Nominated To Be Naked

There's this new thing going around Facebook right now, where you post a picture of your face without make-up on, and without using any kind of filters (Instagram, Photoshop, etc.). Then you nominate someone else to do it to, and they nominate someone else, and so on. The hashtags I've most seen attached to this photos is #LoveYourself

I haven't been nominated, nor do I see the need to be... I don't wear make-up, so technically all of my pics I could just go back and label them all #NoMakeUp #NoFilter...

I do have generally positive views on this trend...

The first thing that I think is, FINALLY!!! Finally people are taking a step to lose the make-up mask in order to see their faces as they naturally should be.

I get so frustrated when people feel like they need to cover themselves up with make-up.

I get that make-up has a purpose - but that purpose is to enhance your natural features, not to cover them up to make a new face.

Why has it become so socially acceptable to cover the real you up? Why has society come to the point that it tells women (and men!) that they're not beautiful enough, they need to create a new face?

I'm not even gonna get into plastic surgery...

I get that make-up can be used to express yourself. I do that with my hair...

But there is a difference between expressing yourself and having fun with it, and feeling like you can't leave the house without putting on your face.

There have been people that have said that to me.

And I know of a couple people who won't participate in this trend because they hate the way they look without make-up.

So sad, really... Because when I see all these #NoMakeUp #NoFilter pictures people are posting on Facebook, they are so beautiful!!!

I just want to end with this: beauty is not what the media and "beauty products" industries says you should look like. True beauty is the true you. You don't need to paint on a different face. Because although you may not see it in yourself, everyone around you can. And we want to see you :)



#BOOM

Why?

I had coffee with a friend this past week. A friend that I was able to confide some stuff in, opening myself up to her, allowing her in, accepting her willingness to walk with me, and I with her.

We were chatting about a lot of stuff, but one of the things she challenged me on was, why do I identify as gay? Why has God made me like this?

She challenged me to pray about it, and press after God for answers.

It's been an interesting conversation with the Lord.

I have a sense of what His answer is...

I know there is a purpose for everything.

I know there is a purpose for why God made me the way He did.

And I'm beginning to understand a part of what that purpose is...

So we shall see what comes of this...

I know there's a breaking that going to happen.

It's already happening within myself.

And it hurts...

"God has the hammer and the chisel. He is perfecting His masterpiece. And every hit is going to hurt."

Oof.