Chipmunk Cheeks :)

If you don't know from my whiny tweets or texts to you, this is what my cheeks have looked like for the past 5 days:

CUTE..right? NO. I got my wisdom teeth removed on Friday, and it was a lot less fun than I had hoped it would be. I may or may not have been in as much pain as this poor baby is in this picture. It was not a pleasant experience.  I even had to call out of work Monday and Tuesday because it hurt so bad!  I was not expecting that. 

There were some perks to the surgery.  My mom made me yummy meals and got my drinks for me. Allie came over to visit, and we just sat and watched the opening ceremonies. I was able to catch up on some homework.  Yep, that's about it... Other than that, it was quite painful. But do you want to know what bothered me the most? What made me the most irritable? What made me want to cry? 

MY CHEEKS.

How vain! I know that it's normal for cheeks to puff up after surgery during swelling, but for some reason I imagined that the swelling just wasn't going away - that the chubby chipmunk cheeks would stay to haunt me for the rest of my life. Then, I realized how much worth I was putting into my looks. This is, of course, a natural tendency, especially for girls. However, I had been putting my relationship with Christ on hold, and I started to realize that I slowly began to identify and define myself by my outward appearance, and not by the new woman that Jesus calls me to be. CONVICTION. 

1 Samuel 16:7 - But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Proverbs 31:30 

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Galatians 2:20a

I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live but Christ lives IN ME.

I constantly need to remind myself that MYSELF, MY outward beauty, MY style, MY fashion, MY anything does not define me. 

Jesus does. 

41. Allie giving me a new journal!! 

42. Skyping with Linds today

43. Olympic sports are so fun :)

44. Painkillers!!!

45. My wonderful mother.

46. My boss who understands when I actually really need the day(s) off for rest

47. Resting in Jesus' grace...because that is enough.