{beauty} made for so much more than all of this

My husband tells me that I am beautiful....
... even with the extra pounds and stretch marks from fertility drugs, pizza, ice cream and babies.
...even with no shower, boogers in my hair, puke on my shoulder...he still says it.

but

I

don't

believe

him.

This topic seems to be nailing me lately...through a Bible study at church that I am avoiding, books I am choosing, the scriptures passages, blogs I read...I have been constantly smacked with the idea of beauty.

Beauty
(from Julia and Melissa's blogs) 

This one word haunts women everywhere regardless of location or culture or even socioeconomic status. Himba women in Africa smooth their hair into elaborate dreadlocks with the clay from the earth and rub their skin down with it until they appear wholly red-brown burnished and lovely. Women in China, once obsessed with the beauty of small feet, would bind their feet until bones broke and their feet were permanently deformed; the most beautiful feet were a mere 3 inches. American women starve themselves to be as thin as the Photoshop edited models; and as they age they resort to tummy tucks and Botox and expensive creams hoping to achieve the impossible standard of Beauty.

Our hearts were made to crave Beauty.
But what is Beauty? And does it reside in me?

And when my husband says that I’m beautiful, how can I receive those words as truth in a culture that says the opposite?

What am I going to teach my daughters about Beauty?
And most importantly, what does the Word of God say about Beauty?
I am joining Julia and Melissa,  fellow moms of twins, as they explore  True Beauty each Friday.

So today I am beginning to explore beauty.  I think that my brain is conditioned to "feel" beautiful rather than recognizing where beauty comes from.  Last year, I quit buying magazines- no Cosmo, Shape, Fitness.  It has made a big difference in how I feel about myself.  For more than 12 months, I  have fasted from images of  "Babylon" during and after my study in Daniel.  It just kind of stuck and I was much happier not feeling the need to conform to women in the magazine...plus I was pregnant with the twins, so that helped.  I have always struggled a battle with my weight and it has brought me to very low places.  I have tried many things to lose and what I end up losing is hope and willpower...only to feel defeated and trampled down.  I am beginning to realize that  maybe it is more of spiritual battle as well as a mental battle.  I am wondering...how can I accept that I am beautiful in the ways that God made me beautiful without feeling the need to conform to that of "Babylon"?  I think of that Mercy Me song...  Here Bart talks about the message behind the music he wrote with his daughters in mind.

Days will come when you don't have the strength

And all you hear is you're not worth anything

Wondering if you ever could be loved

And if they truly saw your heart

They'd see too much

You're beautiful, You're beautiful

You are made for so much more than all of this

You're beautiful, You're beautiful

You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His

You're beautiful

Praying that you have the heart to fight

Cuz you are more than what is hurting you tonight

For all the lies you've held inside so long

But they are nothing in the shadow of the cross

You're beautiful, You're beautiful

You are made for so much more than all of this

You're beautiful, You're beautiful

You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His

You're beautiful

Before you ever took a breath

Long before the world began

Of all the wonders He possessed

There was one more precious

Of all the earth and skies above

You're the one He madly loves

Enough to die!

You're beautiful, You're beautiful

In His eyes

You're beautiful!

You are made for so much more than all of this

You're beautiful!

You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His

You're beautiful!

You are made for so much more than all of this

You're beautiful!

You are treasured

You are sacred

You are His