Sleek, Chic, and Really, Really Cute!

I snapped this cute outfit in the window of a store in southern France!

I loved everything about it!  The skirt, the length of the skirt, the color of the top, and the pop of color in the scarf, my favorite, PINK, and the adorable belt!  Oh to wear this, one would be perfectly adorned!

Trust me, with four daughters, I am always on the hunt for a cute outfit!  They always look so together whenever I am with any of them.  Even in their workouts they look good!  It seems that I will always be working on looking good in my workouts too!!!  I jog for exercise and I enjoy eating healthy meals!  I ask though, is this enough?  Should I do more?  I believe that our lives, our faces, our bodies all reflect the life we live.  From the moment of birth, we begin to age and so we really should be giving careful attention to our overall health and quality of life.  That means desiring spiritual health of the soul also.

I don't know about you....but I want His thoughts to fill my soul.  There are times that this journey of life is difficult but I believe that God is involved in everyday of our lives, always, always, always at work..... and if we truly give Him each day of our lives, balance will come in every area and our reflection will look more like He intended.  This reflection is sort of like a mirror that we look at as we are dressing each day.  Our desire is to look a certain way.  We want "the look" to all  come together.  God has this desire for us also because He loves us and cares......  We can begin to reflect Him by coming to Him with awe and reference.  We have to desire to stop and look toward Him, into His heart.  Earlier in the week, I spoke of the importance of Praise.   Josh McDowell says, "There is something about expressing your appreciation to God in words, song, and meditation that solidifies your faith.  The Book of Psalms is the Bible's hymnal of praise.  The more you praise God for being who He is-a loving God who judges righteously~the more you can act upon your belief of what He is~eternal love."  Love radiates out of a person who has been with Jesus.  Love gives.  Love shares.  Love envelopes another.  It is never about self.  It is always about others.  Give yourself away to others and you won't have to worry about your cute outfit or your exercise routine to make you look good.  Oh, it helps to stay fit but a person who looks to the Lord radiates the Lord.  True intimacy with God is being confident that what we reveal about ourselves will be understood and that the person with whom we disclose ourselves will accept us, seek our good, and communicate, support and love. Very much like a loving parent.  When one gives their life to Jesus Christ, a covenant is formed that can never or ever be broken.  His banner over you and me is LOVE........ so in todays language, take that banner and wrap it around your neck like a scarf!!!  Beautifully adorned!  Have a wonderful weekend!!!!

Avignon

On The Bridge Of Avignon

On the bridge of Avignon,

See them dance, see them dance!

On the bridge of Avignon,

They trip around, retire, advance;

Gallant swains bend low, like this,

And once again do so, like this.

On the bridge of Avignon,

See them dance, see them dance!

On the bridge of Avignon,

They trip around, retire, advance;

Fair ladies curtsey low, like this,

And once again do so, like this.

See them dance, see them dance,

On the bridge of Avignon.

In Avignon, in southern France there is a beautiful bridge that was built between 1175 and 1185.  The majority of it collapsed during a monumental flooding in 1668.  The bridge is not so much for dancing today as it is to be appreciated for its beauty of four arches that remain of the original twenty-two that once crossed the Rhone River and connected Avignon with the village of Villeneuve-les-Avignon.  The story goes that a local shepherd boy, Saint Benezet, claimed that angels appeared to him in a dream and told him to build a bridge across the Rhone.  His dream was dismissed as nonsense until, by some miracle, he single-handedly lifted a massive block of stone~an impossible feat for any one person.  Saint Benezet became a hero overnight and funds were found to build his "dream" bridge.  He is buried in the small chapel above one of the remaining arches.  Some believe that angels watch over anyone who enters the walled city of Avignon.  I  do believe that too.  I think Kara and I were watched over on our visit there.

The beautiful bridge!

There are days that I want to be enclosed inside a walled city....... or so it seems.  You know, when you have a desire to slow down and be enclosed by only people and places who are uplifting.  Those who love you for who you are and accept you for who you are.  It seems that Avignon offers this security within its walls.  Avignon is a city to be celebrated...........let us dance, let us dance and be free to be who we were meant to be!  Dreams really do come true!  Please don't be afraid to dream!  Sweet dreams, my friend!

~The beautiful little chapel up close~