A Sun-Kissed Morning

"I am my beloved and my beloved is mine, he browses among the lilies."

— Song of Songs 6:3

The sun uncovers my nakedness and makes me think of the kiss that's about to happen or the love I'm about to make before the summer ends. I hear my mother say, "You're not grown enough for that kind of love," and before I knew it, I was expecting. But before I can truly embrace what I'm expecting, I have to get excited about the season that I'm in and reach for a love that is kind.

How do you get to a love that is kind? Rise and shine, my dear, and declare your morning. Visualize the sun beaming on you in the warmth of your new day.

Today I declare _____________________________________________________.

Ask yourself this: What did the night leave behind, and what will the dawn of day bring me? Answer this question below.

Are You Expecting?

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.""

— Ephesians 3:20, NIV

I haven't always been this ready to conceive, and I know it's kind of invasive of me to ask this of you, but what are you expecting? There are two things we can expect from this life — to live or to die — but either way, we're expecting. If you're not sure what to expect, it's ok. Just remember a pregnant woman isn't ready to deliver her greatness until she reaches her last trimester, so trust the process and be mindful of the fluctuations you'll experience. You will shake the world in due time. In essence, you have to do the same thing as you are going through these reflective practices; allow yourself to feel the fluctuations, as they will be a part of this forty-day journey. More importantly, be intentional and be mindful of the daily details of your life because every experience is a setup for the delivery.

Have you been ignoring the details of your life? Are you able to identify some of the things that keep you from reaching your core? You have to take some risk if you want to get there, but remain watchful for distractions. Are you able to identify the who, what, where, and when of your distractions?

Better yet, quickly bag your distractions for trash day. Oh, how I love trash day! Once a week my garbage truck comes to dispose of the filth; the truck is loud. My dog, Bella, and all the other neighborhood dogs always warn me that the garbage snatcher is near. The clanging and rumbling through the neighborhood is so raucous, but I don't care; I like being on alert that it's time to get rid of the old!

Here it is, imagine your life decluttering; the smelly distractions are leaving, and your garbage lid is lifting, the nasty gnats are being sent back to where they came from — the darkness of the Dumpster. It's important that you understand that your distractions are often your worries that you haven't surrendered.

"Shoo, flies. Don't bother me!" I won't be deceived by your lies.

What are the worries that distract you and fly around your mind like little fruit flies? Write them in the box below.

Or Are You Accepting?

"Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the spirit birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying. You must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So is with everyone born of the Spirit."

— John 3:6–8

The truth is that if we aren't expecting then we are accepting the lies that rob us of our femininity and dignity. This generation is our future and our promise. We have a responsibility to mentor, to educate, and to protect the gifts that have been given to us. Don't give in to the media-selected hype that has painted this vivid picture of our generation as merely corpses. We who are born of the spirit are called and positioned to live boldly and to speak life to dry bones. Our job is not to battle the monster media but to replace it with the TRUTHS-TRUTHS is an acronym which means Thinking Renewed Under The Holy Spirit. Dry bones are revived with flesh and rise up like an army. Read Ezekiel 37:1–14; my spirit leaps every time I read that passage out loud.

TRUTHS is thinking without limits, which will move our faith beyond what we can think or imagine. The Holy Spirit is fueling our minds with renewed hope, giving us prophetic utterances to speak life over dead situations and circumstances that would dare to keep us in bondage.

Be Open-Minded

So if you're accepting, accept what has already been written. What have you been thinking about lately? What comes out of your mouth is always a telltale sign to the operation of your mind or what you choose to believe and act on today.

TRUTHS activates the mind to ART — Activate Right Thinking. And ART gives us movement. I love this passage below; it's how we discern truth and receive renewed hope:

The messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nation beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. (Luke 2:46–47)

Stripping

Go back to the passage in Luke and circle the words that stand out for you. Do you believe this passage for your life? Why or why not? What is the operative motive in your mind when you read this passage?

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What Will the Truth Do for You?

"Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, "Live!" I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown; yet you were stark naked. Later I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness."

— Ezekiel 16:6–7

TRUTHS will make you feel safe when you've been exposed. It's your gift in the process of your nakedness and in the vulnerable areas of your life. But as with any gift, you have to unwrap it. TRUTHS will speak to all who are born with a God conscious. We are made in His image, and when we don't see Him, we yearn for His presence to fill us. Do we go about kicking in our blood when our needs are unmet? It's your free will to accept this truth or not. I'm the first to admit that I need the presence of our Abba Father and the love of His Spirit breathing through me, hovering over me, and covering me with the fabric of His beauty. So I don't mind getting naked, for He sees me and saves me from dying in my naked imperfections.

Do you understand the patterns of fabric that cover you in your life? What is your thread count? How are you designed? Whatever has been weaved through you and whatever is connected to you creates a pattern that expresses your mood, attitude, and personality.

Fill in the pieces of your fabric below.

What are you made of?

Ready for a Makeover?

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

— Psalm 139:14

Wonderfully Made

Although I dabble in the makeup industry, my daughter is the makeup artist. It empowers us to see women get good makeovers, especially the women who say, "I don't wear makeup," or "My boyfriend or husband doesn't like when I wear makeup." Although those statements annoy me, I understand risk and change. People are afraid of change or what others will think if they make the change. Sometimes people are afraid that the makeup will show them up. And trust me, that should never happen. You wear makeup; makeup should never, ever, wear you. A good makeup artist is aware of this and will secretly chuckle at your resistance. Needless to say, my daughter has done some serious miracle transformations just from using a good foundation brush and a little contouring.

Spiritual Makeovers

Spiritual makeovers manifest good makeovers, too, as you expect, accept, and expand your thinking. Let God lay the foundation for your makeover, and be intentional, take the initiative, and connect with your own creative muse. First, beware if you are not invested in the makeover process and cannot trust God the artist — you will only feel and look like a clown at the end of the makeover.

You deserve the desired change, but take the time and do it for yourself. I'd hate for someone to tell you that you need a makeover — ouch, that hurts! As you connect and spend time with the lover of your soul, God will contour those imperfections and provide for you the right coverage for being fearfully and wonderfully made.

I know that the brush of His spirit will shape you and quench your God conscious into something beautiful. Today, expect something new and beautiful — you!

If you could contour one thing in your life, what would that be?

The one thing I would contour in my life is ________________________________.

I'm Good

For the many women who say, "No, I'm good--I don't need a makeover." Take a look at my friends in this scenario, please help me decide which one is good: Goodgirl or Girlgood?

Girlgood is at work and notices that Goodgirl is acting diff erently toward her. Girlgood believes it may be because of her recent promotion and thinks that Goodgirl is acting jealous. Both girls used to have working lunches together and worked very hard to collaborate on notable accomplishments. After a staff meeting, Girlgood asked if Goodgirl wanted to meet for lunch and the answer Goodgirl gave was an abrupt no. Girlgood was very disappointed and hurt because she has been so good to the Goodgirl and recently supported her through a family crisis.

Goodgirl was very excited about Girlgood's recent promotion and did not go to lunch with her because she wanted to meet with other members of their team to plan a celebration for Girlgood's success. Now Goodgirl is starting to think that perhaps the recent promotion is going to Girlgood's head and decides to keep her distance from her. Goodgirl was so excited about the good news she had to share with Girlgood, but forget about it; Girlgood will have to wait to hear about the news. Girlgood doesn't know that she will be rewarded at the next staff meeting for her publications and hard work.

Because of Girlgood's recent behavior, Goodgirl has refocused and has also become distant. Goodgirl believes that if it weren't for her going out of her way to help Girlgood, she wouldn't have gotten the promotions in the first place.

Challenge Question

Which girl is good? Goodgirl or Girlgood? A little confused? Well, Proverbs 21:2 sums it up perfectly. Every man's way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. And Isaiah 64:6 makes it plain that all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. Let's take a closer look.

Who's in the mirror?

Does she look familiar to you?

What's her story, and how different is she than you?

Is she different?

Has her heart ached like yours?

Is she living, or is she dying?

Is she pretty, or is she ugly? Is she pretending, or is she mending? Is it about her needs, or is it about yours?

Who's in the mirror?

Goodgirl or Girlgood?

Get Your Makeup Wipes Ready

"Therefore, having put away falsehood let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another."

— Ephesians 4:25

Are you still having trouble with the truth? Let's get the makeup wipes ready. Isn't it easier to hide from the truth when you're wearing cover up. The truth can make us feel vulnerable while exposing our insecurities to ourselves and others. Now, I'm not suggesting that wisdom be left out when sharing personal information with others, but I am suggesting that we take a closer look at what we're communicating to the world. Get ready, because the blemishes are real, and what you take off becomes the truth you work with. Let's take a closer look.

Pray and ask God to reveal to you who your confidant will be. We all need someone to keep us accountable and honest. I'm concerned about people who don't have someone who will keep them honest. If you're not used to hearing what others have to say about you, it may be difficult at first. You may even become off ended, so please do this next activity with someone you respect and trust.

A Close Up

Get the makeup wipes ready. Ask yourself these questions. Are you a woman of integrity? Do you keep your commitments to yourself and others? Are you ready to release the drama from your life? Are you afraid of letting go? Are you willing to seek help for change? Is change something you are prepared to pursue on your own? What are you willing to wipe off in exchange for truth?

Draw a line down the middle in the space provided. On the left side of the line should be the questions you answer about yourself, and on the right side of the line should be the questions you and your confidant answer together. Be ready to write about what you learn about yourself during this exercise?