A Winner and a Confession!

Thank you to all who participated in Monday's giveaway! The prize is an autographed copy of Marja Meijer's book Grace of Giving. I'd encourage you to stop by Marja's blog, Fresh Insights on Ancient Truths, and read her thought-provoking posts.

Without further ado, the winner is...

Lily Robinson! Stop by Lily's delightful blog and be sure to congratulate her!

Confession time. I'm always on the lookout for facial creams that boast anti-aging properties. Not that I have anything against what I've been using. But the scenario goes something like this: I begin to wonder if maybe a different product on the market is THE miracle potion that will erase the pesky fine lines that seem determined to take up residence on my face. With thousands of creams out there, I do a good bit of research before buying anything. Recently, after doing my homework, I found a great deal on a reputable product with a little help from Amazon.

When the package arrived a few days later, I was eager to give the new cream a try. After one day, I noticed some flaky skin under my eyes. The following day I applied the cream to the delicate skin around my eyes and immediately felt a burn. Although I was following the directions, I knew the burning sensation couldn't be good! After re-washing my face, I studied my skin in the mirror. The picture wasn't pretty. The skin around my eyes was red and swollen. And to my horror, the fine lines were magnified many times over.

What I thought would improve my appearance, had caused big problems. Oh, if only I would have been satisfied with the lotion I'd originally been using!

Unfortunately, I often live life with this same type of mentality. Not completely satisfied. I get distracted from the person of God and His will for me, and get caught up in trying to find satisfaction elsewhere. As I move from person to thing, my frustration grows because lasting contentment cannot be found apart from Christ.

The Apostle Paul offers some wise advice to Timothy, "But godliness with contentment is great gain," (1 Timothy 6:6; KJV). I'd be wise to adopt this practice in my life. I can learn volumes from the life of Paul. He encountered extreme difficulties in his life, yet he allowed his experiences to teach him contentment:

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me, " (Philippians 4:11-13).

Paul learned contentment in life by submitting to Christ, who was then able to strengthen Paul to endure whatever lay ahead.

What about you? Are you constantly on the lookout for something to bring you satisfaction? Or can you say with the Apostle Paul, "...for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content"? Let your relationship with Christ bring you lasting contentment!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for looking for contentment anywhere besides You. Thank You for the example of the Apostle Paul who learned to be satisfied in any situation because he relied on You. Help me to focus on You and Your will, knowing that godliness with contentment is great gain. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Confession

I've heard it said that confession is good for the soul. Well, I have a confession to make. I struggle with being critical. There...the truth is out. Typically I'm critical of those I know and love the most. I see their weaknesses, zeroing in on them like a bird hunting its prey. I tend to gloss over all of the marvelous qualities that person possesses, and concentrate on the one or two areas where I'm convinced he or she is just totally missing the boat. Then it becomes my mission to subtly, or sometimes not so subtly, help the person to see how important it is to change his or her behavior in that area. Ugh!

Can anyone relate? I found myself on just such a 'mission' recently. I was beside myself. Over the past several days I've gently encouraged my daughter, Riley, to look for a summer job. I've explained the difficulty of finding a job in today's economic climate, recommended possible places of employment, and reminded her to make follow-up phone calls. As the days have turned into weeks, I have to admit that the gentle encouragement has become more of a hard shove.

My thought process. She says she wants a job, but she's not trying very hard to find one. If it were me, I would be filling out applications and making phone calls to tell the manager why they should hire me. I wouldn't be picky. Once I landed a job, if it wasn't ideal, I could work and continue looking. After all, it's always easier to find a job when you've got one. But wait a minute. My daughter isn't me.

Take a step back. Let me look at the big picture. Riley's a senior in high school with five weeks until graduation. She just returned from the national competition at Bob Jones University after placing first at the state level in Bible teaching for children. She's in the middle of completing academic testing, applying for college, and putting together her invitations for her graduation party. Not to mention keeping up with school, teaching piano lessons, and helping out with the primary children's program at our church.

Perspective is good! Although getting a summer job is important, it's unrealistic for me to expect my daughter to spend every waking moment searching for one. This weekend, I was reminded that there are other things that are equally important.

When it comes to photography, Riley is very talented. Not only can she take a great picture, but she also knows how to edit and enhance the photos in Photoshop. A few of her school friends had asked her to take their senior pictures, an opportunity that she jumped on. From Friday to late Saturday night, Riley not only took more than 700 pictures of one of her classmates, but she also edited and posted the top 75 pictures for her friend to view. Talk about sticking with a project! By Sunday, instead of relaxing after church, she made the decision to support another girlfriend by attending the funeral of her grandfather.

Character and compassion. Two very important qualities that I had foolishly glossed over in my 'mission' to refocus Riley's attention. While getting a job is important, in light of eternity, cultivating a heart of compassion is more important. After all, what is the greatest commandment? "And Jesus answered him, The first of the commandments is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:29-31, KJV).

Do you struggle with a critical spirit? Take a step back from the situation and choose Christ's perspective, "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). It's up to you. You can become bitter with criticism, or better with compassion.

Prayer: Loving Heavenly Father, Please forgive me for having a critical spirit. Help me to have the proper perspective of my circumstances. Allow me to cultivate a spirit of compassion to love You and others as I ought. In Jesus' name, Amen.