Onslaught

Michael Sa-Ngoun, of Seattle, Washington made the news a few years ago when his mother adopted a tough-love policy and left him in a remote village to be cared for by Buddhist monks to save him from his self-destructive behavior  ....in Cambodia.

When he came back to the U.S. after 2 years in the Buddhist temple, one of Michael’s comments was regarding feeling overwhelmed by all the noise, activity and ads encountered in America.  Can you imagine it?    Going from  relatively silent contemplation, service to others and eating simple meals in a rural Cambodian village to disembarking at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport?

It is much in this same vein that I view educating our children, particularly our daughters, in the mechanical, sometimes maniacal,  world of advertising.    I have frequently used a video titled “Evolution” by the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty for educational purposes, and I plan to incorporate this one titled “Onslaught” as well.  It’s a power packed message in a mere 80 seconds.  If we, as parents, don’t talk to our kids about what real beauty is, that they are created in the image of God and have a purpose other than self,  the “beauty” industry will ...and sooner than you think.

Viewers may find some images offensive.

Real Beauty

For two years I’ve had an outline of a program in my head titled, “Real Beauty”, which gives insight to inner beauty and worth as granted by God.  It’s a burden to me that so many young girls have such a poor self image and are daily inundated by the media on how they “should look”.  

On Friday, I realized a goal and presented my program to young women at the Juvenile Center in Mt. Hope, WV.  It is thanks to God and to the women at Fayetteville Baptist Church, in giving me the opportunity to speak that helped me to achieve this goal.  Having a deadline transformed my mental outline into a workable keynote presentation.

I was really nervous about this...as I am NOT a professional speaker.  I’m not even a good speaker.  I stumble, I stray on tangents, forgetting my points...I say “um” way too much.  But when God lays something on your heart, you’d best do it.  I prayed that God would  put the words in my mouth, that He would make my path straight...and He did.  The words flowed on Friday when I stood in front of those beautiful girls and I am thankful.  I pray their hearts & minds were touched by Christ.

The purpose of this program was to educate young girls on their worth in God’s sight.  Also I stressed how the media exploits the body to sell products and that what you see is not what you get when it comes to cover girls.   It’s a message I think every girl needs to hear.  

I really don’t know how well the girls received the message as they were very quiet, but then I remember that God only wants us to plant seeds.  He asks us to spread the Gospel of Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to do the rest.  I am learning to be content with that...I tend to want to dig up the seed to see how it’s doing.

Praise God for His love and mercy.  Thanks to all my dear friends who helped me to pray about this presentation; I could not have done it apart from the strength of Jesus Christ.  Now I hope to have more opportunities to share this message.

The painting above is one from my program  illustrating the Greek word, Kalos, which is interpreted as “good" or  "beauty”.  Jesus Christ himself gives us the definition of “beauty” when he uses this word to describe the actions of the woman who anointed Him with fragrant oil in St. Matthew 26:10, “She has done a beautiful [kalos] thing to me.”   Her actions were praiseworthy and pleasing to God.  What more do we strive for?

I think it’s fascinating too that this same word is used in the Genesis account of creation when God saw what he had created and deemed it “good”.    God is the source of our life and beauty and also our goal.   My prayer is that more and more young girls will become aware of their worth in God’s sight so that they may live for Him.

Real Beauty

I've just returned from my photographers' convention over the weekend; what fun!! The professional photographers of West Virginia (PPWV) meet for spring and fall conferences each year where we enjoy print competitions, fellowship, classes, networking and the like.  I always take away knowledge that helps me to grow as a photographer ...as a human being.

I took several classes from photographers much more experienced than myself, including Ellie Vayo from Cleveland, OH.  She's been in the business for over 20 years and was stating what a change she's seen in young girls over the years, regarding their figures and self-esteem.  'I'll be glad when the stick figures on the run-way are out-dated', to paraphrase one of her statements about the fashion industries' use of gaunt, anorexic-looking models.   Ellie says she now sees high school girls coming in, with visible bones protruding just below the neck.

This is the effect our culture is having on our young generations.   This is what happens when girls define themselves by the world's standards.

In an effort to buck that trend, Ellie incorporates the themes from Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty when she has the opportunity to speak to young girls.     Please take a moment to view the link below, it's a very quick film that shows from start to finish how these cover girls achieve 'the look'. 

 

I salute the efforts of Ms. Vayo and my friend, Dana Kees, who work to shatter the false images our culture has given our kids.

Campaign for real beauty

May God bless our future generations and grant us the wisdom to teach them their worth in His precious eyes.