• ABOUT
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Let’s Work Together
  • Shop
    • Shop Our Photo Presets
    • Shop Our Amazon Favorites
    • Shop our Etsy
    • Shop our Poshmark
  • Contact
  • Hire Me
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

Oak + Oats

A Colorado Lifestyle Blog

  • Motherhood
    • Mama Buys
    • Pregnancy
    • Childhood
  • Marriage
    • Date Night
    • Wedding Anniversary
  • Lifestyle
    • Photography
    • Family
    • Friends
    • Holidays
  • Home
    • Before & After
    • Yard & Garden
    • Recipes
    • Hosting
  • Travel
    • Travel Tips
    • Snapshots
    • Disney
    • Colorado
    • Colorado Springs
  • Ask Elizabeth

September 9, 2014
Lifestyle

You Are Lovely

This post has been a long time coming. Amy reached out to me asking if I would participate in her You are lovely series and I said yes. That was in January. Seven months later I still had not gotten around to creating the post. I had a million reasons – lack of time, work, other projects, my social life, sleep, and everything else. It wasn’t until this week that it hit me, I didn’t want to share my flaws. I can talk about hard times, the struggles, the sin that I have overcome but the stuff I am in the middle of is too raw and too real. I finally got the courage to type something up and I shared it on her blog. Today I want to share it with you!

My husband Bruce took that picture when I was enlisting him to help me with a picture of me at my Stitch Fix box. He kept getting the camera so close to my face and telling me to smile. The alarms started going off in my heart – “That lense is so close to my face – the pimples, the wrinkles, the uneven tones, the gaps in my teeth, THE PIMPLES” I told him to stop playing around and take a picture of me and my mail! His response snagged at my heart because he simply said ” I can’t! You are so beautiful, I just want to keep taking pictures of your face!” and my gut reaction was, “that cannot be true.”

Sweet ones, this is a huge deal because I heard my heart. I felt the frustration of a camera so close to the pimples on my face. I cringed at my reflection in the mirror when I got that close and only assumed everyone else did as well. I let him take his pictures and went on with my day.

Later as I was uploading them to my computer, I felt the overwhelming urge to post it to instagram. This picture that created so much angst in me needed to be shared. My husband is not the only one to tells me that I am beautiful, my Savior does too. I am chosen, loved, worthy, valuable, and precious. When my heart called Bruce a liar, I also called the Lord a liar. I sat there with my instagram ready to be published and asked forgiveness.

I have a story of body image issues and some days I am riding high on grace & truth and other days I cry over a pimple. This world throws so many words, expectations, and ideals our way. It is hard to not let them sink in even when we are surrounded by encouraging people (shout out to my amazing husband!!) and even when we are seeking the Lord.

Today I want to tell you that you are lovely. I want to be the person to speak truth into the darkness and into those lies. I want to encourage you because it is a journey. Sometimes my negative self talk is too much to handle but sometimes my heart finds hope & peace in the Lord. Chose truth today over the lies. Don’t let Satan steal your beauty. Let your light shine through, let your love speak volumes, and let you smile light up the room. Because you are beautiful. You are loved. and you have the power to share truth just by being you.

“you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you”
Isaiah 43: 4

If you have not had the chance to watch Colbie Caillat’s new music video “Try,” I encourage you to do so now. You might need a tissue, I sure did! It is wonderful to see a bit of light shine out of such a dark, fake world.

Related

Spread the love
Previous Post: « Aloha Berry Smoothie
Next Post: How to Create a Blogging Income »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elizabeth Mayberry says

    September 14, 2014 at 2:49 am

    I am so glad that you loved the video! and also, thanks so much for the sweet words!

    Reply
  2. Paige says

    March 26, 2015 at 7:57 pm

    Loved stumbling upon this article! I just found your blog and am reading some of your favorite posts. Such a great reminder- how Christ sees us as His beloved children. I love taking candid, smiling pictures- they always turn out better!

    Reply
  3. Elizabeth Mayberry says

    March 27, 2015 at 4:01 pm

    Paige! Thanks so much for your sweet words! You are such an encouragement!

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hello + Welcome!

I’m Elizabeth, a Colorado photographer and blogger. I’m also a wife, mama, sister, daughter, and friend! Welcome to Oak + Oats! Here we look for the remarkable in the every day. We love photographing our daily moments, making memories, and sharing our favorite places here in this space.

Our happiest days are spent together – many of those with a camera in hand! My free time (ie: Nap Time) is spent behind my computer screen sharing our tips and stories with you! I’m glad you’re here!

stay up to date

READ MORE ABOUT

  • Motherhood
  • Marriage
  • Childhood
  • Photography
  • Home
  • Colorado
  • Travel
  • Holidays
  • Ask Elizabeth

OLDER POSTS

Cousin Time

Introducing Thorin John

Belly Faces

Almost a family of five

Mini Golf with Family in Town

A full roll of Ilford HP5+ 400 at The Zoo

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Hilde’s First Haircut At Wildflowers & Roses

Easter Sunday 2022

The Road to Easter: A Holy Week Coutdown

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Handprint Palm Branches for Palm Sunday

Easter Baskets

Our First Three Rolls of Film

Easter Day & Millie’s Baptism

Footer

MOTHERHOOD

Oh Baby
Mama Buys
Pregnancy

COLORADO
Colorado Springs

HOME
Recipes
Hosting
Before & After

MARRIAGE
Date Night
Anniversaries

TRAVEL
Travel Tips
Snapshots
Disney

SHOP
Shop our Amazon List
Shop our Presets

Copyright © 2022 · OAK + OATS