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My five oldest kids started school last week. They\u2019re ages 17 to five.\u00a0 High school, middle school, and elementary. My youngest, three, starts 2-day preschool\u00a0 in a couple of weeks. I love seeing their minds grow \u2013 so much to learn.\u00a0 Reading, writing, arithmetic, science, history. I\u2019ve tried to foster a love for learning in everything they do. I\u2019m fascinated with continuing education \u2013 you know, for doctors, lawyers, information technology. We all profit when we endeavor to be lifelong learners. I am absolutely convinced there should be continuing education for anatomy.\u00a0 Anatomy 501.\u00a0 Whatever would be taught?\u00a0 Well, there’s much to learn about chins for starters.\u00a0 Did you know, that after a certain age, your face no longer holds bragging rights to the chin?\u00a0 Chins pop up everywhere.\u00a0 Apparently, there are arm pit chins, and apparently, I have them.\u00a0 It\u2019s true.\u00a0 There\u2019s even a bra designed to support \u2013 or maybe suppress is more accurate, as in smush and flatten \u00a0\u2013 the armpit chin.\u00a0 You know, hold it in place, and keep it from creeping out of your sleeveless arm holes.\u00a0 My bra is now a chin strap.\u00a0 I once thought Nike and Adidas had a monopoly on the chin strap \u2013 but, no, women\u2019s undergarments have leveled the playing field.<\/p>\n
Speaking of bras \u2013 when I found myself looking for a bra that did as much to de-hance my back side as it did to enhance my front side \u2013 I realized it may just be time to raise my fitness commitment level.\u00a0 I thought the South Louisiana heat would help melt fat, instead, it melted my boobs to my back.\u00a0 When I wear a bathing suit without those built in foamy nipple cover, boob enhancement cups, it\u2019s difficult to tell from a side view, which is my front.\u00a0 Are those boob-boobs, or back boobs?\u00a0 If I don\u2019t do something to change this strange evolution, the pool kids may holler, \u201cHey, Lady, you forgot your back bra!\u201d<\/p>\n
And, if realizing I have regressed from choosing a bra for its attractiveness to choosing a bra for its industrial strength and Swiss army knife capabilities \u2013 you know, chin strap, back fat flatten-er, and of course, the frontal raise \u2013 if this alarming recognition that while yes, my breasts need redemption from breastfeeding six children a whopping baker\u2019s dozen in years \u2013 baker\u2019s dozen by number and by the stress eating that ensued having children \u2013 this realization that I need industrial strength, MIT designed boob, back and armpit chin support provided a slight inkling I need to get control of my health.\u00a0 But what really did it for me was when my toddler found my school id and said, \u201cI fount YOU, Mommy!\u201d\u00a0 He was so excited.\u00a0 When you visit any of the public schools in our community, they request your driver\u2019s license.\u00a0 And if the thought of a driver\u2019s license picture being made isn\u2019t harrowing enough \u2013 the fact that they now use it on IDs for school visitation classifies it as inspiration for a Stephen King movie.\u00a0 So, they ask, \u201cI need to see your driver\u2019s license please.\u201d You, unsuspectingly, retrieve the photo that you have waved off as simply an off-day, bad photo, I-really-don\u2019t-look-like-that, and hand it to the smiling receptionist.\u00a0 Yes, she\u2019s smiling, because she knows what\u2019s ahead.\u00a0 She\u2019s really suppressing laughter, I now realize.\u00a0 She takes my driver\u2019s license and feeds it into this handy little machine that transfers the loveliness that is your driver\u2019s license image on to a temporary sticker i.d. \u00a0pass, that you adhere to your clothes \u2013 Unless you sweat.\u00a0 Then, the adhesive doesn\u2019t work quite as well.\u00a0 I have reverted to slapping the id on my thigh \u2013 away from my long hair and sweaty armpit chins.\u00a0 Anywho.\u00a0 On this particular day, my darling toddler amended my decision of where to display the i.d.\u00a0 He saw other PTO with it where it actually belongs \u2013 and promptly removed my id from my thigh and tippy-toed in effort to reach my chest.\u00a0 I, the mother that I am, selflessly assisted him in his effort, pushing aside thoughts of it falling to the floor later due to my sweaty armpit chins.\u00a0 It\u2019s an actual condition \u2013 hyperhydrosis.\u00a0 Sweaty hands, sweaty feet, and the obvious \u2013 pits.\u00a0 It\u2019s quite lovely.\u00a0 I have to shop for tops that camouflage sweat.\u00a0 Shopping once was fun, but now it\u2019s almost a lab experience requiring the acumen of an engineer and chemist. Who knew I\u2019d ever use calculus and chemistry while shopping?\u00a0 Bra design and sweat resistance \u2013 two key factors in my stunning looks.<\/p>\n
As I was leaving the faculty kitchen, after helping a couple other moms wash the popcorn machine parts, my ID fell to the ground. Never fear, ever mindful Charlie saw it fall to the ground retrieved it, and excitedly exclaimed, not, \u201cWho\u2019s that?\u201d but, \u201cIt\u2019s you, Mommy!\u00a0 I found you!\u201d and pointed to my picture.\u00a0 So, I really do look like that?\u00a0 Is that what people really see?<\/p>\n
The image we portray of God \u2013 His love, His goodness, His power \u2013 do we really look the way Christians are portrayed in media?\u00a0 We like to think, \u201cThat\u2019s other Christians, that\u2019s not me!\u201d\u00a0 But, what does the world see?\u00a0 What does the community see?\u00a0 Is their image of Christianity true to life, or just an unfortunate angle on an off-day?<\/p>\n
The ugly truth is, we all have armpit chins and back fat somewhere in our lives \u2013 but we can improve our image as we improve our health \u2013 we can cut out toxic foods and eat fresh, healthy food \u2013 in both body and Spirit.\u00a0 We can get off our duffs and exercise \u2013 daily \u2013 both in body and Spirit.\u00a0 How do we improve our spiritual diet?\u00a0 Removing spiritual toxins happens in examination of relationships as well as using discretion in what we feed ourselves in entertainment.\u00a0 Having a healthy diet is reading the Word daily, listening to balanced teachings \u2013 building yourself up through prayer and meditation on the Word.<\/p>\n
How can we exercise?\u00a0 By seeing a need a filling a need. \u00a0\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cThen the King will say to those on his right, \u2018Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36\u00a0<\/sup>I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.\u2019 37\u00a0<\/sup>Then the righteous will answer him, saying, \u2018Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38\u00a0<\/sup>And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39\u00a0<\/sup>And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?\u2019 40\u00a0<\/sup>And the King will answer them, \u2018Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a<\/a>]<\/sup> you did it to me.\u2019\u201d Then he will say to those on his left, \u2018Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42\u00a0<\/sup>For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43\u00a0<\/sup>I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.\u2019 44\u00a0<\/sup>Then they also will answer, saying, \u2018Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?\u2019 45\u00a0<\/sup>Then he will answer them, saying, \u2018Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.\u2019 46\u00a0<\/sup>And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.\u201d<\/p>\n I love to learn.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s learn to love.<\/p>\n Learning to love with reckless abandonment is a lifelong tutelage.<\/p>\n Try it.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the most challenging and rewarding class you can take.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My five oldest kids started school last week. They\u2019re ages 17 to five.\u00a0 High school, middle school, and elementary. My youngest, three, starts 2-day preschool\u00a0 in a couple of weeks. I love seeing their minds grow \u2013 so much to learn.\u00a0 Reading, writing, arithmetic, science, history. I\u2019ve tried to foster a love for learning in everything they do. I\u2019m fascinated with continuing education \u2013 you know, for doctors, lawyers, information technology. We all profit when we endeavor to be lifelong…<\/p>\n