When Beauty is More Than Skin Deep

Beauty is only skin deep. An old saying, one that is heard less nowadays than in the past. But shouldn't a more accurate phrase be, "Beauty is more than skin deep?" My mother was the most beautiful woman I have ever met.

She was beautiful at the age of 18, and equally as beautiful, at least in my eyes, at the age of 80. Her smile had a sweetness that could melt my heart and was matched only by her sweetness of spirit.








Today is the birthday of a young woman whom I met when she about one year old. She has had a fascinating, and at times, difficult life. She was a beautiful child and remains a beautiful young woman. She too has that sweetness of spirit that age will never be able to conquer. 

She is an artist who paints beautiful memories for women; She paints their wedding gowns. Her inspiration came following a 5 story fall from her fire escape in 2004. The following is an excerpt from her website, stephanielondon.com


Ever since the accident, beauty helps. It has become so important because beauty possesses an ability to heal. It just speaks something to my heart that I need to hear, to feel, to know. Beauty reaches inside and touches the surfaces of desires so deep that we dare not speak of them. Beauty in its purest and truest form makes our hearts ache, numbs our minds, and makes the whole world stand perfectly still, even if just for that one moment. Beauty cannot be contained and our hearts long for its freedom, a moment of sweet ecstasy from the hardships of our broken lives. Beauty speaks to the truth hidden deep inside each of our hearts. We were made for this, to be made whole through its perfection. The universal desire and longing for beauty exists because beauty is a reflection of God. I believe this longing for beauty is actually our hearts yearning to be united with Christ in his radiant beauty. When we encounter beauty as a bride ready for her groom, or watching a sunset, or walking on the beach, or being in the mountains, or watching the snow fall, or even simply admiring a daisy after a really tough day; each time we experience a bit of beauty it is like getting a glimpse of heaven and our hearts recognize that they are home.

In addition, Stephanie has started a foundation to aid victims of the sex trafficking industry. The Stephanie London Foundation exists to raise both monies and public awareness of this very troubling issue.

What a truly beautiful way to celebrate a birthday.

Blessings ~Marla

Happy Exhaustion

As of today we are officially off the wedding train. The tuxes and linens are returned and life is beginning to resemble a sort of normalcy. To all those who helped out during the last week...a HUGE thank you!! You helped make a beautiful, memorable day for my son and his bride. 

We enjoyed seeing family and friends, though I am beginning to understand cultures that make wedding celebrations a three day event...there is simply not enough time to visit with everyone at American weddings!

To all those who commented on how much you have enjoyed my blog, thank you so much. I gain so much from writing it, I am happy to hear others can find something worthwhile in my pouring out of my soul. I am very much looking forward to concentrating on it once again!

Thank you to those who inquired about my back...the Prednisone burst worked like magic and I have enjoyed the respite from pain very much! I wish I could stay on it forever, but I am very grateful my doctor was willing to assist me in really being able to enjoy this weekend. There is nothing better than dancing with your son at his wedding! 

Thank you for all your support. I have added a few pictures of the event to share with you. ~Marla

Great Expectations

I have weddings on the brain right now. With only 24 days until my son is married, it is starting to get a little more busy around here. I have a list of deadlines and to-do items. But it is an exciting time and after a 19 month engagement I am ready to boot the little bird from the nest! Seriously, I am excited to watch him embark on a new chapter of his life. Hopefully, the longest and most fulfilling one as well.

I have been blessed with a strong, stable marriage from the beginning. I have been married for 28 years to my high-school sweetheart. We dated for 6 years before our marriage. My expectations going into this marriage were simple. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with my best friend, someone I loved dearly, who was faithful and trustworthy. I had no idea what that journey would entail, but I knew who I wanted by my side.

 Did I want children and a nice home someday? Of course! But I also knew that regardless of those things, I already had the person who would be with me no matter how everything else turned out. To have and to hold.

What makes a marriage successful? Well, there are millions of books out there that attempt to answer that question for you. But I think it boils down to two things: commitment & expectations. The first one is a given, right? Everyone knows a long lasting marriage needs commitment. But I think expectations are just as important, especially to the happiness of that union. So many people enter into marriage with a view of bliss and roses. When in reality it is compromise and dirty dishes! They set their expectations so high that failure is inevitable. They see their future together as a calm, beautiful trip down the river Seine, when more likely it will be like Mad Toads Wild Ride at Disneyland!

My son and his fiancée are high-school sweethearts. They have been together for 8 years. They are best friends and love each other dearly. My advice to them? Expect to live the rest of your life with your very best friend...and enjoy the ride!


~Marla

Being There

This past few weeks I have been giving a lot of thought about what it means to be there for family. I am not talking about when a crisis or tragedy occurs, those are the easy times to be supportive and rally around the people involved. I am talking about being there for the celebrations, even if we don't feel like celebrating with them. (A quick disclaimer here...to my family who live out of state...this has nothing to do with the upcoming wedding...I totally understand financial and time difficulties.) 

Recently I became aware of a situation of a young woman marrying without the support of her parents. They did not approve of her choice in a mate, so they effectively boycotted the wedding. The man she married did not have a criminal record and didn't beat her, in fact they they had been together for over 5 years as a couple. While they may not have approved of him, their daughter was certainly old enough to make her own decision in this matter.

 My husband and I discussed this quite a lot and pretty much came to the conclusion that unless our child was marrying someone we suspected of physically harming them, that we would be there for them on their wedding day. We would be there to support them in their joy, and if we were proved right in our assessment of their choice in mate, we would be there to support them as they picked up the pieces of their broken relationship.

I have, unfortunately seen this in my own family. The parents were ultimately proved wrong in their assessment and came to care for their child's spouse. More amazing was the forgiveness the couple extended to the parents...but the damage was already done. The woman can't erase the memories of a walk down the aisle with someone other than her father, or a wedding dress never admired by her mother. 

Even more sad was the loss on the parents side. As a mother I wouldn't have traded the experience of being with my daughter on her wedding day for anything. And the pride my husband felt as he walked his baby girl down the aisle was immeasurable. These parents cheated themselves as well as their daughter out of these experiences...experiences that can never be recaptured. What a shame.

Sometimes we may be there physically to show support, but emotionally we are bitter, jealous or just plain unhappy, and this shows. Instead of loving kindness we exude bitterness, sarcasm, snarky comments and put-downs. I wish I could say I have never done this myself, but I have. Sometimes when you are going through a particularly difficult time, it is hard to share someone else's joy with them. Why should their life be full of happiness while your's seems full of misery? But if we give in to this it is something that both parties may remember for many years to come. We need to rise above our feelings and shower them joy...it will make us feel better too!

So the next time you have a chance to celebrate with loved ones, grab the opportunity for all it is worth! Those are the memories we need to make as a family...something happy to hold onto when the next tragedy occurs in our lives.


~Marla