Bikini's and Cellulite. They sure don't mix!

Ok ladies, how many times do we have to do this thing called swimming suit shopping?

I mean, don't get me wrong, I love having a cute swimsuit. It's just that I put off that whole shopping trip so that I don't have to experience the horrendous lights shining down on me, in that stark white dressing room, showing off my most secret "flaws". Or maybe they aren't so secret anymore now that I don't hide anything on here. Authenticity much?

Anyway, I've got a story for you. A few days ago a really good friend and I were on a hunt for some cute, comfy, FLATTERING swimming suits. We knew that we had put off this shopping trip long enough, and that it was time to head out and find one.

So here we are, more than enough adorable suits in hand, walking to the dressing room. Now, just a pre-cursor, my friend Char and I are more than loud. It's as though we forget there are other people in this world. I was in one dressing room, and she was in another down at the end of the room. Yet, as we were trying on suit after suit, we made sure to express everything going through our minds at the time.

"Oh Gosh, this thing does not look good."
"Why does it look so good on the hanger, then I put it on and it's like..."
"Since when do I have a small chest?"
"Really? It's as though cellulite has come out of NO WHERE?!"
"Oh, this one...this one is NASTY!"
"And my favorite of all, God, I'm still waiting to lose those 10 lbs!"

Well, once I felt defeated enough, I decided to head back out and pick out some more suits that just HAD to work.

And I ran into a friend!

And she said, "I thought that was you in the dressing room talking".....

:) Oops! That's about all I was thinking at the time. Someone else heard all of that? Heard all our vocal exposing of our flaws? SO LOUDLY?!

Crap....

Ya know, I can hear my Mom right now telling me that I've never been one to keep my thoughts to myself.

The funny thing is, my friend that hear our commentary on the suits said, "I was feelin the same thing!"

Why is it so hard to find a suit that makes us feel beautiful, but also comfortable?

I remember one conversation I had with my husband and he asked me if it was weird to wear a bikini being that it's basically the same as a bra and undies, except the fabric will hopefully not expose what REALLY needs to be hidden! My response was that it only feels weird if I have JUST eating the biggest hamburger and fries, or at the beginning of the summer when my skin hasn't seen anything close to the sun in months.

It's funny though. When you finally find the suit that you know works, you love it! And then you don't want to have to find another one! I do have one that I've had for a few years now that I love, but it's starting to show that I LOVE it. And it just might soon start showing a little too much, which I wouldn't love!

So how do we avoid this?

I have no idea! All I know is that you aren't the only one that stands in front of the mirror going, yikes, I look so much better at home!

And I guess this was just a moment of venting!

Anybody with me here??

Britt

So what is The Beautiful Truth?

Hey there!

If you are new to this site, or new to this ministry, I would love to connect you back to the blog describing what exactly The Beautiful Truth is and how it all began. So feel free to check it out here!

But just a quick overview of what this is:

It's a ministry that exists in order to bring God's truth back into the lives of young women. What's that truth? That each and every woman is absolutely beautiful just the way they are.

It's a website where young women and old can come and be reminded that they are not alone in the battle to feel beautiful.

It's a community of people desiring to bring healing to those struggling with self esteem issues.

It's an 8 week program that can take place in a church as a small group. Through out the 8 weeks, you will be breaking through six of the most obvious lies we as women face on a daily basis.
    6 Main Topics:
              Physical Beauty
              Food
              Sex
              Intelligence
              Comparing ourselves with other women
              Fitness

Each week we bring in a guest speaker that is an expert in each area, yet has also struggled with their own battle to feel beautiful.

I am under the Non-Profit Organization in the state of Washington called The Discovery Series so I have a network of people surrounding me and this new, wonderful thing called The Beautiful Truth.


God has already begun to do some incredible things through this ministry and here is one of the beautiful testimonies I have received so far:

When I went to The Beautiful Truth for the first time and Brittany shared her story and at the end she said "if any of you struggle with these things, i challenge you to read Psalm 139 everyday for 3 weeks-a month. I began to read it but not believing the words and I began to slip back into an eating disorder, I skipped meals and was trying to eat as little as possible and kept working out alot. But then something clicked and I was like "no" I can't be this girl again, so I actually admitted my problems and I flew home for the weekend. While there I continued to read Psalm 139 everyday, I came back to college and I had a renewed strength and knowledge that I could do this. I slowly began to believe the words in Psalm 139. I went to The Beautiful Truth and I was challenged every week. The one on fitness impacted me hugely because I realized I was not alone. I could relate to everything the speaker said and I knew that we both had the strength to make it through. I looked at her and thought she was gorgeous, and that made me think..I bet some people see me that way also. Throughout the semester, every time I got back from TBT I was happy and just got strength and wisdom for the week. It's funny again how God works because the one session that I wanted to go to the least was the one that changed me the most. It was "intelligence" and that guest speaker talked about lies we believe and how if we are ready to give them up and lay them at the cross, then just do it. I had been thinking about moving away from my past for quite a while and this was the perfect opportunity. I wrote down the lie of worthlessness that had consumed me for 6 yrs and I gave it to God at the cross. Then I picked up a verse about joy. Ever since that day I have a new freedom about me and I am filled with joy. As a reminder of how I gave God that lie, I put on a bracelet that says "give" everyday. When I put it on I say a prayer to God just saying that I give those lies and feelings to him and they will no longer control my life.

Isn't this just incredible? I can't wait to share even more with you!



It's such an awesome program so let me know if you ever want to bring it to your church!









         

Gungor - Beautiful Things

You know when you take a moment to look at a flower, and I mean really look at it?

Aren't they just beautiful?!

I was thinking about this last night. How we always look at flowers and see them as absolutely beautiful. When we come across a blemish, a broken petal or some type of spot, we still think that this flower is the most beautiful thing. Everything about it is precious, delicate, and just beautiful.

Have you ever thought about the reality that God feels the same way when he looks at us?

I know I know, some of you might be thinking--wow, how relevant.

IT IS!

That big guy upstairs actually CREATED us! And he sees those flaws and thinks they are incredibly beautiful. Why?

Because God makes BEAUTIFUL THINGS. He doesn't make mistakes! He makes us all beautiful, unique in our own ways. I read this out of a cute book called Unsqueezed, by Margot Starbuck last night and felt I had to share it with you ladies.

Pre-cursor. This has to do with our flaws, the things we think are imperfections, when really they just set us a part from the rest of humanity.

"For years I had watched these horrible makeover shows that make women look like people they're not, all under the clever guise of boosting their attractiveness. In that instant, though I finally understood why each face and each body had been created differently in the first place. I understood, intuitively, why God didn't decided to give each one of us identical matching trouble-free hair, cute perky noses, wide sparkly doe eyes, cut abs and cellulite-free thighs.

It's because HUMAN BEINGS ARE WORTH RECOGNIZING.

Because the individual who is knowable through each body is so entirely WORTH being seen, and heard, and known and loved, God went to all the trouble of making everyone of us different--billions of us, in fact--so that each one of us could be recognized by one another. Precisely because that IS a lot of trouble. I have to believe that God had a pretty good reason for doing that purposeful cumbersome thing."

Unsqueezed, by Margot Starbuck

How incredible is that?!

Just think about that one today. Think about those blemishes you see and replace those lies with the fact that God created you that way to set you apart from every other woman on this earth. To make you UNIQUE.

Still not convinced? Check out what two radical women are doing in LA. That's right, BEAUTY central in our minds.

http://www.loveyourflawz.com/

All Lies Are But Lies....

You know it's funny. You would think that as the leader of a ministry such as The Beautiful Truth, I would somehow be exempt from having to continue to struggle with my body image, because I'm the one trying to help all of you other women to feel beautiful. You would think it would get easier for me because I am continually talking about God's truth in our beauty. You would think that wouldn't you?

Well, you would also think there would come a point in time where I didn't have to remind you that this is exactly the opposite! As I think about the past blogs I have posted on here, the majority of them talk about how I GET IT. I know what it's like to struggle in my own skin.

Today isn't different. Nope.
But today I have some more hope.

The last few weeks have been more stressful than normal with the reality of graduating college hitting me in the face. I've been job hunting, and figuring out some other really important things, and this leads this "girl that struggles with anxiety" down a path that feels like a mental tornado.

My mind is filled with all sorts of stuff.
-What's for dinner tonight? Tomorrow? Friday? I mean, I want something nice to be here for my sweet hubby when he gets home from work.
-I wonder if ANYONE will call me back about my resume
-When will my work visa go through?
-Will it?
-Are we going to continue living in Canada?
-Or are we finally going to move back to the states?
-Am I losing those extra 7 pounds I want to get off?
-Or is that number on the scale counting in my muscle mass since I do alot of weight training?
-Am I ever going to fit into those beautiful hand-me-down Sevens and Citizens I got from my amazing sister in law?
-Do I keep them out to be an inspiration, or do I hide them so I don't obsess over them?
-So what's for dinner?
-Oh yes, I need to spend some time with God today.
-Laundry. Dishes. Vacuuming (which I love with my new vacuum:) Cleaning. Tidying. How am I going to function when we have children?
-I'm pry never going to be ready for kids!
-What's for dinner again?
-Oh yes. God! I need some time with God.
-Workout time! Veggies. Fruit. Nope, don't eat those cards.

Get the picture? Are you overwhelmed with my thinking here? Cuz I am! Actually, it's embarrassing to read how my thought process can go throughout the day. But it's pure honestly ladies. Or else I'm the only crazy one;)

So where on earth am I going with this today?

Even though I lead this ministry, I DO NOT get to pull the PASS card.
I struggle just as much as any of you do. I may not be in the place where I was when I was really battling an eating disorder, but the memory is oh so present.

Last week I spoke at a youth group Girl's Night and just loved it! Seeing all those beautiful faces listening intently about God's truth was such a gift to me. It's always great practice, but it's always such a reminder. I'm reminded of all that God has done in my life, in taking me from a place filled with lies and deception about my body, to a place where I saw how beautifully God had created me. So why do I still struggle?

I think it's so I never lose my humility. I think it's so that I am always reminded of how absolutely difficult it is to battle through things like this. I'm not just talking about serious eating disorders, and if that's where you are, PLEASE GET HELP. Right now, I'm talking about the daily struggle to just feel beautiful in your own skin. The struggle to KNOW that you are not supposed to look like the models in the magazines. Those women don't even look like that once airbrushing and photoshop does its job.

Sometimes I believe I still struggle with this because it keeps me running back to my Lord, falling on my knees remembering that HE CREATED ME. That HE LOVES ME. And that I CANNOT LIVE MY LIFE WITHOUT HIM.

And goodness I PRAISE God for that!

So as I was journaling this morning, just laying down my thoughts and concerns to the Lord, I wrote down these words and believed I needed to share them with you.

ALL LIES ARE BUT LIES.

Yep. Plain and simple. Every lie that comes into your mind, is JUST A LIE. So IGNORE it. It has NO power over you, over me. It cannot change the way we think or feel about ourselves because it's NOT TRUE.

So next time you are scrolling through some friend of a friend's photo's on facebook and you wish you looked more like that girl with the blonde hair, or the girl with the "perfect stomach" claim that lie right there. It's a LIE ladies! You are beautiful just as you are! Maybe you need to eat a little healthier, or start exercising, but you are still BEAUTIFUL. And I can guarantee the girl with the "perfect stomach" wished her abs were more toned, or thinks she has too big of a booty. I've done my research ladies. I've had MANY conversations and have heard things like this come out of the mouths of those exact girls.

So those lies I may be believing or allowing to bring me down? Yep. UNTRUE. So why waste my time allowing them to ruin my day?!

K lady loves, it's time for me to end this loooooong blog.

You're beautiful you know that?!
Yep. SAY it. 

Pure Honesty. Really?

Well, of course when I'm trying to fall asleep, my mind begins to wander and I the need to journal begins. So I got out of bed as quietly as I could without waking up the husband, but alas...I woke him up. I guess that's what happens when you sleep in a double. Soon and very soon we will have a bigger, nice, incredible, roomy bed-but that's not why I'm writing tonight now is it?

I struggle with my body image.
SHOCKER ALERT!

No really though, I do! And of course that would make sense as to why I created The Beautiful Truth, or really why I listened to God when he put it on my heart to get a ministry like this going. But even though day in and day out my mind is thinking about The Beautiful Truth and what I am going to do next. I'm always planning ahead, and dreaming about the future of this ministry. When I've got a few speaking engagements coming up, my mind is totally focused on what types of things I am going to discuss or bring up. So as I lay in bed tonight I could feel God knocking on the doors of my heart, telling me to get out of that warm bed and grab my journal. It's time to listen.

So as I started just writing and praising God for the day, and food, and whatever else seems to come out first, I started to write out some ideas for my message for next week. The word DECEPTION came to mind. I've been so deceived many times by the media and by the world that I NEED to be thinner in order to be really happy.

You might be sitting here wondering why on earth I would even believe such a lie when I've got a ministry surrounded by taking the lies we have believed and bringing in God's truth.

And that's what I'm trying to say!
I'VE STRUGGLED WITH IT. I STILL BATTLE THROUGH IT!
And that's why I won't stop talking about it! I may not have an eating disorder anymore, or struggle with an intense amount of lies about myself. But I still do struggle. Lately for instance I have noticed that since I've gotten married I've put on just a few pounds that don't need to be there. They have come on for a variety of reasons. Yet, as I have kicked my booty back in gear to try and get back to where I feel healthy again, I need to keep myself in check.

It's so easy for me to get excited about working out. I LOVE exercise! I promise you, I really do! Some of you right now are already saying you are crazy, I sure don't have that problem. But just listen to me...I  promise I have other issues;) Really though, it can be easy to get obsessed again about losing weight and the number on the scale. When in all reality that's not what I should be going by.

For me, when I was coming out of my eating disorder and on the path to a healthier way of "being healthy" I developed a great lifestyle. Eating good. Not too many desserts (my #1 weakness, and I mean WEAKNESS hunny) and a good work-out 3-4 days a week. That's when I feel the best mentally, physically, and emotionally. Jason can even tell when I've gotten off that track because I start feeling really insecure and complain about my body. So when I get off that track, the downward spiral begins and I have to start all over again with that healthy balance of a life. Ugh...

Anybody feeling me here?!!!

The reason I am sharing this with you is because I want you to know I totally get it and even though it is my greatest passion and desire to help other women feel beautiful, I'm praying and pushing for the same thing for myself. I have come to KNOW that I am beautiful exactly how I am. Cuz goodness gracious God made me this way! It's just a matter of BELIEVING that and LIVING it out.

So what's my challenge for MYSELF today?

To believe it! To keep from getting obsessed with exercise, food, calories, unrealistic ideas that are built on lies. Yep. That's it! I've been created by God, in the image of God, as I am. So how about I continue to live in that beauty!

How about YOU live in that incredible truth with me.

It's all about the journey and about the healthy balance we live in our lives. I still enjoy a few yummy desserts through out the week. In fact, some dove dark chocolate every night after dinner to be exact. Just to have that little amazingness:) And it's about taking care of our bodies, and for me it's in my work outs each week. It's also about eating good food. Not just yummy tasting food, but food that is good for you! It's ALSO about spend time with my God each and every day because HE is the one speaking the truth into my heart each time I begin to be deceived by lies.

And that my beautiful ladies is all I have for you tonight.
Or it's all the writing I need to do tonight;)

Hugs and blessings!

Britt

Seconds - I Am Second

Seconds - I Am Second

Take a moment to check out this video.

Do you struggle too?

Have you struggled?

Are you afraid you might be heading towards the direction of this struggle?

You are not alone.

Do You Ever Wonder?

Do you ever wonder why we sin?
Do you ever wonder why one moment we can feel so in tune with God, and then the next we're feeling guilt because of sin?
Do you ever wonder why we don't believe we are forgiven, even though God's word declares that we are?
Do you ever wonder what it's going to be like in Heaven, where there is no pain and sadness?
Do you ever wonder what it would be like to never feel ugly, or unattractive?
Do you ever wonder when the truths you have heard, are going to stick?

Do you ever wonder?
Do you ever have that moment where you are filled with emotions that leave you feeling...just odd?
That's the only word I could use to describe this feeling. It's really just odd. It's not like I'm full of anger, sadness, or even joy at that moment. I'm just...feeling something...

Do you ever have this? Or am I alone?

I know I'm not, or else The Beautiful Truth would not be existing.
Or else there probably wouldn't be as many thin women running on the tredmills for hours upon hours.
Or else there wouldn't be a need for plastic surgery for just the average woman.
Or else we wouldn't have millions of women joining together at conferences like the one I attended this weekend, desiring so deeply to hear TRUTH. To hear TRUTH about our significance, about the fact that God has forgiven us from our past sins. Bible studies such as Believing God and Breaking Free, by Beth Moore, probably wouldn't be so popular if I was the only one feeling this way.

It's so interesting to me knowing that I'm not the only one feeling this way, yet we forget to share these things with others.

I'm not quite sure where I am going with this tonight.
In all reality, I just wanted to share with you ladies, that you are not alone.
How many times have I written about this?
I guess it's just something I am passionate about. But today, I think that's what I'm supposed to write about.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

You are not the only woman that fears the thought of gaining weight.
You are not the only Mom that feels so lonely every single day and wonders if this is ever going to get easier.
You aren't the only wife that struggles to find joy today, or that is confident in who you are.
You aren't the only woman wondering if and when you will be able to lose that last 10-20 pounds. Do you need to? Is that realistic? Are you healthy at the weight you are? Just think about that for a moment...
You aren't the only one struggling with what you are struggling with.

How do I know this?
This past weekend I was at the Living Proof Live conference in Tacoma with Beth Moore. There were 6300 other women there seeking GOD. They were seeking affirmation, peace, forgiveness, motivation, and a whole lot more. I remember at the beginning when the worship team came up and the evening began, the women immediately shouted their praises to God. It didn't take a whole lot to get everyone excited to be there. For they were being reminded that THEY ARE NOT ALONE.

Isn't this beautiful?
Even though you feel so alone, you aren't!
If you are anywhere near Columbia Bible College, COME this Monday night to be reminded that YOU AREN'T ALONE.
If you aren't anywhere near CBC, that's ok! Please email your prayers, concerns, or even questions. It is my hope that you can find some hope, and some reminder that you aren't alone.

As I write this, I hear these lyrics in the background by Tenth Avenue North.
These are what remind me that God is listening...

I know i need you
I need to love you
I love to see you, but its been so long
i long to feel you
i feel this need for you'
and i need to hear you
is that so wrong?
now you pulled me near you
when we're close i fear you
still im afraid to tell you
all that i've done
are you done forgiving?
or can you look pass my pretending?
Lord i'm so tired of defending
what i've become
what have i become?
i hear you say "my love is over,
its underneath, its inside, its in between
the times you doubt me, when you can't feel
the times that you've questioned 'is this for real?'
the times you've broken, the times that you mend
the times you hate me and the times that you bend
well my love is over, its underneath
its inside, its in between,
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com 
these times you're healing
and when your heart breaks
the times that you feel like you've fallen from grace
the times you're hurting
the times that you heal
the times you go hungry and *are tempted* to steal
in times of confusion and chaos and pain
im there in your sorrow under the weight of your shame
im there through your heartache
im there in the storm
my love i will keep you by my power alone
i dont care where you've fallen, where you have been
i'll never forsake you
my love never ends, it never ends