Cup of Thoughts

Oftentimes we look for beauty in all the wrong places. What defines beauty? This might become a deep topic but bear with me. I googled ' beautiful people ' because I was simply curious about what the world defines as beautiful. Here is a collage I made with the images I found. I'm sure you may have found beauty in the pictures above. And yes, they are all beautiful. But what makes them all beautiful? Is it their eyes? The way they are staring into the camera lens? The way they are photographed? Is it merely their looks? Recently, I've been chasing after beauty like it's a cure for the way I look. Beauty is not a cure. We all want to be  that girl . The girl who doesn't have to wear makeup to look beautiful. The girl who laughs as if there is no worry in the world. We want to be the girl who has a witty sense of humor to impress other people. We want to be as skinny as the girl beside us. We want to have a better physic. We want to be in a r...

I know we've all had that lecture before.  "You need to wear longer shorts." "Put some leggings on!" "Go change that outfit." "You're not going out of the house like that." Most of the time our answer is, " but everyone else is wearing it ," or " it's in style. " It's so hard shopping for modest clothing as a girl, I know. I've wandered around Forever 21 trying to find something that will at least cover my belly button. Even though it's hard to find, it's worth it. Trust me, do not conform to the world's average. Because the world's average is wearing party clothes and attracting sin wherever you go. The world says, " wear what you want to wear, nobody cares ," " if you have the body, show it off ," and "the more skin you show, the tighter your clothes are, the more guys will chase after you ." Don't believe those lies. People do car...

What does aroma mean in the Bible? When the Jewish people wanted to be forgiven of their sins they would purchase a spotlessly clean animal and take it to a high priest for a sacrifice. ( "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.." ) During the sacrificial ceremony on the altar in the holy of holies, there was a separate  offering of burnt incense  in front of the curtain. The aroma was a mixture of oils and spices that was pleasing to the Lord. This altar is a representation of Christ.  As Jesus was our intercessor, he preceded the sacrifice for our sins. He became not only our sweet-smelling sacrifice, He was our precious lamb that was slain. "Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us." Romans 8:34b Why are there two forms of sacrifice then?   "...The altar is especially holy to the Lord.”   The incense had to be by the exact recipe God ha...

Ever since I read the Christy Miller series as a young girl, I started writing letters to my future husband. The main protagonist in the book does the same after she becomes a believer in Jesus, realizing that marriage is a picture of our relationship with God.  Don't worry, this isn't a letter to him, although it could be. I won't even allow my sister to read the things that I have written for his eyes only. This will only be my open list of attributes that I look for in the one who I will marry one day.  The things he strives for. Jesus  First off, he needs to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son. Without knowing Jesus, I don't see how our relationship would even work out. Since we both wouldn't strive for the same things. I pray that we both are growing spiritually during this time of waiting. "-grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him...

Have you ever felt jealous of another person? Maybe they had better clothes than you, or they could afford certain things you couldn't. What about wishing bad on another person because of that reason?  You were created to be just who you are. Why try to disrupt that originality by trying to mimic others?  Never degrade yourself because you are different from others. You have been made perfect through Jesus.  He has sealed us and filled us with a Spirit of love and hope ( II Corinthians 1:22 ) if you are a child of the King.   Child of the King? What does that mean? "But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear-" I read that scripture verse before a certain encounter at work. A certain individual was in th...

Have you ever been through a long day at work and feel as if you haven't done a thing? Or, you make a to-do list in your head and the list just keeps expanding?  I'm never satisfied. It seems there's always something else I need to finish. My mind strays to the tasks that need to be done, rather than living in the mess. Some people call me a clean freak. When working I tend to keep myself preoccupied with things that won't make me seem idle, especially if or when the boss makes an unexpected check up. It seems as if every time my employer comes by where I am working it's in those moments when I'm plumb worn out of being a busy body. It seems as if I've not done a thing when in reality I've been trying to keep myself from not doing anything. Does that make sense?  Just this past week I pondered why exactly I get so wound up in trying to look as if I'm a hard worker. Why do I desire to please other people so much. Why does it even ma...

Last year, my youth group and I traveled to North Eastern Indiana to help out with other churches partnered with our church's association. While we were on the mission trip our comfort zones became almost non-existent. This year, however, we were a little familiar with our surroundings, but there were still scenarios that were unexpected, and a bit surprising.  Heading north, our group had no clear  mission work  schedule, we were literally going up to help out wherever was needed. That's no easy thing to do, at least for me it isn't. I like things planned out, listed and crossed to the 't'. Which made me step back and realize that is one of my faults. I like to be in charge of everything around me. I like to be the boss sometimes, or all the time... However, in God's word, it tells us to be quite the opposite.  "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."  ( James 4:10 ) There are multiple ver...

wedding ring ˈwediNG ˌriNG/ noun a ring worn by a married person, given by the spouse at their wedding. That's the definition of a wedding ring currently, thanks to Google. Haven't you ever wondered why married couples or soon-to-be spouses buy fancy rings for one another? When did the tradition ever start? Why do we wear rings on our left hand and why do we wear rings in the first place?  Get ready, there might be some history facts ahead. What's with the ring finger? The ring finger or the fourth finger of your left hand is said to have the Vena Amoris , or in English: the 'vein of love'. The allegory, or the symbolic picture, is the vein that interweaves itself straight to the heart. Some say that's one of the reasons why we associate wedding bands with our fourth left finger. Others wear engagement rings on their right hand until the actual wedding day and then transfers the ring over to the left hand. The ring finger has been as...

"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." ( Matthew 28:6 ) I know that Easter has come and gone, and the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ has already been shared on Sunday morning, but it's not just a story to be told once every Spring. The story of God's Son should be talked about and shared every day!  "-Talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."  ( Deuteronomy 6:7-9 ) This was God talking to the Israelites when they just escaped captivity in Egypt. They were new to this relationship with God and faltered many times by the wiles of the enemy. When God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, as a guide to living righteously, He wanted to make it ...