Beauty I

I am a co-leader of a ministry in our church that deals with domestic violence, sexual assault & human trafficking. A branch of our ministry is dealing with younger girls. Why would we be dealing with younger girls for this type of ministry you ask? They need to be educated on these things so hopefully they do not fall victim to these types of evils--that lurk in our world to destroy them and if by some chance they do fall victim they know there is hope and that someone cares. Where does something like this start? Where would we even start with these girls? The worth of their lives. That's where you start. That they are not an accident....the product of something ugly....they have a life that is worth something....worth our Saviour dying for.....that they were thought of by an awesome Creator, who thought and planned their lives out before they were even here.....who wants to be a part of their lives....who wants to get them through anything. That we love them, the Lord just compels us to love them....we can't stop. That everything they go through there is a God who sees.

The first topic we will be dealing with is beauty. Beauty has been so incorrectly defined and understood through the ages that it has caused girls/women to set these standards on themselves that are unattainable! They see these pictures on magazines, they think this is the definition of beauty....they think these entertainers/models wake up looking like that!!! Then they set the bars way too high for themselves and believe they can do whatever it takes to get them there---to get them accepted by society---their friends---families---boys. They will not be accepted if they don't have the right hair, make up, clothing, look, wear the right size.....This is where we start to see the bulimia, anorexia nervosa, binging, cutting, suicide attempts.....they are expected to live up to standards that God would not even think of!! And then they start to pick out what is wrong with everyone else. Why? To take the focus off their imperfections. And if they see that magazine cover; they idolize who they see there and think if they just 'worship' them by following what they do, they will look like that---news flash: those women don't even look like that.

If a girl does not feel "up to par"....all those issues I listed above come into play and then some...such as they become promiscuous in order to be accepted by boys...unwanted pregnancies...abortions..sexually transmitted diseases...drug abuse....alcoholism....shall we continue? Society is defining females!!! We are expected to live up to some standard someone else has set to be deemed acceptable??? I am not beautiful because I don't look like her? I am not thin enough because I am not that size? I am not accepted because I don't where that make up? The pressure! This is what the Bible says about beauty:

1Peter 3:3-4: Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

Proverbs 31:30: Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

I have some pics below....some before and after make ups or airbrushing, there is a photoshop picture on the bottom right.....These are real women and they NEVER look like the magazine covers!