Admiration

I sometimes lament the fact that so much of our news is bad. Disasters, recessions, people hurt and broken, fear. I get so inundated with these stories sometimes that I forget to see the things that are happy, whole and uplifting. With that in mind, I thought of some good people to post about. These women are doing hard and wonderful things and they have touched my life and changed it for the better.

One of my friends, Elizabeth has always dreamed of being a writer. She has many kids. She has many responsibilities. But she loves to write and she hasn't let a lack of time or energy stop her. (she's doing a great giveaway, so you can click over if you want to enter!) This is her dream and she doesn't give up on it. She writes every night (and many days) and manages to balance this in her busy, beautiful life. I am certain that one day in the near future, I will be able to find her name on Amazon under "authors."

Heidi is my sister and one of my best friends. She is a talented artist and graphic designer. Her sense of humor matches mine perfectly and after midnight, we are hil-ar-ious! She graduated a year ago and because of an oversaturated market hasn't found a job in her feild yet. She also struggles with serious depression. One of the many things I love about Heidi is how hard she fights! Everytime she gets knocked down, she rises up and moves on. She doesn't always see it but she is so strong.

Another friend and I "met" over a blog swap. Julie is a missionary mom raising her two little boys in Hungary with her husband. She didn't speak hungarian before she moved there. (and she is still learning) Hungarian is an extremely difficult language to learn. They have had medical scares and housing difficulties and are very far from the world they knew. What makes her so amazing though, is that I can tell through her posts that she believes in what her family is doing. It's hard but she's bringing the people of Hungary to a knowledge of their Savior. She spreads joy.

Emily and I just met a few months ago. She has worked hard and with great dedication (and success!) to improve her health. She's done this both for herself and for her family. In her blog, she talks about wanting to have fun with her kids. physical fun! It's been really hard. It's taken a lot of time. She's stuck it out, forgiven herself for slip-ups, found activities she loves and she is an inspiration to me. Her new blog, Awesomely Healthy, is one of the ways she shares her success with those around her. I really think she's one of those women who wants everyone to win. Don't you love people like that?

There are SO many more amazing women in my family and in my circle of friends. How wonderful that there should not be enough room to list them, let alone tell you about their lives. Chances are, if you're reading this, that you are one of them. Thanks, everybody, for being my good news!