Beauty

As writers and readers of Craft, DIY, and Design Blogs, we are always surrounding ourselves with beautiful things.  We are either creating beauty with our crafts (well, for the most part they turn out beautiful) or making our homes beautiful or spending downtime reading beautiful books and magazines or perusing beautiful things on Pinterest. 

Photo from www.homesatoz.com

We also spend time making sure that our family is taken care of and that they are beautiful too.  We make or buy them the cutest clothes.  We make sure their hair is combed and don’t forget all those beautiful bows.  We spend time making ourselves beautiful too.  We get our hair cut (and for most of us – colored) and we learn the latest makeup tricks.

  BEAUTIFUL!

We love to surround ourselves with beauty that we can see.  We love to make the perfect world for our families and ourselves.  But what if your world wasn’t perfect?   What if one of your wonderful, beautiful, perfect children were physically disabled, or hearing or vision impaired or type 1 diabetic or had cancer?  Have you ever thought how that would turn your beautiful, perfect world upside down?

This past weekend I had the privilege to attend an awards ceremony at the Texas Lions Camp in Kerrville, Texas.  The Texas Lions Camp is a residential camping facility for physically disabled, hearing/vision impaired, type 1 diabetic children and children with cancer.  Camp is provided, without charge, to children who live anywhere in the State of Texas, regardless of race, religion or national origin.  The Texas Lions Camp is located on over 500 acres in Kerrville where activities include swimming and horseback riding.  The Camp is designed to introduce the “Can Do” philosophy to children dealing with special medical conditions and allow these children to achieve maximum personal growth and self-esteem.  Children with special needs, from all over Texas are invited to attend one of nine weeks of camp each summer in hopes that the Texas Lions Camp will become one of their life-long childhood memories.  It is a week designed for fun, exploration and challenge.    

And I do mean I had the privilege.  When I first saw all the children, some in motorized chairs, some with walkers, some using a counselor to help them get around, my heart was heavy.  I felt sorry for them and their families.  I felt guilty for feeling so relieved that everyone in my family was so healthy.  I believed that I couldn’t bear the pain and the burden that these children and their families lived every minute of every day.  But I continued to watch the children and their interaction with the wonderful young counselors that were with them.  I saw not only the beautiful faces of the children but the faces of their parents and siblings when they saw each other.  The pure joy, the pride, the love, the PERFECT BEAUTY that was there.

That moment, that evening that I spent at the Texas Lions Camp made me stop and rethink BEAUTY.  Made me think of how to define the word – beauty.  Sure, we can run to old Webster where we see:

Extreme physical attractiveness and loveliness; perfect combination of characteristics pleasurable to see

This is the definition that we use everyday as we write our blogs, create our crafts, and design our rooms.

I now define beauty as anything I can see or touch or smell that gives me those wonderful warm feelings inside – deep inside my bones – straight to the heart.  Beauty to me, brings tears of joy to my eyes – and I know what my eyes see.  They can see past the pretty wrappings, they can see past the biggest or smallest flaws.   It doesn’t matter if it isn’t perfect.  It doesn’t matter if no one else likes it.   I like it – NO – I love it.

It’s the beauty within – not only yourself but all those around you.   It’s a crooked smile, a little hand, a wrinkled hand, a tear on a cheek, a hand on a shoulder or a simple shy grin.  It’s everyday life and what you make of that life.  Remember, God will only give you what you can handle and He knows how strong we are.

I ask that today, you take a moment away from all the beauty surrounding you and think about what BEAUTY really means to you.  Say a prayer and thank God for your family and send a prayer to another family that could use the love and support.

 

About now, I’m sure your’re wondering what brought me to the Texas Lions Camp.  I just recently learned of the Camp myself.  My husband has joined a motorcycle club called the San Jacinto High Rollers.  At first, I was a little leery of him joining a motorcycle club (complete with leather jackets) until I learned more about this group of beautiful men.

Aren’t they just Beautiful?

The San Jacinto High Rollers (SJHR) is the oldest American Motorcycle Association (AMA) motorcycle club in Texas. It was founded in Pasadena in 1957 (hey – that’s when I was born so it is a very OLD club).   The club is family oriented and geared toward brotherhood.  The best thing about the High Rollers is that they have supported the Lions Club Children’s Camp in Kerrville, Texas since 1958. The First President, Milton Wood, founded the High Rollers as an AMA Chartered and non-profit organization (under 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code) to provide assistance for children in need and to improve the public image of motorcycling.

With the Lions Camp being SJHR’s main charity, members and friends work hard all year raising money for this wonderful camp. Each June the High Rollers roll into Kerrville on their motorcycles to present a check during the awards ceremony that is held at the end of each camp session.  During camp, the children are divided into “tribes” and each child in each tribe received an award during the ceremony.  It ranged from “Funniest” to “Best Joke Teller” to “Fastest” to “Most Likely To Make You Smile.”  It looked like almost every child and an individual counselor who was so involved with that child that it seemed like the only reason they were on earth was to be that child’s angel.  It was amazing!  Oh, and the parents, they couldn’t be any prouder if their child had just won the Little League All Stars.

The High Rollers broke a record with their fund raising for 2014.  This year, 68 bikes made the trip to Kerrville and almost 100 High Rollers were there to present a check to Lions Camp for $32,000.  YEP, $32,000.

Now that’s a donation.  How much was yours?

When you watch the check presentation you will see the enthusiasm that fills the camp and you’ll hear SJHR’s National President’s voice start to crack when he talks about the kids.

 

The Texas Lions Camp is recognized as a non-profit corporation, under section 501 (c)(3) of the IRS Code.  The Camp is accredited by the  American Camping Association and is licensed by the Texas Department of Health.

To learn more about the Texas Lions Camp please visit their website at www.lionscamp.com.  Gifts of every size are vital to the services provided at the Texas Lions Camp and will make a huge difference in the lives of current and future campers.  By joining in this effort, you will touch the lives of thousands of children and their families.  Donations can be made on their site.  You can find other ways to give through their Giving Programs which are all explained on their website.   There is also an on-line Texas Lions Camp Store where you can purchase shirts, caps, cups, etc.

Me & Don waiting for the festivities to start.  Isn’t he beautiful?

 

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