Day 2 and 3

So sorry for being late on these journal entries, but my whole day yesterday was spent writing an 8 page paper and today was pretty busy as well. But I have some time now! Hope you enjoy.

Day 2: Study what beauty is from a gospel perspective.

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

1 Samuel 16:7 - "But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

These scriptures really mean so much to me. Often we judge ourselves based on what the world sees as beautiful, which is ridiculous because the world's judge of beauty is completely wrong. We should be focused on what Heavenly Father sees as beauty, because His opinion is what matters most in the grand scheme of things. The Lord cares not so much for our outward appearance, although we should take the best care of it that we can because our bodies are god given temples. By best care, however, I mean not so much makeup and ornamenting ourselves but instead keeping ourselves healthy and free from things that would harm our body. The Lord cares more about what is in our hearts than what is on our bodies.

I also really enjoyed Lynn G. Roberts talk titled, "True Beauty." He states that "it isn’t just about cosmetics or clothing. What makes a young woman truly attractive comes from her heart," and that "happiness is the most attractive accessory a woman can have." How true. Think about it, men - a woman's face might attract you at first, but if she's always a downer, has no confidence in herself, and hates the world around her, then that attraction's gonna dwindle pretty fast. I truly believe that a smile can make a person 10,000 times more beautiful. So smile, girls, and be thankful for everything you've got.

Day 3 - Make a list of 10 positive things you like about yourself that have nothing to with your appearance and 10 positive things that have to do with your appearance.

Things I love about myself:

1. I'm a good listener and love being the girl anyone can talk to about anything at all.
2. I never make first judgments about people and always give someone the benefit of the doubt.
   
3. I can see both sides of almost every issue pretty easily.
   
4. I'm loyal and trustworthy - I don't tell people's secrets and will stand by my friends no matter what.
   
5. I'm fairly intelligent. A 3.9 GPA is not too shabby.
   
6. I make a mean guacamole.
   
7. I'm not a picky eater.
   
8. I may not be too talented in the arts or music departments, but that's ok because I'm the amazing audience that everyone needs. I'm able to fully appreciate other people's talents.
   
9. I'm really chill about things and never have drama directly in my life.
   
10. I'm a hard worker and have always received positive reviews at any job I've had - and I've worked in many various industries, so I know I can learn to do almost anything.

Things I love about my appearance:

1. The color of my eyes
   
2. My freckles.
   
3. My long blonde hair
4. My ears to hear
5. My hands to feel
6. My tongue to taste delicious things
7. My mouth to talk
8. My huge feet. Really.
   
9. My height
10. How my second toe is longer than my big toe.

Wow, it was hard to stop at 10, especially with the first list :) I encourage you all to make lists of your own, it really does help you realize that you've got a lot more going on than you first thought.

“Pretty is something you're born with. But beautiful, that's an equal opportunity adjective.”