How does 'beautiful' feel?

I notice my nails. I need a manicure.
I look at my face. I need to scrub my skin, moisturize my wrinkles, and trim my hair.

Me me me me me memememe

If I'm looking for a way to sink into a hole of self-consuming thoughts and focus on the faults of my body--that will do it. 

Looking into mirrors and trying to find faults.

The teeth can be whiter, and the list goes on.

There is rarely enough to be done to be perfect, because the standard changes with what society tells us is perfect.

What if we didn't care what beautiful looked like and instead focused on what beautiful feels like?

Beautiful feels like.....

happiness.

smiles.

contentment.

peace.

 

Especially raising girls, whom the world will eventually try to tell are too fat, too tall, too short, with hair too straight--I find it IMPERATIVE....that's right, I'm saying imperative....to focus on the strength of character that it takes to be beautiful from the inside out. I try to reinforce good hygiene (yea, me!) but more than that, we encourage kindness, sharing, acts of service. And, it begins at home.  When we hear unkind or critical speech amongst the girls, or undue whining--it is our job to talk to them about loving one another. Yes, I would rather ignore it and keep doing my thang, but my responsibility as their mother/role model is to instill love and confidence in them, and I can't allow our home to be a place where they feel attacked verbally.  

• Inner beauty takes longer to develop than beauty outside. It is more valuable, and it can't be destroyed as quickly.
• Inner beauty doesn't change with who's famous in Hollywood right now. Loving people are always cool.
• Inner beauty is attractive to others, because it draws other in, rather than pushes them away. Outer beauty tends to compare, but inner beauty tend to accept.
• Inner beauty truly does affect the outer shell as well. Smiles, a softness, a self-confidence that cannot be mimicked by hair dye and a manicure. Nor a fad diet.

Even if you aren't raising young ladies, you can focus on increasing the inner beauty God gave you. Before you work out your muscles, don't forget to "tend to your garden" and water your heart. Go without make up and a fancy hair-do if you must, but don't go without resting in the peace that passes all understanding. For me,  this can mean reading my Jesus Calling devo book (I have a link in an earlier post) and listening to some of my favorite worship music (see some of my links on side of page).  I sometimes sit near a window and think. I definitely need to quiet my worrying heart and listen for where God is asking me to serve another person, or step out and do something special today.  If I dare, I ask God what areas are ugly in my heart and need to change.  Inner beauty--

We are ugly in areas of our sin, and we need help to be more like Jesus. Day by day, 

2 Corinthians 3:18 says,  "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord"

PS: We all have extra fat somewhere. Get over it. You are still beautiful and handsome.