About the name
"beauty out of dust: living His story for His glory" was derived from a variety of sources.
[1] We love the song "Beautiful Things" by Gungor (awesome video here), which says,
"You make beautiful things out of the dust, You make beautiful things out of us."
We love this because Genesis 2:7 says, "Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being"
(beautiful things out of the dust!).
However, because of man's sin, we are bound to return to dust (Gen. 3:19).
Furthermore, because of sin, we are dead and without hope in that sin.
But. BUT!
Ephesians 2:4-5 says, "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved."
He makes beautiful things out of us.
"You make beautiful things out of the dust, You make beautiful things out of us."
We love this because Genesis 2:7 says, "Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being"
(beautiful things out of the dust!).
However, because of man's sin, we are bound to return to dust (Gen. 3:19).
Furthermore, because of sin, we are dead and without hope in that sin.
But. BUT!
Ephesians 2:4-5 says, "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved."
He makes beautiful things out of us.
[2] We also love the song "I Already Know" by Mandi Mapes (cover here... can't find a video of Mandi singing just this song). In it, she sings from God's perspective:
"I already know Who's going to save you, I already know the end of the story.
You were made for Me, and I'll never leave you, and in the end, it's all for My glory."
This chorus reminds us of Psalm 139:16: "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
"I already know Who's going to save you, I already know the end of the story.
You were made for Me, and I'll never leave you, and in the end, it's all for My glory."
This chorus reminds us of Psalm 139:16: "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
[3] While we are overjoyed to begin our family,
we realize that we are only able to adopt because of tragic reality.
There are over 143 million orphans in the world.
However, through adoption (among other means), God turns something heartbreaking into something incredible. The adoption of a child is a beautiful picture of how we are adopted as God's children by His grace through Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:14-17).
we realize that we are only able to adopt because of tragic reality.
There are over 143 million orphans in the world.
However, through adoption (among other means), God turns something heartbreaking into something incredible. The adoption of a child is a beautiful picture of how we are adopted as God's children by His grace through Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:14-17).
All that to say - the name of this blog is an attempt to capture all of that.
God has already written our story, and we are just trying to glorify Him
