Best Kept Beauty Secrets

I was reading this great book the other day and came upon some beauty secrets that aren’t so well known, so I thought I’d share them with you! You deserve to know these things. Here they are:

How to have a beautiful complexion:

Those who look to him are radiant,

and their faces shall never be ashamed.

Psalm 34:5

How to have beautiful hands:

She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.

She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.

Proverbs 31:13-14

How to have beautiful arms:

She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy.

Proverbs 31:20

How to have beautiful teeth:

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.

Proverbs 31:25

How to have beautiful lips:

She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

Proverbs 31:26

How to have beautiful eyes:

The precepts of the Lord are right,
    giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.

Psalm 19:8

Yes, the book I’m sharing from is the Bible! Because if we want to be truly beautiful, we must start from core. No, not cleansing and moisturizing; those are important too, but we must begin even deeper. More important to your beauty than anything else is finding your beauty in Christ.  This will give you a beautiful heart, which will radiate out and make you beautiful no matter what!

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Proverbs 31:30-31

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

1 Peter 3:3-4

There is absolutely nothing wrong with styling your hair, wearing cute clothes, or applying makeup. These are all fun and part of what makes you a girl, but it’s not the only thing and certainly not the most important. Find your femininity in Christ first and foremost, and truly beautiful things will follow.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14

It’s great to look nice, but there’s no need to try to be someone you’re not. Wear what YOU like, do your hair and makeup how YOU like it, because that’s who you are and you are beautiful the way you are!

This will be my last post on Mod Style Lounge. I had a lot of fun and will miss writing for MSL, but the Lord is leading me toward different opportunities at this time in my life. Becca will be taking over this blog for me. Love you all and God Bless!

Rejecting the Lies

You are not beautiful. No one will ever want you. You have nothing to offer. You are stupid. You are fat. You'll never be as good as her.  

You Are Not Enough.

These statements may seem harsh, and they really are. But if you are like every teenage girl, you hear these lies every day. Whether you hear them in your head, from the media, or from hurtful peers, you are constantly bombarded by lies that tell you that you will never be enough.

The sad part is that after hearing these lies day in and day out, we have begun to believe them. After looking at so many size 0 models, we start to believe that we are fat. When the world has told us we've needed a boyfriend since we were 12,  we have started to think that there is something wrong with us if we're single. When our "friends" exclude us from one more activity we begin to wonder if we belong anywhere.

After hearing so many times, from so many influences that we are not enough, we begin to believe it. We lose self confidence. We punish ourselves. We look everywhere to find our worth.


We (and maybe this is just me!) have let negative voices drown out the truth. The truth?

You ARE beautiful, inside and out. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Your life has a purpose. You are loved. You are accepted.

You Are Worth Dying For!

The Bible says that God carefully crafted each one of us before the day that we were even conceived, and that He has a perfect plan for our lives. What's more, He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us, so that we can have a relationship with Him. The God of the universe wants a relationship with you! If that doesn't affirm your value I don't know what would!

I know how easy this is to forget though. The next time you are feeling down on yourself, find truth in God's word. These verses really help me...

Psalm 139:13-14, 16

For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.

1 Samuel 16:7b

People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Philippians 4:13

 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 1:6

 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

So how do we reject lies? We replace them with truth.  John 8:32 says "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

The honest to goodness truth is that we alone are not good enough. We have imperfections, we make mistakes, and this is something we need to accept. The amazing part? God is enough. In Him we find forgiveness, affirmation, and value. In Him we can do all things. We can cast out insecurities. We can stand and tell the world that we are beautiful and we are loved. Because we know the truth, we can reject the lies.






 If you would like to learn more about rejecting lies of our culture I would definitely recommend the book and Bible study, Lies Young Women Believe by Nancy Demoss and Dannah Gresh. This is a great personal or small group study. It teaches you to combat lies about guys, self image, media, and much more. Check it out on Amazon and their website.

Want to be skinny?

Okay girls. Summer is coming up. We all know what that means. We begin looking at our bodies after they’ve been covered up all winter, fed with Christmas feast and Easter candy. Wanting to look good in swimsuits in a few months, most of us will begin to hate on our bodies. And for the majority of us, not a little hate, but a lot. We will then do things to our bodies that are less than healthy in order to achieve and “ideal” body, like a flat tummy and skinnier thighs.

This very popular "photograph" is almost all Photoshop. The girl's back, stomach, and most of her ribs were airbrushed out, arms and legs slimmed, legs lengthened by at least ten inches, hair added below the shoulders, etc. The retoucher completely REMOVED her navel and her left arm. She doesn't look like this in real life... this is not attainable by humans.- Julianna Young on Pintrest (excuse the slight nudity)

It’s no wonder we mistreat our body as society’s idea of beauty is unattainable for most human beings. Some of us will never have a completely flat belly, and some of us will always have thighs that touch.

The other day I received in the mail a Land's End swimsuit magazine. I opened it and began to look at the pictures, thinking this woman (pictured below) had a very nice body:

As I flipped through the magazine I came upon the sizes. 1XL, 2XL, 3XL. WHAT?! This is a plus size magazine???!!! I was horrified. If this is plus size, how in the world do they expect women to look like the models in regular sizes without being unhealthy? Here are some more pictures of these beautiful women.

Click to enlarge the picture 

I say these women are not plus size. Just because their thighs touch does not mean they are heavy. These women are curvy and feminine. Their bodies remind me a lot of Marilyn Monroe, who was, by the way, considered one of the most beautiful women of her time and loved by men everywhere.

Now, don’t jump to conclusions. I’m certainly not saying if your stomach is flat, you’re not healthy, and I’m not saying if your thighs touch, you are healthy. Know what is healthy for your own body, not someone else’s, and strive for that, not some photoshopped model’s seemingly perfect figure.

HEALTHY is always better than SKINNY, and a beautiful FACE is nothing without a beautiful HEART.

Here are some pictures and quotes I found various place on the web (thanks to Pintrest and Tumblr!) that I love enough to share with all you gorgeous ladies:

The Secret to Being Beautiful

I believe that every girl wants to be beautiful. I also believe that every girl has tried to achieve beauty on her own by wearing the latest fashion and trying to always look her best and impress whoever she walks by. I am guilty as charged. I use to try so hard to please other with how I looked by wearing name brand and trying to mold myself to fit their image. I changed myself so much that I had no idea who I really was.

That is not what beauty is. That was obsession with pleasing other people and wanting their definition of beauty. Did you know that God is the only one that can truly make your beautiful? He is the One that holds real beauty and you can have that beauty too. Here’s how.

Become a child of God.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”

We are born ugly. We are born into sin and sin is ugly. When God saw us, He saw how ugly we were, but He still loved us. Because of God’s great love for us, He sent His perfect, sinless Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for you. While Jesus was hanging on the cross, He was thinking of you, not just everyone in general, you specifically. He did this so that we could live in heaven with Him for all of eternity instead of going to Hell and be completely separated from Him forever.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are made beautiful. Our sins are washed away and we become as white as snow. Now, when God looks down at us, He sees us as beautiful and sinless.

Real beauty is God’s love. If you want to be truly beautiful, accept Jesus as your Savior and show God’s love to everyone you come in contact with and share the Gospel with them. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior, I encourage you to email any one of the staff members here and we will be more than happy to tell you all about our Savior.

~Haylie

Authentic Beauty

Recently God has been teaching something important. To live for eternity. When you look at something in the light of eternity, your perspective changes.

It reminds me of the lyrics of Turn your Eyes upon Jesus which go "And the things of this world will grow strangly dim in the light of His glory and grace..."

That is so true! When I sing those words, suddenly the choice between the blue or the purple nail polish seems frivolous. Deciding which coffee flavor at Starbucks I'm going to buy isn't so important.

Ok, sorry for the rambling:) My point is, God has been showing me that I have been overly concerned with outward appearances. I was spending so much time making sure my skin was perfect or that I was always wearing a new stylish outfit. I was running after the kind of perfection the world screams as important. Well you know? Those things aren't what really matter.

God is teaching me something else: I'm not perfect (wow, big shock there, right?;) But I don't have to be perfect! My skin (one of my biggest insecurities) is a little blotchy and has a few acne scars - but that's ok! Really it is! Every strand of my hair won't always be perfectly in place (a.k.a I might have a bad hair day!) - that's ok! I'm not the 2011 airbrushed Covergirl model - and that's ok, I don't have to be! Realizing that I don't have to be flawlessly beautiful lifts such a huge weight off my shoulders!

I'm not saying wearing make-up or wanting to wear stylish clothes is wrong! I love those things:) But if that's what you're chasing after to find your self worth, you'll be left with an empty, unfulfilled heart and even more insecurity.

In the end, it's what's in your heart that makes you truly beautiful.

I have this friend (we'll call her Rebecca). Rebecca is one of the most beautiful girls I know. And it's her inner beauty, not her Covergirl bronzer that makes her glow from within! She's funny, compassionate, and possesses the radiant love of Christ. Although she is physically pretty as well, it's her inner beauty that makes her truly beautiful. I know many woman like that (men as well) who the world may not consider attractive, but their love for Christ makes them inwardly and outwardly beautiful.

That is the beauty I want. I would much rather have inner authentic beauty that represents and draws others to Christ. The beauty that lasts for eternity.

Whatever worldly things you pursue will someday be gone and forgotten forever, but whatever you do for eternity will last.

Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
Psalm 34:35

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30

That may of sounded a bit scatter brained (sorry!), but it was something I felt I should share.

Have a great day beautiful girls!

-Grace<3

Mirror, You Don't Define Me!

What is the first thought that comes to mind when you look into a mirror?

Is it: "Wow! I am so beautiful! The world just can't handle how pretty I am! Look at me....I'm perfect!"

Ok, I am guessing that the majority of us don't think that way. (If you do, you've got some serious vanity issues to work on!) If you are anything like me, you don't always like what you see in your reflection. Maybe you think your nose is too big, your hair is too curly, or you have too many pimples. And let's not even talk about some of the things that cross our minds looking into a full-length mirror!
We have given in to believing that in order to be beautiful and accepted, we have to live up to the unreasonable standards that our culture has set. Our hair has to be a certain way, our skin needs to be perfect, and we are only beautiful if we have the figure of every fake celebrity and model on magazines and TV screens. This is a hard issue for me, and I'm sure for most of you too. We live in a world where image is everything, and it is easy for us as young women to lose confidence in the way that God has made us.

So how should we respond when our reflection doesn't please us? Where can we find the affirmation that we truly are beautiful? We know what the answer is...Our Heavenly Father! God will never judge you by the clothes that you wear, or the hairstyle that you have. His definition of beauty doesn't change with time like the world's does. Do you want to know His definition of beauty? It's YOU! The creator of the universe thinks you are drop dead gorgeous! And how could he not? He created you in His own image!

One of my favorite verses is Psalms 45:11- "The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord." How amazing is that? God is enthralled by our beauty! It becomes so easy to forget though when we are having a bad hair day, when we don't like the size on the tag of our jeans, or when our biggest crush doesn't seem to be "enthralled" by our beauty!

When you're having a day like that, when you feel ugly or begin to criticize your body, talk to God! Tell Him what you are feeling. Ask Him to make you feel like the masterpiece He created you to be, because you know He doesn't make mistakes! Another good step is to memorize verses like Psalms 45:11 and say them to yourself when you're struggling with seeing yourself as God sees you. A few other good verses are:

1 Peter 3:3-4 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

1 Samuel 16:7b For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Still having issues with your reflection? Here's something that works for me, and you may have heard of the idea before. One day, looking into the mirror, I decided that I was done with seeing myself through the eyes of the world. I took out an expo marker and covered my mirrors with bible verses and phrases from songs that would remind me that I was wonderfully made. A phrase that still gives me freedom every time I look at it is from "Mirror" by Barlow Girl.

"Mirror, you DON'T define me!"

What is Beautiful?

Something beautiful is happening on Friday, April 22, 2011.

Four years ago, Gracie Flanagan came up with the idea for True Beauty Day her freshman year of high school. Her friend joked about how she really didn't want wear makeup to school tomorrow, so she and Gracie decided for the next week at school, they wouldn't wear makeup and would let their "true beauty" show. This was the beginning of the idea.

What Gracie realized is, "society has such a screwed up definition of beauty," and "every women, girl, and child is beautiful both inside and out; yet today’s society makes finding outer beauty harder and harder for millions around the world."

So Gracie decided to do something about it. She created a day where females could show their true beauty by not wearing designer clothes and wearing little or no makeup. The purpose of this was to show that "the makeup you're wearing and the brands you're wearing don't make you who you are," she says. "It's what's on the inside and what Jesus gave us that's important."

So go to http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=153413924681752, and hit attending if you're going to participate in True Beauty Day 2011. Then come back here and comment on this post and tell us if you are attending. But before you comment, watch these encouraging clips and quotes on true beauty:



"With all the media hype on physical perfection, many of us are left craving to be someone or something better than what we see in our reflection. We hope to encourage girls and guys to understand that they are not alone in feeling that way, and also we're hopeful they'll join us in redefining the meaning of beauty. Each of us are unique, not meant to be in a mold."
-Sarah Ross of Everlife


(I know this campaign ended over 2 years ago, but the video is good!)
"Fat talk is transcending….  It affects your reality and damages you professionally, personally, and physically."
- Jillian Michaels

More Beautiful You

I love this song by Jonny Diaz and thought I'd share it with you. Here's a copy of the lyrics as well.

Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn't straight her body isn't fake
And she's always felt overweight

Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are

[Chorus]There could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

Little girl twenty-one the things that you've already done
Anything to get ahead
And you say you've got a man but he's got another plan
Only wants what you will do instead

Well little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would come
You starve yourself to play the part
But I can promise you there's a man whose love is true
And he'll treat you like the jewel you are

[Chorus]

So turn around you're not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It's not too late you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear they can all be washed away
By the one who's strong can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light He will show you truth
And again you'll see through the eyes of a little girl

[Chorus]

There could never be a more beautiful YOU!

rachel

You are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!

"I hate how frizzy my hair is!"

"I can't get rid of this stupid fat!"

"I wish I was more beautiful like her..."

We have all said or heard someone say something like that. With all the pressure from the media these days, girls are almost never happy with themselves. I am guilty of complaining too!

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14

Maybe you've heard that verse before and never thought about it or maybe you haven't at all, but it's saying God created you just the way He wanted you to be! There is no one else like you in the world. God created just the way you are, and He loves you with an everlasting love because you are His creation. Your Heavenly Father knit you together in your mothers womb and designed every exquisite detail about you. You are beautiful because you are a princess of the Most High!

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb." Psalm 139:13

If a friend gave you a painting that she had diligently worked on for weeks, yet you didn't think it was that pretty, would you complain to her about how bad it looked? No! Even though you may not care for it, you would graciously except the gift from her with a thankful heart.

It's like your body that God created for you. You are His work of art! And when you complain about how God has made you it's like saying "God, I don't think you made me quite the right way. There must have been a mistake." God doesn't make mistakes.

And of course, there is nothing wrong with trying to loose a few extra pounds or buying anti-frizz spray for your hair. But we have to remember that in our pop-culture that screams, "You have to look just like her to be attractive!", your Heavenly Father lovingly made His princess just the way he wanted her to be. So smile, beautiful girl! And have a blessed day! :)

Guest Blogger: Flawed by EmilyisSmiling

Thanks to our bloggy friend Emily from EmilyisSmiling for writing this song for us! Listen to the lyrics and let it change the rest of your day!



For more from Emily, go to her daily blog, http://www.emilytheperson.com/ or check out the latest book she's writing at http://www.inkpop.com/profile/433be4b3-d7f5-4c27-be7c-3784526d3227/emilyissmiling/

Just the Way You Are

I love this new song by Bruno Mars. He talks about the natural beauty in this girl he likes and he says that she doesn't realize that she's beautiful and I think that us girls can relate to being the girl who doesn't realize she's pretty. Every time someone gives us a compliment we take it but we don't believe it. But in the song Bruno Mars is telling this girl over and over again how wonderful she is and he never stops reminding her. He "tells her she's beautiful" and "amazing just the way she [is]." And I was thinking to myself after hearing this song, man I wish I had a guy who would say all those things to me and then I remembered:

God says just that. He tells us we're beautiful, in Genesis God says He created us in His image in Psalms 139:13-14 God tells us we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalms 45:11 says the King is enthralled by you're beauty. Ladies we have had someone who has been telling us these things before the day we were born. God made us "amazing just the way we are". So next time you wish you had someone to tell you your beautiful pick up your Bible because God is telling you how wonderful you are all through out it.

God's Word

Girls, let me tell you, this week has been such a bummer for me. I've felt this overwhelming sense of worthlessness and ugliness. I know that God thinks we are SO BEAUTIFUL but sometimes it's hard to remember and believe that. Unfortunately, it has been like that for me this week. It's like I know God loves every single tiny part of me but I just couldn't grasp it. But then again, I hadn't been reading my Bible much either.

That's when it donged on me. I have to constantly feed myself with the word of God to be able to understand his undying love for me. Because I wasn't doing that, I was feeling down on myself and all I am worth. Ladies, the bottom line here is to be able to radiate beauty on the outside, we have to get it from the inside. Reading God's love story to us is the way to stay inwardly beautiful.

So next time you start to feel like you are nothing or aren't beautiful, think about how much you have been intaking God's Word. Don't be afraid to dig deep! And remember "Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God." Proverbs 31:31

Having the Heart to Love Yourself

I didn't really know what to write about this week for my blog post but this morning when I woke up I remembered this devotional I had read from Soul Matters for Teens about self-esteem, we talk a lot about beauty and ways to do our hair and make-up and still look modest but we've never talked about the biggest factor in being beautiful. Which is being able to love yourself. To be able to feel beautiful we have to accept ourselves the way we are and how God created us. Otherwise we are going to be doing our hair and make-up to try and better ourselves instead of doing it to please God.

Every time I look in the mirror and think I'm so ugly don't you think that's a kick in the Heavenly Father's face? He created me that way for a reason, so every time I say I'm ugly it's like telling an artist his painting is horrible! And we would never do that. We would look at it abstractly and appreciate the artists' way he captured a picture and just so we need to appreciate the abstract art of God.

Maybe we're fine with the way we look but are having trouble loving ourselves because we think we've messed up too much to be loved or have too many things in our lives to make us lovable. Well let me tell you, you're wrong. "God loves and cares for us, even to the least event and smallest need of life." -Henry Edward Manning.

I'm sure most of us are familiar with the story of The Woman at the Well (John 4:4-26). This woman had so so so much junk in her life and so many offenses against her but our merciful, loving God was right there to say "hey, I love you. I don't care about the junk or the offenses. You're my child and I love you."

If God can love a woman even though her peers didn't and even though she took part in various affairs don't you think God can love a woman like you too? And if God loves you then and you receive his love then you can love yourself. "Your ability to express love to others is linked to your ability to love yourself." Don't be afraid to love you for who you are or to love your body. I'm not saying be boastful but be confident in who you are in Christ for he sees your heart and he declares you beautiful.

Don't you know you're beautiful?

I absolutely love this song by Kellie Pickler called "Don't you know you're beautiful". It's probably the ultimate girl song! Every time I hear it, it makes me feel so good on the inside! I think it's because what the lyrics say are so right on to what we girls need to know. We need to know WE ARE BEAUTIFUL! I think as girls we often forget how beautiful we are truly are. We always feel like we have to do certain things to measure up or to be accepted. For example some of the lyrics say "You’re wishing that you had designer jeans like the ones you see in magazines. Now I know you’d give anything just to fit in but your worth ain't on a price tag, it comes from within." I love this line so much because it's so true! Everything we are worth comes from within. It comes from our relationship with Christ, our character, our lifestyle, and even being modest. All those things determine our worth; not what we have or don't have. So when you girls listen to this song make the lyrics fit so that they are directly for you. This may sound corny but sing "Don't I know I'm beautiful just the way I am" and let that really sink in cause every single one of you girls are beautiful! And yes even you, the one whose thinking "no I'm not" in your head...you are BEAUTIFUL!

you are beautiful!(I hope ya'll got my point)

Be Crazy Beautiful

This is literally one of my favorite songs.

The inside has to be beautiful before anything else, darlings.

Cultivate your wonderful talents and abilities and brilliant minds first and foremost.

You are beautiful. Exactly as you are.

take this to heart, don't let it go

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives and the passion that she shows.
The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years.
-Audrey Hepburn




Take this to heart


-Eden

"your beauty went to your head"

I've been thinking about this for a while now and sincerely thought about copping out because I couldn't think about anything to post. But really, I believe my place in this blog is to remind everyone, including myself, that beauty is not only all the make up you apply or the outfits you put together. I think we all have quite a shallow idea of what beauty should be and what it looks like. "If I have this body type, this color hair, this type of hair, that skin tone, ect ect I will be beautiful." NO! that is NOT it at all.

I really cannot stress to you enough how important it is to be beautiful on the inside first and foremost. Loving yourself and people around before even thinking about what you're going to wear today or how you're going to do your eye make up.
Proverbs says that charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting. If all you have is your appearance, what happens then? true beauty comes from the heart. If your heart isn't beautiful, your outward beauty is only what the phrase implies. Simply a show.

But on the contrary, a beautiful woman, regardless of age, will carry herself in a way that lets people know that she's confident and beautiful on the inside which adds to the already existing beauty she has.
Girls, don't completely focus on the outward. The outward is temporary.

"Image is overrated if it washes off in the rain."- Krystal Meyers

-Eden

A Giveaway!

Are you looking for a great book to read? Better yet, a book that's FREE? Look no further than this link!: http://sarahattruegold.blogspot.com/2009/11/book-giveaway.html

At my personal blog, I'm giving away not one, but two books! So that's means YOU have double the chance of winning! So check the link above for more info about the book and how to enter.

Also, if your struggling with your image and how you view yourself today, read this great article, "Pretty on the Inside".

Hope you week is starting out great!

Sarah ♥

"You're oh so beautiful"

This is something I wrote earlier in the year. It really proves a point in my obsession with inner beauty though. Enjoy :]


So I've been reading Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge and something that have stuck out to me so far is the topic of beauty. Beauty in our society today means so very little. All the concern is latched onto the appearance. "You have to be 'x' tall to be beautiful. Your hair has to look like this. Your dress size that." It's all so very sad.

When you're young, you don't think about it. If one of my little sisters asks me if they're pretty or beautiful or whatever, I tell them "Of course you are." and they walk away satisfied. They don't dismiss the statement or say "No I'm Not". They take it as truth, are content, and go about their business.

Fast forward a few years later at maybe 12 or 13 and the concern is "Does this boy like me? Will those girls let me hang out with them? Maybe I'm not pretty enough..." Sound familiar? Every woman goes through this. Wondering if they're truly worth it. I struggle with it daily. There are those days where I have 5 zits on my chin, my hair isn't doing what I want it to, and my clothes seem a little bit tighter than yesterday.

Beauty is entrusted to every woman. Not one is overlooked. EVERY woman is beautiful. Wasn't it even Jesse McCartney (as much as I despise his music) who said he didn't want another pretty face? It's not just the appearance that matters. A woman's soul is precious, fragile, and must be sought. In Genesis, Eve was not only physically beautiful. She was there to be an ezer kenegdo which means in a nutshell "sustainer".

Beauty is comfort. Why do you think the beach or the mountains are so attractive to most people? Not just for recreational get away, but for the comfort and enjoyment of natural, untouched beauty. We as women are not just for looking at. We are to nurture others. To comfort, to soothe.

That doesn't mean we can't be strong and courageous too. Think of Esther, Deborah, Rahab, and other women in the Bible who did very brave things. Esther saved an entire race of people. Deborah was a judge and led armies. Rahab helped the spies in Jericho escape from ever present death. We are called to be life givers. To uplift and encourage.

There is so much more to a woman than meets the eye. The heart of a woman is a complex and fragile thing. Sometimes easily broken but not easily repaired. In this day and age I'm sure you've seen on TV the amount of murders and robberies and all seem very attracted to the destruction of a woman's femininity. Satan doesn't want us to acknowledge our calling. He wants us walking around blind. Stripped of our idenity.

It's sad that many women feel they have to "tough up" and abandon all forms of "womanness" to feel like they can protect themselves. I'm guilty of this myself. We put up our front and convince others that we can fend for ourselves since it seems no one else will. In reality, the women who do this are usually hurt the most. The front, the "tough girl act" is all to avoid getting hurt, or getting take advantage of, or whatever the case may be.

Does that mean we should just render ourselves helpless damsels in distress? No, of course not. But it's not a bad thing to let your hair down and show the truth. To let people know that you can't do it on your own. We're not meant to be alone. God said in the beginning that it is not good for man to be alone. Mankind in general, of course. We were made to rely on each other for support and encouragement and fellowship. No man is an island.You rarely ever see any one teenage girl alone. Usually she at least has one friend by her side. A best friend at most often times.

Every woman needs to know she is special. Every woman needs to know she is beautiful. Every woman needs to know her value. Even if she messes up, it's ok. She's still loved. Every woman needs to know that she is adored by her Father. THE Father of all fathers. God is enthralled by me. ME. Insignificant, small, ordinary me. He is enthralled by me. He CHOSE me. If he didn't have to die for anyone else except for me, he still would have done it. He loves me. Despite my quirks, my flaws, my shortcomings. I am special to him. I am his favored child. I needn't worry about anything because he has it under control.

That goes the same for everyone else. Whoever you are (if anyone is reading this), You are special to God. You are his prize. You are his joy. He loves to see you smile. He loves to hear your laugh (no matter how obnoxious YOU think it is). He is enthralled by you. Your beauty (or if you're a guy, handsomeness) takes his breath away.

He doesn't love just the "good people". The ones that are in church whenever the doors are open. The ones who go on every mission trip available. The ones who attend every conference, every bible study, every fellowship thing. He loves them too, don't get me wrong. But He loves the "ordinary" ones too. The homeless man on the sidewalk. The prostitute. The man who abuses his wife and children. The terrorists. The unlovable people. The people who get on our nerves. That annoying co-worker who just loves to make work life miserable for everyone. The one kid in class who has an attitude. The teenager who drove drunk, wrecked his parent's car and killed a woman coming home from the late shift at her second job.

God loves everyone. Not just love. But Agape. A deeper love than we can comprehend. A non-conditional, never fickle love. There's no end to it. I wish I could love like that. Especially when I don't feel like loving. I wish I could be more like Jesus. I strive to be. I seem to fall so often and it feels like he could never love me after what I just did. But he does. He does and needs not explain himself. He just loves us because he does.

I imagine I'll have more to write on this subject. This was just so heavy on my heart that I had to write it out.


Take it to heart :]

- Eden

Self-Confidence

After Eden’s wonderfully written “First Things First” post, I feel like I need to address one issue: Self-Confidence.

Number one in Eden’s “field guide to inner beauty” was, “Love others as you would love yourself.” Great guideline, but you can only apply this if you really do love yourself. How can you love others if you don’t? When you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror at yourself, do you see a beautiful girl, or one who needs to put on her make-up to be beautiful? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think make-up is bad at all. I think it’s great to want to look your best. But are you confident in yourself, how God made naturally made you, and how you look without make-up first?

I totally understand why we young women are so insecure in who we are. Lately, there’s been a lot of controversy over a Ralph Lauren model who was photoshopped. The model was a size 4, and they photoshopped her picture and fired her for being too fat. Come again, a size 4??? Ladies, that is not fat. And it’s not healthy for a size 4 woman to be considered “fat”. Here’s a comparison. Please excuse the skimpy outfit on the real photo:



It’s not rocket science why girls are so insecure with their body types. Or their faces for that matter. Watch this crazy photoshopping done to a woman from the neck up in this video:



As I watched that ad, I realized not even models are flawless. Their photos are fake and fixed. The girl behind all that looks normal. She looks like you and I. If we can be confident in how we look and who we are, and not try to change ourselves, we can be truly beautiful, from the inside flowing out. This goes for your personality too, why try to be somebody else who you're not? God made you beautiful, now it’s time for you to accept it. Smile with confidence! =)