In a world full of ridiculous expectations, images, commercials, and entertainment brimming with what a woman should be, and an all but Godless culture, I can’t help but be a voice for true beauty. What if what we should be…. is ourselves?

Now before some of you play the movie reel from Liar, Liar in your head: 🙂

Son: My teacher tells me real beauty is on the inside.

Jim Carrey: That’s just something ugly people say.

Tell me this——

Then why was the world awe struck the first time Susan Boyle sang on Britain’s Got Talent? Did we not see glorious beauty all over her?

Why did we all want the best for Edith in the series finale of Downton Abbey? (I am not suggesting she’s unattractive—I think she’s striking, but the show certainly tried to make her out as the unfortunate looking one…)

Why do we love cheering for the underdog?

Because reasonable people can find and cherish beauty in every single life on this planet. And truth be told, every life is, in actuality, abounding in beauty. Only Satan would try to convince woman that she was ugly. And what a disgusting ploy it has been…

It took many years, buckets of tears, and tremendous growth for me personally to feel beautiful. It DID NOT come naturally and humanity did its part from the very beginning to try and convince me otherwise.

When I was in grade school and middle school I was mercilessly bullied and made fun of. When people say kids can be mean, they aren’t kidding. Kids can be brutal. Most of the time, in my case, it was my appearance that was targeted and the name-calling was crushing. I was a Tom Boy, late bloomer, and marched to the beat of my own drummer—meanwhile desperately wishing I was “normal.” NONE of this was “cool” in my little northern suburb of Chicago. I’ve blocked most of it out, but the result was decades of counseling beginning in the second grade and lasting until just a few years ago. (Thank you Jesus for healing all the holes in my heart!) The irony? I still don’t have very thick skin. But I think it’s by the grace of God. In order to love others well, we must remain tender and gentle.

As an adult, I firmly believe that there is nothing more beautiful than a woman who is joyfully and un-apologetically herself. It’s simply breathtaking. Her children admire her, her husband desires her, and I believe that God is pleased with her. After all, He designed the woman we were supposed to be long before we asked the question. Being this kind of woman is the very best thing we can do for ourselves and our children. It sets a precedent and serves as an example. There is little I want more in the world than for my daughter to have a vastly different experience that I did, and I’ve realized it all begins with me. She will KNOW that she is beautiful and that her momma is, too.

So I choose to be around people that bring out the best in me, participate in activities that help me grow, and take time to care for myself: mind, body, soul, and spirit. Most importantly, I seek the One who calls me Worthy, because when we feel worthy, we KNOW we are beautiful.

So today, regardless of what you or someone else might say, I proudly and confidently claim my own breathtaking beauty:

I am beautiful because I am quirky, smart, serious, goofy, loud, opinionated, sensitive, powerful, verbose, strong, artsy, passionate, and tender-hearted. 🙂 I am… me.

And you are beautiful because you are you. <3

All my love,