A More Beautiful You

Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn't straight her body isn't fake
And she's always felt overweight

Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are

There could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

Little girl twenty-one the things that you've already done
Anything to get ahead
And you say you've got a man but he's got another plan
Only wants what you will do instead

Well little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would come
You starve yourself to play the part
But I can promise you there's a man whose love is true
And he'll treat you like the jewel you are

So turn around you're not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It's not too late you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear they can all be washed away
By the one who's strong can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light He will show you truth
And again you'll see through the eyes of a little girl

Reward After Waiting

I recently bought a car! My beloved Subaru went to car heaven back in December, so since then, I've been looking for something else! It's taken me 4 months to FINALLY get this one.

YAY!

Craigslist and I became pretty close friends. We knew each others thoughts after a while.

But he failed me. I had countless unanswered emails, phone calls that got cut off mid-sentence with the sellers, meeting with mean people to see cars and even scheduling to see cars and they sell RIGHT before I get there.

I decided to ditch my buddy, Craigslist and just wait. I threw my hands in the air and "Fine! I give up!"

In all seriousness, I felt God was telling me to hold on. To wait. I then believed that it was beyond me to find something (obviously!) so I left it to Him.

And He provided!

And I'll give you a hint: He did not use Craigslist :)

He used a sweet, kindred-spirited, honest, elderly gentleman to sell me the car.

The transaction was smooth. I wrote a check and I had such a peace. Exhaling with relief, I relaxed and looked at what God gave me :) Even the make/brand I secretly wanted!

I'm a little too lazy to take a picture of my actual car but this looks JUST like it-- my Volkswagon Jetta.

When He provides, it's truly wonderful :)

Authenticity Rules

This morning was not unlike many other mornings. I was standing in front of one of the up-close mirrors in our bathroom putting on mascara. My 15 year old brother was standing at the other mirror in front of the sink brushing his teeth.
Our conversation went like this:

Him: "Are you putting on that lash booster gel thing we saw on tv?"
Me: "No, just the regular stuff."
Him: "Good because that's just weird. It looks all dumb because you know it's not real. Looks bad all abnormally long..."

I smiled.

I appreciated hearing that from him! Someone I DID NOT expect to hear it from. I loved the fact that he has come to love and appreciate girls just for who they are.

So there you have it my lady friends! Straight from a boy in his mid teens and high school years! Authenticity rules in my opinion and appereantly in his opinion too :)
The moral of this story? Don't do "lash boosters." Just kidding, but seriously gals, just be yourself! Just tastefully enhance who you are and relax...

Because that's perfect.

99 Balloons

This video is the ultimate example of that verse in Job...

You know the one you just absolutely love the sound of, but it still stirs something in you. Maybe because we are of a carnal nature and having definitive answers is pretty important to us. Where trust or faith don't come easy.

But yet, it's one of our favorite verses. It expresses the simple, childlike understanding and knowing we are supposed to have in God.

If you've never seen this video, grab a tissue and watch the 6 minute journey this family took and experienced fully Job 1:21

"The Lord gives and Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

Li'l Bit O' Love

Love comes in many, many different shapes, sizes, colors and forms. Each one very special! Maybe you are familiar with Gary Chapman's 'Five Love Languages'.

It's in the smile someone passes to you...

It's in the warm embrace you just received...

It's in the 2-hour drive, filled with laughter and good conversation...

It's in the sunset you see on the horizon every night painted by our Heavenly Father...

It's in the compliment your dear friend just gave you...

It's in the sweet laugh of a loved one...

It's in the admiring look...

It's in the high-five from your coworker...

It's in the warm peck on the cheek you just gave your dear friend...

It's in the time it took to type that text message...

It's in the meal your wife just made for you...

A sign of sincere love came to me today in a Kleenex-wrapped gift from my manager. :)

Staying Sickness-Free

I work in a very public place and I'm so aware of keeping my hands and things around me clean. More conscience of it than ever, I believe. Here are somethings I'm putting into practice, hoping for the best!

-Drink lots of water. Keeping hydrated flushes things out of your system.

-Vitamin C is essential. Whether in tablets or thru orange juice. It is a water-soluble vitamin so you really can't dangerously O.D. on it... you body can only retain and use a certain percentage a day, so it will flush the rest.

-Echinacea. Another preventative vitamin. Available in teas or suppliments.

-Wash hands frequently. Sanitizer is handy, but have old-fashioned soap and water as first choice. You do need some germs to keep your immune system up, so killing 99.9% like the sanitizer claims, really isn't good ALL the time.

-Eat lemons also along with oranges. Citrus has the vitamin C. Put it in your echinacea tea!

-As a general rule, keep hands away from your face.

-Eat honey! Preferably raw because the enzymes haven't been zapped. But regular honey is better than nothing. It contains the enzymes the builds your immune system.

Put it in your echinacea tea with the lemon ;) :-P

-Keep active! Sedentary habits aren't good. Keeping active and strong helps reduce the risk of letting a "bug" you may have picked up from festering.

-If you don't think you're giving your body the defense it needs, try Airborne or Emergen-C! They do the job wonderfully! And in short order! ;)

Appreciated Indian Summer

Indian summers are the best thing.

They are God's way of giving us a couple more days of the previous, beloved season in the midst of the approaching cold. How wonderful they are!

What did you do with this shockingly warm weather? I know I felt like I couldn't do enough, smell enough, see enough and feel enough to soak up these amazing past days.

I walked on the beach, visited the light house, drove thru all my favorite parts of my town, stopped and sat and thought... feeling the cool breeze across my face.

It's also worked out wonderfully that I've been 100% free the last two days! Leaving me to do whatever I wanted. It's been so sweet... back to reality tomorrow.

A photo documentary of a New England "Indian Summer":