty room when lights

Go out.

Shadows, nightmares and

Smoke spring up

Threatening to drag

Down under.

Unwelcome and unbidden,

Chains wraps around the

Beating heart.

Down. Down. Down.

A plane spirals out

Of control

In the hands of the

Child.

Strong hands grab the

Helm.

Pointing the nose, the Pilot

Sets a new course.

Up. Up. Up.

Shackles fall away with

Earth, clouds and wind

At the letting go.

Bursting through to clear

Skies and sunshine,

Rays and rainbows dance

Across the way.

In the room of family

And friends,

Light shines.

Written by Kaelyn Michelle Pfenning on October 5, 2011

Beauty re-defined

Every little girl, young lady, and elderly woman desires to be beautiful and to hear the words, "You are beautiful."

What, then, is the definition of beautiful?

When I googled "definition of beautiful," the very first definitions are as follows:

beau·ti·fulAdjective/ˈbyo͞otəfəl/

1. Pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically.

2. Of a very high standard; excellent.

A couple questions come to mind when I read these definitions:
Pleasing to whose senses or mind?
And who sets or determines the very high standard?

Many women may define beauty as anything pleasing to men or themselves, but fallen mankind is not a good judge of beauty since sin tainted the world.

Romans 1:28 says, "Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done."

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time...."

Beauty in its purest form may be defined as anything pleasing to God; therefore, true beauty shines the brightest in the lives of those who dwell the most in the presence of the Almighty.

1 Peter 3:3-4 says, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

Isaiah 52:7 says, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'"

The desires to be beautiful and to please God go hand-in-hand!

Galatians 1:10 says, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Who do you trust to tell you the truth?

Are you beautiful in the eyes of your Creator?

Courageous: A warning to women

Courageous is an excellent movie with a healthy combination of intense scenes and comic relief as well as sound messages for men and families.

Nevertheless, with the focus on the men, we must not forget the other side or think the problems in society today are solely because of the men.

They cannot fulfill their roles as they should without proper support from wives and children. Many men leave the home because of nagging or critical wives.

God has gifted women with the ability to influence for men--for better or for worse. Many women abuse those powers to manipulate men in order to get what they want.

It is no wonder men spend hours at work or lose themselves in video games and movies or escape to hobbies and friends.

Women have a vital role of encouraging men to stand up for what is right, to pursue God before us and to invest their time in what really matters.

That encouragement cannot come through constant nagging for a man to do something or through constant criticism when he does try to do something or through twisting his words to gain a particular result.

Encouragement from women (and men) must be founded in the source of truth, God's Holy Word, as well as the spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, and must be done solely for the glory of God, not out of selfish ambitions.

Where are you, women of truth?