Project 31 - Days 1 and 2

Because I'm starting a day late, I thought I'd double up the entries.

Day 1: What is your definition of beauty? 

Anything that makes you light up inside, that makes the corners of your mouth tickle, your heart feel a little brighter, that points you to the Creator, the Master Artist. Beauty is something that gives joy--it's the gift and the giver, it sweeps you off your feet, if only for a moment, so that your breath catches, even if for a just a sweet second.

The Lake District of Northwest England

It may be the stunning woman walking down the street, her head held high, her hair a tapestry. Maybe it's the written word, something speaks to your heart and you read it over and over and over again. The tree frog on your window, singing in the rain. A bright flower in the desert. Sparkling words on a dark day. The song of the waves rolling over pebbles, sounding like thunderous applause for something, Someone. The roar of a thunderstorm and skipping of lightning. A thriving human, radiant in person, in identity, in life and word and action. It's a baby's laugh. Your favorite song. That old joke.  Shooting stars. The kind smile, gentle hand, generous heart.  It brightens, lightens, lengthens.
Then it brings your gaze back to the One who came up with the idea, who molded it all.
I don't think it really has anything to do with appearance and everything to do with the  the Thumbprint of God on all of us, telling us there is Light in Darkness, there is something Beyond this life, calling us back to Him.


I thought about it long and hard, and that's what I came up with. Beauty is whatever brings you joy and reminds you that there is a God who loves you. It comes in different shapes and forms for everyone, but it's there. He's calling.

Day 2: What makes you uniquely you?

• I am the most observant yet oblivious person--I can remember the most random details and conversations in great detail, but I can't figure out the most obvious instructions. 
• I've been telling stories since before I could write. Then I learned to write, and I wrote and illustrated stories. I'm still working on a rewrite/continuation of a story I started when I was twelve. I'll finish it before I die, I promise. 
• I have no sense of direction, but a great appreciation for the scenery.
• I rarely follow an exact recipe--I mix and match, add things or delete them as I go . . . Cooking is one of the few activities in which I'm impulsive. 
• I have a wild imagination. 
• I'm curious--I want to know the whys about people and the whats about nature. Then I'll repeat all the random theories and facts. My cranium is a bloody vault for those sorts of things, but I can't remember where I put the clean laundry.



Talk Like a Pirate Day 2008

• Spending money literally makes my stomach hurt. God and I are working about my provision-trust issues. It's an exciting journey :] It's something Chris is helping me with, too--He's much better about spending wisely without fear or regret. 
• I can sit in a room filled with people and just listen. I'm perfectly happy just listening and watching. Of course, I love being involved and included, but just being in the presence of pleasant people energizes me. 
• I'm borderline obsessive--If I have a goal or idea, I won't stop until it's brought to fruition. If it's something I like, then I want to learn everything about it and tell all my friends about it. 
• I thrive in change but I also love the constant. I think it came from going to college out of state. I got used to the settling in, moving away, then settling back in. So now that I've been in the same place for two and a half years, I'm both content  and have this desperate itch to go somewhere new. 
• I love stories whether it's in books, music, movies, or every day conversation. I love stories so much, that I'll read summaries and spoilers on movies I will never see and books I will never read. I just want to know what happens. 
• I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my own performance. I can sing, play piano, draw, and paint, but I'm constantly comparing myself to people better than I am so I haven't performed in years and I am reluctant to show any of my artistic work to anyone. I love music and art, though, I really do. I feel alive when I participate and when I do it well. 
• I've never kissed or dated any man but my husband. I was his first kiss and love as well. I am so thankful that God helped us wait for each other. It was so incredibly worth it.