Shame-less #live freeThursday

Loving the linkup and the amazing post here    at Suzie Eller’s place.  Today’s prompt:  Shame-less (of course with a hyphen, see Suzie’s post..) 

When I think of shame-less I think of the verse above in Psalms 34:5.  For way to long the enemy whispered His lies to me of shame. I mean… i was a good “christian church girl” who followed the rules.. so it was  not a shame whisper about my past.  I was much to good a rule follower for that.

It was the shame of  looking in the mirror.. feeling my face was not  enough, why did God make me so unlike the pretty popular girl.  Why was I to loud, to quiet, to much, to little .  I was just stuck in shame — not liking who I was.  Comparing myself to the girls in the magazines and the ones at church that Got all the boys.  Comparing myself to the “best” and wishing I was better.

Slowly God came into that shame.  He poured out His truth through His word, His people speaking His word.. teaching me to  believe that if I looked to HIM and His thoughts about me, my face could be radiant and filled with Joy– that no shadow of shame would darken my face.  That I could love who Christ created me to be.. not in a prideful way, but in a celebrate the quirky fun beautiful ways Christ crafted me… to be His image bearer by being me.    (I even like to have my picture taken now because I just look for the joy that I can see in my eyes, no matter how many chins show…)

I am praying for YOU today to shame-lessly celebrate how God made YOU. He crafted you. He designed you. You are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus.
And in honor of my 33rd birthday sunday (which I will spend leading a Middle school retreat weekend for girls lol.. so I may end up feeling every one of those 33 years) I want to share 33 things I shameless-ly celebrate in how God made me.  Not to brag, or be prideful– but to celebrate the joy that years I fought for freedom– and now all I have to do is look to Jesus and my face will not be put to shame (or yours my friend)
1) I love how God made me pretty laid back about everything.. Except coffee.  If there is not coffee at a place and I am leading a retreat or something– I will stop at nothing  to get that morning cup
2) I love  how God created me to laugh LOTS.. 
3) I love how God gifted me with the ability to make others laugh.  
4) I love how God gifted me wtih the ability to tell a story.
5) I love that my top two strengths on the strengths finder test were woo and includer.. because I love for everyone in a group to feel included !
6) I love  how God gave me blue eyes and naturally blonde hair.
7) I love how God gave me a sense of adventure
8) I love how the CRAZIEST things  happen to me, and I can turn them into an adventure 
9) I love how God has poured His joy out in my life
10) I love  that I  love to wear crazy chunky big costume jewelry (no real stuff for me)
11) I love that I can cook with anything in my pantry  (got that from my mama, but I sure can’t bake, to many rules!)
12) I love  that I am a rebel  rule follower.  I will follow the rules, but inside be  rebelling.
13) I love to  promote vision. I love to create vision.
14) I love how God has gifted me with faith to believe Him in the impossible and not settle for the normal
15) I love to make the outcasts fill like insiders
16) I love to create community
17) I love how God gave me a love for hospitality.  
18) I love how I could get lost going anywhere and I just don’t mind it one bit
19) I love how I am not the quiet one in a room. I used to feel bad about that.. but I realize that telling stories and inviting people in is exactly how God  created me
20) I love how I am not afraid to do something new, like run a marathon.  
21) I love when I have the sense to never do something again (see number 20)
22) I love to give hugs.  My love language is touch and words of affirmation.  I will hug you if you check me out at the grocery store even.
23) I love how God gifted me to come alive with a mircrophone in my hand
24) I love how I am  an  ENFP on the meyers briggs.  This serves me well in leading and speaking for Coming Alive Ministires
25)  I love that I am a writer but not a proofreader. I have published 2 books and will probablly not proof-read this post.. because I don’t mind a few mis-placed typoes and grammar errors (and I figure you can fix them in your head)
26) I love that I am a dream chaser when God whispers these dreams in my heart.. publishing two books.. um.. that was a crazy God whispered God ordained dream
27) I love that God made me love coffee (see number 1)
28) I love that I have over  55 coffee cups from around the world and only like 4 plates to use when I have you over
29) I love that I love to do dishes and hate to do laundry
30) I love that  I love COLOR.. my house may not be on any magazine, but it sure is bright
31) I love  that  details just don’t matter to me
32) I love that I can admit I need helps with LOTS of details
33) I love that when my face  looks to Jesus, I can love the me He created, while asking Him to constantly fashion it into the imagine of Himself 

#shame-lessly#liveFreeThursday — What list can you make?

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8 Comments

  1. I love that you could come up with 33 things you love about yourself. I don’t think I could come up with that many things about myself. Hmmm. A challenge maybe? I also love that you and these other ladies have the gift of #4. I wish I did, but God didn’t choose to allow that so I have to celebrate that gift in all of you bloggers. : )
    Happy Birthday!

  2. I have always felt the best word to describe you was JOY. It radiates from your being and I love that about you because you draw people in with that. What fun it was to read this and I say Amen to every one! 🙂

  3. I haven’t taken the Meyers Briggs but I did the DiSC recently. I spent about a week not liking that person. Your post was good for me. Normally I’m fairly self-confident but as I move further into a calling, getting a better definition of what God has for me in a new phase of life, I’ve struggled with the comparison game a bit.
    I’ll do your laundry for you if you’ll put mine away. You don’t even want to see the stack of clean clothes on my dryer.
    While you’re over, we’ll have coffee. I have mood cups. There is very little rhyme or reason behind which one gets used when but I hate when the right one is dirty. I love that yours are from all over the world! I believe that God created coffee with community in.mind – either to be enjoyed in it or get us through it!
    Thanks for making us laugh while making us think. God made me. How dare I not appreciate His creation!
    Happy 33!!

    1. Thank you so much for stopping by the visit!! I think we would be good friends. I took DISC to when I was in missionary training. I am an ID. It is interesting how easy it is to fall into the comparison trap in our callings.. Whew I have that easy slippery slope myself.

  4. Jenn, I love your list and I love you. And I’m so grateful that God took your ENFP and my ISFJ and created a beautiful friendship. Happy Birthday, friend.