Our daughter has always been our little princess. As a little girl, she loved hats and dresses and those annoying feather boas that shed all over the carpet. It was cute. Harmless. But for many young women, this desire to be pretty can turn obsessive–destructive. How can we, as parents, help our teens accept themselves as God made them, and does our media make this harder? Today multi-published author Linore Rose Burkard challenges us to engage our teens in this battle for beauty.
Linore is also giving away a copy of one of her books–winners choice. I will randomly select the winner from those commenting on this post. (Visit her website to check out all her novels.)
Note: the winner of the last give-away is listed below.
When Being Beautiful Turns Ugly
by Linore Rose Burkard

I suggest you view this with your daughters–and your sons(Guys can get unrealistic expectations, too). After viewing the video, make it a point to pick up magazines that show stars “as they really are”. Celebrities hate this, but it’s a shot in the arm for girls who are struggling with self-image or self-worth issues (and what girls do not?). Finally, remember to affirm that God has created them specially (they’re not an accident); He has a personal plan for their life (purpose); and they ARE beautiful—truly beautiful–in Christ, just the way they are.
Once you watch the video let me know what you think. Do you have an effective method for instilling your girls with a confidence that doesn’t come solely from what they see in the mirror? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Warmest Blessings,
Linore Rose Burkard writes Historical Romance to Warm the Soul. She delights in bringing the Regency to life for readers through adventurous, romantic tales. Ms. Burkard’s novels include the award winners Before the Season Ends, The House in Grosvenor Square, and, The Country House Courtship. When not writing novels, Ms. Burkard conducts workshops for writers with Greater Harvest Workshops, and writes e-newsletters for 2200 historical romance fans. Raised in New York where she graduated from CUNY with a magna cum laude degree in English Literature, Linore now lives in Ohio with her husband, five children, a Shorkie and two cats.
Linore’s novel, Before the Season Ends:
In her debut novel of what she calls “spirited romance for the Jane Austen soul,” author Linore Rose Burkard tells the intriguing story of Miss Ariana Forsythe, a young woman caught between her love for a man who doesn’t share her faith and her resolution to marry only a fellow believer in Christ.
Trouble at home sends the young woman to her aunt’s townhome in the fashionable Mayfair district of London. There she finds worse troubles than those that prompted her flight from home. Ariana is soon neck–deep in high society and at odds with Mr. Phillip Mornay, London’s current darling rogue. Then a scandal changes Ariana forever. Her heart, her faith, and her future are all at stake in an unexpected adventure that gains even the Prince Regent’s attention.
Will Ariana’s faith survive this test? And what about her heart? For it’s Ariana’s heart that most threatens to betray the truths she has always believed in. When she finds herself backed against a wall, betrothed to the wrong young man, how can it ever turn out right?
Jane Austen readers and fans of Regency romances everywhere will love Before the Season Ends.
The winner of Susan Sleeman’s Deadly Exposure is Connie Ruggles. Congrats, Connie! I’ll be sending you an email shortly to get your mailing address.
Let’s talk about this. I love Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
As parents, how can we put this verse into action? How can we encourage our teens to have transformed, counter-culture thinking? Join us at Living by Grace today as we talk about engaging our teens in order to help center them on Christ and His will.
And make sure to come back to Living By Grace Friday and Saturday for a continuation of our in-depth look at the book of James.
I’m very fortunate that my daughter has never hated the way she looks. She has such a sweet face that matches her personality.
How someone looks has never been a big issue in our family. We tend to focus more on the whole person. Growing good people, as it were.
Sounds like you’ve done a great job, Mary!
I agree with Jennifer, Mary. It’s wonderful that your family has evaded the “appearance trap.” I’m guessing that you are not uptight about your own appearance (ie., that you accept yourself) and that your family “caught” this attitude. I applaud you! Thanks for sharing.