Tuesday, November 11, 2014

FACEme Tour ~ Dare to Show Your Beauty

Are you ready to FACEme? The real me? The one without makeup?


My writing friend, Jaime Wright, asked me to participate in this blog tour. At first, I was a bit hesitant. Show a picture of myself without makeup? I've never left my house without applying my mascara. Seriously.

But I sensed God had something to say to me, so I told Jaime yes.

As I think about makeup, I don't just limit it to the cosmetics I apply on my face. Makeup can be worn in any area of our life where we see imperfections.

Generally, I don't wear a lot of makeup when I'm at home, because that's where I'm able to let my hair down and be real.

When I first met my husband, I wouldn't be caught without my makeup on! But it doesn't take long before you start revealing your true self to the ones you love, both your inner and outer self--imperfections and all.

I'm so thankful my family thinks I'm pretty, no matter how I really look.

The same is true with God. I've been downright ugly before Him--yet He thinks I'm pretty. He says I was made in His image. God is beautiful beyond description...doesn't that make me the same?

There's no amount of makeup on Earth that can cover up your true blemishes with God. He sees it all, and He still calls you his beloved.

I love being real with my family and with God.

Now it's time to take my makeup off and be real with all of you. My greatest desire is that it will cause you to feel comfortable being real with me.

I've had people tell me that my life looks perfect, and I feel that this wrong impression keeps them from drawing close to me. I'm not perfect--no one is. I think we make a big mistake when we look at someone else's life and think they've got it all together.

Some of us have just learned how to apply "makeup" to cover up the blemishes in our lives.

Have you ever had a fight with your spouse on the way to church, but when you arrive, you bury the fight behind a smile, and no one knows you've been fighting? Have you ever seen an unexpected visitor coming up the sidewalk, and you shove everything in the entry closet (or the oven, like my sister), so your house appears clean? Have you ever been on the phone, with your hand over the receiver, so the other person can't hear your children fighting, or the toilet flushing?

All of those things are forms of "makeup." A way for us to cover up the truth, because we don't want others to see our imperfections.

But here's the thing. I don't feel like I can bond with a friend unless she's real with me. If she's been in a fight with her husband, and actually admits it to me--I feel like she trusts me. When I go to her house, and it looks just as messy as mine, I feel like I can invite her to my house without cleaning for days. When we're on the phone, and I can hear her children fighting in the background, it makes me feel like I'm not alone in my mothering.

If a friend doesn't take off her makeup with me, she probably won't become a close friend. I want to see her true self, blemishes and all, so I'm not afraid to show her my true self.

And that's what I long to do today. Reveal the true creation God designed. No makeup. Just me.

I want to be real with you, so you can be real with me.

So here I am.


And since we're keeping it real, here is a picture of me after a day of cleaning, shopping, and breaking up fights between my children.

 
My daughter saw this picture and said I look happy--I think I just look tired.
 
Each of us needs to realize we don't have to wear "makeup" at all times. It's good to find friends who see us at our worst and still love us. God made us beautiful, exactly how we are. Let this verse be the cry of our heart: "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well" (Psalm 139:14).

You are God's creation and you are wonderful! Together, let's face the world without our makeup on!

I'd love to see you post a picture without makeup today! Use #FACEme and don't forget to follow the #FACEme Tour!!

Nick Kording
Lindsay Harrel
Joseph Courtemanche
Gabrielle Meyer
Jaime Wright
Carrie Wisehart

Emilie Anne Hendryx
Andrea Nell
Sarah Baker
Kristy Cambron:
Rachel Britz
Cara Putman
Stacy Monson
Laurie Tomlinson

Katherine Reay
Katie Ganshert

Your Turn: Do you wear makeup every day? What blemishes in life do you tend to "cover up" the most? Do you have a friend who keeps it real? What do you admire about that person?

I'd love if you'd "like" my Author Facebook Page. You can find it here.

30 comments:

  1. Love, love your post! And I'm with your daughter. I think you look gorgeous :)

    I'm actually not a makeup at all person (except for date nights!) and have only this week had to dust it off after finishing up maternity leave and heading back to work. But what you said about applying "make-up" to different areas in our lives really resonated with me so thank you!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by, Kara! Yes, I tend to wear more makeup for certain occasions, however, I don't wear eyeshadow, because I inevitably get the comment: "You look tired" when I wear it. :) I hope you're adjusting we'll to being back at work!

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  2. Lovely post, Gabrielle! God blessed me through it. Thank you.

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    1. Thank you, Becky. I think I revised and edited this post more than any other post I've ever shared.

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  3. Great post! I typically wear a bit of makeup. I have such wimpy eyebrows I feel like I don't have an expression without drawing them on. BUT. There have been a few times I was in such a fluster in the morning I FORGOT to put on makeup. No one has ever mentioned it. I like to think it's because they see me, not my eyebrows.

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    1. Your comment made me smile, Sarah! I've had so many experiences where my makeup, outfit, or hair weren't working like they should, and I was so self-conscious, but no one seemed to notice! I think we're so much harder on ourselves than other people are!

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  4. I agree with your daughter! :-)

    Your post made me think about the word itself...makeup. As if we have to make-up for something we've done wrong, or something we ARE wrong. Now my thoughts are officially churning...

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    1. Thanks, Katie. :) I'm happy it made your thoughts churn. I thought about the term "make up," too. We use it when we "make up" a story, "make up" an excuse, and "make up" our faces. It is an interesting thing to think about.

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  5. You, my friend, are beautiful. Inside and out. I love what you said about being real...I think our posts today are on the same page. Opening up, being authentic, going without makeup...they're all forms of showing our true selves. And since our true selves are a reflection of God, well, that makes us beautiful.

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    1. I saw a lot of similarities in our posts today, Lindsay. I loved doing this post. It helped me to realize makeup isn't reserved for our face, but other area of our lives too. Love you!

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  6. I don't see tired when I see that picture. All I see is beautiful!

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    1. Thank you, Laurie. Sometimes feeling tired is equivilant to feeling satisfied and like I accomplished a great deal! :)

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  7. Beautiful insights.

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  8. Thank you for this. Oh, so beautiful and honest. I love honest. :)

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    1. Thank you, Carrie. I haven't had time to visit everyone else's blogs, but I'm looking forward to later this evening.

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  9. I'd agree, you look happy to me. Great post!

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    1. Thanks, Rachel. I was happy, because it was a full day and I got a lot done! It was the day I returned home after being gone two weeks and I was with my family again. :)

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  10. There's not enough makeup in the world to hide who we are from God. But He loves us anyway, because we're made in His image. Now if we could all just let that into our hearts. Thanks for a lovely post.

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    1. Yes, Stacy! Easier said than done. We try to cover up our flaws and blemishes, but God sees beyond all that. Thanks for visiting today.

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  11. You are beautiful :D Thank you for being brave and sharing!!! <3

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    1. Thank you, Emilie. I'm looking forward to reading your post! I love how brave all of us have chosen to be.

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  12. "There's no amount of makeup on Earth that can cover up your true blemishes with God." -- I needed to hear this! Such a beautiful post. (And P.S. - WOW to your pics! So lovely!)

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    1. Kristy, wow to yours too! I'm so thankful God laid this blog tour on Jaime's heart, and then ours. It's been a wonderful experience.

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  13. Love your post! It is definitely something I needed to hear. Thank you for being real.

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    1. Thank you for stopping by, Sarah. I think we all need to be reminded that we can be real with each other.

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  14. You are beautiful with or without makeup.

    At a kid's mission trip ... I came into the room of girls without my makeup on ... one child said, "You really look different without your makeup."

    I said, "Thank you." Chin down. :) Ha!

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