I am sitting here listening to my favourite childhood music, the Boney M Christmas Album, using a clean desk, my mineral water beside my hand...and just a little bit scared about starting a new blog...It has been a while... I felt like I had to start afresh with a new blog, a new way to be creative, a new perspective to match my new life that has changed so dramatically over the past year.
To welcome you ALL back (all three followers that I asume that I will have! :) I will begin by sharing with you the journey that I embark nearly every morning. Somewhere between 5-5.30am on a good morning, I wake up to go out on my back verandah to exercise. Some may call that discipline, I call it a necessity...it is probably the only time of the day when I am guarenteed my quiet time, when Isabelle and Luke are still sleeping. Just after 5, after the sun starts to peak its warming rays over my part of the world, fruit bats fly over my house, heading towards the ocean and sunrise. I am not a huge fan of bats :) but I love the silence, the chilled air, the peace of the morning. I am still a little tired at this time, but at the beginning of my workout, I have the chance to glimspe a small part of God's beautiful creation. This is an important part of my day, as seemingly small as it may be. While I am still trying to figure out why I have woken up so early, I am conflicted between the idea of trying to 'get fit' and 'be healthy' with the call from God to focus on strengthening and beautifying our inner-selves, the more valuable and treasured part of our bodies to Him, but often the overlooked attributes in society.
My devotion that I read this morning focused on how to cultivate and rejoice our femininity. Proverbs 29:10-31 is an illustration about a woman of noble character. Rather than comparing myself and noting my many shortcomings, I tried to open my eyes to what a noble woman is able to do, many of these things that I enjoy doing myself! She selects wool and flax and CREATES beautiful things! She gets up while it is dark and prepares food (I do half of that part...still need to work on the delicious cooking part for my husband!) She is a wise business woman, who would've thought that a woman of the Bible could earn money! (add sarcasm here) She cares for the needy and speaks with wisdom. Charm and beauty fades, but a woman of God is to be praised...thats the part I need to remind myself everyday...work on the inner (and a little bit of the outer) but do it to the glory of God, remembering and rejoicing that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).
"Everytime you reach out in love, perform a deed of kindness, soften your heart in forgiveness, show a little extra patience, and follow through in faithfulness-other people experience the character of God through you." Elizabeth George ~ Remarkable Women of the Bible
Hello! Welcome back.
ReplyDeleteYou write so beautifully. I look forward to reading more. I love that she creates! She is a wonderful example for us! Maybe we need to get a little more industrious with our creations....
Another way of reading the 'she rises while it's dark' that I have always loved and felt challenged by is the understanding that the dark can be the dark times in our lives/days. To rise (stay positive, rise to the challenge, rise above pettiness...) in the dark times of our lives requires strength, poise, grace and persistence which are things I strive for. They're definitely traits that I see in you my friend! xxo
pretty and exciting that you are starting a new blog! welcome back! xx
ReplyDeleteOh I love you! You're an incredible inspiration. You would not believe what devotional book I purchased the other day.. "walking with the women of the bible" - Elizabeth George....
ReplyDeleteI believe in my heart that God wants women to rediscover the woman as He designed and created her. Not the one sin, flesh and culture has created. You're proof of that.