I'm realizing how bad I've been about blogging. I'm on track to only post HALF as many times as I posted last year - eesh! I guess I hesitate to post a lot for many reasons: 1 - time! 2 - no pictures or video to go along with what I'm planning on sharing 3 - I don't know what to share! My mind is often spinning incessantly with different ideas, theories on life, theories on Christian living, problem solving ideas for my kids (sometimes for other people too depending on the situation). I hate getting on here and just "chit chatting" but then I realize, I just never write! So, here's to just writing something totally random.
Today, we were having a small picnic in the backyard and Cole fell backwards off the seat at the little-tykes picnic table... not a far fall, but right into the rod-iron leg of grandma's sun chair. As I lifted him up I saw something on the back of his head and then soon realized, it's blood! It was just dripping and dripping and dripping. But, I got it to stop bleeding within a few minutes, thankfully! Asher got me my phone so I could call Mark, have him get me Cole's binky, monkey and a new shirt. I was actually really glad I had cut his hair just 2 hrs before - less mess :) Anyway, it was still kinda oozing, just a teensy bit, and it was naptime... what to do? I put a 3 inch bandaid on his head! I had no clue what else to do!! I guess I could have just put a towel down under his head, but the bandaid (while a weird solution) seemed like the best solution at the time - we'll see when he wakes up and I try to take it off. But, I think we might be heading to the mall tonight, so I might just leave it on until later? But what about riding in the stroller with a yucky, half-wet scab? These are things you don't think about until your kid has a huge gush on the back of their head. Ah well, he was happy within 15 minutes or so afterwards, so we weren't dealing with pain or anything, just mess. We'll see what happens later today!
Now, this topic is touchy. And I want to write more about it, but I'm bad at writing thoughts down as they come, so I don't have much "saved up" yet. I know most of us women struggle with our appearance. But it makes me really sad to see so many Christian women letting it get themselves down, or constantly seeking to better their appearance, or just catering to feeling bad about it by "fixing" the problem areas. Exercise I totally understand - you just feel better! And it's good to be healthy. But the constant getting hair & nails done... I just don't get it. Well, that's not entirely true, I get it, but I don't think it's good that I get it - make sense? :S We are people, we are driven towards beauty and it really, truly feels good to look lovely. But as Christians, shouldn't we recognize that any feeling of goodness we get from our appearance is really just vanity? In fact, I often feel bad realizing that it's so easy for me to feel good or bad based on how I look each day. It's human nature, yes, but don't we have Christ's Holy Spirit living in us, reminding us that the joy in the glory to come is enough for every day? When we live happily simply b/c everything about our appearance is falling in place that day, well, doesn't that just tell us that our joy is misplaced? I have trouble with this b/c it's a daily struggle for me, but I've come to a point where I recognize that I am struggling with sin (vanity), not just feelings or hormones. And I just wonder if maybe us Christian women are neglecting the fact that good feelings based on appearance are passing, fruitless, vain and generally, a big waste of energy. Shouldn't we be aiming for a more permanent joy instead of problem-solving our appearance until we are content? Seriously, point the finger at me first, it's a daily struggle! But we've got to start fighting it!! Don't you think?? I want to fight it, but I find that many women don't, and even go to lengths to make excuses for it. We need to hold each other to a higher standard!
And our appearance is just one spot of this issue of discontentment. Really, I think most sins come down to discontentment. So many daily choices for me come down to discontentment. But I said this in January, and I am still saying it today - it's worth fighting discontentment every day! It's worth it to abstain from complaining every moment, every day! There are few things we need in life, and in America, there is little to complain about. We complain b/c we look at what other people have, or pretty much, whatever we don't have. I want to look at the life I have in Christ and let that be enough to swallow every bit of discontentment and every complaint left in me - it's worth it 100% of the time. Even if I have nothing on earth, it's still worth it to have joy in Christ... we'll all see that once we die, I know it.
Anyway, that is my random blog post. I definitely want to write a bunch more on that topic of discontentment... it is part of my plan for the year but it hasn't really happened yet... guess I better get on it!! Thanks for reading :)
Today, we were having a small picnic in the backyard and Cole fell backwards off the seat at the little-tykes picnic table... not a far fall, but right into the rod-iron leg of grandma's sun chair. As I lifted him up I saw something on the back of his head and then soon realized, it's blood! It was just dripping and dripping and dripping. But, I got it to stop bleeding within a few minutes, thankfully! Asher got me my phone so I could call Mark, have him get me Cole's binky, monkey and a new shirt. I was actually really glad I had cut his hair just 2 hrs before - less mess :) Anyway, it was still kinda oozing, just a teensy bit, and it was naptime... what to do? I put a 3 inch bandaid on his head! I had no clue what else to do!! I guess I could have just put a towel down under his head, but the bandaid (while a weird solution) seemed like the best solution at the time - we'll see when he wakes up and I try to take it off. But, I think we might be heading to the mall tonight, so I might just leave it on until later? But what about riding in the stroller with a yucky, half-wet scab? These are things you don't think about until your kid has a huge gush on the back of their head. Ah well, he was happy within 15 minutes or so afterwards, so we weren't dealing with pain or anything, just mess. We'll see what happens later today!
Now, this topic is touchy. And I want to write more about it, but I'm bad at writing thoughts down as they come, so I don't have much "saved up" yet. I know most of us women struggle with our appearance. But it makes me really sad to see so many Christian women letting it get themselves down, or constantly seeking to better their appearance, or just catering to feeling bad about it by "fixing" the problem areas. Exercise I totally understand - you just feel better! And it's good to be healthy. But the constant getting hair & nails done... I just don't get it. Well, that's not entirely true, I get it, but I don't think it's good that I get it - make sense? :S We are people, we are driven towards beauty and it really, truly feels good to look lovely. But as Christians, shouldn't we recognize that any feeling of goodness we get from our appearance is really just vanity? In fact, I often feel bad realizing that it's so easy for me to feel good or bad based on how I look each day. It's human nature, yes, but don't we have Christ's Holy Spirit living in us, reminding us that the joy in the glory to come is enough for every day? When we live happily simply b/c everything about our appearance is falling in place that day, well, doesn't that just tell us that our joy is misplaced? I have trouble with this b/c it's a daily struggle for me, but I've come to a point where I recognize that I am struggling with sin (vanity), not just feelings or hormones. And I just wonder if maybe us Christian women are neglecting the fact that good feelings based on appearance are passing, fruitless, vain and generally, a big waste of energy. Shouldn't we be aiming for a more permanent joy instead of problem-solving our appearance until we are content? Seriously, point the finger at me first, it's a daily struggle! But we've got to start fighting it!! Don't you think?? I want to fight it, but I find that many women don't, and even go to lengths to make excuses for it. We need to hold each other to a higher standard!
And our appearance is just one spot of this issue of discontentment. Really, I think most sins come down to discontentment. So many daily choices for me come down to discontentment. But I said this in January, and I am still saying it today - it's worth fighting discontentment every day! It's worth it to abstain from complaining every moment, every day! There are few things we need in life, and in America, there is little to complain about. We complain b/c we look at what other people have, or pretty much, whatever we don't have. I want to look at the life I have in Christ and let that be enough to swallow every bit of discontentment and every complaint left in me - it's worth it 100% of the time. Even if I have nothing on earth, it's still worth it to have joy in Christ... we'll all see that once we die, I know it.
Anyway, that is my random blog post. I definitely want to write a bunch more on that topic of discontentment... it is part of my plan for the year but it hasn't really happened yet... guess I better get on it!! Thanks for reading :)
July 2, 2011 at 12:46 AM
I really like what your saying about this topic, and I agree. I totally get wanting to feel pretty, but I've also never really liked the idea, and sometimes surrounding pressures, to actually alter myself with false things in the form of nails, skin color, etc. Though it's probably no different than me just wanting a decent haircut, and better shape. So I don't really blame women that do that stuff.
I love what you said, and take great encouragement in "I want to look at the life I have in Christ and let that be enough to swallow every bit of discontentment and every complaint left in me - it's worth it 100% of the time."
I don't want to feel like I should feel bad when I don't look as wonderful as the beauties around me. And it's a shame this vicious cycle happens, that women's own insecurities which make them seek these fixes, even end up pouring out to those around them when they appear to look down on those that aren't as well fixed up, and then those women feel bad...and it continues. I would love to see a revolution in braking this, fighting the tendency, as you said.
I'll look forward to hearing more of your thoughts on it.
And I think we would all be happy to read random 'chit-chat' posts from you, even without pics! I'm terrible at writing too, but do know that we love to hear from you either way, and we do read it :)