Raising Daughters of Worth

"Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti."  Esther 2:17 

I want to share some startling statistics with you.  As a mother of a pre-teen daughter, reading these facts saddened me and put a fear in me as well.
* A girls self-esteem peaks at age 9
* Only 2% of women describe themselves as "beautiful."
* 62% of girls are insecure about themselves
* One in Four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.

When I think of these statistics, many emotions are conjured up.  Yet I also think of Esther.  Yes, the Esther that the Bible says was beautiful, brave and obedient.  Elizabeth George states in her book, "The Remarkable Women of the Bible," that God chose Esther to help save His people, the Jews.  She had acquired the beauty of being useful to God?  What does that mean?
Elizabeth George shares Esther's Beauty of Usefulness came from several aspects --- Heritage, Parentage, Tutelage, Advantage, and Homage.  (I encourage you to read this great book if you haven't before!)
The people around Esther only saw her outward beauty, but God was weaving so much more beauty in her life than even she probably knew.  I want to teach my daughter that outward beauty is not the ultimate goal, but the beauty of the heart.  From that beautiful, kind-hearted, and caring heart, I pray springs for the beauty of courage, the beauty of wisdom, and the beauty of love.
From a very young age, girls are taught to be beautiful you have to look a certain way and act a certain way.  If you do not measure up, you are shunned, devalued, and even overlooked completely. Our girls are taught that if others don't show them worth, they are truly worthless.  Why do we stand for that?  Why do we as parents stand by and let this negativity breed in our child's heart?
Those devalued and overlooked girls grow up to be women with little self-worth.  She becomes the girl that never saw herself as beautiful or worthy.  She becomes the woman who defines her worth by the way a man treats her.  She becomes the woman caught up in a relationship of violence.
It is time to share with our daughters the value that God places on them.  Our girls need to see the beauty that God sees in them.  Our girls need to know the beauty of courage, wisdom, and love!
Recently, I heard a mother say, "As for my girls, I will raise them to think they breath fire!"  What did she mean by this?  I think she wants to instill in her daughters that they are powerful; they are filled with courage; they are filled with worth; and they should accept no less from themselves.
What do you think?  Do you have daughters?  What do these numbers say to you?

Dear Lord, I pray for all the girls who feel worthless, for the women who grew up thinking they were not enough.  I pray for all the girls today who are not taught to see the beauty you have instilled in them.  I pray for all the women today caught up in relationships where they feel they have no value.  Lord, use me to reach out to these girls and women and be a beacon of hope and love in your name!  Amen

Are you Disappointed by People?

Psalm 146:5   Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob whose hope is in the Lord their God.

I will always remember my Father saying, "When people want to, they will make time.  When they don't, they will make excuses."  Throughout my many, many years on this earth, my Father has reminded me of this.  People will disappoint you.  People will not show up.  People will make excuses.  People will hurt you.

They won't always mean to.  They won't always know that they have hurt you or even disappointed you.  Sometimes they will and they just won't care.

I had a friend who constantly would back out of things on me.  Whether it was a meet up at the gym or a lunch date, there always seemed to be an excuse for her absence.  At first, it hurt.  I felt disappointed every time she flaked.  After a while the disappointment ceased and the bitterness took over.  A wedge had been forming not only in our friendship but in my heart.  You see, I allowed the seed of bitterness to rob me of my joy.  I allowed one person's actions to disappoint and hurt me so that bitterness toward her robbed me of my joy for many days.  

God often gives me verses in times of need.  Psalm 146:5 is a blessing to me because it reminds me that my God is faithful.  He will never not show up for me.  He will never disappoint me.  He will never leave me alone.  My God is faithful!  My God is the God of Hope!  He takes my bitterness and exchanges it for Joy!  

Have you taken the time to pray over your disappointment?  Have you asked God to take away your hurt and maybe even bitterness and exchange it for joy?  Have you come to His throne with Faith and Hope?

Dear Lord, thank you for never disappointing me. Thank you for always showing up for me! Though I fail you daily, Lord, you never fail me!  Help me to forgive those who disappoint me.  I pray I look to you when I need someone steadfast, steady, and always present!   Amen

The Lord is Good

“The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.”  Nahum 1:7

I have a friend whose daughter has suddenly become very anxious when she leaves the house.  Her daughter begs her to not leave and is fearful her mother will, for some reason, not return.

Irrational? Maybe.  Common? Yes.

Are you ever fearful?  What fears have a stronghold on your life?  Would you consider it irrational?

I find great comfort in this verse from Nahum.  Just look at the first 4 words --- "The Lord is good."  Yes, He is!  The Lord is good.  He is also a "stronghold."  He is a place that provides refuge against attack.  Yet often times I am so guilty of looking for refuge in my own strength.  I get so very frustrated with myself and find myself often discouraged and helpless.  How could I not look to the Lord first?  

My God has saved me from many trials, many poor choices, and many days of darkness.  My God is good.  He is good even to someone as undeserving as me.  He has given me chance after chance.  He has forgiven me more times that I can remember.  He has wiped away my sins forever because My God is good.  

Just like my friend's daughter, we all have fears.  We all have that one thing that holds us back, that keeps us from achieving our dreams, or that cripples us in our place.  Our fears are strong, yet My God is stronger!

My God "knows those who trust in Him!" Does He know you?  

Dear Lord, I pray today that anyone that does not know you will come and fall at your feet, confess their sins, and believe that you are the one, true God.  I pray that they will know that you are Good. Lord, use me as a vessel to share your goodness with others.  Amen

Is Your Busyness keeping you from His Peace?

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

I am guilty.  I allow my busyness to consume me.  I am guilty of being caught up in every"thing" that takes up my time.  I realize I have the same 24 hours that everyone else has yet I seem to squander mine with unfulfilling activities.  I am guilty of spending too much time on social media.  I get sucked in so easily.  I jump on to take care of business or look at my own Facebook wall and get sucked in to everyone else's stories, lives, posts, and even the drama.  I become so consumed that what I thought would take 20 minutes actually lasts an hour.  My mind strayed away.  I did not stay focused.  

Then there are all the extra activities of our days.  From volleyball practices to doctor appointments to orthodontist visits, often our days are full of extra stuff.  I often feel rushed in getting dinner on the table, baths taken, and everyone in bed by 10pm.  Where did my day go?  I often feel overwhelmed and exhausted by the end of the day. 

The peace that God so freely gives to me is layered under all my piles of "stuff."  It takes me removing my own self-inflicted stuff that has made room in my life to find that peace that I've been trying so hard to find.  Yet, Isaiah tells me I need to keep my mind on Him!  My focus should be on the Lord.  My thoughts should be more of Him and less of Me!

Dear Lord, thank you so much for your perfect peace.  Help me to stay focused on You and what you have in store for me each day.  May my thoughts be more of YOU and less of Me!  Amen