Just Be You

I have a quote by Thomas a Kempis hanging on the door to my craft wardrobe. It reads: He has great tranquility of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of others. It is a quote that I am just beginning to live by. I wish I would have arrived here sooner. I confessed in an earlier post, that fear has often strong armed me and I specifically mentioned the fear of failure. But I think if I were to delve a little deeper into my heart, I would recognize that the fear of what others think has often been a controlling factor in my life as well. I'm at a season in my life, however, when I realize I can never please everyone and the only opinion I have to answer to is that of my Redeemer. It is such a liberating realization! For a long time, I have been somewhat concerned about how others might view Joshua, our second oldest son, and consequently judge Scott and me as parents. Josh has always bucked the system and has never been one to follow tradition. He has a lip ring, ear gauges and two tattoos (one a scripture, the other a bike route sign :-) ) But I consider it one of life's greatest blessings that he calls me best friend. While I am no fan of ear gauges, I love and respect the person that this young man is. He loves the Lord, has provided shelter for the homeless, is a leader in his home of eight (often more) Christian young men where weekly community outreach meals are provided. Joshua came over for a visit this afternoon. Typically when he comes, he has several other friends with him. He came alone today, and we sat and had some deep discussions. And I realized anew how much I admire him.

The cards I am posting today are once again pretty quick and easy cards. The theme is "Just be you" and they portray butterflies because I believe that we don't simply arrive one day at "me" - it's a journey or a metamorphosis. My journey has been shaped by my faith, my family and my friends. Who I am today is not who I was yesterday, and hopefully not who I will be tomorrow. Life is dynamic; it is ever changing, and I desire to keep up. .. as long as Jesus Christ is the catalyst. So here's my prayer for you...that you will learn to just be you, because you are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Marie with a :-)

PS In case you didn't figure it out...the last photo is Josh :-)