You are ENOUGH.

When I started this blog the goal was to always be vulnerable with you guys about the struggles I've had and that I know other people have as well. I wanted to be real with you guys and talk about something I have always struggled with. I actually already had a blog scheduled to release tomorrow that I had already written, but God laid this on my heart and told me I needed to share this first. I have always struggled with my appearance since I was old enough to actually care what people thought. My weight has always fluctuated. My teeth have never been perfectly straight or super white. My stomach has never been as flat as I have wanted. I have never had a face that was clear of blemishes. I have never been that girl that other girls see and wish that's what they looked like. I struggled with it for a long time, and to this day from time to time I still do. I have tried multiple diets. I've not taken care of my Type 1 Diabetes to put my body in an unhealthy acidic state to lose weight. I have skipped meals. I have tried fasting for long periods of time. I've tried fitness trainers. You name it, I've probably tried it at some point. You see the world has this description of the "perfect girl" with pretty skin, a flat stomach, perfect teeth, and healthy beautiful hair or the even "perfect guy" with ripped abs, a nice smile, athletic, and smart too. The world doesn't just pick on one gender or another. Social media has become such a huge part of our daily lives and it's easy to get on one of the various platforms and see someone with the body you want. The boyfriend/girlfriend you wish you had. The nice smile. The perfect no acne skin. The beautiful long hair. The tan skin. The flat stomach and large butt. It's easy to look at yourself and compare. It's easy to not feel good about yourself and become insecure. Trust me, I've done it, many many times. Wanna know something? We all have something we don't like about ourselves. Even someone who may appear to be PERFECT to you still has something they don't like about themselves and are insecure about. None of us are perfect. If we were perfect, God would have never had to send his son Jesus to Earth to die on the cross. If we were perfect, when God placed us in His perfect creation, we wouldn't have sinned and fallen short. We are all beautifully and wonderfully made by God in His image. Wanna know the awesome thing that separates God's view of you from the world's view of you? God doesn't care whether or not you have a perfect smile, the perfect body, white teeth, a flat stomach, clear skin, or a tan complexion. God looks at our hearts and cares whether or not we have a pure heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 states, "But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart". You see, we all are going to get old and wrinkly one day, and our flat stomach will no longer be flat, and our perfect hair will turn grey/white, and our outward appearance will no longer remain as it is today. But what will always remain is your heart and your intentions. God tells us he already knows our hearts, and it should be pure. I'd rather look the way I am with a heart that is pure and focuses on the GREATNESS of my Father in Heaven than to have a wicked heart and a perfect outward appearance. Don't misunderstand me, it's important to take care of yourself and your health, but good looks will not win you eternity with God in Heaven. A pure heart and a relationship with Jesus will. So, I encourage you, whether you are male or female, young or older to stand in the mirror and tell yourself "I am beautifully and wonderfully made by God. He knows my name and he wants to know me. He does not care how I look, but he cares about my heart. Search my heart, God. Help me to have a pure heart that glorifies You" instead of "I am not enough. I am not pretty or handsome enough. I don't have what those other girls or guys have" because YOU ARE ENOUGH. I want you guys to know, I still struggle with my appearance some days. Some days I look in the mirror and I don't like what I see physically. I try on clothes that once used to fit me perfectly and they don't anymore. I look through old pictures when I liked the way I look, but yet I can see the brokenness in my smile. I can see the heartache. I can see the mess that I was. Even when I was fond of the way I appeared physically, I did not have Jesus and I did not have a pure heart. I look in the mirror now, and even though I struggle sometimes, I know that the woman looking back at me has a pure heart and she KNOWS her Father in Heaven and he knows her right back and knows her heart. You are all wanted by God, no matter your outward appearance. God is not that boy or girl who told you that you weren't pretty or handsome enough. He tells you that YOU ARE ENOUGH and he wants YOU.