Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind...

Over the weekend, Frank and I removed almost all of our boxes from our storage unit.  This week, we'll finish and end our need for additional storage. Finally! And, Praise God!

 

Three of the boxes held precious treasures thought lost in the shuffle and scrape of three household moves!  What treasures? Pictures of our youth, college days, wedding, honeymoon, etc!  It was fun to take a walk down memory lane and this devo today reminded me very clearly of what I am already observing in the changes in my body as I age and grow......older.

 

I found one picture from the summer after my junior year in high school.  I was standing next to my cousin, Missy.  I recall thinking how fat I felt whenever I was posed in pictures next to her.  She was about 2-3 years older than me, a two-time varsity cheerleader and quite beautiful.  I was the awkward and shy 17 yr old teenager looking uncomfortable as I towered over her (I was already 5'9", she 5'5").  With older eyes and many years under the bridge, I yelled out to Frank, "I looked skinny and statuesque...not fat at all!"  It was true!  I was tanned, blond-ish and looking healthy in my white shorts and peach v-neck fitted top.  It is probably a good thing my immature self couldn't see me with my "now-I-know-better" eyes of today!

 

I mused over the silly notions I was consumed with at this immature time in my life.  I wonder why I didn't focus more on the inner Mary and my relationship with Jesus.  If I had, perhaps the outward Mary wouldn't have mattered so much.

 

What about you? Are you more concerned with the outside image of yourself the world sees than the inside image God sees? Why?  Read on.

 

I love you all and pray for you daily!

C'iao-M
 

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

Two Clocks Posted: 01 Dec 2008 04:26 PM CST "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." (2 Corinthians 4:16) Paul had a rough life because he just would not shut up about Jesus. In the chapter leading up to today's verse, he described some of the ways that he had suffered. You and I suffer, too. It might not be because we're out there spreading the gospel, but every human being suffers. It's part of being human on a sin-ravaged planet. From the moment we're born, the clock starts ticking down to the moment we will die. Pain and decay come with the package. Paul, who wrote these words, understood that better than anyone — but he refused to be discouraged by that clock. Why? Because he was focusing on a different clock. His great news about Jesus was that human beings could be made new — starting right now — through faith in Jesus. From the moment that we are born again, that clock starts ticking forward to the moment the new Christlike us will be completed. We might be dying physically, but our real life is just beginning. Think: Do you ever think about all the ways that life can be hard? Should we pretend that this life is not difficult? Where do you draw the line between being honest about the hard stuff in life and being encouraged about the reality of Jesus in you? Pray: Thank God that He is renewing you "day by day" to be more and more like Jesus. Do: Read 2 Corinthians 4 all the way through. Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!