A letter to my dear daughters,

You are beautiful. You are pure and innocent. You are enough, because God made you and loves you. I already pray that your future husband will value your heart, and your only eternal attribute… your soul.

Strength is about having strong convictions, and your beauty shines from the soul God gave you. My favorite people are godly, humble, considerate, and loving. They are beautiful.  

Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.  1 Peter 3:3-4

I won’t be able to fully protect you from certain pressures in this life. The media will gladly insinuate that happiness comes from looking a certain way. I hope to equip you with the knowledge that your value comes from within, not from how you appear visually to others. The concept of placing our values in vanity sounds simple, yet the truth is that this trap can be crippling. Unrealistic and often unattainable images are in front of us at all times. Emaciated bodies, spray tans, hair extensions, plastic surgery, Botox, and a myriad of other “enhancements” are applauded. When I briefly considered modeling as a teenager, the agent suggested having my hip bones shaven surgically (???). Our generation is incredibly image focused, and if we aren’t careful, we can catch the desire to move our focus off of God and onto our images and popularity.

Exercise is a truly wonderful thing, and eating the nutritious foods God has blessed us with is wise. But food and exercise should never be tools of punishment, administered by women who feel they don’t fit the mold the media dishes out. Remember that if we compare ourselves against images of women in the media, the doctored image is often imaginary. Aside from a few very health conscious models, we can find ourselves idolizing women who have starved themselves, surgically changed their bodies, or digitally altered photographs to make themselves appear more “glamorous.” Don’t let these things deceive you. This type of glamour is unhealthy, deceptive, and will forever be the carrot just out of reach, if you let it.

Instead, enjoy your life. Have fun being a girl and looking your best. Eat well, have a few donuts (our beloved Saturday ritual), take the time to exercise, but above all… feed your soul with God’s Word. Grow in His strength. Surround yourself with those who love Him.

This is real, and your reward will be in heaven.