Sunday, July 29, 2012

Review # 203: My Big Bottom Blessing - How Hating My Body Led to Loving My Life by Teasi Cannon

Description: (from GoodReads)

"Loving the girl in the mirror isn't about changing how you look but allowing God to change how you see." 
       My Big Bottom Blessing is a joyful and wise guide to exchanging the limitations of a merely human body image for the liberty of knowing that we are made in the image of God.
Review:


     Finally, a witty, down-to-earth and well-written book about one woman's lifelong struggle with her self-esteem and body image! I have read so many self-help/diet/women's nonfiction guides pertaining to weight loss and body happiness that I have learned to take little stock in the genre. There are so many doctors/trainers pushing "the best" diet, exercise plan, weight loss surgery, etc, that it is easy to lose hope when one of those millions of plans fails. For most of us who struggle with our bodies, one small failure can cause a total loss of hope and motivation, which is why Teasi Cannon's book is so refreshing. My Big Bottom Blessing is all about acceptance, inner beauty, and the realization that we are all made in God's image. Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down! Teasi's inner and outer struggles with her body image mirror my own, and her writing style makes it easy to relate. She balances humor, heartbreak, wisdom, encouragement, honesty and compassion to create an authentic and enjoyable chronicle of her life experiences, from her feelings about family gatherings, to the horrors of her past, and her acceptance of her future. It is a very personal story, but one that has forever changed the way I feel about my own body. Knowing how to accept one's image is a much better source of motivation than a book about dieting, exercise or liposuction. There is also a section at the end of each chapter that allows the reader to reflect, take notes, read related scripture, and evaluate what they have learned about themselves. These sections inspired me; as a Christian woman I have always been told that humans were made in God's image, but I had never really thought about what that meant. In a world that emphasizes a skewed vision of outer beauty, (perfect skin, perfect hair, model thinness, etc.), this is a lesson that everyone needs to be taught. Everyone is perfect and beautiful in their own way - it shouldn't be rated or judged - body image is at the discretion of the individual. This book is recommended for Christian women of all ages, and to those who want to find out more about themselves instead of pursuing another emotionally empty diet plan.


Rating: Clean Getaway (5/5)


*** I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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