Beauty Without Within Thursday

Welcome!

I hope you will find this new addition to my blog as enjoyable and inspiring as it has already been to me in preparing it.  God has brought so many beautiful women into my life who have each brought enrichment through friendships, encouragement, insight, inspiration, and just plain love.  As I introduce some of these special ladies, you too will see their God-given

"Beauty Without & Within."

  Jean Anne Williams

MY FRIEND

 I met Jean Anne when she and her husband joined us on staff at the First Baptist Church in Bastrop, La. as Minister of Education in 1977.  We became immediate friends.  And although they only lived in Bastrop for two years, we have maintained a very close and intimate friendship.  And one I treasure.

For several years before and after they moved to Shreveport, our families spent New Years together.  This may have been the only time we saw each other during the year prior to our joining them in Shreveport in 2002, but we always looked forward to this special time of catching up, eating Dick's gumbo and Jean Anne's many deserts while watching football and working jigsaw puzzles.

We also have other wonderful memories including our Alaskan Cruise together in 2000.

There is something very special about Jean Anne.  Whether you are initially attracted to her beautiful and warm smile, her sweet and sincere personality, or the engaging way she expresses interest in you, you are captivated and want to know more about this person.

 So, let me tell you a little about her.

FAMILY

She is married to Dr. Larry Williams, who since leaving Bastrop in 1979, has served as Minister of Education and now Minister to Senior Adults at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport.

They are the proud parents of two lovely daughters, Amy and Anne and five wonderful grandchildren, all of whom live nearby.

INTERESTS

Jean Anne is an excellent cook and enjoys trying new recipes in her bright and cheery kitchen.  She also delights in sharing her prepared dishes with folks who just need to know someone cares.  And she does!

She loves to read and now that she is retired, she is especially enjoying catching up on all the books she has collected by her favorite author, Karen Kingsbury.

But, Jean Anne's favorite pass time, other than spending time with her family, is scrape-booking.  She has been recording family memories in scrapbooks for many years.  Below is a box full of  2013 events and happenings so far.

I asked her what her favorite possession(s) was, and I got two very interesting answers.

Jean Anne just recently acquired this trophy from her father, age 92, which dates back to 1940.  The story is, in the little rural Oklahoma town in which her dad grew up, the only pass time for this tall athletic boy and his brothers was basketball.  In 1940, he played on the small High School basketball team that won the State Title, and this is his trophy from that memorable event.

Jean Anne said that her dad shared some very interesting stories with her recently about that time.  After graduating from High School, he was given a Basketball Scholarship to play at one of the large Oklahoma Universities.  After playing one year, he left school because "He just didn't feel right about being paid to play basketball when his two older brothers were serving in the military."  He continued to play basketball on local teams however, winning various trophies until 1973.

What a treasure trove of memories!

 Her other favorite item really didn't surprise me because I have been aware of this item and its significance for many years.

It is her grandmother's dining table.  If it could only talk, the stories it could tell.

SERVICE

As you will see, service is the most important part of Jean Anne's life.  And it is something she and Larry continue to pass on to their children and grandchildren.

Jean Anne served on the staff of Broadmoor Baptist Church for 30 years, 1983 - 2013; 15 of those years as teacher of the 3-year old class and also teaching music two days a week in the church's Week Day Preschool.  Then, she served as Director for 15 years.  Under her leadership, the school grew and enlarged services to the families of the children enrolled.  Although she retired in May of this year, she is still involved by volunteering to help as needed.

During this time, she also sold Premier Jewelry for 12 years.  She taught a Sunday School class, worked with Children's Choirs and continues to sing in the Adult Choir.  Yes, she has been a very busy lady.

Currently, she and Larry personally minister to the widows of their church.  They have organized the group called, "Circle of Love & Hope."  They meet once a week for Bible study, special interest programs, eating out, and craft projects that they share with local non-profit organizations.  They enjoy taking trips to interesting locations where they will also be involved in some type mission project.

 But, perhaps the greatest avenue of service has been in mission trips to Mexico and their on-going ministry to pastors and leaders in the South Central part of the country.  They have teamed up with the Mexican Indian Training Center (MITC) in Cordoba to help support the work of the local pastors and churches while also meeting the medical needs of the people.

Larry and Jean Anne began their Mexico ministry along with members of their church, in the early 1980's.  She has been going on these annual mission trips every year with the exception of perhaps seven of those years.

 

One of the things about Jean Anne is she is willing to serve where ever she is needed most.  Her  responsibilities on these trips through the years has been varied and include painting, cooking, assisting the medical teams, and most recently serving as "pharmacist."  But, knowing this gal as I do, I know that her main ministry is to love on, encourage, befriend, and show the love of Jesus to these people.

 She and Larry have passed the love for this ministry to their girls and now their oldest grandson.

I asked Jean Anne this question, although I already knew the answer:

"What is most important to you?"

Her answer?

"My Christian faith and the strength I gain from that.  Of course my family is very important, and my church because this is where I serve and the majority of my friends are there, but, yes, I would have to say my faith is the most important thing to me."

This large painting done particularly for Larry, hangs in their home and epitomizes the lives of both Larry and Jean Anne.

May I paraphrase and say that it has been a joy to know and love this Godly lady who is truly

 Beautiful Without & Within.

Links to remaining posts in series:

Sally Cox

Dana Mosely

Margaret Williams Jones

Sharon Mabus

Miscellany Monday - Glenwood Village Tea Room

I am so excited about this post today and thank you Carissa for Miscellany Monday.

This is a post I have been looking forward to doing for several weeks.  Since Sunday was Veteran's Day, this is the perfect time to introduce to you a veteran and true patriot. 
Sharon McCullar

When the Lord gave me the title, "Beauty Without Within" for my presentations years ago, I think He must have had Sharon McCullar in mind.

Sharon is without a doubt a beautiful lady on the outside as you will see below.  She is 100% feminine, loves makeup, curls, pink, lace and frills and is seldom without her pearls.

But, her true beauty comes from within.

Let me share with you some interesting things about this pretty veteran.

She was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and joined the USAF at the age of 18.  She had a very interesting tour of duty while serving in Japan, Philippines, Burma and Thailand.  She was stationed at Korat AFB during the evacuation of Saigon and had to be air lifted out during the Thai Student Rebellion.

After spending her last six months of enlistment in Fort Worth, Texas, she had fallen in love with the south and decided to make it her new home.  Once discharged, she attended Texas Tech University for two years, then Texas Christian University and University of Texas in Arlington.

She studied Home Economics, Interior Design, Business Management and Food Science.

She was married 15 years before being divorced.  Her true pride and joy are her two sons, Ben and John who are both currently serving in USMC - Scout Sniper and Marine Special Operations.

Sharon has owned and operated The Glenwood Village Tearoom for 25 years.

Sharon established the Tea Party movement in Shreveport/Bossier along with 9 other patriots.

Two years ago, Sharon rededicated her life to Christ and this is the source of her radiant beauty.

I met Sharon about a year ago when we joined First Baptist Shreveport.  She hosts our monthly Sunday School lady's gathering at her Tea Room.  The food is as delicious and beautifully presented as the fellowship is sweet.  Should you plan to visit, you must end your meal with one her specialty scones.  The best you will find!

Come go inside with me!

What else would you expect to find in a Tea Room Gift Shop other than tea sets?  You will certainly find some beautiful sets, but there is so much more to be seen.  Sharon has created so many little vignettes that capture and hold the eye.

 

 Her office.  I think I could work here, don't you?

Thank you Sharon, for your service, for your inspiration, and for your beauty without and within.

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones

As you know, I am visiting family in Indiana for several weeks, and as a result, I don't have or want to take the time required to create a new blog posting several times a week.  Thankfully, there are others who do take the time to share their heart with us.  One of these is Rachel at Finding Joy.

She so beautifully expressed what so many of us girls have experienced.  As a pre-teen, I was called "Bean Pole" by who I thought to be the cutest boy in the whole school.  I was tall and skinny with no boobs and misshapen teeth - quite ugly in my estimation.  I sure didn't measure up to the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, Olivia DeHavland, and other shapely idols of my day.  Have you been there?  What made a difference in your life?

I hope you find Rachel's post as inspiring as I did, and thank you Rachel for sharing your heart with us.

sticks and stones may break my bones

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

sticks and stones may break my bones
but words will never hurt me....

She was just a girl. Little, in fifth grade, with uncontrolled frizzy hair and a freckly face. But, despite that, oh so awkward stage, she felt good that day. In fact, she felt amazing and full of confidence. She had on these cool pants - floral pants, very 80s pants, with a bright bold pattern splashed about everywhere. And she had on her white sweatshirt - cute with the 3/4 length sleeves and the trendy emblem on the front. In her mind? Perfection.

She got permission to look at the nailpolish in Target while her mom and dad looked at the shampoo in the next aisle. She looked - at the reds, blues and the pinks - feeling as if nothing could stop her right then. To her, it was the perfect growing up type of afternoon. And just then, three boys, teenagers probably, came around the corner, saw her, the anonymous girl, and decided to yell something at her.
Hey Ugly.

She looked up, the once confident little eleven year old in her favorite outfit, and saw them. Laughing. At her. They ran off and left her standing there in the midst of pointless nailpolish. Who cared about luscious pink and cherry reds now. Now, she hated her clothes. She hated those pants with the purple flowers splotched about. She hated her hair. She now thought she was ugly.

And she lived with that. For years and years and years.

Hey Ugly.

She grew. Got married. Had children. Yet, still in the background of her mind were those two little words. Hey Ugly. She let them grow and grow and grow. Then it developed into more and more more lies about herself that developed from one little lie yelled at her in the midst of an early years Target.

You're not good enough.
No one likes you.
You're dumb.
You can't do it.
You'll never do anything.

All from Hey Ugly.

Until, one day, that little girl, who was now an adult learned the truth of Hey Ugly. She learned that she was not ugly, but rather a daughter of the King. She learned that those kids, those boys, probably never thought again of the words that they yelled at that little girl in Target with her fabulously cute, but never worn again, floral pants. Or how those words could define a life. Until the girl, now an adult, decided to no longer live with those words defining her life. She instead began to live knowing that she was beautiful - In the Lord.

She learned about the power of words. She learned how callously and carelessly they are thrown around - little phrases here and there and when these words are left unchecked they grow into lies distorting the truth of self. She learned that as a mother that she needs to absolutely guard the words that she tells her children. She learned that she is not an emotion. She is not angry, sad, mad, scared, fearful and all of that. She is much more than emotion.

And she learned to forgive and let go of the hurt from those boys that decided in their world to be funny and yell at a little girl Hey Ugly.

She wasn't ugly. She just believed them.

But, not anymore.

She learned how those are lies of a culture that are destined to hold people, to hold women, to hold moms back. The lies don't define a life. The lies don't define worth. They don't define value. Or potential. They don't define beauty. They don't define capability. Instead she learned that truth defines.

And now, she's sitting here, behind a laptop writing to you.

She's telling you that you are not ugly, worthless, pointless, never going to measure up, a failure, don't matter, and all of that lie filled chatter that can run through our minds. Rather, you are beautiful. You are worthy. You are full of potential. You, right now, in your home with all that you are doing and have to do, with those old lies that no longer need to run through your head, you are absolutely beautiful.

Do not ever forget that.

Do not ever listen to the Hey Ugly cries of this world.

You are more than that.

You are a beautiful daughter of the King.

She's telling you, she's imploring of you, to listen to that finding joy truth instead.

*****
this post is  a small portion of the keynote that I gave at the 2:1 Conference 
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