Which Will You Choose?

ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear

Though as for that, the passing there

Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet, knowing how way leads onto way

I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence

Two roads diverged in a wood

And I took the one less traveled by

And that has made all the difference

-Robert Frost

I love poetry. This is one of my favorites. I think it is very symbolic of the choice we all must make. Do we follow God or Satan. The Bible tells us in Matthew 7:13, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." I believe that just as salvation is a choice, so is the road we walk down after we are saved. Many people become saved, but continue in the old way. I challenge and encourage each of you to choose the road that is less traveled. It won't always be easy, but it will be worth it all when we see Jesus. It will make all the difference.

Am I Beautiful?

"Am I Beautiful?" It is a question that many of us have asked. I know that for myself I have asked it multiple times. We look at magazine covers and see beautiful people, we watch movies and we see beautiful people, we go to the mall and there they are...everywhere we look we are surrounded by what the world would call beautiful people. We as women and girls feel so much pressure to look a certain way, be a certain weight, have perfect hair, have a nice tan, etc. The world has put its stamp of approval on so many things and said, "if you look like this you are beautiful." I beg to differ.The longer I live the more I see there are two types of beauty. There is Partial Beauty (pertains to outward beauty, but is not complete) and then there is Complete Beauty (most people do not posses this kind of beauty it deals with inward as well as outward beauty). There are two parts of Complete Beauty. Part 1 Internal: The Bible tells us in I Samuel 16:7, "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." Samuel had gone to annoint the next king of Israel, and he was looking at how tall, strong, and handsome the sons of Jesse were. What Samuel couldn't see were the hearts of these men, but God could and he knew that David was the one that would seek after him. It doesn't mean David was perfect we know he sinned, but he was repentant and he desired to love God above everything else. I believe what truly makes a person beautiful is having a heart that seeks after God. Part 2 Outward: The Bible tells us in Genesis, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. I have often thought how God has created men and women with unique characteristics that give us a picture of himself. God created men as being strong and a protector...they are the warriors just as God is our ultimate strength and protector. God has also shown us another picture of himself by his creation of women. He created women to show his beauty, sweetness, and gentleness. Each of us in our own way posses outward beauty. It is a treasure that God has given us so that we can better know this part of him. He tells us in his word, He hath made every thing beautiful in his time. Complete Beauty is not defined by your clothes, hair, tan, height, or weight, but simply by how God has created you. God has expressed his creativity and genius in his creation of men and women. He took the time to design each of us in a way that is pleasing to him. So the question here is not "Am I beautiful?", because you are, the Bible says. The question instead should be, "Am I completely beautiful?" You already have the second part, God has created you in his image, you are beautiful. The first part is a choice you must make, do you desire God above everything else. I hope each of you will find yourself being completely beautiful.