Beautiful...just beautiful!

Our society ,measures our worth by the money in our account, fame we hold, "labels" that are in our clothes, cars we drive, shoes on our feet, what we look like, how we can "benefit" the world. Our world misses the heart of each person. We focus too much on the outside of a person, rather than the heart of the creation of God.

For the past few months I have been doing an AMAZING study with some remarkable women. The book is Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. This book, and the study, have helped me find my WORTH as a woman. We were created in God's image. We are LOVED! Read that again...we are LOVED. YOU are LOVED. Not because of what you do or think or feel or act or give or try...God just loves YOU. He made you...exactly how you are for a reason and He made you in HIS image.

All of us have been hurt. We have been wounded So deeply. Some worse than others. Our hurts are REAL and we need to own them and realize that those hurts do NOT define who we are! Those hurts happened because Satan knows who we were made to be, he fears that we will lead others and we will do God's work and he HATES that. WOW!

This study has made me look at myself differently. Now, do I struggle with my past and the hurts I have. YES. But, I am making a daily effort to read, pray, stay in the scriptures and keep asking God to reveal what He really feels about me. This study has also helped me view my children VERY differently. He made them and gave them to ME for a purpose.

God knew that I would fight tooth and NAIL to help Lilah get what she needs, when she needs it, and how she needs it. God knew I would nurture her heart so she would see her true beauty.
God knew I would love her like no one else. God knew I would give her the love that He gives me. Unconditional love. God knew I would doubt myself, my abilities to do this job, why He gave her to me, what my path is, why I am in Holland, and more. He planned me to be Lilah's Mother because He knew I wouldn't take her for granted.

Satan thought he was defeating me by using people and circumstances to hurt me, but what Satan didn't know was that God had Lilah planned for my future. He was going to use Lilah to show me TRUE beauty and erase the worldly LIES I had believed since I was 7 years old. Lilah was sent, as were all of my children, to rescue me and help me see HIS face and HIS glory. Have I been a perfect Mother? No. Have I messed up in places? yes. Will I mess up again? yes. I am human. Will I get back up everyday and FIGHT until I have nothing left in me? You've got that right!

I look at Lilah and I see PERFECT beauty. I see God's face.

She is happy, curious, content, LOVED, loving, affectionate, unbiased with her hugs and love, she is JOY, she is peace, she is...HOPE!

Thank you, God, for placing this amazing gift in my possession. Thank you for trusting me with her care. I pray that I honor and glorify you.

Thank you, dear Jesus, THANK YOU!