Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Angela Thomas is an ordinary woman and mom, with an extraordinary passion for God. She's been honored to walk alongside women of all ages and walks of life through her books and speaking engagements. Angela received her Master's degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. For more information on Angela, visit: www.angelathomas.com.

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DO YOU THINK I'M BEAUTIFUL? BIBLE STUDY & JOURNAL

THOMAS NELSON PUBLISHERS

Contents

Introduction..........................................................................ixChapter One - Do You Think I'm Beautiful?.............................................1Chapter Two - The Wallflower Who Is Asked to Dance....................................21Chapter Three - The Other Lovers......................................................51Chapter Four - Whispers of Unbelief...................................................75Chapter Five - Noise and Clutter......................................................97Chapter Six - Sometimes the Prodigal, Sometimes the Elder Brother.....................114Chapter Seven - A Desperate and Pursuing Heart........................................134Chapter Eight - The Only Hope We Have.................................................153Chapter Nine - His Perfect Love.......................................................171Chapter Ten - A Beautiful Crown.......................................................189Chapter Eleven - His Beautiful Bride..................................................208Acknowledgments.......................................................................221Notes.................................................................................223About the Author......................................................................225

Chapter One

If there is a question attached to the soul of a woman, maybe it's "Do you think I'm beautiful?"

What a journey we are getting ready to take together. I am so excited to run alongside you for these next chapters. Please know that I am praying like crazy for God to speak to your heart in amazing, God-sized ways. I am expecting more of what He has already been doing, telling women that they are beautiful and watching what happens when they begin to live as if it's true.

I am asking that you reread chapter one in the book before we begin. That way, the stories will be fresh to you and we'll be on the same page in regard to thoughts, questions, and ideas.

Be prepared ... we're going backwards in this chapter. Remembering can be delightful, but then sometimes, remembering can be painful. Would you pray right now and ask God to give your memories clarity and purpose? And while you are praying, would you also ask for the courage to be truthful? Sometimes the most powerful insights come because we have finally let the truth out of its hiding place.

Do you have some junior-high or high-school pictures of yourself lying around, or maybe some yearbooks stuffed into a box in the attic? This would be a great time to pull them out. It is amazing how the power of a picture can help us remember.

YOUR STORY

Before we even knew what hit us, we were had. Our minds and esteem have been shaped and manipulated by junior-high words and high-school heartbreak. We never saw it coming or had any idea that it would matter for a lifetime. What they thought of us or never thought of us did its work in our heads, and now we're trying to undo the damage and find the beautiful woman who got lost in the scuffle.

You've read the story of my growing-up days. You've heard how those years shaped my thoughts about beauty. I had always been the girl no one noticed. An afterthought when compliments were handed out. The girl no one wanted to "go steady" with. The brainy nerd who tried too hard to please. Now it's your turn to relive those foundational years. What is your growing-up story? I'll try to help you remember with these questions:

Describe your elementary years. Do you remember being a leader or a follower? What were your favorite childhood games? What did you do in the summers? Describe a couple of your closest friends back then. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

I was such a follower. Most of my significant childhood was spent doing whatever my cousins wanted to do. I was very happy to make them happy. I don't remember ever being assertive enough to have my own ideas.

Let's move on to junior high and high school. Ultimately, did you feel noticed socially? If so, what memories do you have of being seen and enjoyed by your family, a friend, or a teacher? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

Did anyone notice your strengths or passions and affirm the gifts they saw in you? Who was it? What did they say? How did it make you feel? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

Were there boyfriends or just the names of boys you wrote on your notebooks? Who were they? Do you remember what made those guys attractive to you? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

I told you that the summer before my senior year in high school, I discovered contact lenses, got my braces off, and tried a Farrah Fawcett haircut-all within a week or so. I was completely changed on the outside. Maybe even pretty if you tilted your head and squinted. But the die had already been cast on the inside. I knew that I would never be beautiful.

By the end of high school, what die had been cast in your heart and your soul with regard to beauty? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

Take a minute to write out a list of ten adjectives that describe you from the inside out. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

Did you include the word beautiful in your description? Why or why not? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

Many in our parents' generation were very pragmatic. So while things of beauty were wonderful, they were not so highly valued or pursued. There wasn't any time for all the fuss and bother. Eyes down. Work hard. Play little.

Were you affected by a lack of beauty or appreciation of beauty in your growing years? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________...