The Year of the Neck

Last year was what I like to refer to as The Year of the Neck. It was the year that I realized that even though I felt the rest of my body was holding pretty steady because I had a gym membership for the first time in my life, my neck became a traitorous foe. No matter what I do to try and keep this old body in shape I haven't found any great workouts for the neck. And last year I had a decision to make. Either wear turtlenecks and scarves for the rest of my life, or accept this neck and all of the sags and wrinkles it is developing. But along with my decision for acceptance which came quickly after imagining a very sweaty summer, came a new discipline. Now that the decision was made I had to train myself to look away. That's right. I had to learn to avoid visual contact with my neck, and it was not easy.
Have you ever noticed how we can easily overlook the flaws in others, but have such a difficult time overlooking our own? That was my battle last year. I never notice nor do I gaze at anyone's neck. It just isn't a place that my eye tends to settle on while in conversation with a friend. Yet every time I looked in the mirror my eyes seemed to be glued to the image of my wrinkly neck before me! Yikes!! There it is again! Ick!
Can anyone relate? Do any of you have certain body parts that you wish you could change?
Have you ever been in a dressing room and loved the way the mirrors made you look....slimmer? I would love to get one of those mirrors delivered to my house. (Or wait, my 5th wheel.) Because even though I realize that it is only an illusion and I am not really in fact slimmer, I feel better. I would take the illusion any day over the reality. If I walk around with that image of myself in my mind, I have a good day. But one glance in the mirror of reality can also have the opposite effect.
So now my beauty regimen includes asking God to allow me to see myself as He sees me. To love myself as He loves me. I want to reflect Him, and His glory. Did you ever notice how when you are really "in the spirit"....in those times when the love of God is just flowing in a meeting, that everyone looks so beautiful? And how you never even have an insecure or self-abasing thought? Those are wonderful times. I want to live there. That is my prayer, Lord. More of You!! I want to be Christ conscious, not self-conscious! And I really hope to be....soon. Because just the other day I looked down to find my thighs....are sagging.....help!!