Phoenix: Live Love Laugh

Real confidence isn’t about perfection—it’s about loving yourself through the scars. In this deeply personal reflection, Andrea shares her journey of rediscovery, faith, and reclaiming self-love unapologetically.

Scars & the Unapologetic Me

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…”
— Ephesians 6:11-12

I’ve said it before: the world is a battlefield.
And in every battle, scars are left behind.
Some are visible.
Some are invisible.
And the invisible ones?
They’re often the deepest.

The Scars You Don’t See

We talk about trauma like it has a face.
But mental illness, depression, PTSD, self-hate, sadness, bitterness, fear, and even guilt masked as strength—
these scars don’t show up on MRIs.

For me, the emotional ones took the longest to heal.
Five years.
That’s how long it took me to silence the negative voices in my head—
the ones that told me I wasn’t beautiful anymore,
that my worth had been lost somewhere between surgeries, scars, and medication weight gain.

A Moment That Changed Me

Recently, I had a conversation with a dear friend.
She’d lost a significant amount of weight—not because of a breakup,
but because she started loving herself again.

She fell back in love with her reflection.
With her peace.
With her process.

That conversation hit me hard.
Because I realized: I don’t know when I fell out of love with myself… but I did.

Mirror Talk

I used to feel confident whether I was headed to church, work, dinner, or the mall.
Now? I often look in the mirror and wonder:

Where did she go?

• My size went from a 12 to a tight 14.
• My freckles have multiplied.
• My cheeks feel too round.
• The scars from my neck down stare back at me.

People still tell me I’m beautiful—but I haven’t felt it.
Because my mind talks back louder than my compliments do.

You Are Not Alone

Let me say this loud for anyone else struggling today:

• No matter how happy someone seems, they still have moments where they wonder if they can go on.
• No matter how confident someone looks, they still wrestle with insecurity.
• No matter how strong someone appears, they still have days when they feel like they’re falling apart.

You are not a mess.
You are human.

God’s Promise for Your Scars

“For I will restore health to you and heal your wounds,” says the Lord.
— Jeremiah 30:17

That verse saved me.
Because God didn’t just promise to heal my body,
He promised to heal my wounds—all of them.

And He has.
He’s still healing the parts of me that nobody sees.
And in return, I am learning to walk forward unapologetically.

Wear Your Scars Like a Medal 🥇

If you’re struggling to accept yourself today—
because of weight gain, emotional wounds, or physical scars—
I want you to hear this:

Your scars are proof you went to war. And you survived.

It’s like earning a Purple Heart and hiding it in a drawer.
You deserve to wear your strength like a badge of honor.

Final Word

No more hiding behind filters.
No more explaining your existence.
No more shrinking to make others comfortable.

You’ve been through battle,
You carry scars,
And yet you rise.

And for that—you are to be respected, loved, and cherished.