Beloved Blessings

Hey wildflowers! It's been forever since we blogged here, but it's time. We miss you, we miss blogging, we've got a glampout coming up... it's just time to get back to it and we're so happy! So let's  get to it.

I'd like to introduce you to a new friend of mine, and also a new way to bless each other. Hang with me for a minute.

This is Mandie Joy. Sister in Christ, answering her calling.

Here's her super simplified story. She was called to adopt two little girlies from Uganda.  She also fosters whoever the Lord gives her. She says yes. Right now she's fostering a sibling set of 4 to help keep them together, along with her 2 daughters. So if you're into math, Mama now has six kids. And she's single.

And while all that is admirable, it's not my favorite thing about her. She's so positive, so playful, so obedient, so wise and so open. She has taught me a ton about mothering just by reading her bits of life on Instagram. And so the gist of it is this - she's had to cut back on her work to tend to all the kiddos, so money is tight. And I'd really like to send a bit her way, wouldn't you?

So we're going to do a little fun thing once a month to bless one of our sisters. It's a mail swap. You send happy mail to someone. You get happy mail from someone. Here's how it will work.

1. Head to Paypal and send $5 (or more if you're inclined) to amandajoy313@yahoo.com

2. Email me your address. My email is b.cupitt@yahoo.com. I just need your physical address.

3. On Friday I'm going to send you an email with a few things on it: Your Snail Mail Friends address, our theme this month, Mandie Joy's address, and a list of ways that you can pray for her and her family. I just beg you to send your snail mail by April 17th.

It's going to be fun for you, fun for your Snail Mail Friend, and a blessing to a sweet family. You in?! Great! Be sure and post on Facebook and Instagram. This is definitely a More The Merrier kind of thing! You can find us on Instagram under @thebelovedsociety and the hashtag #belovedblessings.

Want to read more about Mandie Joy? Follow her on Instagram @mandiejoy and @echoesofmercy. She'll be doing a giveaway this week! You could check out her blog. You could also treat yourself to some loveliness from her Etsy shop, Echoes of Mercy.

unveiling beauty

 i'm getting all prepped up for our glampout. getting serious about writing the curriculum and the play-by-play of how it's all going down. so in that, i'm doing a ton of research regarding femininity and what it means to be a daughter of a King. there's always a princessy element to it. i don't know why i'm drawn to that, but i am. well, part of my research is reading as much as i can on the subject, right? which brings me to a new favorite book, captivating. it explores the foundations of a few essential, pretty universal traits, that women share. the need to be sought after and fought for, the desire to be a heroine in an adventure, and the desire to unveil beauty. uncover some hidden gem. hearing stasi, the author, articulate something so buried deep, so honestly and accurately is crazy eye opening. it addresses physical beauty in our selves, sure. and that's a whole different blog post. actually, that could be a whole blog, right?! and i am certainly coming to a comfortable place on that and i'll share more later. 














but right now, in beth's world, i have moved into a farmhouse. it's a house in the middle of a field, in the middle of a valley. there is some serious potential for beauty, but this house and has been neglected. it has mice. it has a red roof. it's spray painted red. the porch is crooked, and the front porch sags. i battle scorpions daily, and sometimes pipes leak. something alive is in the laundry room. i hear it when i go out there. but it's set up to be a gem. the nature all around it, god's own brushstrokes are evident everywhere you look. in the roses that just pop up out of nowhere. in the wings of the hummingbirds that hang out on my front porch. in the way the light catches in the evenings in the grasses. the sunrises and sunsets. the hills. it's so gorgeous and sometimes, when the light is right it's like a thin curtain between here and heaven. like a sheer curtain. it's tangible and quiet. but then there's the mice and the scorpions and the cactus. it's got a hard edge. the truth is, it's going to be take a lot of new experiences (like apparently i need guinea fowl for the snakes, but what is a guinea fowl and what do i do with it?), money (please pray that our other house sells soon!), and some serious sweat equity to bring restore this house into a comfortable place to rest. now, there's an adventure! 

today i feel like eve. like the all the soft characteristics of god. she was made to be an image bearer of god, but she was also given a task to help tame the world and nurture it. that is literally what i'm doing every day. pulling weeds and watering plants. sweeping and sweeping and sweeping. trying to make it homey. anyway, rambling today. sorry! so my new canvas is my yard. anybody else into gardening? i didn't even know i was a gardener, but it's in me! i just have to figure out how to do it.  here's my garden board. do you have one? and also, do you feel like you contribute beauty to your world? how? 

On Growth.

I got this adorable succulent last week, and I am kind of in love with it. I've never tried to grow anything before, so this is very new for me. I know what you're thinking- I picked the very thing that needs absolutely zero care. I've actually read that the less you pay attention to it, the more it will grow and flourish. Sad to say, but that's probably as good as it's going to get right now. I want something pretty to look at, but I'm not willing to put the extra care into it. I can't help but think- I'm so glad I'm not my own gardner. I'm so glad our Heavenly Father doesn't have my outlook on growing us. He's been taking me through a season of experiencing freedom, and growth has been an almost daily occurrence. He's loved me insanely well through each step of the process, tending to places in my heart I didn't even know needed some TLC. He could totally say- "Looks great from the outside.. You're putting up a fabulous front, so I'll let you take care of yourself." But He doesn't. He knows what's happening beneath the soil and I'm so thankful He loves me well enough to restore pieces of my heart I didn't even know ached.

Spring is just the time for that sense of growth and feeling alive, right? So thankful for the reminder of His resurrection yesterday and what that means for me and you. Oh, how He loves us.  

Get Inspired.

I always wonder, what do other people do to get inspired? Pinterest is always my go to, but let's be honest, I will never make all the crafts I pin:) I'm trying to get inspiration by simply just doing things. I feel this Winter I totally lost all inspiration, but the fresh perspective of Spring has totally picked me up.

My friends Allison, Sutton and I make birthday lists every year. Starting last June, I made a list of 28 things to accomplish before I turn 29. I love my list. I have stayed consistently obsessed with it, and I'm so proud when I get to check things off of it. I've been making strides lately- and they have too. But we decided to mix things up and help each other out on checking stuff off. Last night, we got to check "go rollerskating" off of Allison's list. It's probably been almost 20 years since I last went rollerskating, but oh.my.gosh. we had so much fun figuring out our sea legs, trying to dance and skate at the same time, laughing our heads off and trying to skate backwards. Don't worry, we all wore argyle socks just to geek it up even more.

Just living this quirky little life is so much dang fun and inspiring when you simply just get out and do things. Here's to more adventures, friends. xo.

41 day is TODAY!

Hi friends! Today I wanted to share a little with you about No.41. Maybe you caught that I said I lived in Rwanda last year, and No.41 is why. It's a sewing school, founded by my friend Tara. We took girls (in their early 20's) from the orphanage and local village and taught them the culturally relevant trade of sewing. They make bags, we call our Signature Bags- and now they've expanded into making aprons and Christmas stockings, with some other exciting things in the works:) The profits from their sales go back to them, and also fund a feeding program in our local village. I wrote more about it here, but honestly couldn't process it though words last year, but those are some of the photos I took the day our program started. We thought we would be feeding 250 kids when the whole thing was just starting out- but it kept growing. The day of feeding- it became 870 kids. Today, we're at over 1,100 children who are getting a hot, healthy lunch. (And let me say, it's pretty delicious too. One of our sweet cooks makes sure we eat as well!) 

Today, 41 day is about fasting for the 1,100 children in Rwanda who are eating and would have otherwise gone without. I'm not sure that's even something we can fathom here in the states. Today is about praying (if you're the praying type) for Him to turn our fishes and loaves into full bellies for another year. (And then some..!) 

I know not everyone can GO right now. (Believe me, I'm tying this through tears of the fact that I'm not there right now.) But there are so many ways you can get involved. 

Donate the price of lunch you'd be having today. (25 cents feeds one meal. Yes, really. Skip your $10 lunch and feed 40 meals! Or "take your coworkers out" and donate the price you'd be paying for that meal.) 

Purchase a bag or apron. Our feed bags feed 240 meals, which is the price to feed a student for an entire year, and also provides a sustainable wage for our sweet ladies. 

Sponsor a child for a year. $60 covers one student eating a hot, healthy lunch for one full year. 

Contact tara@no41.org for more information on how you can be a campus rep or hold a trunk show. And of course, feel free to email me if you have any other questions at all! (alisonholcomb1@gmail.com)  

Let's feed some kids today!!! 

A Fresh Perspective on Food: Guest Post by Molly Swanson

You've already heard from my sweet friend, Molly once on this blog, but we just had to bring her back to talk about her fresh perspective on food. I have been trying to make changes in my diet, but Molly has totally taken it to a new level. She is my new foodie inspiration, and I love it when she shares her wisdom with me. One thing that she said to me at the beginning of her journey was how incredible it is that God has given us a way to heal our bodies through food- and it's the truth! She has opened my eyes to so much! My dad recently had heart surgery, and the doctor has told him the incredible benefits of veganism. It reverses heart disease and diabetes- two major conditions that run in my family.. God has given us the very essential and basic things to heal ourselves. How amazing is that? I'll let Molly tell the rest.. Her enthusiasm is inspiring! 

A couple years ago, my idea of a vegetable was a french fry and fruits were hardly ever found in my fridge. This year, my favorite snack is a mango and I LOVE eating vegetarian and vegan meals sometimes too! What changed? God has opened my eyes to a NEW THING! A fresh perspective on food. 

It has been a slow, but lovely and romantic journey. Well, let me explain....

About a year ago, I remember walking through the produce section of the grocery store with NEW eyes... all of these beautiful vegetables and fruits are so colorful, full of unique textures and shapes, and each one offers different nutrients and good stuff for your health! I really felt like God opened my eyes to see the beauty in what He created and why. I excitedly started researching veggies and fruits as I bought them... what does this flowered broccoli have to offer? How do you cook an elegantly deep purple eggplant? What vitamins are in these tiny clustered blackberries?! The more I researched, the more I discovered how amazing God made all of these little wonders! A colorful variety for each meal gives you what you need to be healthy. Why had I never realized this before?! God could have created a little pill that we could take each day for all that we need, void of beauty, flavor or enjoyment. Instead, He made these beautiful ways to enjoy food and get what our body needs each day. 

I know it may seem silly, but I began to feel so very LOVED! God created these beautiful, natural foods for me to enjoy and experience more of Him through His creation. Eating more fruits and veggies has made me feel better and given my body more energy and life! It has been so fun to experiment with more "plant-based" recipes and I like to choose at least one new fruit or veggie to test out each week. A few new favorites I would never have thought to pick up a year ago.... ginger root, mango, & lime! I've never been so excited to cook! 

I'm still learning about nutrition and I don't always make the best choice, but I'm enjoying the journey and I'm seeing food in a new way.

How could you start seeing food in a new way? Here are a few ideas:

- Pray for God to give you a fresh perspective and wisdom on your food journey.

- Learn what fruits and veggies offer your body! This will make you more excited to eat them.

- Start a Pinterest board of recipes to try! You are welcome to use mine for a start here. 

- Experiment with making your favorite meals vegetarian or vegan (it's fun!)

- Follow some lovely cooking blogs! These are my favorites: minimalistbaker.com, choosingraw.com, & naturallyella.com

- Take pictures of your meals or of the fresh veggies you try. This will help you see the beauty!

- Enjoy a new fruit or veggie each week to keep you experimenting.

Book Review: A Million Little Ways

Are you a book person? I have always been a reader, but I used to love fiction. These days it's hard to find fiction books that are up my alley. I stick with my classics and faves and re-read them when I need some down time in my brain. The rest of the time I tend to read Christian non-fiction. I read A Million Little Ways by Emily Freeman recently and found it to be such a gentle reminder to just rest in what God created me to be. Just being that is glorifying to God when we do it from a place of authenticity. 

You were made in the secret place, woven together on purpose with threads made from sacred longings that come not only from you but from the heart of God - he wove you together with a personality and you bring your own you-ness to the table. 

Emily discusses how to figure out your calling, how you know, what to do if you don't particularly enjoy your calling, doubting yourself and much more. She writes that people are basically God creating art. Making us in His own image. And then our job as creations, expressions of God, is to create. Not necessarily art on canvas, but really in all aspects of your life. I am, however, a literal painter, so the whole thing was particularly special for me. I started cutting out some of my favorite sentences and using them in my art!

I know a lot of us struggle with our place and calling. Believe me, y'all! I know this. If you're interested in this topic, I so think this is a great read. But if you're really looking into it, I ADORE Edie's thoughts on vocation (try this and this) and she always gives great resources. Check them out.

A New Way to See Myself.

I just finished reading Redeeming Love for the millionth time. Something about that book just gets me every single time. Normally, reading is an absolutely certain way of getting me to fall asleep- but this book actually keeps me up at night because I can't wait to read more. It just gets down in my soul, and I feel like I get something brand new out of it every single time.

The truth is, I've been a prostitute. Not literally, but I've sold myself to the stuff of this world and let God have what's left.. if there happens to be anything there left to give at all. I've had other gods, given into relationships that have kept me from Him, put my worth in things i owned or what people think about me. I've put walls all around my heart to keep Him as far away from it as possible because I just can't let myself feel anything anymore. It's too hard, too emotional, personal, too scary. I've chosen to be empty, hard and numb so I wouldn't be vulnerable, emotional or filled with grace I felt I didn't deserve.

So now I'm hoping someone else is going there with me, and I'm not just airing my dirty laundry for everyone.

To go along with Beth's theme of bringing on new things and fresh starts with this new season, I just want to share a little bit of something that has been happening, and the newness that God has been working in my heart in this new season. I almost feel like He's started it now.. with Spring being so close we are getting glimpses and tasting it- it's serving as somewhat of a reminder that just like the seasons- He makes things new.

"But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of Hope." Hosea 2:14-15

For a few months now I feel like I've been in a desert. I've been going through some heavy spiritual attack. I've been going through the Freeway study with friends and realized I have junk in my past I'm not letting go of or getting free from. It's ugly and it scares me. I also feel like something big is on the horizon for where He is taking me. So, for months, I've felt like a fake, not good enough, inadequate for what's ahead that He's even placed in my path. In this new season, He's been slowly restoring me and speaking life back into me. He's used friends, opportunities, and time spent with Him in silence to teach me to see myself as He does. He's showing me that I am good enough, and it's not always prideful to believe in myself. He's romancing me and showing me that my past is not my present, and it surely isn't my future. When my thoughts turn negative about myself or my abilities aren't up to perfection, He whispers that they are, and to simply stop breathing negativity into myself. And to stop believing lies. I've been trying to identify it and stop it as much as I can, and He's showing me how to blossom into who He sees me as. I'm starting to see myself as His beloved. It seriously makes me giddy. And that, my friends, is something He desires for each one of us. 

"The Lord says, "Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever. I will be to Israel (that's us!) like a refreshing dew from heaven. Israel will blossom like the lily; it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon. Its branches will spread out like beautiful olive trees... My people will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines... Oh Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me." Hosea 4-8

His love for us is fierce and beautiful isn't it, beloved? 

New Things

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 

Revelation 21:5

So spring just started, and it's a new season. Spring and fall are a big deal to me. Such a clean slate. I try and tune my heart to see what God is doing in me. Right now He's giving me courage and encouragement to be bold enough to go easy. Allow me to explain that weird sentence.  I didn't realize I was a grace-earner. But I think I have been. I'm learning a thing or two about grace lately and it looks a whole lot like resting and receiving what God so abundantly gives. And this touches me in all areas of my life. I've recently read the loveliest book called A Million Little Ways. I'll do a proper review of it later this week, but I'm wrapping my head around simply being what I was created to be, whatever that is. Not so much doing. There are little longings in my heart that, for some odd reason, I think aren't for me. And God is showing me that, yes, they are. Let me give you a little example. 

Me: I think I'd like to garden.

God: Yes, that would be good for you. And I do a little gardening myself. 

Me: I wish I could be a homeschooler. It would be a really great fit for my family. But I'm too erratic, and I can't get organized enough to do it.

God: That's a lie. You could be organized if you let me help you with a few disciplines at home. And it would be a good fit for your family. 

Me: I'd like to wear more fashionable things, but my body and age aren't really a good match for the clothes I like.

God: I created you to like fashion. That's part of what makes you, you. You can be creative with your temple. 

Me: I keep trying to teach and lead, but I don't know if I could really help anyone when I have so much to learn. 

God: My dear, learning is how you have the knowledge to teach. And you learn from experience. I'll do the teaching, you just have an open heart. 

Spring is my fresh start for this New Thing. This thing of resting and receiving and gently experimenting with simply being the poem that God wrote for me. I'll tiptoe through a few little areas that have been drawing me in. Optimism, fashion, homeschool, gardening, continuing on my weight loss journey... these are all places that God is inviting me to explore with Him. Some are Big Deal Things and some are more of a Small Deal. But I'll go with lenses of wonder and trust to simply be the full embodiment of what I was created to be. What "places" has He been calling you to?