It’s Ok to Be Beautiful!: Thirty Days to Healing, Health and Hope for a Beautiful Life

By Lori A Potts and Sarah Neal

A unique compilation of God given inspirational stories, wellness tidbits, healthy nutritional guidance and a mirror message derived from the promises found in God's Word. When Lori is asked, she describes her book best as "designed as a devotional, the intent is for my reader to set aside a small amount of time daily, for thirty days to allow the Holy Spirit to massage their heart and gain knowledge of the wonders God has designed within themselves for healing mentally physically and spiritually."

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664233492

Lori A Potts

Lori is a wife and mother of three from a small town in Oklahoma and has a passion for Jesus, family, wellness and using food as medicine. Her health and spiritual journey has led her to publish this book in hopes of creating a movement in clear understanding that God created each one of us perfectly beautiful and unique for His purpose. In her free time, she loves spending time with family in outdoor activities and taking long scenic drives with her husband. For additional inspiration and to connect with Lori, visit itsoktobebeautiful.com

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 Lori A Potts.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3348-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3347-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3349-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021909250

WestBow Press rev. date: 02/21/2023

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked (KJV) taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture marked (NKJV) taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

Contents

Forward

Preface

Introduction

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

Day 22

Day 23

Day 24

Day 25

Day 26

Day 27

Day 28

Day 29

Day 30

Shake it Up Recipes

This book is dedicated to my beautiful daughter,

Korina and to all my heart-mothers, sisters

and daughters. Then, now and yet to come.

Please note the thoughts and ideas expressed in this

manuscript are based entirely on personal experience and

opinion and are not intended as treatment of any kind.

Always consult a licensed and board certified physician before

incorporating supplemental or herbs to your daily intake.

Foreword

My name is Sarah Neal and I am a follower of Jesus Christ, wife to a rodeo Cowboy, mother to three children and a business executive within the beauty industry. I’ve known Lori since my early twenties. She and I met during one of the most trying seasons of my spiritual journey. I always thought of her as the cool mom. She was stylish and fun and had a gift for connecting with women of all ages. Lori was the very first person in my life to break a label that had entrapped my heart since childhood.

If you’ve ever been labeled, then you know exactly what I mean. A label usually comes in the form of a word or a phrase that is repeatedly spoken over you by strangers and those who know you addressing what they see or perceive about you. For me, that label was beautiful. I’m sure you’re thinking, Oh my, you poor thing. How tragic and unfair. (Insert sarcasm) But here’s the problem: A label, no matter how it sounds to the one doing the labeling, lands on the inside of a person (especially a child) and begins to take root as an identity. The more it is repeated, the more that seed is nourished and its roots begin to grow deep. Over time, your identity becomes rooted in that thing whatever it may be and clouds your true identity as a child of God. And wherever your identity is found, there also is the measure of your worth. Translation: If I am beautiful, pretty and attractive my life has meaning. If I am not, I’m of value to no one. I don’t have to explain how obviously destructive this self-perception became as it tortured my heart and mind for decades. The cycle of sexual abuse throughout my childhood served only to reinforce this lie.

Then along came Lori. When the damage from this lie was at its all-time high, from an erratic eating disorder to toxic relationships and depression, she walked over to me at church one day and whispered one simple phrase: Sarah, it’s okay to be beautiful. My insides crumbled. I felt like I had been punched in the gut and set free all at the same time. She later gave me a bracelet inscribed with my new truth to remind me daily. The process of undoing a lie and embracing God’s truth began to unfold in my life. Lori’s words marked the beginning of my healing and I believe they can do the same for you.

I’m excited for you to journey with her over these next 30 days through the life-giving Word of God guided by the Holy Spirit.

I pray you internalize ever truth and take captive every lie. I pray you encounter the pure and relentless love of your Heavenly Father. As He peruses your heart, May He find it and heal it in Jesus’ name.

Preface

I was twelve years old and my daddy had just picked me up from school. I was an awkward girl at that age, freckles and a few pre-adolescent blemishes adorning my complexion. I was twenty pounds overweight, and had stringy straight mousy, dirty-blond hair, cut in an attempt of feathered bangs. Oh that winged hair-do that all girls had in 1983, with Farrah Faucet and Charlies Angels setting the trend at the time. We were in his truck on our way home as we passed a pack of popular girls walking down the side of the road. Each one was dressed in the latest fashionable jeans and logo tees; those perfect feathered bangs and not forbidden to wear makeup. This gang of friends always looked a few years older than most girls in my class. I felt the heart wrenching pain of inadequacy in their presence and even more so now in daddy’s truck, watching them giggle and dance together as they made their way down the road. I was completely engulfed in my cluttered, self-condemning thoughts as my dad turns to me and said why can’t you be as cute as those girls, huh? Are they in your class? Yes daddy, they are. I answered. He