Christa Black

And the #GodLovesUgly Book/CD winners are…

from Detroit, Venezuela, Spain, Costa Rica, Maryland, Canada, Argentina, & London!

I couldn’t pick just 4 of you.  I just couldn’t.  In fact, I wanted to choose ALL of you…but of course, I couldn’t do that either or I’d need to print more books!  Your entries were so moving, so emotional, so heart-felt, and SO powerful.  I had to choose a few more.  (Yep, I’m a softie and a sap….& LOVE that I cry during 30 second movie previews).

#1.

 

Name:  Megan
Age:  23
From:  Detrot, MI, US

 

There have been a few times in my life where I have heard a song that completely stopped my world. “God Loves Ugly” was one of those songs.  I woke up in my college apartment one morning to find the Jordin Sparks CD slipped under my door from my best friend. I had been ill with food poisoning and unable to leave to go buy it. I popped in the CD and started listening as I cleaned my room and did my homework.  When I got to track 12, I stopped everything.  Pretty soon it was on repeat, and I was sitting cross legged on my floor, crying.  At that point, my life was a mess. I was suffering severe anxiety and depression, a food addiction, and trying to cure all of these with alcohol. That song changed my heart in a big way. It kicked off the beginning of what would be a long road to recovery. I immediately looked for the songwriter responsible for such an amazing song, and discovered Christa Black’s MySpace. I added her right away and was inspired by her incredible writing and compassionate heart.
The next year, Christa was touring with Michael W. Smith, as was my favorite singer, Melinda Doolittle. I loved hearing her sing live, and seeing her joyous personality in the video blogs Melinda posted. I continued to read her MySpace updates and support her career.  Soon she started her blog, and I was even MORE touched by her life. She put everything out in the open, her honesty was admirable. Christa shared her story to help others, which is also a personal goal of mine. I could not believe how similar our stories were. Christa gave me hope for the future. She inspired me to begin writing, and she strengthened my relationship with God.
I need a copy of Christa’s book and CD so that I can continue to spread awareness. Although I am out of work at the moment, I am in the social work field and have so far worked primarily with teenage girls. It is my passion to help young women realize their potential and worth.  I recently worked at a high school as a counselor. I would make cd’s for girls who were having a hard time. I always put “God Loves Ugly” on those CD’s, and always got the same reaction- tears. I am trying to get a job where I can continue to help young women. It is a career goal of mine to begin my own nonprofit aimed at teenage girls struggling with self esteem. Christa’s book would be a perfect resource. 

#2:

Name:  Angela Vera Catarine

Age:  21

From:  Caracas, Venezuela

 

My healing has been progressive step by step in the last 2 years.

I was born in a typical Christian home, with loving parents and family, the greatest grandfather in the world who was also my pastor. At the age of 6 I was sexually molested, 10 my parents divorced and at 19 years of age my grandfather was killed while he was taking care of church one night. Although I knew a lot about the bible. I never knew about the love of God, I hated myself, thinking I was the cause of my parents divorce, saw myself as an ugly person with nothing good to give to others, incapable of changing or being a better person, if there was a person who could be hard and judgmental over Angela that was Angela. In high school I became an over achiever best grades in class, got in to medical school, prayed hard enough to be close to God, tried my best to be the best daughter in the world, but as much as I tried I felt a hole in my heart and soul that nothing could fill.

I wasn’t such a huge fan of the Jobros, what caught my attention was when I heard they were boys making a huge difference in the world, one day I read a tweet of them mentioning Christa, got into her twitter and started reading her blog, the first night I cried and cried non stop, mesmerized about the God of love she talked about that I didn’t know.  I was just so amazed that this was God, I wanted so desperately to know and feel that love. At one point I read Christa’s blog over and over again repeating those words of encouragement. And so, I heard God loves Ugly, the song that God used to change my life step by step. After my grandfather going home, that this song was renewed to me in all ways. I was in the pit of depression, no self esteem at all, carrying my past of pain.  Someone prayed for me and told me that God was with me no matter what happened. I remembered Christa’s song and played it, when I started hearing the song I FELT HIS hug filled with so much warmth, I FELT his Love, peace, secure, joy, I felt like a baby being carried with love, completely striped out of my pain, I FELT Him screaming out loud that I was beautiful and that he loved me for what I was, that he knew everything and that He didn´t care about it He LOVES ME, THE LOVE OF GOD CHANGED MY LIFE and God used God loves ugly for it. That day of September my life changed forever, I wasn’t the same Angela, I had no past of pain, I was free,  I was new through the love of the best Dad in the world. And now everyday is new for me, discovering the most perfect love in the world. God loves Ugly. 

 Thank you Christa.




#3:
Name : Helaina Louise Harvey

 
Age : 15 
 
From: La Romana, Monovar,Alicante, Spain

 

Dear Christa…
 Well first of all I would like to thank you for completly changing my life. Your are an inspiration. Okay so this is my story :
   My name is Helaina Louise Harvey and Im nearly 16 years old. Im from Birmingham in the UK but I moved to Spain when I was ten with my family. It was something that I was really excited but nervous at the same time about. It all seemed so scary leaving my country, my friends, my way of life to go and live in a totally different country with a diferent language. When I arrived in Spain i remember my first week being hard, I didnt understand anything and everyone already had there own group, and I struggled to fit in, but after a few weeks I had already made a friend. Her name was Yaiza she is Spanish, she was lovely she treated me like an equal and helped me until I learned the languange. We grew up together, we were always a little margined from the rest because theu were the sterotype and we werent. We were the gils that would listen to the Beatles, Oasis and Coldplay unstead of what they were listening to. We are both average girls just trying to get by. Anyway after 2 years of us being friends I first heard the Jonas Brothers..We both felt absolutly the same about these three guys..They were amazing so we listened to them for 2 years until finally we had saved enough money to be able to see them in concert in Madrid the 11.11.09 (We live in a really small town 5 hours away). If im honest with you I hadnt heard of you before that day, but we managed to get to front row and you were infront of us..You were amazing and made the concert amazing and you and Carol Buckman said goodbye to us which made our night. So when we got back I looked you up on the internet and that when I found your songs and blogs..I was hooked. I read a few of your blogs and I loved them. Anyway only a month or so after we had been to the concert Yaiza’s parents told her that they were moving away, she rung me in tears and I broke down..I couldnt believe it, my best friend was leaving I didnt understand why…There was nothing I could do and after just 5 months she left and I was alone in high school..We had always done everything together and we had never really made any other friends because nobody excepted us for who we were…But after she left I had to adapt..I tried everything I could to fit in, I changed the music I loved, the clothes I wore everything about me just to try and fit in. I though I was happy until one day I overheard the girl i had become ‘friends’ with criticising me..But I just chose to ignore it..I wanted to fit in so badly. Thats when I properly started reading your blogs and listening to your songs..I have always had quite a low self esteem but what those girls said about me just made it worse. But when I read your blogs everything went away. One night I stayed up until 5 AM reading them all..And I dont understand how or why but something just changed inside me, I couldnt believe I had been so stupid to change myself just to fit in. I have always believed in God but on the path that I took in changing myself I lost him and me. But you gave me hope and bit by bit I started going back to the old me. The girl that loves photography and music and is a geek :) As I started changing I started going less and less with the girls that criticised me realising that if they couldnt except me for who I am then they dont deserve me. And when I least expected it a gruop of people asked me if I would like to go out with them and hang with them. I said yes and it felt so right, they loved me for who i am and didnt judge me. These people are now my best friends. But I owe everyhting to you..If it hadnt been for your blogs and songs then I wouldnt have realised that everyone is perfect in the own different way. You give me hope and inspiration and I will be forever grateful to you. And now in every tough moment in my life I know that you and God will be there , even if miles separate us.
            I would love is I won the copy of your book because I cant get it in Spain and it would mean the world to me.



#4:
Name:  Irene Garita
Age:  18
City:  San Jose, Costa Rica






Wow. How has “God Loves Ugly” changed my life? I just finished reading “Puddle Jumping”. It took me a while but it was because I read it from my own point of view.
 

It’s incredible how the power of just a paragraph could change feelings and emotions of a lifetime. I will have to admit I cried every few pages, because the experiences, the feelings you transmit on your book, are real, I could feel them, and those tears were not from reminiscing bad memories or not-so-good times, they were tears coming from my heart, from my most deep feelings, because I knew I was doing something wrong, I was slowly destroying my body, my mind and my soul with ugly thoughts, anger, revenge feel-like, sadness, loneliness. With your book I learned how we have to enjoy every minute of our life, how I have to change my way to be with those who share moments with me.

I’m a teenager; I have issues with my self-esteem. But as I read your book,  I realized words like ugly, fat or not good enough should be changed for I have flaws, I know, but I’m still beautiful, healthy,  and the best person I can try to be from now on. Also I learned that I am what I am, I don’t have to change for others, just for myself, for what I think will benefit me and not “kill” me on the inside.

I’m sure that God Loves Ugly is an amazing book that will change not only my life, but the life of the ones that surround me by noticing a change in my attitude. Three Words: Thank You Christa. For doing what you do. ROCK IT ON!

First time I heard the song, I wasn’t sure of what to expect from it. The music started and as I heard the lyrics with my eyes closed, the tears started flowing. It was a new feeling to me, how a song could make me open my eyes with something as simple as God Loves ME no matter what. It’s a song I would play to any of my friends; it’s so powerful there are no words to describe it.

I first heard about Christa when she was the JB violinist. After that I followed her on Twitter and read everything she posted. Her blog and everything she writes is amazing, she is really trying to make a change. INSPIRING.

Why would I need the book? I don’t own a copy and I live in Costa Rica so I don’t think it will ever get here. My mom doesn’t allow me to use her credit card to order things online. This will be one of my last chances and since I only read one chapter I’m craving for more. I’m really willing to change my life, a 180º twist, and I think this book will help me a lot, my first big step on the achievement of a new life. 

#5:  

 Name:  Jen 

Age:  17

From:  Stevensville, Maryland, U.S.

 

Dear Christa,I wish I could find all of the right words to fully describe how much you have changed my life. I wish I could meet you and tell you “thank you” in person for saving me. The first time I heard the song “God Loves Ugly”, I cried. I didn’t cry because I believed it, I cried because it hit me like a ton of bricks. My entire life, I have been told that I am ugly, worthless, no good, etc. To hear a song that says God, GOD, loves UGLY, was something that I had never imagined. I guess I’d forgotten that God is the ultimate judge of us, and I do firmly believe that he makes us ‘ugly’ so we can be judged upon our SOULS and not our BODIES. So we can love eachother nevermind the looks or hair or clothes. I think we all forget sometimes that material things truly DON’T matter. Anyways, my friend recommended me to read your blogs about 2 summers ago, and the words you wrote hit my heart in a way that i’ve never been hit before. I shared them with everyone i knew, because these words showed me that while I go to school everyday and get judged and criticized, I LOVE myself and I am the judge. I don’t care what those shallow people say. I’ve suffered from depression for a majority of my life, feeling like life was one impossible thing nd God put me at such a disadvantage because it was impossible to be accepted by my peers. Christa, your blogs and music helped me see that THAT is NOT true, God has given me a life filled with hope and love. I’ve dealt with terrible things- depression, cutting, the suicide of a friend, and the divorce of my parents- but you brought me back to ME. You showed me that God loves us, and he will protect us if we ask him to. It is so important to live your life through unconditional love and to be who you are no matter WHAT people say…Christa you showed me that. My friends were so pleased by how much you helped me, that when they met you they made you talk to me on the phone- a conversation full of tears, love, and smiles. (do you remember?) and I emailed you several times, and you responded with prayers and hope. I haven’t gotten around to getting God Loves Ugly yet but I have wanted it ever since you said you were writing it…because I live by your words and within me I know that I am BEAUTIFUL, in my own ways and my own light, and because of you, that has become something NO ONE can take away from me. I now have gained treatment for my depression, help for my heart, and love from my family and friends through this difficult time. I wake up everyday and thank God for giving me a healthy body, a good life, and another day to love and serve him….and THAT i must owe to you. Because God really DOES love ugly. :) 




#6:
Name:  Sarah Matacic 
Age:  21
From:  St. Catharines, ON, Canada






The first time I heard of Christa Black was when she appeared on a Jonas Brothers live chat. Seeing her on there led me to her twitter page, which in turn led me to her life-changing blog. When I first heard the song God Loves Ugly, I cried. The song described exactly how I felt for so many years of my life. Through the inspiring lyrics and raw passion behind her voice, I understood Christa as if I had known her for years, and felt as though she understood me. What attracted me most to Christa’s songs and blogs was her sheer honesty and ability not only to learn from her mistakes and hardships, but to also be able to teach others how to avoid them.

500 words is not nearly enough for me to describe how much Christa has impacted my life. When I started reading her blogs and listening to her music, I learned how to assess my life and love myself. I read about all the difficult things Christa had persevered through while still remaining one of the most positive people I have ever encountered. I learned that constantly feeling bad about yourself is no way to live - that you have to bring positive out of every situation. For years, I had been told how positive I was; but what people didn’t see is that I only saw the positives of other people; when it came to myself, that was foreign territory. Once I picked out the good qualities of my own life I could truly love myself, and in turn, my relationships with other people became better. Christa also helped me find my faith again. I have always believed, but have never been one to go to church on Sunday’s. I truly believe that Christa helped me find God. This is something that I will be eternally thankful for. It got me through life, especially when within 6 weeks of each other, 4 close family members passed away from cancer at the end of last year.

I would love a copy of the book, God Loves Ugly, to donate to the group home I work at. It is a Christian faith based group home for children that don’t fit well in the foster-care system. At the house I work at, there are 7 teenagers, 4 of which are girls that have been moved from one foster house to another all of their lives. I feel they could benefit greatly from the stories and activities in the book. They all have extremely low self-esteem, and feel they are worthless because their parents either didn’t want, or couldn’t handle them. I think if they read this book they would learn that they do deserve to be loved, and begin to love themselves and each other more.







#7:
Name:  Agustina Bressan
Age:  17
From:  Buenos Aires, Argentina





The first time I heard the song I felt very identified with it because at my age is not easy to feel comfortable with yourself and you believe in the bad things that people say about you and that just bring you down. I am a very shy and insecure person, and is so dificult to me trust in people or meet new people, because I’ve gone throught a lot of bad things in the last years. I always listen to the other’s opinion. Your song has helped me a lot. Thank you for that. I’ll love to read your book for that and because I’ve heard a lot of beautiful things about it, and I don’t know if the book’s going to be in Argentina so I’ll love to have the opportunity. Thank you Christa for this chance and for help me to believe in myself! You’re amazing.






#8:
Name:  Andrea Belanger
Age:  17
From:  Cobalt, Ontario, Canada




Before I knew who Christa was or experienced her blogs I didn’t have any beliefs, I didn’t love myself in anyway, I didn’t have a care to stop and think what could be going on in other peoples lives but after reading Christas blogs and listening to her poor her story out for everyone I began to fall in love with this god she was telling us about, I began to realize what he was doing for me and what he would continue doing for me, I can’t say I’ve ever felt much love but I began to find so much love in God, he loved me and filled a gap that no one else could and Christas blogs were the only thing that made this reality hit me, and now I can say I do not ever want to live with God, her blogs showed me that this life I’m living that felt like it was going nowhere was this incredible journey that God had planned for me, it gave me so much hope, so much strength to pursue what I want and gave me a huge boost that was so needed to go for my dreams and be who I truly was. God loves ugly has done a lot for me, but most of all I’ve finally began the journey of learning to love myself, there were countless experiences Christa shared throughout her blogs that showed how hard it was for her to love herself, but then she gave reason after reason why you should love yourself and I finally gave myself a chance in my heart. Although it seems why would I need the “God Loves Ugly” book if I’ve already began to love myself, to love God and the people around me? It’s a feeling and understanding that I’ve slowly been letting slip away from me, I’ve begun slipping back into that coma of self hate, I’ve stopped sharing myself with God and letting everything slowly slip away, I feel like Christa’s book has so much greatness in store and could bring me back on track, give me more reasons to love God and myself but with my entire paychecks being shoved into a college fund it’s been nearly impossible to afford and having this opportunity would be something I would forever be grateful for. Christas songs and writing are two things that can touch hearts around the world in the most beautiful way and being able to experience this book would be so wonderful! 
Thank you.




#9:
Name: Poppy Pike
Age:  14
From:  London, England



I am not particularly a religious person and I have never have been one to get into a faith. However, religious differences did not stop me from viewing your various projects and seeing what ‘God loves ugly’ was all about. I consider my self an advocate for teen confidence. Occasionally, I spend nights on tumblr going around on certain blogs, sending messages of love and reassuring compliments. Making sure people my age know how appreciated and beautiful they are is something I find pleasure in doing. Despite my efforts in making others believe they’re perfect, I have always been very critical of myself. I don’t believe I’m normal looking for my age, I don’t believe a guy would ever be attracted to me and I don’t ever really feel good enough appearance wise when I put on an outfit. I am in a constant battle with my body and I consider myself such a hypocrite for promoting a message of love when I can’t even feel that love myself.
But I am slowly improving. Your blog is one of my favourites simply because it’s not close-minded and it’s a place where I can occasionally feel good enough about myself. To know that even one of the most amazing women I’ve ever come across has had problems with who she is really has put more into perspective for me. I recently made an imaginary playlist of songs I can go to whenever my confidence is down and ‘God loves ugly’ is one of the most played along with Caitlin Crosby’s ‘Flaws’ and ‘Imperfect is the new perfect’.
Thank you Christa for bringing a little more comfort into my life and for allowing me to see that I’m loved and appreciated even if I can’t see my true beauty.


#10:
Name: Emily Dean
Age: 21
City/Country: Crofton, MD, USA

The first time I heard your song I was in my junior year of college at West Virginia University. I had been reading your blogs and they all moved me so much. You’d been through things that no one should go through. I found that I could relate to the ones about feeling ugly and not deserving of love. So, I downloaded the song on iTunes and I loved it so much. I made all of my friends listen to it, because I know we all struggle with feeling good enough. It wasn’t until a few months after I heard the song that it really started to affect me. I was spending the night at my best friend’s house and she fell asleep a couple hours before I did. I spent the day with her and a boy that I thought I loved since my sophomore year of high school. He was one of my best friends, and he knew how I felt about him, but the feelings were never reciprocated. I spent so much time wondering what I could do differently. Did I need to lose weight? Be less needy? Wear different clothes? Start doing my hair/make-up? So, I started listening to your song. I put it on repeat and laid in bed for hours and I cried. I was sobbing into my pillow, trying to not wake up my friend and praying to God that these feelings I had of inadequacy would just leave me. I didn’t need to cry over this boy or any boy. I cried until I fell asleep. Now, it’s not to say that I was changed instantly, my feelings for the boy didn’t just up and leave. But from that day on, I was able to remember daily that I am beautiful because God says I am. I don’t need anyone else’s approval or opinion. I started feeling more comfortable in my own skin. I made so many new friends, and whenever I told them about my insecurities they would say to me, “I never would have guessed. You seem so confident now.” And it’s true. I am way more confident, and I know that you and your blogs and your song, and most importantly, God made me that way. So, even if I don’t win the contest, I’m just glad I was able to share this with you. Thank you, Christa. 

With all my love, 
Emily




If you’re a winner, make sure and email me your address!!!

xx, Christa

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