Portrait of a Godly Woman: Queen-like qualities

Happy September 1st!! :) 

Farewell beloved August, hello dear September! Stepping into a new month seems like a good time for a heart-check, and some reflection on the past month. Really, everyday a heart-check is needed, but today I am thinking about the qualities of the heart that God sees as very beautiful. 

 Queen-like Qualities:

1. Grace filled charm and elegance.
2. Unusual restraint and self-control.
3. Continual teachable spirit.
4. Unselfish modesty and authenticity.
5. Kind winsomeness, regardless of her surroundings.
6. Humble respect for authority. 

The world defines beauty in terms of the outward appearance, but this kind of beauty doesn't last. It will eventually fade away. The God kind of beauty is an "incorruptible" beauty that will not fade away!  

1 Peter 3:4...

"rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."

That's the kind of beauty a daughter of the King possesses. :) It is *very precious* in God's eyes! 

Proverbs 31:30...

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."

~Summer Blessings~

It's amazing how fast 4 months can fly by. My mind rolls back to the beginning of May when classes at Virginia Western let out. Oh what a relief and joy it was kiss school goodbye for a while and greet the adventures of Summer 2010! It was an extremely busy spring semester where the idea of 'free time' or 'entertainment' were just distant memories of yester-year.. There were many overwhelmingly stressful days and weeks when God taught me to rely on Him all over again. Relying on God is not one of those lessons that you learn once in life and then you've got it down pat. Daily, I have to choose to rely on Him and not myself. Jesus not only offers His strength to our feeble hearts, but He says it is "made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Hmm....God's strength or my own strength... God's strength or my own strength..? Hmm... It's a no-brainer! I have learned from personal experience that when we lay ourselves at His feet because we can't go on any further in our own strength, He is faithful. His promise is true! An important thing to remember though, is that even when I feel 'strong,' I need Him desperately. There is never a moment when I should rely on my own strength. Never. There were two verses that God spoke to me with, and carried me through. Both are two-part verses in the sense that, God tells us to do something, and then tells us what HE will do when we obey. The first was Psalm 55:22...

 "Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you..."

 This verse was (and is) such an encouragement to me! When things were too much for me to handle, I would literally eat this verse for breakfast. Okay, not literally. But that's how much I knew I needed Him, and I needed that promise. I wrote it out on an index card and put it on the dashboard of my car, where I read and meditated on it multiple times throughout the day. So often I catch myself carrying burdens that He is waiting to bear for me if I will only give them to Him. The casting of  my burdens (whatever they may be throughout my lifetime) needs to become an automatic action of my heart. The promise is: He WILL sustain me! The second passage that's become engraved on my heart is Philippians 4:6-7...

 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

 As summer rolled in, life's pace sure wasn't convinced of any need to slow down at all. My summer minutes have proven to be just as packed as my spring minutes were, however with a much lower stress level. :) *whew*  The Myrtle Beach trip with the Dixons was a lot of fun! I've gone with them for the past 3 years now, and it was exciting to see how much  little Hampton (the youngest) was able to enjoy it this time around! He is such a big boy now! Megan, William and Hampton all have a very special place in my heart. I love those kids! Being at the ocean was really refreshing and relaxing. One morning, I took a long walk on the beach and watched the sun rise over the ocean. *sigh* Moments like that make me long for heaven all the more, because I realize that this amazing joy on earth is nothing compared to that which is to come! :)

Isn't God amazing? I don't have time to finish telling of all my Summer blessings right now, so I shall continue this later. :)

What am I seeking?

Well, I sit here thinking about what to say in my very first blog post, *ever*! A multitude of thoughts flood my mind. God has been teaching me so many things lately I don't even know where to begin! My desire is to do the Lord's will, no matter what it is. Right now I don't really know where God is leading me, or what He wants for me...so I am doing what I know is the most important thing- seeking Him. "God's will is not a road map, it's a relationship." -Dr. Adrian Rogers. Oh how true that is! It's easy for me to forget that sometimes, and allow my focus to slide towards seeking what He wants me to do, instead of seeking Him. HE must be my pursuit. I must be immersed in His heart! When you don't know what to do next, just start praising Him! Delight in Him. Enjoy Him. I pray everyday to feel what His heart feels, and see through His eyes. His word is so incredibly amazing! It is "living and powerful [...] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

I'd like the share some Oswald Chambers. This is from "My Utmost for His Highest," April 19th. I think it is fitting for me right now. My faith and trust are not based upon my circumstances. Believing God is not conditioned on what's happening or how clearly I see down the path ahead of me. The truth is, I don't have to see. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)

~Gracious Uncertainty~

"...it has not yet been revealed what we shall be..." 1 John 3:2

Our natural inclination is to be so precise— trying always to forecast accurately what will happen next—that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We think that we must reach some predetermined goal, but that is not the nature of the spiritual life. The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our

uncertainty. Consequently, we do not put down roots. Our common sense says, "Well, what if I were in that circumstance?" We cannot presume to see ourselves in any circumstance in which we have never been.

Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life— gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. This is generally expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it should be an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises. When we become simply a promoter or a defender of a particular belief, something within us dies.. That is not believing God — it is only believing our belief about Him.

Jesus said, "... unless you ... become as little children ..." (Matthew 18:3 ).The spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, just uncertain of what He is going to do next. If our certainty is only in our beliefs, we develop a sense of self-righteousness, become overly critical, and are limited by the view that our beliefs are complete and settled. But when we have the right relationship with God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy. Jesus said, ". . . believe also in Me" (John 14:1 ), not, "Believe certain things about Me". Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in— but you can be certain that He will come. Remain faithful to Him.