A Few Summer Photos

 

Beauty in Birthdays

We come with beautiful secrets

We come with purposes written on our hearts,

Written on our souls

I love the Genesis narrative ~ God creates the earth and all that is around, in, and, on it. He calls these things good. Then He creates man, male and female, in His own image and it is very good. Thus men and women have distinctive, intrinsic value. In addition, we have God's artistic beauty that is each individual. Like snowflakes, there are no two human beings alike. He took what He had made ~ dust then bone ~ and used those as a medium for human life. Our created-ness plus all our experiences combined with our giftings make us all wonderfully, beautifully different. Even our identical girls have differences that add uniqueness to their characters.  As we live out our lives, we express purposes given only to us that point to our Creator.  God is so kind to show His power in all of these sacred things.  I think this is why birthday's are so special. We celebrate the day we are born and another year to live, but we also celebrate who we are.

As my children add another finger to the "how old are you?" question, I also celebrate their growth in every way.  I have watched them thus far almost every day of their lives and the changes in them are astounding and miraculous.  This year, we celebrate Elijah, the reader, thinker, witty, impressively coordinated, passionate, full-of-laughter, big-brown-eyed boy that is becoming a young man.   

As I grow, I am thankful that God is so faithful in continuing to complete what He has started.  It seems that as I get older, I see just how miraculous grace is~ as I feel more and more confronted with who I once was... But God (see Ephesians 2).  Creational beauty is one thing, but salvific beauty is another.  And it is here that I find myself resonating with Mrs. Groves and praying the same for my children as I wonder what purposes are written on their souls.            

July 1:     Tiffany, 33 Years Old

July 2:     Elijah, 6 Years Old

July 3:     Isaac, Eliana, and Isabella, 5 Months Old

And this is grace,

an invitation to be beautiful

Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces

Calling out the best of who we are

And I want to add to the beauty,

To tell a better story.

Shine with a light that's burning up inside

~Sara Groves, Add to the Beauty~