My hair has almost always been my favorite feature. It's still mostly strawberry blonde/red looking, although a crisp white is creeping in more than I would like. I inherited my gorgeous color from my dad... may he rest in peace. I promised him I would never dye it, and I haven't. I do get questions about who does my highlights... I tell them God does it.The rest of me... overweight, but going down a few sizes... I'm on the
losin' weight cycle at the moment! Yahoo!
 

I'd like to commend Julie B. on her approach to loving her body. Once we do accept ourselves as we are we need to take care of what God has given us. For most of us that means weight control, not to look a certain way, but to preserve our health. Also, exercise to strengthen our bodies and to help them function as they were intended. The human body is awesome "fearfully and wonderfully made."
Janet J., Port Angeles, Wash.
 

I have a teenaged daughter. It amazes me to hear her thoughts about body image. We were at a pool yesterday and she offered a running commentary on how certain swimmers looked in their bathing suits. Most comments ended with something like, "if she only did [insert a particular thing], she'd look much better." Where did this kind of physical criticism come from? It's not the kind of thing my husband and I engage in at home nor do we promote or condone it with her. Each time it arises, we try to counter it. I know it comes, in part, from her girlfriends and from the media (especially the magazines she reads). It pains me to see how self-critical she is, too. Despite our best attempts to address this, her friends and the media are a stronger pull at this moment in her life.
Carol W., Chicago, Il
 

I think a healthy body image is really difficult. I can remember being "moo-ed" at when I was 11. Our world can be cruel. It's one thing to acknowledge in our heads that we are created in God's image another thing to convince our hearts. I work with teenage girls all the time for whom it is an obsession to try and change what they look like. I think it is important to acknowledge that we are God's children... created in God's
image... I guess the challenge remains to hold those two in tension with one another.
 

I love the notion of treating your body as a temple. I find myself often focusing on the negative physical aspects of my body, in large part because society has given me an unattainable image to wish for. Realizing that my own negative self-talk started when I was much younger, I just hope I can teach my own daughter to treat her body as a temple when she's 10 years old instead of waiting until she's 30 like me.
Andrea T.
 

I find that I have more positive feelings about my body when I exercise regularly. It's not so much about improving my appearance as it is about recognizing and appreciating all the wonderful things my body can do. It can walk, it can dance, it can lift heavy things. I'm grateful for those gifts every day. So when you're feeling down about how your body looks,
remember all the wonderful things it can do. After all, the Bible tells us our actions are more important than our appearances!
 

I loved this topic! It is so true that in today's society there is a great deal of negativity towards body image. I have been overweight all my life - always picked last, etc. At this point in my life, I am doing something about it. I have learned that God gave me this body and I need to respect it, especially with what I put into it. When God created mankind there wasn't all sorts of junk food out there. We need to eat
healthy fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein in order to respect God's holy temple.
Julie B.