Breathtaking Beauty

This week in staff devotionals, we were watching a DVD with Donald Miller on it. He said a statement that practically made me stand up an yell..... "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" (kinda charismatic, I know. And hey, Don, forgive me if I didn't quote you exactly)

He said: 

We were born to create and defend beauty

What a brilliant statement, and one that resonated with my heart, mind and soul.
Recently I have been going to a life coach and through a process I discovered that one of the thing that I "need" is to be surrounded by beauty. I am motivated by beauty and I need to create beauty, whether is be in an environment, or with others and observing the beauty in them.
Beauty for me, comes in different forms:

• visual
• sounds
• smells
• touch

Just give me some beauty in some way, every day. It's like steroids for my soul. I can often be heard saying things like:
"What a beauty day!"  or  "Beauty!!" (that means I really like it)
So, for the past while, I have intentionally sought out to include beauty even more in my life or take time to notice the beauty in every day. It brings me great happiness.
I think I'm going to do regular posts that are filled with inspiring pics and thoughts of beauty.
I think I'll call them Breathtaking Beauty, unless someone can give me a better suggestion.

Here are some glimpses of beauty that has been surrounding me of late.
(Be patient.. there are alot. Some of these pics are for my friends from far away who've been asking what my gardens look like)

As a surprise for Mother's Day, my oldest daugther went out and picked a HUGE amount of lilacs and carefully placed them in vases. I arrived home to the house filled with a glorious scent and my table full of arrangements. Here's a few.

 I laid on my bed staring at this one for about an hour and thought... aside from bee's gathering pollen. What is the purpose of a lilac bush, except to bring sights and scents of beauty to us humans. 

I know what you're thinking... I'm spoiled.. I know, and I love it!

 I love this little beauty, she's my sweet pea and she gives the best contagious smiles and giggles on the earth.

Did you just gasp?! I'll bet you did! This is the view from my deck after a spring rain in Kelowna. Breathtaking Beauty.

Hot water, is a beautiful thing. (especially after you have been in Africa and have not showered for 10 days) Being in a hot tub, staring at the mountains, listening to an orchestra of birds is magnificent beauty.

For me, driving to and from work is a beautiful thing. It's like nothing I have ever experienced.

 I had to put one more rainbow pic in.... the colors were truly this bright... I'm not even joking.

Last, but certainly not least... a smile or look of love... it a timeless beauty. This is my silver fox, and when he smiles, or if, like in this picture, his eyes are only smiling... well, it takes my breath away.