Living Irresistibly

A quote by Coco Chanel came across my Facebook feed this week:  "You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, and irresistible for the rest of your life" .  Since I am no longer thirty or forty, being irresistible for the rest of my life is rather appealing and encouraging!  And it seems from the liked responses, I am not alone.
What do I mean by "living irresistibly" and what does this have to do with Spiritual Living?  
First of all, being irresistible, especially past forty, goes beyond physical appearance, youth, or the absence of wrinkles.  And that's good news for those of who would like to age gracefully...and slowly, very slowly.
For a woman to be irresistible, I think she must first feel irresistible. She must embrace that she can indeed be irresistible in spite of her age, her weight, the wrinkles, or the sags.  It is the view on life that is the game-changer!
And who says any woman has to relinquish the fun and delight of getting her hair highlighted or her nails done.  Of wearing her favorite colors or fashions.  Of walking with a lilt in her step, even if her "high" heels must be lower than two inches.  
What is most important, though, is that this mindset emphasizes the beauty of a woman's character.  Those crow's feet were planted there by smiles.  And those forehead furrows...by deep concerns and thoughts.  The twinkle in her eyes is more irresistible than jewelry.  A woman's beauty comes from within.

The Scriptures shared that wisdom centuries ago:  

Proverbs 31:10 (AMP)
A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman—who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.

1 Peter 3:3-4New International Version (NIV)

3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Grandmothers and their grandchildren know this irresistible beauty.  Grandkids are not put off by graying hair or wrinkled hands.  They love the petal soft skin of Grandma's face and her soft pillowy hugs.  Her beauty comes from within, and everyone is warmed by the glow of her joy.

Now, some of us are not grandmothers yet.  And that's okay.  But like a fine wine, let's hope we mellow with time and become more exquisite....irresistible.  

Turning 50 and other reflections

It's taken me nine months to say it "out loud," but yes, I am fifty now. And one of the most obvious ways I can tell a difference is in how quickly five years of your life can fly by and it seem like two, at best. Which is one way of explaining why it has been five years since I have written anything on my blog!

No, nothing is wrong. And I didn't fall into a writing coma of a sorts. Nothing like that. Really, I wish I had a more dramatic story to share. But the truth is, that I wrote for publication mostly in 2009 and 2010, then got a full-time job teaching English at a local community college which started off with an overload (six classes) and a full summer load as well. All while my children were finishing high school, entering college, graduating college, and (one) got married.

Current status: one graduated (UAB Go Blazers!), married, and  is gainfully employed; one is graduating (BAMA- Roll Tide!) next year with a year of work (engineering) experience, and the last one just successfully completed her first year of pre-nursing at UAB. All good!

It would sound overly pious to say that "spiritually living" in those everyday dramas meant I had to choose family over writing, but that would imply that I was always living spiritually...which I always strive to do, but often fall short of. So, I'll be honest and admit the following...

 I just got busy. I did read more. I read a helpful book about creating margins in my life to keep my sanity and hopefully my piety as well (the book is called Margins by Richard Swenson, if you are interested).

So, I did purposefully sit quietly on the porch and listen to the birds while my dogs searched for chipmunk holes and tried to stir up the neighborhood dogs. More importantly, I made myself available for my nearly grown children who pop in unexpectedly and give (or expect) your sole attention for the ten or thirty minutes they are in the mood to talk to you. ;)

But I also advanced a whole new level of wasting time by getting hooked on several television series: NCIS, NCIS -Los Angeles, Person of Interest, Covert Affair (a spy series on USA, not as juicy as it sounds), The Good Wife (don't judge!), and nearly every fixer upper show HGTV has to offer, not to mention House Hunters, House Hunters International,..

Now that I am fifty, an empty nester (sort of), and my job is less frenzied than it was, my desire to write has reawakened. So, I am back. It has been far too long for anyone to have missed me/my blog. But I hope that you will find a something of interest here and will share a passion with me to take all these everyday dramas of life and live more spiritually through them, or at least as a result of them. Because His grace is always more than sufficient.