Beautiful Barista!

I’m not a morning person, so when I have to be up and out before 10am I don’t feel so beautiful.  This is the woman who makes me feel beautiful on mornings like that, Linda.  Linda is an entrepreneur, and I’ll bet she helps some of you feel beautiful, too, because she is the one who gives us our coffee!  Linda owns the local Lynchburg business, Joe Beans.  But what some of you may not know is that being Ms. Joe Beans is not Linda’s only job.  She’s also a chiropractor, and owns her own successful wellness center.  So she’s making lots of women feel more beautiful in many different ways! 

  Linda wrote the word ‘Attitude’ on her ‘beauty board’ during her Just the Girls: Real Beauty photo shoot.  She says that her can-do attitude is what gets her through each day successfully.  She met a lot of obstacles while starting up her businesses, and met a lot of people who didn’t think she could do it.  But she keeps up a positive, beautiful attitude and believes in her own capabilities…and she’s proven the naysayers wrong time and time again.  But she doesn’t only depend on herself, she also credits a strong support system that includes her awesome (should we say beautiful?) husband, her Joe Beans managers, her fabulous baristas, and other friends, co-workers, and family members for helping her get where she is today!  Linda is fantastic, encouraging, and fun!  Thank you, Linda, for being who you are, and for being our Beautiful, Bold Barista!  I’ll have a soy iced mocha with no whip and a spine adjustment, please!

Peanutty Beauty!

Told you you’d see this adorable face again soon!  Audrey’s parents (and pretty much everyone else) call her Peanut, because she’s itty-bitty!  Peanut is one of Aubrianah and Faith’s favorite models, because she makes them laugh with her so-serious face.  But that serious face is a front, because Peanut is really fun to be around, so clever, loving, and super-entertaining.  One of her favorite outfits is her Run DMC t-shirt paired with her pink tutu.  Peanut’s parents are raising three awesome kids with character, charisma, wit, and humor, and we love them all!

  Hey by the way, our beautiful girls Faith and Aubrianah have been making really cute hair accessories like the one Audrey is modeling here.  If you are interested in buying any, let us know!

Beautiful Freedom!

Becky’s Real Beauty shoot was a blessing to Aubrianah and me, because she told us a story about the freedom she’s found after years of hurt.  She’ll tell the story better than I can, so here it is:

“I am a 34-year-old wife and home-schooling mom of four beautiful children.  I have lived with a terrible, dark secret for all of my adult life.  I was abused as a child. Until a year and a half ago, no one knew about my dark past, not even my husband knew the details. 

  Even though I have a wonderful life and family, I battled depression and hated myself.  Over a year ago, I realized that I could no longer keep pushing this secret down deeper and deeper.  It was destroying me, and my life!  God sent a wonderful lady to me.  She counseled me for several months and, with her sweet spirit and understanding, walked me through Scripture to show me that I am beautiful, and that God loves me NO MATTER WHAT my past looks like.   I was raised in a Christian home and knew this, but hadn’t accepted it.  I realized that God doesn’t want bad things to happen to His children.  He is a loving, gracious, good God who wants the best for us. 

  This is why He died, so that we may be set free.  I am free!  I have become a glorious child of God.  He shouts to us ‘Freedom, freedom to the captive ones and the broken!’  That is just what I was, held captive by my painful past.  I was broken in my own eyes, but not in His!  Now, my chains are gone.  I am no longer held captive by my past.  I have dealt with it, given it to God, and now He carries the burden for me.

  I am now a better wife and mother.  I recently got a tattoo as a reminder of my freedom, and though many look at it and frown because they disagree with tattoos, I look at it and remember what I went through and that Jesus paid it all for me! 

  It is my prayer that God will use my story to help others. In fact, I know that is the reason for my suffering.  We all experience pain in our lives, we can choose to be bitter and live in misery, or have it mean something and use it for God’s glory. 

  This is the first time I have shared my story, and feel privileged to be able to share it now, with others, in hope that it will help someone else.  To God be the glory, great things He has done!”

THANK YOU, Becky, for sharing your beautiful story, you ARE beautiful! 

If any ‘beautiful girls’ would like to tell us your story, OR if you would like to contact Becky to talk with her about hers, please contact me via email or facebook.

#1 Beauty!

Who hikes the AT, goes on a 70 mile bike ride, kayaks, runs, spends quality time with her friends, plays the  piano, studies hard in school, participates in ROTC, and still has time to be beautiful?    This uniformed beauty, Petra! 

  Petra doesn’t do things half-way, she is driven and motivated to succeed.  The ‘studies hard in school’ and ‘participates in ROTC’ are understatements, because not only did she study and participate, Petra is the NUMBER ONE ranked ROTC nursing cadet IN THE NATION!!  She was ranked number 1 because of her college GPA, her physical fitness, extracurricular activities, and a leadership evaluation. 

  Petra is preparing to be stationed in Germany, where I know she will continue to work and play hard…because that’s what #1 beauties do!