A Poem for the year

2013

Golden light streaming through

Love came down here, for you

Lift your face towards this bliss

Feel the warmth of his kiss!

A poem I wrote at the start of the year. One day I'd been in my bedroom and the sun had started streaming through and was particularly beautiful and golden, especially nice for winter! I believe God wants us to receive his love simply as you would the warm sunshine, that is by just turning your face and feeling its warmth. In other words, putting the focus on him and his goodness rather than trusting in our own goodness. This is what real Christian faith is about, simply receiving what God has already achieved for us in dying for us. 

Numbers 6 v 25: '...the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.'  

Welcome to my blog

Hello there.

Welcome to my project for 2013. It is to write, whenever I can, about the things that I feel God lays on my heart concerning his love, what it means to know Him and particularly what it means to be beautiful in his sight. It is primarily aimed at women but I kinda would like guys to have a look occasionally too because I hope a lot of the stuff I post will be relevant both to men and women. It's just that I feel God has placed a particular calling on my heart to minister to other women. I especially want to help them embrace the beauty God has given them. The title 'Unfading beauty' comes from this verse in the Bible:

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 1 Peter 3 v 3-4

Now don't get Peter, who wrote this, wrong. I don't think he is saying there is anything wrong with curling your hair or wearing a bit of bling or you know generally making yourself presentable. Rather he is saying that true beauty is what comes from within and shines out to make you lovely on the outside too. Or as the wonderful Roald Dahl put it:

A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely. 

Importantly, Peter says it is who you are in God's sight that matters. This world is often mercilessly cruel in its standards of unachievable perfection but God says that you, as you are, are 'fearfully and wonderfully made' (Psalm 139 v 14). At the end of Shrek, when Fiona hurt and confused because she is still an ogre even after her spell has finally been broken, questions: 'But I don't understand. I'm supposed to be beautiful'. Shrek's reply to her is I believe the same as God's reply to you: 'But you are beautiful!'

So enjoy!