Just wanted to give a quick shout-out to my friend, Andria, who started a blog yesterday with this awesome post! You absolutely must check it out!

May you find the number you need today.

Blessings,

I have a confession to make. I really detest washing off my makeup at night and cleansing my face! And me a Mary Kay Consultant, too! Crazy I know, but there it is.

The interesting thing about makeup is that we wear it to make ourselves look and feel beautiful, but if left on our faces while we sleep, it actually can cause damage to our skin. I went to a beauty party once (before I became a MK Consultant, and it was not a MK party), and the Consultant said that one night of sleeping with your makeup on can age your skin one week! Yikes! Who needs that? I’m aging just fine without any extra help, thank you very much.

And let’s not forget our ‘ole pal…Acne! Does anyone else still get the occasional zit at 38 years old! For Pete’s sake! I passed puberty a long time ago!

Okay, coming back down from the rant, what is it with not liking to wash off the makeup and cleanse my face? As I began to ponder this question, God gave me a spiritual application as He and I are working on some internal cleansing as well right now. I will share more on this tomorrow.

For today, I wish you a very “clean” day inside and out!

Blessings,

In Friday’s post, I talked about my salvation experience when I asked Jesus to become the Lord and Savior of my life. I talked about how His presence was so palpable, it was as if I could touch it. I also mentioned that is not always the case.

There was a time in my life when His presence was not strong like that. Actually, it was difficult to feel Him there at all. I felt like my prayers were hitting the ceiling. When I prayed, I didn’t seem to get an answer or response. It was a very lonely, desolate time in my life.

I knew God had not left me. His Word promises me in Hebrews 13:5 that He “will never leave me nor forsake me.” (paraphrased) The truth is, though, I was steeped in sin at the time.

Looking back, I knew I was in sin. I justified. I rationalized. I felt the quiet conviction of the Holy Spirit telling me to turn away, and still I continued down the same path.

I continued to pray. I continued with Bible study. I continued to go to church. I continued to do all those things we as “good Christians” are supposed to do, and yet, my life was filled with sin, and I had never felt so far away from God. Feel His Presence? I was having trouble trusting He was still there. Of course, He was.

He never left me. He never stopped pursuing me. He never quit waiting for me to turn from my sin and repent so that our relationship could renew itself.

I’m so thankful He loves me enough to never let me go. To allow me to feel His gentle hand of correction when I need it. To convict me when I have wronged another. To demand I ask their forgiveness even though that is sometimes a very difficult thing to do. To extend forgiveness even though I’d rather not because I have been forgiven more than I could ever forgive.

This is not to say that when the “dry seasons” come that we are always in sin. I only know that the times in my life when I have felt the most alone and desolate were the times when I was not walking in His ways. At those times, while His Presence was not palpable, I know He was still there, and I am ever so thankful.

Blessings,