Dear Daughters of Eve:

You aren’t defined by the fashion magazines’ ideas of beauty.

You aren’t defined by the clothes you wear.

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You aren’t defined by the color of your hair, eyes, or skin.

You aren’t defined by the number on the scale.

You aren’t defined by the numbers in your bank account.

You aren’t defined by any woman who judged you by your appearance.

You aren’t defined by the parent who called you lazy, stupid, or other names.

You aren’t defined by the man who saw you only as a body, not as a soul.

You aren’t defined by the grade school bully who belittled you.

You aren’t defined by the friend who turned her face against you.

You aren’t defined by negative words others say about you.

You aren’t defined by your children’s mistakes.  061 (4)

You aren’t defined by your parent’s mistakes.

You aren’t defined by your mistakes.

You aren’t defined by any ugly words or deeds against you.

You aren’t defined by what your culture does.

You aren’t defined by your job.

You aren’t defined by how many medals, awards or trophies you own.

You aren’t defined by the number of letters after your name.

You aren’t defined by your marital status.

You aren’t defined by the lies the enemy throws against you.

“For God does not see as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”         1 Samuel 16:7

You ARE defined by God.

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And He says:

You are beautiful. You are made in His image.

So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them. –Genesis 1:27

You are worthy to be loved.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. –John 3:16

You are precious. You are cherished. 

The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing. –Zephaniah 3:17

You are chosen.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. –Colossians. 3:12

You are forgiven.

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. –Psalm 103:12

He offers hope. 

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. –Romans 5:5

He understands rejection. Jesus was rejected by men, too.

 He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. –Isaiah 53:3

He can heal you. “Give your wounds to me– spiritual, physical and emotional wounds– give them to me. “

 O Lord my God, I cried out to You,
And You healed me. –Psalm 30:2

 “Don’t worry about what you will wear. I am here to take care of you.”

28 So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? –Matthew 6:28-30

You are more than conquerors.

 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. –Romans 8:37

You are meant to be here. You have a purpose. His plans are better than we can imagine.

11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. –Jeremiah 29:11-13

“You are loved.”

…says God.

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(sharing with Laura at The Wellspring, and Emily at Imperfect Prose and Jen for Soli Deo Gloria)