My family and I took my son out to eat for his Birthday. I wore my new mix red/pink scarf MG just gave me. The colors are dynamo on me! Then we hopped over to the mall to look for some dress shoes for me @Nordstroms. They sure had some fiery looking shoes. I looked and I thought, hum, not for my feet. The price made me chill for a few straps and no comfort at all. As we all know by now I want my dress shoes to be work shoes. I thought as I toured the shoe department, this is like looking at me 30 years ago. 🙂 Now, its seems, I want to hear, how beautiful are the feet of those that carry the message of Christ.
As I walked around the store with my family, sales people I knew stopped to chat with me and they began to say in front of my family, “we love to see you come in, you are so beautiful, your hair is so pretty. You have such kind words to say, etc. etc.” Needless, to say, this was a God thing. NOthing about my clothes, shoes, scarfs or material items. The Holy Spirit, the angels and my loving kind generous Heavenly Father let me know, all those shoes that I would have worn long ago had no more pull on my heart’s strings.
We left the mall as happy as could be without a bag to damper our joy. Look, today, it’s cool again and out flies my old comfy boots. Easter Sunday is a day to celebrate and I am sure I will have shoes to wear for the outfit I choose right from the over abundance of items stored in my bundle of items stashed in my closet(s).
As we left the store we saw plain looking shoes that had a sign that proceeds would go to help buy shoes for African children. Our thoughts went to how to help those with no shoes. What a glorious happy feeling on the inside that brought lots of laughter to the outside.
Hopefully, somewhere in the being of my family, we have learned it is more joyous to give than receive. We want many children that have no shoes to have shoes and hope for a future. The future that Easter provides for ALL!
thedailylily.com 
Hooray! Found happy shoes in stash away boxes. Also, as I was doing errands today I looked up and saw in the window of Stein Mart, 12 hour sale. In I go and out I came with NEW Shoes. What a day! They were less than 1/4 of the price I would have paid last night. The biggest plus is they are the exact right ones. While i was trying on two ladies approached me and told me how good they looked. And, one lady bought a pair.
They lady that purchased said “I don’t even know you and you made me buy these shoes.” She then said, “I have a closet full of shoes.” And, I said, they are the dreams from our yesterdays. Everybody laughed. I am liking this shoe ministry.
It is exciting to have an awaking. You see new things and new people. And we all see Easter! And, not according to Bede, as the word, Easter, is derived from Ēastre, the name of a goddess associated with spring.
I think that would be the goddess that would say that me and mine have to pay the merchants to keep us ragged in dollars so someone would worship us and not the King.
Hmmm.. Let’s see. What is that Scripture? Let your SHOES so shine before men that they may see your good looks and praise your Heavenly Father? Just kidding. But you know, there is something to being attractive or rather keeping oneself looking acceptable so that when others do see the glory of the Lord on us, our garments will be appropriate, also. We’ve all seen Christian people, men as well as women, girls and teens, who claim to be Christ’s but their style of dress does not witness to it. Father is very particular . In fact He is particular about a lot of things; how to build a sanctuary; how to plant seed; how to clothe ourselves.
He talks a lot about fine white linen crisp and clean and glowing in several Scriptures.
“And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints”…their GOOD WORKS and DEEDS. And in Proverbs 31:22, it talks about the ideal Christ-like woman, strong, wise, skilled, beautiful and knows how to dress in classic duds. “She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.”
So I am sure that Sara’s new shoes will really shine because she is shod with the “sandals” of the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. And her new Easter Bonnet is really her helmet of salvation of grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. And her new belt with the gorgeous buckle is really the belt of Truth. This inspires a parody.
.
IN HER EASTER BONNET WITH SALVATION WRITTEN ON IT
SHE’LL BE THE GRANDEST LADY IN THE EASTER PARADE
SHE’LL BE ALL IN WHITE LINENS ALL GLORIOUS GOLD WITHIN ‘EM
SHE’LL BE THE LOVELIEST LADY IN THE EASTER PARADE
DOWN THE AVENUE, GOLDEN AVENUE
SAINTS AND ANGELS WILL BEHOLD HER
‘AND SHE’LL FIND SHE’LL STAND IN THE THRONE ROOM OF GOD
THE LORD HAS WRITTEN A SONNET ABOUT HER EASTER BONNET
HE’S WAITING FOR HIS BRIDE AND WE’LL BE LUSTROUSLY ARRAYED
IN THE RESURRECTION PARADE.
As I read Sara’s creative and heartwarming account of Easter Shopping, an expression my mother used to say about women she respected surfaced in my memory bank…”she’s got her priorities in the right place.”
I loved this statement,… “they are the dreams from our yesterdays.” Maybe a good, honest laugh is just what’s needed to chase away old dreams to make way for the new ones.
Debi, those women loved my wit as well. Awakening to truth sure gives freedom.
Read this article last night on dress: You might appreciate it.
http://mbctysonsblog.com/2010/03/dress-like-a-leader/
Great article, Sara. Definitely a must read The guidelines in the article might prompt many of us to want to re-design not only our Easter dress but our whole wardrobe as well.
Loved the article on ‘dress like a leader. Excellent thoughts. We shall keep those wise comments in mind as we SHOP IN OUR CLOSETS!
Interesting article, Sara. I like what the writer said…”I believe humility is the most important core quality of leadership.”
I liked that also Needles and among the many points the author made defining this trait humility in the life of a leader. I thought this ddefinition a good measurement: “Humility is a way of life that seeks to maximize life for others.” And he went on to say that Jesus showed humilty because His whole desire was to ‘fulfill the Father’s desire for people’. God, the Father, wants people to ‘have a life as complete as that of Jesus’.
I think Sara illustrates above this lesson of humility, ‘it is more joyous to give than receive’.
I think humility is a gift from the Holy Spirit. I could never conjure up enough selflessness to be humble on my own. I think (and this is just my opinion) we must desire the gift of humility and then receive it by faith, believing that we have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to put that power into action in our lives. There is a saying that goes, ‘leaders are born, not made.’ But God can make a leader out of anyone…stammering Moses, craven Gideon, rebellious Jonah, Deborah a woman!, Jael a heroine, impetuous Peter, etc. In response to the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, Moses was referred to as the humblest man on earth. And agressive Peter requested of his executioners that he be crucified upside down as he felt so very unworthy to be cruicified in the fashion as his Lord had been.
I THINK, sometimes if we do not choose to apply the H.S.gift of humility in our lives it might result in our humiliation.
humility vs. humiliation should wake one up with a chill.
Humility seems to be an exchange…exchange what you want for what Jesus wants. I think Jesus instructed us about the exchange rate that will build a hefty heavenly nank account.
“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” Matt 16:24,25 NLT
I am learning from the above comments that Leadership has very much to do with humility and being humble in the truth that those who lead assert authority for the common good of those whom she/he leads. So it has much LESS to to with celebrity and much more to do with humility and concern for other than oneself. Moses had to gear up all his strength and trust in the Lord to go before the Egyptian tyrant in a ’cause celebre’..that is a celebrated cause for GOD, in the behalf of the Jewish people who had become enslaved. He overcame his timidity and halting personality for the sake of his people and humbled himself before the mighty hand of GOD. Therefore, God was able to bring forth one of the planet’s most colossal signs of God’s power.
And the people were freed…(well, from Pharaoh, anyway.)
Yes, it seems leadership humility is a result of having an attitude of a servant’s heart. Jesus spoke about this because that’s the kind of heart He has.
“Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matt 20:26-28