There has been a lot of media attention surrounding Miley Cyrus following the MTV awards at the weekend. To say her performance was provocative is an understatement, and she caused even the most liberal members of the public to recoil in shock. I'm sure Miss Cyrus is completely unperturbed by the backlash, and in fact, this was probably her intention to fuel further publicity. My reaction when I watched it was not necessarily one of outrage though, instead I felt deep despair. She is only 20 years old after all.
This image is unfortunately nothing new. Over the years women have continually pushed the boundaries, and men have allowed them. A lot of women would argue that looking, dressing and displaying themselves in ways that Miley did is a liberating thing; that it is empowering. I'm sorry, but these people are fooling themselves. The whole thing is a blatant paradox. There is nothing empowering about causing your fellow women to sneer in jealousy, or having men look upon you as an object merely for their viewing pleasure.
I felt so sad when I watched Miley. Her beautiful face all twisted, her hair all shaved and her admittedly cracking figure wrapped in flesh coloured underwear. I wonder if she felt 'girl power' as she marched around the stage. All I could ask myself was, 'where is the elegance, the grace and the feminine virtue?' Did she go home and think she represented women well? That she inspired young girls? Maybe I'm being naïve in thinking that there was even an objective. I'm not picking on Miley though, there will be many girls after her pushing the boundaries.
I then think about what God says about women. In Proverbs 31, it speaks of a woman who is full of virtue. She clothes her herself with strength and dignity. She speaks wisdom. I want to be like that instead of consumed with how attractive I am or how hard I can party. I want to have girl friends like that, who are inspiring and give wise counsel. And I'm sure men want a girl like that on their arm, who is admired for her grace and dignity.
Society often believes that God and the Bible promote a view of women that is oppressive and sexist. It is in fact the opposite. Today's culture is forever guilty of placing women as sexual objects to be desired. If you are not physically attractive then you are not desirable. Ask yourself ladies, do you want to be admired for having a slim figure, perfect hair and a sizeable shoe collection? Do you gain your affirmation from the amount of guys who flirt with you when you are out? Do you enjoy it when other women are clearly jealous of how you look? Do you and your friends feel like the best way to encourage and support one another is to reassure them of how good they look?
Or do you want to pour out wisdom to your friends, and sound counsel that will grow their character? Or what about taking no joy from division and jealousy but instead strive for friendship and unity with your fellow girls. Or what about desiring for a man to be so attracted to your poise and dignity that he would develop deep respect and affection for your character? Or what about people to admire you for your strength as a woman?
People often forget that refining and strengthening your character and spirit can cause you to become outwardly attractive in a way that is far more beautiful than vain physical beauty. I hope Miley can realise this too. She doesn't have to display herself in such outrageous ways to gain respect, admiration or attention- and neither do you.
'Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.' Proverbs 31v30
Wednesday 28 August 2013
Friday 16 August 2013
This is the Lord's doing...
This weekend celebrates the 4th birthday of my church Harvest Bible Chapel Glasgow. Most churches have a legacy going back decades, and sometimes centuries. My church would be looked upon as still in its infancy and in many cases this is true, but I've been reflecting a lot recently on the past few years and been pretty overwhelmed at everything that it has been through.
I have been encouraged by the weekly dedication of others who come with an eager heart to serve and use their talents in incredible ways. From ministries that are public and up front, to the ones that are hidden and rarely recognised. There is a humility and commitment that never ceases to challenge me.
I have learned what it means to be part of a vertical church, what worship is, how I can be an excellent wife, what the bible says about being W.I.S.E and studied Philippians, Acts, Jonah, Ephesians, Hebrews, Nehemiah and Genesis to name a few.
I have found that the people of Harvest are excellent at baking, cooking, having barbeques in the rain, opening up their homes and extending hospitality, cracking jokes, going to Starbucks, reading books, eating loads of food, and playing games...
...Did I mention we like to eat?
I have seen the fruits of investing in the children of Harvest and are challenged by the fact their bible knowledge rivals my own. I have heard my nephew lead his family to pray before he was 2 years old, recite verses of scripture and tell me the fruits of the spirit.
I have witnessed the people of Harvest step up and serve those in need. Every new mother has had homemade meals brought to their door for the first two weeks of their child's life. Teams of people have helped others with their garden, moving house, decorating rooms, and cleaning their home. Families in crisis have had groceries bought and delivered to their door just when they thought they couldn't afford to feed themselves for more than the next couple days.
I have noticed that I don't hear gossip or slander. The privacy of others is safeguarded and the integrity of others is maintained. People are held accountable and supported in love, sensitivity and care. Honesty and vulnerability is encouraged whilst pride is constantly challenged.
Relationships are nurtured and built on God's biblical outline. Whether it is parents and kids, husbands and wives, shepherds and their sheep, friends and family. Fellowship is constant, counsel is Godly, and prayer support is essential.
Harvest came into my life just in time. It supported and celebrated with me when I married my sweetheart and found a new identity in being a wife, it was there when my sister was fighting for her life after the birth of her son and provided meals every day for 2 months, it sustained me through the sudden decline in my own health, providing prayer, counsel and practical help, it comforted me as I lost my job, it was a source of encouragement through other personal loss.
I have been told that our Christian walk is a 'life on life' thing, that we are called to 'worship, walk, and work' for God's glory. I have been encouraged to 'not despair, but depend', because 'all it takes is all we have'. And I have been challenged to 'don't stop now'!
And I won't stop, and we won't stop, because what is happening here is God's doing.
'This is the Lord's doing;
it is marvellous in our eyes!' Psalm 118v23
And at the end of every Sunday, for the past 4 years I have heard 'You are Loved.' And thanks to my church, and the God that we serve, I know that it's true.
http://vimeo.com/68692213
I have been encouraged by the weekly dedication of others who come with an eager heart to serve and use their talents in incredible ways. From ministries that are public and up front, to the ones that are hidden and rarely recognised. There is a humility and commitment that never ceases to challenge me.
I have learned what it means to be part of a vertical church, what worship is, how I can be an excellent wife, what the bible says about being W.I.S.E and studied Philippians, Acts, Jonah, Ephesians, Hebrews, Nehemiah and Genesis to name a few.
I have found that the people of Harvest are excellent at baking, cooking, having barbeques in the rain, opening up their homes and extending hospitality, cracking jokes, going to Starbucks, reading books, eating loads of food, and playing games...
...Did I mention we like to eat?
I have seen the fruits of investing in the children of Harvest and are challenged by the fact their bible knowledge rivals my own. I have heard my nephew lead his family to pray before he was 2 years old, recite verses of scripture and tell me the fruits of the spirit.
I have witnessed the people of Harvest step up and serve those in need. Every new mother has had homemade meals brought to their door for the first two weeks of their child's life. Teams of people have helped others with their garden, moving house, decorating rooms, and cleaning their home. Families in crisis have had groceries bought and delivered to their door just when they thought they couldn't afford to feed themselves for more than the next couple days.
I have noticed that I don't hear gossip or slander. The privacy of others is safeguarded and the integrity of others is maintained. People are held accountable and supported in love, sensitivity and care. Honesty and vulnerability is encouraged whilst pride is constantly challenged.
Relationships are nurtured and built on God's biblical outline. Whether it is parents and kids, husbands and wives, shepherds and their sheep, friends and family. Fellowship is constant, counsel is Godly, and prayer support is essential.
Harvest came into my life just in time. It supported and celebrated with me when I married my sweetheart and found a new identity in being a wife, it was there when my sister was fighting for her life after the birth of her son and provided meals every day for 2 months, it sustained me through the sudden decline in my own health, providing prayer, counsel and practical help, it comforted me as I lost my job, it was a source of encouragement through other personal loss.
I have been told that our Christian walk is a 'life on life' thing, that we are called to 'worship, walk, and work' for God's glory. I have been encouraged to 'not despair, but depend', because 'all it takes is all we have'. And I have been challenged to 'don't stop now'!
And I won't stop, and we won't stop, because what is happening here is God's doing.
'This is the Lord's doing;
it is marvellous in our eyes!' Psalm 118v23
And at the end of every Sunday, for the past 4 years I have heard 'You are Loved.' And thanks to my church, and the God that we serve, I know that it's true.
http://vimeo.com/68692213
Wednesday 24 April 2013
It's all in the detail.
The two year mark is quickly approaching. Two years since the pain started and life as I knew it changed. This season of my life has brought blessings and hardship in equal measure. I have struggled with all the challenges living with a chronic pain condition brings, and I have spent many days feeling overwhelmingly scunnered. I have also learned new things about myself and more importantly, God. Whether I have been praising and thanking Him for his presence and provision or crying out to Him in confusion and despair, He has remained constant and unchanging. I am thankful I can put my trust in that.
I have been slowly developing a new mini career for myself over the past year in cake decorating and I have been pretty astounded how well it has been going. I baked and decorated my first ever birthday cake for a friend a year ago and I am now receiving orders for wedding cakes. I feel a bit out of my depth at times, but I have really enjoyed nurturing my artistic side since I was a wee girl and I feel I have been given this new avenue to be challenged in. I'm thankful for that.
I often thank God for giving this opportunity to me. With a body that is so tired and in pain most of the time, my career opportunities were severely limited. I worried that I would have no option but be stuck in an office, dragging myself into the workplace on days where I would have spent all my energy that morning just trying to get up and have a shower on time.... Now, I don't think there is anything wrong with working in an office- I must admit I have liked the idea of wearing a smart suit and hanging about water coolers, but I'm more of a practical person who quickly loses motivation if things are even slightly mundane.
How blessed I felt when God led me down a road where I could still do creative things but from home. I love getting up and busying myself in the kitchen, knowing I can sit down and rest when I get tired (like right now as my cake bakes away while I sit and type). It is also great that I don't have to wash my hair or fuss over what to wear each day. I also don't have to put up with rush hour traffic anymore... although wading through all my cake tins and boxes of icing occasionally produces irritation similar to road rage.
I have spoken to God about my new set up many times, and at the risk of sounding ungrateful I have occasionally expressed how much I still miss my old work. I miss investing in people, spending time with children and their families and celebrating breakthroughs in the lives of others. I can very often feel isolated amongst my cake batter and food colouring. Coming from a job where I was spending the entire day in and out of family homes to being in my wee home alone has been a hard adjustment. I somehow felt that I didn't have the right to express this to God, especially after all He has blessed me with over the past couple years, but the Bible does say I can cast all my anxieties upon Him, so I did- even if it was so He could stop me from being anxious about these things!
So a couple of weeks ago, I found myself in my old work delivering a cake to an old colleague. My heart ached as I saw all the familiar faces and ached even more when I walked through and some people didn't even know who I was. Things had continued to move on and everything was progressing without me. I felt sad not being a part of it. As I walked by the office door of my old boss, I glanced in the window. She welcomed me in for a seat despite being in a meeting with an old colleague, which was nice. We chatted for a while and I confessed that I missed the work I did and being with the service users. My boss thought for a moment and then asked if I would be interested in coming back on a sessional basis to do cake decorating classes. She had been wanting to introduce some new activities to the services and just in that moment thought about cake decorating.
We have met up since then and are in the process of setting this up. She showed me the new arts wing that has recently been opened in the centre and showed me the room where I could come in and work. A beautiful bright studio with reclaimed furniture and huge windows. I drove home from our last meeting just in awe of how God works. I have found so much contentment in working from home, and yet He still chooses to make provision for the seemingly small issues that were tugging at my heart- all I had to do was ask Him! God knew that it would become an increasing struggle to work in isolation and therefore put something in place to help me with that.
So what have I learned? God provides. But more than that, He blesses me. And even more than that, He lavishes blessings on me! God has not only been taking care of the big issues, but also the tiny microscopic details that make up who I am and how I work. But what's even more incredible is that God hasn't blessed me with this because of who I am, but because of who He is! He is loving, and gracious and good. I rejoice in the fact that the little details are known to Him, and that He even bothers to care. And I rejoice that He is faithful in all things.
I have been slowly developing a new mini career for myself over the past year in cake decorating and I have been pretty astounded how well it has been going. I baked and decorated my first ever birthday cake for a friend a year ago and I am now receiving orders for wedding cakes. I feel a bit out of my depth at times, but I have really enjoyed nurturing my artistic side since I was a wee girl and I feel I have been given this new avenue to be challenged in. I'm thankful for that.
I often thank God for giving this opportunity to me. With a body that is so tired and in pain most of the time, my career opportunities were severely limited. I worried that I would have no option but be stuck in an office, dragging myself into the workplace on days where I would have spent all my energy that morning just trying to get up and have a shower on time.... Now, I don't think there is anything wrong with working in an office- I must admit I have liked the idea of wearing a smart suit and hanging about water coolers, but I'm more of a practical person who quickly loses motivation if things are even slightly mundane.
How blessed I felt when God led me down a road where I could still do creative things but from home. I love getting up and busying myself in the kitchen, knowing I can sit down and rest when I get tired (like right now as my cake bakes away while I sit and type). It is also great that I don't have to wash my hair or fuss over what to wear each day. I also don't have to put up with rush hour traffic anymore... although wading through all my cake tins and boxes of icing occasionally produces irritation similar to road rage.
I have spoken to God about my new set up many times, and at the risk of sounding ungrateful I have occasionally expressed how much I still miss my old work. I miss investing in people, spending time with children and their families and celebrating breakthroughs in the lives of others. I can very often feel isolated amongst my cake batter and food colouring. Coming from a job where I was spending the entire day in and out of family homes to being in my wee home alone has been a hard adjustment. I somehow felt that I didn't have the right to express this to God, especially after all He has blessed me with over the past couple years, but the Bible does say I can cast all my anxieties upon Him, so I did- even if it was so He could stop me from being anxious about these things!
So a couple of weeks ago, I found myself in my old work delivering a cake to an old colleague. My heart ached as I saw all the familiar faces and ached even more when I walked through and some people didn't even know who I was. Things had continued to move on and everything was progressing without me. I felt sad not being a part of it. As I walked by the office door of my old boss, I glanced in the window. She welcomed me in for a seat despite being in a meeting with an old colleague, which was nice. We chatted for a while and I confessed that I missed the work I did and being with the service users. My boss thought for a moment and then asked if I would be interested in coming back on a sessional basis to do cake decorating classes. She had been wanting to introduce some new activities to the services and just in that moment thought about cake decorating.
We have met up since then and are in the process of setting this up. She showed me the new arts wing that has recently been opened in the centre and showed me the room where I could come in and work. A beautiful bright studio with reclaimed furniture and huge windows. I drove home from our last meeting just in awe of how God works. I have found so much contentment in working from home, and yet He still chooses to make provision for the seemingly small issues that were tugging at my heart- all I had to do was ask Him! God knew that it would become an increasing struggle to work in isolation and therefore put something in place to help me with that.
So what have I learned? God provides. But more than that, He blesses me. And even more than that, He lavishes blessings on me! God has not only been taking care of the big issues, but also the tiny microscopic details that make up who I am and how I work. But what's even more incredible is that God hasn't blessed me with this because of who I am, but because of who He is! He is loving, and gracious and good. I rejoice in the fact that the little details are known to Him, and that He even bothers to care. And I rejoice that He is faithful in all things.
My first Cake...
...One year on!
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