Do you even have days where you stop? You stop and think? You stop, think, and realize, you got to this place and you kinda don’t know how you got here...
I feel like I have that experience on a practically daily basis... Omar and I live a life that is very unlike anyone else we are aquatinted with. We don’t travel full time or have a YouTube channel like the typical, “RVer.” We aren’t designers. We aren’t photographers or videographers... We are average people living a less-than-average life. We have a unique (to say the least) story, a unique way of living, and a unique faith. I don’t have an Instagram worthy home. We don’t live a life that fits neatly into the social media box. In fact I’ve gotten rid of social media because I can never keep up. I get mad at my kids. I battle the physical fatigue of stress quite frequently. I feel more lost than found. I feel like a horrible Christian. A mediocre wife. And a flawed mom. And truth be told, I am all those things. Even as a stay at home wife and mom, I don’t keep a pristine home. I don’t cook glamorous meals. And as hard as I try, not EVERYTHING we eat is organic (although I seriously really do try.) I struggle with gluttony. I struggle with anger. I struggle with dissatisfaction. I struggle with complaining. I struggle with putting Jesus at the forefront of all I do. I struggle. And it’s hard. What does any of this matter to you? It may not. And that’s totally fine. I take no offense. In fact, I am not expecting you to care all that much. But I feel the need to share this because in a world of memes, tweets, bloggers, Instagramers, beautiful pictures, and a brain overload of all you could have but don’t (thank you Pinterest) I want you to remember, we are all human. We are all flawed. You may do a million things better than me. You may be more beautiful. You may be in a better place financially. You may have more answers to questions than I do. You may have better things and a bigger house. You may have better parenting skills. You may have better, “fill in the blank.” But one thing I come to more clearly realize as the sun continues to rise day after day is, we are all in need of Jesus. We all need a closer walk with Him. He is the most diverse and creative Being, with an infinite mind and perfect, flawless talent. He created my personality one way, and yours, another. He allows me to live a unique life, but not without its challenges. He allows you to live a unique life as well, but it may be a 180 degree difference from the type of life that we lead. You may be type A, while I sit here an unapologetic type B. You may decorate in the farmhouse style, while I personally prefer a more whimsical look. You may be able to sing with the voice of an angel while sit at my piano praying for the Holy Spirit to make His heart known and take me though the worship set without getting pitchy. But we all mess up. We have all spit in the face of the Creator of the universe, in one way or another. We try to be good, but we will never be good enough. I mean, if we aren’t good enough for ourselves, how could we ever be good enough for the perfect God? My life doesn’t fit the mold, and truth be told, yours doesn’t either. So why in the world do we try so hard to make it so? You think I don’t know about those inner battles? You think I don’t know about the comparison game? You think I don’t feel the pressure to fit myself in the perfect Instagram square? It’s time to BUST the mold. Quit trying to look, be, say things, and act the way that is most relevant and on trend! It’s time to embrace true individuality! Release the political talking points! Release the prosperity message and the lies that make us temporarily feel good about our humanity! Release the things that don’t come directly from the Word of God, and start accepting that you are a failure. You are an imperfect sinner. But a sinner who has been rewarded the gift of Grace! Unmerited favor with God. Not because you are obedient. Not because you said the right prayer. Not because you went to the right church. Not because you got baptized. Not because you took communion. Not because you are more special than you neighbor. But because Jesus, even before the very foundation of the world was laid by His all-powerful Word, chose to willingly allow Himself to be nailed to a splinter-ridden cross, His back practically opened by scourging. Why? Because He loves you. He loves me. He wants my failures, my faithlessness, my disobedience, my imperfections. And He wants yours too. He wants them covered by a perfect, sinless, life-filled Blood. It’s time we leave behind the trends that say we must be “this way” or “that way” to feel accepted and loved. Instead, let us embrace the One who truly creates a sameness between all of us. I’ve spent two years attempting to make this blog something. And it’s ended up as nothing. But it’s time there is a platform for true faith. For true individuality. For true Christ-likeness, and unapologetic Christianity. The world doesn’t need my style blog. But it does need Truth. It does need Hope. It does need Life. It does need Light. It does need Grace. It does need Joy. It does need Jesus. Gold and Charm is now a platform for all those things. A place of Truth found in the age-old, time-proven, historically backed-up Word of God. And may this same Truth lead to an unfailing hope that comes only from a supernatural endurance of faith by the unmerited grace of Almighty God. A place of life, found only in the blood of our sweet Jesus. A place of Light, where those dark places of your heart can be exposed, cleaned out, and changed for the glory of God. A place of Grace. Gold and Charm is a place for you to be you. For you to be loved for what God sees and for how He’s saved you, even when you really mess up. Even when you really get it wrong. A place for you to recognize supernatural, undeserved forgiveness. Of this world: “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” Song of Solomon 1:2 Of the Hope found in Christ: “Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13 May you be blessed in the Lord, and I cannot wait to continue this journey with you. Xoxox, Shell
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"But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:13 Archives
April 2019
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