4. The True Source of Beauty and Confidence

<p><strong>For as long as I can remember, I always felt like I didn’t quite</strong> <strong>Have you ever felt that way? </strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the years, I’ve tried to locate why I started having these feelings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I think it was a combination of things…</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the first day of 8</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">th</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">grade, at a very hormonal time, I was told I was fat. </span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At that moment, my identity was tied to the number on the scale.</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I began to live with the notion that if I weighed less, I’d be accepted or somehow better and this began an unhealthy shame over my weight.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Around this same time, I was made fun of for being poor and it made me feel less than.</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>But God healed me!</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, my identity is securely in Christ, and the numbers aren’t my report card anymore!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Even now, as I’ve pivoted in my career, people constantly say, you’re too old, and it’s too late. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Again, with the numbers…</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I reject that thinking! And, I hope you do too.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">God in His overwhelming love has shown me the world’s opinions are not my Jesus-loving truth!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Him, I have all I need.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Doesn’t the world try to use numbers to dictate our beauty and confidence: age, weight, salary, clothing size, and even zip code?</span></p> <p><strong>But here’s the truth: beauty and confidence don’t come from numbers they come fr