You're beautiful...you're beautiful....to me

This Blog is written by AHG's Girl Blogger and  Patriot Sarah Peterson.  Once again her words are filled with great wisdom.  Words that we all need to hear despite our age.  Thank you Sarah for caring enough about each of us to bare your soul and share this important message.

All girls, at some point in their life, dream of being beautiful. Our culture now a days focuses so much time, energy and money into products, treatments and clothes that make us "perfect". Stylish clothes, makeup, jewelry, creams, lotions, dyes, waxes, gels, purses, hats, etc flood stores shelves. We have all probably played with a Barbie doll. She is the image of "perfect"! Tall, blond, is good at everything, has tons of friends and even has a cute boyfriend. Many girls go through life trying to be pleasers. They want to make friends to feel important so they go through life striving to always please someone so that they feel like they are wanted. All girls do this! I think God put a desire to be loved in all of us. The problem? Girls often look to things other than God Himself to fulfill this desire. Instead of Christ we choose clothes. Instead of Jesus we choose jewelry. (Here comes the big one!) Instead of God we choose guys. Yep, we all have done it.

Did you realize though, that there is a guy that loves you unconditionally? That knows you more intimately than you even know yourself? That wants to spend time with you daily? Why? Because He's the one that made you!

Think of it this way: God didn't send Jesus to die on the cross because He needs us. He's God! He can do what He wants! He's the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Almighty, All Powerful, Lord of lords and King of kings! He doesn't need us, but He sent His only son, Christ, to die for us because He wants us. Have you thought of it that way? Christ died so that we could live eternally with Him, so that we could bring glory to God and that we could bring the saving knowledge of God to the world. Yes, He could have done these things without us, but instead He chose us. We are wanted by the maker of the world, the only one that can love us unconditionally, the only one that will love us perfectly and will always stay with us when we fail Him.

Girls, we may not be loved by people on this earth. Maybe you come from a broken home, a father who is never or was never there. A mother who never learned to love others. Brothers or sister that don't know how to have a relationship with you or that are always looking down on you. Maybe you don't have many friends or are not popular. Maybe you get teased because you don't look pretty enough in their eyes or maybe because you can't fit into the right pair of jeans. Maybe you don't have any guys that look to you like you are important enough to talk to. Well you know what? We have the perfect man reaching out to us. Even when we fail, when we aren't perfect enough, when we miss the mark. Christ loves us more than we could ever know. He longs for a relationship with us, He wants us to feel His unconditional love. He is perfect! A perfect man thinks we are beautiful no matter if we fit into a size two or twenty-two! He not only reaches for us, but He died for us. I think all girls dream of a man who would lay down his life for her. To show his love for her in some way or another. Well look no further, girls! He is right here with His pierced side and crushed hands and feet knocking at our door and opening up His arms to us. You are loved. You are adored. You are wanted. You are beautiful. And The Lord of heaven and earth has told you so! He loves you. You are loved. Don't ever think you are not! No matter what the world says, thinks or does, never forget that the One who will love you unconditionally, who will always be ready to take us back into His arms when we come back from some other relationship trying to be fulfilled when we can only really be fulfilled by the One who gave us the desires in the first place. He is the only one that can truly satisfy us and He is at your door waiting for you to open it and fall into His ever loving arms.

In His eyes we are beautiful and He wants to have a personal relationship with each and every one of us. So how are some ways that we can remember that God think we are beautiful? Well, songs are a great way! Make sure you always listen to songs that glorify God in their lyrics. Here are some of my favorites that I like to listen to when I need a reminder that God thinks I'm special, beautiful and someone whom He loves:

"Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns
"You Loved Me Anyway" by Sidewalk Prophets
"Someone’s Work of Art" by Sixteen Cities
"You Loved Me First" by Mikeschair
"Gold" by Britt Nicole
"Life is Beautiful" by The Afters
"Know That You are Loved" by Sidewalk Prophets
"A Beautiful Life" by Mikeschair

Not only are songs a great reminder but make sure that you always go to God Himself! Here are some of my favorite verses too that remind me how much I'm loved:

Phillipians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Psalm 139:14 “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.”

Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

1 John 4:19 “We love Him because He first loved us”

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

1 Peter 3:3-4 “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.”

Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.”

Romans 5:8“but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

1 Chronicles16:34 “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

Psalm 13:5 “But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation.”

Psalm 86:5 “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to You.”

You are loved. Christ died for you! Never forget that <3>

Sarah