Week TWO, baby!

The commandment:

(Exodus 20:4)

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

You'll have to go with me on this one.  Like I said, this is a creative interpretation of how I can relate these commandments to my daily life and personal goals. 

Graven Images.

What comes to your mind when you think about modern day graven images?

For me, it is the media.

The confessions:

I sometimes allow myself to compare my own physical body to the bodies of women on TV.  I wish I were skinnier, I wish I were more fit, I wish my hair were thicker and my skin were clearer, I wish, I wish.....

It's not that I'm thinking "Oh, I really need to get healthy!"  It's more like "Oh, man!  I wish I looked a little more like her..."

I'm worshiping an unatainable image of what the media is portreying as healthy and attractive, and that is in NO WAY comparable to what God (not to mention my husband) thinks is healthy and attractive.

I'm sure the girl below is really nice, but none of us need to be as skinny as her to be happy and healthy! I think about the young women I work with at church and it frightens me that these are the images of what is pretty these days-- Incredibly, unatainably skinny.

Also, it's industry standard to photoshop these women, so not only is she tiny as can be, she's digitally altered to look even smaller, not to mention flawless.  It's completely false,

and yet, sometimes I worship at the alter of being skinny. 

I have been reading a lot about media literacy lately and how important it is to teach our daughters and sons that the media is selling something.  That world is not reality! It's what we DO, not how we look that makes our life worth living.  I need to start practicing if I'm going to be a great example of this for my cute kiddos.

I don't want them thinking that looking good is more important than DOing good.

The epiphany:
When I focus more on a false, decieving image of someone else,  rather than the health of my body, I'm not reaching my full potential and living my best life.  I'm also not being the amazing mom that I want so badly to be. I love the gift of the body that I have been given!  I can run, dance, sing, jump, create, or do anything I want because I have been given this gift.

The goal:
I have a friend from highschool who started a company which helps women realize and find joy in thier life through authentic living.  One of the things she talks about is "practicing fierce self-love."  

This is my goal for the week: Fierce self-love!  I'm not going to say negative things about my body.  I'm going to love the way I look and be thankful that I have two great kids that helped my body get this way.  I'm abstaining from media as much as possible too- less TV, no magazines, and little internet.  I'm going to also work on my goal of health by loving myself enough to get off the couch and dance! Or go to a fitness class, or go running, or whatever makes me happy on the day. 

Hope for the outcome:
A hightened awareness of my self and my own good attributes.  Less negative thinking, more positive giving to myself and others.