I’m going to attempt to answer a question that I was recently asked by a friend of mine. I believe others have the same question in their minds and don’t quite know how to answer it. The question is: Is it biblical to wear make-up? Another unasked question is: Should I keep up with fashions, or is it more important that I have a godly heart and not make a fuss about my appearance?

Let me start off by saying that we know that the Lord is most interested in our hearts . Remember when David was chosen by God? God said, Man looks on the outside, but God sees the heart. So, the most important part of me is my relationship with my Him. Next we have to consider the first part of the verse – the fact that man looks on the outside. Because people cannot see our heart, our outside is a huge part of our testimony. What are we saying about our God if we dress in a way that is frumpy or thrown together?

It doesn’t matter what I think, but what does God’s Word say? Does it really matter what we wear as long as it’s modest? I believe our dress conveys many messages, but let’s zero in on this one:

• Dressing in an attractive manner reveals that we desire to reflect our God.

1. That means we must be modest – in dress and makeup, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be attractive.
2. It also reminds us that God is the creator of all things beautiful. Many women in the Bible that were godly women were noted for their beauty – Sarah, Rebekah, and Esther to name a few. If there was something ungodly or sinful about being beautiful, why would God have made mention of it in His Word? I Timothy 2:9 is another reminder that our dress isn’t to be the focus, but I believe this is a reminder that it all needs to be done modestly. Don’t over-do the makeup or the jewelry. Make it tasteful and done in a manner that would give the right opinion of our God.
3. Our God is a God who is current with my life today. We need to demonstrate a God who is relevant and very aware of my life today. While we don’t need to be trendy, there is nothing ungodly about being fashionable, as long as it’s modest.
4. He changed my life, and that gives me a reason to look as refreshed on the outside as I am on the inside. Just as immodest apparel would distract others from a right testimony, being dirty, unkempt, or haphazard in our dress is also a deterrent.
5. God created marriage. If you’re married, remind yourself that God made your husband to be visual. I doubt there are many husbands out there that would mind if their wife looked sharp and attractive. What a blessing to come home to a face that’s made up ( a little is all that’s needed!), hair that’s “fixed” (that doesn’t mean a pony tail!), and a cute (rather than comfy) outfit. Don’t go ask him – just do it and see how he responds!

I spend very little money on my wardrobe. First, I am wearing some things that I’ve had for years. They’re classic styles (my favorite) and are in good condition. Secondly, I have lots of people give me their castoffs and I love that! Third, I only shop at the clearance racks – many times out of season. Lastly, I also shop at consignment shops. So, a low budget is no excuse for an out of date wardrobe.

So, my answer is: I believe I must first focus on my relationship with God and not let my appearance become too high a priority, but I believe that my appearance should not be a deterrent to my testimony, one way or the other. There is nothing ungodly with “painting the barn,” as Dr. Bob Sr. used to say. I’d hate for the world to see me “looking natural!” I’d scare you half to death! I certainly don’t claim to have it all put together – but I want to be a blessing to my husband, and a good testimony to the world of a wonderful God.

Okay, now I’m braced for your loving responses…

Because I care,

Special memories, that’s what!

Sunday dinner is just such a special family time. Growing up in a home that made Sunday dinner a special occasion, gave me the desire to have a special meal with a pretty table most every Sunday. Sunday is a special day, and we enjoyed making dinner something out of the ordinary. So while my girls were growing up, I tried to make a good meal, use the pretty dishes and enjoy our family time around the table.

This weekend were “Puffs moments” over and over. You know what I mean? Tears are there at the slightest prompting. Whitney is planning to be married in 12 days. She was home this weekend to attend the bridal shower our church gave her. It was beautiful. The food was fantastic. The friends were so kind. And of course the gifts she received were also huge blessings. Okay, so right there, my emotions were running high. My dear church family was there to shower her with their love, the Word of God in a challenge that was given, and also with their gifts – what a blessing! My family had also planned to be there at the shower, but the Lord providentially hindered them. That was a disappointment, but when the snowy weather came on Saturday, I was thankful they didn’t get caught in the winter weather! God always goes ahead of us!

But then I also realized that this is probably the last time Whitney will be home as a single gal. That’s a good thing, and I’m truly ready for her to be married, but there’s just so much emotion that goes along with a wedding! Reflections of the past, questions of your preparing your daughter for what lies ahead, and wondering what the Lord will bring into her path are all a part of this time in my life.

Because of all of this, I wanted dinner to be special, so I tried a couple new recipes. They turned out well, and everyone seemed to enjoy them. Both were also good make-ahead dishes – always a plus on a busy Sunday! Here’s the family with Alli behind the camera…

This next picture is so much more the “real” us! I set my camera on my butcher block and set the auto timer on so we could all be in the picture. As we sat and waited for the picture to be taken, my camera was making little “boing” noises to let us know it was about to snap our picture. The noise was so comical sounding and we were have a difficult time keeping our composure. Whitney lost it just as the camera snapped and this is the result…

Then we all lost it! I can’t tell you how often at our dinner table we have erupted into laughter. I remember milk being “spilled” – not from the glass, but from the one who took a sip at the wrong moment! That happened more than once, I promise you.

Yes, special memories are made at the dinner table. That’s what family life is all about, isn’t it? The home is a gift from the Lord. It’s a respite. It’s our responsibility as a wise woman to build our house. Part of that building is the work and planning ahead it takes to get a meal on the table – even on busy Sundays. It’s so worth it – even when pictures can’t be taken, thanks has to be given at the end of the meal rather than before, because no one can pray without laughing, and milk gets “spilled!”

My menu for yesterday was:

Chicken Fricassee *

Long Grain Wild Rice

Green Beans

Green Salad with Pears and Honey Dressing *

Cheddar Biscuits

Cake (leftovers from the shower)

Spinach (I used red leaf lettuce) pear Salad

Cheddar Biscuits – like Red Lobster’s

To make the biscuits, use a Bisquick mix and make drop biscuits. Add a cup of cheddar cheese. Bake as specified. Brush baked biscuits with mixture of melted butter and garlic powder.

Spinach Pear Salad

2 Tbl. water

1 1/2 Tbl red wine vinegar

1 Tbl olive oil

1 tbl honey

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Bosc or Anjou pear, cut into 15 lengthwise slices

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

2. Place pear slices in a large bowl. Spoon 1 Tbl dressing over pears; toss to coat. Add remaining dressing, spinach and onion; toss to coat.

Yield: 5 servings

Chicken Fricassee

3 Tbl flour

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

4 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned

2 tsp butter

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups Julienne-cut carrot

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. combine first 5 ingredients in a large zip top plastic bag. Add chicken; toss well to coat. Remove chicken from bag; reserve flour mixture. melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts sides down, saute’ 5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Remove chicken fro pan; keep warm.

2. Add onion, celery, and garlic to pan; saute’ 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sir in reserved flour mixture, and cook 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Add carrot. Return chicken to pan, breast sides up. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve over rice, if desired.

To prepare this for Sunday dinner, I did all the browning of the chicken and sauteed the vegetables. I covered it with foil and put the pan in the fridge overnight. Before leaving for church, I put the pan in the oven, covered. I turned the timer on to cook for 45 minutes at 375 degrees, but you could also just turn it on a low setting like 280 and let it cook slowly while you’re away.

The gravy was amazing over the chicken and the rice!

There you have it – my Puff weekend and Sunday dinner. Anyone else out there going through Puff moments? Please also tell us what was cooking in your kitchen recently!

With a Puff in hand,

If someone asked me what phrase epitomized my husband’s parenting as he fathered our girls, I would say,” I don’t want my girls to turn out good. I want them to be godly.” I love that, and I respect him for his desire to turn their hearts not to just good things, but to godly desires and attitudes.

The world is satisfied with good. It is enough. Having a good child means our kids aren’t into drugs. They are moral. They are honor students and respectable citizens. The world thinks if our kids turn out good we should be relieved. Whew! We got them through the hard stuff.

Would it satisfy you to know that Mary, the mother of our Lord, was a good woman? Remember that she was in need of a Savior, just as we are. She wasn’t a saint. Was she more than good? Let’s look at Scripture –

Luke 1:30 – And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. The only way we find favor in God’s eyes is to be like God – to be godly. We can only do that as we trust in Christ as our Savior. Mary couldn’t have found favor with God in simply trying to be good.

In verse 38 Mary refers to herself as the handmaid of the Lord. She saw herself as God’s servant, and was ready to do His bidding, spite the scandal or difficulty that was included with her calling.

Luke 1:46 – Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord. Her words, her heart, her whole being praised God and desired to live for Him and please Him. Was she perfect? No. Was she godly? Yes.

I see Mary’s godliness as a huge factor in her being chosen to bear the Savior of the world. She wasn’t simply a “good little church girl.” She loved God passionately and it was seen in all she said and did.

That’s where I want my heart to be. It is also my prayer for my daughters. Oh, that instead of saying “good” things to others, my words would be godly ones. Instead of acting “nice” I would act Christlike. Instead of doing a good deed, my actions would be out of a sincere love for my God.

No, it’s not enough for me to be a “good woman.” It is my goal to be godly. It will be a continual process of sanctification to be like my God until He takes me home, but it is my heart’s cry today and every day. “Lord, make me more like You! Help me to turn out godly for your glory.”

With love,

You never really know how wonderful it is to feel wonderful until you don’t feel so wonderful! You can quote me on that! =) Migraines aren’t fatal, but some days when they knock you for a loop, you kinda wish you could just move on to heaven where “there will be no more death, neither sorrow or crying; neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away”! Revelation 21:4 The migraine is passed for the time being, so I thank the Lord and press on with renewed strength. A new day is a true gift, isn’t it?

We had a sweet time at Bible study at Boones Creek Bible Church Monday night. I’m so thankful for the faithful women that have chosen to study with us and came out to share what they learned in the last lesson, and hear new things. Our new lesson is about “Pressing For the Prize.”

Philippians 3:13, 14 – Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Have you ever been in a race? The only time I competed was when I was in college and all the freshmen were required to run a mile under a certain time limit – or else you did it again! Running has never been a favorite thing of mine. I enjoy a brisk walk outside or walking on the treadmill, but running is just…painful! As I ran that mile run with all the other girls in my class, I was determined not to be at the tail end of the group! I didn’t end up first, but I finished well enough to pass the run and have that behind me.

In preparation for the run, I learned that you never turn around and look behind you. It’s tempting because you want to know how close your competitors are! But looking behind you is dangerous! Falling is the biggest reason to keeping looking ahead. Looking behind isn’t wise because it will slow your progress. It also uses up energy you need to complete the race.

In our Bible study we learned that it is also essential for the Christian not to look back. We have a tendency to look back at the past. We are filled with regret over what has happened and we fail to recognize that what is behind us is no longer true or real. It’s over with, and we need to get over it too. Corrie Ten Boom uses the illustration of the sea reminding us that Psalm 103:12 says that our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west; they are buried in the deepest sea and there is a sign that reads, “No fishing allowed!”

Why would we want to go back and dig up what has been forgiven and is under the blood of Christ? We can certainly learn from the past. As Elizabeth George said, wisdom usually comes from failure! So we learn from the past, we log it, and we leave it!

But not only are we to forget our past sins and failures, but we must also forget our past accomplishments! Too often we live on what we did for the Lord way back when and we fail to get after anything now! People will gloat in the “Good ol’ days” when they really weren’t so good, if you take a hard look at them! Today is what matters. What is important is what is between your two feet today. Look at it and then press on! Elizabeth said that a person who knows where they’re going:

• has a sense of God’s call on their life
• understands God’s purpose for their life
• focuses on God-given goals
• moves toward those goals

Does that describe you? If not, ask the Lord now to give you His understanding of those things and then, with His enablement, move forward!

Pressing on,