True Beauty

Last week marked the beginning of the summer reading program at our local library. It is something my kids look forward to all year, and it never fails to provide entertainment and fun. Usually the program is filled with visits from zoo animals, circus clowns, talking birds and amazing magicians. When we've had as much fun as we can stand, the program wraps up carnival games and waterslides in the park. Last summer's carnival comes to mind often because of a woman I saw while I was there. A beautiful woman. The kind of beauty you remember a whole year later. We had been at the park for an hour or two during midday in August, and the heat was stifling. My kids had been on the waterslide plenty of times, and I was really ready to go home when I saw her. I was absolutely riveted, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from this woman. I can only imagine what picture you are seeing in your head right now. Are you picturing a tall blonde with a supermodel figure and long thick hair? Maybe a brunette who is a perfect "10?" The woman whose image sticks with me a whole year later isn't any of those things. As a matter of fact, she is barely over 5 feet tall, and is a gray-headed grandma with thick glasses and a no-nonsense hairdo. He name is Ms. Gwen, and she is our head librarian. On that sticky August day a little girl with severe visual impairment stood at the bottom of the waterslide listening to the children squeal with delight as they slid into the pool at the bottom. She held her white cane close to her side and waited, resigned to missing the fun. Her mother wasn't physically able to help her climb the steps to the top, and she wouldn't be able to find her way on her own. Without a second of hesitation Ms. Gwen, fully clothed, took the little girl's hand and guided her up the steps of the slide. Seconds later they were both at the bottom soaking wet and laughing uncontrollably. They slid again and again, until the other children caught Ms. Gwen's lesson in kindness and they began taking turns with the little girl. I think the memory of that little woman, with soaking clothes and wet hair plastered to her head, will stay with me as one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Lord, let having that kind of beauty matter more to me than having a beautiful physical appearance.
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Can You Hear Me Now?

Last week I took a road trip to see my Memaw and spent the better part of two days driving across the state of Texas. While I was revisiting the long, empty stretches of Texas plains I had traveled often as a child, Hubby's PawPaw was making his journey out of his earthly body and into the very presence of God. Needless to say, there were lots of phone calls back and forth to discuss funeral arrangements, more travel plans, and the like. More than once I found myself in the absolute middle of nowhere holding my phone in strange positions and saying, "Can you hear me now?" I don't know why I thought switching hands, standing on one foot, or turning down the A/C would make a difference, but I tried them all. None of them really worked.
Over the past 6 months our family has faced Hubby's job loss, increased work load for me, a shift in household roles for all of us, and a God who has seemed strangely silent through it all. And just like on my long, dry trip across the plains, I have tried all kinds of ridiculous contortions to make Him communicate clearer. I've asked my girlfriends for advice, read books about what we should do, looked for hidden meanings behind everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING. I've gone to pre-dawn prayer meetings, hosted a small group at my house, and laid on my trampoline in the dark staring up at Heaven. And all the while I have asked, "Can you hear me now?" And just like my silly cell-phone, nothing seems to work. But it's not because He can't hear me. It's not because I have no service in this area, even though it sometimes feels that way. The truth is, He's been communicating with me all along, but I couldn't hear Him through the noise of the advice I've been seeking, books I've been reading, and the sound of my own voice praying. None of those things are wrong. In fact, they're all very right...at the right time. After I've heard from Him. After I have hung up on every other voice, silenced every distraction, and shut out all interference. Then He says to me, "Can you hear me now?"

Thanks to all of you who have asked about my blog lately. Your encouragement, as well as the website I am linking to today have brought me back to bloggy-world. I have been receiving encouraging emails from Lysa TerKeurst's Proverbs31 blog, and would encourage all of you to sign up for them as well. What a blessing! You bloggers, speakers and writers will also be as excited as I was to hear about the 2010 She Speaks Conference in July. It's especially geared for women who feel called to speak, teach, write or minister to other women. Follow the link for more information! I love you and know you ARE becoming BetterChicks!
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Celebration of Freedom

On a recent summer Saturday I spent my entire day celebrating the freedom I have as an American. In the morning Hubby and I took the kids to an old fashioned parade, complete with patriotic music, a military flyover, clowns on mini-motorcycles, and of course, lots and LOTS of candy. After the parade we went to a party with water games and had hot dogs and soda outside. We wrapped up the festivities by spending the evening at the Celebration of Freedom at our local city park. There were vendors with glow necklaces, carnival rides, a lifetime supply of junk food, and a fantastic fireworks display. By now you probably suspect that all of this happened on July 4th. That's a reasonable assumption. Cities all over america celebrated on that weekend. But not my city. Nope. Instead we held our citywide Celebration of Freedom on July 11. For whatever reason we have it a week late every year. This year I was feeling particularly thankful as the military men and women marched by. Tears welled up as I saw the veterans parading by and my three children waved their miniature flags provided by our local library. I felt proud to live in a country where people are free to assemble in the streets to show our feelings, favorable or unfavorable, about our government. The date on the calendar didn't dampen my feelings one bit. Though the celebration came a bit late, my freedoms were still worth celebrating.
Now that the parade is over and the tiny flags are put away, I still feel the need to celebrate. I have been set free from so much. What about you? When is the last time you celebrated all that you have been liberated from? Are you able to do things because you want to, free from feeling obligated? Maybe the Lord has lifted the weight of guilt from past mistakes. Has His work in your life freed you from following the same painful path as loved ones before you? Maybe today you find yourself taking a bold step forward, free from the fear of failure. However great or small, take some time today to thank God for His freedom in your life. If you can't think of anything you are free from, today just may be the day you have been waiting for. 2 Corinthians 3:17 tells us that "Wherever the Lord's Spirit is there is freedom." Invite His Spirit to bring freedom to every area of your life. It may seem like in some areas of your life you have gone too far. You might even believe there are bonds that will never be broken. Struggles you will never be free from. Sweet Chick, don't believe that for even a moment. It is never too late, and no one is too far gone. Your struggle is not bigger than His Spirit. Remember, even when it seems like you're the last one to the party, it's never too late to celebrate your freedom.

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It's a great day to be a Chick, isn't it! I hope that each BetterChick post is helping you to become a better version of YOU! I don't know about you, but there is nothing like bathing suit season to make me want to be a better version of someone else. I see seventeen year old cheerleaders prancing around the pool and realize I didn't even look like that when I WAS seventeen. Even more difficult are the adorable moms with the fleet of children behind them who still manage to laugh (without any crow's feet in sight), play Marco Polo without getting a hair out of place, and wear a swimsuit that looks like it's made of only a few rubber bands and a button... without looking like human sausage links. On one of those recent days at the pool I found myself fantasizing about how wonderful it would be to look like that when suddenly I had a great revelation. These stretch marks on my stomach are trophies. They were hard-earned through three pregnancies that produced three of the greatest joys of my life. These thighs, imperfect though they are, are strong. Strong enough to give "airplane rides" to a giggling and wiggling four year old. Strong enough to hike and keep up with an adventurous 11 year old. These curvy hips are my shared connection with generations of curvy ancestors before me, and eventually to my daughter. The lines that crinkle around my eyes when I smile make me look more like my Daddy and his family with each passing year. Imperfect though it may be, this body is mine. It is the faithful vehicle that carries me through the life I have been blessed with. So today, sweet Chicks, I hope you will join me in thanking God for the Earth-suit we have all been given. Show your body your gratitude by treating it well today. Maybe that means giving yourself a well-deserved rest. Maybe a walk in the fresh air or a plate of colorful fruits and veggies are what your body needs. Whether you get a long-overdue checkup or enjoy a deep and relaxing massage, find a way to bless your body today. I wouldn't be surprised if your body returns the favor!

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The Great Adventure

Summer is almost here, complete with heatwaves, the smell of sunscreen in the air, and for many of us the urge to hit the road in search of adventure. If I were a betting woman, I'd wager at least half of you your adventure will include a visit to some kind of theme park before school starts in the fall. I remember the excitement I felt as a little girl waiting outside the main gates of Six Flags with my family. Five minutes until opening time seemed like forever. Even though we usually planned to stay all day, as soon as the gates opened I always had the urge to run to the first ride, as though I would run out of time to see and do everything. Who am I kidding? I still feel that way now when I go to amusement parks. I dash from ride to ride, giving little thought to the layout of the park or the timing of events. Meanwhile, my dear friend, Karen, follows a carefully organized plan created from weeks of planning, piles of park maps, and online forums with advice from previous park guests. While we may approach the adventure differently, we both do our best to squeeze as much as possible into our theme park trips.
After weeks of self-analysis, story writing, questioning and searching, I hope we have ended this series of posts about living your best life with you standing at the entry gates of the rest of your life excited and eager to begin. I pray that you see your future as an adventure that is full of exciting possibilities no matter what phase of life you are in. Of course there will be great highs, steep drops, sweet surprises, and unexpected turns. Whether you choose to throw open the gates of your life and run in with abandon, or you approach it with careful planning and forethought, don't let the life you were created for be a place you always meant to go but never got around to it. Embrace your strengths, fill the roles you have been given with gusto, and make room for YOU in your life. When you do, buckle up, hang on tight, and prepare yourself for the greatest adventure of your life!

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Room for a Treat

Well girlfriends, you might as well know. I have a sweet tooth the size of Texas. As a matter of fact, I think all of my teeth are sweet. I simply love dessert. I would claim myself as a chocoholic, but I love non-chocolate treats too much to exclude them. Typically if I know there is a yummy dessert to be served after dinner, I'll "save room." I sometimes imagine that there is a little room in my stomach that is roped off with velvet museum ropes, and it the the sacred space I'm saving for dessert. However, I always seem to manage to squeeze in a treat, even if I wasn't planning on it. I'll sacrifice myself a little if I have to in order to accommodate a warm chocolate chip cookie. Am I alone in this?
I have several friends who are that way about cleaning. It seems that no matter what is going on, they can always find time to clean the baseboards, dust the lightbulbs, and other things I NEVER find the time for. Many of the men we know and love can find a way to squeeze sports into any situation. The truth is that all of us tend to have a few things we unconsciously make room for in our lives. American Idol, exercise, dessert, cleaning, driving through Starbucks....there are a million things we choose to make room for or to squeeze out of our daily scheduled. The real problem comes when those choices are not made with intention, but by our no-so-trusty autopilot. You know what I'm talking about. You find yourself gobbling down second-rate pumpkin pie when you don't even really like pumpkin pie. You stay in the kitchen dusting the top of the fridge that no one will ever see, wishing you had some time to call a friend who is hurting. You sit on the couch and watch a rerun of the show you ALWAYS watch on Thursdays, even though you've already seen it. Meanwhile, the things you really want from your life, health, career, relationships,ministry stay out of reach. Is your life making room for YOU? The strengths, callings, and dreams God has placed in your heart were no accident, but bringing them to fruition won't come by accident either. Hopefully throughout the last two weeks the posts have helped you get a better idea of who you are and what makes you feel strong. This week, turn off the autopilot. Give yourself permission to make room for what matters to you most, and clear out what you may have made room for because of someone else. Put some velvet ropes around your strengths and dreams. Save Room. You're the real treat!

BetterChick would love to hear from you! Feel free to comment below each post. If you receive posts by email, simply click on the title of the post to go to the comment section. If you are not a Google or Blogger member, you can still comment as an anonymous user! Thanks!

On a Role

A few years ago Hubby and I took a class called Financial Peace University. Our church encouraged everyone to participate in this course which was created by Dave Ramsey, a well known financial author, teacher and radio/television host. One evening I was unable to attend class, and Hubby went alone. When he returned home, he walked through the front door and promptly said, "I'm a nerd."
"I know," I answered blandly. He is a very straight-laced, smart, and analytical person, and I thought he had just come terms with being a bit less than cool. From the look on his face I soon realized I had misinterpreted his statement. You see, Dave Ramsey has a way of explaining common financial situations in ways almost anyone can relate to. In class that night he explained that in most couples one person is the"nerd," the one who wants to plan, budget, and analyze, while the other person is the "free spirit," who wants to just have fun, enjoy life, and figure out the details later. Hubby knew immediately what his role in our finances was. He is a nerd. (Don't worry girls, he knows it and says it often...when he is teaching budgeting and planning classes for other nerds.)
Last week some of you did an exercise to help you find your strengths so that you can put them to use in your daily life. Those strengths go hand in hand with the roles you fill in your daily life. It is easy to confuse roles with titles like mom, wife, teacher, or friend, but in truth they are very different. For example, in a family, the woman is always the mother and not the father....not rocket science, I know. Her title is mother, but her roles can be as varied as the hairstyles of Oprah. She may be an encourager, an organizer, a prankster or a challenger. Think about the relationships in your life. At home, at work, socially, or spiritually, what role do you seem to have wherever you go? Are you always the one getting people together for fun? Do people around you come to you when they need sound advice? Maybe people always count on you to set someone straight when necessary. The questions below may help you think about what God-given role you were meant to fill in the world around you.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
In what areas do you get the most compliments?
What do you feel most comfortable and confident doing?
What things do your friends think you’re best at?
What seems to come most naturally to you, that other people really have to work at?
What role would your friends and family say you fill?

Maybe those things that make you YOU, the traits you didn't think mattered, were deposits made by God himself so that you could make a difference in the lives of people around you. Don't overlook the amazing role that is yours.....even if you find out you are a nerd.