Sticks and Stones

But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. Matt. 15:18 NIV

I was bullied when I was about 12 and in the 7th grade. I remember when it started. I had gotten some new clothes, a "Betty Boop" shirt, elephant bell jeans and my first pair of heels, wedgies. We lived in Southeast San Jose, not far from the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds and it was not the best neighborhood.  I was walking from the school bus when the 'mean girls'  struck. These girls terrorized those they disliked (or felt threatened by) they certainly did not like a little blonde girl at this particular school. I didn't fit in.  They attacked another girl after school by holding her down and shaving off her eyebrows. I was terrified when they set me in their sights the day I wore my new clothes. They threw rocks at me , laughing while giving me menacing looks and threatening me. I once even walked the 3 miles home rather then endure the bus ride and subsequent walk home being menaced by these girls. They called me terrible names  I was just a young girl desperately trying to fit in and stay off the radar. I begged my Mom to drive me to school and she did, but she never knew the extent of my torment. I was too humiliated and scared to tell her. I somehow felt I was responsible for my plight (kids seem to think that if bad things happen to them, they must be a bad person or have done something bad to deserve it) and that pretending all was OK was the best way to cope.  Things were a lot different in the seventies and ratting would only make things worse. There were a lot of older teens in the place we lived and as I was becoming a young lady, boys were noticing me , which angered the girls in the crowd so they too began to menace me. I remember turning to Christ and being baptized. Not long after we  moved away to Blossom Valley and my life changed for the better, the first person I met was my lifelong best girlfriend. I still had a lot of challenges and definitely caused my share of trouble. Those years were some of the finest of my life. The things we do and say to others can really do damage. I can't recall what I ate for dinner a month ago, but I can recall those words and how they made me feel to this day and it has been almost forty years ago. That's the kind of impact our words can have on another person's life, it can wound and break a child's spirit. It was years before I was able to understand it was not my fault. The bible says we will give an account for every idle word we speak. I want to make sure that our son never has to endure this kind of pain.

Judge Not

Judge not, that ye not be judged. Matthew 7:1 KJV

Many like to cite this scripture of late.There there are those throwing this verse around to make a point and claim others are cherry picking from the bible. I find it interesting and tiresome that those using this one verse don't quote the subsequent verses.  In essence they are doing this very same thing by accusing  and attacking those of other viewpoints using this one scripture. The subsequent verses read:

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull the mote out of thine eye; and behold , a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite first cast the beam out of thine own eye; then thou shalt see clearly to cast  the mote out of thy brother's eye. Matthew 7:2-5 KJV

Clearly this passage refers to hypocritical judgment. Of course we are to exercise judgment, this is just common sense. Are we going to let criminals roam the streets because we are to 'judge not' ?  Over and over in scripture we are exhorted to judge. Here are just a few. There are many more but I think these make the point.

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge the righteous judgment. John 7:24 KJV

The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. Psalm 37:30 KJV

Take heed..if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. Luke 17:3 KJV

Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 1 Corinthians 6:3 NIV

As far as political and cultural opinions, I can only say each of us will give an account to the LORD at the Judgment and no man can redefine what is sin and what isn't. I just would like to see this verse used in it's proper context.

Iron Sharpens Iron

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" Proverbs 27:17 NIV

Where would I be without my friends and family? My friends and family mirror God's goodness and love in my life. Others do also, just in a different way. Even those I thought were my friends that disappointed me. Even those who weren't friends. Even those annoying people who cut me off in traffic!  Notice the Proverb just says 'one person' not necessarily a friend. These act as sandpaper to my soul to reshape my attitude and ability to appreciate more those who have loved me, prayed for me, listened when I "bubble and snot" , have a hissy fit and process what the world throws my way. Even those who are difficult, inconsiderate, treacherous and downright hurtful have been used to make me grateful and more aware of the person I do not want to be. The life I do not want to live.  These experiences teach me how to set boundaries about what I will allow in my life and how to respond, not react. Going through hard times makes me mindful that things aren't always what they seem with someone else and a little kindness can go a long way. Sometimes being right and doing the right thing aren't the same thing. Sharpening iron can be a rough process, but the end result is something smooth, beautiful and of more value. God wants warriors, not whiners.

Reflections of Mom

It's been almost 8 months since my Mom passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack. She was only 69 and had hidden her condition from us. Looking back, there were signs, I know the Lord gave me a few, but I think I was in denial. The first 3 months were so hard. The first few weeks I was numb, everything seemed surreal. I was unable to concentrate, making even the smallest decisions difficult. I felt as if I was loosing my mind and I found myself going through our entire relationship with a fine tooth comb. If not for the hope and healing power of God, I think I would've lost my mind with grief. I've come to the conclusion that Mom went according to her own terms, her love for her family so intense that she wanted to protect us, but at the same time she knew she couldn't have withstood bypass surgery and did not want to live as an invalid.

God has, in His grace and compassion, give me signs along the way that she is with Him. For instance, I have a perpetual devotional calendar given to me by a dear friend over 20 years ago. I had been asking the LORD if she was OK and how could I be reassured she was with Him? When I looked at the entry for the date of her heart attack (she was on life support for 2 days and it was stopped on 8/30/12, but I knew in my heart she left her earthly body the day she had the heart attack) this was the devotional , "When the believer dies, the body goes into the grave; the soul and spirit go immediately to be with the LORD Jesus awaiting the body's resurrection, when they're joined together to be forever with the LORD in eternal bliss." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:43 NIV Coincidence? I had this devotional for over 20 years. It was a gift to me by my best friend. A few days later, I was shopping at a favorite grocery store Mom and I used to go to all the time. As I entered the store to shop "In the Arms of an Angel" began playing. Coincidence? Mom loved plants and gardening. She HATED gardenias because they reminded her of funerals, which always terrified her from childhood experiences with full mass funerals. She could hardly bear to visit the cemetery in Santa Rosa where my grandfather is buried) Another dear friend (who did not know about this) later said she was prompted to send me a gardenia. To me this was a sign she was at peace and no longer afraid. Coincidence? In my garden, one of my rose bushes produced the most gorgeous purple bloom. In December. Coincidence? On my first birthday without Mom  I was getting a pedicure (Mom and I frequently got pedicures together) and a Kenny G (Mom loved Kenny G and we went to his concert together) version of "I will always Love You" I'd never heard before began playing. Then the salon phone rang and it was the special ringtone I had for her.  Coincidence? I choose to believe God is faithful and He has my Mother safe with Him. I will see her again one day.

Why I Love Mineral Cosmetics

Hi Everyone! My name is Lisa and I am a Christian,   fiftysomething    mom to  year old Zack.
I discovered mineral cosmetics about 8 years ago. I fell in love with the airbrushed look and feel, yet full coverage (built in SPF and minimal ingredients also a plus) Also,  because minerals are so concentrated and long lasting, they're more economical.  I wish I had discovered them sooner, having endured years of expensive, heavy, mask-like, orange-turning foundations of the 1980s!  Another plus is this makeup is virtually waterproof! I became a distributor for Classy Minerals in 2006 because they are the best products I have ever used.
I like to apply my mineral foundation with a large jumbo buffer or kabuki. I squirt a few pumps of my favorite Beauty Boost mineral setting spray into a small steel pinch bowl, tap out a bit of the liquid powder mineral foundation and sweep my brush in the mixture and then quickly apply to my face in circular sweeping motions until my desired coverage is achieved. I then add a bit more spray and tap in some Bisque concealer and apply with a concealer brush to areas that need more attention (under eyes, sides of nose etc)
To apply mineral blush less is more. I periodically dip my brush into a palette with a bit of blush , spray it 1-2 times with the setting spray and apply in a "3" shape for a watercolor finish. The next day I may only just spray my brush and apply , add more blush as needed.
One of my favorite eye looks is to apply an all-over wash of color to my eyelid and add  a pop of color by lining with a bolder mineral color. Spraying your brush after it is dipped in the shadow will give you a wonderful foiled effect and also works well for lining the eyes. I then frame my eyes by shaping my brows with a brow brush and Dark brown mineral powder.
I finish and pull my look together with Beige Glow finisher mineral veil. Beige glow lends the perfect healthy 'dewy' finish for me, not too matte or too shimmery both of which are unflattering to fine lines and the like. Have you tried mineral cosmetics?