I believe in being open, vulnerable, intimate, transparent, raw, natural, and imperfect. I believe that when we are all of these things, we are our best, true self. I believe that the person people try to be, when they hide scars and cover-up flaws, is the exact person that holds them back from being who they are truly meant to be. I believe in simplicity.

My family loves taking pictures. We love documenting our lives. And when we take pictures, we take them in the "raw form." Doubling as a photography term and an analogy, I really like that phrase. The picture is taken, entailing all details, all blemishes, being unfiltered, unmodified, and unedited.

When you're in the bathroom, right after a shower, and stand in front of the mirror, you are in your raw form. When you wake up with bad breath and messy hair, you are in your raw form. When you are in the middle of a break-down with tears streaming down your face, you are in your raw form. And being raw is beautiful! Being raw is rare.

People put so much stress on covering up, touching over, highlighting, and whatever else that they lose their true, raw form. I've never been an advocate for makeup. In fact, other than the school dances that my mom made me put mascara and lipstick on for, I haven't worn makeup since I was in elementary school and played dress up. I don't believe in redefining and remaking my face. I know that makeup does not make me more beautiful than I already am.

It may make me look more mature. But it will not define the beauty I have inside me. What makes my heart defines my beauty. The love, the compassion, the patience… all the good things that make up the shell that protects my heart, that is what defines me. The characteristics that my blood passes through into my body, that is what defines me. I am not defined by my outer appearance. I am not defined by my "goody-goody" reputation, that I've so clearly been labeled as. I am defined by the goodness that flows from my God-made, God-pumpin' heart. And that makes me smile!

In a world where reputation, money, social status, and appearance takes priority, it feels amazing to know that I can only be truly defined by what's inside. By something that people cannot bend into their "perfect" idea of me. By something that people cannot take away from me. It's a relief, really. I am defined by something only I control and have ownership of. I am defined by the Jesus in me.