Michelle's Devo's n Dishes: Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is one of my all time favorite movies. I think the reason I love it so much is, that it is a great parable of what the world thinks is beautiful and how the world fawns and wains over fake beauty while it shows the true beauty as an outcast and a beast.

This parable was brought to mind after the Super Bowl last week. We don't watch it live, we DVR it so as to skip the halftime show and commercials that are inappropriate to watch. While the Super Bowl was taping I was monitoring Facebook and Twitter so I would know what commercials I should or shouldn't watch or if we as a family could possibly view some of the halftime show. Well, I couldn't believe the comments running wild on twitter and Facebook during the halftime show. How awesome it was and how beautiful the young lady singing was and how they wanted to be like her and be able to wear an outfit like she wore and do the moves she does. Well, knowing who was doing the halftime show I was kind of shocked, because these tweets and comments were coming from those who claimed to be Christians and what really disturbed me was that some of these were beautiful young women and they were claiming to have girl crushes on her. My heart ached for these women, I couldn't understand why they wanted to be viewed in that kind of way. Well, still monitoring the social media, the Dodge commercial with Paul Harvey "and on the 8th day God made a Farmer" airs. I was so curious at this point by all of the negative reaction and shock to it, that I had my husband pull it up on the DVR. I thought it was a beautiful commercial one that showed a strong, loving family with godly characteristics. It was pleasant, non offensive and my children could actually watch it. The reaction on social media to this beautiful commercial would have been quite comical to me if it wasn't such a sad commentary on where our nation is heading. We have become a nation that has no problem with having scantily clad women gyrating for all to see, in fact it is the norm and is acceptable entertainment. Then you have the Dodge commercial featuring family values and mentioning God, it is viewed as shocking. I have been in prayer for our women in this country and for myself and my daughter. I so do not want to end up thinking this is okay. God led me to a study on Discernment with John MacArthur from Grace To You Ministries. It has strengthened my resolve to know and guard truth and teach my children to do the same.

This is what the Bible tells us about how women in the last days will act in 2 Timothy 3:1-7 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Does any of this sound familiar. Weak women being weighed down with sins, led by impulses, never able to come to the knowledge of truth.

We as daughters of Christ are wooed and chased by the things of this world that are called beautiful and are in truth are just illusions from the great deceiver. The great deceiver shows us images of how we should be, how we should look and how we should act and if we don't adhere to worldly forms of beauty we are labeled as odd and different, as the beastly outcast if you will. The real dangers to us and to our families is from the deception being blasted everyday through the media. With computers, TV and the Internet we are under greater, more intelligent means of assaults than any time other time in history. This is not a time for we as daughters of the living God to be weak. We must be strong and we must guard ourselves and our families from these lies. Well the only way I know to combat a lie is with the truth. We must know the truth. Knowing what is true requires discernment. Discernment is the skill in distinguishing truth from error and from half-truth. I believe it is the half- truths that trip us up the most. The deceiver tries to trap us with mixing in just enough truth with the lies to catch us. So we must be diligent and stay on guard by staying in the word of God which is the ultimate truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 &16 -15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness,

Oh, how I pray beloveds that your eyes will be opened to the truth, for your sake and the sake of your children. May the Father instill in your hearts the desire for truth. If we ask for it we will receive it, but we must want it.

Proverbs 2:1-6
1 My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
3 For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord
And discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;

These cookies can't compare to the sweetness of God's truth, but they are delicious. Oatmeal, Coconut, White Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 1/4 cups organic unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup organic vegetable shortening or softened butter
1 1/2 cups organic turbinado sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs

1 cup of oats
1 cup of coconut
1 cup of white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In one bowl whisk together with fork or hand whisk: flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt

set aside

In another bowl beat together shortening, sugar, and vanilla until it is fully mixed.

Then add eggs one at a time and blend until fully incorporated

Now add the flour mixture to the shortening mixture about 1/3 of flour mixture at a time. Making sure you fully blend after each flour addition.

When fully incorporated stir in oats, coconut and choc. chips with a spatula or a spoon fully incorporating each ingredient before moving on the the next.