Truth + Love Designs

I'd like to introduce to you one of my friends, Erin Beil, who started a new project last month that absolutely speaks to my heart and those around me. Her new adventures titled Truth + Love Designs encompasses a new Etsy shop and blog affirming women of their beauty and worth.

She writes, "I make designs and provide a platform with messages of positivity and empowerment- truth about how beautiful and how priceless you are! EVERY girl is born absolutely beautiful, with a worth that is beyond measure or accomplishments- born priceless. They are delighted in and loved completely- they are precious."

Erin is using her platform to speak truth and encourage women of all ages to fight the negativity and self lies that so many struggle with. She recently sent out a survey asking fifty women questions regarding their beauty, confidence, capabilities, worth, and even struggles. 75%, nearly 3/4 of the women answered the question: “What do you wish you knew as a girl that has contributed to your confidence as a woman?” Response: I am beautiful because I am made in God's image. 

As I read more about her project, I realized that it quickly lined with with my heart and my efforts. I thought, "Hey, that's what I'm doing too!" except that I'm in California, she's in North Carolina and the ages of our audiences are slightly different, but the messaging is definitely the same. Awesome, huh? We're on the same team, both trying to make a difference in the community of those around us. 

A couple years ago, God opened my heart to create a shift in my thinking regarding community over competition. In a world where the girl power struggle is real (and hard!) and each woman is making a name for herself (sometimes at the expense of herself, her family, integrity, or of others), we face a choice to either build up the girl beside us or tear her down. 

At one point I might have felt defeated or conflicted in sharing the same ideas and platform with a friend. But instead, I've been able to look at those around me and see their strengths. See her talents and capabilities, her leadership and vision as a positive thing to help reach more people. What was once a threat (competition) is now community. 

At the end of the day, we all want to make a difference right? We want to leave our piece of the world better than when we found it. 

I encourage you to take sometime to think about #communityovercompetion in your own community. What does that look like for you? For those around you? The Rising Tide Society has done an awesome job in the creative community to promote this type of thinking. While competition, innovative thinking and goal advancement all have its place, community over competition deals more with matters of the heart. Let's chose kindness first. Let's work together to built each other up and continue to make a positive difference in those around us! 

Be sure to take some time to visit Erin's blog and show her some love! 

#communityovercompetition
xoxo
Jes

Giving Back Today!

Oh my, I'm unsure where to start! Maybe I should begin with the Tuesday night book club or the Thursday girls night and Jen Hatmaker's "Interrupted" study, or the idea of missional living and Africa being in my backyard...and the stir in my heart to make a difference. I'll eventually introduce all of those to you, but what I have to tell you about is today. 

There's a group of us, who have been wrestling with the idea of "doing something" to give back to the community. We wanted to meet a need and share the Hope and love of Jesus Christ with those around us. 

We talked about donating clothes, making meals, pooling our money together to give to a cause, feeding the poor, clothing the homeless, helping with the fight against human trafficking and in all of our brainstorming, we landed on creating 25 bags of compassion. We decided that each girl would give $25 bucks for her choice of items to go into a bag that would be personally given to someone on the streets without a home.

The bags were filled with sandwiches, fresh fruit, socks, bottled water, toiletries, Halloween candy, and other goodies. A friend had recommended that we start at the public library in Pacific Beach as that was a popular place for many homeless in the area. Our missional living was off to an enthusiastic start! We knew that we wanted to do more than just pass out bags and call it done; we wanted to meet people, hear their stories, ask what they needed, and share a smile and warm heart. 

We met in the library's parking lot early this morning to finalize our outreach strategy and put the last touches on the bags. As we were finishing up, a clean-cut, friendly gentleman got out of his van to say hello and what we didn't know at the time was that this man was actually going to give to us.

We began chatting with him, asked if he wanted a bag, but he politely declined. He's an Army veteran who turned sixty on Thursday, just recently became a granddad and had sustained some injuries a few years ago which pelted him into a spiral of events leading to his once homelessness. He's no longer homeless as he receives a small income and lives a nomadic lifestyle out of his van. He made Jesus his Lord and Savior a couple years ago and talked about a peace that he's experienced ever since then. He talked about the people in the area and called them each by name, shared more with us about their needs (vitamin packs, hoodies for the cold, laundry soap, socks, sleeping bags, etc.), local meal services, and mentioned the kindness of the sweet lady who owns the laundry mat down the street. 

After Ron prayed with us, he offered to show us around and introduce us to his friends. Not once did we feel unsafe or uncertain around him or anyone. Our hearts were quickly filled with compassion for each of their stories. Many were grateful, but some were turned off. One man, Mr. Rick asked if we'd give one bag to his lady friend. Another asked for an extra pair of socks; Lawrence was grateful for the fresh fruit, Lily said "thank you", Sheryl smiled, Eric and "Word" let us pet their puppies, and one lady said said "no" and that she simply wanted to die. 

Ron showed us a side of San Diego that I hadn't seen. A community that needs us to acknowledge, to listen, to welcome, to love and to give. He spoke highly and gratefully of the people and organizations to came often with hot meals and donations of shoes and clothing. People are doing something and it's incredible. One gentleman and his family hosts a BBQ the fourth Saturday of the month in Marina Point park, another group provides free medical exams and treatment, and another free laundry services. There's a lot going on, but there's still more to do. 

Jesus said, "For the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." Matthew 9:37

Whether in Christ's name or on your own, it's time for us to do something. Give back. We have way too much to keep it all to ourselves. Maybe it's coaching little league, joining a beach clean-up, shuttling kids to school, tutoring, fostering a child, volunteering for a not-for-profit organization or a service project, inviting friends over for dinner or helping the neighbors next door. Be a light. Be a smile, a kind word, or a gentle heart. 

As we're slowly on our way to "starting small" in our doing something big. I ask that you'll think about joining us next month! We might rally for detergent to take to the laundry mat or join the guy and his family at the BBQ, whatever it is, I'll tell you that it feels good to give back.

Email me if you're curious how to help!
xoxo
Jes

Finishing packing bags at Pacific Beach library. 

Ron showing us around Mission Bay. 

An Overdue Thank You

Thank you.  

Words that I've needed to write for almost six weeks now as my family and I are living a new chapter of life. 

The night before my sweet Momma's funeral, my Dad, brothers and I had a moment to ourselves. Up until that point, we had been surrounded by Arkansas friends and family. They came to visit us, to check on us, to sit with us, and to pray with us each bringing a full heart to share in the love and the loss with us. Our California friends called, sent text messages, emails, cards and flowers. We had been covered in thoughts and prayers and love for days. 

But within that quiet moment my Dad said, "I still have to believe that God has good plans for our lives. That He is the God that we believe He is. And that your Mom is in heaven, a place so much glorious than this. She's not missing us. We're the ones missing her and we'll continue to miss her as we still have a lot of life to live on this earth. This isn't what we chose or what we wanted, but we still have to believe that God has a purpose and plan for the future. And we're going to have to have faith to live that way."

And right there, we chose to believe that God is who the Bible says He is. And that regardless of our life circumstances, He is good and still has a great plan for our lives. God has shown us His love through an indescribable peace and comfort to get through each day.

So, thank you. Thank you for calling and checking on us. Thank you for bringing food so we wouldn't have to worry about cooking a meal. Thank you for texting to tell us we're on your mind. Thank you for giving. Thank you for praying. Thank you for the beautiful flowers. Thank you for reminding us that we're not alone. Thank you for stopping by to see us. Thank you for asking. Thank you for sharing in our loss. Thank you for the cards. Thank you for sharing your stories and memories with us. Thank you for loving us. Most of all, thank you for being there. 

We love you too. 

We are grateful that God gave us you. Keep checking on us and praying for us as we begin to feel the impact of our loss in the coming weeks, months, and years of birthdays, holidays, daily life and special occasions. 

There's a box of beautiful cards that I'm still carrying around in hopes I'll soon find the strength to write my thank you's. Until then, please know that I keep you close to my heart and that I am truly grateful for all that you've done. Thank you so much. 

With love,   

xoxo

Jes

Community = A Full Heart

Last week I posted a picture of the ladies from our Thursday night Bible study at Daybreak Church. Thursday nights are where my passion meets purpose. It’s where God changes lives, heals hearts, builds friendships, creates community, brings encouragement, redemption, love and laughter. It’s a night where we get to see a little bit of heaven and be reminded that:

God has great plans for our lives.  (Jeremiah 29:11)

He’s designed your life and mine with purpose. (Jeremiah 1:5)

Nothing in life is wasted--not the hurt, the pain or the heartache-- God uses it all for the good of His kingdom. (Romans 8:28)  

One of my favorite things about Thursday nights is the opportunity to meet (and forge friendships with) with some of the coolest women. Women who might not be in my every day circle of life, but women who are authentic and honest in who they are as they seek to live a life filled with the love of Jesus Christ. (See Galatians 5:22)

So what I'm learning is that each lady has a story. A story you’d never know by simply saying hello. One in which compassion, strength and forgiveness meet. A story she's overcome and that can easily be hidden behind a smile and kind greeting.  

Listen to me, we each have a story. And maybe you're her. We each have experienced love and pain, headache and heartache, unwarranted hurt and loss, indescribable peace and freedom, great joy when we never knew we could…we each have a story that will inspire, encourage and give hope to someone else.  

And we need to share what's God's done in our stories and in our lives.  We need our sisters and girlfriends to hear it. We need to let the girl next to us know that she’s not the only one going through it. We need each other. We need to be women whose faith is stronger than our circumstances. Ladies, I encourage you to find a community of Christian sisters and get connected. You need it. I need it and  I promise you it’s worth it. 

                                                                       Out to dinner last week with a few Thursday night ladies!

xoxo
Jes