Are you confident because you’re beautiful, or are you beautiful because you’re confident?
Take it from a man — we know the difference.
You can be someone who’s 45 and wanting to look 25 to regain confidence. Or an 18 years old who wants to look prettier because you lack confidence.
Or you can be confident enough to walk around and feel beautiful because you know who you are.
Do you want to be Belo-fied?
I’m not downplaying cosmetics and hair spa or whatever those things girls and ladies do for beauty’s sake, but what I know is that there’s no amount of Belo-fication can replace being confident for who you are. Its you who knows your strengths and weaknesses. Rejoice in your strengths and accept your weaknesses. And believe that the Creator did not make a mistake when He designed you as you are right now.
PS: As a married man, I just have to say this. My wife is blessed to look 12 years younger without really exerting much effort. Call me arrogant, but I just think it’s a blessing that I should be thankful for. Having said that, she’s the most confident woman I have ever seen. She knows her weakness and strengths. And she knows her standing in Christ. That, to me, cannot be replaced by any cosmetics.
Change happens. In almost every area of our lives.
A childhood Adventist friend supposedly asked why I had to change. I was a passionate Adventist leader to them, and they were so disappointed that I changed course. My answer was that famous anonymous quote: “If there’s no change, there’d be no butterflies.”
The right question is not why you had to change, but rather, did you change for the better or for the worse?
Ok, now wasn’t that an eye opener? I mean, we know this, but we’re just sucked up inside this holiday tradition.
- we spend way too much in seasons of Christmas
- we buy people stuff that WE like but THEY don’t need.
- we feel guilty for not buying people presents
- we even feel annoyed for receiving gifts with lesser value than the gifts you gave!
Commercialism on Christmas season simply sucks. I mean, really sucks. We lost it. This is not supposed to be. Giving generously is fine. But obliged, guilt-driven, price-tag focused giving is not. Sadly, this is Christmas now a days.
So, friends, it’s ok if you’re not giving us gifts this Christmas, you don’t have to feel guilty about it. We, however, sincerely thank those who gave and sure appreciates whatever you gave. We’re giving away simple gifts this Christmas to some friends — but will not to others. That doesn’t mean we don’t love you, we simply want to save and wouldn’t want to spend a lot this Christmas.
The best way to celebrate this season is to be with the family, worshiping Jesus for who he is — a God who decided to be a man on Christmas morning in his love for us all.
If you’re about to loose everything, will you still trust and praise God?
When I met Jesus — for who he really is — 10 years ago, one of my battle cry was “Jesus is enough”. He is enough to give comfort, joy, eternal security. He is enough when we feel inadequate. He is enough when life seems to fall apart. He is enough even if you’ll loose everything.
Matt Chandler is a very popular pastor in the US. He leads a successful church, The Village Church, that ministers to thousands of people. He is a well-known speaker in conferences. And, with his words, it seems that at 35 years old, God has given him victory after victory in this life.
Not until the morning of Thanksgiving day. He had a seizure and was rushed to the hospital. They found a tumor in his frontal lobe and has undergone surgery last Friday. He recorded this video before this operation.
If you’re about to loose everything, is Jesus enough? Watch this video and be encouraged — or even be led into repentance for trusting on what you have even knowing that Jesus should be enough in our lives.
Christmas has always been traditionally the fondest, most anticipated and busiest time of the year. And this is also the most misinterpreted holiday of the year.
So how should we spend the Christmas season. Let’s go back to basics. A note from LifeChurch.tv’s Facebook account:
Christmas has become, for many of us, a season of eating, shopping, hosting and spending. We run ourselves ragged in an effort to please the people around us and make everyone get along long enough for all of the holiday pictures to be taken. It’s exhausting and it’s all a bunch of focus on the things that Christmas was never meant to be. We’re not gonna take it anymore. We’re going to make this year different.
This year, (let’s go) back to the basics. This year Christmas (should) be about worship, giving, and love. Those are the things that the first Christmas was all about. When Jesus was born he was a gift from the creator. He was the symbol of God’s love for us. These two realizations caused the shepherds who first visited him to worship in awe of the wonderful miracle of the Messiah.
So as we head into the holiday, let’s conspire to change Christmas. Let’s leave behind the stress and spending and trade them in for worship, giving and love.
