I Mystic Tan, do you?
I love a great suntan, but I just don’t like to tan. I would love to claim health concerns, but I just hate to sweat. Hate it. I love to be tan, I just don’t want TO tan. And then I met Mystic Tan.
Hello spray tan.
At first, I was worried I’d end up looking like an rogue Oompa Loompa and then I had a flashback to QT self tanner. Yes, I shuddered. Finally, I decided to go Nike… uhm, Just Do It.
Guess what? It worked. I looked tan, no streaking, no weird spotting, just a tan. Simple and very much NOT orange, which thrilled me since I really wouldn’t look good in the Ooompa Loompa poofy pants outfit.
And the tan stayed for about a week, which is standard for the Mystic Tan.
I’m loving this spray on tan. I can get that sun-kissed glow without the hassle of getting all hot and sweaty. I just stand in the Mystic Tan booth for a few minutes and VIOLA! I’m tan.
I see this in faith. I once longed for the faith I saw in great leaders and teachers. I wanted to knowledge or Kay Arthur, the humor of Angela Thomas. the teaching style of Beth Moore, and the sass of Lysa TerKeurst. I wanted it all, but the working to get it wasn’t something I was interested in. I wanted Spray On Faith.
I wanted to stand in a booth and have the Lord just spray wisdom, discernment and knowledge all over me. Let me just tell you, it does NOT work.
Like the spray on tan, spray on faith will fade quickly when it’s scrubbed. When you rub against something abrasive, spray on faith fades. And with time, spray on faith will fade. It fades because it’s just on the surface.
It’s a message spoken from the mouth and not the heart.
It’s a scripture quoted but not understood.
It’s clanging symbols that just make noise.
I no longer walk with Spray On Faith, I walk in the newness of a life in Christ. I found that faith, unlike tans, cannot be sprayed on. Faith starts in the heart. It’s knowing that God is who He says He is and that I am who He says I am.
Faith, the real kind, is how I walk today. I trust that God is leading me in His ways and I understand that things don’t always make sense, but He, in His infinite wisdom, always makes sense. It’s living out 2 Corinth 5:7. ‘For we walk by faith, not by sight’
So, I may keep up with the spray on tan, but I’ve long given up the spray on faith.
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy”
1 Peter 1:8
What about you? Are you living a faith that is grounded in the hope of Christ & the glorious joy of Him?
Talking has never been something I’ve struggled to do. I’m pretty adept at the whole thing. I’ll talk to pretty much anyone who will listen. It’s my gift or a listener’s curse, just depends on how you look at it. So, I’m sitting here in North Carolina wondering what I’ll speak on at She Speaks in a few days. I have a three minute talk and five minute talk to present. It sounds short and they are. I’m used to speaking for 30 to 50 minutes and having one to three sessions to get my point across. I have three minutes and five minutes. I usually take that much time just doing the introductions and thanks.
So here I am, trying to figure out which message is the right one.
I want to be perfect. I want to it to be JUST RIGHT. I want to wear the right clothes, gesture just so, have the perfect inflection, and rock some cute heels, but what about the message. Seems I’ve spent more time on the outside of this message than the heart of it. I know the Lord has a message for me and I know He’s given it to me. It’s buried under all this material stuff. It’s buried under the cute jacket, fresh highlights and a spray on Mystic Tan. It’s buried in the heart of this woman who is excited and absolutely terrified. I want them to like me. I want to fit in. What if no one speaks to me? What if they laugh? My insecurities are raging and my heart is in a tizzy.
I take a deep breath. Even though this talk is to an evaluation group, it’s still God’s Word. It’s still my testimony and God will use it for His glory. I breath out. God is good. He is the God who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1Peter 2:9)
He has a called me to a work, His work, and I will continue on in it. (Phil 1:6)
I won’t worry about the perfect jacket, the best shoes, or the just-right accessories. I will wrap my head and heart around the Word He has for me to share. I will submit my will before Him, repent of my selfish junk and move forward.
I’ll pour my heart out to Him, fall face first into His Word and trust that He will show me the way. For He is good. All the time.
If you’ll be at She Speaks I hope we get to meet. And if my accessories aren’t just rights or my spray tan is faded, overlook it and take a look at my heart.
It’s been three weeks since I’ve posted. Hi my name is Mary and I’m a pathetic blogger.
I have no excuse other than I’m busy as all get out. What is a get out and how is it busy? I don’t know. I just repeat these grand sayings, I don’t make them up.
Back to my poor blogging. If you noticed my absence. I’m sorry. If you didn’t, well, just disregard the previous statements and let’s jog right on into the meat of this jolly little post.
I have nothing here. I want to talk about lots of serious stuff, but I’m just not in the mood.
I want to talk about my latest leap into healthy eating, but I’m afraid I might jinx it. (And please don’t write me about being superstitious , I’m just joking).
I want to talk about my baby girl beginning her senior year in just a few weeks, but I’m in absolute denial.
So, let’s just talk about what you’ve been doing this summer. Me? I’ve been whining about being hot. Lord, let me, it’s H.O.T. in Alabama. Seems it was 100 years ago that I was whining and wailing about being cold, now I’d give anything for just one day with a high temp under 98.
And yes, I’m talking about the weather on my blog – sad.
I wish I had some sort of theme, plan, rhyme or reason to my blog, but I don’t. I just have me and random that I am.
What’s happening in your summer?
Filed under: Uncategorized by Mary R. Snyder
Would you like to be the first to leave a comment?
Link directly to this entry
A dear, sweet friend posed a question on Facebook the other day –
Back in the day, there was nothing more important than to have and raise children who would honor you and walk in your ways. Have times changed?
Because I love a good topic, I immediately thought … ooh, this is a blog post and considering my lack of posting I truly doubted I’d ever get this written. But today I find myself without much to do… if you don’t count the 74 loads of laundry, the home office in complete disarray (mid redecorating crisis) and the 14 episodes of Criminal Minds. So, I thought why not.
I’ve been a parent for a while — almost 24 years… I know it shocks the snot outta me too. I really didn’t have a clue what I was walking into when I had my first baby girl — and there are times that it’s a wonder she survived my lack of skills and supreme idiocy. That she’s here, completely functional, and a joy to be with is a testimony to God’s grace and love for His children. Trust me when I say, I take ABSOLUTELY no credit on how well she turned out (or how well her little sister has turned out, too).
Other than the obvious things about parenting, like diapering, feeding, etc, I wish someone would have given me a list of the parenting rules (the unspoken ones).
1. Choose your child’s play dates carefully. The company your child keeps (even at a VERY young age) is ever so VERY important to her ability to make the team, be a member of the in-crowd, and to the measure of his / her popularity.
2. It’s essential that you get your child into the right sports, dance, tumbling, tapping, or baton slinging as early as possible. You don’t want your 4 year old to feel left out when her counterparts move up into competitive baton slinging and she’s still in the pre-school group.
3. Drive home the message that it’s what is on the OUTSIDE that is important. Sure, we all say it’s what’s on the inside that’s important, but our actions prove different. Make sure you have the right vehicle, clothes, bag, shoes, and accessories — for you and your little ones. Spend more time and money focusing on her (and your) appearance than on her mind or heart. Remember it’s the outside that we are judged on.
4. Don’t be over zealous about church — definitely go to church (it’s an excellent place to meet other people) but don’t OVERDO the whole God thing. Sit quietly, take notes, sing at the right times, but don’t start the whole hand-raising thing — that’s too much.
5. Make sure your child ‘FITS’ in — no matter the cost. Make certain he has the same clothes, toys, techy items of all the other 5 year olds, even if you don’t agree that Kindergartners need their own iPad. Do you want your child to be left out?
6. Never, ever try to be anything but one of the crowd. Fit in, get along, don’t make waves. As a parent, it is your job to insure you are NEVER an embarrassment to your child’s life.
Okay, it’s all very tongue in cheek, but here is the sad part. I see so much of this and I lived some of this. I spent many years trying to FIT in with the crowd. I wanted to be liked - as a woman and as a parent. What a mess I was.
Sadly, people ARE raising their children to walk in their ways but there is no honor in those ways.
I don’t write this to condemn anyone, but to open eyes. I made my share of mistakes as a Mom and I’m still making them, but the one thing I want my girls to know is this:
Be who God wants you to be. Who He has called you to be. Do not be who you think we want you to be. Chase after God with a passion! Only He can give you the desires of your heart.
So if you’re in the midst of the parenting years, trust God. Seek His face. Walk in His ways. He will direct your path.
I’ve tossed around the word authentic a lot lately — I want to be authentic. I want authenticity in my friendships. I want an authentic ministry.
It hit me last night…. what do I mean? What am I saying? Am I just tossing around a word that sounds good. And yes, I’ve done a lot of that in my past.
Authentic means real, true, not a fake. But truly, what does that mean?
How do I live authentic?
Does it mean I have to tell you ALL about me? Oh, for your sake, I hope not. It’s 65 parts boring and the rest you don’t want to know about.
To be authentic, I have to trust that God is God and He alone rules my heart and my life. I have to keep my eyes on Him, the author and finisher of my faith.
To be authentic, I have to live life daily in the way the Lord has laid out for me. This means I don’t manipulate situations to my benefit or enjoyment. This means that some days are just stinking HARD. It also means God has a plan for my life each and EVERY day of it.
To be authentic, I have to trust God’s plan for my life and accept the sins of my past. I have to look to God to use all things (even the yucky, icky stuff) for His great GLORY.
To be authentic, I CANNOT look to people to increase my position, my standing, my popularity — as an authentic girl I will trust God to bring the right people into my life and I will trust God’s plan for my life.
To live an authentic life, I have to grasp that God’s plan for my life is much greater than my plan and I have to walk in that plan even when it is FAR different than what I’d thought.
To live an authentic life, I will serve where God places my feet and I will rejoice in the knowledge that He is God.
I’m truly blessed to be where I am today. I’m stunned that God would allow me to minister to His girls through gIRL: Girlfriends in Real Life and through speaking. I don’t understand why He gives me this, but I accept His incredible grace and pray that all I do will glorify Him.
What you believe it means to be authentic?
Filed under: Uncategorized, blessings, random ramblings, serving God by Mary R. Snyder
1 Comment Link directly to this entry