Here's Looking At You

Our memory verse in all six classes today was James 1:22-24:
"Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.''
We discussed the meaning and I brought up that Mom, in her late stages of Alzheimer's, did not recognize her own image. I told the kids that sometimes at the end of the day, I look at myself in the mirror, and don't always like what I see. The kids finished this statement: 'When I look in the mirror, I see....' Every student was allowed complete confidentiality and I did not even read any that requested privacy. My students were very honest. Over the next few nights, I'll run some of the responses of those who wanted to share; boys are in blue and girls are in purple.

"When I look in the mirror, I see a girl with acne, chubby cheeks, and random freckles. I see a girl who wants to help, who wants to leave home with a backpack and nothing more, just to walk in someone else's shoes, someone who doesn't have a home. I see a girl who is rude, selfish, and ignorant. I see a girl with so many insecurities but then she realizes that God is her security and through Him, she finds strength.''
J.

''When I look in the mirror, I see someone who truly wants to get better but does not consistently do things that show it. I see someone who allows others to affect his actions and attitudes. I see someone who does not truly understand all the good things he has.''
H.
''When I look in the mirror, I see someone who has been through many trials yet still always tries to smile. I see someone who fails at many things and has many emotions she tries not to show. I see someone who cares about the people she loves yet has a hard time showing it. I see someone who needs God in her life but can't seem to find the way to bring her to Him. I see someone who loves her life and would not change her past for anything because she knows that changing one thing could change everything and she wouldn't be the person she is now.''
M.

''When I look in the mirror, I see an insecure boy who wishes his dad was around for the right reason other than sports. I see someone who feels lonely, who can't sleep at night because he is worried about things, who feels he has to do good and be successful because of the sacrifices his brothers, his coaches, and his friends have made for him. I see someone who wishes he saw his brothers, sister, and mom more and thanks everyone who has loved him and cared for him for he right reasons.''
A.
''When I look in the mirror, I see a girl who has made plenty of mistakes but who has grown from each and every one of them. I see someone who is loved by many and hated by very few. I'm happy when I see myself because I'm God's image and no matter what I look like, I should not care what others think: God made me to look exactly how he wanted me to look.''
E.

"When I look in the mirror, I see a person who is good at some things but has his own faults which he readily admits. I see the real person on the inside, not the person everyone thinks likes to cause problems. I see the real person who no one spends the time to actually get to know.''
T.
Applicable quote of the day:
“How we think shows through in how we act. Attitudes are mirrors of the mind. They reflect thinking.”David Joseph Schwartz

God bless,
Steve

Luke 18:1

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E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com