A Fragrance That Leaves You Wanting More

As I made my way to my second-row seat at church on Sunday, I couldn’t help but notice this exquisite floral masterpiece at the altar. Not only was I taken with the enormity of the arrangement and the vast array of colorful flowers and greenery, but the fragrant aroma of the flowers filled the air. It drew me in as an aromatic garden. I related it to the fragrance of those who exude the fragrance of sweet Holy Spirit Who blesses us with so many appealing "fragrant" gifts: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) I'm sure you're familiar with that fragrance and even witnessed it in others. You might carry that scent, too.

We hear and talk a lot about being the "light of the world", but shouldn't we also be the "fragrance of the world"? Carrying the fragrance of God wherever we go certainly makes sense.

The Bible tells us this story: "Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." (John 12:3) Can't you just imagine the aroma that consumed the house and all those who were in the house? What about those who had been in Jesus' presence that day? Don’t you know they carried the scent of the perfume, but they also carried the scent of Jesus' presence on them, too. They were better for it. They wanted to BE BETTER because of it.

What if our lives were a fragrance that attracted people to God? Our fragrance will either attract others to Him or repel them. The sweet scent of the likeness of Christ can be an irresistible pull toward the Savior. When we walk with God, we leave behind a sweet fragrance that can inspire others to follow. So many need to experience that fragrance.....and they will, as we continue to "splash on" His fragrance throughout our days. So....what fragrance are YOU wearing today?

WANTED for Stealin' Farrah's Hair

I love it when my FB timeline pops up with one of my old posts or a photo that someone posts of me that floods me with some precious AND some crazeeee memories. This photo was from a Western Party that I attended a few years ago. I was on the WANTED list for stealin' Farrah's Hair -- $50,000 Reward. LOL! Actually, that hairdo did come from Farrah's era (the late 60s & 70s). I guess I was a Farrah-wanna-be -- well, at least her hair and maybe I had an attachment to Ryan O’Neal – her love interest for many years -- so much so we named our son, Ryan! Another – LOL!

Where I'm going with today's post isn't about Farrah OR her hair. It's about being wanted. I don’t know your history -- how you came to be here at this place and at this time. I don't know if you were ever rejected and made to feel UNWANTED. I don't know if you were a "wallflower" at that school dance or if you had a long line of fellas waiting to dance with you. I don't know if you've received a pink slip after pink slip on jobs that just didn't click for you. I don't know if the love of your life walked out on you for another or if you've never known the love of your life. But I do know this: YOU ARE WANTED!!!

Before you were conceived in your mother's womb, the God of the Universe planned you – each intricate detail of you and gave you breath. Your life is His proclamation of "I want him/her in this world at this specific time, in this specific place, for reasons that only he/she can fulfill."

When God was handcrafting and designing you -- His Masterpiece, He included your strengths, your talents, your gifts, your eyes, your nose, your goofiness or your seriousness. He put it all together and created the miracle of YOU!

Whatever has happened along the way of your journey to this day, His purpose for you still remains strong. God is still saying “You are WANTED". He is still saying “There is a purpose for you being here and I have plans for you -- to prosper you and not harm you -- plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Don't ever listen to the lies of the thief who wants to steal you of your wantedness. Rejection is a thief and a liar. Don't listen to him when he tries to convince you you've failed too many times or you've messed up too much. That you took a wrong turn somewhere and you can never get back on track. That there is something “wrong” with you or everything in your life would be right. Just don't listen to those lies.

Instead, lean into your Father -- the ONE that made you and brought you here to this place at this time. Let Him tell you again, “You are mine. You are chosen. You are accepted. You are cherished. You are my prized possession -- my masterpiece."
Yes, YOU ARE WANTED -- but for how much? You are PRICELESS -- a one-of-a-kind ORIGINAL. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise!
#WANTED

You Are the Potter. I am the Clay.

Last week I spoke about the brilliant and God-inspired artwork of Michelangelo. When I visited St. Peter’s Basilica for the second time in June, I was taken with the “Pieta” the magnificent sculpture of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, holding His body after His death on the cross. What was it or rather, Who was it, that inspired Michelangelo to envision this breathtaking scene and carve it from a single slab of marble? No doubt, God was orchestrating his talents and abilities to “declare the glory of God in all of his artwork.

The Pietà is the only work Michelangelo ever signed. If you look closely, his signature can be found across Mary's chest. Sixteenth century art historian Giorgi Vasari told the tale of how Michelangelo made his mark: “One day Michelangelo, entering the place where it was set up, found a great number of strangers from Lombardy, who were praising it highly, and one of them asked one of the others who had done it, and he answered, 'Our Gobbo from Milan.' Michelangelo stood silent, but thought it something strange that his labors should be attributed to another; and one night he shut himself in there, and, having brought a little light and his chisels, carved his name upon it. Michelangelo later regretted the vanity of this act, and resolved never to sign another piece of his work. And, he didn’t, but thanks in part to putting his name in plain sight on the Pietà, his reputation grew as the public's love of the statue did. Surely God was BIG in this man’s life. I think of the scripture in James 4:10 “ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.” Most certainly Michelangelo regretted signing his name on the statute, but, obviously, learned his lesson well. Never putting his name on any of his artwork after that, God still lifted him up in fame for his artistic genius. Michelangelo was God’s handiwork.

In our own America, how in the world did Sculptor Gutzon Borglum foresee the sculpted faces of U.S. presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt by just looking at a cliff in the Black Hills of South Dakota? But he did by envisioning what those Black Hills could become, and after 14 years, he finally completed his project — Mount Rushmore.

Just think about it -- the Master Sculptor/Designer/Creator -- Father God -- has already envisioned who we are to become. But in order for Him to make a beautiful monument of us....that others are inspired and drawn to Him by -- we must be pliable and moldable in His hands -- yielded to His will and way. And when we give way to thoughts like "It hurts too much" or "I can't take it anymore" or "I'm just fine the way things are", then we are refusing His desires to chip away and smooth out the rough edges in our lives, and make us into a fine work of art.

Why would He want us to be a masterpiece? He wants others to be awed by His handiwork -- so much so, that they are drawn to Him through us! As the Great Potter, God’s desire is to make us into a beautiful creation that is useful to Him. The key we must remember is that the Lord can only shape us if we submit to His loving hands and allow Him to do so.
Have Your way, Lord! Have Your way!
You are the Potter. I am the clay.
Mold me and make me, after your will.
While I am waiting -- yielded and still.

Inner Beauty AND Being a Masterpiece

Yesterday, in my post, I talked about divine set-ups. I like to think that God is always setting us up for divine appointments. Knowing that, we should be keeping our eyes, ears and hearts open to the possibility of those times. He sure has a way of surprising me in the middle of a routine day, with another "aha" moment. My post included the topic of "inner beauty". Then, when I looked at my Facebook "On This Day" posting from years before on my timeline, I had one of those "aha" moments because it confirmed the discussion of "inner beauty".

How appropriate for me to see that post on this day. Here's why! Have you ever started to take a photo with your cell phone and you accidentally pushed "selfie" mode and it flipped around and you got the "up close and personal" view of yourself? Whoa! I did! Who was that ole' gal looking back at me? It couldn't have been me. After all, I dolled this girl up this morning and when I looked in the mirror, it revealed only a "slightly mature" woman, but that selfie was MY mother!!! Okay, God, I get it. You wanted me to see this post because it talked about being YOUR masterpiece. It went like this:

This world will always try to make us think “we're too young or too old; not pretty enough or handsome enough; not rich enough; not thin enough; not talented enough; not smart enough!!: It's time for us to STOP listening to what the world thinks and says. There is only one voice that truly speaks truth, and that ONE is the voice of our Creator Who made us on purpose and in His image.

And He says: "You are my MASTERPIECE -- and I made you JUST RIGHT -- right for the special purposes only you can fulfill! You ARE exactly who I made you to BE! Don't look for the approval of others. I approve you, and that’s all that matters! When you look in the mirror...look at the BEAUTY I made you to be! Now, go make your Dad proud as you take your BEAUTY and make a difference in this world!!"
"You are so beautiful to Me!" -- Love, God

I like to think that when He shows up, it's up to me to give Him the recognition and the honor for the inspiration. So, today, I do, and I thank You, Father, for reminding me that I AM beautiful....inside AND out!

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised." Proverbs 31:30

Curb Appeal Matters

Having been a Real Estate Broker for over 16 years, I know that curb appeal matters. A rundown looking property detracts buyers, whereas a property that has an inviting and welcoming smile on its face aka fresh coat of paint, landscaping enhanced and tidy, clean appearance causes buyers to want to know more about that property. Let’s face it, first impressions matter. We care about how we dress for a job interview, and we spent extra time in front of the mirror before that first date. When it comes to selling a home, first impressions matter, too.

The term “curb appeal” comes from real estate sales and home design. For years, buyers have formed their first impressions of homes when they first drive up to the home just beyond the curb. That first impression determines whether or not buyers want to see the inside of the house.

To get that buyer in the door, the seller spent hours and days on seeding new grass, planting flowers, painting their front door, weeding and cleaning up the yard. If the home didn’t appeal from the curb, buyers moved on to the next house.

Maybe this post is to help you market your home....if you're wanting to, but foremost, I wanted to compare that important idea of curb appeal to you and I. What is OUR curb appeal? What is it about us that draws people to us or detracts people away from us?

Is our disposition grumpy, cranky, dismal? Is our attitude "cloudy" and "glass half empty"? Do we look exhausted and worried? Does our appearance look like we could care less about what others think about us?

What is that "first impression" others get of us? If we really want to convey the love of God, His peace that passes understanding, the graciousness and appeal of the Holy Spirit, then OUR "curb appeal" matters. We were created in the image of God, and God sure doesn't make junk. God sees us as a masterpiece. Do others see us as God's masterpiece?

1 Samuel 16:7 says "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Sure, the world focuses on what people look like on the outside. God focuses on what people look like on the inside. When we focus on what's beautiful on the inside, we will exude that beauty -- that "curb appeal" on the outside.

Maybe, this post is two-fold -- curb appeal on our homes and curb appeal on the "home of the Holy Spirit" who dwells in us. "Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?" 1 Corinthians 3:16. How's that for realizing what our curb appeal should be. We are not just houses, but we are temples of Almighty God -- how could our curb appeal be less than our BEST?

Some Friends Are For a Lifetime

Day 247 of Photo Inspirations -- Some Friends Are For a Lifetime
"Some friends are for a reason, some are for a season and some are for a lifetime.  That's who these sweet women are -- Life Timers.....and to think we've only known each other a couple of years or less.

 What we all have in common is our love for the community that we live in -- Hyde Park at Tulsa Hills -- we met when we moved here -- and now we do life together.  And, we serve as resident representatives when visitors stop by to check out the community.  Those visitors get our first-hand testimonies about the blessing it is to live here.

The pretty lady in the pink is the daughter of the Developer of our community and she has been second to none in providing the best in experiences here.

To our surprise, Vicki is quite crafty.  So much so, that she gathered lovely vases, dishes, bowls, platters and other glass items and made each of us glass bird feeders.  Each one individually created for each of us -- thus my photo inspirations for today.

Yesterday, we celebrated Vicki's birthday with a yummy lunch at Napa Flats, and we gave her a lovely Rustic Cuff bracelet -- a token of our love and appreciation for what she's done for us.  

This little band of women -- are all very different -- all from various backgrounds:  Private Investigator, Voice & Piano Teacher, Nurse, Realtor, Artist, Physical Ed Teacher, Owner of a Bed & Breakfast,  etc., but we all have this in common -- we have all been fashioned by God from the same clay and His plan included our friendships.  Each of us have been on very unique and exciting adventures in our lives -- now we get to be on exciting adventures together in this season.  

You, me, her, them, us, we are made from the same clay. If we keep our eyes on the Artist, we'll realize He specially designed us with our own uniqueness.  We won’t need to be the same, we won’t need to compare, we can just enjoy His grand scale of color and texture and DNA that each of us has.

We can be in awe of the incredible masterpiece He creates, and be delighted when He puts us in the same time and space together -- to be here for each other -- on this amazing LIFE ADVENTURE!

You Are My Masterpiece

This world will always try to make us think “we're too young or too old; not pretty enough or handsome enough; not rich enough; not thin enough; not talented enough; not smart enough!! It's time for us to STOP listening to what the world thinks and says. There is only one voice that truly speaks truth, and that ONE is the voice of our Creator Who made us on purpose and in His image.

And He says: "You are my MASTERPIECE -- and I made you JUST RIGHT -- right for the special purposes only you can fulfill! You ARE exactly who I made you to BE! Don't look for the approval of others. I approve you, and that’s all that matters! When you look in the mirror...look at the BEAUTY I made you to be! Now, go make your Dad proud as you take your BEAUTY and make a difference in this world!!"

"You are so beautiful to Me!" -- Love, God