Compared to Who? Body Image for Christian Women

Scripture reminds us to use prayer and petition to calm our anxieties and ask God for what we need. I don't know about you friend - but needing freedom from body hatred, body stress, body image woe--this is a real need that I believe we need to take to God regularly. That's why we're spending the whole month praying about our body image! But, something important jumped out from our scripture verse...

Surrender seems like a negative word in most contexts -- like giving up ...or admitting defeat. But, when it comes to surrender in the biblical sense -- surrender is freedom! It's the sweet release of all that weighs us down to a God we can trust. Surrendering the things that we stress about the most (like our size or shape) is hard! But, that's why we're praying for God's help. We can't surrender...

In today's show we pray for God to open our eyes to see the truth beyond the scale and beyond the mirror. We'll pray that God will help us understand that he knit us together in our mother's womb and knew/knows EXACTLY how he made us. That is encouraging news because that means nothing about your body is an accident--even those parts you don't prefer -- he had a purpose for. I hope you'll join me...

Today we pray for peace with your body. You've heard of body positivity, body neutrality, and you've probably even experienced body negativity - but what about body peace? What would it be like to look in the mirror or get on the scale and feel nothing but peace about the truth that God made you, God loves you, your body is good (not a project for constant improvement), and that you are accepted j...

Today we continue praying for our body image by talking about praying and seeking God for wisdom to reveal to you why and where you are stuck in a body image battle. Most of us have searched far and wide for "wisdom" on how to take care of our body. I know I've searched for the best diets, the most effective workouts, the right supplements... But, stopping and asking for God's wisdom as to how to...

Today starts a 30 day series of praying for your body image. Today we talk about having the FAITH that you can actually change the way you feel about your body. Many of us have been let down by faith placed in other things. We had faith the diet would work, we had faith the exercise program would change us into "hot bodies" forever. . . Maybe we had faith the surgery would fix everything. Yet, we...

Today I'll share 5 lessons I learned this summer about a wide range of topics from swimming with sharks to introversion...how everything is hardest when you're in the middle to what happened to my Thyroid and Hashimoto's disease. I hope this episode will encourage you with truth you need if you're wrestling control, battling thyroid issues, in the middle of something that feels REALLY hard, or jus...

This episode was originally called "How to Stop Troubleshooting Your Life" but it seems not many of you listened to it...so I've included it in the Summer RePlay series so you can catch it now if you missed it back in Season 2! In this episode we talk about all the different ways we see our body and our lives as projects that require constant improvement. If you're like me, you may have spent your...

Today we continue with the last part of the rapid fire list of 50 ways YOU can beat comparison. We'll talk about proactive strategies to stop you from looking to comparison to figure out if you're doing okay and we'll talk about ways to dig into your past and break free from things that have been done to you or said about you so that you can find healing and relief from comparison. "A starving sou...

Why do we stay stuck in comparison, what can we do to break out, in what ways is comparison ACTUALLY hurting us? This episode is a rapid fire list of ways that you can recognize and beat comparison in your life. Many of these ideas are found in my new book, The Burden of Better, so if you like this list -- check out the book! Make sure to listen next Friday for the second part of the list... and y...

Don't be confused by the music, friends! Today I'm sharing my interview on Jenny Zentz's podcast called "The Intertwined Life." You get to hear me asking the questions each week-but on this episode - you'll hear me share my heart about why comparison and chasing a better body can be so stressful and how Jesus offers a better way to live. Take a listen! What topics would YOU like to see covered on...

Watching or planning to watch the Olympics this summer? Ever notice that the bodies of the elite athletes may not look like the bodies on the magazine covers? What does watching the Olympics teach us about our body image struggles? We say we desire health...but these women are some of the healthiest in the world--and yet not all of their bodies are "enviable" according to magazine model standards....

Last year I did an awesome show with Dana White from "A Slob Comes Clean" about the similarities between body image and house clutter! The show has been a huge hit on You Tube where it's had thousands of views and hundreds of comments... but the audio version didn't get as many listens. So, I thought I'd edit it a little more and give you a second chance, this summer, to check out this amazing int...

Do you have an "all or nothing" mentality? Today's guest, Shawna Scafe and I will talk about this common struggle to think about life and all the things in a black and white or give 100% or 0% type of way! We talk about this mentality as it relates to habits like exercise and reading the Bible and as it relates to food. We also talk about how small habits change lives, where this kind of thinking...

Do you battle body image? In today's show I talk about my own journey to figure out what the heart--the root of the problem was--behind my body image struggles. I share about the gas powered curling iron I used to carry with me everywhere (true story). Today I share with you THREE truths of body image issues that may not match the fiction we're told by culture about how and what causes body image...

What if modesty isn't about the length of our shorts or the amount of exposed skin? Could modesty be more than that? Could it be about something going on in our hearts? Even the most popular scripture passage used to encourage us to dress modestly is likely more about wearing name brands and flaunting wealth than wearing tight clothes. In today's episode, I tackle the tricky issue of modesty. I'll...

Men struggle with body image too. And, if you're a woman battling body image who lives with a man battling body image--finding your freedom can be even more challenging. Today I talk to author Sean Coons about how to best help the men in your life (and boys too) who may be struggling with how their bodies look. But, don't think there's nothing valuable for you women in this one... We can learn a l...

If you're battling body image, chances are there are a lot of voices in your head telling you what you should do, making you feel bad for what you did or didn't do, and saying mean things about your body or your behaviors. Today, I dig into the truth that we don't have to believe everything we think. Not all of our thoughts are healthy! Beyond that there are two specific and different thoughts tha...

Ginny Owens is an internationally recognized Christian recording artist whose been blind since she was a little girl. Today I talk to Ginny about how body image and comparison issues present when you're blind (and can't look around and compare yourself to others). We also talk about chasing idols, trying to "live the dream" and feeling restless and exhausted and we have a great discussion about wh...

Anxiety, depression, weight issues . . . eating cheeseburgers in bed at midnight . . .sneaking food and overeating to numb physical and emotional pain . . .Today's guest has experienced it all but has found freedom from food addiction and bondage. Jenny Zentz , host of the Intertwined Life, podcast shares her story. "Food was controlling me"! She shares. We also have a candid conversation about fo...

Inspired by Mindy Pickens' brilliant post from a few years ago, "Do You Deserve to Wear Shorts?" , today I talk through this hot summer topic. We talk about what makes one "worthy" to wear shorts and why we get stuck believing that we're not! If you've ever worn pants to the beach or pool ... or if you've ever declined an invitation to an event because shorts would be expected-- this show's for yo...

My guest today is a superstar on You Tube. She's a sweet, smart, and funny young woman who is poised to help a generation of women rise up and find freedom from body image issues. Her name is Cambria Joy and joy is exactly what she exudes! Cambria and I have a casual and animated conversation about body image issues. She shares her story, when she came to her breaking point with her body image and...

Today I'm tackling a listener question: "Heather, if we're all the Imago Dei, then why aren't we all, equally beautiful?" I loved this question and I hope you'll take a listen to the answer. She's right, we're all made in the Image of God (Imago Dei) - so how can there be so much variety in the way we look and how does that result in some people being considered more "beautiful" than others. We'll...

I'm so excited to share with you a conversation with my intern-- Amber--who bravely shares her story of struggling with disordered eating and body image issues in high school. Amber's graduating this month from college and has learned a lot about her struggle and the way her peers in their teens and twenties are wrestling body image, comparison, and insecurity in the age of non-stop selfies and pe...

Everywhere you look you can find a #selflove or #loveyourself mantra to "encourage" you and help you "improve" your body image. But is self love really the way? Is self love even biblical? What about self-esteem? Is that something we need more of if we struggle with body image? Today, Heather explores the truth of how self esteem has impacted us and why self love may not be the biblical answer you...