Sunday, April 11, 2010

~ DEEP BEAUTY ~

What is...DEEP BEAUTY?

This beautiful woman is 97 years old...to me she radiates deep beauty.

What gives us "that beauty" we all want to have and retain for our whole life time?

Does money spent to get rid of all our wrinkles do it?

Will the costly ointments of the world do it?

Can the renowned and well used plastic surgeons do it for us?

Where is that famous fountain of youth?

Surely, there is a worldly solution that will fix this age old problem...right?

And we "must" fix it... Or we won't be good enough!




Perhaps Deep Beauty is found in remembering
who we are.. and.. walking in the paths of virtue.



We are elect. We are daughters of God.We cannot be a generation of
women who are content to fit in.

We must have the courage to stand out;
"Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations."



The world will have good women believe that they are not significant...that they are old fashioned and out of touch.

The world calls us with unrelenting, noisy voices to... "live it up"..."try everything"..."experiment and... be happy!"




The Lord invites us to "walk in the paths of virtue"...lay aside the things of the world.
This is a magnificent time to be on the earth and to be a woman contrary to
what and how the world portrays women today.



We are women of great faith.

We brought our faith with us when we came to earth...(just look into a baby's sweet face)
and now we are here to do what we have been reserved and prepared to do.

Each of us has a divine heritage.
We are literally the royal daughters of our Father in Heaven.
Each of us was born to be a queen.



'Deep Beauty"...the kind of beauty that shines from the inside out.

When I look into an older womens face, I don't even see wrinkles, just deep beauty.

It is the kind of beauty that...
Cannot be painted on.
Surgically created or purchased.
It is the kind of beauty that doesn't wash off.
It is spiritual attractiveness.

Deep beauty springs from virtue. It is the beauty of being chaste
and morally clean. It is the kind of beauty that you see in the eyes of virtuous
women like your mother or grandmother. It is the beauty that is earned
through faith, repentance and honoring covenants.



The world places so much emphasis on physical attractiveness...But the Lord would
tell you that you are each uniquely beautiful. When you are virtuous, chaste and
morally clean, your inner beauty glows in your eyes and in your face.

Look into the right mirror...the mirror of eternity. Remember who you are...
You are elect. You are of noble birth. Don't compromise your divine inheritance.



Develop deep beauty. There is no more beautiful sight than a woman
who glows with the light of the spirit,
who is confident and courageous because she is virtuous.


Remember Heavenly Father loves you so much that
he sent His Son to show you the way to live so that
you could return to Him someday.

We can find courage and strength in this promise...
that the Lord will always be there for us and will never leave us alone.

As one of His precious daughters, you have access to
His assurance and guidance through the power of prayer.

He will always be with us and guide us if we let him...
Then we will not be miss-guided by what the world tells us
that we have to do and be... to be beautiful.

Deep beauty... is a gift from Heaven...it is free to us,
it is what we were meant to be all along.

Sending all my love out to all my beautiful friends.

65 comments:

Cherie said...

A HUGE Amen to this post!

I really love the lovely and true thoughts you have shared here.

Deep beauty is indeed earned and is something that glows from within.

I am saddened that so many young women - even women who are of our faith who know their worth (or I hope they do) - are so into plastic surgery and so worried about how the world see's them on the outside.

They are all beautiful and while we need to be clean and keep ourselves healthy we should be thankful for the bodies the Lord has given us and do our best to do good things while we are on earth and help others to see their worth too!

Great post!

Kerin said...

What a beautiful post!
Yes... I believe, and have always believed that a persons true beauty comes from the inside. You can see it in their countenance!
Have a beautiful day :)

~*~ saskia ~*~ said...

Beautiful post today, Julie! Love your images, and your words... your words are wonderful!

Have a happy day, hope there will be a lot of sunshine in your part of the world. xo

Tracy said...

Thanks for the gentle reminder of what true beauty is!! Truer words can not be spoken!!

Continue to feel better!

Cindy (Applestone Cottage) said...

So beautiful Julie!
You really nailed it with that post. I so agree, my Grandma was the most beautiful woman to me. She was kind, loving, faithful and she brought sunshine to everyone she met. Hugs,
Cindy

Diane at Crafty Passions said...

I love this post, thank you !
Diane

Jenny S said...

What an amazing post!! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Thank you also for the sweet comments! I too love my new background. She has some really cute free ones and does custom work too!

Valerie said...

So true!
It's so easy to forget our true worth, value and beauty.
Two thoughts that came to my mind while I read this:
First were the words to "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms" by Thomas Moore.
And the second was Proverbs 31:10-31.
Thanks for sparking some great thoughts for me to ponder.

LDH said...

Grandma Harward is beautiful, indeed!

Bird Girl said...

I love this post! Thank you so much for it, truly beautiful!

Connie said...

Wow, Julie, you have a beautiful way with words! So true. Thanks for the reminder.

Muthering Heights said...

AMEN!!! :)

Betsy said...

This was so great! I think women who are beautiful inside just have it radiate outward on their faces.

Eileen said...

Julie, I love this post! It reminds me of a couple of quotes that I read once.

"Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart."

"Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty - they merely move it from their faces into their hearts."

It is sad that the world today looks so much at outer beauty when they should really be looking at a person's heart.

Brenda said...

Thought you might like this...
Beauty Tips by Audrey Hepburn
For Attractive Lips: Speak words of kindness.
For Lovely Eyes: Seek out the good in people.
For a Slim Figure: Share your food with the hungry.
For Beautiful Hair: Let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For Poise: Walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.

Le Chateau des fleurs said...

Love this!!! You are so inspirational. Beautifully said!! Thank you for your sweet visits!
LOVE
Frenchy

Marilyn said...

A beautiful post from a beautiful person!! You out did yourself this time!!
Love,
Marilyn

Duchess of Tea said...

Julie darling,
I needed to read this and I did not once, but three times. This post is so eloquently written and the photos are so beautiful. I love image of the woman with deep deep wrinkles and what you wrote “ I don't even see wrinkles, just deep beauty.” Thank you darling so much, I wish you knew what this post meant to me, like I said, I needed to read this.

Love & Hugs
Duchess

Paula said...

Such lovely words Julie, you are a woman of great wisdom who I'm so fortunate to know:)
And a woman of great beauty!!
xo,
paula:)

bj said...

Such a lovely post, Julie. I love the photos you chose to go along with your sweet and encouraging words.
Have a blessed and wonderful weekend.

Brenda @Just a Bed of Roses said...

Spiritual attractiveness...I love that!
I can always see it and feel it in a person.

Jules said...

My goodness that last photo is amazing. She is so beautiful.

Gumbo Lily said...

Deep beauty is God-given and comes with years of walking this earth with Him. Good post.

Jody

Eve said...

Oh, Julie this post is simply magnificent! I love every word! And I deeply, deeply agree!!!!

One of my favorite quote is: "Beauty is a gift, aging is an art"

Thanks for this post!

Have a great Thursday, cheers: Evi

Shelia said...

Oh, Dear Julie! You amaze me with your depth of wisdom. This is so beautiful! I agree, beauty certainly comes from within and from a peace filled spiritual soul!
How sweet to g grandma holding the little one!
Hope your Easter was wonderful and be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

skippinginthemeadow said...

hello dear lady

this post has taken my breath away...your blog is like a little miracle to discover ~ so full of love and inspiration!
your words are very true and your lovely grandmother radiated beauty. something i can see you have inherited.
thank you so much for your sweet comments on my blog, i was so happy that you visited xx
i hope that you are having a wonderful day.
we have been blessed with some sunshine here and i've been sewing summer flower seeds :o)

much love and warm hugs xxx

sumea

Rue said...

Hi Julie :)

What a beautiful post AND a beautiful woman too! 97?! She looks amazing.

Thank you so much for always leaving me such sweet comments. I'm glad you got through your surgery okay and I hope you're healing quickly.

(((hugs)))
rue

Beki - TheRustedChain said...

Julie, this touched my core. Amazing!!

Tracy F. said...

What a lovely, thoughtful post. You have a wonderful way with words! As I've gotten older, I've decided to embrace the "grow old gracefully" philosophy. Maybe I'm just too "chicken" for plastic surgery? LOL!

Jenglamgirl said...

Well WELL SAID! YOU my friend exude BEAUTY.... in all you say, and do! Your words are so right and true always. I love seeing a beautiful elderly woman with virture and wisdom. THANK YOU FRIEND. Hugs, Jenn

Maria said...

Julie, this is an amazing post!
I'm going to pass this along to my sister and daughters!

I read a wonderful short story about Mother Theresa with my students - about loving unconditionally & helping the poor...
One of my students said something that I will always remember:
She said, "Mother Theresa is a super model, she is modeling love to the world."

Wonderful, wonderful post!
~Maria

The Gough Inn said...

Wonderful and meaningful post -- a good and honest words -- I say " live your best as best as you can - it's where happiness is "...

Cindy Geilmann said...

Thank you for the reminder my sweet Miss Julie.

"I AM WHAT I WAS MEANT TO BE"

I'm so grateful to know who I am and love every day of it.

Hope your well!

Big Hugs
cindy@stitches

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

You really have outdone yourself with this post. It's absolutely beautiful, the words, the photos, everything. Inspirational!

Jewls said...

I love this post! What sweet pictures!

becky said...

Hi Julie! I so agree with this blog, So very true.Lovely blog.By the way lovely lady there in the first pic.Makes me think of my greek grandmother oh how I wish she were here today.

Happy Thursday!

Le Chateau des fleurs said...

HAHAHA, Julie you are so funny!!!
I am almost there! It's going fast!!
Have a great day!
Frenchy

Deb said...

Hi - I just spent a long time looking at your blog. It is just beautiful. A lovely family, Beautiful home and your love of animals (especially those gorgeous cats) was heartwarming. I am a new follower. Have a wonderful day. Deb

Deb said...

Beautiful post Julie!

Kimberly said...

Hi Julie! just stopping by to say hello! glad you are liking my vacation pictures! I have two girls ashley and lindsey. Lindsey brought a friend of vacation, Angela. Ashley is away at college and has a different spring break! The picture from yesterday's Wordless Wednesdays is of my great nephew Quinn - he lives in Ft. Hood Texas.

Susan B said...

Hi Julie,
What a wonderful post! You are so right....deep beauty is a gift from God. Thank you for the lovely reminder.

nanny said...

Beautiful post Julie!!!!

Darlene said...

You always have the most BEAUTIFUL posts. I love this one.♥

Brenda said...

Thank you for a BEAUTIFUL post showing the real meaning of BEAUTIFUL women. Beautiful words! You are Beautiful!

Melinda Cornish said...

It is from the inside out that matters....I love the great grandma" picture....It makes me miss my grandma so much...She was beautiful too...Thanks for the sentiment.....Melinda

Eggs In My Pocket / Yesteryear Embroideries said...

Wonderful, beautiful words! blessings,Kathleen

from my front porch... said...

What a lovely post, Julie. Thank you!
As I get older I realize that I like my "face" more now than when I was 20. It has history! At 20, it was still pretty much a blank slate! LOL!

I adore the wisdom that God has instilled in me over the years...the wisdom I did not have at 20! And I know that He will continue to guide me through my heart!

Wonderful day :) xo, misha

Anne Fannie said...

What a wonderful uplifting post!
And Great Grandma looks wonderful, wow 97 years old. How lucky you are to still have her around.
Hugs, Ann

Beth said...

Lovely post sweetie!!
Thanks for stopping by the other day!
Hope you are out from under the blizzard.

Beth

Michelle said...

A wonderful post and something I needed to hear today! Thank you so much.

Hope you're feeling better!

Pat said...

Absolutely beautiful ~ a perfect message for every female.

xoxo
Pat

Julie said...

Perfectly said, my friend. Such a wonderful truth to share with all of our blog friends...

Hope you're having a beautiful weekend, and that you're starting to feel so much better!

Garden of Egan said...

So beautiful! You are amazing. I love the way you write and the way you make me think.
Thanks for being such a woman as this post beautifully speaks of.

KathyB. said...

"Deep beauty springs from virtue", love that , and it is true! I hope you're feeling fit and fine today Julie~

jenjen said...

Beautiful post Julie! I love coming over and being lifted up here.

I hope you and your cute family had a wonderful Easter. Sorry it's been so long since I've been over. Life is crazy. It doesn't seem like there are enough hours in the day. I have been thinking about you and hoping that things are going well.

Have a super weekend! I bet you and your hubby are going out for date nights somewhere fun!

XOXO
Jen

Megan said...

Julie,
I just recently got called to the YW in our ward. My first meeting was this broadcast. I've watched it 3 times since and our President showed it on mutual night.
LOVE it!! And love your beautiful post!

Manuela@TPOH said...

What lovely reminder what true beauty is!

Manuela

Janean said...

though our society will probably never truly accept *deep beauty springing from virtue,* it's the truth!

thank you for a great post, julie!

Nana said...

That was a beautiful post. The world needs to remember those sentiments.

Mimi Sue said...

Beautiful post, Julie. How wonderful it would be if we could all remember that and learn it in our youth. The world would be a better place on so many levels. Have a wonderful sabbath. Mimi

Small House said...

Beautiful post! Being a daughter of God should be enough.... And as His daughters we should always feel valued, being a woman!

Thank you...have a great day.
Sandra

Jenny said...

Lovely post. Happy Sunday.

Catherine said...

beautiful post, well writen as usual! thank you.
Catherine

Rosie said...

WHAT AN AMAZING POST...that we woman might all, know these words of wisdom. I am honored to be HIS daughter...my prayer is that "my" daughter might also know these truths, and be set apart...thank you for your inspiring words...ROSIE

Rosie said...

P.S., I hope you won't mind, but I have added your button to my page, so that I might enjoy you daily...love Rosie