The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful.

The difference between ugly and beautiful. 


I'm not a very confident person when it comes to my body type. In fact, I hate everything about my body. I'm too short, too large, too square, and have chipmunk cheeks. I tend to envy the skinny girl sitting next to me that can eat a cheeseburger and not put on a pound. 


In a world where size seems to matter a lot, it's hard not to notice your body type. Clothes aren't made for girls my size. They just aren't. I'm apparently not supposed to own a skirt or dress that fits right - I need to be about 3 inches taller if I want the length to be right, or about 30 pounds lighter, either way I'm the wrong size. Oh and lets not forget swimming suits and even a women's tshirt. I have yet to meet a woman that is built like a triangle. 


Women come in every shape and size and I don't think that I am the only one to dislike the shape and size that I am. I also don't believe that I need to be satisfied. (for the record - I'm not at all) I fail to buy into the fact that I need to be a certain size to be beautiful. Some adds and individuals seem to portray that 'skinny is in' others that 'strong and fit' is necessary to be accepted, and still others that a 'curvy and real woman' is what is really attractive. 


Skinny is NOT the only way to be beautiful. Larger women are not grotesque and unhealthy. The only 'unattractive' individuals are those who choose to behave in a way that is unattractive in itself. 


I am created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and therefore I am beautiful. God has made everything beautiful in its time and who am I to decide that I am not (Ephesians 3:11) I am fearfully and wonderfully made and that alone should cause me to give thanks to God for the wonderful work that he has created in me regardless of what I may see in a mirror (Psalm139:14) Most importantly God saw EVERYTHING that he had made and behold it was GOOD (Genesis 1:31). 


God didn't make a mistake when he created me completely different from those around me. God created all of us equally different, equally in his image and equally good in his sight. God tells Samuel that he does not look at our appearance or our height, because he has rejected this (1 Samuel 16:7) God does not see as man sees. God is not looking at the outward appearance, but at the heart of an individual. In 1 Peter 3:3-4 we read" ³Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

 ⁴But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." 

This is not however an excuse to not take care of our bodies. God does call us to prepare them as temples of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 3:16) This means we must take care of our bodies and do them no harm.  By taking care of them we nourish them with good friends, scriptures, healthy lifestyles, and healthy activities. 


In the end I believe that I am beautiful, beauty is not what everyone else sees, but it's what I see when I look in the mirror in the morning and what I know that God can see reflected in my heart. I know that I have a Christ-like attitude and I am constantly striving to serve him. Although I fail miserably, he provides me with the strength to continue trying and the confidence that I am His child and I am everything good and perfect that he has created.

You will forever be loved TLW 2-11-11

I don't know if I have talked about this with anyone ever, but I'm much better at writing down what I feel than talking about it and a year later it seems fitting to tell someone. So this is the way that I can say just how much I miss one of my bests friends and just how much I still feel. I, along with many others, love and miss Trisha Lynn Wood, but also realize just how great a place she is in. 

It was a pretty quiet morning. I never really thought about why I woke up so early, but I think it was God’s way of making sure I started the day out right. I woke up around 7am and thought it was incredibly nice out for a January morning. The sun was shining it was actually pretty warm, and there was a slight hint of frost on the ground making the whole world sparkle. I decided that I was going to go outside and do devotions there. I’m not sure why I usually do devotions before I go to bed and just pray when I wake up. But this day was different, and I thought I should go outside because it was gorgeous and by the time I got to bed that night I knew that it would be dark. I never realized how much God was speaking to me that morning and preparing me for what would become one of the longest days I have ever lived through.

I took my Bible outside and just opened it up. I wasn’t really on a set schedule and just felt that I would read whatever God put in my lap -pretty literally. I just let the Bible fall open and decided that I would read and pray and think about whatever it was that I was meant to read. That morning I was supposed to read Psalm 71. I read about how I needed to praise God in every situation. When I go back I realize just how much God was preparing me for the phone call I was about to receive. Psalm 71: 19-21 reads like this:

¹⁹ Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?
²⁰ You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,
Shall revive me again,
And bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
²¹ You shall increase my greatness,
And comfort me on every side.

See not only does God give me great troubles, but he shows me through them and provides COMFORT on every side of me. Not only does he revive me again, but he brings me from the depths of my pain and troubles to his heavenly throne where I continue to praise him. PRAISE HIM. Even in the bad times I am supposed to give thanks to God for all of the good in my life.

There were many lives that changed that day. And there are millions more who drift by unaffected by a life that was so precious to so many. A year goes by and there isn’t a day that we think about her and realize just how much she was loved. But how deep was the Father’s love for us that he gave his ONLY son so that we can live forever. God provides us with a life beyond this one that is so much better. I can’t imagine a better thing to look forward to.

So on a day that was so hard for so many I hope that we can ALL remember just how much God has done for us and how much he has yet to do. God doesn’t turn away for us or forget us like we would make it seem. Instead he provides us comfort in unusual ways. Like making us wake up early one morning just to read the Bible and pray.

There were a few other verses that have been shared with my family and I since the death of Trisha and I think it’s only fitting that a year later I revisit those verses and draw comfort from them again.

2 Corinthians 1: 3&4 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God

Is 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

For God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death". Psalm 48:14

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

And the one that helps the most:
"The LORD give and the LORD taketh away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.