I know you sometimes feel ordinary but you’re not.
You are one of a kind ~ a unique and beautiful blend of all God wants you to be.
You are God’s prized possession, a valued treasure of great worth.
You may feel invisible…like you are just one of millions of others.
But God sees you.
And when God sees you, He sees someone He loves.
In Isaiah 43:4, God says, “You are precious and honored in my sight …. and I love you.”
He sees someone He knows.
David said in Psalm 139:1, “You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.” God knows you, too.
Since God knows you, has a purpose for you and loves you just the way He made you, I have no doubt He wants you to feel the same way.
He’ll do whatever it takes to help you get to a place of accepting and embracing your His heart for you so you can become the woman HE created you to be!
Here is the song I feel like God chose for you this week. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch, listen and let Him tell you just how beautiful you are! {If you are reading this via email, click here to watch it since it’s not viewable thru email.}
You really are…
Beautiful
Loved
Cherished
Chosen
Treasured
Sacred
You are His!
May God’s sweet affirmations replace all those comparisons. As you identify, understand and embrace who HE created you to be, I’m praying that, like the psalmist, you’re learning to say with confidence, “Lord, You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb, I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Ps. 139:13-14)
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To celebrate God’s heart for you — my friends at DaySpring have graciously given me 5 sets of “God’s Heart For You” giveaways to share with 5 of you!! {{so excited!!}}
To enter the “God’s Heart for You” GiveAway share your answer to one or more of the questions at the end of the chapter 8. OR if you haven’t read that far yet, share your thoughts about today’s music video or blog post. Can’t want to hear from your heart :-).
This blog post is exactly what a friend of mine really needs to hear. I am going to forward her the link. Why is it so very hard for us as women to believe we are beautiful to Him? My prayer for all of us today is that we will live today knowing this is absolutely true. Thanks Renee! 🙂
That song video gave me so much peace this morning when I heard it. It put my heart in the right place, no more sadness.
Thank You
I LOVE this song. When my anxiety was at its worst, my husband whispered to me one night, “Do you believe that God loves you?” I could barely whisper, “yes”, because I knew it but my heart wasn’t believing it. “But I’m such a mess…” I cried. And he reminded me, “It doesn’t matter; He loves you no matter what.” Thank you for this!
How this song has ministered to me over the last several months. God has taken me in a season wehre I wasn’t sure if I would come through, but HE proved faithful and reminds me of His love for me. I needed this song again to day as a reminder that I am beautiful in his seyes.. Thank you for your faithfulnes.
Wow. I have never posted a comment before. I loved the affirmations for myself of course but I will share them with my sisters in Christ. We have to know who we are in Christ Jesus and so often we have this identity crisis. We read the words in the Bible and say “yes” that is what Jesus is saying to me and that is who I am but then we close the Bible and began to complain of “I can never get things right. I am just a loser so on and so on”. It is like we see our reflection in the mirror (God’s word) but as soon as we turn away from the mirror we forget what we look like. I struggle daily but when we let the old feelings come in again we need to turn right back to the mirror and see our reflection in Jesus.
I have been so touched by this book and it has spoken to me right where I am. It is life changing stuff! I realize through this chapter that many times I go through my day doing what I do and not seeing that God has given me these special talents to point a lost world to Him, or to touch a life in some way that I may not even know. I am grateful that the Lord used this chapter to help me re align my heart and thoughts about my talents and abilities.
Thank you for the reminder that our heart’s desires were placed there by God! We aren’t supposed to suppress our desires to fulfill others. We can’t do it.
As I continue reading this book, I’m amazed at how God proves to me everyday his love and joy in me.
I am beautiful.
Renee, thank you for sharing this. Last January I made a Cursillo weekend, and one of the ladies on team shared this song with us, and it has held such a special place in my heart since then. As someone who was abused as a child, by a parent, I suffer from very poor self-image issues. I can’t tell you how much I love this song, and what a blessing it is every time I hear it. I have loved our book story, and I pray for all of you ladies, and offer up one of the decades of my Friday rosary for you each week.
We are truly beautiful to Him; how uplifting and what a great way to begin the day!
Hello Renee~
I have come out of my shell long enough to say…Thank you so much for sharing this video. It made me cry. What a wonderful way to begin this day; to be reminded of how much I am loved. “I am treasured; I am His.” In His eyes…I am beautiful.
Thank you for your obedience to Him in writing your book. You have made a difference in my life and in so many others. Bless you!
I truly enjoyed the video. I have been very quite since the first week. I have been reading all of your blogs and weekly emails. This song has really hit a spot in my heart from the first time I heard it so I had to write. This was the first time I ever saw the music video. I have very low self esteem so knowing the God has made me and loves me no matter what gives me great comfort. I just wish that I could hold on to this thought daily.
I am so thankful for this post! It was a much needed reminder of God’s love for me, just as I am. I can’t remember a time I didn’t doubt myself, how I look, how I act, who I am… But that has been changing since I have come to accept Christ as my Lord and Saviour. He has lead me down an amazing path with wisdom from amazing teachers like Renee. Thank you God for all of the reminders of how You love me. And thank you Renee for allowing Him to use you to touch our lives.
I’ve always been so insecure. I’ve never felt beautiful but I know that I’m loved by God. I recently had breast cancer and had to have a mastectomy and then I really felt bad. I was always so healthy and I exercised and watched my weight and did all the right things but God had other plans for me. At first I was devastated, it nearly crushed me. I know that God looks on the inside but my inside at times not very pretty. It is still hard when I look in the mirror but I know that I’m more than this shell of a body. I praise God that He let me live so I can have more time with my family and friends. I’m loving the book because it is helping me to face a lot of challenges in my life. I pray for all of the women who are doing this study and I want to say to them that they are beautiful.
Renee,
Thank you for reminding us all why we are so valuable — we are God’s children, God’s loves us beyond measure, and He will go to any length that we might be reconciled to Him. WOW!
It is hard for me to listen to the song, Beautiful by Mercyme, without getting very emoitional. There are two reasons for my emotional response. First, God gave me this song last April, less than a week after losing a close friend to suicide. I had known this person for over 25 years. The one thing I know about my friend with absolute certainty was that he didn’t like himself and he hard time believing that anyone else could like him either.
How did I know this about my friend? Because I suffered from the same condition. Notice that my last sentence is past-tense. I no longer doubt my value or the reason for my existence. About two years ago God brought me to a crossroads… either I accept his love and trust him fully, 100%, or I reject him. After many soul-searching sessions with God, I chose to trust him 100% and thus, by default, believe what he says in his word about his love for me. THIS HAS TRANSFORMED MY LIFE!! GOD HAS TRANSFORMED MY LIFE!!
Every man, women, and child need to hear of God’s amazing love. More importantly, He needs every one who has experienced his love to share it with those around us. Words are cheap but actions tell the truth of where someone’s heart lies.
I have experienced that deep, dark place of self-loathing. I know from personal experience that the only thing that can reach someone in that dark place is God’s love. Who will be God’s mouth to speak his truths? Who will be His arms to hug and hold those who cannot love themselves? These are the questions that fuel me. This, in short (hee hee) is what the song by Mercyme is all about.
Hi Andi~
I simply want to say that I am so sorry to hear about your friend.
Your story is similar to mine. Your feelings are not unlike mine.
To have at one time lived in complete darkness, only to then come out into the Sonlight…what an amazing transformation that can take place, correct?
My prayer is that both of us will be the hands and feet of Jesus for others in need.
Bless you today. Judi.
I don’t have the book yet, however I do want it. As for this music video it is beautiful. One of the many lies the devil tells us women is how we are ugly, inadequate, full of flaws. So when u hear that you are beautiful it’s hard to believe. I love the part that says you are you are chosen you are his. You’re beautiful. If we could just grasp this cocept. There would be alot of healing. Thank you.
So glad I came out to the blog today as it was so on point with something that I’ve been struggling with but have questioned myself as to why…I know some of the reasons how I got caught into the comparison trap, but why, but this statement stood out the most from the blog: “May God’s sweet affirmations replace all those comparisons.”
I wrote this in my journal today and after reading your blog just now, I see how it speaks to my heart. My journal entry was:
“Why do we compare, instead of being ourselves?” Why do we allow the most insignificant things in life pertaining to another person’s character, ability, looks, voice, style, gift, relationship, etc affect us so much? Why do we want to look, sound, have, or be like any other person? When you really take the time out to stop and think how menial and insignificant it is to who you are, it really doesn’t make sense. Comparison/competition feeds into jealousy, envy or losing your authentic self which is not a good thing.
We compare another woman’s hair, eyes, skin, smile, voice, size, personality, feet, clothes, house, car, shoes, relationship, family, friends, job, status and the list goes on and on and on. My question is this. What is the one thing about yourself that is unique? Better yet, of the things that we compare ourselves that others have (as listed above), ask yourself if you have something. Do you have hair, do you have eyes, clothes, a place to live, etc…it’s a yes or no question, not yes but I don’t look like this person or yes but I don’t have the smile she has….uuuuhhmmm, of coarse not…You are unique…but you can at least answer to the question that you have a smile, so smile. Even if you can say yes to one thing, you’re blessed. So in essence, look at what you have, not what you don’t and especially stop looking at what someone else has. It’s okay to admire or acknowledge, but move on…don’t compare. Be thankful for all things big or small. Be yourself and fin one thing about you that you like. Stay focused.”
Now adding God’s affirmations to my life and focusing on them everyday, I know can and will heal me of the comparison trap. Most of the time, well in my life, I didn’t get the affirmations I needed as a young person which made me always look at someone else’s life and say I wasn’t good enough…but ENOUGH IS ENOUGH already. God’s affirmations in my life are enough.
I love the words of this song and loved the material of this chapter. It was fun to review the material and to do the spitiual gift inventory in my mini retreat. It was a real encouragement to see that God is using me and the gifts that He has given me. The photo of the potter with the clay was a beautiful picture for me. Thanks to all who share.
Oh my gosh! This post is for me!! I was going through the worst (was it?) time in my life around January 2011. I wanted to end my life. I thought there was no hope. My son’s diagnosis and subsequent treatment for cancer gave me the push to recall some horrendous childhood sexual abuse. I thought nobody could tolerate or love me.
My son’s nurse practitioner was an avid Christian and she sent me the link to this song. It changed me. It made me feel that inside I WAS beautiful and truly more than my past.
The day I heard that song made me want to persevere and go on. There have been many rough times but then I put my earphones in my ears and remember….
I will answer my chapter 8 questions tomorrow. Today I want to revel in the fact that I am beautiful (I printed the lyrics and kept them with me).
You, no matter what, are beautiful to God and that is all that matters!
Thank you to all!
Wendy
I love the song. Thanks for sharing it and all the words of wisdom. I’m struggling with this chapter. We did a personality study in a Sunday School Teaching Workshop and I’m a problem solver, number crunching person who also loves to interact with my friends. I need to take a day to myself (away from kids and work) and pray about what “I” like to do. I like to volunteer and I get asked to do the treasurer tasks. I don’t mind doing it since it comes easy for me, I just have not figured out what my “passion” is.
I do want to feel beautiful and loved and confident. This song and this chapter especially is showing me that God has created me for a purpose. Since my husband died I feel at a loss as to what I am supposed to be doing with my life but from this study I am learning that God has a plan and he always has and I need to trust him with my life. I have always used my gift with children in service but I feel God has other assignments for me and I am anxious to discover what they are. Thank you for offering this study at a time when I was needing to grow in God confidence.
I feel warm when I know you matter and love me, Jesus and Renee. I am also glad to learn the positive meaning of this word ‘matter’ today. I am encouraged to write a feedback and response here by seeing God’s giving you the gift of giving, Renee. Thank you for your lovely photo and ‘Give Away’ action. Praise the LORD’s awesome restoration within you and through you!
This song is one of my favorites!!
This past year has been by far one of the hardest years in my life.
I was in an abusive relationship…and about a year ago this song came on and I could just hear God speaking to me through this song. All the times I heard I wasnt good enough or pretty enough God replace it with YOU ARE BEAUTIFULL. I realized that day how God sees me!! He let me now that, the situation I was in was not good for me, He let me know I was meant for something way more. That day I started to feel how much God values me and sees me. I belive HIm and I am glad He has saved my life in more than one way.
That song/video was EXACTLY what I needed to hear. Now I need to listen to it every, every, EVERY day till it sinks in !!! Thank you Renee & Mercy Me for allowing yourselves to be used by God to minister to me / us.
It’s still so hard to believe that I’m one IN a million, not one OF a million (or billion!) and that God actually cares about me personally. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around that one. I know that it’s true in my head, God has given me plenty of examples of his love, but I don’t think it’s made it all the way to my heart yet.
I have listened that song countless times but never really “heard” it until now. Thank you for that. I so needed to hear that blessing.
Hi everyone,
I’m behind on my studies but I do read the postings Renee. I’m leading a women’s bible study at my church about our wilderness and how we must trust god with everything.
The video was perfect. When Satan tries to fill our head with lies and doubt, we need to remember god loves us, We’re beautiful!
I know that the Lord directed me to the blog and to hear this song. I needed this so much tonight. These are words that I have never heard spoken to me, but tonight through this song, I feel loved. Thank You for this amazing bible study.
I absolutely love this song. Whenever I feel down or alone, this song helps to remind me that I am that perfect creation; loved and cared for by our Heavenly Father. Unfortunately, there are many of these times, so seeing the words on “paper” really help to remind me of these truths. I really am…
Beautiful
Loved
Cherished
Chosen
Treasured
Sacred
You are His!
i LOVE this song and the video! I love the thought that I’m beautiful, treasured and sacred to Jesus, enough to die for me! I love the pictures where He is hugging the girls! Beautiful thoughts. I haven’t quite got to the questions from chapter 8 yet, but I do thank you for sharing this video!
Love, love, love this video! What a beautiful message! So glad to be on here! Love you all on here who are on this journey with me! God Bless you all!
It’s sooo easy to forget that there is someone who always thinks I’m beautiful and sees all there is that is good in me. And that someone is the most important someone of all – GOD! Thank you for the reminder. I wish I didn’t have to be reminded…but your book and this study are definitely helping!
I don’t have the book but I love this post!
I love the song and am so grateful for this book study, the blog and today’s discussion… I was able to share today’s blog with my mother and the video… I pray that she will be at the point where she will allow God to reveal to her how important she is and that she can break free from the bondage that has attacked her for so long. I am so grateful every day that we can go directly to God and he can work in our lives through his abundant grace if we seek him… He is always there…
I do wish I could see myself as God sees me, I pray that so much. The song is beautiful, I enjoyed listening to it so much. Thank you for all you are doing for us women, you are a special woman of God. I so enjoy reading your blog, and anything that you write….Thanks so much, Lisa
This video is awesome. This study is awesome. Your book is awesome. You are awesome Renee! I have spent my entire life thinking I’m not good enough, 53 years. Lived in physical and verbal abuse most of my life. Conceived out of hate and an entire life of lies. No idea who I am or my “nationality” or who my blood relatives are, and only found this out a few years ago. All lies, my whole life a lie. But God is good! It took this study, this book, and God speaking through you Renee for me to finally get I am LOVED by the King of Kings. I am beautiful, His masterpiece, chosen, known and blessed. Jesus loves ME! How cool is that? I always thought he loved everyone else but not me. I’ve been saved since 2001 and it is now just sinking in. Jesus loves ME! I can’t tell you how freeing that is. Your constant posts to facebook, and the constant emails is what finally made me realize it. That’s what made it sink in. Thank you so very much! I am LOVED and I am FREE! How great is our God?! Blessings to you!
First of all, I want to say how AWESOME this song is!!! Every time I hear it, it is like God is right there singing it to me!!! Really makes me stop the whole negative thinking of who I think I am and really focus on God’s thinking of me.
Second, I just want to say that I love chapter 8! It has really opened my eyes to a lot…For so long and still from time to time I compare myself to others of this world, and I dont measure up. I am 30, have yet to finish my college education (really don’t know what to do) and I just recently lost my job because the owner shut down the business, no warning, just sent an email and said I no longer have a job. I am not married, not even dating….and to me, I look at my life and wonder what God has placed me in this world for….I get depressed because I dont have anything to offer….then I stop….God has me right where He wants me, and I can do great things for Him because it is THROUGH Him that I get my strength…
Still a work in progress!
Take Care, God Bless, and Stay Beautiful!!!
Well I haven’t read as far as chapter 8 yet. Let me say WOW. That music video spoke right to my heart and what a wonderful song. I’m going to see if I can purchase that for my ipod. It’s a great message to share with those we love. Thank you for sharing this with me today! It’s exactly what I needed to hear today. THANK YOU
I just used that song by Mercy Me in a ‘talk’ I presented to a group of Senior High Girls regrading dating relationships and purity within those relationships. If you let God be the one to tell you that you are beautiful and have worth, then you don’t have to look elsewhere…. I wish I had understood that more fully in my younger years, and I thank you Renee for this book that reminds me over and over as I read it that these truths are just as needed for me at this stage in my life as they were years ago. Even though I am now married to a wonderful godly man, we are at a crazy busy time- two children under 3, my husband finishing his Masters degree while in a job with monthly pressure deadlines… He doesn’t always think to tell me that I’m beautiful or appreciated… and it is good to be able to rely on God to meet those needs, which allows me to give my husband grace. I am beautiful, sacred, treasured and loved, by the One who matters most. So thankful!
Hey everyone….I, too, have not had a chance this week to read Chapter 8, but I did take a peek at it. This music video about being so beautiful, treasured by, cherished, loved,etc. by Jesus was what my life needed to hear today. So many times we do go off comparing ourselves to someone or a bunch of someones else….Satan loves to whisper in our ears how we just are not worthy or good enough for….
and sadly, we listen to him rather than running to Jesus to find our worth. The song was a great reminder of what we find and have in the Lord Jesus Christ…so much MORE than what the world is even remotely able to give us…and Jesus has GIFTED us with what we receive from Him. Not just “given” to us, but actually “gifted” us with. And the pictures in their video were so timely with the words and I am going to go listen to it again and be reminded again of whose I am and what I am in HIM!!
I have done the spiritual gifts testing before (sometimes I want to do it just to see if my gift (s) have changed or altered any…usually not! I have found myself throughout my life comparing myself at church to someone else’s gift(s) and asking God “why didn’t I get that gift so that I could do….(whatever that gal is doing),etc. Always seem to want more from Him to satisfy our own desires or wants, don’t we? I need to stop that comparison and start doing the “cooperation with” others–them using their gifts and me using my gifts for His glory. I know that the gift of encouragement is one of my strong gifts and I use it, but I need to be using it even more–so many are so beaten down by the world, I need to reach out and help lift them up.
You know what God has really been imparting on my heart here of late through this book and through another study I am doing? To impart and hold out GRACE to others…that undeserved merit that I have so freely been gifted with by Jesus, I need to be offering that to others…ALL others, not just the ones that I chose to bestow it to either. You know, if God were “fair” to us like we think everyone and life needs to be “fair” to us, we would be down in the dirt right now, still living in sin and darkness…but His fairness is what gives us His forgiveness and sent Jesus to the cross for us. How can I not impart, offer, bestow grace freely on everyone instead of judge and criticize them first? Something along the lines of removing that log out of my own eye rather than seeing the speck in theirs….
Again, I am soooo thankful for the book and writing of our dear leader, Renee….A Confident Heart is a book to be read and reread and shared (as well as put into action in our lives..lived out daily!!).
I say it again, “thank you so much, Father, for Christian authors!!:.
“wondering if you’ll ever be enough” that line fits my heart today. 3 marriages, (2 failures & 1 on the rocks) recovering addict, 4 children, only 2 of which I have a real relationship with, domestic violence, a husband who spent 5 years in jail after cheating, more sin than I care to admit, God still knows me and loves me. I am beautiful. Even after months of chemo and an upcoming surgery to remove a major portion of my digestive system, He loves me and carries me through. Even when I can’t forgive myself, He forgives me, in His eyes I am precious.
I would love to win this package, I need to work through forgiving myself and seeing myself through His eyes, not the eyes of the world. He has a glorious plan for me and my life and I need to get into agreement with His will, not my view that I will never be good enough.
This post. That song.
When will I believe those words from Christ? Those words that tell me I am beautiful, holy, chosen. adopted, redeemed, loved. Today has been a a long one … dealing with grief, guilt, and resentment following the death of my youth pastor from 25 years ago. There was a major hurt and I had plans to go talk to him, ask for forgiveness at the anger I harbored and now it is too late.
I also struggle with depression and hearing the lies that are so loud in my head. So much louder than the truth. Then I read a post like this. Hear a song like ‘Beautiful’ and I wonder if I am. Really truly. As doors are closed and windows slammed shut, I ask God what am I to do? And wonder if he is listening or cares.
How do you learn to believe the truth? How do you really know what the truth is?
I love the words to this song. I could listen to it every morning. Maybe I will make it my theme song to get me pumped up for my day. 🙂
Karen C.
A wonderful video and what an awesome reminder of how special God created each of us to be. Praying for my sisters as we continue our study.
Thank you Renee for your heart felt love to us all.
Blessings….
I haven’t read the chapter yet (I’m off work on Fridays, so that’s when I usually do this study), but, for some reason unknown to me, I had this song stuck in my head when I woke up a few days ago! Amazing how God works. 🙂
That song is such a reminder to me to focus on how God sees me and not on how others see me or how I see myself.
The world is so focused on what they see on the outside that sometimes it feels like the good on the inside of people isn’t given much of a chance.
I received this email from our friend Kay Parrish today:
WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF TORNADO DISASTER . I AM SPENDING MOST OF MY TIME VOLUNTEERING AT OUR CHURCH. PLEASE PRAY FOR SOUTHERN IN IT WAS HIT VERY HARD. WE ARE NEAR HENRYVILLE, IN . I HAVE LITTLE TIME FOR BOOK STUDY BUT I WILL FINISH IT AS SOON AS I CAN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS FOR OUR AREA.
KAY
Lord, we lift up our sweet friend Kay and her whole community. Jesus surround them with resources, help, courage, strength and hope to get through this horrible disaster. Thank you that although we can’t be there physically we can call on You and you will be. I pray she’d feel us lifting her up tonight and in the days to come. Speak to her heart and give her the words You’d want her to share with each person she meets. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
My heart aches for all of those who are walking through the aftermath of the tornadoes. Praying in agreement with you, Renee.
I heard MercyMe’s “Beautiful” on the radio and immediately thought of a friend of mine who was going through hard times. I shared it with her and have been directing others to it, as discouragement is ALL over. I just read a post from a Facebook friend who is wondering what God’s plan is for her life, believing there is none. I think I will share this whole post with her! Thank you!
Sometimes it’s so hard to believe. Sometimes people’s voices are so much louder than His. Sometimes religion frames it so that unless I jump through the hoops just right and look just right, then I’m not really acceptable let alone beautiful. And sometimes it seems like I’m the only one that isn’t good enough. Then I watched the video, and I listened to your words.
Someday I’m going to learn deeply that I am beautiful and that I am good and that I do matter and that I was made for so much more than this. Someday I’m going to know it so well that I can pour it out into others who don’t know it. Someday I’m going to love others like He loves me because I’m going to get it. I’m going to understand that He loves me and how He loves me. Someday….and that someday is going to be soon, because He’s brought me into a sweet spot where there’s nobody to tell me what all I’m not. God is so good. He is so good to me. Thank you for knowing it for you so you could share it with me…and with so many others. God bless you more.
So thankful for this book!!! It reminds me that I am not alone in my struggles. It encourages me to learn more about myself, figure out who God made me to be, and reminds me to stop constantly comparing myself to others (and wonder what is wrong with me?). There is so much I wish I could write, but the words are just not coming out clearly tonight. Blessings!
Love this song! Thanks for sharing! I needed to hear this!