Nienie

So Thursday after work I visited one of my favorite blogs I follow: nieniedialogues and this is what I saw. Nienie (Stephanie Nielson) was speaking at BYU that night at 7:00. I scrambled to get ready and ran out the door because I love her! She is so inspiring and I couldn't believe she was speaking at BYU. She was on Oprah and The Morning Show! She was in a plane crash that burned 84% of her body. Her appearance has changed drastically, but she has learned to love herself and see the beauty beneath it all. My trials seem very minor compared to hers and it's always nice to have that reality check. Her talk was sensational and there wasn't a dry eye in the crowd except for mine because I swear my tear ducts don't work properly. I promise I'm not heartless. The room was filled to the brim and my life was enriched and blessed after having heard her life story.

I took notes and here are some of the things that she said that really hit me:

1. Only 2% of women describe themselves as beautiful (wow!)

2. I am not my body

3. Beware of using physical appearance as everything

4. I know I was saved because I wanted my body no matter what it looked like. I wanted to experience this life as the mother of my children, see my boys go on missions, and my daughters get married.

5. We are not less, but more like our Heavenly Father

6. Our beauty is a gift from God and can NEVER be taken from us

7. I have seen the hand of the Lord in my life abundantly and I am honored to carry this burden.

8. My beauty is apparent in the way he (my husband) loves me.

9. My beauty will be restored whether it is physically or not. It's being restored everyday as a mother.

10. Beauty is health, harmony, and peace.