My “to do” in my devotion today was to write down five things I’m thankful for and thank God for them out loud. But once I started, I quickly passed 5!

Here’s a peek at my list. What are you thankful for?

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Colossians 4:2

Sunshine

A healthy body

My new job

My renewed relationship with Jesus

My church

New friends in LA

Old friends I love dearly

The time I’ve gotten to spend with my family recently

Coffee

A car that is all my own

People who have believed in me

The opportunity to mix my greatest love, my passions and my talents: Jesus and fashion

Each of you who read this

The ability to say, THANK YOU to those who have hurt me

The ability to create opportunities for others

Lessons that I never intended on learning

What’s on your list?

The pressure is on! I will be the first to admit that when I’m not careful, I find myself searching the pages of magazines instead the pages of Scripture to tell me who I want to be, what I want to look like, and how to get what I want.

“Reality” television can have me questioning: am I cool enough, should I wear that? And those perfect models with the perfect hair and flawless skin oftentimes have me overanalyzing beauty.  Reality, huh?  Don’t be fooled, dear.  Today’s reality is brought to you by hair stylists, wardrobe stylists, makeup artists, photo shop, and oh yeah—Hollywood.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a little pop culture every now and then.  I love getting outfit inspiration from magazines (although, here’s a tip: fashion bloggers show real girls with real style and for free!) and who doesn’t enjoy a mindless 30 minutes of a reality show to zone out from a stressful day every now and then?  We all dabble into this sort of entertainment but the key is not to let it be your source of what defines you.  Let the Bible, Godly women, friends, and family do that.  Live a life of substance and purpose. Don’t waste away your years by striving for a life or certain type of beauty that was never real to begin with.

Your reality is what you make out of your life.  Pretty is good, but beauty comes from the inside; it’s what really matters.  Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.  Get lost in God’s reality.  You won’t regret it.

“You is beautiful, you is smart, you is kind.” – The HELP

Recognize this day, that Jesus was nailed on the cross, remembering that He died for our sins, and that there is no way to Father but by Him.

Good Friday doesn’t sound so “good” when you think of the pain and suffering and the grueling death that Jesus endured on this “good” day.  To think of Himself—a carpenter, most likely spending hours upon hours of his life driving nails into wood—knowing that the day would soon come where those nails would drive into Him before ever touching that wood.  For Christians, Good Friday is a commemorative holiday marking the death of Jesus Christ.  The “good” part, being the third day, when He rose again! Jesus defeated death, hell and the grave, and these life-changing events are known and observed on Easter Sunday.

Twice now, I have had the opportunity to spend this glorious day in Israel, The Holy Land. To see where The Last Supper took place, to walk the actual steps of Jesus, and spend time praying in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus spent hours crying out to God the night before his death, was breathtaking to say the least. The Bible says:

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22:41-44 KJV

I have walked Via Doloroso and gazed upon Golgotha.  Yet I was not facing my death; I was remembering HIS.  Would I be saying those same words if that had been my fate before me?  Sadly, I doubt it.  The pages of the Bible were unfolding before me as I walked His steps and journeyed where He was.  As real as the Resurrection has been my entire life, actually staring up at Golgotha, where Jesus was nailed to that cross, played out in my mind like an unbearable horror film.  Words escape me—it’s a feeling that can’t be described.

My heart broke for Jesus while standing in the Garden of Gethsemane but I had to ask—would I too, have fallen asleep?  Would I too have denied Jesus if I were in Peter’s shoes?  I certainly have not always been bold.  Tears poured as I looked up at the skull-shaped mountain where Jesus was brutally slain.  But would I have spoke up had I been there 2000 years before or shed a silent tear?

Golgotha Now and Then

Our God knows these truths and loves us in spite of them.  And as I reflect today on the death of Jesus on that cross, I reflect on myself.  What more can I do to spread His love—so much love that He died for me?  How can I be bold for Him?  He was certainly bold for me.  Will I strive to pray so hard for something yet be so comforted in His will as Jesus was in the garden the night before His death?  Will I carry that cross, that burden, that pain, so that I too can wear the crown?

Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

Being a Christian isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.  Today is a reminder of how much Jesus loves YOU!  For God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  DIED. I will strive to love a little more like Jesus today; to share His story, because He first loved me.  When the hurt of this world is before you today, will you shed a silent year or say a quick passing prayer?  Or will you speak up with boldness and get involved like Jesus got involved with you?

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 KJV

Even death…

In order to wear the crown, you must also carry the cross. Let love burden you today.

“No longer the woman that walks in the confidence of ultimate artistic design. Submit your name change, we’ll you: COMPROMISE” – Status 31

 What kind of woman are you striving to be?  Famous?  Successful?  Powerful? Independent?  These aren’t necessarily “bad” goals but it depends on who is setting the standards.  Being famous for your body, essentially selling sex? That’s the world leading you to “satisfaction.”  Are you trying to be successful by your own terms, never consulting your Creator, not following His lead?  Independent woman, huh?  So, you don’t need God ‘cause you’ve got this? OK!  Power is what you desire?  If it’s not God sending you His, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but you’re no superwoman, you’re actually the devil’s little puppet.

A Proverbs 31 woman has such a stigma attached to her.  The world views a Godly woman as weak, lackluster and co-dependent.   I don’t blame the world for this; I blame us.  We let it happen.  Even to Christian women, a Proverbs 31 woman can sound, well, boring! Guilty!  Sorry, I’m not sorry, but I don’t want to be “that” woman.  I want to be ME because HE made me for a reason and that reason was not to be some dull, personality-less, unpolished woman. But I’m surely not here to please the world, either.

Today, it’s a confusing place to stand—striving to please God while living in this world—isn’t it?  Being in the world but not of the world.  It takes, courage, determination, hard work, dedication, respect, and loyalty to be a modern Proverbs 31 woman.  That sounds anything but dull and boring to me.

Will you strive to be a modern Proverbs 31 woman and help to remove its commonly dreaded stigma? Whether you want to be successful at work or successful as a wife and mom, or all of the above, as long as it’s God guiding you, do YOU.  Don’t live to please this world, live to please God.  Strive to be a leader, a role model, and a mentor.  Show the next generation of young women that respecting your body is cool; sharing it with the world is not.  Let your life prove that standing on THE Rock is a co-dependency that you’re ok with.  Be a lady.  Have some class. Read Proverbs 31 often and show this world what it really means to live it.

Whatever platform God has given you to share His love, do it with all of your might. Whatever talent He has given you, use it; don’t waste it. He’s given us all of our individual talents and strengths for a reason and when we use them, He shines! There is power in becoming a modern version of this woman, power to encourage and inspire women, power to save souls, power to love and help others. Will you use it?

When you decide to be a better: wife, mom, friend, etc… You end up worse. Just try to be a better Christian & it takes your hand off of the process, the focus away from your story. Him not you.

Matthew 23:5

Not pretending to be a Christian by looking the part but freeing yourself to what God wants. Smile when you don’t feel like it, serve when you don’t want to. Obedience is better than sacrifice. But do it for God, not man!