Beautiful Jessica

  "What is your response when other people say, 'I could never be a foster parent!'?"  

  

  "That's what I used to say, but now I say no matter how difficult, heartbreaking, or inconvenient it may be, they're worth it. Imagine the heartbreak they are feeling...ours doesn't compare.  Kids in foster care are America's orphans, and the Bible has a lot to say about taking care of orphans. It's something we are commanded to do."

Beautiful Friends, Danielle and Sarah

"How have the two of you stayed close friends, even though you live far apart?"

  Danielle:  "We are opposites, but complement each other so well.  No matter how long it's been since we saw each other, we fall back in like we haven't missed a day!  We know each other and all that we are and we're just cool with it."  

Beautiful Rachel

  "My boss said my dress was too short and she didn't want men looking at me like I was a lamb chop."  

  What do y'all think?  Is it up to Rachel to make sure men don't look at her like she's a lambchop?  Or is it the responsibility of men to look at Rachel's face, get to know her, and invite her out for a lamb chop (or pizza, or steak) dinner?

Beautiful Sarah

Me to Sarah:  "What do you think is beautiful about you?"

 Sarah: "I don't know, the last time you asked me that I said my eyes.  But I wasn't thinking on a deeper level at the time.  Now I need to try that again...What do you think is beautiful about me?"  

  Three of us stand, looking at Sarah for a moment and thinking how great we think she is, in so many ways, and I say, "You're a peacemaker," and the others nod in agreement.

  Sarah:  "That's funny you should say that, because that's what my family has always said about me.  I am a peacemaker."

  (She also has beautiful eyes.)

Rethinking the Beauty Blog

    Aubrianah will be starting college next month and I am starting a new job this week, so we will be doing a bit of reworking on Just the Girls: Real Beauty!  We aren't stopping, we LOVE this project, but the posts will be more streamlined and to-the-point and will come faster!  We hope you'll keep following, we think it's going to be beautiful!   

Beautiful Inspiration

 I love every Real Beauty we interview, and Candice is one of my favorites.  Candice's occupation is one I can't talk much about, but she has dedicated her life to the preservation and the cultivation of beautiful relationships.  She doesn't get to do a lot of dressing up or get to pay a lot of attention to her outward appearance on a daily basis in her job, but she is consistently becoming more inwardly beautiful.  

  A lot of Beautiful Girls credit their mothers as their inspirations, but Candice's mom is truly exceptional in her inspiration and has given us three inspirational women!  She raised her three girls on her own, with no shortage of trial and heartache.  I've met all three of them, and they are all amazingly Beautiful Girls who have been featured on this blog.  My next goal...get that momma in here for her shoot!  

Beautiful Girls Encourage More Beauty

  When I think about Beautiful Girls I know, Carina is definitely at the top of the list.  She is vivacious, driven, fun, and smart.  Carina sparkles.  She's living in Washington DC this summer where I'm sure she's wowing everyone!

  Here's what I love most about Carina.  I love the way she encourages my daughter and other girls around her to be more beautiful.  

  Really Beautiful Girls like Carina get that sparkle ALL OVER everyone around them.  They can't help it.  My daughter is beautiful, but she's even more beautiful when she's with her friend.  Carina's other friends are beautiful, too, but they're even more beautiful when they are together.  Get them in a group and look out...you are going to be stunned!  

  Beautiful Girls!

Carina and her gorgeous friend, Julie!