you are beautiful. inside and out.

I absolutely adore this picture.
I enjoy the fact that my braces are out of focus, because I need to get them taken off...like now.
And the fact that my still-growing hair cascades down my shoulders. Over-straightened split ends and all.
I like my dimple on my  bottom right cheek, my dainty pearl earrings, and my Love, Hope, Faith necklaces.
I even like the small, black string stuck on my shoulder.  ( #photobomb )
I'm no professional photographer, but I think this picture is pretty close to perfect.
And honestly, I'm not being modest at all. Really.

I think that the perfection of this shot comes from the confidence in myself, and the embracing of being me.
I absolute know that you have been told to "be yourself", "you're unique", and "you are perfect just the way you are". I know I have. But for some reason, I never fully believed it.
Seriously ladies, hear me out. You are gorgeous inside-and-out. Society tells us this everyday though, so why should you believe it? They don't mean it, their just trying to make us feel better about ourselves. Yes, yes they are. But God, He isn't, he means it whole-hearted. Some say that it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside, but I beg to differ.
Since everyone is beautiful, shouldn't it matter? You were made in God's image, and He is perfect. Then, shouldn't it matter?
By no means am I saying that you should obsess over you image. I am simply stating that you are beautiful, and how God made you look on the outside, is just as beautiful as he wants you to become inside.

xx
Stephanie