I love cupcakes, well I like muffins too, but I think of muffins as breakfast food and a cupcake is a yummy dessert. There is a lovely little cupcake shop in Cannon Beach, Oregon, Simply Cakes by Jae.
Jae has purchased some of my artful creations in the past and there have been times I requested she pay me in cupcakes! They are that yummy. My favorites are her lemon curd filled and german chocolate.
I collect phrases and I really like this one “Be a Beautiful Cupcake in a World of Muffins.” The message I get out of that phrase is be the best you can be, be excellent! It takes extra energy and effort and focus to excel.
The best example of a “Beautiful Cupcake” is the woman described in Proverbs 31. She is SOME woman! She is described as trustworthy, strong, hardworking, kind and caring, and she serves the Lord.
I like to read the Bible online at BibleHub because I can easily search what a word means or find commentary about the verses I am reading. I learned something today that I didn’t know about Proverbs 31. It acknowledges King Lemuel as the writer, and most commentators say “Lemuel” was a pet name that Solomon’s mother Bathsheba gave him. Proverbs 31 is Solomon quoting his mother’s advice on the qualities that he should be looking for in a woman and he called himself King Lemuel out of affection for Bathsheba.
Bathsheba had quite a laundry list:
“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.” -vs. 10
“Her husband can trust her,and she will greatly enrich his life.” -vs. 11
“She brings him good, not harm,all the days of her life.” -vs. 12
“She is energetic and strong a hard worker.” -vs. 17
“She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.” -vs. 18
“Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.” -vs. 19
“She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.” -vs. 20
“She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes.” -vs. 21
“She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.” -vs. 22
“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” -vs. 25
“When she speaks, her words are wise and she gives instructions with kindness.” -vs. 26
“She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.” -vs. 27
“Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her.” -vs. 28
“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” vs 30
I often remember a song I learned in children’s church as a kid. Jesus and Other’s and YOU, what a wonderful way to spell J-O-Y. J is for Jesus for He has first place, O is for others who run in God’s race, Y is for you and whatever you do, put J in first place and spell J_O_Y.
I really believe the Proverbs 31 woman put the Lord first, others second and her own desires in last place. That formula is how we become Beautiful Cupcakes in a world of Muffins.