Lost Art of True Beauty , livre ebook

Harvest House Publishers, Inc. - Leslie Ludy

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92 pages

English

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Sensuality equals beauty-that's what today's young women are learning from our sex-obsessed society. Millions of 20somethings are caught up in trying to look like fashion models, movie stars, or the hottest new pop singer and end up plagued by insecurity, eating disorders, and sexual promiscuity.Bestselling author and speaker Leslie Ludy (Set-Apart Femininity and Authentic Beauty) shares a different vision for feminine loveliness as God intended it to be-the breathtaking radiance of a young woman who has been transformed by Christ from the inside out. With candid personal stories, practical advice, and inspiration, Leslie leads young women on a life-changing journey to become women of feminine grace, beauty, and enduring style.Leslie inspires girls toward inner changes but also talks about practical social grace and manners, how to dress beautifully, and even how to create a warm and lovely environment in the home. Clearly, true beauty is more than skin deep.

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Publié par	Harvest House Publishers, Inc.
Date de parution	01 janvier 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780736937108
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0600€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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LESLIE LUDY

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Verses marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible , 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. ( www.Lockman.org )
Verses marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version . NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Verses marked RSV are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Verses marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Verses marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.
Published in association with Loyal Arts Literary Agency, LoyalArts.com .
Cover by Left Coast Design, Portland, Oregon
Cover photo James Pauls/iStockphoto
THE LOST ART OF TRUE BEAUTY Copyright 2010 by Winston and Brooks, Inc. Published by Harvest House Publishers Eugene, Oregon 97402 www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ludy, Leslie.
The lost art of true beauty / Leslie Ludy.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-7369-2290-6 (pbk.)
1. Christian women-Religious life. 2. Beauty, Personal-Religious aspects-Christianity.
I. Title.
BV4527.L83 2010
248.8 43-dc22
2009021250
All rights reserved . No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 / VP-NI / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
Author s Note
1. The Vision
Exploring God s Pattern for Feminine Loveliness
2. Selfless Beauty
The Captivating Charm of a Gracious Woman
3. The Art of Social Grace
Showcasing Selfless Beauty in Everyday Life
4. Excelling in Manners
Social Grace Secret #1
5. Becoming Socially Sensitive
Social Grace Secret #2
6. Dressing with Selfless Style
Social Grace Secret #3
7. Sacred Beauty
The Enchanting Mystery of a Guarded Woman
8. The Secrets of Sacred Living
Showcasing Feminine Mystique in Everyday Life
9. Excelling at the Sacred Art of Hospitality
Showcasing Christlike Love in Everyday Life
10. Awakening to the Romance of Life
Cherishing the Adventure of Each Day
11. Noble Beauty
The Refreshing Radiance of a Forgiving Woman
Questions and Answers
Eating Disorders, Physical Flaws, Body Image Obsession, and More
Final Thoughts
Beauty in a Nutshell
Notes
Looking for ways to live a set-apart life for Christ?
Other Books by Leslie Ludy
About the Publisher
About the Author
How beautiful are the arms which have embraced Christ, the hands which have touched Christ, the eyes which have gazed upon Christ, the lips which have spoken with Christ, the feet which have followed Christ. How beautiful are the hands which have worked the works of Christ, the feet which treading in His footsteps have gone about doing good, the lips which have spread abroad His Name, the lives which have been counted loss for Him.
-C HRISTINA R OSETTI
AUTHOR S NOTE
O ver the past decade I ve had the privilege of interacting with thousands of Christian young women. Every so often I meet a young woman who is truly a cut above the rest; a girl who has forsaken the empty beauty promoted by the culture and embraced a heavenly radiance that impacts everyone she meets. Each time I encounter such a young woman, I m reminded of Song of Solomon 2:2: Like a lily among thorns, so is my darling among the maidens ( NASB ). And I am inspired afresh to pursue the stunning beauty of Christ rather than the fleeting beauty of this world.
It is my hope and prayer that this book will inspire you toward the same end. We live in a world where hollow feminine allure is applauded and where true feminine radiance is mocked. I hope that as you read these pages you will catch a vision for feminine beauty as God intended it to be. No matter what your version of feminine beauty has been up to this point, it s never too late to let Christ transform you from the inside out with His version of loveliness; the kind of beauty that reflects His glory and impacts others for eternity. He is eager and willing to shape us into lilies among the thorns.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you read. This book is filled with practical advice on applying Christlike feminine beauty and grace to our daily lives, addressing issues such as social etiquette, dressing with dignity, and communicating with Christlike grace. But, as the first few chapters of this book will explain, it is imperative that these practical principles flow out of the right foundation, a life that has been overtaken by Jesus Christ and a heart that is fully and completely His. If we try to exude feminine dignity and grace in our own strength, we will only achieve a humanly manufactured beauty that will not reflect the glory of God. So I encourage you to put the practical advice offered here in its proper context-a heart full of love and gratitude to our King and an inner life transformed by His grace.
Some of the principles in this book may seem a bit old fashioned. Honor, decorum, ladylike dignity-these are not ideas promoted by modern society. To many of us, they are foreign concepts. That s why this book is called The Lost Art of True Beauty . If you choose to let Christ overtake your femininity, you will exude a beauty that is altogether strange to the world around you. And yet it is this kind of rare beauty that has the potential to make an eternal difference in this world.
In this book I share several examples of the specific ways God is teaching me true Christlike feminine beauty. However, these examples are not meant to imply that I m a finished product in this arena. I am continually being stretched and challenged in these areas, and I know God will be continually refining me into His likeness for the rest of my existence on this earth. I also use examples of many young women I ve observed up close. Some reflect heavenly beauty, and some reflect the counterfeit beauty of the culture. In all of these cases the names and some details have been altered in order to protect privacy.
I attempt to write all of my books in a casual, down-to-earth style-as if you and I were sitting across from each other in a coffee shop and having a heart-to-heart chat. I hope you will feel that way as you read this book. This is a topic that is very close to my heart. I know God has a tremendous plan for your life and your femininity, and I pray that this message will encourage you to become fully and completely His.
1
THE VISION
Exploring God s Pattern for Feminine Loveliness
How beautiful and how delightful you are, my love, with all your charms!
S ONG OF S OLOMON 7:6 NASB
A bout a year ago, my husband, Eric, and I visited Disneyland with our kids. Hudson, our three-year-old, found great delight in the It s a Small World boat excursion, which we dutifully rode 12 times. Harper, our one-year-old, clapped and giggled with wild enthusiasm during the parades and developed a special bond with a life-sized Eeyore, who remains her very favorite animated character. We had an unforgettable time. I had never been to Disneyland before and was impressed by how fairytale-ish everything was.
While in the Magic Kingdom, it seemed that every few minutes another little girl would walk by in a princess costume. Each time the girl would have a happy smile on her face and walk with her head held high. Sometimes she would do a little spin just to watch her frilly dress swish around. She was living out the ultimate little-girl fantasy-to be a real princess in an enchanted fairy tale, even if just for one day. I almost wished I were eight again.
When I was a little girl, I loved wearing frilly, lacey, puffed-sleeved princess dresses-the more poof, the better. But back then the Disney Princess outfits hadn t come onto the scene, so I had to settle for wearing fancy nightgowns or bridesmaid dresses my mom picked up at secondhand stores for my dress up collection. They were always about five sizes too large, but I loved wearing them anyway. I would twirl around the backyard and pretend I was the most beautiful princess in all the land.
Nearly every woman I ve ever met has at one point in her life imagined that she was a beautiful princess, twirling gracefully in yards of satin and silk, with gallant noblemen fighting duels in order to win her hand in marriage. And judging by the hundreds of little princesses walking around at Disneyland, this is a dream that continues to thrive within the hearts of little girls everywhere.
Princess merchandise is wildly popular among little girls today. Outfits that make you look like a princess; movies that showcase beautiful princesses; and even princess nightgowns so you and your friends can have a princess pajama party. For some reason, the idea of becoming a princess seems to capture the intrinsic longing in every girl s heart to be fully feminine-to glow with grace, radiance, and loveliness.
It s an innocent desire. In fact, I believe it s a God-given desire. But as we progress from childhood into young womanhood, the culture quickly warps and twists our longing for feminine beauty into something altogether different than the Disney Princess version.
I can t remember exactly when it hap