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Beauty Secrets of the Bible
The Ancient Arts of Beauty FragranceBy GINGER GARRETTThomas Nelson
Copyright © 2007 Ginger GarrettAll right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-7852-2178-4
Contents
Introduction.....................................................................................ixChapter One: Twenty-eight Days of Cleansing......................................................1Chapter Two: Beauty Secrets: Weight..............................................................30Chapter Three: Beauty Secrets the Cosmetic Industry Doesn't Want You to Know.....................58Chapter Four: Beauty Secrets: Skin...............................................................72Chapter Five: Beauty Secrets: Hair...............................................................96Chapter Six: Beauty Secrets: Cosmetics...........................................................104Chapter Seven: Beauty Secrets: Perfumes and Scent................................................116Appendix A: Host a Beauty Secrets of the Bible Party.............................................127Appendix B: Resource Guide.......................................................................129Acknowledgments..................................................................................139Notes............................................................................................141Chapter One
Twenty-Eight Days of CleansingThe first step of any beauty regimen is cleansing. Interestingly, it is also the first step in approaching God. Jewish priests at the temple had to begin with ceremonial washing before they could attend to their calling, just as Christ's sacrifice washes His believers so that they can be presented to God as without stain or spot.
Beauty, both physical and spiritual, is a profound and often troubling concept. To discover what it really means, we need to begin by washing away what is not of our authentic selves-the pollution and dead layers of anxiety, fear, and loneliness. We must bring to the surface of our souls what we truly feel and think about beauty, so that our minds and hearts can at last be at peace with our spirits and discover a more meaningful path than the one presented to us by society.
We'll begin the journey to the heart of true beauty with a cleansing. For twenty-eight days, you are encouraged to read one meditation a day and to reflect on it. You may read the meditations one by one before going on to begin the book, or read the meditations in between readings from the book.
Day One: The First Secret
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us.... -Psalm 90:17
The first beauty secret of the Bible is that it's not only okay to believe yourself to be beautiful, but that belief-that you are beautiful-is actually part of your spiritual life. Beauty is an expression of spiritual creativity. Beauty originates with God. It is a definition of God and a focal point of our praise. And while many women worship God and have an intimate, thriving relationship with Him, only 2 percent of women consider themselves beautiful. Where is the disconnect in our culture? Where is the disconnect within you and me?
The world believes beauty is an external varnish and a temporary condition. But in reality, beauty is woven into our being; it is not created every morning in front of the mirror. Beauty is our spiritual birthright.
Beauty is not about what we're presenting-a finished product to be judged-but what we're expressing. Beauty communicates the state of our spirit. It is the language of the spiritual world. The standards of earthly beauty change through time and culture, but the pursuit of beauty is universal and timeless.
Again, I'm not simply talking about "billboard beauty." That's a manipulated image of beauty, an oppressive, silent indictment of the majority of women who don't measure up. What we'll be talking about in this book is the creative, healthy, outward manifestation of a beautiful life within, the spirit of God who dwells in us. We are women who are deeply loved and beautiful by His touch.
Ask: God, what does "beauty" mean to me, and why do I desire it?
Believe: I am beautiful by His touch.
Day Two: Acknowledging the Wound
... He made us accepted in the Beloved. -Ephesians 1:6
At the heart of every woman afraid to call herself beautiful is a woman who has been wounded. Avoiding beauty, or refusing to pursue it, is self-protection. In our hearts we believe we'll never be good enough, that we'll never be accepted. Our efforts are half-hearted. For years, my only goal was to avoid humiliation. I didn't want to feel the pain of my childhood, when I was called a monster and bullied into believing I was, and forever would be, ugly. I was not accepted. How could I ever call myself beautiful?
In those childhood years, I read a fairy tale about a mermaid girl who longed to be beautiful. Her mother clipped shells on her tail, and as the girl cried out, her mother reminded her that beauty must hurt. Today I see that is a true statement for so many of us. Beauty does hurt, but for a different reason: it hurts to open ourselves again to disappointment and rejection. Acknowledging our desire for beauty can reopen wounds we've fought to close. We wanted silence to heal us and avoidance to make us forget. But the little girl who longed to be beautiful, to be accepted, is still inside. What are we to do with her?
In Luke 18:16, Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God." Are you willing to bring the little girl inside you to Jesus? He will accept her just as she is. He will protect her and give her the courage to believe again. To allow her to believe again in love and beauty, and in a God who will always call her Beautiful.
Ask: God, heal my wounds.
Believe: In Jesus I'm healed and unconditionally accepted.
Day Three: Fear of the Divine
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.... As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love." -John 15:4, 9
Dr. Hema Sundaram, dermatologist, cosmetic surgeon, and author of Face Value: The Truth About Beauty-and a Guilt-Free Guide to Finding It, told me that, many times, women fear "divine retribution" if they seek to alter or improve their appearance. "They may feel guilt or shame, and project this onto God," she said.
We have strong emotional reactions to the subject of beauty and the possibility of altering our appearance in any way. Some of us insist that anything is acceptable as long as it makes us feel good. Others insist God intended for us to be all-natural-no makeup, no surgery, no elaborate clothes or jewelry. This fierce emotional reaction is evidence that our beauty is close to the marrow of our souls.
Women are afraid of losing love: we're afraid God will reject us if we overvalue our appearance, and we're afraid others will reject us if we don't value it enough. But Jesus reassures us that our lives are rooted in His love for us. It is this love that is the source of all good things in our lives, including true beauty. As we root deeply into the Source of life and love, beauty will be a natural by-product of our efforts. Worry lines will soften. We'll stop turning to the refrigerator for comfort so often. Our faces will have a soft glow of contentment and peace that is more alluring than any cosmetic.
Any desire of our hearts-even the desire to be physically beautiful-is an invitation for God to reveal Himself to us. By bringing this desire to God, we are moving beauty out of the shadows and into the light. We can trust that God will teach us in this journey to root deeply down into His love.
Ask: God, reveal to me the true source of beauty.
Believe: God is using my desire for beauty to teach me about His constant, unconditional love and affection.
Day Four: A Divine Undertaking
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. -Proverbs 3:5-6
Rabbi Efraim Davidson of the DoJewish Campaign of Atlanta spoke with me about the legacy of beauty and faith. "When the Jews were enslaved in Egypt," he explained, "the men were humiliated all day long, degraded. The women took special care to make themselves look beautiful, so that when their husbands came home, they felt respected. It made them feel human again." Beauty was not about how the women judged themselves, but the effect it had on those around them. It reached the men's souls where words could not.
"Later," Rabbi Davidson tells us, "when the Jews were freed from their slavery, the women gave their mirrors to be used in constructing the tabernacle." Beauty had been a sacred service that honored God. Beauty was indeed a part of their worship, a way to honor God in their physical lives, and a winsome reminder that our earthly lives can be given in sacred service in many ways. You can reach for God, even in this distinctly feminine preoccupation, and confidently expect Him to take hold of you and lead you into a safe and honored place.
As we talk about beauty in this book, let go of all your preconceived notions about what beauty is and is not. "Lean not on your own understanding," but ask God to reveal Himself in everything.
Ask: God, help me to let go of my own answers and seek Yours instead.
Believe: God will use the questions of beauty to bless my life richly, in ways I cannot imagine yet.
Day Five: The Quiet Captives
"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness...." -Matthew 6:22-23
Our eyes bring either light or darkness into the body. Jesus spoke these words to introduce the idea that we reside either in the darkness or in the light, depending on our vision. A woman with a vision of God lives in the light. A woman focused only on herself only lives in darkness. Jesus used eyes as a metaphor for our spiritual lives: eyes are an entry point that affects the whole being.
Jesus also taught, in Matthew 5:29, that what our eyes focus on can affect our spirit and lead us into sin. Our physical eyes can be described as spiritually neutral, but Jesus warns us they are incredibly powerful, for they are capable of affecting our inner life. Haven't you experienced seeing an image that permeates your thinking and continually pops into your mind, unwanted? Do you find yourself wishing you had never seen it, but that now it is a part of you? Jesus uses our eyes to teach us that our souls and spirits are captive to our physical lives and habits.
We are spirits, and souls, living within bodies. What affects one affects all three. Only death can separate the three. (The traditional interpretation of spirit versus soul is that spirit refers to our immortal beings and the soul to our earthly intellect and emotions.)
Beauty is a physical manifestation of the spirit and soul, and the spirit and soul are held captive by our physical choices. Therefore, the greatest of care should be given to how we care for ourselves, and why. We understand beauty as a metaphor for God and honor it as such, but we also acknowledge that the act of creating physical beauty can have a spiritual impact as well.
Ask: God, show me where I am making unwise choices in my life.
Believe: Others see the outward radiance of my inner life.
Day Six: The Attraction
[The Beloved speaks:] "Like a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters." [The Bride replies:] "Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.... Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death...." -Song of Solomon 2:2-3, 8:6
Beauty serves a practical purpose in a divine world: beauty attracts us.
In a crowded room, we gravitate toward what attracts us. In a crowded world, there is no neutrality; we move toward beauty. All of the natural world operates on this principle. Beautiful colors attract bees and birds to flowers. Humans instinctively turn toward the sunrise and sunset and inhale quietly as we mark another passage of time by the beauty of the skies. Beauty orients us in the world, pulls us in, and pushes us to search for what has been lost. We want to surround ourselves with it, lavish in it, and soothe our frazzled nerves by it.
But beauty only begins the foundational work of love. A single stone is not a building but a beginning. It can offer no shelter, no warmth, no rest. Likewise, beauty can only offer itself to be built upon. What we build on it-deep, lasting love-is a force as strong as death itself.
Beauty attracts us, but it is the love we build on it that makes us truly beautiful in another's eyes. Physical beauty is a lovely spark that catches the eye but disappears in a moment's breath. It is love that catches the spark and feeds it, fans it, until it glows and burns, creating a steady fire that lights a new generation.
Ask: God, show me how to build love in my life.
Believe: Love makes me incredibly beautiful, and God promises I am incredibly loved.
Day Seven: Entwined
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. -2 Corinthians 3:18
Beauty is entwined with love. Both herald the eternal. As we experience love, we are transformed, tasting the eternal. Think of a first true love, or the first moment you held your baby in your arms. The beauty of your loved one was overwhelming to you, immeasurable. The outside world meant nothing in that moment. Cynicism was dead.
It's no coincidence that at these moments in our lives, we turn to God. Engaged couples seek the blessing of a minister and brand-new parents reinvestigate forgotten faith. Love has made our beloved beautiful to us, and at that moment, we are open to believe in the eternal. Our hearts are opened to believe in God even if we've drifted away. Beauty calls us home.
Will you experience the beautiful today? Will you feel the sun on your arms and marvel at the theater of lights above you at night? Will you delight in the construction of a flower and know yourself to be a part of this same creation? Will you love someone from the depths of your heart and see God's beauty? Will you allow yourself to look in the mirror and see a woman made beautiful in love? Beauty and love are deeply entwined in this life and the next.
Ask: God, break through the cynicism and fear guarding my heart and let me know love and see beauty.
Believe: I am so deeply loved that I radiate beauty and attract others.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Beauty Secrets of the Bibleby GINGER GARRETT Copyright © 2007 by Ginger Garrett. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Review:
4.3 out of 5
85.45% of customers are satisfied
5.0 out of 5 stars Really helped me
(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } I bought this book a few years ago. After reading it, I threw out some products I had bought and started making my own from more natural ingredients. My skin has improved, and I took up a new hobby in homemade beauty products. I liked it so much, I bought another for my mom for mother's day. This book can help a lot of people.
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
Love this i utilize this book in my many daily cleaning and healing products.
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book.... But There's One Major Problem!
I love the information that Ginger gives in reference to women, and their ancient beauty regimens, as well as the daily devotionals, and scripture included which expresses God's Love for us all and how he has uniquely created each of us. Very very very inspiring and wonderful. I myself however have developed a chemical free makeup line and have done ALOT of research on makeup ingredients. Ginger recommends Bare Escenutals aka Bare Minerals as a Makeup line to use. This company includes Aluminum as an ingredient in their makeup. Yeap it's a mineral alright, and one that will cause you possible health problems. They also include Bismuth Oxychloride in alot of their formulations and this is technically a mineral but not one you will find residing in God's creation - The Earth. It is a by-product of the lead and copper manufacturing process and is used by many companies as a texturizer because it gives a very silky finish so they don't have to grind their product as long, and has been linked to many sensitivites of the skin and unexplained erruptions. They also use some preservatives in their products. So they say it is all natural minerals, but it is not due to these issues. She also references Burt's Bee's. They have questionable ingredients in some of their products as well. Ginger also references Aloes which are named in the Bible as being Aloe Vera and gives wonderful ideas on how to use this plant. However if you research this Aloes which is refered to in the Bible is what Sandalwood Essential Oil was called during Ancient times. It was used to not only treat health issued but to embalm the dead. You can not embalm the dead with Aloe Vera. Just won't happen. So I had to give it 4 stars due to premade beauty items not being properly researched, as well as the facts on finding out what Aloes really is. Who knows, if it had not been for my deliberate research on Essential Oils, I may of assumed it was Aloe Vera as well. Overall the book is just beautiful and Ginger is a wonderful woman of God very obviously. She does give alot of wonderful insight on whole foods which I did appreciate greatly. I'd just double research any product suggestions if it isnt a whole food. I thought this would be a good foundation for presenting a new way of pampering to the women of my church who are true beauties as well. Our congregation is a mix of God's world and I see the beauty in them all weather they are Hispanic, Caucasion, Asian, African - and so does he. This book also beautifully points this all out. The devotionals are wonderful. They let you praise and worship God in so many ways as well as see how much he loves us and lets us know it is ok to beautify ourselves. God wants us to take care of ourself and to look as divine as he created us. It is all to his glory :)
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book, beauty wise and spiritually wise!
The beauty secrets in here actually work. I use organic raw honey on my face followed by organic olive oil as my daily skincare regimen and it has worked wonders (and I'm not just typing this). My skin is sensitive, breaking out easily and I'm pretty sure my skin looks less stressed. Plus, I don't know why, but it feels fun applying too; I guess our ancestors were on to something! I also love the intuitive eating approach left behind by our ancestors and its focus on all aspects of beauty.I start feeling more connected to my soul as I read the devotional. When I naturally feel connected, I do feel beautiful and radiant from within and I see myself in the mirror and I see someone very pretty. I usually feel very ugly. I read the book Beyond Beautiful, which is a really good more secular read and of course there are some parallels. I would say it was hard for me to apply the knowledge in Beyond Beautiful, because I feel me personally I need a deep connection to my soul to transform the way I see myself.Thanks so much for writing this book Ginger!!
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a dream!
Not only is this book a super easy read, but it also helped me to rediscover the true meaning of beauty based on what God says and to value myself from within. I don't feel guilty about caring so much about appearances, as the book says it's a desire to be whole in heaven and fully beautiful with Jesus. However, I can now not get caught up in appearances and have now understood what is most important! I highly recommend it to any young woman like me wanting to learn what God has to say about her beauty.
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, insightful, well researched.
Beauty Secrets of the Bible is absolutely brilliant. Brilliant, not simply because someone took the time to research beauty treatments that happened to be listed in the Bible (which was a really great idea), but brilliant because of the years of keen observation of the holism contained in the Bible by the author before they wrote this book. I also really like the concept of "beauty" by this author because it includes what you think and what you eat and not just some temporary cosmetic coverup that you apply to your skin. This book truly is thoughtful, healthy, Biblical beauty not just surface cosmetics.I own an esthetician school and am a licensed esthetician instructor, and this book is SO good that I'm including it book on the list of reading materials that I suggest to my students.I found the organization of this book refreshing. After reading book after book that looks like the author never heard of an outline, or did but "the dog ate it" just before they actually wrote the book, this book is organized nicely into seven succinct, logical chapters which are broken down into readable, memorable sections without scrimping on either the writing style or the research.I was so intrigued by the quality of the writing and research of this book that I am going to check out the other books by this author as soon as I finish with this review.Franz Sigel Shroy
Just Like Esther!
(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } I bought this book and subseuently 4 more for my girlfriends. Creating little "Bible Beauty Box" with bits and bobs to create there own "experiance" at home with natural products! Ha! They loved it!...but this book encompasses the use of natural products from the Bible that we can use today without the use of harsh chemicals in pretty tubs! Did you know honey is not sticky when its wet. I put it over my face in the bath, try not to lick my lips too much and it wipes off and leaves me all soft!...Recipes too, Bible information from where topics are gleaned and a lovely all rounder for girls in this society who want to stay away from commercialism and closer to God......:-)
Thanks
Good products
just some oil names and some tips, that's all
I'm fan of oils and its uses and I have read some books about oils with deep insiders about substances, uses, compositions, applications etc. I though this would be similar but all I found was some oil names from the bible and some tips to use them. I think the writer was too superficial on the information. too basic Information about oils.
Beauty from the Bible.
Very good book, what could be better than beauty from the Bible, all natural and healthier, it has to be! God created everything. I use Olive Oil on my face, and find it to be excellent.
Precise! Concise! Useful Beauty Tips!
Very nice concise easy book to read with some good simple inexpensive beauty tips. A must have and will save a bomb on all those chemical fillers, moisturizers etc. The book arrived on time was packaged securely and is small and handy enough to slip into any handbag.
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