content and yet desiring?

Is it truly possible to be so completely content that you have no desires? I'm not so sure.

The apostle Paul talked of how he'd been through seasons of much and seasons of little. He had learned to be content in all circumstances.

As a single girl, I've often been instructed to seek contentment. I shouldn't focus on what I don't have, but be content with what I do have. And often these instructions are pointed on the issue of marrige.

I would like to be married someday (sooner rather than later, preferably) to a great godly man. I desire a partner for this life.

I've been told numerous times (though not as if it's a formula, but rather a life principle) that I must find my contentment in God. Then the man will come.

I feel like I'm pretty content. I don't know that there's a perfect contentment that any of us couldn't truly attain. But for the most part, having a husband does not consume the majority of my thoughts, behaviors, actions, dreams. I'm actively pursuing Christ, serving Him, studying His Word. But at this point, I'm still single and I do still desire a husband.

I'm thinking that only time we'll experience 100% no-desires-left contentment is when we're in eternity with our God. Is this true?

Hegai: first fashion stylist in the Bible

I'm not sure if Hegai was the first recorded fashion stylist in all of history, or simply in the Old Testament, but I think it's cool that the book of Esther includes his role in the story.

Hegai was one of the King's eunuch servants. When King Xerxes (ruler of the Persian empire at the time when Persia was the world leader, 483BC) decided to search for a new bride, Hegai was put in charge of the new "harem," a responsibility that included beauty treatment regimens for all the candidates. As one of the beautiful young women in the pool, Esther was entrusted to Hegai's care.

I'm not sure if it was immediate or if this happened after some time, but Esther 2:9 (NLT) says that "Hegai was very impressed with Esther and treated her kindly. He quickly ordered a special menu for her...He also assigned her seven maids specially chosen from the king's palace, and he moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem."

Each women received 12 months of beauty treatments before she spent her night with the King. There was a lot of pressure here, because this one night would mean the difference between being queen and being just another woman in the king's harem of many wives.

Esther 2:13 clearly tells us that the women could choose their own clothing and jewelry for their big night. "When the time came for her to go in to the King, she was given her choice of whatever clothing or jewelry she wanted to enhance her beauty."

Esther took her fashion and beauty advice from Hegai, a great choice since he would probably know best what the King would like. Esther 2:15 tells us that "When it was Esther's turn to go to the King, she accepted the advice of Hegai, the eunuch in the charge of the harem. She asked for nothing except what he suggested, and she was admired by everyone who saw her." Way to go, Hegai!

Of course, we know that the King loved Esther more than any of the other women, she became the queen, and Persia celebrated. Woohoo! If Hegai wasn't indebted to serve the King at his palace, I bet he could've opened his own business and garnered some great clients with that success story on his resume.

I wonder if Esther got to keep Hegai on as her personal stylist through the rest of her reign.

chronology

I think I was in college when I really learned the our Bibles aren't in chronological order. I grew up in a great Bible-teaching church, and we knew the categories of the Bible - the Torah or Pentateuch, the wisdom literature, the major prophets, minor prophets, gospels, and epistles. I guess I kind of assumed these were the different eras - like first there was Adam and Eve, then the Kings, then the prophets all came, and then Jesus.

In our 4/5th grade class at Harvest (I'm a leader), we've been studying Ezra, Nehemiah, Micah, and other Old Testament books. As I've read the lessons and started digging into the actual books themselves, I'm become very curious about how it all falls in order.

So I've started circling the historical years in the footnotes whenever I see them. I would like to map out the different events so I can get a better idea of how this all fits together.

And then I started wondering...how is it that I've gotten through this much church teaching, classes, camps, etc. And yet I still don't have a really clear grasp on the order of the Bible. Like shouldn't we be teaching our kids this from when they're young so they understand how the Bible fits together?

I went looking for a chronological guide to the Bible, specifically designed for kids. I figured that if I got a kids one that it would lay all the events and books out in a really clear order. But seriously, I couldn't find one for kids. Surely, you would think, there must be one out there. (Please, if you're reading this and know of the very book I'm describing, let me know. I'd love to buy it!)

Well, once I figure it out for myself, I hope to teach it to my own kids one day. I want us as a family to be able to reference Israel's history as a people.

praying together for life

I'm not sure who originally said that "The family who prays together, stays together." But I think that's often true. Praying together has the power to unite. It's you being on the same page as the others you're with, petitioning God for His work in your life.

I think the same could be said about the family of Christ who prays together. Prayer is bonding. Across varying denominational backgrounds, brothers and sisters in Christ come together when they pray together.

And I'm not the only one who would love to see the body of Christ unite in this way more often. And more deeply. Last week, a friend shared his passion to see the body of Christ come together around the issue of life. So encouraging. And fire-up-ing.

"To fear the Lord is to hate evil."
"All who fear the Lord will hate evil."
                       -Proverbs 9:13 (NIV, NLT)

Father God, May we as Your people rise up against evil. May we see the body of Christ in the Quad Cities come together and pray together. May we see the family of God call come together to lift You up, and to unite in prayer for our abortion workers. May You bring those workers out of the abortion industry and into the light. Into a place where they can truly help the women they are serving. Father God, May we see a united front for life in our churches, among Your people.