Deep Beauty

Posted by Shawna on Feb 4, 2012

I loved reading a recent post on The Beauty Paradox by Stephanie, a Mormon blogger. She addresses the fallacy that a woman’s beauty is tied solely to her physical or sensual appeal.

When I tried to find a picture to go here, I found all the wrong things. All the skin-deep, UNDEEP beauty that the world is so obsessed with.

So I used this picture instead. This my only daughter and her new baby boy — her first. Turns out, it’s the perfect picture, because Rebecca is a great example of deep beauty.

She never felt obligated to follow the world’s recipe for beauty. She spends very little time or money on clothes, shoes, makeup, jewelry, or endless collections of accessories. Part of that might be because, like me, she hates to shop, but it’s much more than that. Rebecca knows that while the world would define her merely in terms of her outward appearance, that’s not who she is.

Okay, so she’s a very pretty girl. But to those who know her well, that’s not what makes her beautiful. Rebecca is beautiful because:

And speaking of being a mom, Rebecca quit her job before her son was born so she could stay home in a tiny apartment while her husband finishes school and works part time.  By any common definition, it’s not a beautiful apartment. Their bathroom contains the remnants of four kinds of faded wallpaper, and is so small you can hardly turn around in it. There are 3 different colors of carpet — forest green, turquoise, and mauve. The windows are thin and screenless, and most of them don’t open. There’s a floor-to-ceiling heater right in the middle of their living area that is so loud you have to raise your voice when it comes on. They affectionately call the heater Bruce. Their furniture is a combination of garage sale specials and hand-me-downs. They don’t have a lot of stuff that most people consider necessities, like cable TV, a dishwasher, a second car, or a washer and dryer.

But to Rebecca, the apartment is beautiful, because that’s where her family is. She bathes the baby in that old bathroom. She lays him on the worn denim love seat to dress him. She rocks him to sleep in the room with the mauve carpet. She reads and sings to him, and does it a little louder whenever Bruce comes on. She’s not distracted by television or Facebook or shopping or comparing or keeping up with anybody.

She’s just content spending all the time there is in the day with her baby. I can’t think of anything more beautiful than that.

Social Media Dropout

Posted by Shawna on Jan 11, 2012

Dear Mr. Social Media Expert,

I tried. I really did. When you said I had to have a Facebook fan page to get my music “out there,” I made one. When you said I had to have a Twitter account, I did that, too. I jumped through all the hoops — I posted. I invited. I linked in. I tweeted, and I tooted……my own horn.

And I hated it. I felt like I was back in Junior High School, doing everything I could just to be noticed.

Looking Ahead

Posted by Shawna on Jan 4, 2012

I love this New Year’s message about looking ahead. It’s easy to get focused on past mistakes and disappointments, and so I am grateful for the reminder to look forward, and not back. Quoting President Thomas S. Monson: “The future is as bright as your faith.”

A Note From the Philippines: Drawing Strength from their Faith

Posted by Shawna on Dec 24, 2011

I received this comment from Gabby in the Philippines yesterday:

Hi Shawna! I am so thankful I stumbled upon your beautiful song today of all days. A great part of our country (the Philippines) has just been devastated by a storm and thousands of people, young and old, have perished. Homes were washed away by mud and flood waters leaving hundreds of families homeless. As they try to pick up what is left of their lives,

The Lord Provides

Posted by Shawna on Dec 20, 2011

I love this favorite Christmas memory from Lara:

My favorite memory, was the day the Lord provided….He continues all the time to surprise us. But this happened at Christmas.

1 week before Christmas my family was gathered in the living room and we were reading through our Advent devotions, reading about how God is our Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Provides) and I was watching my kids (4) as we read, praying that they would understand that this Christmas would not be full of worldly gifts because we couldn’t even afford 1 for them.

Will It Last?

Posted by Shawna Belt Edwards on Dec 15, 2011

I’ve received emails and messages this Christmas from all over the world, and from people of many different faiths. I’ve loved the Christmas memories, every one of them — short or long, simple or profound. I’ve started compiling them into one page, called the Keeping Christmas Forum.

Now this won’t surprise you — not one memory  is about the gifts. Not one. Nobody remembers how many gifts they received, how many cards they sent, how beautiful the decorations, or how perfectly planned the parties. People remember things that last, and nearly all of them fall into three categories:

The Half-Lit Wreath

Posted by Shawna on Dec 11, 2011

For years, I have hung a wreath on each of the front windows of our home during December. Two days ago, half of the lights on one of the wreaths went out, and it looked a little  like a giant white chocolate-dipped Oreo hanging on the window.

So I went to Target yesterday to buy a new string, and as I made my way to the back of the store, I overheard the following comments from random people:

Christmas Can Be Lost

Posted by Shawna on Dec 7, 2011

I was busy preparing a blog post for today about ways to honor the true meaning of Christmas – and I read this comment from Rick. I couldn’t say it better:

It is so easy to get caught up in the activities of the month that Christmas can be lost. 

So what will I do to make room? 

I will slow down. I will pray. I will reflect and ask others to do the same. I will reconnect with those I take for granted, those I don’t speak to often enough.