Pictures from Israel

As Easter approaches here's a series of posts from Church of the Masses, a blog I sometimes frequent by Barbara Nicolosi who's a screenwriter (she worked on The Nativity) and heads up an organization called Act One whose purpose is "designed to provide special tools for Christians concerned with creating Godly entertainment that will have a lasting positive influence on society and the world." (I met her at a writer's conference a few years ago. She's a pretty cool lady.)

After such a long introduction, she's visiting Israel and has taken some wonderful pictures of places Jesus was prior to the crucifixion along with some verses and things she's learned being there. It's definitely worth a look as we approach Easter.

Check it out:

http://churchofthemasses.blogspot.com/

Heart Work

Colossians 1:25-27

25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

God has been working on my heart lately. Rooting out the perfectionism and performance that has so marked my life and at times have prided myself on. It's wrong. I know that, and it's exhausting to be a professional perfectionist. People sometimes appluad it and say how great it is that I'm such an organizer or so detail oriented. I'm just glad that I have a husband who keeps me in check and is mindful of my weakness to push myself into exhaustion for the sake of things being perfect or the way that I imagine them or what I think other Christian women, usually homemakers, applaud. I'm not perfect. It reminds me of high school. People would tell me that I was so perfect. They'd say I had perfect friends, perfect family, perfect grades, perfect this, perfect that...blah, blah, blah. Inside I would be writhing in pain, thinking of how I walked through the hallways of high school holding my breath.

Now, don't be misled God has definitely freed me from that type of bondage of perfectionism and performance. Don't let yourself be fooled, it is bondage. The enemy loves to get into the sneaky, quiet, good looking areas of our lives. It's good that I'm organized and etc, but Satan taints that good and works to turn it to evil. And I have let him. (Interesting tangent: A pastor once said that if you're not working with God you're working against Him. It's the same with sin. I choose to sin, like all of us, so there are times when I choose to work with Satan. It's a bad thing that Christ in me eradicates as I walk with Him.)

Having just been married I've been emmersing myself in articles, blogs, podcasts, and books on biblical womanhood, femininity, and homemaking. All these are topics which I have studied for a few years now and truly love, enjoy, and believe. However, over the last few days God has been revealing the striving and perfection that I have been trying to attain in my own strength in regard to these things. Let me tell you, it's exhausting. Here's an excerpt from my journal where I was talking about this:

1. There's a chance I might be striving too hard in my role as helper in the home--in my own strength.
2. I'm trying (and wishing) so hard to be like those of the blogs I read.
3. I should be excited about my biblical role as helper and submission (see John Piper's definition) and to live that out joyfully. [<-- This is where striving for perfection gets you.]

I've found that I've wanted #2 so bad, I'm trying to emulate and think of things that would be like them. I wish I was home so I could do #1 better, at least in my own eyes. And with #3 I get frustrated at Joe or myself (or both) and lose (or really give up) my joy.

So, what to do?

Live as God designed me; not to emulate other believers, learn from them, yes, but emulate Christ. And I have my own gifts and ministry that are useful and people need, so I should be doing that.

That's where I've been recently. Yet, yesterday God started knocking on another door. In youth, one of the college guys was teaching on the chapter in Acts where Phillip followed the Spirit to Gaza where he met the Ethiopian eunch and began talking to him about Jesus and the man was baptized. We broke up into small groups to go over some questions. As a leader, I felt pretty unprepared. My mind had not really been set on ministry, evangelism, etc. as of late. But one of the questions was, "What is keeping you from witnessing like Phillip?" The question was eluding to the fact that Phillip readily went where the Lord sent him, not knowing what but followed the Spirit and witnessed. A follow-up question was "What is keeping you from witnessing?" The answers in our group were fear, inconvenience, busyness, lack of passion, and not knowing what to say or do (all of which I could confess).

It convicted me, so I confessed my sin along with the other girls in my group. As the day went on and also today the idea has struck me, and continually grown, that I've been so consumed by focusing my attention on biblical womanhood, femininity, and homemaking--all which are good and need attention---yet, have turned my attention from the Lord. In some ways they have been focused on myself and not the Lord. More importantly, God has been revealing to me that in those things I have lost my focus on the job Christ has given me--to be a minister of freedom and a proclaimer of grace. Basically, I haven't been focused and mindful of the great commission that Christ has given to all believers. I've been living my life paying attention to important things, but ignoring the most important: spreading a passion for the glory of God.

I have a role in the body of Christ that is my own. The women whose blogs, books, and podcasts I read and listen to have their own role in the body of Christ, yet for all of us our utmost goal is to spread a passion for God throughout our homes, churches, community, country, and world. We, I, have to get outside of myself, outside of my home to spread a passion for the glory of God.

It starts in my home, but if it stays there or even in my small little community of family, friends, and believers it's sin. Christ has anointed me to spread the Good News and as good as it is to study, learn, and implement biblical womanhood, femininity, and homemaking if I stop there I've lost my mission. I've fallen short. I've stopped at myself. Christ in me, the hope of glory.

Spread it...

"Domestics duties are good, but how long are you going to shine the furniture? You use to not need furniture. You use to not need all those things that have consumed you. You need to save your money and get a passport."

-Brian Brennt, Pastor of New Song Church (To hear the whole sermon go here.)

One picture to hold you over...

Post-Wedding Update

This update might take a few days, but we're back from our honeymoon. For the last few days we've been getting readjusted to being back at home and no longer honeymooning, getting back work and church (I haven't yet, but Joe has) and Joe to his new job (yeah!). We got back late Saturday night, so Sunday we slept in, opened wedding presents, and visited with friends.

Monday we started putting away all our wedding gifts--it's taking some rearranging and going through stuff. Good thing there's a rummage sale this weekend at our church. (There's still piles to go through in quite a few corners of the apartment, and apparently there are wedding things to go through at the church still. I'll be busy this weekend.) We ran errands, Joe got new shoes, we returned a few things to Target, and even made it to Costco and got a new bed! The first night back we tried sleeping on the double I had been borrowing from my new sister-in-law and the second night we sleep on the fold-out couch with some two pieces of overlapping foam (April, why didn't you tell it was that bad?). So, we got a mattress and a boxspring for $589! My sleep is finally becoming sweet again.

Since Monday we've just been working and readjusting to life (and married life). Tomorrow I'll post some of the wedding pictures I have, but for now here's the link to the photo gallery:

www.benjaminfondrk.com

Click online gallery, then weddings, then Joe & Jess, and the password is our wedding date (hint: we got married on St. Patrick's day)

Also, this weekend I just might post some quotes from a few of the books I've been reading that struck me as quite good...just maybe, if I have time. ;)

See you soon!

Mrs. Joe Mueller

(ah, how fun it is to write that!)

Here's the fabric for my dress:

Jesus Board Game

Since I'm a Bible teacher for preschoolers in at a Montessori school, when I make a new "work" for them I try to work within the the Montessori method, ideas, and model it after other Montessori works. This can be pretty tricky with Bible, which is filled with many abstract things that can be quite challenging to make concrete.

It is a board game of Jesus' ministry "Follow Me", but here is what I made over the weekend:

Today...

Today I started cutting out a dress for the wedding rehearsal. I'm not quite sure it was such a smart idea. I doubt I'll get it finished in time. It's a pretty simple dress pattern (Butterick 4443).

I'm making the yellow dress, but my fabric is white with a green flower print. I thought it would be appropriate for a wedding rehearsal for a wedding on St. Patrick's Day to have a white and green dress. I actually got the fabric long before we were engaged, perhaps even around last Easter when I was thinking I'd make my Easter dress (I ended up buying one from Old Navy). I originally wanted to make this dress (New Look 6587, the yellow one):

I decided not to make it, because I thought it would be a little more difficult on a few levels for me (or maybe just stressing). First of all, my sewing machine may very well be considered an antique (from the 60's) and I'd have to do a basting stitch and my tension falls everytime I try. And then, the last time I did something with button holes my button hole attachment was not functioning properly. It was pretty annoying. So, I figured I'd just go with the simple, easy pattern for this. Although I do think that it would have looked really cute with the fabric.



Today was also a day of realizations...that is realizing I forgot some important things. Like my brother's birthday today, my friend's birthday party last night, not to much rent that was due Thursday along with some other bills. I don't know...maybe it's just wedding brain. If I can even blame it on that. I mean I am getting married in 2 weeks!

The Ultimate Blog Party

I came across this a little while ago on one of my regular blogs (I think Biblical Womanhood), and then just ran across it again tonight while I was looking at Frugal Friday (even though it's still Thursday for me). So, I thought I'd join in even though I have one faithful reader (hi, April!) and sometimes reader (hi, Joe!), and then there's the once in a blue moon relative (hi, mom! hi, Granny!). I still thought it'd be fun to join in on and who knows maybe I'll meet somebody real cool *wink, wink*

If you come across this just by chance, then join in too! (See the link at the side.)

This makes me smile...

I came across this verse last night as I was flipping through my Bible looking for something else.

For example, there was God's promise to Abraham.

Since there was no one greater to swear by,

God took an oath in his own name, saying:

"I will certainly bless yo richly,

and I will multiply your descendants

into countless millions."

Hebrews 6:13-14, NLT

I think that's great, "since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name."

Read the rest of the chapter here.

I thought this was a good analogy for sin:

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: When the Romeros got Sally as a family pet, she was one foot long. Eight years later, Sally had grown to eleven and a half feet. She weighed eighty pounds. Sally, the family pet, was a Burmese python. On July 20, 1993, she attacked fifteen-year-old Derek, strangling the teenager until he suffocated to death. The creature that had seemed so harmless was exposed as a deadly beast.
It reminds me of sin. It seems so harmless at first. It may play with us, sleep with us, or amuse us. But its nature never changes. The book of James tells us that “sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.”
Do you have some pet sin in your life? The best way to protect yourself is to confess it to God and turn from it. Remember: Sin will always rise up and devour those who befriend it.
With Seeking Him, I'm Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

Source: http://www.seekinghim.com/radio/today.php

Flowers, flowers everywhere!

Here are some flower pictures:

Joe's boutonniere

(the father's will be the same, except with a yellow rose)

Groomsmen boutonniere

An example of the mother's & grandmother's

(It's a little rough, the flowers were almost 5 days old by this time.)

Banquet Table Centerpiece

Banquet Table Centerpiece (expanded)

Aisle Decor

Aisle Decor (up-close)

Jessica's bouqet

Maddie with the bridesmaid bouqets

An up-close picture

Round Table Centerpiece - Variation 1

Round Table Centerpiece - Variation 2

Round Table Centerpiece - Variation 3

Bridal Shower Pictures!

Here are some pictures from my bridal shower last Saturday. The theme was a tea party and the ladies did such a wonderful job with it!

A surprise serenade from Robbie, a friend of mine's son.

This is Ann, my other matron-of-honor.

My mom and I

Gathering to pray

(the lady in the pink on the left is Karen, my soon to be sister-in-law & matron of honor)

(The lady on the right is Grandma Bernie, Joe's grandma.)

Me, my mom, & my sister

This is crazy...

China treats Internet ‘addicts’ sternly
Leaders see ‘a grave social problem’; treatment includes electric shocks

Read article here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17251571/

While there's some truth to the fact that the Internet is addicting, some of these measures are too far.




(Oh, bridal shower pictures today!)

Tomorrow I plan to post some pictures from my bridal shower on Saturday and pictures of what the flowers (table decor & bouqets) will look like.

Stay tuned...

Valentine's Day

I just wanted to share with you some pictures from our Valentine's Day. I was running late for work that day and as I walked out of my front door on my door mat was a single pink rose and a poem. I didn't get to read it until I got in the car, but it was so cute. It definitely put a smile on my face.

Then as I got in my car to go home from work there was another single pink rose with a note that said there was a "warm treat and an open heart" awaiting for me at my apartment along with yet another poem.

When I got home Joe had made snickerdoodle cookies for me and a bouqet of flowers. He's becoming quite the cook lately, and the cookies were definitely tasty. We then went to an early dinner at Claim Jumper. (We've been trying happy hour at different restaurants since appeztizers are usually 1/2 off and big enough to be a meal.) Then we went onto youth group and finished our evening there. When I went to bed there was a final poem sitting by my alarm clock. Joe's so sweet and so good to me. He's quite creative too! Each poem was an acrostic that spelled out the word "love"!

Here's some pictures from our day:

Proverbs 31

My favorite podcast to listen to is Revive our Hearts with Nancy Leigh Demoss. I download the podcast from iTunes onto my iPod a few times a week and listen to it on my breaks, driving, etc. I really find it encouraging, edifying, heartfelt, and Biblicaly sound.

All this to say that Nancy is just starting a new series on Proverbs 31 called The Counter-Cultural Woman starting from the beginning of the chapter, which is rare on a study of Proverbs 31, going verse by verse. I just encourage you to listen along as Nancy talks about this chapter that is so important to women, no matter their position or station in life.

I plan to study it along with her. Look for some of my highlights at the end of the week.



You can read the transcripts from the series online:

from Monday, The Most Important Lesson - http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=9461

from Tuesday, Teaching by Example - http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=9462

from Wednesday, A Biblical View of Womanhood - http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=9463

You can also subscribe to the podcast here: http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/podcast.php

Your kingdom come...

Something really awesome happened at church today. But before I get there, I need to back track in our church history.

A little over ten years ago, God really struck the heart of our pastor with His glory. Not simply just with the "to God be the glory" or "do everything for the glory of God," but with a passion that God's utmost passion is His own glory, thus our utmost passion should be God's glory. Since that time that vision of God's glory has driven our church. Our vision statement is

"Spreading a passion for God's glory for our homes to all peoples of the earth."

Part of spreading a passion for God's glory was to be a sending church, to have a missions focus, because isn't that really what God's kingdom is about? So, our church adopted an unreached people group named the Meitei's in a region in northern India called Manipur. That was ten years ago, since that time numerous teams have traveled to Manipur. This past fall we were blessed to no longer be able to call the Meitei's an unreached people group! They now have an established church that is sending natives to be missionaries to those that are still lost among their people. It's amazing!

Since our vision still stands to spread a passion for God's glory, our pastor and elders have been praying about what people group to adopt next. I was so excited when Pastor Joe started speaking this morning. He hadn't given a real hint that this was what was going to happen, but I leaned over to Joe and whispered, "We're getting a new people group!"

So, without further ado...New Hope Church has adopted TWO unreached people groups: the Oromo people of Ethopia and a people group in Turkmenistan. The Oromo , who make up about 40% of the country's population, live in S Ethiopia and are predominantly Muslim. There's more I'd love to say about them, because we had a pastor from Ethopia (a native) who in his years of ministry has planted more than a 1,000 churches in Ethopia. However, this area where the Oromo live have been off limits to an extent, because the Oromo are Muslim and have serverly perscuted the Ethopian Christians who have come to witness. Yet, when a group of Americans came on a missions trip the people came in hoards to see what they brought. Some even thanked them for bringing the Good News. It's interesting to see how God has blesses us to be Americans. He has opened a door for us to witness and be a part of His kingdom work by allowing us into this region when the natives can't even get in!

God has so blessed our church in being able to be involved in His missions work. We have families, individuals, and teams in our church who serve the Lord in Belize, Ukraine, Lithiunia, Jordan, Sudan, India, Azerbaijan, Ethopia, Uganda, and other countries in Central Asia.

I need to go to bed, but here are some verses that I wanted to leave you with:

Revelation 7:9-12

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count,

from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues,

standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;
10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,

"Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
12 saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever Amen."

Wedding Countdown: 35 days

Well, the countdown is on! Only 35 days until Joe and I are married. Yeah! This is actually the first time since we've been engaged that I've counted the days. Sometimes it feels like it's coming so quick, and yet so far away...but all in good timing.

We sent our invitations out last Saturday and everyday this past week (starting on Monday) we've received RSVP cards, which has been fun. We've been lining them up as we get them.



Which makes me think, I should post a picture of our invitation too. We've been really blessed with all our wedding plans. A couple at our church have their own invitation business (www.divineink.com) they do from home and they gave us a $500 gift certificate for invitations, which was great. The Lord really has been blessing us in this process. Another lady in our church is making our cake (or rather cupcakes!) for free, because she's seen Joe grow up and was on staff at the church with his dad and friends with his mom. Of course, since we're having the wedding at the church we're not having to pay for tables, chairs, or a facility fee. We really are only having to pay for flowers, linens, some decorations, and my bridal attire.

For the most part, I'm having a good time. There are definitely ups and downs of planning a wedding. It definitely takes a lot of work when you're doing it without a planner and with lots of crafty projects, but I enjoy those things. I just have to learn moderation. My mom gave me some pretty good, but hard advice on that this week, "If it's causing you stress or anxiety, then you don't need it." My first response wanted to be "But, but...you don't understand. It has to look...xyz." I know it doesn't but it's that dream of what you're wedding will look like and trying to work toward that. It's especially hard (at least for me) to have wanted an outside wedding and our church sanctuary is basically a carpeted gym with a nice looking stage. Anyways...so the wedding countdown is on...

My bridal shower is this Saturday too, yeah! My mom and sister will be coming out. It should be fun. Hopefully, I'll do better with posting pictures and keeping you up to date on the wedding plans.

Everyone Wants to be a...

princess.

Working with children I am privy to the thoughts of three, four, and five-year-olds. It's always interesting to hear their thought process and reasoning. Sometimes even a blessing. Let me share with you what I learned yesterday.

I was working with a little three-year-old girl, Maddi (the littlest angel), and she just started talking about seemingly random things.

"Jesus loves me and God does too."

"You're right. Did you know that they're the same person?" I said.

"Uh huh," was her reply.

"Next year I taking swimming classes. My brother, Alex, him too. And I'll wear my swimming suit. And Alex he'll wear his swimming shorts. Mmhm."

"When I grow up I want to be a princess."

"Oh yeah, which princess do you like the most?"

"Cindrella."

"Why do you like Cinderella?"

"Because she's beautiful."

"What makes her beautiful, Maddi?"

"I don't know. She's just pretty." I think she might have mentioned something about her shiny dress. At this time another Jade, a four-year-old, piped up from across the room and said Cinderella was her favorite princess too. When I asked her why she also said, "Because she's beatiful." I asked Jade why she thought Cinderella was beautiful, "Because she's got shiny shoes."

(This is where it gets really cute.)

"I'm going to be a princess when I grow up."

"Oh yeah."

"Yeah, Jesus is going to make me a princess when I grown-up."

"Maddi, Jesus can make you a princess now."

To which she replied, "Yeah, when I grow-up I'll be a princess."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

That night at youth group, we doing an exercise on sharing our testimonies with the kids and having them share theirs in preparation for Mission Trip to Your Friends which kicks off Friday. After I shared my testimony one of my junior highers started to share hers. She was a bit nervous and didn't know where to start. We've been talking with the kids about when we share Christ to share out of our personal lives and how Christ has changed us, because ultimately when people hear and then see what Christ has done for us they'll be moved. Sharing a personal Christ is more powerful than simply sharing "Jesus died for you. Repent and be saved." Anyways, that's another topic for another day.

As she started sharing she began to cry. She was sharing how there are parental expectations on her (in regard to school) and that when she doesn't meet them she feels like she disappoints them and then turns inward on herself. She admitted to wanting to please people and is sad when she doesn't. She shared more, but in essence she struggles with her self-worth and identity.

She was wearing a shirt that said "I am a princess! My Father is the King of kings." I had her read her shirt to me and asked her if she believed that. She said yes. I asked her what she thought a princess was and she told me a princess was someone who was always happy and everything went right for her. I told her that a princess doesn't always have everything together. She's not always happy and things don't always go right, but she is confident in her position that the Father has given her. A princess knows where she stands, she knows her position in the Lord and is confident. We continued to talk and I had the opportunity to share with her more of my personal testimony and how Jesus began to reveal to me all the imagery in the Bible that refers to being a princess and that relationship with the Lord as Father and Jesus as our Beloved. It's powerful, and I believe every girl wants to be a princess.

Just like my junior higher, she didn't feel like a princess but she yearns to be that princess. I'm convinced that God planned things this way. That he put within us that desire to be loved, cherished, desired, beautiful, happy, and fulfilled. He placed that desire in our hearts from a very young age, just like Maddi and Jade, and events occur in our lives that taint the realization of our position as princesses. But the Lord knows, that desire is still within us, but it can only come to completion within Him.

The Glow of Beauty

Theres’s a thing that happens with little girls and women that turn them into something else entirely. I’ve seen it before, but I did not know how quickly the transformation occurs and how consistent the affect is among little girls and women.

I noticed it so dramatically two weeks before Christmas as I was trying costumes on the children for our school Christmas play. I had pulled Michelle, one of our older children, aside, try on Mary’s costume since the little girl who played Mary was absent and the two girls were similar heights. Michelle thought it was pretty, not the traditional sky blue we had used the year before. It wasn’t until I pulled out a long pink sheer scarf and began to drape it over her head, across her chest and tied it around her waist that the transformation occurred. Her little eyes grew smaller as her smile grew wider. She tilted her head in an all too natural way as her rosy cheeks turned just a shade darker. As I sat back I could see, she felt beautiful. Her face glowed, her mouth let out a little giggle and this little woman who is so precious felt beautiful. How such a little thing could change her countenance! A pink scarf. I knew I couldn’t take it away from her now.

I asked her, “Do you feel pretty?” She shyly nodded.

“You look beautiful. Do you want to wear this?” She nodded. “Okay, this will be your costume.”
It’s interesting how from so very young we crave beauty—in the things we make, how we act, and the way we look. Yet, because of the fall and our own sin we rarely see the glimpses of beauty and even less so do we feel it. We’ve littered our days with ways to make ourselves and our environments attractive—from throw pillows to hairstyles to how we place dinner on the table.

I can’t help but think that Michelle felt a taste of the Father’s love in those moments. He was lavishing [on] her. The beauty that He put in her when he originally made her. It is a magical and mysterious transformation.

A few days later it happened again with our youngest little angel. I was having the children try on their costumes so I could adjust the length. I had just finished with one angel when the bell rang to clean up and go outside. I quickly told Maddi, our youngest angel who had been patiently waiting her turn, we would do her costume the next day. Immediately, she burst into tears. She had eyed the costume long enough. The shiny white robe and the sparkly wings with eager anticipation and here I was taking it from her. Like with Michelle, I knew I couldn’t do that. So as the other children cleaned up and made their way outside I pinned the too big robe on Maddi. The same thing began to happen. It didn’t matter that the robe was too big. It was how she felt in it. Her smile was, of course, wide. Her little brown eyes sparkled as her little hands covered the giggles coming out of her mouth. She felt beautiful.

“Do you feel beautiful?” I asked, “It’s so pretty.”

I wanted to know why…what about just a plain white robe and white panty hose wings made her fell so pretty. So I did, and the only thing she said was, “It’s white.” The first thing I thought was “pure.” She felt beautiful.

We have this standard of beauty that equates to purity, no flaw. Something we see as beautiful does not need to be added to or fixed. It just is. And, oh! How we hardly get a taste of that beauty in ourselves. How we long to hear “My beautiful one, there is no flaw in you” (SS 4:7). Our souls, our minds, and our hearts long to hear those words. We see this pursuit not only in Christendom, but in the world at large. Mankind races to achieve something that cannot satisfy whether it be beauty, respect, admiration, or perfection. We live in a world that lacks true beauty, and we aren’t told we’re beautiful sincerely or nearly enough, but yet when we do we fly!

Like Michelle and Maddi our little hearts are met before the King and we not only feel beautiful, but treasured. It’s as if for that moment our status in the kingdom of God has come down to earth and we are recognized in our rightful role as a beautiful princess, and we glory in it! We are satisfied in the arms of our Creator who delights in beauty and we are satisfied when we delight in His. The root of our delight in beauty doesn’t come knowing that someone thinks we’re beautiful, it doesn’t come from pretty scarves or dresses, it doesn’t even come from a husband who dearly loves us and calls us beautiful. That glow, that transformation I saw in Maddi and Michelle comes from a Creator—the Beautiful One. He is where our beauty rests. Our souls are met in His arms. We are not beautiful simply because he created us with beautiful features or made us women. No, we are beautiful when we look to Him and are satisfied. That glow is our transformation. Our eyes get smaller and our cheeks turn a shade darker as our hands cover a little giggle, because we have found the waters that quench our thrist, the source of Life. We taste and we see, we raise our eyes to heaven and look toward the Beautiful One—it is there we are beautiful. Beauty is only natural when we look to our King. All else fades away as we are filled with the truth there is none more beautiful than the God who created us and the Son who saved us.