Beautiful

OMG! It has been theeee longest time since I have posted anything! How is everyone doing?! I hope you are well :) There are many reasons for my M.I.A.-ness; some good, some not so good. But, everything is working for my good (Romans 8:28)! I have a lot to share in the next several posts. And I am really hoping that they encourage you and let you know that EVERYTHING is working together for your good as well. Basically, God has a plan for each of us and we can't see the end result. You just have to trust Him...this comes from working towards your own personal relationship with Christ. I hope that giving you tidbits of my experiences these last three months offers a good example of how to trust God during rough times. You aren't too young! Um, duuuh, young people have issues too! And they go beyond what the news portrays (ie. shootings, bombings, etc..) We have struggles that just come with life. Trust me! I know! I may have just had my 22nd birthday, but I am still young. Wink, wink lol.

This post isn't going to be very specific (I don't think lol). I just wanted to say hi to everyone. I truly missed writing. It was just hard to muster up the extra strength most times. But, I am back and stronger than ever! I am coming to realize the true beauty of God. How he loves me so much and bears my burdens. Like, I've dealt with so much stress, yall don't know! But God is beautiful enough to care for me.

Psalms 139:17,18 says, "How precious and weighty also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them. If I could count them, they would be more in number than the sand..." Do you know what this means? God is ALWAYS thinking of me and YOU! No matter how lonely, dirty, angry, wounded, confused, broken, or forgotten we may feel,it is important to remember that YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN! The heart of God is just beautiful that way; that He is always thinking of us...even when we aren't paying him a lick of attention.

You know what else? YOU are made in God's image. That means that you are beatiful as well; just like Psalm 139:14 says. (Go check it out...I can't give ALL the answers away lol.) So no matter how worn, stressed, or un-pretty (or un-handsome) you may feel, I speak to your self-esteem and say that you are beautiful. This isn't based solely on my opinion. God says that you are made in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). So, basically, it's etched in stone--better yet in eternity's book--that you are BEAUTIFUL. So even if I decided to change my mind, or your boyfriend, or your mother, father, sister, best friend, or girlfriend decided to change their minds about how attractive or intelligent or fashionable or kind you are, it wouldn't matter. In real life, what God says is ALL that matters. He created you and no one else. Thus, no one else's opinion changes who you are (unless you allow it).

So, the next time you feel down, stressed, or maybe ugly or stained, remember:

1. Everything is working together for your good. You have a purpose and a destiny.
2. You are made in God's image so you are precious to him. If you created something, a song, painting, technological invention, a dance, or a novel, wouldn't you want to protect it because it's valuable to you? Well, God, our creator, is the same way. He values you and wants to protect you and see you succeed.
3. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! YES! YOU!!! Get that in your head. It is not vanity because beauty is first a condition of the heart. Build yourself up!

In fact, the lyrics to the song I am singing in the picture above this post are:

Beautiful, Beautiful to me
You are...Beautiful.

That's God talking to me. Or me talking to God. Either way, this song helps me realize that I am affirmed by God; and Him alone.


Love and Blessings!

Ashley

P.S. If there are any topics you would like me to address, feel free to leave a comment on this post. I really am here for YOU! Thanks!!