Impossible Beauty

Becca Stevens is an Episcopal priest, speaker, author, social entrepreneur, and founder and president of Thistle Farms. Simply put, Thistle Farms makes natural bath, body, and home products. But this beautiful initiative does so much more than that. Thistle Farms employs and empowers female survivors of trafficking, violence, and addiction. The organization provides free housing, medical care, therapy, and education for two years, while women earn an income through one of three social enterprises.

Becca inspires me to see that true beauty is revealed in loving acts. And Becca’s beauty shines so brightly as she continues to provide a loving space for women to heal and to grow. As they say at Thistle Farms, “love heals”…and that is a beautiful thing.

I was 23-years-old when I was first introduced to Erin Gruwell’s story in the 2007 feature film Freedom Writers. I remember being enamored with Erin’s story; how she used writing as a tool for healing and bridge building in a Long Beach, California English classroom filled with at-risk youth and racial tensions in light of the Rodney King riots. Not only did 100% of Erin’s students go on to graduate from high school, but they also became co-authors of the New York Times bestselling book, The Freedom Writers Diary. Following the film, Erin went on to found the Freedom Writers Foundation, dedicated to “provid[ing] educators with tools to empower all students to succeed” (www.freedomwritersfoundation.org). The Foundations’ efforts reach worldwide.

Erin is a prime example of authentic beauty, of persevering to bring about wholeness and inspiration in the midst of brokenness. She has grit and fiercely fights to highlight the innate beauty in others. It was a dream come true to meet Erin (via Skype), a mentor of mine for years. I no doubt believe that she will very soon be a mentor of yours as well.

Mako is a leading contemporary artist. His art has been featured in galleries and museums around the world and is represented by Waterfall Mansion in New York City and Artrue International in Asia. Fujimura is also an arts advocate, speaker, and has written several books, including Refractions, Culture Care, and Silence and Beauty. He is recognized worldwide as a cultural influencer and currently serves as the Director of Culture Care Initiative at Fuller Theological Seminary.

Lydia Fujimura, Mako's daughter, is a human resources professional and a lifelong student of human psychology and behavior. She holds a Masters degree in Organizational Psychology. Lydia has also worked alongside a nonprofit group called Telos, which is dedicated to peacemaking efforts among polarized people groups.

As you can imagine, this conversation is fascinating. Together, Mako and Lydia invited me to see how brokenness can in fact be the starting point for beauty and how eternal truths about true beauty can be passed down from generation to generation.

I had so many “aha” moments interviewing Hillary McBride, it’s hard to know where to begin summarizing our time together. Hillary is a Vancouver-based researcher, therapist, and doctoral candidate. She is also the author of Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image: Learning to Love Ourselves As We Are and is featured on “The Liturgists” podcast and the CBC podcast “Other People’s Problems.”

If you have ever struggled with body image or are a mom wanting to pass along positive messages around body image to your daughter, this one is for you.

Jennifer Moore comes alongside women in crises at Tandem in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Tandem is an organization that provides a community of hope and practical help for women undergoing a variety of struggles. The work Jennifer does is so important, coming alongside women during some of the most vulnerable seasons of their lives. What's even more amazing is how Jennifer does her work, the heart she has for the women she works with and the steadfast hope she carries for them, and with them.

Join me in learning from Jennifer. Her words are dynamic, and she speaks from a place of raw authenticity. She knows about brokenness. Interestingly enough, that has also resulted in her knowing all about true beauty and real hope too.

Bob Goff is a self-proclaimed “recovering lawyer” and author of two New York Times best selling books: "Love Does" and "Everybody Always." He also hosts conferences worldwide to encourage people to find and follow their dreams and has established Love Does the organization, dedicated to helping change the lives of women and children around the world.

Bob enacts the kind of beauty I’m talking about in so many ways. The kind of beauty that brings about wholeness, and freedom, and flourishing. He believes that love isn’t just a concept, but an action, and he makes that apparent in everything he does. I experienced that firsthand, as Bob recently took some time to sit down with me to talk about beauty.

Katelyn Beaty is an advocate for women, helping them take hold of their true identity. She is the author of "A Woman’s Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World", she was Christianity Today’s youngest and first female managing editor, and Katelyn launched a website for the magazine called Her.meneutics, created for female writers.

Katelyn’s voice is articulate and powerful, speaking to the intersection of faith and culture in publications such as The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The New York Times.
Her insights on beauty are so inspiring and I know you’ll feel the same way.

Sarah Groves is an extremely gifted singer, songwriter, and recording artist who has been nominated for 7 Dove Awards. Sarah also works alongside International Justice Mission, advocating for victims of human trafficking. Sarah's beautiful voice has this amazing way of speaking to the soul's deepest longings, struggles, and hopes. In this episode I talk with Sarah Groves about beauty and what it means to search for and understand beauty in the midst of the sometimes very broken human experience.

For more on Impossible Beauty's mission to re-define and re-discover true beauty, go to:
impossible-beauty.com

Greg is a recognized theologian, teacher, pastor and co-founder of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, and has authored or co-authored 22 books. While Greg’s credentials are impressive, what has most impacted me is his belief in and teaching on the unconditional and incomprehensible love of God.

So, if beauty truly is “the life of God at work in us and around us,” it makes all the difference if the character of that God is entirely good and loving. Greg’s teaching on that kind of love has changed my faith and, so, my life.