The title is what me singing "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" looks like. (You know-head is all drawn out, and shoulders and knees becomes one fat word. I don't know, maybe that is just me...I will make a point with this later, I promise.)
SO, today I pulled out an old journal of mine that is filled with sermon notes, prayers, and personal thoughts from the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grades...it was interesting to say the least! Funny thing is, I still use a good bit of the scripture I copied down because I am still struggling with some of the same stuff. Many of the temptations (...I've got suuuunnnshiiinnee! on a cloudy day...wrong temptations, sorry) have taken on different faces as I have grown, but essentially are the same issues. God has answered a lot of the questions I was asking, for which I am thankful. :) However, one of these struggles was and is a reoccurring deal, and I feel like it is something worth sharing with all the other fabulous females in my life...the whole beauty thing.
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes is how I like to simply (and quickly) explain my current take on it:
1. Head-
You have one...and there is a brain in it. So use it.
In Philippians 4:8-9 Paul gives us a list:
whatever is: true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy
These are what the things we let sink in and run through our pretty little heads should be! :) And not by our standards, but those of our Creator. (Romans 12:2) He wants the best for us and for us to be clean and pure and lovely. :) AND, the more time I spend with him, the more my heart and mind are able to find and dwell on all the true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy things there are. How cool is that for real though!? The God of the universe wants me to be clean and whole, and he wants to spend all the time it takes in order for that to happen with ME! :D So that he can fill me up and transform my heart daily. Totally neato. :) ALSO-we may be girls, but God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but one of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7) So, while God didn't call all of us to be total geniuses, he didn't make us to act dumb and justify our poor choices with our "stupidity". Speak up! Don't feel like you can't think and learn and speak your mind. Stupid does NOT equal pretty. (Colossians 4:5-6) Have an opinion-spend time with the Father, and use your noggin' duuuuddde!!
2. Shoulders-
So many clothes-so little time. This is where I like to be blunt with myself:
"Dress to impress"
"Don't advertise it if it ain't for sale"
"If you don't want to be thrown on the BBQ-don't dress like a piece of meat!" (1 Timothy 1:9-10)
"hey there, good lookin!" (i don't really say this to myself of course...out loud)
"love the skin you're in!"
"you're never fully dressed without a smiiiillle!! :) (my personal favorite)
1 Peter 3:3-5 discusses not having more outer bling than heart bling. I never want the way I look to sparkle or shine more than the light of Christ in my life. I want him to make me beautiful, therefore, I try to make my heart bling take priority over my wardrobe (mastered skill? nope-a work in progress!). However, God doesn't say: "thou shalt not wear cute clothing!" Girl-you can look as fantabulous as you want! Thing to remember: my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, so I should take care of it and treat it with respect, which is where some clothes are a problem. These days, EVERYTHING is low cut, high cut, or just cut all over!! (seriously though-i am not paying $25+ for something i could make at home with a paper shredder) Sometimes a girl's got to be picky-and the oddball. Don't play dumb here-if something is too short or see through or too low cut just don't go there. Dress yourself with respect and let that heart bling make whatever you are wearing that much shinier!
3. Knees-
A lot goes here for me, but it may vary from girl to girl.
In a nutshell, don't bend under it all. I do not mean never cry, or get stressed, or feel hurt, or do what others ask. No, when I say 'it all' I am referring to all the absolute JUNK (lies) the world we live in throws at us. There is not a thing in this world that determines your worth more than the One who made you. Did you catch that? He made you, then sent his Son to die for you, because YOU ARE WORTH IT! :) There is NOTHING-not a jean size, a fat zit, that stupid kink in your hair you get from wearing a ponytail, chipped nail polish, smeared eyeliner, or a person (i.e. a boy) who can separate you from the love of God. He loves you regardless, all the time, forever and ever-you are his princess. Love and honor him back, and just be incredible you! ;)
1 John 3:19-20
4. Toes-
(Tori Trivia: my toenails are purple as of yesterday!)
There are two things about toes-
First, don't walk around staring at them-they aren't going to fall off. Plus, it is much easier to see where you are headed if you look at where you are walking. Which leads into the second thing about toes: watch your step! Don't walk where you shouldn't. Ugh! there are so many moments in my life where I was so busy not looking at where I was headed that I walked into a mess (quicksand, a spider web, a person, a pole, a parked car, dog poop, a door frame...) Seriously though, it is easy to waltz right into a bad place when you aren't paying attention. The more time I spend with God, the less I am looking at my toes, (or at someone/somewhere else) and the easier I can see where I am going. This is not always the case, and even though I know where I should be looking, I will walk right into a brick wall or a massive hole that I never saw coming. Then I feel like a total goober when Christ picks me up and dusts me off, because I should've been paying attention and avoided the whole thing. (Proverbs 16:7) Also, bear in mind the toes that may be following yours-"Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." 1 Timothy 4:16
There it is. The way the world defines beautiful vs. the way God defines it-in the life and times of Tori Teel, of course.
...eyes, and ears, and mouth, and nose. HEEEEAAADDD! SHOULDERSKNEES! AND TOES!!
It is now stuck in your head. You're welcome. :)
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