Lyrics with Lauren: "That Girl..." Wins?

I won something.

CRAZY, I know. It's totally the Lord, and so cool.


It's the "Model of Beauty" contest.

My friend Esther is a Mary Kay consultant, and she asked me to be a part of the contest (she has to do so many faces each month) and I love her and her husband Ricky and their sweet baby girl Isabella (not the Izzy I keep, different one...) so I went over and had her make me up. To be honest, I don't normally wear a lot of makeup, and some days I go without it all together.

She took the "before" picture (and I have to admit that I did the sans smile face thing like you always see in the before pictures when Oprah does makeovers) and then she used her products and she did a really good job. She took the "after" picture (complete with smile) and I thought I was done. Then Esther asked me what was beautiful to me. I had to write a little essay, and I was honest in the fact that beauty is transparency to me (yay for T squared...you know what I mean...) and being beautiful is living a beautiful life from the inside out.

She texted me yesterday and asked for my favorite quote (Psalm 51:6) and my favorite color (pink, please...was there ever a question in your mind, Good Blog Reader?) and my favorite vacation spot, etc.

Each girl in Esther's unit had a winner. Then last night after an awesome, awesome formation, I received word that I won!
Which means:

• A gift certificate to a SPA in Evansville (I think I just peed my pants from excitement...)
• Some free Kary Kay products (!!)

God is better to me than I deserve. I have been exhausted and His grace always brings the unexpected blessings right when we need encouragement.

who would have thought?

In honor of this sweet blessing, I have decided to include another Sara Groves song in this Wednesday's installment of "Lyrics with Lauren." It's a song that really challenges me every time I hear to make sure that I am offering my best and my excellence to my community of faith and the Body of Christ. I hope you enjoy it:

We come with beautiful secrets
We come with purposes written on our hearts, written on our souls
We come to every new morning
With possibilities only we can hold that only we can hold
Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces
Calling out the best of who we are
And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That's burning up inside
It comes in small inspirations
It brings redemption to life and work
To our lives and our work
It comes in loving community
It comes in helping a soul find it's worth
Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces
Calling out the best of who we are
And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That's burning up inside
This is grace, an invitation to be beautiful
This is grace, an invitation
Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces
Calling out our best
And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That's burning up inside

yeah. love it. you can see why.

(Becky, this is the song I was telling you about. If you happen to snap some pics that would fit, I would LOVE it.)

For the rest of you, I dare you to go to Becky's Blog and see two of our amazing FBC Bicknell princesses (Gracie and Tali: Seth and I love you!!) and their awesome dance photos. Now they are beautiful...