True Beauty

I have mixed feelings about facebook. It's nice to see what everyone is up to, to see how things are going in the lives of people you care about but don't directly keep in touch with. Unfortunately, it almost encourages laziness when it comes to keeping in decent touch by serving as a middleman of sorts, not requiring much specific attentions or questions or even just attempts at meaningful conversation with old friends and distant (or not so distant) family. Not always of course, but for the most part. While there are undoubtedly many benefits to have a facebook profile (which is why I still have mine), sometimes the negativity gets to me. There is the obviously upset person who rants and raves all over the news feed, there are people who are sad and depressed using facebook as an outlet, and then there are people who post things like this:

I understand that society is sickeningly obsessed with being thin, which is wrong. But what about people like me who are naturally skinny, don't try to "kill" ourselves to be that way, but simply are. In fact, what about people like me who grew up being teased about how skinny they are, being surrounded by girlfriends who have curves and celebrated them with each other while teasing me for being too skinny and having no curves. What about the girl who went to a friend's house for a sleepover and was asked by her friend's brother whether or not she was anorexic (which I definitely have never been). I was insecure about my skinniness for a very long time. I have embraced the way I am now and am grateful that I can maintain a healthy body weight without "killing myself", but when I read things like in the picture above, I'm ouraged by its attempts to make skinny women feel bad about themselves. "Real men go for curves, only dogs go for bones." Regardless of the circumstances of one's skinniness, this seems to imply that the men of all skinny women are not real men but instead dogs... either that, or that a skinny woman who does in fact have a "real man" should not feel like she is beautiful to him.

I understand the underlying message-- there are many curvy and/or heavy women out there who have been terribly hurt by the western world's skinny obsession. I will NEVER, however, think that it is good to tip the scale so far to the other side. Why go from one extreme to the other? Let's try to stay on the horse here. Besides, shouldn't we as women be embracing and encouraging each other?

To all the heavy women who approve the above quote, you are doing the exact same thing to people as they have done to you, which is campaigning that one body type is better than another. Would you feel satisfied if you bestowed the same kind of hurt you felt upon a woman who is naturally thin? Do I, because I am thin, deserve to be told in so many words that I am not beautiful the way the God made me and that the man who loves me is not a real man? (And I'll have you know that he IS a God-fearing, respectable loving gentleman who loves me better than anyone on this earth has and ever will...)

So these are my thoughts today. I will conclude by saying that thin does not equal beauty, nor do curves or heaviness equal ugliness. True beauty will emenate from the woman who holds it deep within her heart, who has allowed her heart to be touched by love and show that to the world through her goodness.  THAT, my friends, is true beauty. Cling to that.

Lindsay

My Little Man is 3!

WOW- time flies! Last week my little man turned three, and I can't believe it. Just now I was thinking about how I always call him my "little man". It's funny, because he really is a little man! He is such a boy, into all things cars and ourdoorsy, and of course pretending to shoot everything in sight. He even has this innate urge to protect me. On an almost daily basis he will tell me he is going to protect me from this or that. The other day I took him downstairs to do some laundry and he was one step ahead of me but kept me close by wrapping his arm around my leg, and led the way with his chest puffed out exclaiming "I will save you from the bugs! I will save you! I will save you, mommy! From the bugs!"  What a brave little man. :)

As I watch him grow and notice all his mannerisms and little things he picks up from his observations and perspectives on life, I grow ever more curious about the man God designed him to be. I wonder if some of the characteristics he is showing now are just a phase or if they will be with him his whole life. One thing I want is to be extra careful to foster his sense of identity. I want him to know who he is in Christ and feel validated and not stifle his boyhood. He is an aggressive little guy, but sweet and gentle also. He is very outgoing, AFTER he feels out his environment for a little awhile. He has a strong pull toward anything boyish (a.k.a. dangerous or destructive), and a strong urge to protect. And he's fiercely competitive. Not sure where he gets that because I'm definitely not. He will try to race me at dinner by eating his plate first, then exclaim "I beat you!" Even at 2 years old he's had some power struggles with Dave, a sign (I think) of his competitive nature.

What I'm trying to be careful to do is foster his heart and characteristics for good, while keeping him safe and teaching him how to be relational (a.k.a. NOT pretending to shoot the doctor). It is a very difficult thing to do, because all these things I see him do now that I don't necessarily like (his aggressiveness, power struggles, and pretending to shoot everything) may actually be his God-given gifts and talents presenting themselves in an immature, youthful way. I'm trying to be careful not to shoot down everything he wants to do that I don't like. I need to pray for guidance constantly and trust that God has great plans for him and that I am here to care for and guide this sweet boy. After expressing some minor concerns about Z during a counseling session, my counselor simply said, "Have you ever thought about the adult man that God has designed him to be?" That is where I need to be putting my thoughts toward and keeping in the forefront of my mind as I mother him. I love my little man so much and truly feel that God has great plans for him to be a brave, protective, secure and honorable man someday. As he grows up I will make sure that he knows it, too.

Beautiful Things

Sometimes in all of the busyness of life, I can easily let my mind skip over so many beautiful gifts God has blessed my life with. Just looking outside my window, I have a beautiful lush green yard. I live in a beautiful foresty town. Flowers are popping up everywhere. In the past few months my hair has gotten so long and feels so pretty! I have a beautiful healthy child (who just turned 3!) and a very handsome fiance romancing me with flowers, letters, and gifts constantly. Though so many things in my life try to distract my thoughts toward the negative, beauty shines all around me.

The inspiration for this blog post came from this song. It is so refreshing I feel like every time I listen to it is the first time. Enjoy!

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new
You are making me new

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new

How I'm feeling about: The Hunger Games

I had been wanting to read Hunger Games since I saw my friend Kate scream with excitement when the commercial for the movie came on t.v. I wanted to read it mostly because her and I love the same kind of books, and once I heard all the buzz going about this story, then heard of other friends reading it and loving it, I knew I wanted to read it. Before the movie came out. Because let's face it, the movie is never as good.

Now that the movie is out, I decided I better start reading before it leaves the theaters. I bought the book awhile ago, but had been procrastinating. And honestly, the title isn't too appealing. The Hunger Games? What the? I didn't even know what to expect. The only thing I did know is that when it comes to fad books (think Harry Potter and Twilight), I'm always hooked. So I went into it pretty sure that this would be no different.

Except it was.

In the weirdest way, too. Unlike previous fad books, I could. not. put. this. down. In a totally different way than any book I've read before. It wasn't because I loved it so much, loved the world and wished it was real (thank you God it's not!). I couldn't put it down because I HAD to know what happened next. I think I subconsciously felt that putting the book down could in some weird way alter the outcome of the story... that is how hooked I was. I mean, this is life and death here-- of the characters you love! It was almost stressful!

The author is obviously a great storyteller. I hung on the story because it was attractive, while being simultaneously repulsed by its sinister nature. The main difference, for me at least, about this book that sets it apart from other fads is how I felt after reading it. With Harry Potter and Twilight I found myself sad that it was over, wishing their world was real (with some exceptions), and just reveling in the story. With this book, I acknowledge that it was an attractively written edge-of-your-seat book, but after reading I'm glad it's over, glad I know what happens, am very thankful that their world does not exist, and am a little disturbed by the sinister plot. 

After awhile though, I need to remind myself that it is just a book, it is not real, and I did enjoy the read, which I am very glad for. It is a rare thing to find a book that is that hard to put down. And the good thing about it? The story continues- I still have two more to read! I don't want to give any spoilers to those who haven't read it, so I'll just say that I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Now for the movie!

Lindsay