For those of you that do not know, “Hunks and Hunnies” is a calendar sold annually as a fundraising event for TL Hanna High School. It is a display of the 12 “hottest” males and females of the TL Hanna senior class, and these students are voted in by their peers. First things first, I am not trying to condemn the calendar or anyone in it, but rather shed some light on the minds of young girls. If you go (or went) to TLH you are probably either smiling thinking back to when you were voted into the calendar, nervously wondering about if you’ll make it or not, or trying to repress the memory of your name not being announced that painful afternoon. Well if you made it, congrats. I am genuinely happy for you, and I am sure you are truly beautiful. If you didn’t make it, I feel for you (I’m talking empathy here). If you are worried about if you will make it or not, I get it. And if you have never heard about this nonsense before, stay with me and you might just get something from this article too.

When the names are announced over the loud speaker almost every girl (and guy but they would not admit that) in the TLH junior class are anxiously awaiting to hear their name called, but only 12 names for boys and 12 names for girls are spoken. As if high school isn’t tough enough? Let’s add a public popularity contest, winners determined by your peers, and a tangible reminder if you’re hot or not. If you know anything about the female brain you probably know many of us, including myself, have struggled with some sort of self-confidence issue or insecurity at one point or another. As women, we all too easily fall into the comparison trap.

But if you realize that this notion of not being pretty, skinny, smart, funny, or athletic enough is just a feeling, and that while emotions are real they are not always logical, you might just find some truth and perspective as to what you really are. You are so much more than a calendar picture. You are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). You were created “in His own image” (Genesis 1:27). You were created imperfectly perfect in God’s own eyes. The same God who created sunsets, and mountain ranges, and wildflowers, also created you.

You are beautiful. You are unique. You are imperfectly perfect. And you are YOU. Be proud to be you, because the only one who has the right to label you -- is the one who MADE you.

So ‘Hunny,’ in God’s eyes…you are the month of July.