Ummm I'm slightly in love with Brooke's work and try really hard not to covet her talents so I figured the best thing for me to do is just blog stalk her and learn as much as I can from her. So when she came up with this contest I hoped that one of my friends would nominate me..I mean...come on...I could be considered beautiful in some cultures. But really when it got down to it (Warning: this next statement may seem arrogant, prideful and down right ridiculous) I know that I'm a beautiful person. I know I'm not a drop dead gorgeous pageant queen. I know I'm not the next cover model of vogue magazine. I know that when people describe me beautiful may not be one of the first things they say as they describe me, but I know that I'm beautiful. So as the crunch for the deadline came closer and closer and the nominations of people became more heart felt and moving and my friends seemed to somehow miss all the secret mind messages I was sending to nominate me I decided to do a very un-beautiful thing and nominate myself.
Here's what I wrote:
Andrea wrote:
Gaaa!!I can’t believe I’m doing this. But I’m going to nominate myself just merely for the fact that the reason I think I’m beautiful has yet to be mentioned.
As a small child I grew up singing the song “I Am a Child of God” and that one simple bit of knowledge helped me radiate my own true beauty through the ratty hair, massive amounts of freckles and those giant buck teeth that seemed to be the brunt of everyone’s jokes.
More importantly that knowledge grew with me as I went through that awkward teenage years. It helped me make good decisions and really helped me shine through out high school.
But now as a full pledge Mother, Wife and (shoot I feel so old saying this) Woman knowing that I am a daughter of God has solidified my beauty. I know that I am beautiful not only when I’m dressed to the nines but more importantly when I’m dressed in my baggy sweats and peanut butter and jelly covered tee shirts. I know I’m beautiful when I’m going out on a hot date with my hubby but more importantly I feel beautiful when I’m teaching my children about who they really are and helping them realize their own potential. I know I’m beautiful when my husband lovingly tells me so but more importantly I feel I’m beautiful when I feel the spirit whisper a reminder of who I am to my heart after a heartfelt prayer.
I’ve never been the jaw-dropping, breath taking beauty..but I hope that my kind of beauty always makes people feel as though they are a better person, possibly a little happier and a little more full of hope all because they know that there is a loving heavenly father that no matter what loves them, and they have the same potential to become like him.
I could drone on and on about this it’s kind of a tender spot for me. I don’t really expect for you to pick me there are so many moving stories on your blog already but this must be said. Everyone should feel beautiful take a look at all the creations our heavenly father has created..He does not know how to make anything less than beautiful. And despite what we may view as imperfections or flaw our spirits are beautiful and truly radiate TRUE beauty.
Honestly I could go over this a whole bunch more times and probably will in the course of my writings. Nothing drives me more bonkers than women who constantly put themselves down because they can't find anything beautiful about themselves. Women, who despite their beauty focuses on those unimportant flaws, imperfections as if to discount the amazing beauty that radiates from us all.
We are children of a loving heavenly Father and even more importantly to the women who read this you are his daughter. You were created in the image of deity. The beauty that each of us posess doesn't come from just our physical bodies but more importantly from the person inside the spirit daughter of God realizing her potential to become like her Father and striving to obtain that potential.
Now I must admit that I'm not perfect in recognizing my own beauty and I have from time to time felt a little less because my outer beauty may not be the most awesome ever but I have never doubted my beauty when I was in the service of someone else, I've never doubted my beauty when I have shared my testimony or have felt my testimony grow. I've never doubted my beauty when I've recieved an answer to a prayer. These times are really the times that matter. I'm not going to lie to you I really make an effort to look good (k not every day as I am currently sitting in my chair with my sweats on and my hair pulled back in a pony tail) but I enjoy doing my hair and putting on make-up and dressing nicely not because that's the only chance I have of looking beautiful but I like to think of dressing up as having the outside match what's on the inside.
I don't know....I kind of feel like I'm rambling now...but I hope you all feel this from time to time. Remeber that you are beautiful. Remember that you are the daughter of a king and have the potential to become a queen and receive all the grace and beauty that comes with that.
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