Are You Laughing?

Laughter.

There's something about it. You either hate it or love it.

It can be distracting, addicting, or even contagious – all in good ways. Attractive, beautiful, meaningful.

But hopefully it's never repulsive, obnoxious, and disturbing ;b

Haha... I mean some would think so… But… really, what sort of minds do they have!? Lol.

Some people will love you for your laugh. And then there will be those that hate you for it.

That can sometimes be discouraging, and even make one want to quit laughing.

But should you?

Is laughing something that should be controlled, or is it something to be encouraged? Even in ourselves?

I must say I have a very STRONG opinion on this… but first I'll share some verses.

A joyful heart makes a cheerful face(smiling is the first step to laughing ;b), But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. ~ Proverbs 15:13

According to Proverbs 31, the virtuous woman laughs without fear of the future. Now that might sound a little sarcastic, and even bold, but hey, would you rather be one off those grumpy people always wining about what might happen, or would you rather be laughing your head off, waiting for each new thing to come along?

I would much rather laugh.

Laughter isn't just refreshing to the one laughing, it's a bright light to those around you. (Not counting those few grumps who would rather be gloomy.) When you laugh, for real, you feel more happy (duh), less stressed and tired, and more prepared for whatever may come.

In a way Proverbs 31 could mean, not laughing the future away as if it were nothing, but that the laugh clears your mind enough to be able to fully comprehend what to do.

Of, course you'll have those few laugh-cops still trying to break that smile – A time to cry and a time to laugh. (Ecc 3:2-4)

If you ask me, life has enough tears. Any opportunity that arises is THE TIME to LAUGH.

So, use this day to be happy and glad. And make it a great day for others, too.

Laugh.

Smile.

And laugh some more!

Because, who doesn't need more laughter in their lives????????????

 Just Laugh. Make the world happier ;)

Originally posted at Keturah's Korner

True Beauty

Healthy and Skinny are two very different things.

It’s okay to be over 90lbs and its okay to not have a thigh gap (can anyone really explain the whole ‘thigh gap’ thing to me, please? I don’t see any reason for it at all. The only way I have seen it achievable is through a lot of people who have lost more weight than they should to achieve it.) it’s okay to weigh 20 more pounds than your best friend. As long as you are healthy its okay. I promise you. Compared to a lot of my friends I’m rather big…. but thats only because they are a lot shorter or smaller than I am.

I have many friend who’s healthy weight might be 100lbs where mine is more than that.

There is a big difference between healthy and skinny this picture is a very good example.

(My apologies on the scantily dressed women…but this proves a point)

You can see the difference between both women. (Even the campaign names and company’s prove the point with almost no explanation needed)

Most of the time to achieve skinny people have to go through insane diets that are in no way healthy for ones body.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying diets are bad but to an extent they can be.

 

I think the main reason anorexia or eating disorders is a big thing is because people are constantly being told things like “I’m not good enough”, “You aren’t beautiful if you are over 100lbs” and the list goes on.

 

A main factor creating these body image issues for people is the media. Magazines and videos especially. The media gives us these false images of flawless, skinny, acne free people when in truth by telling us we can look like someone on the cover of a magazine…well its a lie. WHen you see that model on a Billboard sign or magazine cover or even in a picture or music video it is edited.

 

The media is telling us that to be perfect we need to look like the girls on covers of magazines..but in truth they are lying to us because we can never achieve that. This video I’ve embedded below just shows the process behind things before the public sees it

 

 

Now you are probably wondering where exactly I’m headed with this post so here is where I dig into my point here.

I think the main issue is so many people (mostly the media) telling girls they aren’t perfect. We’re haunted by magazines, books, pictures on the internet and more and see that flawlessness as what true beauty is.

I know a girl who wishes her teeth were perfect and straight and doesn’t like that she is a bigger bodied girl. I know another girl who hates her smile and laugh. Another girl I know hates the acne on her face and another hates the way her hair frizzes….The list goes on and on but today I’m going to tell you and those girls something special.

 

I’m going to tell you a secret.

 

The most important beauty secret of all. 

I’m going to tell you what true beauty is. Are you ready for this?

 

Are you truly ready? This is the truth my friends and I hope you believe it…Here it goes.

The secret is one word. One simple three letter word and that word is:

You.

You embody true beauty. You ARE true beauty.

Beauty isn’t defined by what you wear, how much you weigh, how frizzy your hair is or how curvy you are. (and the list goes on)

Real beauty is being confident in your own skin and not letting anyone else tell you you aren’t worth anything or that you aren’t beautiful.

True beauty is within us all. Just think about this.

You were created by God who made you exactly he way you are and everything in his creation is beautifully and wonderfully made.

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.

 

 

The Real War on Women

 We hear about the war on women all the time. Often it has to do with work conditions, and female rights. Some of these things might be true, but what is the real war on women?

 Every day young ladies like you and me are forced to see billboards, commercials, magazine covers all depicting women. But these women are not like us. They are shown as being luscious, and thin, and desirable.

 This I present to you as being one of the true wars on women, and young girls of today. It's a depressing thing for a girl who isn't society's definition of thin to be constantly bombarded with images of Hollywood's stars, and beauty queens.

 Often in summer we see advertisements of "See (insert name here) amazing beach bod!" or "How to get rid of those pounds, and start being sexy."

 Seeing these constant reminders of the world's idea of beautiful really just makes me sick. I know, especially in my younger years, these things probably affected me, making me feel ugly, and fat. The star of the movie always seems to be thin or shapely in a "good" way. Even Disney movies often make their heroines stick thin, and young girls (including myself) watch them or have watched them.

 But what the magazines/movies/commercials fail to depict is the spiritual condition of the woman on display.  Her body may be defined as perfect, but is her spiritual condition deteriorating rapidly?

 The world fails to understand that God created all of us, and we are made the way He designed. Sure, some of us could lose a few pounds for health reasons, but we have to learn to be content with how God made us.

 I would much rather spend time with some imperfect, normal girls with beautiful spirits, then with those defined as sexy.

 I may go more into detail on this later, or perhaps one of the other ladies may. But I hope this gets you thinking.

 Don't be a casualty of the war on women. I think you're beautiful, and more importantly, God does too!

 

 

Performance Colors + MY Thoughts on Makeup {review}

 

 

 

Hello ladies!

Today I have a makeup review for y'all.

Some time back I was sent some samples from  Performance Colors.

 

I know not all of y'all wear cosmetics, but for those of you who do, you might want to check out this shop.

 

First, I feel a need to clarify a bit on my personal stance concerning makeup, for anyone who is curious. (Please note that I said *personal stance.* I am by no means trying to say that this is what all the other ladies here on APOC believe - I'll let them speak for themselves on the matter if they wish!)

 

I believe that God created us in His image, therefore we are all naturally beautiful and unique.

We don't need cosmetic products to make us gorgeous. With the variety of genetic variance in physical traits of humankind, there's an incredible potential for many different, unique colors and characteristics in our skin, hair, eyes and bodies.

Think about it: we're all made in the image of God, and yet we can look so different! Some of us have bright blue eyes, and some of us deep brown or crisp hazel. Skin pigmentation can vary so incredibly much, as with hair consistency/hue.

 

Each human being is incredibly unique - and yet, we all share one thing. Being handcrafted by the Creator of the Universe!

 

Therefore, we all possess our own form of individualized, intricate beauty.  I never want to encourage girls to be dependent on make-up or other beauty products to make themselves feel lovely. This shouldn't be! Once you get that idea that you NEED makeup to look pretty, it's hard to wash that ideal out of your system and boom - suddenly you're not exercising a spirit of thankfulness but one of discontent. So I'll say it again - make up is nice, but don't ever feel "naked" without it.

 

Only until recently did *I* even start to wear some light makeup. Up until last year, when I was sixteen, I'd never touched anything cosmetic-wise except for a couple tubes of transparent shimmer lip gloss. 

 

I began using makeup for the primary purpose of covering my acne. When it comes to zits, I have no shame dabbing something overtop to hide them! This is quite a different matter than "hiding your natural beauty".

 

 And even then, I only use it when going out - I'll usually throw on some foundation or concealer when going to teach a piano lesson or to the store or something. When I'm around at my house, doing chores and yard work and such, what's the point of putting on extra powders that'll only get wiped off right away?

 

 Sometimes if we're going to a semi-formal event, church or if I'm working at my dad's conferences, I'll wear some eye shadow/mascara and lip color. I was sent some blush and bronzer to review several weeks ago by a different shop and I enjoyed trying those out for a lunch out after church - I thought the blush gave a cool semi-vintage look.

 

So. My personal view on make up is that it's completely fine, as long as you keep your outlook on it right. I use it to enhance my natural looks, not cover them over or drown them out. I also prefer to use natural cosmetics that don't include harmful ingredients.

 

And, let me say it again. I don't ever want to be where I feel that I MUST put on make-up when I go out in public. I want to feel completely comfortable in my own skin, just the way it is. I might put on a little something cosmetic wise just for the fun of it, but I never want to be reliant on beauty products to make me feel beautiful.

 

Oh dear. I guess I rambled for a while there, didn't I?

Whoops. Well, as I said earlier - I felt a need to clarify this, and so now it's done and you won't be left wondering "Wait - I thought Leah didn't approve of make up or did she ...um...but here she is, doing a make up review so..."

 

Er, yeah.

 Let's move on.

 

 

I was sent a number of different samples from Performance Colors, and it was exciting to get to try so many different things from one store.
Having never used eyeliner before, I'll admit I've struggled a bit with the Rococo Eyeliner that was in the package. It's a nice, relatively neutral color for eyeliner, but a bit hard to apply. Or maybe it's just me, being ignorant on how to do it. Either way, it ended up looking like a thin line of eyeshadow when I put it on.
 

 

Lip Repair
This seems most comparable to lip balm. I'm not a huge fan of lip balm so I'll probably give this sample to my mom, who has very dry skin and would likely appreciate it more. I have very oily skin so my lips are in pretty decent shape, I think.

 

In the package was a Cream Eyeshadow in "Champagne". This is a very mild color for eyeshadow. I would probably blend it with something a little darker, creating a ombre/gradual fade look.
Since the eyeshadow is in a cream format, it's super easy to apply and I really like that. All other shadows I've tried have been in powder form which can get kinda messy. So this is a nice factor. I would've probably picked a more dramatic color, say a turquoise or blue/green hue, but hey - the Champagne matches with virtually everything in my wardrobe!

 

 

 

Honestly, I'm still not entirely sure what the point of the Shadow Magnet is. I think it is to help keep your eye shadow on better? I've still yet to try it in depth.
 

 

 
 

"Posh" Matte Cream Lipstick
This is a nice lipstick color and consistency. It's a very muted coral and gives a nice matte look which seems to be relatively popular these days.
 

 

 

"Buff" Semi- Matte Lipcolor
Now, I use this one all the time. It's slightly lighter than "Posh" and is the same general consistency. I love to use it when I get ready to go to church. It doesn't create an overly dramatic look, as darker lipsticks do, and yet it still looks like you're wearing something cosmetic wise. I love the distinct  matte look this one gives.
Definitely recommend this one.

 

I also use the "Pink Choco" Semi-Matte Lipstick frequently. It looks a little more bright pink than in the picture here. (All photos are taken from the Performance Colors Etsy shop.) I like it for it's 'brightness' if that's the right way to put it. It's a very light pink (once again, a bit different than the picture) and very girly and vintage-esque. I recommend.

 

 

"Ginger Heart" Restorative Lipcolor
I'm not sure what makes this (and the other Restoratives)  'restorative' and the semi-matte ones not.
Either way, it's a pretty color.

 

 

"Show Down" Restorative Lipcolor
Another nice, fun shade. It's definitely more pink, and comparable to "Pink Choco."
 

 

 

"Malibu" Restorative Lipcolor

 Slightly comparable to "Posh", but darker.

All the lip products here were very smooth and easy to apply. Also, just from the little sample containers I received, it seems they last a long while. I'm nowhere near being finished with them, and I've already put them to good use!
 

Lastly, I received a Pressed Eyeshadow in "Siren" which apparently there are no pictures to be found of, on the site.
It's a light/medium grey color, and good for layering/blending, or attempting a smoky eye look.

Overall, I like what I'm seeing from Performance Colors. The things they sent I've enjoyed wearing, and, looking at their page again just now, I'm really interested in some of their other products - namely the "Mermaid" cream eyeshadow. *grins*

Well, anyways, y'all make-up wearers should check out the shop.

Note: I was provided these items from Performance Colors in exchange for my honest review. All opinions stated remain mine and mine alone.

Beautiful Things

I was planning on doing this as a Classy Garb post.  Obviously it’s not.  Actually I just got back from a wonderful week at church camp and felt the urge to share some of what I learned with all you classy ladies.
 

                 First of all let me say the week was a huge blessing.  How nice is it to just get away from the world and all it's temptations?  I don’t know about you, but that fact alone makes it the ideal time to renew and strengthen my walk with the Lord. To top it all off we are surrounded by the awesome creation of God. 

   Isn't it beautiful? 

                Since we were ‘roughing’ it by tent camping, packing in our own food (and some even tried to attempt catching dinner while fishing…they didn’t catch much), and basically ‘living off’ the land for the week our camp ‘theme’ was Finding God through His Creation.  Pretty good theme, huh? 

                Think about it.  When I’m surrounded by the world and its influences I tend to lose sight of God and become weary in my walk with Him.  Is it the same for you?  On the other hand when I’m in the middle of mountains, camped beside a stream, getting to wake up every morning to a meadow covered in flowers the first thought that comes to mind is “Wow, God is amazing.”

 The view in front of the tent I shared with two other girls. 

                Throughout the week we were constantly reminded of the awe inspiring wonders God made for us to enjoy.  In our lessons we let God “Rock Our World” by studying David and Goliath with the emphasis on the five stones.  With God’s help we can ‘topple’ our own giants, so we each found our own special stone to remind us that God is always there for us.  Each stone was different, just like each person, but God created and loves us all.   

                

                We also experienced the might and power of God through thunderstorms, lighting, hail, and rain.  Thankfully God protected us from flash flooding, although most of the tents and quiet and bit of bedding and clothing were soaked.  

Actually, it rained more than anything.

                But to me all the rain was worth it.  Seeing a thunderstorm like that in the mountains is a completely differed view than you get in the city or on the flatlands.  The clouds hang so low and the thunder echoes through the canyon.  

  

                Most important however, was the realization that God makes beautiful things, the flowers, the creek, the mountains, the stars that shine so bright in the clear mountain air.  But greatest of all is you.  You are a beautiful creation of God. 

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 

Well, I hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I hope that sometime today you take the time to look at God through His creation. You never know what you might find. 

Just Stop Hating Yourself!

(Image courtesy of Pinterest)

 

Us women have always desired to be beautiful, radiant, pretty, gorgeous. Ever since the beginning of time, humanity in general has loved beauty, whether it be the simple perfection of a rose in full bloom, or the dramatic brilliance of an evening sunset. God created in us the ability to acknowledge and appreciate the beautiful world He fashioned.

 

And a major part of that beautiful world, quite obviously, is us.

 

With the immense desire of women in this country to be beautiful, flawless and perfect according to society's standards, have we lost sight of what true, God-given beauty really is?

 

I believe so.

 

It is a sad reality; but the fact remains - most women in the US alone hate their bodies, or at least a part of their bodies.

 

Young girls and adult women alike are pressured to conform to what the hottest celebs and fashion leaders deem trendy and acceptable, and practically 99% of that time, what's being pushed is something which isn't appropriate or godly, in one way or another.

 

Even if what is being pushed is something that's actually okay/appropriate, it's still such a tragedy that women rely on anonymous corporations and celebrities miles and miles away - people they've never even met - to determine what's beautiful and what's not. Going even further, you know what? When it comes down to the bottom line, it's a tragedy when we rely on any person's opinion more than our Creator's - no matter who the person may be.

 

So here we are - stuck in a time and place where ladies are constantly bombarded by the supposed 'need' to be tan as a beach bum, have unnaturally white teeth like in the toothpaste commercials, be as skinny as a pole and yet wear a size D bra... America's "requirements for physical beauty" could go on and on indefinitely.  

 

And with all these pressures, and the exposure to people who supposedly "look better/hotter/more beautiful than us", let's face it. Most of us struggle with self-hatred concerning our bodies, in some form.

 

Body image self-hate is common today among each age group and body type. I know a very skinny girl in her mid-teens, who thinks she needs to lose weight/go on a diet...and I should mention, she's tall and could probably be considered model material, in some talent agencies.

On our beach trip, I met a 13 year old cheerleader, with an athletic/average build. She complained on end about her body's many supposed 'flaws', even though in my eyes, she looked perfectly healthy.

And then you have ladies in their later stages of life, looking in the mirror and sighing at the grey hairs and wrinkles.

 

All this discontentment! And the irony of it all, is that what one girl hates about herself, most everyone else will shrug off or think is totally healthy and beautiful.

 

I want to share a bit of my personal self-hate journey with y'all.

 

As a 12 year old, I wrote in my journal once that I thought myself fat and unattractive. I compared my body to those of some of my friends; because all throughout my life I have always been bigger than the other girls my age...as a 12 year old, I considered this an unpleasant fate.

As a child, I was the tallest in my Awana Bible club class. I was always as tall as, or taller than the boys in my age group. Things stayed this way until about thirteen...when boys I knew started getting tall really fast.

Even to this day, I am one of the tallest females that I know, and I weigh more than most of my girlfriends, and women I encounter, because of my larger body-build. Having to look up at other women is something I'm not used to, and it feels very odd.

 

I am not a small person. I will never be skinny, or *healthily* weigh under 120 pounds.

My hourglass body type is as curvy as an Appalachian mountain road, and a doctor told me once that I possessed shoulders which could "pull a plow." Needless to say, they are pretty broad shoulders for a girl. My waist is smaller, but my wide hips are my downfall. While I have never hated my entire body's appearance, I have continually found displeasure in my lower half - the behind and down.

 

I used to hate my legs just in general. Since hourglass figures usually maintain a steady weight all over their bodies, unlike apple figures, my legs are certainly not "bird legs". They've always possessed a lot of curve. Granted, most of this is muscle, but that's not apparent when you're trying on a pair of jeans and all you see in the mirror is "thunder-thighs".

 

My parents would assure me as an early teen that a person's weight had nothing to do with them being 'fat' or 'thin'. But since my weight always lingered a bit higher than other girls', I would abandon this truth and consider myself overweight. (which in reality, I wasn't)

 

And I'll admit today, that while I am content with my weight and physical standings, there are times when I find myself feeling disgusted with my naturally large thighs and butt. I am aware that it is just something to be expected with my body type, but as much as I try this is the one 'problem area' I have.

 

If we were all honest, we'd admit that there was something about our bodies we didn't care for in particular. In my case, it's my behind/thighs. I know some girls who don't like their arms, and some ladies who are sick of their tummies.

 

So, I guess what I'm saying is: Stop hating yourself! Satan will constantly try to drag our minds down into a state of depression and discontentment. He's found a way to do this, simply by implanting and encouraging self-hate ideas about our bodies; which pull us away from the reality that we are all created in YHWH's Image and exceedingly precious to Him.

The truth is, every single girl on planet earth is beautiful in His eyes. Did you hear that? Every single girl. Every single woman.

 

And He certainly didn't create us to be loathing our own visages!

 

So, y'all, I know this was kind of a out-of-nowhere, random (and long) post. But I hope it serves to encourage you about being thankful for the beautiful person our Creator made you to be.

Don't let the trash of the world contaminate your mind. Be set apart, and appreciate the incredible body you were given!

 

Choose to dwell in negativity, constantly bashing your body and questioning why God made you the way He did, and your life will reflect on this. Negativity breeds negativity.

 

If you dwell in contentment, your life will be blessed.

 

Now for some feedback. Is there a particular part of your body you struggle with appreciating? Do you have a "problem-spot?" What's one thing you LIKE about your body?

 

 

 

P.s. You're probably wondering now what happened to Bethany. I am guest posting for her today because she needed some time to work out some things in her busy schedule! Be looking for her return, next week.

Lovely

  I am so sorry, girls....I had my post all ready to go and totally forgot to post it before I ran off to work this morning!  Here it is, but make sure you don't miss Bethany's post right below mine! :)

 

  I had seen her in pictures and I knew that she was very pretty, but I was not prepared for the breath-taking beauty that walked into church that morning.  I could easily see why my brothers were smitten with her.  Silver rings graced her fingers and bracelets dangled from her slender wrists.  Her hair was swept up in a loose bun with wisps of hair framing her face and just barely covering the diamonds in her ears.  Her dark eyes lit up when she smiled and communicated energy, life and love.  Though barely seventeen, here was a young woman with the power to give life or to destroy it perhaps without ever knowing.

As I thought about this young woman and the effect that she could potentially, if not already, have on my brothers and all the other men and boys that she will meet throughout her life I realized something that I had not really given much thought to before.  At least, not in quite the same way.

All my life I have been taught at my parents' side, from the pulpit and straight from the Scriptures that a woman should focus on cultivating that inner beauty that comes from being wholly submitted to Jesus Christ.  But the thing that most people never mentioned was the importance of being physically beautiful as well.

In the book of Ezekiel, chapter 16, God describes how He took His Bride and clothed her with linen and silk and put bracelets on her arms, a chain about her neck, a jewel on her forehead, earrings in her ears and a crown on her head.

 From studying both Scripture and God's Creation around us, I think it is very obvious that God loves beauty.  He created women to be beautiful and He designed men to want a beautiful woman.  He created the flowers in the field "which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven".  He created the sky with it's alternately brilliant hues of blue, red, yellow, purple, green.  The peacock is known for its vibrant feathers and the monarch butterfly with its bright orange wings.  Who is to say that God does not love physical beauty?

When Paul exhorted women to, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;" (1 Tim. 2:9) I believe that he was not telling them that being outwardly beautiful means nothing and should be not be thought of at all.  He did not mean that all women who strive to follow Christ should throw away all of their jewels and pretty clothes and never braid their hair.  Not at all for this would not be consistent with the rest of Scripture.

His point seems to be that, as followers of Christ, women should be more concerned with inner beauty rather than being like the women of that time who did little else than make themselves beautiful by braiding gold and jewels into their hair (this was a woman's dowry usually worth thousands of dollars and used to show off her wealth to potential suitors) and dressing themselves in expensive and usually revealing clothing.

Back to my story...I sat there in church thinking about what a precious gift that God has given this girl and how she might use it and I realized that God has given every woman that same gift each in her own unique way, including me.  The gift of beauty.  This gift has been used for evil throughout the history of the earth, but it was originally intended for good.  I got to thinking about different things that I could change in myself in order to use the gift given to me in order to glorify my Lord.

I realized that cultivating inner beauty is the most important aspect of a beautiful woman and it is the only facet of beauty that can stand on its own.  But it is not the only facet of beauty that is commendable.  If a younger woman who perhaps was compromised and not seeking God met another young woman a little older than her...would she be more apt to look up to that sister and want to be like her if the other woman took care to be strong and healthy and carefully dressed herself in a way that enhanced her beauty and made people say, "There goes a lovely woman." when she walked in the room?  I got to thinking that if a teenage girl were going after the world and she met me, could I have an influence on her?  Would she be intrigued to find that it is possible to be both modest and tastefully dressed?  Would she be inspired to be lovely rather than trendy?  Or would she look at me and think that I was just another conservative homeschooled graduate trying not to be too attractive...and succeeding at it?

 

I wondered also if I might perhaps use this gift and any influence that God gives me, to turn my brothers and other young men toward the right path by influencing those women who can do them so much damage or so much good? 

I hope that as I grow older, I will be for younger sisters what my older sister and a few others have been for me.  I hope that I can pass on what I learn about what true beauty looks like and draw others to follow my Lord as well.

A Story of True Beauty

Sherry went to high school during the ‘70s in Artesia, New Mexico. She wasn’t an overly pretty girl. She wasn’t ugly; she just didn’t fit the world’s idea of beautiful. She had freckles, a round face, and while Sherry wasn’t fat, she was big boned. She had a stocky, more masculine looking figure. Over all, Sherry was just kind of plain and ordinary.

You might say, “Well, she must not have been very popular!” But this was hardly the case. You see Sherry may not have been the prettiest girl on the block, but she was vivacious! She was fun! The guys like her; the girls liked her. She had her share of dates though high school. The reason was as simple as brownies and ice cream! Sherry chose to be beautiful on the inside. She kept herself clean and neat, but she didn’t make her outward appearance her main focus. She didn’t spend hours in front of the mirror trying to find just the right outfit to make her look slender; she didn’t hide her freckles under layers of foundation, or spend all her allowance on hair products. She simply decided she was going to be happy with the way Yahweh had made her, and see that she was as pretty as she could be on the inside.

Sherry had a classmate named Vicki. Vicki was a cheerleader. She had a clear complexion, beautiful blond hair, and a super model figure. She had everything: guys, friends, attention; you name it, she had it. Don’t think that because of this Vicki was a snob, she wasn’t. She was a nice girl, people liked to be around her, but her beauty was earthly. She didn’t realize that she needed more than just good looks to get through life. She didn’t know that her own choices would decide if she was popular or not, regardless of whether she looked flawless or if she was fat and had pimples on her face.

Let’s fast forward a few years. My dad, the person who told me this story had gone away to college, met and married another beautiful woman and later moved back to Artesia. One day he walked into a laundromat to see a young woman, grown old before her time doing laundry for several small children. Her name was Vicki. He remarked to me that this woman who had once been one of, if not the prettiest and most popular girl in school was now simply ugly.

Vicki had loved a good looking, popular football player who also seemed to have everything. Not long into their marriage she found that not only was he lazy and irresponsible, but he was violent and dangerous. Finally he had left her for another woman and she was now trying to provide for her 3 young children alone. She had chosen to focus on outward beauty instead of cultivating inward beauty and growing in wisdom. Her choices continue to effect her today.

Later he was shopping in another store when a gorgeous brunette walked in the door! It seemed like the whole place lit up the moment she entered! Sherry had grown more and more beautiful as she got older because she made the right choice.

After chatting with her, my dad found that she also had married. Her husband was not as popular as Vicki’s; he was an ordinary, hardworking, farmer’s son. My Dad had never met this man, but he could plainly see that Sherry was happily married to someone who must have been, and still is a wonderful man!

 

This is a true story and one that happens all the time. May we be like Sherry and seek the true beauty that comes from serving Yeshua!

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."-1 Peter 3:3-4

 

 

How You Care for Yourself

 Seeing the posts for the past couple months about accepting yourself the way God created you makes me smile. Too often we look in the mirror, and see ourselves through the most critical of glasses. In a creation video by Ken Ham, there is talk of colored lenses. Though I'm not applying it in the same way he did, I think it fits here as well. When we look in the mirror, instead of looking through God's lenses, we look through a colored lens. This colored lens blocks us from seeing the way God created us as special, and making us feel fat, or ugly, or too tall, too short. This has been widely talked upon here, so I'm sure I can't say much more that hasn't already been explained. Though I can offer a few basic tips. :)

  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

 As with anything, there ARE ways you can improve yourself. God has made you beautiful! Sometimes we have to let that beauty out in a God honoring way. Here are just a few of my thoughts.

1. Healthy exercise:  Whether you see yourself as chubby, thin, or anything else, exercise is something that everyone can do. Trust me, after a good thirty minutes to an hour of exercising, you may feel tired, but you'll also feel rejuvenated. Our bodies need exercise. I like to accomplish this by popping in a Wii exercise game, since I can't walk around my town alone. But after I exercise, I always feel a little better about myself.

2. Hygiene: A clean girl is a happy girl, right? Brushing your teeth, brushing your hair... this can all shine up your appearance.

3. Smile: This, I think, is the most important so far on the list. When you smile, it completely changes your face. Smiles are beautiful things, that God created. I think a girl looks much more beautiful when she smiles. A smile is also something God can shine through! So don't be afraid to show those teeth. ;D

4. Clothing: Dress in a manner that is classy, modest, and makes you look nice. If you wear too tight, or immodest clothing, that may be the only thing people notice. But if you wear extremely baggy clothing (I wear it all the time at home ;D) you may look as if you don't care about your appearance. Nice clothing doesn't have to be expensive. It doesn't have to name brand. It just needs to look nice on you.

5. Prayer, drawing closer to the Lord: This doesn't have so much to do with the physical as with the spiritual. You can change everything about your appearance, but the only way you'll be truly beautiful is if you have the Lord showing through you. Ask the Lord to draw you closer to Him every day. Trust Him, for He has made you beautiful!

 A lot of people say that how you dress/look is not important at all, and it's true that God made you the way you are. But I believe we can honor God by respecting the temple of our bodies, and dressing in a way that would glorify Him, as well as taking other measures.

 What is something that makes you uniquely you?

What IS Beautiful?

Beautiful-what is it exactly? We throw the word around and act as if we know what it is, when in reality, we have no idea. Hollywood, magazines and blogs all try to define it. The honest truth is-everyone of you girls are drop dead gorgeous! No, seriously! God made you so precious! We girls often have a hard time with this, though I can't really tell you the reason for this. We put ourselves down in our thoughts, "I'm not pretty enough." or "I'm not skinny enough." Too tall, too short  too skinny, too fat, where does it end? I honestly believe every person has something about themselves that they don't like. 

A Smile Is Your Best Accessory!

The realization that we're not perfect can be a good thing, in some cases. The Bible mentions many times how much God hates pride- 

• "Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished." Proverbs 16:5
• "One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor." Proverbs 29:23
• See also: Galatians 6:3, Proverbs 27:2 and James 4:6

So obviously, it's very clear that we shouldn't run around being proud of ourselves and screaming it in the streets to every person we pass! However, I don't believe we should be ashamed of our looks either. The perfect balance comes when we  realize God made us beautiful, we didn't really have anything to do with it! 

Then there's the other side-self hate. Otherwise known as; body bashing, low self esteem, ingratitude and many others. I'm not going to tell you that I'm always happy with my hair, or always happy with my body! But when the negative thoughts start coming, I have a challenge for you. I want you to look yourself straight in the eye (in the mirror of course!) and say "You don't define me, God made me beautiful." And then don't allow yourself to dwell on the negative thoughts, keep repeating it in your head and above all else, pray! Ask God to help you see yourself the way He sees you, stunning and perfect in your own way. 

You should also keep in mind that your outward beauty is only a small part of who you are! I've known people who wouldn't have been considered outwardly beautiful, but as I got to know them, they became beautiful because they had a beautiful personality, a love for Christ. On the other side of things, I've known "beautiful people" that when I got to know them, their true character came through and they became ugly to me. Not because they were, outwardly, but because their heart wasn't beautiful.    

And now I have another hard challenge for you-I want you to comment on this post and list 3 physical qualities, or character qualities that you like about yourself! I know, this can be a hard exercise, don't worry! No one is timing you! 

    

"Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." 1 Peter 3:3-4