Many of you might be wondering what I have been up to these
past couple of weeks ‘post blog’. Well, here’s my update- I’m still as busy as
I can be, loving my sorority, loving the game of soccer, LOVING MY LORD, and
enjoying every little thing I can squeeze out of this life that I live. Oh, and
*whispers* sometimes I
don’t wear makeup!
This blog has been nothing but a blessing in my life. In my
twenty years I have found that the most difficult things are usually the most
rewarding. I seek difficult things… because I like rewards!! My mentality has
shifted, not drastically, but just enough to make a huge impact on my life. In
my twenty years I have also found
that even the smallest changes can make the biggest differences- it’s how you
use them.
I no longer seek self-indulgent attention, rather the
attention that indulges others, specifically God. And that is something I have
to wake up every morning and make a priority of mine. That small shift in my
mentality from “ME” to “GOD” is crucial. I am not living my life for me; I am living my life for Him, and in turn I have grown more
in this short time than I have in the past twenty years combined. HOW AMAZING
IS THAT?? It is HE who defines beauty. It is HE who defines strength. It is HE
who defines all things worthy. And it is HE who defines me. Amazing. Absolutely
amazing. And I am still in awe of Him daily.
If you haven’t had the chance to read my blog in it’s
entirety, I encourage you to do so when you have a free moment. If you have
fleeting free moments, I encourage you to read some of my posts on their own.
To get the full effect of my challenge it is beneficial to read my blog from
start to finish, but each post can stand alone as encouragement in your faith
and in mine. As I have grown in my life and in my faith, through my writing you have gotten to hear first hand the shift in my demeanor. I have gone back and re-read
my blog from the first post to the last, and was amazed at how different I
sounded in the latter half of the month compared to the prior half. How radical
a change the Lord has made in my life. And it’s never ending- He hasn’t stopped
changing my life for the better just because my challenge is over, and He won’t
ever stop as long as I am diligently seeking Him.
The premise of this challenge was to “find true beauty in
the eyes of the Lord.” I have found that and so much more. I know that for some of
you who followed my journey have found that, and so much more as well, in your own
lives. I have said from the beginning- if I could impact just one person through
my blogging then I will be overjoyed. From your responses I know whom I have
impacted and I am beyond thrilled for the position the Lord has gifted me at
this time in my life. I’m so glad y’all could experience this with me!
It’s been almost a month since my ‘challenge’ and blog ended,
and I have been finding that I am missing it. One of my best friends in my
sorority followed me from the beginning of this journey, and I am so thankful
that I managed to inspire her along the way. One day we were sitting in her
room, bouncing ideas off of each other, and came up with something special- A
campaign that encourages other girls to take off all of their makeup and say
what beauty means to them;
“Beauty is…” was born.
Both Carley and I have been working carefully on this
project for the past month. We made a website (well, honestly Carley made the
website, and did such a good job!!!), made a Twitter handle and an Instagram
account (@beautyistweets & @beautyisphotos - follow us!), and since Carley is a wonderful photographer, she has shot a few
makeup-less photoshoots of girls (including me). WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS
CAMPAIGN. And we want you to be excited too!!
On our website,
On our website,
we have our story, the pictures from the photoshoots, and a
place for Y’ALL, YES Y’ALL! We want each one of you to send in a picture/selfie
of yourself without makeup on, accompanied with a quote from you finishing this
sentence, “Beauty is…” I have told y’all what beauty means to me through my
blog, and now it’s your turn to tell us WHAT BEAUTY MEANS TO YOU.
If you would like to participate, email us at beautyis2014@yahoo.com ! And you can make it onto our website! This campaign is to empower young women, like Carley and I, to be comfortable in their own skin and to see the true meaning of beauty, behind all the cosmetics. So like/share/participate in this campaign, and in doing so we believe we can make an impact on our generation! Thanks y'all!
If you would like to participate, email us at beautyis2014@yahoo.com ! And you can make it onto our website! This campaign is to empower young women, like Carley and I, to be comfortable in their own skin and to see the true meaning of beauty, behind all the cosmetics. So like/share/participate in this campaign, and in doing so we believe we can make an impact on our generation! Thanks y'all!
xoxo, Rach
"Beauty to me is standing confidently in front of thousands, with a bare face, and being able to say that you are beautiful because the One who defines the word 'beauty' created you in His own perfect image and deems you as such. And then believing and sharing with others. Beauty to me is something to be shared, not something to hide."
