True Beauty is defined by??

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.
-- Elizabeth Kubler Ross

I think this quote is very powerful!
We live in a society that is filled to the brim with over indulgent people who have the poorest definition of Beauty!

Even as young girls we are programmed what "beauty" is.. with barbie dolls, makeup at Young ages, and all around us we see "Hollywood stars, and try to aspire to be like them
All around us, we see creams, lotions, makeup, name brands, and even drastic measures such as Surgery to achieve a level of beauty to make us stand out from other people..
It has become so disgusting!!!

I see so many young girls who are trying to grow up faster, and so many woman who have a Plethora of insecurities, and I ask myself, WHY??..
Where are these insecurities coming from?

My Husband tells me all the time, he loves my body , and tells me I'm pretty.. and yet, somehow I hear those words, and dont always believe them:-(
he sees I have bumps, lumps, cellulite, extra "baby weight".. and Yet, he Thinks I'm pretty!

So, who are We as woman trying to impress?.. it certainly isn't men, because they dont care about the lotions, newest makeup, Hottest trends of clothing etc..
We are trying to impress other woman, which is in fact yet another form of Vanity!

Why is it that a woman who doesn't wear any, or very little makeup, and doesn't style her hair a certain way , considered "plain', and in need of a makeover??

Why are we as a society obsessed with Loosing weight, and actually lower ourselves to judging a person who is Plus size?.. How cruel and insensitive have we become as a society, and even more importantly, those of us that call ourselves Christians??

Does Jesus judge people based on their looks?.. Does Jesus have the "skinny ,popular clicks" he only hangs out with?.. I think we can give a collective answer of NO!!

I don't have daughters, but I was a young girl once, and I remember having those awkward days of feeling um popular and ugly.. but I am so Thankful I had mom who didn't ingrain in me, to be self absorbed!
I had skinny ,heavy, plain, and real pretty friends, and I have had that all through my life, and I NEVER treated them any different!

I think it is because I don't see beauty as being an outward thing, but rather an inward thing!

I have had a few pretty , popular people in my life, that everyone always said" she is so pretty, and I actually thought they had everything all together, and once I got to know them, I saw just how much Ugly was all over them.. they had such an Ugly heart, that all the "looks" in the world could not help!!

I said all this to say, that makeup and fun girly things are not bad, but we need to have balance, and we older woman need to help start a revolution of training girls to see them selves how God sees them, and The Highest form of Beauty that they need to Achieve, is to have a Beautiful Heart!!