Rare Beauty

So we have had these flowers pictured growing in our backyard.  Jacob said there were some RARE japanese flower.  I don't know what they are called... that's a question for my mom or Lindsey Jo.  I just know I liked them, and the word RARE got me thinking.  Got me thinking about RARE BEAUTY!!! We are all attracted to BEAUTY. We want to be beauty. We want our lives to be BEAUTIFUL and RARE!! We long to be special and noticed.

I long to have RARE BEAUTY.  Beauty that speaks of Christ - of purity, of honesty, of transparency,  of treasuring... of so much more.

There are special times in my life where I have experienced true, RARE BEAUTY!

One RARE BEAUTY that is a constant in my life is my mommy.  She has always been my constant. She is my role model.  I have seen so many things in and through her - strength, compassion, giving, truth, love, caring, commitment, encouragement, righteousness, fear of the Lord.  She has been my biggest fan in everything, at every season, in every place. She has loved me when it wasn't easy and when my hormones chased away everyone else.  She is RARE BEAUTY.

These ladies (minus Beck) are RARE BEAUTY. I have never had friendships so pure, so genuine, so good.  These ladies... are wonderful.  Ami - she is my Beautiful Strength.  I had seen her trust in the Lord and grow in the Lord as she watched her daddy battle cancer. I have seen her study and fight to understand Scripture and live it out in all areas of her life! She's fiesty and I love it!!  Lindsey Jo - she's my Brave Humor! This woman is BRAVE!! Married at 18. Buys at house at ago 20. Having a kid at age 22!!! Some say nuts, I say BRAVE!! Her best friend and brother was killed in a car accident last March. I have seen and heard and know her heart has been challenged and comforted and revived by my Lord.  And on top of all that ladies and gentleman... SHE'S HILARIOUS!  Emily - She's my  Crazy Compassionate Joy!!!! She's my best friend. She is wonderful. She is the essence of compassion and joy... and craziness!! She was my roommate. We spent every waking hour together - no, seriously we did- we lived together, worked together, went to church together, ate together, EVERYTHING... and I loved it.  I have never seen the Gospel of Christ and the Love of Christ in action like I do in Emily.  AND... her middle name is Joy... so she's that much cooler!  I love her heart, her joy, her friendship... it's good.  Becky (not pictured- haha... kind of like a yearbook picture) - She is my Determined Nurse.  She is the most determined woman I have EVER meet!! She knows what God calls her to do and what's required of her and BY GOLLY... she does it!! She is a nurse... she was made to heal, to love, to show Christ to others.  And she is doing it!!!!!!!!! She is fabulous! 

RARE BEAUTY = following Christ's calling NO MATTER WHAT!!!! I was part of RARE BEAUTY - my and 3 of my great friends went to Africa... 4 college girls... trying to follow God, love on orphans, and be obedient TO GO!!!! It was FABULOUS! 

This crazy cool woman, Heather, is also a burst of RARE BEAUTY!!! We worked together at a deaf camp in Illinois.  It was tough. It was long. It was starved of Jesus. I knew it would be.  When I flew up there... I was TERRIFIED to get off the plane. I don't get that way much, but I just wanted to stay on that plane more than anything... I knew the summer would be tough, lonely, and dry.  BUT... when I arrived in Dixon, IL... I MET HEATHER!!!! She was a God-send. We poured into each other. We poured into others. We did Bible study each morning together. We loved on each other. We laughed alot. We, like crazy people, went to Chicago with no plans... just 14 Bibles to give out with a goal to enjoy the city and love on the homeless.  The last week of camp, we FINALLY got to be co-counselors!!! We broke all the rules, we played hide-and-go-seek in the corn fields with our girls, we talked a lot about Jesus (even though we weren't suppose to), we signed a Spice Girl's song together for the talent show, and it was so good.  This girl loves Jesus, she loves to enjoy life, she loves to interpret, she's just CRAZY AWESOME!  

RARE BEAUTY also takes place when the people of God do exactly what they are called to do and love to do!!! This group, UNASHAMED, is the sign team from the University of Tennessee that God set up!!!! The group, the girls, the time together, and the love there is hard to express because it was so perfect. We loved each other, we love Jesus, and we loved signing together. Makes me smile just thinking about it! 

Where do you see RARE BEAUTY??

Look for it...