I was talking to a group of teen girls recently and shares with them that we don't use the f word in our home. They started to laugh...no not that f word I said. We don't say the f-a-t f word (we don't use the other f word either, just to be clear). I started to explain to them the importance of viewing our bodies as a beautiful creation of God. We are fearfully and wonderfully made and I can't imagine how God feels when He hears us talk negativly about the masterpiece He created.
When I found out I was pregnant with a girl I knew that I would be her first and best example of womanhood. As women we are all too often overly critical of ourselves and of the body that God created. Whether we intend to send the wrong message or not we must be cautious around the little ears in the back seat. If I describe myself negatively my echo toddler will think that it ok. She will see mama saying those things, hear me comparing my body to others and think that's how she should think and be.Yikes!
I know all too well the importance of exercise and eating healthy as I'm not at that point in life when I realize I'm getting older and my body isn't as youthful as it once was. Funny how that happens. I was talking with some friends the other day and we joked about how if only we could have our college bodies back we would be skinny. We joked that at the time in college we thought we were so fat and now we would trade our "more mature" bodies for that college girl physique. Funny how life has a way of changing our perspective.
I have found myself at times throughout my life being very critical of my body. We are always our worst critics. But while I was pregnant, and reached the highest number on the scale my eyes had ever seen, I became more intentional about how I talked about my body. After all my body was carrying another body...how cool is that?! God's design was amazing. My body was carrying my miracle baby and after experiencing moments when God is silent the moments of being pregnant were incredible. Of course, those of you who have given birth know the days, weeks, and months after having a baby are not always so incredible.
The days of being up all night holding a crying baby are thankfully over and my miracle baby now toddler if sleeping through the night. But those conversations with God while nursing my baby or rocking her back to sleep spoke life changing messages to this weary mama. It was in those moments that I made the conscious decision to stop using the f word. I remember telling my hubby that we wouldn't be using the f word in describing ourselves or the bodies of others and we would never use it around Addyson. I wanted Addyson to hear us talking about the bodies God created with respect and pride in His handiwork. Now we aren't immune to the world's messages that thin is beautiful and the airbrushed, photo shopped images we see everywhere still cause me to cringe thinking about my not so skinny booty trying to get into "skinny jeans". Yes, I still think that I am f-a-t from time to time, but the commitment I have made to not using the f word causes me to break the negative self talk and return my attention to the beautiful creation that I am, the one God created.
My hopes and dreams for Addyson is to grow up knowing that she is fearfully and wonderfully made my her creator God. I want her to see parents who love her, love each other, love themselves and most importantly love God. Part of loving myself involves taking care of this body that God created, this may be the one area that this OCD mama isn't going to obsess over. Ultimately I know that I am a beautiful masterpiece of God's creation and I plan to model that thinking for Addyson. So if you spend time with my family, especially my miracle baby remember the f word isn't allowed in my house!
Live fully present in the moment!
When I found out I was pregnant with a girl I knew that I would be her first and best example of womanhood. As women we are all too often overly critical of ourselves and of the body that God created. Whether we intend to send the wrong message or not we must be cautious around the little ears in the back seat. If I describe myself negatively my echo toddler will think that it ok. She will see mama saying those things, hear me comparing my body to others and think that's how she should think and be.Yikes!
I know all too well the importance of exercise and eating healthy as I'm not at that point in life when I realize I'm getting older and my body isn't as youthful as it once was. Funny how that happens. I was talking with some friends the other day and we joked about how if only we could have our college bodies back we would be skinny. We joked that at the time in college we thought we were so fat and now we would trade our "more mature" bodies for that college girl physique. Funny how life has a way of changing our perspective.
I have found myself at times throughout my life being very critical of my body. We are always our worst critics. But while I was pregnant, and reached the highest number on the scale my eyes had ever seen, I became more intentional about how I talked about my body. After all my body was carrying another body...how cool is that?! God's design was amazing. My body was carrying my miracle baby and after experiencing moments when God is silent the moments of being pregnant were incredible. Of course, those of you who have given birth know the days, weeks, and months after having a baby are not always so incredible.
The days of being up all night holding a crying baby are thankfully over and my miracle baby now toddler if sleeping through the night. But those conversations with God while nursing my baby or rocking her back to sleep spoke life changing messages to this weary mama. It was in those moments that I made the conscious decision to stop using the f word. I remember telling my hubby that we wouldn't be using the f word in describing ourselves or the bodies of others and we would never use it around Addyson. I wanted Addyson to hear us talking about the bodies God created with respect and pride in His handiwork. Now we aren't immune to the world's messages that thin is beautiful and the airbrushed, photo shopped images we see everywhere still cause me to cringe thinking about my not so skinny booty trying to get into "skinny jeans". Yes, I still think that I am f-a-t from time to time, but the commitment I have made to not using the f word causes me to break the negative self talk and return my attention to the beautiful creation that I am, the one God created.
My hopes and dreams for Addyson is to grow up knowing that she is fearfully and wonderfully made my her creator God. I want her to see parents who love her, love each other, love themselves and most importantly love God. Part of loving myself involves taking care of this body that God created, this may be the one area that this OCD mama isn't going to obsess over. Ultimately I know that I am a beautiful masterpiece of God's creation and I plan to model that thinking for Addyson. So if you spend time with my family, especially my miracle baby remember the f word isn't allowed in my house!
Live fully present in the moment!
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