Romans 12:1

  
Some of you may agree with me and others may not. That is okay. I’m not writing this for a debate or to cause controversy. I am simply writing what is on my heart. 

Romans 12:1 …present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you , which he have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 

Lately I have been having some digestive health problems. I learned a few months that when I cut out dairy and meat, I didn’t have problems. I was okay with that but I struggled with it because it made me different than others. I struggle a lot with being different than everyone else. It’s dumb really. I hate sticking out or having attention being drawn on me. It freaks me out! 

I decided the other day I didn’t want to have to eat differently. I wanted to be able to order a pizza, eat it and be okay. My Mom and I were working on the finishing touches of my cousins shower invitations and we were hungry so we ordered a pizza from Papa Johns. It used to be my favorite pizza. I love their breadsticks and garlic sauce. We ordered a small and breadsticks, so we split the pizza and each ate some breadsticks. We finished the invitations and she took me home. ( I walked to her house with my dog because it’s less than a mile) 

When I got home, I got so sick! I was so sick I felt like my insides were dying. I knew why. I ate cheese. It looked so good and it tasted amazing but I knew I shouldn’t have eaten it. I knew it wasn’t good for me. The reason I became Vegan a few months back, was for ,my health. I knew better but I couldn’t resist. 

In the above verses it talks about presenting your body as a living sacrifice and that your body is a temple. I didn’t treat mine that way. I am now suffering the consequences. I am still having a lot of problems and my face has broken out so badly with deep painful pimples. This happens when I eat dairy of any kind. 

I don’t think that by doing something like eating pizza is a sin but I knew what it would do to me and I did it anyway. How many times have we done that with other aspects in life? It looks so good and we know it’s wrong but we do it anyway. Sex before marriage will cause a lot of problems. There is pleasure in sin for a season. Then you have to reap the consequences. 

I have been feeling convicted about the way I treat myself. I haven’t been taking care of myself or loving me. I have been so negative about my body image for gaining weight and have eaten poorly because I was upset about my weight. Really dumb I know.  I need to start looking at myself the way God does and loving myself enough to take care of myself. It’s not easy going Vegan. I struggled with what to eat and what to look for in ingredients. It’s not easy but in the end it will be worth it because it is what is best for me. 

By the way, labels lie. They say dairy free but when you read the ingredients, turns out it has a milk product in it. 

I know this post is very different from what I normally post but I just felt lead to share what I am currently going through  after speaking with a friend today about this. 

I am going to try to start exercising and eating healthier so that I can treat my body the way it deserves to be treated. After all our bodies are to be presented as a living sacrifice and those who are saved, are the temples of the Holy Ghost. 

I will try to be more diligent with posts. My lap top is broken and I don’t have a computer so I am using my iPad and I hate typing posts with this thing!  Hopefully one day I can replace my lap top. 

Love from above,

Iva Mae ❤

Mirrors, Relfections and God

We all have days where we feel bad about ourselves and we pick ourselves apart piece by piece when we look in the mirror. That’s why I hate mirrors. If we aren’t careful we can lose all vision of who we truly are and only focus on the outward appearance. I’ve been guilty and getting back is hard!

All of my life I’ve struggled with my appearance, my weight, my height and my identity. It all started in middle school/junior high. I was tall and skinny. My nose was too big for my face and I was awkward. I never quite fit in and always felt out of place. It’s funny in a way because at times I still feel like I don’t fit in. I can be in a room full of people and still feel alone and out of place. (That’s another story for another day)

I felt like maybe if I was skinnier that people would like me. I would eat lunch in the cafeteria and then go to the bathroom and throw it up. Sometimes I’d use it as an excuse to go home because I didn’t want to be at school. I hated it that much. I used to be embarrassed by it but it’s a part of my life. Throwing up so much damaged the enamel on my teeth and I still deal with getting cavities easily today as a result of that.

Once I got to High School I just wouldn’t eat. I had gone from a size 3 to a 7 from my Freshman year to my Sophomore year. I felt like I was too fat and that I needed to get the weight off. The worse part of it was that years later when I told someone about it they didn’t believe me. The next year couple years of school I ate. What I ate was not so healthy. I had bagels 2x a day with fatty cream cheese and 4-6 cookies from the cafeteria. I drank tons of soda and didn’t walk or get in any exercise. I started packing on the pounds. I’ve never been athletic and I didn’t play sports in school. I was basically a couch potato.

I’ve never really enjoyed eating meat growing up. I never really liked the taste of it (Something I still struggle with today). When I would eat it in high school it would be at fast food restaurants like Taco Bell or it would be deep fried at Wendy’s or KFC. My friends and I would frequently go to Taco Bell after school and hang out. I would then go home and eat dinner again. It was a vicious cycle. I was diagnosed with cancer at the end of my Junior year. I had a couple of surgeries and the last one they removed the tumor along with the small bone above my ankle bone. Thank God, God healed me and I didn’t have to go through the chemo or amputations. This added to me being sedentary. I couldn’t walk anywhere far and if I had to go far someone pushed me in a wheel chair.

I was in size 11’s and 13’s by my senior year. To add to the weight gain from being sedentary and from eating so poorly I was on prednisone for my asthma for an entire year. It added to the weight gain. I had no idea how much weight I had gained until I watched a video of me from a class assignment and I was mortified! I had a gut and a roll hanging over my jean skirt. It was shocking and embarrassing. It was near the end of Senior year. My friend and I had our picture taken in our graduation outfits and it was posted in the year book. My face was so large I was unrecognizable to myself. I saw the picture and thought that the girl in the picture couldn’t possibly be me.

That summer I went into depression and didn’t really leave the house much. I started college in the fall. The campus was spread out really far and all my classes were in different buildings and different floors. I walked everywhere and walked up and down 3-4 flights a stairs several times every day. Before I knew it, I had lost a lot of weight and was healthy again. I started eating in moderation and had a sensible lunch every day. I was so happy and proud of myself! My entire time at school I always took the stairs over the elevator. I was doing great. I met a guy we dated for a couple years and eventually it ended. I was devastated over the circumstances of it and quit eating. I thought I was too fat and that is why he didn’t love me. I lost 30+lbs and at one point weighed 120. I am 5’ 7 ½“ and should weigh around 145 or so. I went from 8’s and 10’s to 6’s and 4’s. I was unhealthy. When I chose to eat, my body rejected it from not eating. Eventually I got better and unfortunately started in this pattern of fast food again. I also got a full time job where I sat down all day long. I was used to walking all over downtown going on errands and such. I started talking to this guy and we hit it off. We started hanging out after my night classes and would go by McDonald’s and grab some food. I started packing on the pounds. We got married less than a year later! I was so happy to marry this guy who was my best friend and the love of my life. (We are still happily married 4 years later!)

I looked at myself in my wedding dress and was shocked at how big I had gotten again. My husband and I lived with my parents because he lost his job right before we got married. He was having a hard time finding anything. 7 months after we got married, my Grandma passed away in June. Then in November my Grandpa passed away. I was devastated by both but more so after my Grandpa died. We weren’t expecting it. He fell and 2 weeks later he was gone. He was my best friend. I thought the world of him. I spent every day of my childhood at his house. Almost every dinner was at his house. I didn’t know how to manage that. My Mom had to start taking care of my Grandma. She has Alzheimer’s. She spent the night at her house almost every night. She eventually had to quit her job to take care of her full time. I started helping more around the house. The car my husband and I just bought had the engine blow, and then a few months later the transmission went. Needless to say it was stressful. I turned to desserts and food for comfort.

At my heaviest I was 190lbs. I am not sure my current weight but am guessing it is somewhere in the 160lbs range. I am currently trying to get healthy and get the rest of the weight off that isn’t healthy for me. I need to lose about 15lbs to get to where my doctor wants my BMI to be. I take long walks every day with my dog. I am trying to kick soda and fast food. I would like to get down to 145lbs this year and do it the healthy way. No more not eating and no more throwing my food up. I know I need to eat healthy food and exercise to be healthy. God gave us life and bodies. Our bodies are our temples. We should take care of them and love them. Both of those are hard to do sometimes.

1 Corinthians 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

I’ve struggled with loving myself but until I did I couldn’t love my husband the way God intended me to. I still struggle some days with my appearance but at the end of the day what matters is that God loves me for exactly who I am and he sees me for who I am. He sees my soul and knows my heart.

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

1 John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

The above verses tell us God formed us, he loved us so much even when we were sinners that he sent his only son to die for us so we could go to Heaven and live forever if we accept his son and believe that he is God’s son and that he died for us and rose again on the third day. We also must confess that we are sinners and ask for forgiveness.

I invite you to examine your heart and ask God to help you love yourself and see yourself in his eyes. For you ladies, if you are going through any of the same things I have please get help. I was lucky to get through it on my own. I am not going to lie, there are days where I honestly consider not eating to get the weight off or eating whatever I want then throwing it up. No matter how much weight is off sometimes I can’t see myself as looking any different and all I see is me being heavy. Don’t let anyone convince you that it is normal. It is not healthy and can be super damaging to your health. I still have days where I don’t want to eat and days where I want to make myself throw up my lunch. (It feels weird just admitting that because I’ve told no one that) Anorexia and Bulimia are eating disorders and you can get help. See the link below.

http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/find-help-support

It’s hard to see yourself as you truly are when your body image is distorted in your mind. I know. I feel that way a lot of days. It’s getting easier but it is a process. Know if you have an eating disorder you are not alone. There are people who will support you to help you get through it and to get healthy again. I am one of those people! Don’t let anyone make you feel that you aren’t beautiful for being heavy or being too skinny. Be healthy and your body will look the way nature intended it to. We are all beautiful no matter our story or the way we look. God sees us as beautiful and he loves us.

One of the best things is to find a hobby. Find something you love doing and do it! Read, bike, walk, run, cook, bake, sing, dance, knit, crochet, craft, write stories, get a journal and write your feelings, paint, take up a musical instrument, take classes at your local community college, draw, collect rocks, collect stamps… you get the point. It helps relieve pain and gives you an outlet for your energy and for your mind to focus.

I love to cook, bake, craft, read and take walks with my dog. Doing all of those things, helps me to feel like me and to feel happy. Finding happiness is so important! Another important key to happiness is having a relationship with God. He can carry your burdens and pick you up when you fall. If you don’t have one, I encourage you to have a relationship with God. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made. My life hasn’t been free of problems but God has made them easier when I let him take them for me.

I invite you to follow me on my journey to health and happiness! I am going to try to start posting recipes and workouts and tips. I hope you will join me on my journey!

Love from above!

Iva Mae

 

 

Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

A few days ago I caught glimpse of myself in a large mirror. I almost shrieked with horror! I was not prepared for what I saw. I have always been self conscious. I tend to judge myself harshly. I tried to look at myself with God’s eyes instead. He sees me as his child. No matter what I look like, he loves me. He created me to be exactly as I am. Every part of myself is what he designed.

I started reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. The first day really got to me. So far every day has really gotten to me. It has made me mad, sad and hopeful all at the same time. If you haven’t read it you need to! It is a 40 day thing. There isn’t much to read each day.

Day 2’s “Point to Ponder” was I AM NOT AN ACCIDENT. The entire section for Day 2 was filled with how God made us and let us have the parents we have, the bodies we have, our brains , our pasts, circumstances and everything else about ourselves and our lives because he wanted us that way. We have a specific purpose that can only be fulfilled by us the way we are.

That really hit home to me. I never thought that everything about me was made the exact way God wanted it to be. I’ve always compared myself to models and other women and it left me feeling less than I should. It was refreshing looking at things that way instead of my normal view of myself. Have you ever felt you were less important or that you weren’t as good as others? This is a lie!!! God made each of us special. We are all custom designed. We are not cookie-cutter people!! Something I always thought was a bad thing is actually an amazingly wonderful thing.

Psalm 139:14 “… For I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”

When I was a little girl, I remember catching part of a movie on T.V. It was an older movie, maybe made in the 50’s or 60’s. Everyone was to be transformed in this machine to a certain look. “Normal” people weren’t acceptable. There were 3 or 4 models you could chose from. There was a homely looking girl who refused to be made into this image. She was determined to stay true to the way she looked because it made her who she was. The scientist argued with her and even said but don’t you want to be beautiful like everyone else?

I never knew if she was forced to be changed or not but she didn’t want to be anyone but who she was made to be. I honestly forgot about that until now! 

I no longer want to be look or be like anyone else. We are our best, when we are ourselves.

On that note I am sick and tired of being sick and tired! I am not treating myself very well. Last year I ate only things that would help my body perform the best that it could. I have almost completely fallen off of the healthy eating and lifestyle wagon. In fact I’m starting to lose the tracks from the wagon wheels! I am starting today going to treat myself better and eat what is best for me and exercise so I can have a healthy body to God’s purpose. I am also going to try to get enough sleep. I always have a problem with that.

I am telling anyone who reads this (maybe only my mother) so I can be accountable. I am going to strive to become spiritually and physically fit! Every once in a while I may post recipes or other things but for the most part this blog will be centered around bible verses and what I get from them to help me in my life and hopefully in your lives as well.

God Bless you all!

 

Normal??

What is normal? Who defines normal? Why do we feel like we all need to be normal?

Normal – 1 usual or ordinary : not strange 2 conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern 3 of, relating to, or characterized by average intelligence or development 4 according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle

What is extraordinary or unusual? Why does it seem bad to be extraordinary or unusual? Who defines what it is?

Extraordinary – 1 very unusual : very different from what is normal or ordinary 2 going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary 3 exceptional to a very marked extent

Unusual – 1 not normal or usual 2 different or strange in a way that attracts attention 3 not commonly seen, heard, etc.

The world defines what normal should be. You’re normal if you have a nice car, a nice house, a pretty wife or handsome husband. The world says unless you look a certain way, do certain things, think certain ways and have a certain amount of money you are not normal. The world gives a message that to be liked, you need to be normal.

As a Christian it is hard to be normal. We are a peculiar people. We are different, unusual, extraordinary and anything but normal. There is a constant battle between wanting to fit in and not fitting in. The older I get, the easier it is for me to see it. I used to think unless I was a certain weight, wore makeup, had a certain hair color and wore certain clothes I wasn’t worth anything. What a crazy thing to think!! Unfortunately a lot of people have this mindset. They spend their lives buying things they can’t afford with money they don’t have to impress people they don’t even like.

Dave Ramsey

It is hard to not want to be normal! The world has worked hard on defining normal. Television can tell you that. I’ve seen so much become normal that used to not be normal or okay. Nudity, language and sex are in almost every show and every commercial. It used to be a shock when you would see someone half naked on TV. Now it is a part of everyday life. The definition above says to conform to a type, standard or regular pattern.
The bible tells us to not be conformed but to be transformed.

Conform – 1 to be similar to or the same as something 2 to obey or agree with something 3 to do what other people do, to behave in a way that is accepted by most people

Transform – 1 to change (something) completely and usually in a good way 2 to change in composition or structure 3 to change the outward form or appearance of 4 to change in character or condition, convert

Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed with this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

It says clearly to not conform to the world but to be transformed.
We are different. It is okay to be different. Why be like everyone else when you can just be yourself? It took me a long time to know who I was. I hid behind makeup and clothes. I hate makeup and I hate wearing it. I hate dressing up! I am more comfortable in yoga pants or jeans than in dress clothes. I used to want to be rich and have fancy things. I no longer want to be rich, because I have been blessed beyond measure. I don’t like fancy things. Give me simple.
I look back on my younger years and laugh at what I used to want and all of my plans. I know God laughed when I made my plans. He has bigger plans for me and wants more of me than I wanted for myself.

Do I have to look like this? Wear certain brands of clothes? Drive a certain car? Have a certain amount of money to be normal?

Transform NOT Conform!

Who needs to be normal when you can be yourself?

Self Mutilation & Destructive Habits Part 2

The other day I did a post about Self Mutilation. I wanted to add a few things today in Part 2.

Some of the things that were triggers for me were the following:

1.      Feeling alone

2.      Feeling isolated

3.      Feeling unworthy

4.      Feeling like everyone hated me

5.      Feeling not good enough

6.      Feeling not pretty

7.      Having people be mean say negative things about me and me believing them

I found the best thing to do is to find something to occupy your mind or and replace the bad activity with a good activity instead.

I love to read. I found reading was an escape from reality for a while. In the books I read I was the main character. I could go to China and Texas in the same day. I could be anyone or do anything I wanted to.

I also found going on a walk was a big help to me. I love nature and seeing all of the trees and flowers. I love walking in the park. I sometimes take my dog with me. Watching her enjoy nature is soothing.

I am not a big fan of working out. (GASP) I know the benefits are great though. When I do work out, it helps me to release stress and negativity. Exercise gives you endorphins which make you happy. It sounds cliché but it is true. During my work out’s I’m usually yelling at the DVD and calling the instructor a devil woman but afterwards I am happy.

The key is to know what triggers the self mutilation and to know what activity to replace the self mutilation with.

Remember you are beautiful! You are unique! You are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Psalm 139:14 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

Self Mutilation & Destructive Habits Part 1

There are so many destructive things we can do to our bodies and souls. Sometimes we don’t even realize that we are heading down a destructive path or what we are doing is destructive. Many things can be destructive.

Physical Destruction can be; cutting, hitting yourself, throwing yourself against a wall, punching things, burning yourself, ingesting poisonous substances or other objects that should not be ingested, drugs, intentionally preventing wounds from healing, sticking objects into your skin, pulling out your hair on your scalp, or other areas, anorexia, bulimia, overeating and anything else where harm is done to your body as a form of emotional release. Other forms may not be as obvious like, driving recklessly, binge drinking, taking too many drugs, prescriptions meds or over the counter meds, having unprotected sex and fighting.

All of the above can be dangerous if you don’t get help. I understand what it is like to have these feelings. People don’t talk about this kind of stuff very much. I want to get this out in the open and let others know you’re not alone. Self Mutilation is very common among adolescent girls and young women. The most common self mutilation is cutting. Most girls who self mutilate will cut their thighs, stomach or arms.

A common misconception about self mutilation is that the people, who do it, do it for attention. That is not true in most cases. I didn’t want anyone to know that I was harming myself. I was embarrassed that harming myself was a release for pain. The problem with harming yourself is that the release is only temporary. It can lead to bigger problems like accidentally going too far with the harm. You can cut yourself too deeply and end up dying. I ended up messing up my knee so badly I had to be in physical therapy and on crutches. Not telling someone could set you up for failure. It can make you feel worthless

Other common misconceptions about self mutilation are; people who do it are crazy & dangerous, want to die and if the wounds are bad -it’s not serious.

None of those are true. If you are self mutilating, you are not crazy! Most people who self injure find a release that words cannot give. Most do not want to die. No matter how big or small the wound, self mutilating is serious. If you are hurting yourself or you know someone who is, please get help.

When I ended up in physical therapy, I realized that enough was enough. I had to stop this. I stopped physically abusing myself. I didn’t confide in anyone because I was too afraid of what they would think of me. I should have gone to someone I trusted, like a guidance counselor, teacher or youth leader. All those people are there to help you. Instead I started on a road to eating disorders. I wouldn’t eat for a while, and then I would get so hungry I would overeat and feel bad about eating too much, so I would throw up. Everything was done in secret. No one I was friends with knew about anything that was going on with me. I kept it all to myself. My parents and grandparents didn’t know anything about it either. I was so concerned with looking good so people would like me I lost myself. I became the addiction. Eventually the anorexia and bulimia turned into just overeating. I would eat whatever I wanted not giving a thought to my health or well being.

Luckily for me college changed a lot for me. I chose to eat healthy and take the stairs when I could and walk everywhere. I still would indulge in chocolate cake or chips & pop every once in a while but I didn’t need it every day. Unfortunately while in college I went through a bad break up in 2009 and it brought up a lot of my old problems. I stopped eating. I got down to 120lbs. I am 5’ 7 ½” I should weigh anywhere from 140-150. I was about 20 lbs underweight. I decided that it was okay because it was better than being overweight. What made me stop eating was I hate that every time I would eat it would make me sick. The stress was overwhelming and I didn’t know how to deal with it. Instead of keeping my feelings inside, I let them out but not in a good way. I was one of those girls who said way too much on Facebook. I said a lot of things I can never take back. Instead of going to God and talking to him and my friends, I told everyone.

All of my behavior was destructive and left me in a state of confusion and my anger took over. My eating habits grew worse and so did my health. I couldn’t sleep at night and started taking sleeping pills/antidepressants. I ended up almost overdosing because the prescription was too strong. I woke up screaming and puking. My Mom came in my room and I couldn’t even tell her my name or go to the bathroom by myself. She started to call 911 but luckily I started waking up and I knew what my name was finally. The next morning I flushed the pills down the toilet and vowed I’d never take anything like that again. I started eating and exercising in late 2009. I found out I liked Zumba. I still didn’t get that you should eat healthy because it makes you feel better. I didn’t know you can’t out exercise a bad diet. I found a good friend, Kyle, who I could trust and talk to about anything. We would talk for hours and hours. I never knew he liked me and didn’t think he would date me because he was my ex’s friend. We both secretly liked each other for a long time. I ended up dating someone else and we stopped talking. I missed talking to Kyle and thought of him a lot.

In January of 2010, Kyle and I started hanging out as friends. In March we started dating. We got engaged in July and married in November. We originally planned to get married in June of 2011 but my Grandma Nickels was diagnosed with cancer and opted out of chemo. My Dad told me that if I wanted her at my wedding I needed to have it before the end of the year.

Since my wedding was moved up and I was trying to finish school, a lot of stress was added on me. I began to overeat. I still fit in my wedding dress, but I knew I had gained some weight. Looking at my wedding pictures I realized how much weight I gained and it made me depressed. Kyle and I had a very hard 1^st year of marriage. Kyle’s job fell through and he went without a job for a while. My Grandma Nickels died in June of 2011, our car broke down and the repairs were beyond our budget. Kyle got a job at Sears and worked odd hours. My Grandpa Wagoner died in November of 2011 and my Mom became primary care giver of my Grandma. I tried to help her where I could but I fell short. I got depressed because Kyle and I weren’t getting along. I became defensive and so did he. My problems of the past of feeling not good enough came back. I accused him of going to this church to see a girl which wasn’t true. I thought because I had gained weight that he didn’t want me anymore. We almost split. Thankfully we had two good Godly people in our life to talk to us and help us see that all these bad things were happening because Satan wanted to destroy us and we were letting him. All my life Satan has tried to destroy me and my light for God. I’ve been a self mutilator, had eating disorders, depression and I listened to the lies from the mirror and let my confidence be ruined.  God can still use me and he can use my past to help others. I am proud to say I survived and am glad to look back to see how far God has truly brought me. I am learning to love myself and my body.

If you struggle with any of the things I’ve mentioned above about self mutilating please get help. Talk to someone who you trust. Sometimes a church leader or a teacher may be easier to talk to because they are removed from your situation. Remember you are not alone. Loving yourself and who you are isn’t easy. Say something nice to yourself out loud in the mirror every day. When I do, I have a better day.

 

If you need help and don’t know who to talk to about self mutilation, you can call S.A.F.E. 1-800-366-8288.

If you are struggling with a crisis and contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255.

 

I got a lot of my information from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/self_injury.htm

They have ways to cope and give information that can be helpful in overcoming.

 

Below are verses that have helped me out during all of the things I went through:

1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

 1 Corinthians 6:19 & 20 “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are brought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

I AM BEAUTIFUL

Today I did something a little bit crazy.  At first I didn’t want to do it! I thought it was a bit silly, but I did it anyways. I told myself this morning that I was beautiful, smart, kind and important. I wrote in RED lipstick on my mirror… “I am beautiful!” When I woke up I wasn’t feeling very beautiful. I’ve heard a few people say recently they don’t feel beautiful or feel down after comparing themselves to someone else. So I decided to make today’s post about that! Hope it helps someone!

Sunday night on the way home from dinner with a couple of our good friends, we saw this brand new Mustang. The girl in the passenger seat had bleach blonde hair and was very pretty. At first I felt inferior. Then I really looked at her face and saw her expression. It was one of those I am better than you looks. She was laughing at my husband and I. I realized right then and there that I was prettier than she was. Who she was inside was ugly. She may have been pretty on the outside but she was ugly where it counts.

When we glance in the mirror we instantly criticize ourselves. We find every flaw. Mirrors can be good. They reflect light and can help you make sure you don’t have broccoli in your teeth. Mirrors can also be bad. They can give you a false vision of yourself that can make you feel ugly, fat, stupid, worthless, not good enough and undeserving.

I chose Lies From The Mirror as the name of this blog because I was sick and tired of feeling and thinking those nasty things above and seeing others feel that way as well! I often lack confidence. I am afraid that people will judge me based on if I had time to put make up on this morning or not. I worry that people will choose not to like me before they know me. It’s sad, but a lot of people do judge others based on appearances only.

Lies from the mirror are lies from the devil. I chose a cracked mirror for the background because we need to shatter those lies and stand up and say I AM BEAUTIFUL!!! I am a princess! A royal heir to THE KING of KINGS! I am a daughter of God. I am good enough! I recently read the book The Help. Abileen tells Mae Mobley every day, “You is kind, you is good and you is important.” Abileen knew the importance of making sure that Mae Mobley knew she was more than what her Momma or the mirror said.

What if we started saying that to ourselves, our children, our family and friends? We could change the world and break the image our minds see in the mirror!

Check out this video of this little girl who knows how to talk to the mirror! http://youtu.be/qR3rK0kZFkg

 

 

Welcome!

I am very excited to start this blog! You will have to bear with me while I work on getting everything up and running. My purpose is to help girls and women see they are worth more than what the mirror says. It’s something I’ve always struggled with, and unfortunately it is something most females struggle with today. I plan on posting bible verses and thoughts each day. I will also post information about being healthy and healthy recipes. The number on the scale is simply just a number! It’s how you feel and your health that are important.

I know there are a blue million sites on self-esteem, beauty, weight loss and being healthy. My site will be different because I want girls and women to see that beauty starts within. I want them to see that God sees them as precious jewels. I want them to see themselves how God sees them. I am currently working on the about me page and plan to add several more pages in the following week.

Love in Christ,

Iva Mae