Monthly Archives: March 2014

Perfectly imperfect

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Perfectly imperfect

I like my mashed potatoes lumpy.

If you are offended, feel free to leave now.  I won’t judge.

I tend to find beauty in places that many do not.  I find beauty in a character-filled and not-quite-perfect table that has been left on the curbside, abandoned and seemingly futureless.  A chandelier, missing some baubles and no longer lighting the night, will find its way out of the trash, into my heart, and onto my Christmas tree in the form of ornaments, into my jewelry box reborn as earrings, and gracing my holiday table as a candlelit centerpiece.

wabi sabi

The Japanese hold a philosophy of “wabi-sabi”, embracing the imperfections of daily life.   The old, the timeworn have a beauty that no new “perfect” object can match.

wabi sabi 2

This attitude can be transferred to our own history, our own imperfections, our own experiences.  In Isaiah 61, we see that God will “comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”

Your life – the good, the bad, the ugly – can become a beautiful thing, IS becoming a beautiful thing.

So if your home is not perfect, if your hair is drooping along with your body, if you make lumpy mashed potatoes, you still have a purpose, you are still useful, you are still beautiful.

And I’ll be right over to share the potatoes.

…everything beautiful in its time…

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He has made everything beautiful in its time.  Ecclesiastes 3:11a

What is beauty?  What makes something beautiful?

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”  While this adage is true, I believe that beauty is also in the ears of the beholder, the mouth and nose, the sensation of touch, in the mind of the beholder.  Think about it.  You have heard beautiful music, but you did not see it.  You have felt beautiful emotions, like love and friendship.  You smell certain scents and beautiful memories come flooding your thoughts.  All of these are beauty that are not in the eye of the beholder.  Beauty is most often beheld in the heart of the beholder.

I find beauty everywhere I go, whether in a sunset, a child’s face, a completed craft project, music, a gentle touch, an embrace, even in a well-organized pantry!  My goal is multi-faceted:  I want to help you find beauty in your everyday life and help you to appreciate it, no matter what form it takes; I want to share ways to incorporate beauty into your home, your relationships, your world; I want to encourage you to share the beauty you have discovered.  Raising a family, painting the walls, growing flowers, continuing education, whatever is it that can bring beauty to this world – if I can share it, it will be shared.

I am a wife, a mother of six, and a grandmother of seven and counting!  I am a college student/graduate, a trainer and workshop teacher, an early childhood education professional, a children’s ministry worship leader, a camp director, and an artist/musician/writer.  I am your everyday, somewhat “normal” woman who cares deeply for those around me, and who wants to make every life I touch better in some small way.

My ultimate goal is to be an encourager to you.  Join me on this journey to beautiful, and see what we can discover together!