Be-you-tiful

In our present society, especially in the campus community, there are many standards of beauty. Girls in this growing stage hope to find their self-esteem and recognition from others. For example: many girls changed from not liking make-up to needing make-up to feel secure to go to school; some care about what they wear; others spend money on facials, or on a fitness program; some even think that owning a certain brand name of handbag is the key to friendship.

However, many girls realize that no matter how hard they try to follow these standards, they still cannot feel secure. As they pursue more and more of these beauty standards, they feel bad about themselves and lose their true identity. They get lost and devalue their original looks; they no longer know what they like or dislike, what things they genuinely care about the most. Therefore, we organized an event called “Be-you-tiful” to present our convictions on the concept of what is truly  “Beautiful.”  We believe true beauty will surface when someone can be her true self – in other words,  “Be You.” This beauty is especially unique, not endowed by others or by the society around us. It comes from within, when you learn about your own heart’s desires, your likes and dislikes, and the things you truly care about.

We all want to be real and authentic,  but it is scary . Our minds are tangled up with too many thoughts. We may suppress our true selves and conform with the world so as not to stand out. At our women’s event, we asked some deep questions and presented photos of our sisters with their genuine expressions of hearts & thoughts. We included an art gallery, hoping it will help people think out of the box and be able to walk in a more spiritual world. There was also a sharing session, having different sisters share and inspire everyone to think what their true selves are like. We truly believe “beauty” is from inside out. Any things that are added to our outside appearance do not fulfil our heart’s desire. Conversely, when we learn to choose the things to build up our inner self, true beauty will radiate from within. As months and years pass, have we lost “the real me?” We surely need a seeking heart for wisdom of life, which comes from God, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7)

This event is the first in a new attempt in our ministry at sharing spiritual messages through an art gallery. We are proud of our production team. They are full of talent. Even with their busy college lives, they held over 20 meetings with fellow students in just one month, out of a sincere desire to bring awareness of God’s true value to their community. They poured out their talents and hearts. In return, the event was a success and their sacrifice was truly appreciated.