Published again: Beauty, Uniqueness, and Feeling Needed

Once again, my work has been published by Made4More, an organization dedicated to helping others live through everyday challenges faced in the world. This post is about true beauty, and what it means to be 'beautiful', and how this relates to our needing to feel loved, special, and unique: http://made4moreministry.com/2014/08/18/you-are-beautiful-and-i-mean-it/

Looking at this way, we see that beauty doesn't only to women. Nor does it mean how we dress, what our bodies look like, or what make-up or watches we wear. That is what the world wants you to think beauty is all about. Why? Because the world lives off of this misconception. The media and companies fool us into thinking that we need the latest brand-name clothes to look 'cool', or that we need to have that designer-brand watch because it shows others that we can afford it. For women, there is the pressure to be thin and tall. For men, there is the pressure to be muscular and strong. All around us, we see ideas of what the world wants us to think beauty is about.

But beauty really is much more than the outward appearance. We are all made to be beautiful because we are created in the image of God. You are beautiful inside and out - whether you are male or female, young or old, short or tall, etc. It is not about how you dress or what you accessorize with. It is about your heart and your mind. Do you wish others well? Do you strive your best to keep your heart, mind, and actions pure? Can others look at you and see Christ? Do you use your talents and words to help others and give them strength, hope, or encouragement? Do you realize that you are special, loved, and needed?

Something that I have learned along my journey is that I need to stop thinking of beauty as being something I see in the mirror or on the scale. I had to learn to reframe beauty as what God intended it to be - my actions, thoughts, and words. My beauty and my self-worth are defined by these qualities, not by my appearance. I am beautiful because God created me, and He doesn't make mistakes. I am beautiful, unique, and needed because I strive to use my actions and words to help others. I am beautiful because God gives me the strength to endure hardships. And the same applies to YOU. Yes, YOU. You are beautiful too! I know males may feel uncomfortable with this wording, so to all the males out there, you are special and attractive because you are made in the image of God, too! Remember not to let the world trick you into concentrating only on the outward appearance. You are beautiful. You are special. You are needed. You are loved. (P.S. Look at the image and quote above about people being like stained glass windows. This is an amazing analogy, and so encouraging. Challenges give us strength and teach us many lessons!)

P.S. I love this quote about beauty and Oreos. Not only is it true, but I love Oreo cookies...so this quote is awesomely true and delicious at the same time!

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