Beauty 101~ {It Hurts To Be Beautiful}

Why am I adding Beauty to the mix of things here on The Stonybrook House?

Well, I'm finding a few challenges that come along with a g i n g....

And I thought, you know, someone should forewarn the those young 20-30 somethings what is coming up the pike. And, maybe some fellow 40-50 somethings might appreciate a person to understand their struggles and have a few suggestions.  

We'll see how it goes....

So, I thought I'd start this by asking,

Why do we try to look beautiful?
Why do we want to look "better"?

Well, I'm just going to answer for myself and what I've tried to teach my daughter.

It makes me feel better.  

I feel more put together, not like I just dragged myself out of bed.

I feel like it shows myself and others that I care about myself. 

I want to share something my mom shared with me while growing up.

I have passed this down to my daughter and now to my niece.

It's a funny but truthful statement.

Let me share the scenario....

I was probably about 5-7 years old.  

My mom is brushing my hair and I'm complaining that it hurts!

She wasn't being very gentle and I probably had a rats nest of knots in my hair... :)

And she tells me.... Oh, Lori, don't you know it hurts to be beautiful?

Yeah. Lots of compassion... I heard that saying many many times growing up.

I guess it's true.

Why else would we pluck our eyebrows

wear uncomfortable clothes

wax

wear high heels

spend so much time doing our hair

(especially for a special occasion)

exfoliate

shave our legs

paint our nails

I could go on....but I think you get the idea.

But I wouldn't change a thing.  I love being a girl!

I want to enhance the beauty God gave me.

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.  Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 1 Peter 3:3-4

You know this verse has bothered me at times because, I want to look nice.  But if you look at the verse it says our beauty should not come from the outward appearance. It doesn't mean we shouldn't try to look our best.  I think it means that our outward beauty shouldn't be the only thing people see in you.

True beauty comes from who we are on the inside.

I just read this...

Inner beauty never fades, and no matter how pretty someone is on the outside, an ugly inside always shows.

Beauty....

It involves hair, skincare, make-up, and fashion.

Did I miss anything?

Yes! The most important... 

A kind heart, a good attitude, a gentle word, a helping hand.

We need to nourish our inner beauty by reading God's word and loving others.

And as God teaches us to be more like him, sometimes it is a bit uncomfortable when He shows you a bad attitude you had, or when you were unkind to someone, or calling the person that just cut you off on the highway a moron... :/  

Sometimes that hurts too, but in a good way, to be more like HIM!

So, I'll be hitting on all of those things at sometime or another.

So, when I'm doing my niece's hair for school, just like I did my daughter's when she was young, and they say,

 Ow, that hurts!

I'll say.... I know honey...

It hurts to be beautiful.

Blessings,