Bee-U-tiful You

Life is full of beauty.  Notice it.  Notice the bumble bee, the small child and the smiling faces.  Smell the rain and the wind.  Live your life to the fullest potential and fight for your dreams. ~Ashley Smith



Don't you just love God's creation?  I love trees -- prettily dressed in pink blossoms in the spring, heavy laden with apples in the summer, painted with reds, oranges and yellows in the summer and glistening with tiny icicles in the winter. 

But there is one creation that is far more beautiful than trees or even a perfect rose, a soft fluffy bunny or a brilliant sunrise.  It's the creation God created in His image -- the beautiful you.  Valorie Quesenberry in her Bible study, Reflecting Beauty, writes it this way, "God has monogrammed His beauty on you. Beauty attracts us, because it is the visible imprint of God's image on His daughters." 

Why, then, do we struggle so much with our looks?  We stand in front of a wicked witch's mirror asking, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the prettiest of them all?"  The answer comes from inside us -- It's not you.  We see all the imperfections -- too fat, too old, our nose is too big, our ears stick out, we're too short...and on goes the list.

I'd like this post to be a celebration of our beauty.  Just the acknowledgement of God's monogrammed beauty.  God didn't intend for us to all look alike -- He likes variety as evident in His creation of the animals.  My girls probably grew tired of my "Pretty is as pretty does."  But I wanted them to remember was that real beauty isn't how they look -- it's their heart that portrays real beauty.

Daughters of the King!



The cosmetics of true beauty are kindness, joy, peace -- oh, wait, this list seems familiar.  True beauty is the one whose fruit makes Christ evident in our lives.   He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely (Galations 5:22-23, The Message). 

Really read the list of gifts Christ brings: 
Affection for others
Exuberance about life
Serenity
Willingness to stick with things
Heart compassion
Belief of God's holiness in others
Loyalty to commitments
Wise use of energies

I'm going to be studying that list this coming week.  I want to make sure the gifts Christ offers me are evident so my beauty will be unmarred and instead of seeing me, people will see my Jesus -- the One who created me.

* * * * *

I have a new friend.  New within the last couple years.  I'm not revealing who she is, because she reads my blog and I don't want to spoil the surprise for her.  She's caring -- always asking about me, my children, my life.  And she's a good mother, too, works hard  and loves her husband.  That's what I see when I look at her -- a BeeUtiful Woman of God.

So I found this bee bowl at Hobby Lobby (half off), added a jar of homemade granola, a honey bear and some Bit-o-honey candy.   I even found a cute bumble bee for the bow.  It was a fun and inexpensive gift to put together -- less than $10.00. 

All it needs is Valorie Q's book!

Honey Oat Granola

3 cups oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup dried cherries (any dried berry can be used)
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix ingred. together and set aside.

1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 honey

Mix in pan and bring to boil.  Your oil won't completely blend in with the honey and sugar.  Pour over granola mixture.  Stir to coat.  Spread on a long cookie sheet and place in oven at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Stir halfway through cooking time.  Cool and break up any large pieces. 


Other ideas:
Honey Oat Cheerios
Honey sticks
Beeswax Candles
Burts Bees natural skin care
Honey Pot
Honey Dipper

Who are you going to celebrate this week? 

Find a Bee-U-tiful woman and shelter her -- make sure she knows Christ is evident in her life.