Enough Already: Winning Your Ugly Struggle with Beauty

by Barb Roose

Most women know that God loves them, but might he love them more if they finally lost that last ten pounds, or got their hair to lay right, or finally found a pair of jeans that looked good and let them breathe? Well, maybe God doesn’t care about jeans, but women do, and all the talk about inner beauty hasn’t kept all of us from staring into a mirror and taking an inventory that never quite measures up. Enough Already


Elevate the soul-freeing, spiritual truth that God is the Creator of beauty and that women are called to appreciate and care for themselves as his own.
Enable women to accept God-given beauty so that when they look in the mirror they see his handiwork, not their flaws.
Equip women to win the ugly struggle with beauty once and for all.

Genres: Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2015

Reviews

[DT · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll admit that I didn’t expect to like this book. I thought it would be fluffy and cliched, but I was pleasantly surprised. Roose made some good points rooted in Scripture.

However, later on in the book, the focus shifted form physical beauty to inner beauty. While this isn’t a bad thing, it was surprising considering Roose’s comments in the first few chapters about how cliche it is to say the inner woman is all that matters. In my opinion, she didn’t say enough about our physical bodies and how we should view ourselves, besides sharing anecdotes. Her best points were about other matters.

My other issue with this book is that it’s not rooted in the gospel. Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection seem to be after thoughts that are tacked onto the end of chapters about other issues (like menstruation, oddly enough).

Overall, it was a decent book, but I wouldn’t say I’d recommend it.

[Shelly Rarick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this author speak at a retreat I attended last year and that is where I bought the book. While the book is very good, I enoyed listening to the author in person much more. It is filled with great tips and inspiration for women on taking care of themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually. I will definitely refer back to it when I need a refresher on becoming a woman who C.A.R.E.S.

[J Crossley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes an interesting view of beauty issues. Rather than fall victim to the beauty ideals of society, you can take a different approach. Look at the beautiful, unique creature that God designed. Appreciate the person that you were designed to be. That is the true measure of beauty.

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enough Already: Winning Your Ugly Struggle with Beauty

About the Book:

Most women know that God loves them, but might he love them more if they finally lost that last ten pounds, or got their hair to lay right, or finally found a pair of jeans that looked good and let them breathe? Well, maybe God doesn't care about jeans, but women do, and all the talk about inner beauty hasn't kept all of us from staring into a mirror and taking an inventory that never quite measures up. Enough Already will: Elevate the soul-freeing, spiritual truth that God is the Creator of beauty and that women are called to appreciate and care for themselves as his own. Enable women to accept God-given beauty so that when they look in the mirror they see his handiwork, not their flaws. Equip women to win the ugly struggle with beauty once and for all.


About the Author:


Barbara Roose is an African-American, wife, mother, and pastor with a passion for creatively communicating God’s truths in a manner that is relevant and easy for people to apply to their lives. In February 2002, she joined the staff at Cedar Creek Church in Perrysburg, Ohio. Currently, she is the Directional Leader and Pastor of Spiritual Formation. For the past eight years, she has had the privilege to serve as periodic teaching pastor to 10,000 (average) weekly attendees. Since 2010, she has spoken at various women’s conferences in the U.S. and Honduras. In October 2012, she was a guest speaker for best-selling author and former Women of Faith speaker, Nicole Johnson’s Seasons Weekend Experience. Barbara and her husband, Matt, have been married 21 years and live in Toledo, Ohio.




My Review:

It's hard looking into the mirror each day and seeing the beautiful creation He has made in us. We fight our own criticisms and those of everyone around us whether its family, friends, or our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I personally have huge issues as of late with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It seems that I fail to measure up to their expectations and seeing their stares or hearing their whispers makes it harder and harder to return and to worship God like I need to each week. I try praying to the Lord about this so that I am able to worship like I need to, but almost every week I go home in tears from the weight of it all. I just want to shake these people back to reality so that they see what they do to everyone's self esteem when they act as they do.


Some people will say that it's the battle inside themselves they are fighting when they treat others this way. I say maybe, but they definitely paint themselves in a terrible light. If they just knew what they do to people when they treat them this way, I wonder if they would still do it. One resounding fact that comes to mind each day when I fret over my value in the eyes of others is that I'm God's child. I have been chosen for a journey that is so incredibly beyond my imagination that it can NOT be put into words and if I spent my whole life trying to figure out I could never fathom the vastness of it. I try to face each day with a sense of newness of what is to come and I will even admit I feel defeated on most of them. But God has called me just like He has called you to rise above all insecurities and live the life He has called you to live.


He wants us to take each new hit, with a smile and faith knowing that we too will reach a higher place by saying to the devil, "not today, devil--I don't have time for it. When we rebuke the evil one and his efforts it is then that we see the power that God has given us over the enemy. Instead of feeling defeated, we need to dive into the Word and let Him refresh our soul so that when those hits come, and they will, then we will be stronger than we ever thought we could be.


In Enough Already, the author uses God's renewing truth to shed some light on matters such as these, to give us ladies a new found freedom to be the one that God created us to me--no apologies. She encourages and inspires us to look inside ourselves and take in a deeper sense of self. God doesn't make mistakes and she shows us in Enough Already how to overcome this bad thinking. This book comes complete with group discussion questions and personal journaling questions. The author provides with a lot of encouragement to win the struggle!


**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from Litfuse Publicity.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will be the first to admit that I don't really care for books about beauty or modesty or self-image. But this new book by Barbara Roose grabbed me with its title, Enough Already, a clever play-on-words that says to me "stop the beauty madness!" and "you don't have to do anything else to be beautiful; you already are." (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book through Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my review.)

And Roose delivers on those two statements with candid and compassionate truth about our "ugly struggle with beauty."

Roose is honest about her own struggles with beauty and what she sees as her own imperfections. I immediately connected with her writing voice and think she'd be a fun person to know. When talking about beauty and image struggles, I need someone who has been there and gets it. And she does. She writes:

One of the reasons I share my stories is to give you permission to drag your stories and your beauty narratives out into the open so that you can stop struggling alone. (p. 27)

Even the women we think are the most beautiful have a beauty narrative that defines their self-image. I'm a fan of sharing those stories and working through them together, instead of seeing beauty as a competition. Roose devotes a chapter to relationships with other women at various levels, from friends to mentors, and gives guidelines for how those relationships can develop.

One of the most valuable parts of the book for me was the acronym C.A.R.E.S.--clothing, appetite, rest, exercise and smile. None of these areas felt like impossible goals. I could see in each area something I could do to take better care of myself. One of the things I love about the book is that it doesn't separate the physical from the emotional or spiritual. Roose does not focus only on inner beauty and ignore outward care of our bodies. Hers is a holistic approach, and that's why her book stands out for me.

Enough Already contains questions for personal reflection and group discussion at the end of each chapter, and all of them are thought-provoking. Check this one out if you've had enough of the beauty battles waging in your mind or in the media!

[Create With Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever had difficulty accepting yourself for who you are and how you look, you are not alone. According to the Dove 2014 Campaign for Real Beauty, 98 percent of women do not believe they are beautiful!

If you struggle with issues relating to outer beauty in any way or want to help others to see the beauty they cannot see in themselves, then Enough Already - Winning Your Ugly Struggle With Beauty needs to be on your must-read list!

Enough Already is a biblically-based book that traces our image-related struggles back to the Garden of Eden, refuting the lies we've been taught and replacing it with Scriptural truth.

In a voice that readers of all ages will relate to, Barbara asks questions such as "Who Told Us That We Weren't Beautiful?" in Chapter 2, challenges us to reflect upon our "Beauty Narrative" in Chapter 3, and helps us begin to redefine ourselves from the only perspective that truly matters - God's - in Chapter 6, "Defining `Divine Beauty'".

She encourages us to "Cultivate Our Inner Beauty" in Chapter 12, and reminds us that "God Don't Like Ugly" in Chapter 14. Most importantly, she reminds us how important "Balancing Inner And Physical Beauty" is in Chapter 20.

Infused with Scriptural teaching - personal stories - group discussion questions - and personal journal questions - Enough Already is a compelling book that you will not want to put down - and one that you will want to share and discuss with your friends!

I found this book inspirational and informative and I recommend it to you!

To read this review in its entirety, visit Create With Joy.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. However, the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[Charity · Rating 1 out of 5]

-I was really interested in reading this book as a woman who struggles sometimes with feeling pretty. Many women deal with their beauty on a daily basis but this book sounded like it would have a lot of answers on why we don't have to worry about our outside beauty so much since we are daughters of the King. But I was very disappointed after finishing this book. Let me tell you why below.

First off the book was well designed and the questions make it almost like a group study. I thought I was going to love it while I was reading the first couple chapters! The author has a knack for stories and illustrations. Like the one with "pick me". But about halfway through I knew there were going to be problems. The first clue is where the title of the chapter is The Vag*** Dialogue. I have to admit, I was shocked. How in the world can you have something like this in a Christian book? If I had given this book to anyone else to read, I would have been upset. Sorry but things like this don't belong in a Christian book. If you want it in a marriage book fine, but not a book about beauty. The next issue I had was the one about What We'll Give Away for Love. I understood at first where she was coming from. But about halfway through the chapter, I felt upset again. She tells a story about a woman who had a hard youth but then went to church and taught Sunday school, etc. All while she was a stripper. Again, my apologies but this almost makes it sound like the woman was saved while she was doing the strip club. It just amazed me at what was in here. I thought I had found a book about inner beauty being more desirable than the outward makeup, etc. But what I read made me grieved. I could not, with a clear conscience, suggest this book to anyone.

I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts are 100% mine.

[Julie D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you struggle with how you look? When you look in the mirror, do you criticize how you look instead of appreciating what God has made? If so, then this book is for you.

I really enjoyed this book. Barbara is so honest and brings a lot of humor to this book, which made it so easy to read. I really felt like she understood what it is to struggle with how we look. She talks about comparing ourselves to others, especially those in the spotlight. I absolutely loved her story about her Barbie dolls and how they affected her thoughts about herself. I think anyone who ever played with Barbie dolls had this same feeling.

At the beginning of chapter, she shares a Scripture and then her advice and thoughts are all very Biblical. I really loved how she brings everything back to how God sees us and how we should view ourselves. At the end of each chapter, she has Group Discussion Questions which are really great for groups, but also great as an individual. After this, she has Personal Journaling Questions that take us even deeper into how we think about ourselves and how our past and our thinking affect us. Barbara takes us on a journey of seeing ourselves as the beautiful woman that God created. She helps us to accept our looks and our bodies and to cultivate an inner beauty.

I really got so much from this book and it has helped me to really see myself in a new way. I highly recommend this book to any woman who has ever questioned her looks or saw herself as anything but beautiful. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

*This book was provided to me for my honest review by LitFuse Publicity Group

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was wonderful! I think every woman should read this, especially if you struggle with self-esteem issues (and what woman doesn't!) I liked how she asked us to examine where our ideas of beauty come from and the events and people that have shaped our views of ourselves. It's important to look at beauty from God's perspective and He is Truth, He is Good, He is Beautiful. We are made in God's image and so we are beautiful. It was interesting when she shared the results of a survey she gave to women about beauty, things they liked or didn't like about themselves, etc. She talks about balancing outer beauty and inner beauty, not listening to the lies of others or telling ourselves lies, and memorizing meaningful Scriptures to us to combat those lies. She points out the importance of forgiveness and dealing with shame we may have for events in our past and how to find healing. I really liked the personal stories she shared, along with stories from other modern and Biblical women. I found her humorous and the book easy to read. The two sets of questions at the end of each chapter, one for group sessions and the other for personal journaling, really make you think. I think this would be a great book to do either on your own or as a group. I highly recommend it!

I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars (Average). Countless books have been written about modern woman's struggle with beauty, self-confidence, and positive body image, and unfortunately nothing within the pages of "Enough Already" made it stand out from the crowd for me. Filled with several Christian platitudes and cliches ("see yourself the way God sees you," "you are lovely because God loves you," "thinking you're ugly is just listening to Satan's lies," etc.), this book offers little in the way of practical or innovative application. The author encourages women to recite positive affirmations, to discuss her self-loathing habits with other women (group discussion questions are included in each chapter), to journal about her experiences (more questions in each chapter), but the "break free once and for all" kind of solution this book proclaims just didn't materialize. The author does include a lot of personal anecdotes about her own struggles with feeling ugly, as well as several excerpts from other women she surveyed, but I found these more depressing than encouraging. I might recommend this book to a non-believing woman who's never heard of God's love for her or His miraculous design of her body and beauty; but as a lifelong Christian, I just didn't glean anything new or useful here.

[Edythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The struggle began “in the Garden of Eden….And where there is shame, we struggle to find beauty.”

All chapters, including sub-titles bring to the forefront the subjects of struggles with beauty, how it began, how we continue to face the same struggle today, and who is at the root of this beauty deception. Additionally, there are Beauty Marks (words of encouragement), Group Discussion Questions, and Personal Journaling Questions to delve deeper behind the beauty struggle.

Do not think that none of this book applies to your life because it does. Every person has battled with one or more issues of personal beauty, whether presented in elementary or high school, college, or in your present life today. This book lends words of encouragement, biblical scripture, provoking questions to look deeper into society’s view of beauty, and how to find the meaning of real beauty within oneself.

I recommend women of all ages read Barbara Roose’s thoughtful views on beauty and see if any part hits home. This is a great guide for individual or study groups and an excellent gifting opportunity.

I received this book free from Abingdon Press through the Litfuse Publicity reviewer program in exchange for an honest opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.

[Mazzou B · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a young lady I always appreciate books like this one! I wish I had read it when I was a teenager, struggling with understanding who I really was in God's eyes! Through this book, Barbara Roose tactfully and kindly deals with the subject of beauty. I enjoyed her loving, enthusiastic personality which resonated through the pages of text.
This book would be perfect for a women's book study because it includes group discussion questions, quizzes and such for each chapter.
One thing I appreciated about this author is that she uses Biblical wisdom as the foundation for every topic; this isn't just a book full of some woman's advice.
Wisely, Enough Already doesn't just cover the topic of outward appearance but also addresses the root of our problems and insecurities- the heart. I loved the practical approach many of the chapters had which will help the reader deal with friendships and relationships in life.
Something I did not like about the book was the chapter on aspects of a woman's body. The author attempted to be humorous and upbeat about it but it wasn't in keeping with the deepness and wisdom of the earlier chapters of the book. It also wasn't an incredibly necessary chapter in the book.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

[Virginia Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

As women, we all struggle with our own ugly battle with beauty. We look in the mirror and see flaw after flaw after flaw after flaw after flaw ad infinitum. Books have been written telling women how to view themselves, how to be beautiful, what beauty is, and what beauty isn't. We are bombarded by it at every turn, every glance on the shelves at the store checkout lane shows us more and more what beauty is. And we feel measureless to keep up or measure up.

Until now. Barbara L. Roose has written what in my opinion is the best book on beauty available. She writes with grace, kindness, and understanding. She points us toward Jesus in every chapter, not because our external appearance doesn't matter at all. But because we are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. Every cell, every pore, every inch of our being was designed by Him.

My favorite chapter in the book is on the topic of God's Paint Palette. She talks about how to end the racial segregation, and racism we all face and experience. This was the best thing I have read dealing with this issue.

This book is a must read for every female.



I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most women know that God loves them, but might he love them more if they finally lost that last ten pounds, or got their hair to lay right, or finally found a pair of jeans that looked good and let them breathe? Well, maybe God doesn't care about jeans, but women do, and all the talk about inner beauty hasn't kept all of us from staring into a mirror and taking an inventory that never quite measures up. Enough Already will: Elevate the soul-freeing, spiritual truth that God is the Creator of beauty and that women are called to appreciate and care for themselves as his own. Enable women to accept God-given beauty so that when they look in the mirror they see his handiwork, not their flaws. Equip women to win the ugly struggle with beauty once and for all.

--My thoughts. Everyone struggles with their outsides. Man looks on the outside, God looks on the heart... we all know that. We should all be working on some of the fruits of the spirit and other things instead of the outside so much. I thought this book was okay, I wasn't really wow'ed by it. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I think it would be good in a group setting and I think the questions were great.

[Hallie (Hallie Reads)]

This review is also posted on Book by Book.

In Enough Already: Winning Your Ugly Struggle with Beauty, Barbara L. Roose tackles the lies and misconceptions of beauty so present within the minds of women these days. With plenty of both honesty and humor, Roose conveys biblical truths regarding beauty and identity. Though much of the content in this book I have heard and read before, it remains entirely relevant, and I think it never hurts to be reminded to see the beautiful people God created, rather than the lies society circulates and perpetuates. Enough Already is an encouragingly easy and worthwhile read for any woman.

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity Group, I received a copy of Enough Already and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Cassandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

- So the book will be good for some but not for others. I say this because while I agree about the fact the women are stuck on the beauty of the world instead of self, I do not fully put it into my head that if I feel ugly it is not true in God's eyes. This to me opens up many doors and takes a good message and turns it into a religious theme. One should just know their worth without having to justify it by any means and this author seems to want to drill affirmation and worth into someone by the force of God. So to me this book is not going to be shared among my family. I do not want my girls to feel like there was something wrong with them in the first place. Now to be fair there are some people that might truly need hope and faith and in which case perhaps street women or drug addicts, this can be sort of a healing and finding book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

[Rachel DeVaughn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only does this book address physical beauty, but inner beauty and grace as well. The author uses personal stories and scripture stories for each chapter which I really liked. It is beautifully and prayerfully written.

I love in chapter 7 that she gives us 3 things to think about when we are “tempted to focus on our physical flaws”. Instead we should be reminded of God’s truth and our purpose here on earth by; “See the Goodness”, “See the Blessing” and “See the Purpose”.

I also liked that each chapter ended with group discussion questions, as well as personal journaling questions; so this book would be perfect for a book club or personal study.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media. All opinions are my own.

[Lisa Rupertus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is christian based and Roose identifies the real enemy in our life - the devil. She explores different areas in our life and how our ideas of beauty and self-hate can sabotage healthy living. She doesn't shy away from tough topics either!

It was refreshing to read because Barbara has a voice that feels like we've been old friends and she is giving some much needed and wanted advice. Not at all preachy, this book uses encouragement to help us tackle this tough subject. Each chapter has two sets of questions at the end. One intended for a group setting - which would make this great for book club! The other is personal questions - which is what I used because I was reading it on my own.

[Britney · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Barbara Roose encourages women to recognize and embrace their God-given beauty. Each of its twenty chapters contains a wealth of information and encouragement. The author shares her personal beauty stories and struggles, as well as those from other women she has surveyed. Scriptures and biblical teachings are also shared and each chapter concludes with questions for group discussion and personal reflection.

Barbara Roose writes with openness and honesty as she offers advice on how to win your “ugly struggle with beauty.” I enjoyed her message and appreciate the opportunity to read and review Enough Already.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Litfuse Publicity. All thoughts expressed are my own.

[V Luttrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through this book, Barbara Roose tactfully and kindly deals with the subject of beauty. I enjoyed her loving, enthusiastic personality which resonated through the pages of text. “Enough Already” by Barb Roose is 20 chapters of wisdom, Scripture and helpful discussion questions to be used in a group or for personal reflection. There are also journaling activities that can help you put your thoughts and feelings into some kind of order and perhaps dispel lies that you believe about who you are.
One thing I appreciated about this author is that she uses Biblical wisdom as the foundation for every topic; this isn't just a book full of some woman's advice.
I also found it quite funny!

[JoJo Sutis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book on beauty! Great resource for women!
I love that the author covers a variety of topics and everything is relevant and relatable.
This book really helps women to understand their own struggles with body image and self image. It encourages them to see themselves as God sees them.
Each chapter begins with a theme verse and ends with Group Discussion Questions as well as Personal Journal Questions. I especially loved the little tidbits called “Beauty Marks”…very powerful!
I highly recommend this book to women of all ages.

[Jill Kemerer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm guilty of many of the topics Barbara Roose describes in this terrific self-help book. As I've gotten older, I've become more critical of my appearance. I loved all the scripture references and tips on how to combat our self-criticism to embrace ourselves as women made in God's image. Excellent book!!

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I didn't necessarily dislike this book, I didn't enjoy it, either. It was a fine book about body acceptance, however, was deceptively very religious. I think it would be good for that to be displayed more within the description.