Victorious Beauty

We come with beautiful secrets.  

We come with purposes written on our hearts,

 written on our souls.  

We come to every new morning

 with possibilities only we can hold, 

that only we can hold.

This song, "Add to the Beauty", by Sara Groves, sums up the
cry of my heart-what I aspire to daily.  Yet, the enemy of my 
soul prowls around at the end of each day, accusing me of ugliness.  
Hurling "should-haves" and "could-haves" like flaming arrows 
toward my heart and mind.

Redemption comes in strange places, 

small spaces, 

calling out the best of who we are

So, I take up the shield of faith, 
because it actually extinguishes these fiery lies.  
I choose to believe (even if I don't feel like believing) 
the truth Christ has written on my heart.

And I want to add to the beauty, 

to tell a better story

I want to shine with the light 

that's burning up inside

I will cover my mind with the helmet of salvation.  
Telling myself the gospel over and over.  
Recognizing that grace is God working in me 
to do what I am not able to do myself.

It comes in small inspirations

It brings redemption to life and to work

To our lives and our work

Beautiful living is living by grace-
day, by day, by day, 
with the assurance that His grace to me is eternal.  
Therefore, I can silence the enemy by celebrating 
the beauty of His daily grace.

It comes in loving community

  It comes in helping a soul find its worth

The most beautiful thing 
I can do for others 
is demonstrate grace. 

Redemption comes in strange places, 

small spaces, 

calling out the best of who we are

I will look for the beauty in unconventional places.  
I will take off the blinders of the world's skewed ideas of beautiful living.  
I will ask for eyes to see the beauty in...

• a cup of cold water
• a kind word and hug to a grumpy child
• a break from the schedule to play one round of hide-and-seek
• a smile
• a word of encouragement
• a brilliantly-colored bug crawling across the window
• a soft rain
• a listening ear
• a simple meal
• a silly song sung with gusto
• a prayer of thanksgiving.

And I want to add to the beauty, 

to tell a better story

I want to shine with the light 

that's burning up inside

Beautiful living is gracious living, 
and gracious living is generous living.

This is grace, 

an invitation to to be beautiful

This is grace, 

an invitation

I will choose to accept the invitation.  
I will say yes to grace.  
I will recognize the beauty, 
acknowledging the grace of God 
working in and through me

Every Day.

*All words in italics are from the song "Add to the Beauty" by Sara Groves.  Check out her website www.saragroves.com for beautiful music.

(2 Corinthians 9:8-11, The Message)

God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, 

   He throws caution to the winds,       

giving to the needy in reckless abandon.   

 His right-living, right-giving ways  never run out, 

never wear out.

This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.

Now Go...Silence the enemy...Add to the Beauty!