a pumpkin story.

In honor of Halloween today, I wanted to share a cute little story that my dear friend and former running buddy Karla emailed me a couple weeks ago. When a woman was asked what it's like to be a Christian, she responded:

"It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

So there you have it my little pumpkins! Happy Halloween to you. Try not to get too much of a sugar coma today.

How are you celebrating Halloween this year?

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true beauty: kayla mertes.

I first met Kayla a year and a half ago at our very first Wonderfully Made retreat. She was bubbly and funny and kind, and I knew from the start that we would become good friends. Sure enough, by the end of the weekend we had decided to live together in San Diego, and the friendship took off from there. Kayla is radiant from the inside out, and a friend I'm so thankful to have!

What is your greatest passion in life? How do you live it out?

One of my greatest passions is spending time with other women, laughing together and sharing our lives. I love Girl World! I live it out by being surrounded by women most of the time! Working with the ministry Wonderfully Made has allowed me to meet so many incredible women and to be able to build young girls up and be poured into by wiser women. Our desire in Wonderfully Made is that young women would walk in the truth that they are precious, loved by God and worth much more than what the world has to offer. I love planning parties, events, and retreats to get all the women I love in the same place at the same time! A few more passions are my family, working with children, education, and Africa.

What woman inspires you?

The women in my family are always inspiring me! My mom is vibrant--an authentic follower of Christ--and she has devoted her life to loving our family and offering truth to hundreds of other women. My grandmas have given me a love for past and future generations because of the stories and wisdom they’ve shared with us grandkids. They are loving, supportive, and joyful women who have created a legacy of lasting marriages and selfless sacrifice for the generations to come. My sister is different than me in so many ways and I love her view on life. No one makes me laugh more than she does and she inspires me to be real and not to worry so much.

How does what you do for a living fit in with your passions and what you feel is your calling?

I work full-time for the John Corcoran Foundation, my grandfather’s non-profit devoted to literacy. It originally began when he started sharing his secret of not being able to read until the age of 48. The Foundation teaches children and adults how to read and provides inner city families with free computers, internet, reading software, and tutors. My role fits in perfectly with my calling of working in the non-profit sector, improving the lives of children, and carrying out my grandfather’s mission. We have a nation of 44 million adults who are reading below the basic level, which also means these people cannot read the Bible to themselves or to their children.

When do you feel most alive?

Traveling and experiencing new cultures! I also love sitting at a restaurant for hours and hours with girlfriends eating good food and laughing. I feel alive when I am teaching children … whether its teaching preschoolers about how much Jesus loves them or teaching a child who has been struggling with school his whole life, how to read! I love watching my students grow and change with confidence and joy.

What do you think is the most challenging thing about following Jesus as a 20-something girl?

Learning to have balance in my life and pursue only what God wants me to. A huge challenge in my life is over-commitment, scheduling, and trying to find a healthy balance for my body, mind, and spirit. I want to learn how to better follow God’s leading of how He wants my time spent.

What is the most rewarding thing about following Jesus as a 20-something girl?

My life is so abundant! I know it is only because of Jesus. Knowing Him is the joy of my life. He has given me a full life of the sweetest, most fun friends, a loving family, and purposeful work and ministry. I look around and cannot believe that I get to lead this life. Being at this age and not yet having a family of my own allows me to travel spontaneously, spend time with friends, have the freedom to try new things, and devote time to my passions. As a 20-something girl, I love that we all get to discover more about who God made us to be and how He is shaping our futures. Plus it’s really fun to not be as insecure as I was in high school!

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the most important rule of beauty.

“If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important rule of beauty, which is: who cares?”

Tina Fey
Bossypants

Physical beauty is a perfectly natural thing to desire, but why do you think we place so much value on it?

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anchor of hope.

I'm part of a Tuesday morning women's bible study that's currently studying the book of Hebrews. Tuesdays have become my favorite day of the week because of the rich community I have there, as well as the solid teaching.

Yesterday Jan from the teaching team taught on Hebrews 6, specifically explaining why Melchizedek was such an important person for the author to talk about (if you have no idea who Melchizedek is, fear not...I didn't either until 24 hours ago, and that's not what this post is really about). Although it was complicated for most of us to wrap our minds around old Jewish tradition, she did a great job explaining. The ultimate point of chapter 6--and my biggest takeaway--is that we are given hope in Jesus, who is the anchor of our souls.

To solidify that point, she had us listen to a song her son Jon (of Switchfoot) wrote called "Only Hope," and now I want to have you do the same. Watch the video, listen to the words, and read the lyrics. Soak in the beauty of hope we have to rest in through Jesus.

There's a song that's inside of my soul
It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again
I'm awake and in the infinite cold
But You sing to me over and over and over again

So I lay my head back down
And I lift my hands and pray to be only Yours
I pray to be only Yours
I know You're my only hope

You sing to me of the song of the stars
Of Your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again
When it feels like my dreams are so far
You sing to me of the plans that You have for me over again

And I lay my head back down
And I lift my hands and pray to be only Yours
I pray to be only Yours
I know You're my only hope

I give You my empathy, I'm giving You all of me
I want Your symphony singing in all that I am
At the top of my lungs I'm giving it back

And I lay my head back down
And I lift my hands and pray to be only Yours
I pray to be only Yours, I pray to be only Yours
I know You're my only hope

We are drifting boats in the strong currents of this world, but we have hope in Jesus as the anchor that keeps us from drifting away. What does this hope mean to you?

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beautiful and true.

Ok, I confess...I gave in and am totally addicted to Pinterest! Too often it sucks the time out of a perfectly good, would-be-productive day. But I love it nonetheless. Here are some pretty and inspirational words I've collected over the past month. I suppose not all time on Pinterest is wasted...

Which is your favorite?

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button down shirts.

I am officially and completely obsessed with button down shirts. They are, in my mind, the perfect top to throw on for any occasion. Wear them with shorts or jeans, pumps or flats, under a sweater or vest, with pearls or a belt...the options are endless. They are the modest fashion-lovers' best friend, and I intend to wear them a lot more often.

By itself.

Layered and belted.

Under a sweater.

With shorts.

Me in my new pink gingham button-down. Obsessed!

What do you think of button-downs? Love them or hate them?

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my resting place.

At bible study two weeks ago, our leader Spring asked us to share what our special "resting places" were. Specifically, where do we go and what do we do when we need to step away from life's chaos and just be alone with God. Immediately I knew my place. It's sort of cheating, because it's not a place per se, but it is a setting that I can always rely on for much-desired rest.

Coffee shop. Journal. Hot beverage.

That's all I need. Give me those three things, and I'm resting. The energy and sense of community that coffee shops have remind me that we're all connected and never alone. My journal is basically my brain in writing--it's the one place where I can really process my crazy thoughts and invite God into them. And hot beverages, well, they have a very physical way of soothing the body (and the soul!). They are a must.

On that note, I think I'll head over to my local resting place and spend some time in peace.

Where is your resting place?

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growing into beauty.

My beautiful, 88-year-old grandmother.

“You could see the signs of female aging as diseased, especially if you had a vested interest in making women too see them your way. Or you could see that a woman is healthy if she lives to grow old; as she thrives, she reacts and speaks and shows emotion, and grows into her face. Lines trace her thought and radiate from the corners of her eyes as she smiles. You could call the lines a network of 'serious lesions' or you could see that in a precise calligraphy, thought has etched marks of concentration between her brows, and drawn across her forehead the horizontal creases of surprise, delight, compassion and good talk.

A lifetime of kissing, of speaking and weeping, shows expressively around a mouth scored like a leaf in motion. The skin loosens on her face and throat, giving her features a setting of sensual dignity; her features grow stronger as she does. She has looked around in her life and it shows. When gray and white reflect in her hair, you could call it a dirty secret or you could call it silver or moonlight.

Her body fills into itself, taking on gravity like a bather breasting water, growing generous with the rest of her. The darkening under her eyes, the weight of her lids, their minute cross-hatching, reveal that what she has been part of has left in her its complexity and richness. She is darker, stronger, looser, tougher, sexier. The maturing of a woman who has continued to grow is a beautiful thing to behold.”

Naomi Wolf
The Beauty Myth

What traits of true beauty do you hope to grow into as you age?

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spread good thoughts.

This weekend while visiting my parents on the east coast, my family and I took a day trip to Providence to grab lunch and catch a movie. We found a cute little restaurant near the movie theater called Nick's on Broadway and sat down to a nice bite to eat.

When the waitress came to take our order, she turned to me and said, "Oh, you're pretty!" I'm sure I had a weird and confused look on my face, because she immediately explained herself: "I've realized recently that people never share the good thoughts on their mind, but if they did everyone would feel so much better about themselves."

Amen to that! You know what? I did feel better! I felt great all day, because that kind waitress decided to share her good thoughts and make my day. I can't help but wonder how much relationships would improve if we all shared encouragements with each other. Even scripture encourages us to do this:

"For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)

Girls, let's encourage each other! Let's spread good thoughts when we think them and no be afraid to build one another up. Yes, it's scary to tell a stranger that she has nice boots, or to tell your boss that you like her management style, but kind words go a long way and are not easily forgotten.

Will you take the challenge and spread good thoughts this week? If so, come back and share how it went!

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whales for life.

One of the many reasons I love my girlfriends is that we email each other regularly--whether to check in, to share news, to pass along links or YouTube videos. On Thursday, Erin sent us an email titled "whales for life" with a link to a post from the Sunnie Brook beauty blog. In the post, Sunnie included a story she read on beauty that was oh-so-profound and true. Read and be inspired...

A while back, at the entrance of a gym, there was a picture of a very thin and beautiful woman. The caption was “This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?”

The story goes, a woman (of clothing size unknown) answered the following way:

“Dear people, whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, seals, curious humans), they are sexually active and raise their children with great tenderness. They entertain like crazy with dolphins and eat lots of prawns. They swim all day and travel to fantastic places like Patagonia, the Barents Sea or the coral reefs of Polynesia. They sing incredibly well and sometimes even are on CDs. They are impressive and dearly loved animals, which everyone defend and admires.

Mermaids do not exist. But if they existed, they would line up to see a psychologist because of a problem of split personality: woman or fish? They would have no sex life and could not bear children. Yes, they would be lovely, but lonely and sad. And, who wants a girl that smells like fish by his side?

Without a doubt, I’d rather be a whale.

At a time when the media tells us that only thin is beautiful, I prefer to eat ice cream with my kids, to have dinner with my husband, to eat and drink and have fun with my friends.

We women, we gain weight because we accumulate so much wisdom and knowledge that there isn’t enough space in our heads, and it spreads all over our bodies. We are not fat, we are greatly cultivated. Every time I see my curves in the mirror, I tell myself: “How amazing am I?!"

Regardless of my size, I pray that I will be like the whale described in this story. What a beautiful picture of what really matters in life--of what is truly beautiful and worth living for. Ladies, let's stop trying to be mermaids and start living the whale's life!

How does this story affect your view of beauty?

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a journey to the east coast.

For the next 4 days I'll be soaking up this view from my parents' house on the east coast, reflecting on and celebrating a quarter century of life. Best birthday gift ever! Although I love the condo Brian and I live in, there's nothing quite like being in a real home, with your family, with lots of delicious free food in the fridge, and unlimited amounts of Food Network shows on the DVR.

I'm desperately hoping that the leaves have all changed color and that the weather stays cloudy and cold as the weather people have predicted. Absolutely cannot wait to get there. Let's just pray I get some sleep on the red eye.

Happy weekend...be back Monday!

What do you like best about being at home with family?

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insecurity, pride and true confidence.

Good morning, girls, and happy Monday! I started reading Beth Moore's book So Long, Insecurity a few weeks ago, and managed to chip away at more of it during a lovely, lazy Sunday morning at Starbucks with Brian. I just have to say, that woman knows how to connect with people! Every time I read something of hers I find myself feeling like I'm sitting across from a close friend, hearing the words straight from her mouth. When she says "beloved," "dear one," and "girlfriend," I believe her!

If you haven't read this book of hers yet, I definitely recommend it. I've learned so much already about the deep insecurities in my life that I've refused to deal with over the years, and it's beautiful to finally understand and let God heal them. My favorite excerpt came from the section on pride, the one insecurity factor that is actually within our control (the others are external, like circumstances, losses, media, etc.)...

"As tempting as it may be, mustering our pride is not the answer to our culture's vicious assault on women. We really can regain confidence without stirring up arrogance. Pride lives on the defensive against anyone and anything that tries to subtract from its self-sustained worth. Confidence, on the other hand, is driven by the certainty of God-given identity and the conviction that nothing can take that identity away."

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to ditch my insecurities and my pride, and live in true confidence. I want to fully grasp my God-given identity and believe that nothing (and nobody) can take that away from me. Real confidence is rooted in our faith. Not by believing in God, but by believing God when he tells us who we are and what we're made for.

What do you think real confidence looks like in action?

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when grace strikes.

“Grace strikes us when we are in great pain and restlessness. It strikes us when we walk through the dark valley of a meaningless and empty life... It strikes us when, year after year, the longed-for perfection does not appear, when the old compulsions reign within us as they have for decades, when despair destroys all joy and courage.

"Sometimes at that moment a wave of light breaks into our darkness, and it is as though a voice were saying: ‘You are accepted. You are accepted, accepted by that which is greater than you and the name of which you do not know. Do not ask for that name now; perhaps you will find it later. Do not try to do anything now; perhaps later you will do much. Do not seek for anything, do not perform anything, do not intend anything. Simply accept the fact that you are accepted.’ If that happens to us, we experience grace."

Paul Tillich
The Shaking of the Foundations

When have you been struck by grace?

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