If you are from the Charlotte, NC area, you may have heard of The Naked Face Project.  This experiment is being headed up by two women in different stages of life. One is a young married woman expecting her first child and the other an older single mom of teens. (One of them is also the founder of Girls on The Run, a program that is a mixture of sports and self esteem for young girls). The goal of the project is to examine the “whys” of what women do to feel pretty, accepted, or even just “presentable” in our society.

For example, many women put on makeup every day. Some even use phrases such as “putting their face on,” as if, without makeup, they are not “whole.” Hence the name, Naked Face Project.

These two women are spending 60 days with a naked face (no makeup). They are also putting off other beauty regimens such as shaving their legs, wearing deodorant, using fancy lotions, wearing uncomfortable “fashionable” clothes, etc.  At the end of the 60 days they hope to have better insight as to why they feel compelled to do these things and what the public reaction is when they don’t meet certain superficial expectations.

The women at The Naked Face Project have invited other bloggers along for the ride, and after figuring out some of the ground rules, they will be linking to different sites that are participating in the project. Since they allow for project customization, I let them know that here at Signposts Ministries, we will be coming along for the ride, too.

We will be examining some of these same issues as they relate not just to women and makeup, but to humanity in general, and we will learn how all this somehow ties into how we see those around us with chronic health problems or disabilities.  We will discover what God has to say about judging others based on appearance. We’ll find some Bible verses that let us know what God thinks about putting limits on ourselves based on what we think our strengths and weaknesses are. We’ll learn about how God confounds the wise and raises up the foolish. How life is really about the downward climb. And we’ll see what type of vessels he likes to work through.

I look forward to doing this little series. I do have to say, though- I will be using deodorant. I make my own, and it still allows me to sweat- so I don’t feel like I’m falling victim to peer pressure or advertising in that area. The first thing God has really brought to my attention is not so surprising really, but I think the way he has spoken to me about it will be surprising.

The first thing I will be addressing is, well, dress. And you will be learning about one of my own personal physical disabilities and how, as a child, it impacted my view of clothing and how we are seen by others.

Looking forward to going on this journey with me for 60 days? The clock started ticking February 1st. Even after our time with the project is over, let’s hope the lessons we learn will impact our lives every day for the next 60 weeks, 60 months, or 60 years.

 

Annie Beth Donahue is the founder of Signposts Ministries and the mother of four children, and each of them have special health needs. Annie Beth is a specialist in musical therapy and a talented singer. She and her husband, Brad, live near Charlotte, North Carolina.