So I'm not going to sugar coat this right now. I'm going to come right out and say it, because guess what? What I'm about to say is completely and utterly true.

There is pain.

Sorrow.

Hard times.

Times you want to run away from your life and make it all end.

Times when you wake up and feel like crawling right back under the covers and never getting up.

Times when you look at yourself in the mirror and wish you had the chance to change something about yourself.

I sure know that I've felt this way. As a Christian, I think that some people believe that we should be perfect - that we shouldn't have troubles and trials. That we should just walk through the fire and never get burned by it. That we are immortal.

But we are not. We are human. We are sinners. We are easily hurt just like everyone else. We are burdened, pained, sorrowed. We have so much going on, and we feel like no one takes the time for us. 

But guess what? 

God has time. God wants you to run to him and not away from him. He wants YOU to take the time to go to him - in prayer, in meditation, by reading the Bible. He wants you to turn to him when you're hurting. He wants to help you. He wants to LOVE you. He wants to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. You can't get a better doctor, lover, best friend, healer than the Lord, Jesus Christ. 

So remember, next time you're hurting, even if you don't feel like it - run to God, and not away from him. It might just prove to be the best thing that ever happened to you. Because he'll heal your heart and love you just for you.

Sinner and all.

I keep my eyes always on the LORD. 
   With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16:8


 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

~Ashley

The Mirror Lies

This picture is of my mirror in my room.

I'm sure you know all about mirrors.

They're the things that lie to us, telling us we're less than what we should be. Telling us we're fat. Telling us we are imperfect. Telling us we don't deserve love.

But the truth is... the mirror lies.

As much as I try to remember this... I forget. My mirror is right across from my bed, so every morning, I'm faced with... well, me. And I'll be honest: a lot of times, I don't like what I see. Sometimes, I downright hate it.

Part of the reason I haven't posted on this blog in forever is because it's so hard to believe that I really am beautiful. I've been struggling in this area a lot. I didn't feel like I should be talking about believing that we're beautiful when I don't even believe it myself.

I remember a particularly dark time a few months ago when I was listening to Satan's voice, not God's. When I'm listening to the loud voices of Satan and his lies, it's so hard to hear the still small voice of Jesus.

I felt worthless. Fat. And the biggest lie that Satan shoved down my throat was this: No one could ever love you. You'll never get married. You are not worthy.


That is totally and utterly crap. I know that now. But it's hard to see Satan's lies for what they are when he's got such a strong grip.

It was after this time that I put up those two post-it notes.

You are beautiful.
-God


No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. -Eleanor Roosevelt

And now, when I wake up every morning, I am faced with the truth - not lies.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 

John 8:32

Girls, deep inside you, you know the truth. The truth is:

you are sacred,
you are treasured,
you are loved,
you are His.

Hold onto that truth with everything in you. Proclaim it. Shout it from the roof tops. Embed it into every fiber of your being.

The mirror lies, but the Maker of the stars never will.

Don't be afraid to believe that you're beautiful.

Everyone Needs A Little Encouragement

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

"So do not fear, for I am with you;
   do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
   I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

Blessings by Laura Story

This is one my favorite songs. So BEAUTIFUL!

We Are His

If you've read our about page, you've probably seen this sentence before:

The purpose of this blog is to encourage girls in their faith and remind them that their beauty is found in Christ alone. 

Today I'd been hit hard with that sentence. I really, really struggle with my self-image. As much as I try to believe the theme of this blog - that I'm beautiful in Christ - I don't always think that way. I feel fat, and wonder how anyone could ever love me.

What I need to remember when that nagging doubt starts creeping in is that Someone already does love me.

Today was such a bad day. I was depressed. Satan was throwing lies at me in every possible way. I didn't want to eat, because I felt so horrible about myself.

Then I got online. And somehow, I found myself on Beautiful in Christ. I was reading over some of our posts, and they encouraged me. They uplifted me and reminded me of the message that I blog about every week on BIC.

WE ARE BEAUTIFUL.

It's not because of what we've done. It's because of Jesus.

Plain and simple, we are His.

There is nothing I can do that can make me look better in his sight. He loves me just the way I am.

And he's the only reason that I breathe.

In Christ alone, my hope is found.




In Christ alone, my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My comforter, my all-in-all

Here in the love of Christ I stand

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth in glorious day

Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory

Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me

From life’s first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

Beautiful Art

“I grew up hearing everyone tell me 'God loves you'. I would say 'big deal, God loves everybody. That don't make me special! That just proves that God ain't got no taste.' And, I don't think He does. Thank God! Because He takes the junk of our lives and makes the most beautiful art.”

—Rich Mullins

The Truest Love

Close your eyes and imagine with me for a moment. (Well, closing your eyes could be a bit difficult while you read this, but bear with me.)


Imagine you’re in a ballroom. The decadence is overwhelming. Glowing light is cast over everything as the band plays soft, serenading music in the background. You’re a bit of a wallflower, but you don’t mind. You’re enjoying watching everyone twirl and dance, so much so that you don’t even care that you’re not waltzing with the rest of them. Your soft purple dress falls around you in graceful folds, and your hair is in a curly updo. You wouldn’t even know how to do your hair like that if this was real life. You see diamonds everywhere - in the chandeliers above your head, in the dangly earrings you wear, and the diamond bracelet on your wrist. The sparkly atmosphere makes it feel all the more magical.


You feel a light tap on your shoulder. “May I have this dance?”


You whirl, suddenly brought out of your reverie. You were so lost in thought that you didn’t see this man approach, but now, here he stands. His hair is in sawdust-colored curls, and he bows slightly. A hint of a smile lingers on his lips. You’re not sure whether to feel afraid or excited at this unexpected turn of events.


You take his outstretched hand as he leads you onto the dance floor. He grasps your hand, and you waltz. Twirling, twirling. You study this mysterious stranger as you dance. Who is he? Where did he come from?


“I believe we were never fully introduced,” you begin. 


“I’m sorry.” He smiles, almost mischievously. He doesn’t give you his name, and seems to have no intention of giving it to you. You wait for a few awkward moments, and then you tell him your name. “I know,” he says with a wink.


You can’t think of anything to say, so you keep your mouth shut as the dance continues and finally draws to a close. You stand still as the music fades away, suddenly struck with the realization that you danced with someone who is a complete stranger and seems to want to remain that way. Far be it from you to drag information out of him, but there’s something about him that makes you want to know everything. Maybe it’s the way he smiles... or his bluish-green eyes. Whatever it is, you’re intrigued. And you don’t want this conversation - or, rather, lack of one - to end.


Much to your surprise, it doesn’t. He keeps his hold on your hand and tips his head as he looks at you. “Walk with me?”


You are much too surprised to refuse, and allow him to lead you off the dance floor. Together, you walk out the large double doors onto a balcony that looks just like it came from a Disney princess movie. The stars seem to sing above the two of you, accompanied by the sound of the crickets in the bushes below. You study this man curiously. “Who are you?” You finally ask.


“I am,” he simply says.


“No, I mean... who are you?” you ask again, bewildered.


“Tell me...” He begins, leading you by the hand to a nearby bench. “What’s been troubling you? Your thoughts? Your desires?”


You are speechless. “Um...” Again, you ask yourself, who is he? Why does he seem so familiar? And what is this strange hold he seems to have on your heart?


He just looks at you, imploring you to speak with those beautiful eyes of his. And so you do.


“I’ve been thinking. About God. About life. About me...” You trail off. “Who I’m going to marry, mostly.”


He raises his eyebrows, inviting you to go on. “Yes?”


“No, it’s stupid.” You hang your head. He reaches over and lifts your chin up, and you find yourself looking straight into his eyes. “It’s not stupid,” he whispers. “Not to me.”


Your eyes fill with tears. “I feel... worthless. There are no guys who want to date me. No one to even give me a second glance.” 


You turn your body away, but he comes around and kneels in front of you. There is no escaping this man. He holds both your hands in his warm grasp. “What about me?” he asks.


“What about you?” You repeat, starting to get irritated. “I don’t even know who you are!”


“I am,” he says simply.


“You are what?” Your eyes fill with tears again, this time angry tears. You don’t understand this man or anything he says. 


Then he says your name. So tenderly. So sweetly. The sound is so beautiful that you want to melt. Slowly, you turn towards him again. “Yes?” you reply.


“Talk to me,” he says.


And for some reason you can’t understand, your heart comes spilling out. All your desires. Your wants. Your needs. Your pain. Your fears. Your hopes. Your dreams.


“And while I have your attention,” you say with a laugh, “I just want to say, I want to know... where is that special guy? Why hasn’t he come yet?”


This man across from you feels like one of your best friends. And in this moment, all he does is blink. So you continue.


“Who is my true love?”


The man stands, and pulls you into his arms. Then he laughs softly. “Well, that’s easy.”


He pauses, and you look up into his eyes. His eyes... you nearly drown in them.


His voice rumbles next to your ear, and you will never forget what he says.


“I am.”

A post that needs no introduction....

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! 

Have you heard that yet today? Chances are, probably not, but if so, great! I'm glad that someone told you! You deserve to be told, every day!

And if you listen closely, you'll hear it coming from inside you. That's God speaking. Telling you that he cherishes and loves you more than anything in the world. How awesome is that?

Sometimes I think we don't realize. We know that Jesus died on the cross to save our sins, but we don't think about that in depth. He loved us. You. And me. He cherished and loved us enough to be brutally killed and hung on the cross and rise again three day later. 

Wow. 

John 3:16 tells us that God sent his only son to die for us. Come on, girls. How amazing is that? I think that we hear this verse, memorize it and don't really listen to the intensity of it. But it's so amazing. 

I'm going to post it here, and I want you to read over it and realize exactly how amazing it is. Read it more than once.

And know today that Jesus loves you.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." 

Something to Think On

So as a 17 year old girl, I think about guys. Don't we all? Some of you might say no. But I think you probably do, even if it's just in the back of your mind. Guy are intriguing, and sometimes wonderful, right?

Sure. They are. I think that I'd have to agree. Guys are fun to hang out with and talk to. I don't have too many guy friends, but when I do get a chance to hang out with guys, I really enjoy it. They are so much less dramatic than girls, and you don't need to worry about looking your absolute best when around them because they probably don't care what you are wearing or look like. They're guys.

But oh, there was a point to this post.

Right. Girls like to think about guys.

I don't want a boyfriend. I'm almost 18 (in about 4 months), and I just never had the desire to have a boyfriend. I want to be able to look back on my life and say "My husband is the only man I ever loved." Wouldn't that be amazing? To be able to say that? To be able to look back and know that you never gave your heart away to someone else?
I'm not here to say that dating is wrong. It's not! I'm not one of those Christian girls who "Kissed Dating Goodbye", even though I did read some of the book by Josh Harris. (It was good, but not my cup of tea.) I think there is a certain age range of girls that shouldn't be dating - like young teenagers, but I'm not trying to tell you that you shouldn't date. Because I'm not like that.
I'm just trying to make you think about your decisions in life. Are you dating someone just to say that you are dating? Are you dating just because you can? Are you dating because you feel pressured into doing it (peer pressure is the worst).
Or maybe, just maybe, you're dating because you feel God has called you to a certain person. Maybe you prayed for months and months before ever dating someone, making sure God was at the head of it. If so, I commend you! This is what I want when a relationship finally comes into play for me. I can't wait to be able to say to a guy, "I like you, but we have to pray about this. I don't want a broken heart, and I want to make sure this is what God wants for my life."
God has someone perfect out there for us, you know? A guy that's going to love us unconditionally, and forever. God doesn't want us to give our hearts away to every guy that we meet, because he made someone special for us, that's JUST for us. And doesn't that man deserve to have all of us, and not just some of it?
Actually, Josh Harris' book "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" talks about this in the first chapter. It starts out with a dream. A guy is getting married. He loves his fiance, he's about to marry her, when all the girlfriends from his past come up and stand beside him. They say how they each gave part of their heart to him, so they should be standing there with him. (Or something roughly along those lines.)
Wow, so we know that'll probably never happen. But it'd be awful if it did!
I've never been in love, so I don't know how it feels. I'm sure it's great. But I want to wait. Save my heart for the man I'm going to marry.
I hope that you choose to do the same. I know that it will be worth it.
You're beautiful, girls. Wait for the right one to come along and then give them your whole heart.

The video is The Right One by Stellar Kart. This song is SO amazing!



~Ashley

I AM Beautiful

I am going to be completely honest...I am constantly comparing myself to other girls. 'Not pretty enough', 'not smart enough', 'not tall enough', 'not skinny enough', etc. 


I was doing this just the other day while talking to Kylie. She - being the best friend that she is - yelled at me. 
"Ashley! I hate when you do that! You should never compare yourself to other girls! Stop doing it!" 
So I did.


I've grown to realize that every person is made just the way they're supposed to be. God made us all different so that we'd all be unique. It's not a curse, it's a blessing. 


If we all looked the same, we'd wonder why God made us the same. So my best advice for you is...look at yourself like you're a treasure, which is exactly what you are.


"For I am fearfully and wonderfully made." 

~Ashley

Why "Beautiful in Christ"?

Beautiful in Christ (BIC) is founded on the idea that everyone is beautiful. It sounds cliche, but it's true. You are beautiful.

I've had many days where I don't believe that I'm beautiful. It's hard to feel that way in our culture today, where everywhere we're bombarded by "fake" beauty. So what's a girl to do?

We have to listen to what God says. That's the foundation of everything else. Once we listen to God's voice and hear what He says, our thoughts will begin to follow. We have to believe we're beautiful.

Why?

Because Jesus says so.

We may not be perfect. But Jesus is, so we don't have to be. I once came across a blog. The URL was misspelled as "inperfection" rather than "imperfection." Upon further inspection, I noticed that someone had left a comment. This person commented and said, "I know you probably meant to type 'imperfection' in your blog URL. But I think the way you typed it is really cool, because we're in Jesus, and that means we're in perfection."

Jesus is beautiful. His love, his grace, and his mercy are beautiful. Christ has made us new creations, and therefore, we are beautiful.


That's the point of this blog. You are beautiful. Why? Because Jesus says so.

Introducing Beautiful in Christ...again

Beautiful in Christ was a "ministry" that Kylie and I decided to start in October of 2009. We thought that it would be a great way to reach out to girls who were in need of help, or an encouraging word. 
As writers, Kylie and I love to write anything. From blog posts to full-length books. But we also feel the calling to write to teen girls to help them get through their hardest time in live - their teen years. 
We all know how rough it is to be a teen - especially when people are constantly making fun of us for being different, or being Christians. We get discouraged and feel like we have to live up to everyone else's expectations.
But the truth is - we are all different. And because of that, we are all unique. We all have amazingly unique characteristics that set us apart from other people.
And guess what?
That's perfectly okay. 
You are GREAT just the way you are.
And that's what Kylie and I are aiming to tell you. We are trying to keep you encouraged through your life. And sometimes she and I need some encouragement right back. 


In the past we had some trouble keeping our ideas flowing and our blog posts coming. We got stuck at times and weren't sure where we were going with Beautiful in Christ. Actually, we still don't. We had no idea that God would call us to start Beautiful in Christ over again, so this was as much of a surprise for us as it was for you. Maybe even more so.
But as we reevaluated the whole thing, we realized that God still wants us to write on this blog. He still wants us to give an encouraging word here and there.
We aren't going to set any type of schedule. We aren't going to push ourselves to write. But when we feel the need to come on and write a blog post, we will.
It may be weeks at a time that we don't post and then sometimes we might post more than once a week. We just don't know. That is up to God to figure out for us - and to lay posts on our hearts.


So be sure to check back soon and see if we have a new post up. Also, Kylie is working on a new template for this blog, so be sure to check back for that as well.
~Ashley

A Makeover

Hang tight - BIC is getting re-vamped! Ashley and I want this to be a place we can connect with girls who love Jesus and need to know that He is their source of identity. We want to share our thoughts here, vent about the lies the Enemy tells us, and encourage you with what God says.

So, hold on for the ride and sit tight - we'll be back really soon! :D

-Kylie