I am legit in tears.

I was creepin Facebook ((as I often do)) and this video popped up on a friends timeline. ((SHOUT OUT TO T-BONE STEAK, TIANA!!))
Please watch.
The whole thing.
Right now.

I dare you not to be in tears this very moment?!

You Don’t Know You’re Beautiful

Why is it that people have such a hard time accepting their beauty?
Why is it a surprise others would find them beautiful?

During my enjoyment of this video, I was forced to think about my beauty and how God views me.  I think those thoughts are what made me more emotional than anything because when it comes to what God says about me I can often be on the more defensive like some found in this video. He tells me I’m loved and I reject it.  He tells me I’m forgiven and I condemn myself.  He gives me grace and I don’t live like it.  He tells me I’m beautiful… and I weep in disbelief.
How can all this be true?! How can this perfect, almighty, amazing, holy God not only know I exist but also uniquely and personally care about ME!?

It’s mind blowing. And while it’s hard to grasp… it’s true, for me, for you  and for the world.  I am immensely blessed because the Lord has fought for me, against me.  He’s combatted my thoughts, my low self worth, and every single lie I chose to believe about myself.  He has done wonders in showing me what He thinks about me and who He says I am.  But, much like the students found in the video, it was my choice and is still my choice daily to accept what He has said about, no in fact, what is TRUE about myself or to keep on believing the same old mess.  The same goes for each of us.

We choose life or we choose death.
We choose freedom or we choose bondage.
We choose love or we choose hate.
We choose Heaven or we choose Hell.
Every choice we make is based by either believing or rejecting what God says about whom He has created us to be; and because of His grace and the blood Jesus shed on the cross… we can be the apple of His eye and capable of doing anything in Christ!

Know this, friend–
whoever you  are, wherever you are and whatever you’ve done…
You are loved.
You are forgiven.
You have grace for the taking.
…and you are beautiful.

What do you choose to believe?

Until next time,

“Or worse than all that…Why, you might be a WASN’T!
A Wasn’t has no fun at all. No, he doesn’t.
A Wasn’t just isn’t. He just isn’t present.
But you…You ARE YOU! And, now isn’t that pleasant!
Today you are you! That is truer than true!
There is no one alive… …who is you-er than you!
Shout loud, ‘I am lucky to be what I am!
Thank goodness I’m not just a clam or a ham
Or a dusty old jar of sour gooseberry jam!
I am what I am! That’s a great thing to be!'”
~Dr. Seuss.