Project Redemption: Holly's Story

My battle began almost three years ago at the beginning of my sophomore year of college. It began with what I was later diagnosed with as generalized anxiety disorder and depressive disorder. These emotions manifested themselves in destructive methods of coping with life’s difficulties. I would engage in self injurious acts in order to numb the emotional pain and to deal with overwhelming emotions. I developed restrictive eating habits and used food as a method of attempting to control life and the situations around me. I developed panic attacks in a variety of circumstances. All of this quickly turned out to be harmful. My behaviors became consuming, requiring all of my time and energy. Recovery has been a difficult process, but through therapy and medication, God is providing for me every step of the way. He is teaching me my value and worth in Him and I am discovering my identity as a daughter of the king. He is showing me how to partner with Him and fight for His kingdom. Every day, God reminds me that His grace covers me, His love surrounds me, His righteousness clothes me, and by His blood, I am saved. It is still a struggle and the battle is not over, but partnering with God and being dependent on Him is the only way to experience the true freedom that Christ died for! I pray that God will bring me to a place of complete freedom and although I am not there yet, God is healing me. - Holly

Introducing "Project Redemption" (A Blog Series of Wonderfully Made)

Hey Lovely Girls!

I am so excited to tell you about a new blog series we are launching called "Project Redemption." 

Our hope is that Project Redemption will be an avenue through which girls like yourself can share what God has done and is doing in your life. We each have a story to tell which can give other young women who are walking through similar struggles hope that there is freedom and healing in Christ.

If you would like to submit (for consideration) your story of a struggle you've faced and how God has restored this part of your life through our Project Redemption blog series, here's how: 

• In black marker write your "before and after" story of redemption on a medium to large size piece of cardboard. Write the before on one side and the "after" on the other side." Try to keep it under 4 or 5 words.
  
• Have a friend take a picture of you holding both sides of your "cardboard testimony"
  
• Write a brief 350-word max synopsis of your testimony
  
• Email both photos and your written story to us at wonderfully.made@gmail.com

Keep an eye out for these stories of redemption! Each month our hope is that you will get to meet at least one girl and hear about what God has done in her life! 

Love, 

Allie Marie Smith

WM Interview with Katelyn Rose of "Suddenly Darling"

Hey Girls! Meet Katelyn Rose, the Founder of Suddenly Darling, an online fashion source with the mission of being the unequaled source for fashion and lifestyle advice for all young women. Suddenly Darling is committed to promoting a message of modesty while encouraging positive self worth. Click here to visit Suddenly Darling's website.

WM: What inspired you to develop Suddenly Darling?

KR: I’ve had a passion for fashion ever since I was young. I really enjoy putting together unique looks that are a little outside of the box, but still practical to wear. As a teenager I began to notice that other girls my age and even their mothers would stop to ask me where I bought my outfits. I started to realize that I had a voice when it came to fashion and that maybe this was a place I could have a positive influence.

In the Summer of 2008, my dad encouraged me to start a fashion website to encourage other girls to dress fashionably without compromising modesty. So that’s basically how Suddenly Darling came about.

WM: How do you define modesty? Is it just a way of dressing or do you think it goes beyond that?

When it comes to clothing, I think modesty is about having boundaries with the clothes you wear. Being aware of the things you’re putting on and taking the time to consider if they are appropriate or not. It’s good for girls to keep in mind that the way we dress can influence others, especially our guy friends, for good or for bad.

Beyond dressing, I believe that modesty extends into your personal values. I think it’s important to place a high value on self-respect and self worth. If you do, it will reflect not only in the way you dress but also in how you live.


WM: How can girls dress modestly while still expressing who they are through fashion?

Immodest dressing seems to be something that has found its way into just about every style out there. On Suddenly Darling we encourage girls to wear clothes they feel comfortable in, in the styles that they love, and inspire them with creative ideas that might help them out of a fashion rut. Along the way, we share tips that will help them if they come across a dress they love, but perhaps is too short or has a low neckline. So really, the sky is the limit when it comes to expressing yourself through the clothes you wear and remaining modest at the same time.

WM: Why do you think so many girls follow the media's creation of what a girl should like while sacrificing self-respect?

KR: It’s clear to see that TV, movies, music videos and even high fashion magazines have a powerful influence upon our culture today, especially the younger generation. Everywhere you turn it seems like something is there, ready to distract you or make you think there’s certain ways to attain popularity or beauty. But we need to ask ourselves, what is true beauty? What does it mean to have self-respect? Because if your answer to those questions is based on the manufactured image that the media is putting out there, then you might find yourself running in circles and never really getting anywhere. Without strong, moral values keeping your feet on the ground, it’s easy to get swept up into the frenzy.

WM: What advice do you have for young women regarding modesty?

KR: The first thing I would do is encourage them to let go of whatever might be holding them back from respecting themselves. To recognize that there is a need for some balance between what the media portrays and how we want to portray ourselves. I would also ask them to just give it a try. Many outfits we already put on our bodies would be considered modest, we just aren’t aware of it. But when it becomes a conscious choice that you are making on a daily basis, you will begin to see how confident and proud you can be of the positive choices you make. It’s really awesome!

WM: What are some of your goals for Suddenly Darling in the future as it continues to grow?

KR: One would be to reach as many teens and young women as possible through the internet with a positive encouraging message to respect themselves, and at the same time, give them many examples of how to dress super cute without compromising.

A second goal would be to truly influence the fashion culture to embrace more balance in their examples of clothing that would be considered modest. The word “modesty” seems to have a negative connotation and is often put in a box where only turtlenecks and oversized skirts are allowed. I don’t think those clothing items are bad, but there are so many options out there that the stereotypical view of modest dressing could use a bit of a make-over.

I also want to support the many girls that work in television and movies and encourage them not to give in to lowering their standards by dressing immodestly.

Finally, I really want to provide fashion shows that would demonstrate how girls can dress fashionably yet modestly! I’ve always wanted to bring “reality to the runway” and I think that would be such a fun way to do it!

WM: How do you believe you have incorporated your Christian faith into Suddenly Darling?

KR: As a Christian, my core values come from the Word of God. My life and what I wear represent my faith and what I believe. The bible teaches us to be a mentor and to influence those around us. So I want to use the love for fashion God has given me to encourage and love on other teens like me.

WM: What do you think is the key to presenting an image of self respect and confidence?

KR: Just really getting down to answering the question of what you truly believe in. If you don’t have that moral compass to guide you then you’re going to be swayed by culture and the influences around you.

As a Christian, I know my value to the Lord. When you’re confident in the Lord and in His Word, it will reflect in your confidence in life and also in the way you dress, talk, act and so on.

P.S. I just want to say thank you to Wonderfully Made for giving me this opportunity to share my heart. Your website is a blessing to so many young ladies and I appreciate the work you are doing.

~ Katelyn Rose

Nonsense: Behind the Scenes with Allie & Maggie

Here's a ridiculous video of Maggie and I during our preparations for our High School Girls Retreat in Santa Ynez this past March. Pure nonsense. Hope you like it.

On Being Wonderfully Made and Why We Don't Need to Just Fall in Love with Ourselves

Jessica Simpson recently opened up about her life-long struggle with body image and self-confidence in the past issue of Glamour Magazine. 

I was struck by the words of advice she offered her readers: "No matter how much money you spend to make yourself beautiful with all the products, the diets, the plastic surgery in the end, women need to fall in love with themselves and realize they're beautifully and wonderfully made."

Okay, if you're reading this you probably already know that I'm freakishly, over-fanatical about preaching the message to girls and women everywhere that we are indeed "wonderfully made." In fact, I've made that my mission. So, you got that right girl! But JSimp, I have to tell you that I downright, totally disagree with the notion that we need to fall in love with ourselves. I know it sounds so warm-fuzzy, hopeful and promising and like it's even something that's actually achievable. But the possibility of me falling in love with myself without divine intervention would be like opening a can of tuna and getting chicken casserole. 

It doesn't work. I've tried, and failed - miserably. Failed to the point that I wanted to end my life. I'm self-centered and stubborn. I can't sing on tune. I can't cook, or clean. I'll never be a foot model. Or a model. My nail polish is always chipped. I buy my clothes at Ross. I have premature cellulite (TMI?).

The truth is you haven't been wired to fall in love with yourself, but to fall in love with the One who made you. In falling in love with our Maker, we will discover our true value. We can then love others and even ourselves because He first loved us.

Girls, I want you to know that there is deeper message behind the amazing truth that you are wonderfully made as Psalm 139 declares. And it's this:

You are not an accident. You have a Maker. A Maker who loves you; who knows you. Who calls you worthy; beautiful, valuable. A Maker who has planned all of your days before one of them came to be (Ps. 139:16). A Maker who has sent His son into this broken world to redeem you (John 3:16); to one day make things right; to turn your ashes into beauty (Isaiah 61:3); to give you a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11); and to give you life to the full (John 10:10).

Don't tell me you don't have enough faith - that you actually believe this all just happened. That we just evolved or came to be uniquely human. With emotions and dreams and love stories and heartaches and evil. I don't have enough faith to not to believe in something bigger than myself. 

We are the crown of creation. The truth is we are beautiful and wonderfully made because we are a child of God, the image-bearer of His Glory. Let's walk in the whole truth and fall in love with the only One who can save us from ourselves.

-Allie Marie Smith