the place where beauty begins

Every time I walk by it, I notice it there and repeat back to myself what it says.

Because it's true.

And I think of myself. How I am now able to call myself Beautiful. I think, too, of the journey to get to this place.

I don't look like the former-model with sleek, beautiful blonde hair.
     Or the woman with the body of perfection--pregnant or not.

I've wished my body came close to theirs.

My mother has a much different shape to her body than me. Coming from her genes, I've thought it was His design for me. For years I made it my mission to fit in her clothes.

It took 32 years for me to consider that maybe my mom wasn't created to be that thin either. Perhaps her choices are barely enough to sustain her.

I've once envied her thin frame. Even tried to force my body to conform.

After years of living with the wrong perspective, I've finally decided that what's best for me is healthy and strong.
Even curves.

Beauty begins with God.

I'm learning this truth. But only because of the work He's done in me.

This beauty declaring has come from Him.

: : : 

There's beauty in the broken pieces of ourselves. Where I want to run and hide, take cover and shirk away.

Telling my stories comes with trepidation.

I wonder what my neighbors and townspeople think of me, the ones who read my words and keep silent. I am raw from standing exposed and yet I trust this is worship.

There is purpose in the dark places and that dark canvases provide a background for brilliant color and make the most radiant beauty. I believe this.

The sign that hangs in the front of my house--where I dug out and yanked up tree bushes and shrubs with my own bare hands--reminds me of the strength He's worked in me.

The beauty is in believing *Strong* is possible from weak Me.

I played ice hockey in college. And I felt it then. Empowered to play without fear. Strong.

Push-ups have done that, too--real ones and now 150 of them every other day. The feeling of strength has returned. And it's freeing.

It's serious business to notice beauty. To declare it and display it with strength.

I only want things with meaning in my house. Nothing to take up space for pop-design purposes alone.

And I want my life to reflect the same.

No crash diets or minimalistic choices. It's beauty growing here. By His design.

The Redeemed Outdoor collection is about remembering God has made Every. Thing. beautiful in its time! 

DaySpring has a "Summer Joy" sale going on right now with 25% off all products (including clearance).
Use the code JOY2012. 

Check it out. 

*I was given this product for the purpose of my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

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Do you know? You're Already Amazing.

In the *whirl and twirl* of life, it's so easy to get confused.

We hunt down the should list and search for a manual on how to do
*It All.*

Because, we think we have to.

There are some of us who have figured out that 
     life isn't about doing it all. 

Those people have found their rhythm and have notched themselves into where they feel most comfortable.

Then there are some of us who know life isn't about doing it all, and yet we struggle with living free to feel comfortable.

As for me, I can tend to get tripped up. Often.

I often reference the *whirl and twirl* of life.

Music and dancing tug at my heartstrings. I love to dance.

The freedom in it, the joy of it, the pure happiness of moving to the rhythm--it's what I want to notice in life. And so, I often make the analogy that life is a dance.

The whirl part, though--it can tend to be where I stutter in my living.

Life comes at us fast sometimes and we can either get swept up in it and our dance evolve, or we can spin wildly out of control. I picture a tornado cloud whirling around my head with a calender filled to the brim and endless chatter of expectations in my head.

It becomes easy to stress over our inability to keep up with it all. 

We tend to think that we need to dance gracefully, or that we should race the clock as if we're Super Woman--ever changing and evolving based on life's circumstances.

We doubt that we can stumble.
We doubt we can be ourselves.
We doubt truth.

Truth tells us--

There are times when our dance is clunky and it still makes beauty.
 
There are times when our failures are used for purpose.

In those moments, we can be free to trust.
We can choose courage to believe in truth.

There's a sweet woman who I know from a distance and who I look forward to getting to know personally, and she's helping woman all across the world to choose this courage to live free. In fact, she's written a book with real, tangible help in discovering strengths, making a plan to live deliberately, and Embracing Who You Are to Become All God Created You To Be.

I read this book. It's real encouragement. And, real help.

Maybe, just maybe, it'll help you to See like I do--that All. Is. For. Purpose.

Check it out.

 

I received this book as a gift to review. All opinions are my own. 

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a greater joy

On my morning run I couldn't help but think about the different of today.

Sure, each date is unique. But, this one is even more so.

Leap Day is special. It's an extra day in the year.

I am struck by this simplicity and wonder of its gifts yet to be unwrapped.

And, I think of perspective and how it's changed my life in a truly magnificent way.

A Joy-full way.

It's the bending down low and reaching for gratitude, even during the hard and painful times.

It's the choosing gratefulness even though it's hard to See.

My life has truly been changed by this deliberate choice for Joy.

Some products really make a difference in a life. They can serve as reminders and shift our perspectives to focus.

And so, I reach for my mug that reminds me of Him, and grab my journal to jot down my Joy.

Hours later, reminders of truth follow me into my office and stay with me all day:

If I open my heart to receive His Peace, my Joy will be complete. 

Sprinkling products throughout my living that remind me of Him, this is my everyday worship in the *whirl and twirl* of life.

DaySpring gave me their Everyday Joy Assortment Set to review. My opinions are my own. 


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living gratefully :: acceptance

I still get swept up in feeling uncomfortable with myself.

Sometimes I fret about what I should wear. 
Or why I have certain things.

Looking around my house, I wonder if I have too much.

I'm not comfortable holding on to things I won't use. And I wonder if I ever will. So I struggle with whether I should keep it.

Is it necessary to have this? What's the purpose? 

Having a good friend over last weekend, I found myself anxious about the irrelevant things in my house.

I became fixated on having everything just-so for a small-ish party with friends. Even though I told myself to keep it simple, I humbly admit that I was stumbling for peace.

Certain things mean a lot to me. 
And it's usually the simplest things. 

Things in and of themselves really are nothing. But the memories that attach themselves to things are what give meaning.

When I look at a photo or a wooden plaque with a quote on it, I am inspired.

When I look at certain things they calm me.

I'm still working on keeping only things that have meaning and not just things that fill up space. I'd love to strike that perfect balance. And alas, perfect is what I too often seek as I *whirl and twirl* in my life and home.

As a partner with Dayspring, I have had an opportunity to review a handful of their various products. What I appreciate most about these products is that they have meaning--they inspire gratitude.

The friend that came over last week opened my curtains to free me from obligation. She gently encouraged me to live free and get rid of what I don't want. She encouraged me to live simply.

It was only fitting that I gave her the recent Dayspring product that I reviewed--the Ever Grateful Apron.

As the apron says: ever blessed, ever grateful

My friend served me a healthy and delicious portion of *acceptance*--and she does Every. Day. I am grateful for her friendship, tolerance of me, and encouragement for me to live more like who I was designed to be.

Accepting each other's differences is what Dayspring does through the products they sell. It's not inherent, but it's there. Deeply embedded in the grains of their mission, this company reminds us of Christ and Who He stands for, and that is full, unequivocal *acceptance.*

Seeing this is my gratitude. And living it is my worship. 

This Ever Grateful Apron really is lovely. 

It has wide tie-backs and it's simply pretty. 

{Shh--and, it's even on sale for $12.49!}

Dayspring gave me this free product to review on my blog. All opinions are my own. 

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{Grace} Unwrapped...

...inspiring ideas from on line places...

...products to represent the heart...

...memories in things...

...a home to host others...

...a heart for hospitality...

...space to roam...

...a yard to romp...

...blankets to snuggle...

...heat to warm...

...words to free...

...a beautiful room of our own...

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living gratefully :: courage {and a giveaway!}

There's a place where I find Comfort for my soul.

Peace. Freedom. Grace.

Love.

The real kind that says I accept you--
     for who you are, not what your story reads,
       
All *this* is found in my marriage.

This place has led me to Growth I never could have dreamed.

When I met my Man-Boy all those years ago, I imagined him as a father and the idea of him as a husband was a beautiful thought. But he was barely a teenager and still had a whole lot of living to do.

After we were married a handful of years (and more), I started to See that it isn't necessarily the Man who changed me, comforts me, cares for me--it's Him living through him.

My Man-Boy knew who he didn't want to be,
     and he knew what God wanted of him.

He has unabashedly lived with a focus to help people.

He has courage in his choices;
     a deep abiding passion for helping people do what is right.

He is a teacher at heart.

I can't imagine my groom ever ceasing to father with a courage that says
     I will be responsible in my role.

Looking around at others, especially those in our family, we have a difficult choice:
     either believe the trend of behavior and succumb to the lie that says
     we don't stand a chance, or...
   
Believe we can make a difference.

It takes courage to do live as we're called. To live responsible.

Just because our father's left us, doesn't mean we don't stand a chance. He uses our growing up years for good.

There's a movie out that will ignite change in people's lives and instigate perspective-change; it's called Courageous. 

It's thought provoking and has a way of digging deep, nestling in your heart.
Long after you've watched it, the story has a way of sticking around awhile.

Visuals of real life challenges and daily doubts, fears and remembering of pain come alive on the screen.

We are reminded of our own struggles and we're invited to pause to really think about who we want to be, especially as parents.

Parenting is more than making sure our kids go to bed on time or get good grades. It's just so much more.

I'm so grateful that my home has a courageous Man who envelopes his little Boy-Man in his unwavering commitment--Every. Day.

I lift up my groom and pray that this father will learn from his Father, and that the cracks where a tangible daddy was missing will be filled with tender grace.

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Dayspring has partnered with Sherwood Pictures to offer 

an 8x10" frame-ready print of the Resolution, 

like the one signed by the men in the movie Courageous.

It's available on Dayspring's web site, 

along with some really inspiring and encouraging cards for men.

Both of these are a great way to lift up the leaders in our homes.

As a partner with Dayspring, I have the opportunity to host a giveaway 

of one print of the Resolution and an assortment of these Courageous-inspired cards.

• Simply, leave a comment here sharing what *courage* looks like in your life.
  
  

• You have until midnight east-coast time on Sunday, November 13, to comment.
  
  
• I'll randomly select a winner and announce on Monday. 
  [This giveaway is open to US residents only.]

Visit the Dayspring's Courageous web site where you can purchase movie tickets, watch the trailer, and send and e-card inspired by the movie.

I was given an opportunity to review Dayspring products for free. 

The opinions expressed here are my own. 

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count your blessings

It's Command Central and it's where we *Count Our Blessings.*

The kitchen table holds Finner, the fish; a photo tray to collect the day's school papers and mail; and the wall that once had nothing on it, now is covered with reminders of the little-guy - the one who dances and prances, sings and sighs, and who unabashedly shares his emotions.

School papers and art work adorn this wall.

Our kitchen is not fancy, but it's colored with {Grace}. In this place we're reminded that these days we're living as a Mama and a Daddy are because of Our Father. 

This wall helps us start off our day focused {a little bit more} on *Gratitude*. We give thanks for all the simplish (and biggish) blessings we unwrap at the start (and the end) of each day. To be content with what we've been provided with keeps our perspective focused where it should be.

Unwrapping {Grace} as it is gifted -- every day -- helps us to See our Father in each moment.

As the day starts, we sit down and calmly eat breakfast, together. Stories of the previous day seem to roll off of the young-one's mind and we prepare ourselves for the day before us. Glancing over school work hanging on the wall focuses the Boy-Man on the tasks ahead of him. And still, it all feels as though it's all about him.

But dinner must be made and schedules kept to, so we keep track of that, too.

We try to {re} focus on the other *stuff* that we're blessed with, and we make it a point to count those gifts. We remember it's about Him.

The Boy-Man knows that I write - he's seen me blog, jot in a notebook or two, and he's seen me scramble for note cards to capture a thought. He's joined in on the savoring of ideas by keeping a Smile File to remember a part of the day that simply made him smile. Together we recount our Favorite Parts of the Day as I tuck him into bed.

All through the day we make conscious choices to give thanks and our *Gratitude Wall* becomes our Altar of Grace. 

I'm a part of a community that connects people with the heart of God -- a home for the hearts of women. Beautiful dreamers connected through DaySpring, the Christian subsidiary of  Hallmark, breathed purpose into passion.

Together, beautiful dreamers built (in)courage - one of my most favorite places in the world; a place where I {often} hear God's voice clearer than anywhere else. Life is real here and it's vibrant, and I'm always encouraged to know I'm not alone. I've had the opportunity to guest post over there at (in)courage, and I've always felt right at home.

This month (in)courage has given me the opportunity to be a blog reviewer of (in)spired deals for DaySpring products. The real cool thing is that I got to choose which product I'd like to unwrap as a gift. All I have to do is tell you about it. And really, it's quite simple.

DaySpring sent me a Count Your Blessings Memo Board and it's now on our *Gratitude Wall.* (You can see it under that yellow flower-clock).

The memo board keeps track of evening activities, along with listing what's for dinner (so the question is answered before it's asked). We can clip our gratitude lists up there, what made us smile, or an encouraging note.

(It comes with three super strong magnets that really do the job well!)


This truly is an inspiring (and helpful) product for our *Gratitude Wall*!

It's a daily choice we're living...
                   encouraging each other to unwrap the {Grace} and count the blessings.

Encouragement is a 

Powerful Thing

The DaySpring store has so many beautiful and inspiring products for all corners of a home. Take a peek over there to check it out for yourself. 


A disclosure...DaySpring gave me this lovely product for free to review. All the opinions shared here are my own.