Beauty and Starbucks Collide.

So, here I am sitting in Starbucks and reading “The Way I See It #83” upon my white paper cup.  I scan the words of Tiana Tozer, which states, “they told you that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What they failed to tell you is that it is best seen with the eyes closed. What you look like isn’t important. What is important is who you are inside and the choices you are making in your life.”

Ironically, I can’t help but scan the table of those that sip their Starbucks lattes with me.  He sits slightly sunken in his chair. His mother is dying and only has a year to live.  Her eyes are blurry and distant. She is fighting the hangover from last night and the battle of alcoholism is consuming her.  He sits without any reaction. His addiction to porn is causing him to remove any form of emotion.  Her face is smiling ever so brightly with a ridged gap. Her teeth hide the hurt from the countless sexual and physical beatings by her own father.

I close my eyes…

Ironically, I can’t help but deeply inhale and consider the evidence of hurt that creates such beauty.  Truthfully, he may be watching his mother die, yet he is spending quality time with the one person he finds truly beautiful.  One day it will be his wife, but today it is mother.  She may be damaging her liver, yet she is aware of the choices and her willingness to change is a part of the beautiful victory.  One day she will inspire others to change, but today it is simply for herself. He may be ashamed and pride grips him, yet he voiced such beautiful words, “I want to be free.” One day he will be completely free, but today those five words speak of such beauty.  She may fear men, yet her courageous presence is captivating. One day she will smile ever so brightly without any fear, but today she is a reminder that beauty isn’t just what you see.

I open my eyes…

Ironically, I can’t help but smile.  For God created beauty in the very beginning. He expresses in Genesis 1: 31 that "he saw all that he had made, and it was VERY good." Beauty is a piece of God’s goodness, which sadly has been tainted by sin. As a result, I close my eyes again and see how Jesus beautifully restored the intended goodness of creation upon the cross.

In the completion of this Easter season, I am choosing to see the beauty that is often hidden. So, with my eyes closed I see TRUE beauty and it is breathtaking, captivating, and inspiring! 

In awe of God’s restoration of beauty,

Charlene

P.S. For “we delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty” (Mary Angelou).

Beautiful For Me

 Are you good enough? Do you measure up? Above is just a portion of a song that almost always brings tears to my eyes. You see, I have two beautiful little girls that are eventually going to be told lies about their beauty, their worth, their intelligence, etc and I would do anything to keep them safe, keep them from hearing those lies. I know I won't be able to. Somehow, someway, we are all reached by those lies and sometimes led to believe them. All I can do, as a parent, is speak truth over those lies and fight for my little girls to know their importance, their beauty, their worth, etc. I have the same heart for you as I do for my little girls. The same desire for you to know how beautiful you are and how much you are worth. The worlds view on beauty and Gods view on beauty are so very different....."Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."(1 Samuel 16:7 b) There is nothing wrong with being beautiful and being told you are beautiful....in fact, I think it is very important to have the people who love you tell you that but do not be consumed with your outward beauty. Instead, work on your inner beauty. Let that shine through. There is nothing more beautiful then seeing love or joy or peace on someone's face. It shines from their eyes, glistens on their smile....pretty much radiates out from them and draws you in. That's true beauty in my opinion. "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."(Colossians 3:12) I want to encourage you to see the true and real beauty in yourself and to speak it over other. Your words are powerful and they have the ability to speak life into others!

One last thing I want to leave with you.... 

You are a beautiful creation, unique and important. There is no one else in the world like you and you are needed. Your talents and gifts that God has given to you were given to you for a reason and a purpose. No one else can do what God created you to do. Do not believe the lies of the world but believe the truths of God found in the Bible.

Xo, TinaMarie

Now, check out the song that inspired this post ;)

A Timeless Beauty

A Timeless Beauty

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

Sometimes I feel like I am getting to an awkward stage of my life. I mean, I know I am still very young and the best is yet to come, but sometimes little things come up to remind me that every day I am one day older. For example, I celebrated another birthday several weeks back, and on that very day, just like time was playing a joke on me, I found my very first gray hair. Being the incredibly sweet man that my dad is, as he was with me when I first spotted this intruder, he tried to convince me that it was only a platinum colored strand... but no matter what he said, I knew the truth (thanks for trying dad). And then to add insult to injury, I looked in the mirror and for the first time I noticed lines beginning to form around the corners of my eyes. While, I will choose to believe that these are simply ‘laugh lines’, my mind knows the truth… I am simply growing older.

These new acknowledgements in my life have caused me to start thinking. One of my very favorite verses is 1 Peter 3:3, and after years of struggling to achieve self-acceptance, it has become one of my life verses. It says “your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery 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. For this is the way holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful”.

I am entering into the stages of life where women are beginning to contemplate and seek procedures to enhance their physical beauty. I however, am beginning to feel God stir a challenge in my heart. Instead of standing in the mirror and evaluating my physical appearance, God is calling me to evaluate matters of my heart. Where before physical beauty was consuming, God is calling me to change my perspective and focus on my inward beauty. I don’t want to downplay the importance of taking care of your physical self. The Bible says “do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you” (1 Corinthians 6:19). I think it is important that we give God our best. But even more than our outward best, God is after our inward best. I am making a new challenge for myself. Every morning when I stand in front of the mirror to get ready for my day, I am going to recognize and thank God for one inward quality that makes me beautiful. Today, I said “thank you God for your joy that fills my heart”. As I declare my inward beauty daily, I believe that area’s that maybe aren’t so inwardly beautiful will begin to change in my life. I am challenging you to join me in this journey to become more inwardly beautiful. God is calling his daughters to rise up and embrace our inward beauty which is timeless, of great worth, and never ever fades.

With great love, your sister in Christ

            Ashley

She was beautiful, but not like those girls in the magazines.

She was beautiful, for the way she thought.

She was beautiful, for that sparkle in her eyes

When she talked about something she loved.

She was beautiful, for her ability to make other

People smile even if she was sad.

No, she wasn’t beautiful for something as temporary

As her looks.

She was beautiful, deep down to her soul

            ~Author Unknown~