Mirror Mirror Off the Wall: Day 1

What did you do to commemorate your last night of looking in a mirror before Ash Wednesday?

(fallibleblogma)

For me, Mardi Gras marked the last night I was able to dress up in my best attire for a benefit banquet I was attending, and see myself in a mirror.  After a wonderful and classy evening, (it's not often a college girl gets to dress up fancy!), I changed back into my PJs and turned toward the mirror.  All of my roommates were in bed, there were no fancy clothes, no makeup, nobody asking for an interview on the PTM initiative, no journal to write down my thoughts...just me and the mirror, and God.  "Am I really going to do this?" I said to myself, glancing at the reflection.  The excitement I had felt up until now, turned to uncertainty and fear and I have to say, it felt like I was encountering a mini "breakup" with myself as I took the mirror off the wall and put it in my closet until Easter.

You are Ashes, but you're also a Lily

Good Morning Beautiful!

You may roll out of bed thinking you’d like to give yourself a mirror high-five: like this guy:

But then you remember…I don’t get to do that today. At first, you’re happy because this means you can roll back over and go to sleep for another 15 minutes that you would usually use to get ready. But by the time you get up and pick up that tube of mascara you think…."oh crap. Do I really have to do this?” But you do, and you try to “paint” your face the best you can and rush out the door to class.

It Takes 3

Living in a house with 6 girls and being the only one tackling this challenge is a little daunting. We share a bathroom mirror, which means that when I brush my teeth I’ll be staring at a picture of cute babies that hangs above the toilet. Some of you are in the same boat. When your friends are all getting ready in the morning, fixing their makeup in the mirror, you may feel like you’re alone and unsupported. Here is what I recommend:

She is more precious than jewels: reflecting on inner beauty

One of the goals of this challenge is to reflect on inner beauty. “What does inner beauty look like?” you might ask. In Proverbs 31, there is a lengthy description of what you may call, “the ideal wife.” Married or not, the qualities listed in here are present in visible or not-so-visible ways in every woman. I’ve highlighted a few of these qualities that we will look at together over the coming weeks:

Change how you see, not how you look

Since “Paint the Mirrors” took flight a few weeks ago, I’ve suddenly now noticed bits and pieces of “beauty definitions” plastered all everywhere, from doodles, to coffee cups to bumper stickers on the back of cars. Each time these little gems pop out of me, they scream, “write, share, explore!” So my notebook, once devoted to schoolwork and to-do lists, has begun to fill up with little snippets for blog ideas; and my phone, with random pictures of bumper stickers from dirty SUVs.

It's Radical, I know.

Did you read about Paint the Mirrors?

Ok you’re hesitant.  I get it.  Perhaps you’re like me and are thinking these things:

How do I know if I should do this challenge?

No one is forcing you to do this.  But an invitation is waiting for your response.  This may be the right thing and the right time for you to do, and it may not.  Either way, it is going to look scary and you will have doubts.  But if you are considering it, underneath those doubts you will feel an excitement thinking about the possibility of the things you will discover along this 40-day journey.  Search within yourself and see where your appearance falls on the scale of things you place your identity in.  Depending on where it lands, this challenge may be very difficult, but it will also be very, very rewarding. 

You can read my story to see why I chose to do it. 

I want to look presentable so I don’t scare people away.  How do I do that without a mirror?

It is perfectly good, and even encouraged, to dress up during this challenge.  The absence of a mirror is

What's the Story?

About Me.

I’m a perfectionist, I like compliments, and I am never satisfied.  I could stop there, realizing these are things that I’m just destined to be and live with, but I know this is not where it ends.  My faith has led me to believe that my desires for affirmation, perfection, and completion are meant to be contented. So I’m on a mission to find the places where I place my identity, and redirect them to where I know they can be fulfilled…eternally.    

Almost a year ago, I was flipping through TV channels and settled
on the news for some background noise to my dinner.  I wasn’t paying attention until I heard the words, “…she had no mirrors for a year.”  I turned up the volume and saw Kjerstin Gruys, a woman