We are ALL beautiful in HIS sight!

"I have nothing fancy to wear"
"They will look down on me because of my tatoos"
"I have done some horrible things in my past"
"I dont deserve love"
"When people find out where I have been and what i have done, they will not accept me"  

These are just some things i have heard over the past year. Women who want to change, who want something more for their lives, but are afraid. They aren't afraid of changing, they are afraid of the people in the church and what they will think. Seriously?? I thought that the church, the living breathing body of Christ is where people should be able to find the unconditional love and acceptance that Christ gives. Christ did not look down on anyone who came to Him. Regardless of a persons past, where they had been, what they had done......He gave them all the same love. Christ offered the same forgiveness to every person who asked regardless of the crime committed. He healed all of those who had faith, not worrying about where they were last Friday night. Christ calls us to be like Him. To not worry about the details of a persons past or appearance, but to show them love and to show them Christ.
I think we women are the worst. We are always looking each other up and down, critiquing outfits, hairstyles, makeup, shoes, etc. We are always trying to spread the latest gossip we heard about someone else. We love to tear everyone around us down. We dont wanna offer forgiveness to someone else, because that might cause us to have to change something about ourselves. We dont want to befriend someone in need because of the stigma that might be attached to them. We are too worried about what others will think about and say about us, to really look at the needs around us.
WAKE UP!! We are ALL children of GOD, each and every person on this planet was created by HIM. We all are loved by HIM and are offered the same forgiveness. On top of that, we are ALL SINNERS!!! **gasp** **shock** Yes i said we are all sinners. I'm a sinner, you're a sinner, we are ALL sinners. There is no denying that. And the cool thing, in GOD's eyes, we are all SINNERS....no one is labeled a "Big sinner" or a "Lil sinner" or a "Part time Sinner" We are all on the same playing field, regardless of the sins we commit. Who are we to put levels to a persons sin and try to judge them on it. Matthew 7:3 says "Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye but don't notice the log in your own eye?" We are all making mistakes EVERY day. We lie, we gossip, we think nasty thoughts about those we come in contact with, we dont obey instruction God has given us, we covet the nice things people around us have.....the list goes on......we have committed adultery, we have murdered, we have been drunk, we have used drugs, we have been addicted to pain pills, etc. All of those things and the many more not listed.....are sins. It doesn't matter how we disobey GOD, if we sin, we sin. There are no levels, no rating system that says a person who has an addiction is worse than someone who lies. Nothing that reads a person who lies is more deserving of love than someone who has committed adultery. We really need to get to a point where we start loving people where they are at. Welcoming those who want to know more about Christ. Stop condemning those who enter the church building because of the way they look or the things they have done that we don't like. Start loving on each and every person who we meet because Christ loves us. We need to start looking at others as our equal, our brother or sister in Christ. God is our father, we are His children. He loves each and every one of us, flaws and all. He will judge our hearts and our actions. He alone is responsible for determining a persons salvation. We are simply called to love, to teach, to disciple. If you are the one judging every person who crosses the threshold of the church.....stop it. Look at each person as a child of GOD,  as an opportunity to make a difference, as an opportunity to show the love of Christ, to make a new friend, to impact the Kingdom. If you are the one afraid to come to the church because you think you have too many faults.......stop it. You are beautiful in HIS sight. He created you special and He loves you despite all your flaws. Come to Him and He will make you new. Come to Him just as you are and allow Him to build you up. Serve Him and allow Him to use you to impact others lives for Him.

When will we ever learn??

        You know having children can teach us a lot about our relationship with God. Out of our 5 beautiful children....three of them are are in the rebellious, push the limit stage. Ages 5, 4, and 2 make for an interesting mix of emotions. We have a list of all the house rules with pictures for the younger ones. They know what is expected of them. At the top of the list is "Put God first in everything you do." That rule alone should warrant good behavior, but we go on to include others such as "Furniture is for sitting, not gymnastics" "Climbing is for monkeys, not lil boys and girls" "We use our hands for helping and loving" "Use your walking feet inside" and the list goes on. They are simple rules that will make the house a peaceful, loving place and keep everyone safe. I dont ask them for anything complicated or make them do anything that is crazy or over the top. We simply ask them to follow those rules, treating every one with respect and love.
          God, our Heavenly Father, does the same for us. He has laid out simple rules for us to follow, nothing complicated, mere guidelines for our daily living to keep us safe and keep us at peace with those around us. "Have no other gods" "Do not make idols" "Dont take His name in vain" "Keep the Sabbath holy" "Honor your father and mother" " Do not murder" "Do not commit adultery" "Do not steal" "Do not lie"  "Do not covet your neighbors stuff"  and above all "love your neighbor as yourself" I mean really, those arent hard things to do. He goes even further throughout the Bible to give us guidance on how we can do it all, ways to make it easier.
      Going back to my beautiful babies.....with such simple rules to follow, why is there not a constant state of peace and tranquility in my home, lol? Why is it that day in and day out i must discipline them for breaking multiple rules? And sometimes for breaking the same rule 2 or 3 times in a matter of 15 minutes??? It can be really frustrating and i will ask them "Why cant you just do what you know is right????" They love to sit in front of the rules and recite them to me over and over again, so proud that they can "read" (even though they are just lookin the pictures). They are quick to tell me when their brother or sister breaks a rule, making sure to go point it out on the list.  They know the rules by heart and can tell me what they did wrong every time they get in trouble. YET, they continue to break the rules in the heat of the moment, continue to mess up when they think no one is watching, continue to do what they KNOW is wrong. Then, the funny part is they dont understand why they must be disciplined.  Why do they have to sit in time out, why do they have to lose their privileges, why is mommy so mean?!? LOL. Then I lovingly must explain to them that they knew the rules and they made a CHOICE to disobey. I love them too much to let them continue to do wrong and i must guide them towards obedience. Life would be much easier if they would just think before they acted and weigh the outcome of disobedience versus obedience.
      We do the same thing to our Father. We know the rules. We are quick to point out what everyone else is doing wrong. Point out the faults in those around us to get them into trouble. We can even cite scripture verses to prove they did wrong. We know right from wrong, no question about that. BUT, and its a big BUT, we CHOOSE to do what is going to get us into trouble.  We make the choice to talk nasty about those around us, we choose to say hurtful things to those we love, we knowingly think thoughts we have no business thinking, we choose to step outside of the will of GOD. We choose to make life more difficult for ourselves when we choose to disobey. And then GOD has to lovingly correct us, disciplining us for what we have done wrong. We then get mad when life is not going our way, when things get difficult, when things start to go crazy. We look at GOD and say WHY?!? Then HE must lovingly reply, because you chose to disobey. He loves you too much to let you continue in your disobedience without consequence. He wants you to succeed and wants you to do well. So, when you do wrong, HE must discipline.
      Will we ever learn to think before we act? Will we learn to weigh out the consequences of our actions? Will we start to understand that when we step outside of the will of GOD and do our own thing.....it will lead to trouble? Will we ever learn that GOD loves us and HIS way will ALWAYS be a better choice than our own?