Inner Beauty, Banned book week

It seems that God is trying to tell me something. I've lately been bombarded with a variety of situations that boil down to the same theme--internal beauty. For example, I'm studying the book of Esther with my Thursday morning crowd which is a great study in early pressures on women to do and be certain things because it's the culture's definition of beautiful. (However, you'll be happy to know that Esther's internal beauty wins out) Last night, our EYC group had a girls only dinner party, and someone came and spoke to the girls about their inner beauty. It's made me think a lot about how culture tells us to be and how God tells us to be. The differences are becoming greater every day. In this belly-baring, anorexic-filled, breast-enhancing world, how can I convince my children that inner beauty is the thing? Especially when I'm the clothes police at home. Because when I say, yes you can wear that, no, you can't wear that, the implication is that the external matters. My greatest goal as a mother is to raise children of character, children who know their creator and take seriously their responsibilities in society to be forces of change for the better. Always. But first they must see and understand how precious they are.
And then they can only be a force for change when they have confidence in what is right and wrong and why.

Which brings me to banned book week. Remember to read a banned book this week, or gift a banned book, or discuss one at your kitchen table. Celebrate the freedoms of our country, and acknowledge the important and timely messages of books like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird. How those stories needed to be told, those themes brought to the forefront.

Have a great day. Compliment a little girl on her inner beauty today with a real and valid example from her life. And reflect on your own, as well.