To any girl who has ever felt un-beautiful :)

We as women and young ladies are constantly being bombarded by messages (sent from everywhere, it seems!) that we have to be beautiful. Beauty gains love. Beauty gains friendship. Beauty gains security. You can't turn on the t.v. or pull up the internet or even go outside of your house sometimes without getting some kind of signal that beauty is a necessary thing to possess. Consequently, many of us feel that we have to look a certain way to be beautiful. And this can be very frustrating!! After all, how many of us really look like that super-model, flawless image you see on the magazine covers? We buy make-up and we have all kinds of things done to our bodies in an effort to be more beautiful. But why? Is it really that important? Have we believed the lie that the enemy has sold to us through media that without certain features we are not good enough and can never be loved?

I find it very unsettling that so many women are trying to fit an image in which they were not created. Don't you see what the enemy is doing here? He wants to distract us from what we're really meant to be so that we never reach our true potential in Christ. God created us in HIS image. SO WHAT if the world's definition of beauty does not line up?! Wouldn't you rather be considered beautiful by your Maker? And He does think you are beautiful!! In fact, He has crowned you with beauty!! DO not measure your beauty by worldly standards because you were NEVER meant to fit the standard. But you are meant to fit God's standard, and.. God's standard is BEAUTIFUL!! Begin from now on to measure your beauty by heavenly standards. Begin to set your eyes on HIM and not what YOU see in the mirror. Seek Him and spend time in His presence and let the things of His heart become the things of yours. I've noticed that the more in love with Jesus a woman is, the more it shines through in her countenance. And that, in my opinion, is THE MOST beautiful image. True beauty, then, is an alignment with the heart of God!

My constant prayer now is that God will make me beautiful from the inside out. I won't always have this body. In fact, my life is a mere vapor of smoke compared to eternity. I want the "me" that is eternal to be beautiful, don't you?! Line your heart up with what the Word of God says about you. Find verses and write them down. Post them up on your bathroom mirror. Look in the mirror and boldly declare that you have been created beautifully in the eyes of Christ.

Now, I know that all of this may sound unrealistic to the one who is deeply hurting because of insecurity. I know because there was a time that I did not believe it either. Or, not so much that I didn't believe that God saw me as beautiful, but that I felt that wasn't enough. I wanted people to think I was beautiful too. I wanted to see myself as beautiful. But I have learned that God has such a full and abundant life planned for us, and if we can never get past the outer appearance we will never move forward in spiritual matters. And the spiritual is what really matters, because the spiritual is who we really are, the part of us that is eternal. Take your eyes off of the temporal, and look upon Him. I know this doesn't change the way other people may see you, or even the things they may say to you, and I know that it is so very difficult to see what God sees when you can't get past what you see in the mirror. But be encouraged, dear sister! First of all, you are not alone in your struggle with the mirror. Second, you are so very loved and treasured and highly esteemed by an Almighty, Perfect, Holy, Beautiful God Who has made you in His image and for His pleasure!

I pray that this has encouraged you! I don't know how many will read this, or if they do, who will read to the end. I know I got a little wordy! But know that I am praying for you, all of you beautiful ladies of the Lord! If you have questions or need specific prayer, please send me a message! I won't pretend as though I have this all figured out because, believe me, I don't. I still struggle with this sometimes. But God has shown me how beautiful a relationship is with Him, and how in His presence nothing else matters, and how faithful He is; and I know I have only scratched the surface! I pray that you will allow Him to do the same for you. :)

A Heart Like Jesus

Many of you have probably heard of the recent devastation that has taken place in Alabama. I haven't had a chance to see the areas of major destruction, but from the few pictures and areas I have seen, it looks like a third world country out there. It seems so unreal to me still and I am having trouble grasping the reality of it all since I still have not seen much of Tuscaloosa. I was born there, and my dad lives there, about 5 minutes away from where much of the destruction is. I praise the Lord that he and my family is safe though! They were huddled together in the basement and could hear it go over their house, but they are safe. It's so crazy how quickly something can be destroyed. It makes you realize the fragility of life and how short it is.

It just breaks my heart hearing all of the stories about children who have died and entire families being wiped out. Entire communities have been leveled and just absolutely taken off the map. They have no homes, no cars, and many of them have no where to go.

But it has also been amazing to see churches and communities rise up without hesitation and rush to the aid of those who are in such desperate need. I was privileged to go up to Tuscaloosa this last week and volunteer in a shelter by helping to prepare meals. There were so many people from the who had been showing up for days to help and staying for anywhere from 12 to 17 hours. They were truly sacrificing themselves to serve the hopeless and the broken.

As amazing as this is and as encouraging as it is to see so many help, it also makes me wonder how many of them will still be around a month from now. People sometimes are so willing to help in the wake of a disaster, but what about a month later? Two months? That seems about the time that people start to forget. They think they have done their civil or Christian duty and they can just wash their hands of the whole situation. Places like Eclectic (where I was able to help today), while some areas are completely devastated, there will be recovery soon. There is a lot of cleanup to be done and houses to repair, but before too long, I think that can be accomplished. But in Tuscaloosa, so much of the city has been destroyed that it will take months or years even to get these people back on their feet. Please don't forget. I read a quote recently pertaining to this...

We are in this for the long haul. As it was said with the earthquake in Haiti, don't change the channel. Don't move on. Don't forget about this.

The number of volunteers will soon be dying down, or so it is expected. That is when the workers will truly be needed. Pray about what you can do.

So, all of this is to say, don't stop. Don't stop praying. Don't stop donating. Don't stop volunteering if you are able. Jesus Himself did not come to this earth to be served but to serve. Who are we to think that we can escape that lifestyle? Our lives are not about us, but about what we can do to live the Gospel and shine the light of Jesus. Our lives are not just about what we can do to get by here, and how much money we can make, and how comfortably we can live. Our lives are only preparation for eternity. And we prepare for eternity by learning to have a heart like Jesus. A servant heart. A loving and compassionate heart.