Sunday, September 13, 2009
PICTURE PERFECT
PICTURE PERFECT
By Rhonda Rhea
September 13, 2009
The news was disturbing. What did they mean I needed a new publicity
photo? Hadn't I just had a new photo taken-when was it-ten years ago?
The bigger factor to consider was that I only had one chin in the ten
year old picture. Since I hit 40 I'd discovered an additional chin
every year or so. Now if I raise my head to reduce the number of
chins, I get a photo that's more of an "up the nose" shot. Now there's
an attractive look. I figured I'd use the one-chin photo until Jesus
comes again (and gives me my glorified, uni-chinned body).
Besides, don't these people understand how difficult it is to plan
that one good hair and clothes day of the quarter to land on the same
day as the photo shoot? Everyone knows you that before a photo shoot
you have to endure three weeks of salad. Only salad. And a good hair
day? That's more complicated to predict a solar flare. You never know
when the perfect, photo-worthy hair day is going to pop up.
I reluctantly agreed to have the new photo made anyway, even though I
cheated for two and a half of the three salad weeks. I knew it wasn't
going to be easy when the day started with a hairdo that reminded me a
little of Einstein's. Oh well, at least I'll look smart, I thought.
The photographer asked chatty questions about my family as she
arranged my shoulders this way, my head that way. She put my right arm
in, I put my right arm out, but at least I fought off the urge to
shake it all about.
When I mentioned my five kids the chipper lady tried to offer a
compliment: "Wow, you look pretty good for a person who's had five
kids." What did that mean? Could she just have easily said something
like, "Wow you don't look half bad for a person who's been plastered
by a giant cement truck?"
I made a mental note. Next time I have to get a new photo made I'm
taking a friend along for moral support. I have friends who could've
taken this girl (in the most loving, Christian way, I'm sure). It's
always good to have a friend in your corner.
If you're experiencing a bit of a lean friendship time, let me
encourage you to invest some time in developing one or two. Proverbs
15:17 says, "Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a
fattened calf with hatred." I think that means that a photo shoot with
no friends can be compared to three weeks of salad, but having a
friend along is better than an all-you-can- eat buffet with a build-
your-own sundae bar.
Everyone needs a good friend. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, "Two are
better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For
if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is
alone when he falls for he has no one to help him up."
Good friendships don't develop without work. Everyone who wants to
have a good friend must become a good friend. We need to learn to love
others with the unselfish, self-sacrificing love of Christ. Jesus
said, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you" (John
15:12).
We become a good friend to another when want the best for that person,
even if it means we're called to sacrifice our own needs and desires.
Romans 12:10 instructs to "Honor one another above yourselves." We're
instructed to love with a Jesus kind of grace and with his kind of
humility and patience. Ephesians 4:2 says, "Be completely humble and
gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
"Bearing with one another in love" means being a loyal friend and
learning to repeatedly forgive. Colossians 3:13tells us to "Bear with
each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one
another.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you." And Proverbs 17:17says, "A true
friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of
need."(TLB)
We need to develop "photographic memories" regarding our friends'
needs, yet keep the ability to snip up an offenses, forgiving without
reservation, without even hanging onto the negatives.
As for my publicity photo, let's just say I'm not exactly ecstatic
over the negatives on that one either. And I'll probably be living
with them for another ten years.
Rhonda Rhea -- "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts"
Colossians 3:15
Radio personality, humor columnist, inspirational humor author--CHECK
OUT THE LATEST, *HIGH HEELS IN HIGH PLACES* at www.revellbooks.com/highheelsinh
ighplacesemail/ highheels.html SIGN UP FOR RHONDA'S E-NEWSLETTER AT
www.RhondaRhea. org
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believed to be free for circulation or public domain. All messages come
in either by email in original form or copied from the internet sites.
The work was submitted to us as an item for distribution, and it was
posted solely on the basis of its quality.
� 2009 FoodForThought
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
By Rhonda Rhea
September 13, 2009
The news was disturbing. What did they mean I needed a new publicity
photo? Hadn't I just had a new photo taken-when was it-ten years ago?
The bigger factor to consider was that I only had one chin in the ten
year old picture. Since I hit 40 I'd discovered an additional chin
every year or so. Now if I raise my head to reduce the number of
chins, I get a photo that's more of an "up the nose" shot. Now there's
an attractive look. I figured I'd use the one-chin photo until Jesus
comes again (and gives me my glorified, uni-chinned body).
Besides, don't these people understand how difficult it is to plan
that one good hair and clothes day of the quarter to land on the same
day as the photo shoot? Everyone knows you that before a photo shoot
you have to endure three weeks of salad. Only salad. And a good hair
day? That's more complicated to predict a solar flare. You never know
when the perfect, photo-worthy hair day is going to pop up.
I reluctantly agreed to have the new photo made anyway, even though I
cheated for two and a half of the three salad weeks. I knew it wasn't
going to be easy when the day started with a hairdo that reminded me a
little of Einstein's. Oh well, at least I'll look smart, I thought.
The photographer asked chatty questions about my family as she
arranged my shoulders this way, my head that way. She put my right arm
in, I put my right arm out, but at least I fought off the urge to
shake it all about.
When I mentioned my five kids the chipper lady tried to offer a
compliment: "Wow, you look pretty good for a person who's had five
kids." What did that mean? Could she just have easily said something
like, "Wow you don't look half bad for a person who's been plastered
by a giant cement truck?"
I made a mental note. Next time I have to get a new photo made I'm
taking a friend along for moral support. I have friends who could've
taken this girl (in the most loving, Christian way, I'm sure). It's
always good to have a friend in your corner.
If you're experiencing a bit of a lean friendship time, let me
encourage you to invest some time in developing one or two. Proverbs
15:17 says, "Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a
fattened calf with hatred." I think that means that a photo shoot with
no friends can be compared to three weeks of salad, but having a
friend along is better than an all-you-can- eat buffet with a build-
your-own sundae bar.
Everyone needs a good friend. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, "Two are
better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For
if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is
alone when he falls for he has no one to help him up."
Good friendships don't develop without work. Everyone who wants to
have a good friend must become a good friend. We need to learn to love
others with the unselfish, self-sacrificing love of Christ. Jesus
said, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you" (John
15:12).
We become a good friend to another when want the best for that person,
even if it means we're called to sacrifice our own needs and desires.
Romans 12:10 instructs to "Honor one another above yourselves." We're
instructed to love with a Jesus kind of grace and with his kind of
humility and patience. Ephesians 4:2 says, "Be completely humble and
gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
"Bearing with one another in love" means being a loyal friend and
learning to repeatedly forgive. Colossians 3:13tells us to "Bear with
each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one
another.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you." And Proverbs 17:17says, "A true
friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of
need."(TLB)
We need to develop "photographic memories" regarding our friends'
needs, yet keep the ability to snip up an offenses, forgiving without
reservation, without even hanging onto the negatives.
As for my publicity photo, let's just say I'm not exactly ecstatic
over the negatives on that one either. And I'll probably be living
with them for another ten years.
Rhonda Rhea -- "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts"
Colossians 3:15
Radio personality, humor columnist, inspirational humor author--CHECK
OUT THE LATEST, *HIGH HEELS IN HIGH PLACES* at www.revellbooks.com/highheelsinh
ighplacesemail/ highheels.html SIGN UP FOR RHONDA'S E-NEWSLETTER AT
www.RhondaRhea. org
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Join our group on Facebook and post your comments on the reflection: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=142903436398
Webpage: http://www.dailyfoodforthought.org/
Group Address: http://groups.google.com/group/dailyfoodforthought
GROUP CONTACT:
To subscribe from this group, share a reflection or feedback
on the reflection of the day, send email to: foodforthought2@earthlink.net
To unsubscribe : dailyfoodforthought-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
DISCLAIMER: FoodForThought shared this message as submitted and do not
claim to own any copyright privileges on it. All the messages are
believed to be free for circulation or public domain. All messages come
in either by email in original form or copied from the internet sites.
The work was submitted to us as an item for distribution, and it was
posted solely on the basis of its quality.
� 2009 FoodForThought
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
