I want to be beautiful..

Make you stand in awe
Look inside my heart,
and be amazed
I want to hear you say
Who I am is quite enough
Just want to be worthy of love
And beautiful

Sometimes I wish I was someone other than me
Fighting to make the mirror happy
Trying to find whatever is missing
Won't you help me back to glory

[Chorus]

You make me beautiful
You make me stand in awe
You step inside my heart, and I am amazed
I love to hear You say
Who I am is quite enough
You make me worthy of love and beautiful

Beautiful- Bethany Dillon

amazing lady who has some amazing music

We played this for the girls one year at Camp1.. It was so powerful. I watched girls who struggled with appearance and beauty break down walls and grow and realize that they are beautiful. Good stuff. Yesterday I watched the news during my lunch with my mom. I really hate the news because I'm always super depressed after watching it. An interesting [and depressing] story was gonna be shown in the news at 12 so I watched. The gist of the story was about appearance being a major factor to girls ranging from the age of 6 to 13... and that society and parents are feeding this obsession with appearance. They did an interview with a mother who took their 11 year old daughter to the spa to help with stress. The spa where she gets chemical treatments for stress. Another interview was with a mother who did the spa thing but also has her daughter getting a bikini wax.. Her thinking behind these choices was she was preparing her daughter and showing her how to manage good hygiene. Her daughter was 10. She believed you start early. They also did interviews with spa owners and stylists who all had clients ranging from 6 years old to 13 who come in weekly for detox and chemical treatments [ranging anywhere from hair to full body masks]. 6 years old.. I about flipped my lid. Are these people serious or just delusional... There has to be line drawn somewhere. If parents were doing their job as parents kids wouldn't be stressed and wouldn't be getting freaking bikini waxes. They would be kids growing learning and when its time to make the call on chemical treatments and bikini waxes they could use they parents as guidance on what they feel would be the best or who to use. It's sad to me that our society values the outside of people more than who they are or the best healthy solution for them. Because its not healthy for these children [really] to be exposed to such harsh chemicals at this young of an age. It's also really not healthy that we put such a strain on them to fit the status quo or to look a certain way or to feel their head with what the world thinks is beautiful. You think now that your helping them.. but what about 20 years from now when they suffer from bulimia and anorexia or have infections from surgery you approved of like breasts implants and lap band surgery [and yes that was another thing they discussed in the news.. the youngest to receive lap band was 12]. Non of this can be healthy for them, their soul, or their well being later on down the road. The clothing companies don't help in this matter either when daily the clothing is being designed to fit a size 0 model.. and today a size 8 is considered plus size. I'm here to tell you I'm a plus size girl. [I'm by no means close to an 8] The clothing is getting smaller and smaller. And the look of the clothing looks as though the girls are going to a club or better yet going to bed. We are making them prey for some dangerous predators. Our future leaders and business owners and future moms and dads or getting filled with lies daily. Where does it stop?

Moms and Dads I urge to please love on your children, pray over them, and send them out into the world encouraged. The demands that are put on them are so heavy... don't ignore the small stuff. Be present in the times they are struggling and searching. When you see your daughter standing at the mirror for hours dissecting herself.. confirm to her how beautiful she is and what a blessing she is and how proud of her you are. Write notes of encouragement on her mirror so when she doesn't want to wake up in the morning and go to school to face the kids of today.. she knows someone believes in her and thinks she is beautiful. Show her in scripture where God has made everything beautiful in itself and in it's time. Tell your boys they are strong and handsome. Show them how to be competent men... Men who fear God and are Men of integrity- Men who are incorruptible so they can stand up one day and be leaders and the head of their house. We live in a corrupt world please don't be blind to this.

grace and peace

merl