Confidence - Such a powerful word. How often as human beings (especially as girls), do we critique ourselves, doubt ourselves, and compare ourselves to others? Self-confidence can be a constant spiral of these things and so much more, BUT it does not have to be.

Something I have learn while training and preparing for Miss Georgia USA is that self-confidence comes from within. Sure, it can be learned, but I believe it ultimately comes from how you see yourself, and more importantly how Christ sees you. Christ says you are worth it. Christ says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Christ says you are more precious than rubies. Christ says you are altogether beautiful.

Girls, be confident in WHO He says you are. He loves you far more than anything or anyone in this world, and we need to be confident and secure in that.

As I have gotten older and through my journey to the Miss Georgia USA pageant, I have realized I cannot be confident within myself, if I am not confident in Jesus Christ. Others pictures, bodies, thoughts, opinions, criticism, and degrading comments will start to take over our thoughts and how we see ourselves if we are not filling ourselves with Jesus. We must be in scripture reading who He says we are, and viewing ourselves as Christ views each of us.

We cannot fully succeed to the best of our ability if we are critiquing, doubting, and comparing ourselves. Girls, let's stop letting those negative and corrupt thoughts even slip into our minds so we can just be us - not another version of us because we want to look like them, have their wardrobe, be as fit as them, or whatever it may be. Of course, we can always improve ourselves. But we need to be the best woman that God has called and meant for us to be, not the woman that works to be someone else in any aspect of life. We can take those thoughts captive, and start being a confident woman because of who Christ has called us to be.

"Jesus saw the best in me, then He died to forgive me for it." - Les Lanphere // If Jesus hung, nailed to a tree for us, and saw the very best in each one of us, then we owe it to Him to view ourselves in the same way.

Let's start being confident in our own skin because of how confident we are in who Christ says we are. Here's to being confidently beautiful!

"Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised." - Hebrews 10:35-36