Shining

I talk constantly about my super cute baseball bags and shirts.  I have a friend that makes these adorable blingy shirts and I have one for every sport.  I just ordered a new one for this year's baseball season that looks like this. 

I realize it is a bad picture.  I took it with my cell phone and then edited it to the best of my ability.  (which is quite small if you must know the truth about my photo editing skills)  But putting pictures on blogs is what all the really cool blog writers do so that is what I am doing too.  Very cool, right?

Anyway...back to the blingy shirts. 

I love them and I wear them constantly.  In my mind...blingy shirts are super cute and they make dirty ol' baseball not so "boyish".  I can only imagine how fast Coach's eyes would be rolling right now had he been standing behind me as I wrote those words. 

My blingy shirt shines in the sun...and I love it.  Along with my blingy earrings and my super blingy flip flops.  I have many friends who wear bling on their jeans.  I do not.  I don't need any help enhancing the back side of my jeans thank you very much.  No need to draw unwanted attention there for sure.  But if you have bling on your jeans...you rock it out.  

Anyway...to the point of this post.

Surprisingly enough...it isn't about the amount of bling I put on my body.  It is about what PR talked about in church this week following up last week's message of Rise and Shine!

Today we talked more about the shine part of the resurrection.  (I will be paraphrasing, btw.)  He gave us an example of this cave in Colorado (name I can't recall).  When he toured this cave, the tour guide turned out the lights.  And PR said it was the darkest dark you can imagine.  Then the tour guide lit a candle.  One candle...and the cave lit up all around.  He said it was amazing how much light was coming from that one candle.  He then went on to use the example of a full moon on a clear night.  I love full moons.  I love standing out on the deck and watching the light reflecting off the moon, onto the earth all around us.  PR talked about how the light from the sun reflects off the moon in the same way that we should reflect the light of the SON into the lives of others. 

Cool thought right?  We are one person.  And sometimes we feel like our light isn't shining very brightly.  But you never know who that light touches.  Our reflection of God's light can be a pretty amazing tool.  It can reach people when we don't even know we are doing it.  PR said..."little things are bigger than you'll ever know."  That is the truth.  Think back in the past week at some of the small things that others did for you...that made a big difference.  Was it a friend listening to a problem you had?  Was it a compliment that made you feel good about yourself?  Was it a friend offering to help you take a child to a ballgame? (YES)  It really is in the little things.  Sometimes that is so easy to forget.  While we are busy trying to tackle a huge problem or save the world from evil...we could be doing little things right here to make others feel the warmth of His love.

Another part of the message was "who turns out your lights?"  Is it others full of discouraging words?  Is it an addiction?  Is it lack of confidence?  What is it that turns out your light?  Sometimes, I feel like I am my worst critic.  A friend of mine shared with me today that it was time I quit putting the "bowl over my own light".  Even though I wanted to tell her to shut it...I knew she was right.  Sometimes I am so bad about turning out my light before it can shine.  I think we all are.  It's like I am putting my blingy shirt on inside out.  And what sense would that make?  No one would be able to see how cute the shirt is!  (My boys probably wish I would wear them inside out somedays)

Anyway...today we learned to shine.  To be a reflection of his love...and to believe that our light...no matter how big or small we believe it to be...WILL make a difference in the lives of others.

So shine on!

Have a blessed day!

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