Beauty Defined by God

As a young woman, I tend to focus on outward appearances. Thoughts go through my head of how I am not "pretty enough," "skinny enough," "fit enough," etc. At this point in my life as I am in my late twenties, I figured these self-doubts would end after high school or even college. Enough is enough!! No more putting myself down, I know that I am more than a physical face and body. I am a human, saved by grace, who struggles everyday with thoughts of inadequacy. "Could I have done something better? Can I change to make myself more of the things I listed above?" Because of my recent move, these thoughts tend to come more often. I suppose I feel this way because of my insecurities, lack of friends, and totally new environment, but that does not give me an excuse to feel this way!

In Christ I am:

Praiseworthy 

Proverbs 31:30

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, 

but a woman who fears the Lord, 

she shall be praised."

 

Beautiful

1 Peter 3:3-4

 "Do not let your adornment be merely outward—

arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—  

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."

New Creation 

2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; 

old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

 

Confident

2 Timothy 1:7

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, 

but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Worthy of Love 

Jeremiah 31:3

"The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: 

'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.'"

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Psalm 139:14a

"I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." 

Strong

Joshua 1:9

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; 

do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, 

for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Bold

Proverbs 28:1

"The wicked flee when no one pursues,
But the righteous are bold as a lion."

Known

1 Corinthians 8:3

"But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him."

Priceless

Proverbs 31:10b

"For her worth is far above rubies"

Valued

Ephesians 2:4-7

"But God, who is rich in mercy, 

because of His great love with which He loved us,  

even when we were dead in trespasses, 

made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  

and raised us up together,  

and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  

that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace 

in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus"

These words are so much better than a petty definition of beauty in the world today! I am all the above in Christ. This is beautiful to Him! I am standing on how God defines me, not the world. Satan uses our insecurities, but God uses our imperfections for His glory! Be blessed and if you ever doubt yourself, know that you are loved by the God who gave up His only Son's life for you!

Moving West

As some of you may or may not know, I have moved back to my home state of Nebraska. A lot of prayer went into the move and I truly believe that this is where God wants me right now. Moving to Nebraska meant being closer to home. Although "closer" is still actually 8 hours from home. Who knew that Nebraska was so big?! (The red dot is where I am located and my family is just north of Omaha.)

My new little town is called Harrison, actually the Village of Harrison. It boasts 251 people...now 252. Everyone knows everyone and everything here. I can walk or ride a bike to school, the post office, bank, etc. because there is no need to drive with things so close. The nearest grocery store is about 30 miles away; nearest Walmart is 50+ miles. So far in the one week that I have lived here, I have hit two birds and one rattlesnake. I have seen antelope, buffalo, coyotes, deer, and of course horses and lots of cattle. The landscape out here is so different from anywhere that I have ever been. Huge open fields, buttes, sandhills, and the biggest sky ever! Who knew the sky was so big? It reminded me of the following verses from Job.

"Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; 

He scatters His bright clouds.  

And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, 

That they may do whatever He commands them
On the face of the whole earth.
He causes it to come,
Whether for correction,
Or for His land,
Or for mercy.

Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.

Do you know when God dispatches them,
And causes the light of His cloud to shine?

Do you know how the clouds are balanced,
Those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?"

Job 37:11-16

I can be driving in the car to a town and not pass anyone for at least 10 minutes. The average time between seeing cars (yes, my dad and I timed it) is about 1.5 minutes. Listening to the radio, "Today's modern music" the first thing that came on was "Chariots of Fire".....I suppose that is pretty modern for out here.
Oh yes, and don't forget that you may see cattle walking along the road, outside of the fence. You may even be stopped by policemen so that cattle can cross the road....yes this did actually happen.

Life has become a total change of pace, as you have read above.  Life is a much slower pace here in Harrison. God knew exactly what I needed in a new place, not what I had wanted or expected. I look forward to teaching and coaching in this small town and am grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord in this way. 

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, 

to those who are the called according to His purpose."

Romans 8:28

Hola España

Hello Spain,

It's good to finally meet you. Your cities are beautiful and your people kind. You welcome with big hearts, but I wonder who has your heart. Is your heart set on God above or earth below?

As I sit and ponder you, I am amazed at the surrounding beauty, but my heart aches for you. You have a rich history in Christianity, but is it just history or is it now? Your churches stand over the centuries, yet it is just a building. How has the heart of Christianity stood? On top of the houses are crosses to mark where past Christians have lived, but has that legacy lived on? 

My heart does not ache just for you, but for those around the world. Those who are lost because they don´t know Jesus. How are they supposed to know when we look at the past? People need to see Jesus living now inside of us...inside of you now. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16) 

Spain, you are one of the most historic and beautiful countries that I have ever been too. Know that I am praying for you and love telling you about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God is working here. Open your hearts and minds to listen to what He has to tell you. His plans are much greater than ours.

Love in Christ,

Tabitha

God's Great Grace!

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

-Psalm 23-

How great is it to know that the Lord, who is the Creator, Sustainer, Provider, is our Shepherd. He loves us so much! What a comfort to me this is! The God of eternity cares enough for me! 

He cares enough to allow me, a simple-minded human being, share His love with others. While in Trinidad this past year, God gave me and a dear friend the opportunity to lead a young woman to Christ. If you have ever seen the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, it is a powerful thing! Her life and mine are forever changed. My heart rejoices at the thought of seeing her again someday in heaven!

Tired and Discouraged

A few weeks ago, I took a break from my usual work routine and went to the mountains for the day. I needed a break away from the stresses of teaching and coaching. It was a time for me to reflect on what the Lord has been doing in my life. As I sat down, the scripture that came to mind was 

Psalm 121 which says,

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help? 

 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore."

On that day, I was so discouraged and tired. Tired of fighting for the right thing, tired of teaching and coaching, tired of not knowing the next step, tired of applying for jobs and not hearing anything back, just tired. Why didn't God care about all of those things? Why did I feel like He was being silent? Reflecting on it now, I know that God was not silent, that He did care and does care. He was asking me to be patient, to wait on Him, to release those chains weighing me down and to lay them at His feet. Once I finally let those chains go, God gave me a peace that everything would be ok. God's plan was much better than my plans ever were. If you are struggling today, know that God does care. He is taking care of every little detail and all you have to do is trust. Have faith that He knows what is best! 

Overwhelmed

It has been over 6 months since my last blog post. Funny thing is that it feels just like yesterday. I started multiple blogs, but have not finished them. School started, teaching and coaching took over, and then over 6 months goes by. I am overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by teaching, coaching, trying to keep up in life, remembering things I should do, etc. 

The good thing is that I don't have to do it alone. I have a God who cares about the little details. When everything is not going as planned, or I am too overwhelmed to move ahead, He is right there; guiding me, helping me, and directing me. No matter what. I would not be a teacher without Him. Daily I have to ask for patience, for direction, for wisdom in teaching students. Where would I be without the Lord? Teaching is a mission field. I love teaching. The moment when a student "understands" is priceless. Let alone I teach lifelong skills. I hope to some day see the things that they learn in class becoming part of who they are. Not only teaching them to be conscious of their health and physical activity, but to learn respect; to learn what it means to help others; and most of all, to know about a loving God who sent His only Son to die so that we may live. 

My goal daily is to shine the light of Christ. Light drives away darkness and I can personally tell you that the public schools are full of darkness. At times it is overwhelming and suffocating. I come home and just cry. Cry from the way satan works through these kids. All the more reason to be the light. Allow God to shine His light through you! Don't let the darkness overwhelm, know that light chases darkness away. So let your little light shine!

“You are the light of the world. 

A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, 

but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  

Let your light so shine before men, 

that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

Matthew 5:14-16