My eight year old daughter nearly trembled with excitement opening a birthday present to reveal something she had wanted … Harry, from One Direction (a boy band from the UK)!

Earlier in the week during parent-teacher interview night I stood in the hallway outside her classroom door surveying the bulletin board upon which were posted, in creative depictions, what her classmates wanted to be when they grew up. She had drawn a colorful picture of herself on stage dancing and singing under the lights, with words written underneath in her chalky printing style: “When I grow up I want to be a rock star.”

I figure we make dolls in our very own image! Just like God made us in God’s own image (Genesis1:27). Each of us reflects and manifests a unique imprint of the Divine character as much as the dolls we want to play with reveal something important about ourselves.

But with one big difference. While we can manipulate and control the dolls we create – moving their arms, legs and heads, making them do what we want them to do and when we want them to do it – God does not force our hand as if we were puppets on a string.

God loves us. And because God loves us God will not control nor manipulate us. Otherwise it wouldn’t be love.

Even though God made us in God’s image, we are free to make our own decisions, even bad decisions.

That is why we need to take care in the life choices we make. And whenever we do fail, we need to remember that regardless of whatever decisions we make we still reflect God’s image. We never lose that, no matter what.

So why not let your true colors shine, be yourself and celebrate the good that is in you?

After all, you reflect God’s glory. You are beautiful. And God loves you!