Beautiful You! By Stephanie Franklin
Today’s guest blogger is Stephanie Franklin. Stephanie wears many hats as most women do. She is a single mother to three wonderful and miraculous children. She is a self defense instructor and a chaplain as well as a pageant queen . As a rape survivor she helps other women and girls overcome the negative emotions and pain that come from rape. Her desire is to empower and encourage women and girls through God’s Word to be all God created them to be.
Stephanie Franklin~ Ms. Lockhart, Texas Plus America Queen 2015
Strong Tower Self Defense LLC
Instructor / Speaker/Chaplain
512-517-4818
YOU are BEAUTIFUL!
You are absolutely GORGEOUS!!!
How do you feel when you read these words?
How do you feel when someone says these words to you?
Sadly, the truth is many of us are rolling our eyes and inside our head thinking “Yeah, right!” Insecurity and unbelieving feelings stir.
I was one of those people who could not take a compliment very well. I was abused as a child by a relative and then teased in school constantly. I was too tall, too fat, too much of a tomboy, or too girly. I was even teased for being too intelligent or too ignorant.
I eventually learned that I can’t please everyone. There will always be a hater in the crowd, and know this, the hater hates his or her self, not you!
Genesis 1:26-27 tells us that God created us in His image. I love Psalm 139:13-17:
“For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from you. When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed, And in your book they were all written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious are your thoughts of me, O God!”
There is such power in these verses! God thought you out. He dreamed of you, Beautiful YOU! He fearfully (with great reverence) and wonderfully MADE YOU in His image! You are a reflection of Him! You may be thinking “Not me. I’ve done this and that.”
What I have learned is that we are beautiful because we are human. We have to allow the Lord to transform us through the gifts he has given us. For example, I am a strong willed child and have a thunderous voice, and a very sharp tongue. I have used what God intended for good in such ungodly ways, but the wonderful thing about the Lord is that he renews us daily (2 Corinthians 4:16). Now I use my voice to encourage others and pray for them. I also use my voice to speak for those who haven’t yet discovered they have one of their own. The Lord will continue to mold us into His image, if we allow Him.
Beautiful child of God, walk in confidence. Don’t allow this tarnished world to dull your shine. You were created to shine!
As a self-defense instructor, one of the first things I teach my students is Know your Worth, KNOW that you are VALUABLE. Deuteronomy 7:6 says “For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.” You are worth saving!
John 3:16: “ For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not parish, but have everlasting life.”
You were beautifully created to spend all eternity in the most amazing relationship with the one true God who loves you so very dearly. Now, the next time you are given a compliment receive it with confidence being the BEAUTIFUL YOU that you were created to be!