a real true beauty

True beauty is not this:

Or this....

Or this....

But this...

I debated writing this post, because I overthink EVERYTHING! (ex: I just looked up overthink to make sure it was one word and not hyphenated!) I have been lying in bed all day, because unfortunately, I am sick again (3rd time in six weeks-boo!).  This leads to a lot of thinking time, and besides watching Gilmore Girls, Revenge and Suburgatory, I have been catching up on the "James: Mercy Triumphs" by Beth Moore study I am doing.  One of the exercises she had us do on a certain daily assignment was to separate our lives into quarters and list significant "good and perfect" gifts from each period in time.  Seeing that I have only been on this earth 24 short years (although it doesn't feel that short), I wrote down the monumental occurrences that have happened in my life the past four, six year segments.  Wow...what a humbling experience.  

Let me start by saying that I have had a rough past few weeks with some old struggles.  Many of you know that I struggled through an eating disorder in high school and college and although God has healed me from partaking in this, it is still a daily temptation.  The past weeks I have been discouraged, struggling with comparison, inadequacy and shame.  However, when I look at the most recent six-year segment of my life, I am reminded how the Lord healed me from this, and only HE could have brought me out of such bondage.  I can now look back on this point in my life and see it as a gift.  A gift because only Christ could have helped me realize that a worldly appearance would NEVER satisfy me, and only lead to loneliness, fear, a loss of relationships and shame.  A gift because only Christ restores my life, heals, forgives and satisfies my every longing.  So, for the days I struggle with wanting to have perfect abs, and wishing I didn't have cellulite, I cling to the cross and know that it is only Him who makes me beautiful in the first place.  When I am old, wrinkly, and gorgeous I want to have beauty because people see the Jesus inside of me and it makes them want to know Him.  

Girls and women, remember that in the end, it doesn't matter what size you wear, how clear your skin is, or how many men find you attractive.  It matters that you treat your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit by making healthy choices and being who He created you to be in His name.  Amen!

(Images: One, Two, Three, Four)