i'm not the average from your video..

Mainstream. They just couldn’t get enough of Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. Their gross-me-out music was like glued to fm 102. But I remember enduring all those stupid songs. I was too scared to turn the station in fear they would stop the teeny bop music and put on my favorite song, and I would miss it. So I stuck it out.

I rediscovered it the other day and it reminded me of some things God had told me back in the day. Look it up. Video, by India Arie. It will make you smile, I promise. You just can't help it.

We are all created in GOD’S image. To call someone ugly is like slapping God in the face. People are beautiful.

Seriously.

I have never in my life seen anyone that wasn’t beautiful. And neither have you.

Oooo.. And then there’s these girls OOOO.. THESE GIRLS!! These girls that know God. And know they are fearfully and wonderfully made. And yet they say, ‘oh I wish I were beautiful.’ Really?? I seriously want to punch every one of them in their already gorgeous, God-created face. How dare they diss their creator like that! I mean, for real, how can you say that!? God sat down and thought of you. Planned and created your perfect features. You. And you have the nerve to question and deny your beauty?! Way to be appreciative of the one-of-a-kind beauty God created just for you.

Rude.

I just don’t think individual beauty is expressed enough. People, magazines, and everything else in the media say that uniqueness is beautiful. Then they tell you how to look. Umm... What’s up with that?

But another thing about beauty, that is slightly scary, is that it can be hidden. And I don’t mean through make-up (although I rather abhor that stuff), but I mean through actions. Through lifestyle. And I’m not going to get to get into the whole ‘inner beauty’ thing. We all know what that is, and we all know of its power.

But I really think beauty is hidden when hearts are hard.

And beauty shines when our spirits are alive and pure.

Maybe she’s born with is, maybe its Maybelline. Umm no, multi-billion dollar company striving to hide the gorgeous faces of America under layers of make-up, she is definitely born with it.