BEAUTY: the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind

I love this definition of beauty. It doesn't put beauty in a box or limit the possibilities . Beauty is unique to every single individual. I personally find beauty in that truth alone. However , despite what beauty may be, we can go through life completely unaware of it. There is such such to deal with in this mixed up world, our daily responsibilities, and relationships its so easy to just go into survival mode, create safe walls around us, and miss the beauty that permeates our lives.

I know here I go again looking through my rose colored glasses!

I do believe I have been given a gift of naturally being able to see beauty in the world . I am always searching for beauty in nature, in conversations, or life events. I am known to carry a back pack full of watercolor supplies on a hike, and often I will be found taking random photos. This is just how I'm wired. However, I don't believe in rose colored glasses, I believe its a choice to seek it , recognize it, and then let it do its magic in your every day life. I know full well this is not easy and some seasons of life are dang hard. I too have built these safe walls round myself, and spent most of my late 40's early 50's tearing them down. I understand what it feels like to be working through a challenge in a marriage , or experiencing serious heartbreak or loss. I experienced all of these myself just this summer. I know the demands of raising a family when the kids are little and especially when they are grown. But what if beauty isn't defined by all the circumstances or seasons of life. What if your thoughts around beauty were "even though life is filled with hard things, this is exactly where I am supposed to be?" Ya, I didn't love this thought at first either. I actually wanted to fight or resist it. Some of the things I deal with aren't my fault or fair. However, the more I practiced it, I realized, this tiny little shift of our thoughts can bring much contentment, and with contentment comes joy. I believe this contentment is necessary in being able to see true beauty and experiencing Gods goodness.

Real beauty comes from the contentment in every season... Settling into where God has you and seeing the beauty in that , not resisting change... This in_itself will be reflected in our homes, work , our own personal style and how we show up every single day.

Today in fact, I woke up not seeing any beauty in going for the run I knew my body so desperately needed. I got my running clothes on and headed out the door anyway, deciding to take a photo of every ounce of beauty I could find. A few photos later I was no longer focused on being tired or sore, or over weight. All that was on my mind was the gorgeous fall day. The last photo I took was of this vine growing on a fence, changing so many colors for fall. As I bent down to get a closer look this little goat showed up out of nowhere stuck his little sweet face in my face and looked at me as if to say .."What are you looking for?" Beauty I said... and couldn't help but laugh aloud.

All the focus on beauty had totally changed my entire countenance. I know we don't get to go for a run and snap photos every time we are struggling to navigate life, however, we can pause, find some beauty (physically, spiritually, or emotionally) in the moment. That pause , that shift , that focus on something that is uniquely beautiful to you, it is yours . No-one and nothing can take it from you.

I believe God speaks to us through beauty ... but we must slow down and listen...

May we all find something truly beautiful in the day today, and gain the deep satisfaction and joy it brings.

In Truth, Goodness, and Beauty,
~Aprile