My Reflection
Jill Dasher
12:22 AM
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So for those of you who may not
be aware, myself, along with all of these beautiful women featured on this post
as well as women all over the country are participating in RAVE MINISTRIES “No
Makeup November.” Rave Ministries is a
phenomenal ministry devoted to encouraging teens to see themselves through the
eyes of Christ instead of the lenses that society has placed on them through an
unending list of highly impossible expectations. I chose to promote this campaign because I
believe this is something that affects women of all ages and stages of
life. I believe many of us are plagued
with the idea that somehow we just don’t measure up. Perhaps we are not the “ideal” shape and
size. Perhaps are skin has a few
blemishes here and there leaving a less than “perfect complexion.” Perhaps our closets do not reveal the “latest
styles” that are hitting the runways or our hair is not quite as “luscious” as
those of the models that so “perfectly” grace the cover of every magazine. It’s the funniest thing; none of them ever
have any wrinkles, no baggy eyes, no pimples, no bad hair days, no extra fluff,
correction, no fluff at all, huh, it’s truly impressive.
What’s a woman to do? Denounce the lies of Satan and change our culture by changing ourselves. DO NOT believe him when he tells you that you are less than good enough. DO NOT believe him when he points out your flaws and shouts them into your ear as you stare at your reflection. DO NOT miss out on the beauty of who God created you to be because you are distracted by your “list” of things you feel that could use some improvement. I will be the very first person to say I HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED BY SATAN’S LIES!!!
So for the month of November I am choosing to wear NO makeup, not because I am against makeup, nope, mainly because I want to really focus on my beauty. In fact I want to focus on my beauty this month more than ever before. When I stare at my reflection, with no added preservatives, I want to see the workmanship of my savior. The small lines on my forehead and around my eyes, those things are not wrinkles, they are the marks of years of laughter, years of smiles, and years of enjoying a sunny day on the beach as I watch my children play. The slight amount of extra skin loosening on my eyelids, well now that is simply from giving way too many butterfly kisses. I mean I’ve practically been giving them all my life. My Dad always gave the best and now I get to give them to four precious kids who never seem to tire of them. What is it they call those things under your eyes, bags? No, they are not bags, just a simple reminder that sometimes being a Mom, being a wife, being a friend, being a sister, keeps you up a little too late at night. Funny because some of the most cherished moments of my life came during those wee hours as I nursed my children and gently rocked them back to sleep. I’ll take those “love marks” any day of the week if only I could rock one more infant to sleep
So for the month of November I am choosing to wear NO makeup, not because I am against makeup, nope, mainly because I want to really focus on my beauty. In fact I want to focus on my beauty this month more than ever before. When I stare at my reflection, with no added preservatives, I want to see the workmanship of my savior. The small lines on my forehead and around my eyes, those things are not wrinkles, they are the marks of years of laughter, years of smiles, and years of enjoying a sunny day on the beach as I watch my children play. The slight amount of extra skin loosening on my eyelids, well now that is simply from giving way too many butterfly kisses. I mean I’ve practically been giving them all my life. My Dad always gave the best and now I get to give them to four precious kids who never seem to tire of them. What is it they call those things under your eyes, bags? No, they are not bags, just a simple reminder that sometimes being a Mom, being a wife, being a friend, being a sister, keeps you up a little too late at night. Funny because some of the most cherished moments of my life came during those wee hours as I nursed my children and gently rocked them back to sleep. I’ll take those “love marks” any day of the week if only I could rock one more infant to sleep
I can’t help but to think of two of my favorite versus in the Bible. This is the woman I want to be. “She is clothed in strength and dignity and she laughs at the days to come” Proverbs 31:25. I want to live everyday for the glory of the Lord. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14. I want to never forget that the Savior of the Universe, Almighty God crafted me for a specific purpose and he crafted you for a specific purpose as well. Do you know that his works truly are wonderful? You are made in the image of the Lord. Your beauty is infinitely abundant because of the one who gave you life, not at all because you fit into some formula created by mere men. In fact, as I look at my reflection today, I will see no imperfection, no, instead I will see life, memories, hopes, and hopefully I will “laugh at the days to come.”
All my love,
Jil
JOIN US NOV 1ST-NOV 30TH
"Being in the beauty industry I have seen how much emphasis and hard work people pour into their outward appearance, and I want young girls to know that your true beauty shines from inside of who we are in Christ. And the one person I feel I need to impress, my husband, reminds me, "you impressed me a long time ago, there's no need to "fix up" to make me love you more." So at some point my true beauty caught his eye, not my outer beauty."
- Erin Goodfellow
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"I chose to participate in No Make-up November challenge to stand up for what I truly believe, and that is that our looks do not define who we are. It is our hearts that matter and that we are beautiful creations of our Heavenly Father and He loves us. I want to be an example and positive role model to my children and to teach them to love God and to love themselves."-Megan Gimber |
"I want young girls and women of all ages to remember that beauty goes deeper than our skin or our outward appearance. The "beauty" that we should strive to shine lies deep within us. Lets look for everyones True Beauty that our Heavenly Father sees." -Alyson Franks |
"Many of us look at make-up as a need. We believe we need it to help our appearance so we're accepted and beautiful. Well, this November I'm choosing to be make-up free and show that make-up is not a need for women:-)" - Deserae Calhoun |
"I have decided to participate in this campaign because I want to remind myself of who I am in God's eyes and how He sees me i how I want to see myself. Pure, beautiful, wrinkle and blemish free. When I look in the mirror I want to be proud of exactly how He made me and not mock Him by turning away in dissapointment or disgust. I know that this month I will also gain peace about my whole body image." -Tara Trull |