Growing up and not being the most popular person in school, I always questioned myself as a person and my value. For years I remember comparing myself to other girls and wishing to be more like them. I would always say, "If only I was pretty like her," or, "If I was only as smart as her," or, "If I was skinny enough like her." I was constantly finding something "wrong" with me, I had trouble liking who I was and tried to fix the problem.

When I was a freshman in high school, I remember standing on the sidelines at a football game cheering, but I was more focused on how I looked in my uniform compared to the other girls. I remember thinking I looked like a fat cow in my uniform and everyone else looked like models and looked perfect. So at that moment I made a commitment that I was going to try and lose some weight, but my idea of trying to lose the weight was so wrong. I was skipping so many meals and not having a lot of food when I did eat. I was not helping myself at all, I was just making myself worse. I have proof on my sides of starving myself during my freshman year, and I am constantly reminded of what I tried to do to myself. But at that moment I had to realize something — I am never going to be Barbie doll size, that is just not the way God built me.

I am all muscle and I have grown to be confident in my size and know that God made me perfectly the way he wants me to be. My message for all of you is this, you were made in God's image. God made you with a purpose and with so much value. Who you are and how you are made is all perfect, because God made you like that. Imagine if we all looked the same — how boring would that be? I like seeing all the little differences in each person I meet, from their personality to their physical appearance, it is all amazing to me how God spent so much time into every little detail to make us unique, but also perfect.

The Bible says we are all made in the image of Jesus. Jesus is perfect and is so wonderful, and we are all made in his image. If Jesus is perfect, and we are all made in his image, then that means we are perfect in God's eyes. He loves us for who we are, and wants us to come to him as we are.

The Bible says in Matthew 3:17 "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." This is when Jesus is being baptized by John, and Jesus comes out of the water and the Bible says a the heavens opened up and a voice spoke. The voice that is speaking is the voice of God, and God is saying that Jesus is his son, and he is very pleased with him. We are made in Jesus image and so if God is pleased with Jesus then he is also pleased with us.

So, what I am trying to say is whenever you feel like you are not worth it, you have no value and you start comparing yourself with others, remember that God made you in a very special way for a very special reason. He is proud of you and he loves you no matter what. God is the boss of all bosses and knowing the big man up stairs is proud of you and loves you so much, it would make anyone feel good. I mean think about this, God loves each and everyone of us so much, that he sent his one and only son to be crucified on the cross for us. He died on that cross, but then three days later he rose from the grave victoriously and conquered death. So now when we die when have the opportunity to live with him in eternity. We have all this because God loved us so much. If you cannot find value in that, then I don't know what will. This is where I find my value, and now I am so much more confident. I am saying that we all have value, and you are perfect just the way you are because God says so.