Meet Crystal

Well, first things first.  Welcome to my little cyber space, I am so glad you stopped by for a visit, and I'm even more pleased to (somewhat) meet you! ;)  I've gotta say that doing write-ups about myself is a tad bit awkward and difficult, but I'm up for the challenge!

(You may notice I change my hair often...I get bored quickly) ;)

As you already know my name is Crystal, and as you may not already know, I am married with children (yep just like the show...sort of...not really).  I have a son and two daughters,  and I am so blessed to be able to stay at home to raise them.  I also love Jesus and seek to know Him more every day.

When I'm not busy being a mom you can find me serving on our church worship team or youth ministry.  A few things that float my boat include writing, singing at the top of my lungs (preferably when alone), painting - everything from fingernails to wood, ransacking thrift shops (I should probably say "vintage", it sounds fancier, no?), and creating or decorating pretty much anything.

When I think of "Something Beautiful" I think of how God loves to take our messy, often ugly lives and turn them into something beautiful, and whole.  This is part of why I love to create and design; the process of turning nothing into something is a reminder to me of what God does with the broken "nothing" areas of my life when I allow Him, as the Master Artist to create His beautiful end picture. 

He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV

I also love the fact that this is the exact opposite of how the world, for the most part, views beauty.  For the vast majority of the population, beauty is external, it is something that we put on ourselves, much like an article of clothing.  However, in the Kingdom of God beauty is an internal act.  When Jesus talked about the beatitudes He was speaking about attitudes of the heart that were considered sin, not the outward act that all of the religious folks of His day had focused on.  Even when we break down the word 'beatitude' I am reminded of the words "beautiful", and "attitude".  Beautiful attitude, now that is true beauty, beauty from the heart that overflows to the outer person.  Rather than add on more false layers of beauty to hide what lies beneath, Christ desires to peel back the false pretenses that hide the brokenness so that the real beauty He originally created in us can be revealed as our hearts become whole again.  This amazing process displays His love and His power to the world around us.

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT

 I pray you are truly blessed and encouraged by my writing as I yield this broken vessel to the Lord and allow Him to create Something Beautiful.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made, and Your Father desires to reveal that beauty both to you and to the world around you today.  Will you let Him?

♥ Crystal