Project 31 Day 3: Inspiring Beauty

Thanks everyone so very much for all of the sweet comments! I loved reading all of your posts :}
All righty . . . starting up Day 3 . . .

Day 3: Who is someone you know who inspires beauty? 

I feel like I know several people who really "inspire beauty" and bring joy to others.

• My husband
• My three younger sisters
• My brother
• My godparents
• My parents
• My parents-in-laws and grandparents-in-law

Really the list goes on. All of the people listed have such hearts of service and a radiance about them that it's hard not to feel loved in their presence. 

I did want to focus on two people, though, who really stand out in my mind.

My mom, Jackie
 I know, "My mom" is something totally expected and almost cliche, but, you know, people say it for a good reason. Here are some reasons my mom has helped inspire beauty in my life:

•  I know, without a doubt, that no matter what has been going on, I can always count on her to be there for me. 
• If we ever argued, my mom always stepped up and apologized. She always wanted to resolve the problem so that hard feelings didn't fester. She admitted what she had done wrong, her desire to fix it, and then challenged me to to the same. It helped our relationship grow and taught me very important lessons in conflict resolution and how vital it is in a healthy, growing relationship. 
• She practiced what she preached. If you come and lecture me "Do as I say, not as I do," well my little passive aggressive self rears up and does the opposite quietly and felt like the words had no value because there was no action. If mom challenged me in some way, I knew it was sincere--that she was challenged herself, striving towards bettering herself and those around her. She was very honest about her own struggles, flaws, and her battles against them. She was humble and honest and never, not even once, assumed anything near perfection or tried to lead you to believe she was perfect: the woman was and is completely honest and transparent.When she came to you about something, you knew you could trust her, that they weren't just empty words tangled around some untouchable ideal. They were, "Listen I see this in you, I see you struggling with it--I am, too. Let me encourage you and challenge you as God and others have encouraged and challenged me."
• She is so much fun! My mom loves a get-together with good food, good people, and great conversation. We can talk about literally anything, and I love hanging out with her. 
• She has a heart of service. Everything I learned about serving in the church, the community, and internationally, I learned from my parents, and especially my mom. I grew up with both parents serving in the church and the family at home. My mom had a heart for missions and international adoption. She introduced all of us to that love and stirred the fire inside us. 
• She loves collecting memories. Some people collect stamps or figurines, my mom collects memories. She has scrapbooked so much of our family history and fun. Now, as a family, we love talking about things we did together years ago, last week, or whenever, and laughing about it. 
• She taught me to laugh at myself . . . because really, life is funnier that way :]

Person Number 2 is a woman I only met recently, but her ministry has changed the lives of countless others, and touched my husband's and my hearts.

Dr. Ananthi Jebasingh 

This summer, my mom had a wonderful opportunity to serve at the Good Samaritan School in New Dehli, India. The school began twenty years ago when a little boy knocked on Ananthi's door begging for bread. She didn't want him to turn into a beggar, so she agreed to teach him as if he were in school. The next thing she knew, she didn't have room for all of the children asking to learn. So she began a nonprofit school for the beautiful children in the slums, giving them a chance to escape the slums and hear the beauty of the Gospel. You can read more about her story here and the school's website. They are always in need of donations to help pay for teachers and meals for the children. They are also looking for monthly sponsorship of children--for $35 a month you can help pay for  child to go to school, a school-day meal (often the only meal they receive that day), and medical care. My husband and I are sponsoring a little seven-year-old girl named Esther, and we pray for her every night. We may not be able to go to India, but we can make a difference for a precious jewel there.

These are all pictures my mom took of the school children during her visit Summer '10