On Lipstick and Decades: Seeking, Dwelling and Finding Answers To Who We Are

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The shape looked different than my normal lipsticks. It pointed toward the tip and sloped in the middle. Somehow on this quiet Sunday morning where thy busyness of a typical morning routine fell absent, I noticed my go-to autumn colored lipstick tip.

As I continued with my make-up routine, I mused over those old teeny bopper magazines I used to giggle over with my girlfriends. We’d sit on our hot pink covered beds as we smacked and popped even hotter pink bubble gum while reading articles that grabbed our attention: What The Shape Of Your Lipstick Says About You.

As if our lipsticks were oracles providing clues to our personalities, we would stare and compare the shape to the icons on the pages of the magazine. Rounded tip: easy going and loving. Diagonal: ambition and passionate. Flat: honest and super sweet.

What if I’m not any of these types?

What if I’m all of these types?

Those were days of discovery. Days of insecurity and comparison. Days of trial and error. Those were teen-age defined days not much different than my mid-thirties days. I stood in front of the mirror with bits of gray at my over grown roots and laugh lines revealing years of smiles. A good thing. That pointed tip, sloped-in-the-middle lipstick revealed to me that I am still that same giggly girl with her friends examining just who she is…even at the age of 34.

*****Read the rest of my article HERE on (in)courage****

What it looks like to sit still in prayer

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A list runs through my mind as I pray. Things weighing heaving on my heart. Things I’m unsure about and need direction. Things I need. Things I think I need, but really just want. Things I’m hoping for friends and family. Things I need forgiveness. It is quite busy in my head as I take a deep breath and talk to my King.

I talk so much in many areas of my life, why should that be different with my prayer conversations?

The busy-ness in my head is quite exhausting and drowns out what I really need, what my heart longs for.

To hear from God.

To sit still in His presence.

To breath in what He hands us as God-breathed…Scripture.

Quiet the noise. Replace it with all out praise in prayer.

At risk of sounding methodical or scientific, a rule of thumb is how I’ve quieted the noise and approached my sweet conversations with Jesus. Ever heard of the 80/20 rule? Whoever came up with this (I really should do some research on the background!) is genius. Most often attributed to the business world, what would happen if…

80% of our prayer conversations were all out worship…

20% of our prayer conversations were requests and pleas?

Another way to look at this: the majority of our time in prayer spent in praise and adoration and thanksgiving. We sit, maybe even kneel?, in a posture where our heart is less focused on our need and more on God’s goodness. Then…something changes in us…

Oh yes, the Lord loves it, even commands us to bring everything into prayer (Philippians 4:6) but when our priority is praise and worship of the One who sees all of our needs, we begin to look at our requests through a different lens. Our perspective rearranges more in line with His heart and His Kingdom.

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My wants are less material and all I want is what God wants for me.

My requests are less dire as I embrace the TRUTH that He knows, He is never surprised and He’s got it covered.

My heart aches are covered with the balm of worship as God brings me into His fold.

80% of my life is all about Jesus…that 20% slides less and less until I make Him famous.

He must become greater…I must become less. (John 3:30)

For when He becomes greater, I see myself elevated into His presence, His plans, His agenda. I find dignity in the lesser for His greatness shines upon me and through me. When Jesus becomes greater, that dark space in my heart which yearns for something more, illuminates with joy, hope, trust. I spill that out when I become less and He becomes greater.

We were made to make much of Jesus. We are wired for it, yet the disconnect comes when we fight that innate quality. Discontentment, distrust, displacement… when our focus is on the lesser (myself) and not the Great God.

Let this be the heart cry of our prayer today…

God is the source of our blessings, may every corner of the earth respect and revere Him. {Psalm 67:7 The Voice}

Let us seek the blessing GIVER…not solely His blessings…

How does this change your view or approach to prayer?

Leave a comment…let’s chat!
(photo credit: indie_shots via photopin cc)

Devoted to Conversation

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There is one common question I am asked continually by readers, friends and those I mentor:

 

How do I stay on the bandwagon? How do I stay motivated to make time for Jesus? How do I have an effective “quiet time” or “devotion time?”

My answer to share is so very simple, yet really not that simple. I would like for you to hear me out with an open mind as we rearrange our perspective on this topic.

We stay passionate about our time with Jesus, our time in the Bible, our time in prayer by looking at that time as a vehicle to promote CONVERSATION with the very King of Kings. Conversation. Simple as that, right?

Instead of sitting down for the obligatory “quiet time,” what if it wasn’t quiet at all? What if we threw out all that we think we know about how we “should” spend time with God? What if we approached Jesus as if He were actually in the room, as if He was ready to interact with us in a real, maybe even out of the normal way.

Conversations aren’t quiet.

Conversations aren’t boring.

Conversations are not usually one-sided–nor should they be.

Conversations invigorate.

Conversations promote fellowship.

Conversations are imperative to a real encounter with Jesus. We so often sit down to check the box with our Bible and maybe a good devotional book or Bible study. (I LOVE THOSE BOOKS!) Let those resources be a conduit to the conversation.

What do you normally do when you sit down with a friend to chat? You want to know more about her. You want to hear about her life and her heart. It is the same with Jesus. We take our relationship with the King to the next level beyond the mundane (on our part, of course!) by sitting down with Him for one purpose:

to KNOW who GOD is…

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Our soul was created to yearn for God. We are wired to seek out fulfillment that only God can sustain in us. We only satisfy this innate desire by seeking Him out. We only step into true relationship with Jesus when seek out WHO He is. This starts with a conversation.

Conversation with God’s word: sitting with His book to read and engage with GOD’s story–real life, relevant story.

Conversations with God in prayer: sitting still and letting Him express His side of things rather than doling out a laundry list of needs and requests.

Conversations with God in worship: This is where it gets exciting. We can worship God literally anywhere. If you love writing, worship Him with your words. If you love nature, worship God by experiencing His creation. If you love sports, worship Him by playing with all your might and telling people why. If you love art, create something of beauty reflecting what God is doing in your life. And of course, sing songs of praise to the One who is worthy of our vocal acclamation.

We have a part in the conversation. We have “work” to do on our end. Just like in any relationship, if we don’t cultivate the communion and the conversation, it falls short. Oh how He desires us to seek after Him. He WILL be found…

If you seek me with all your heart, I will be found. (paraphrase of Jeremiah 29:13-14)

So there you have it. My best advice on getting on that bandwagon…for stating motivated in your devotional time.

Devoted to conversation.

Does this change your perspective? How can you be more devoted to conversation with Jesus?

Leave a comment…let’s chat!
(photo credit: Benson Kua via photopin cc)