I am excited to introduce you to our next feature in the “A Life Lived Beautifully” series. I began this series last November with the desire to encourage women to live fully for God’s glory right where they are. I believe there are many women we can learn from and be inspired by as they walk with Christ. A life lived beautifully is about making much of Christ with the passions, desires, and gifts He has blessed you with. Today’s feature is about my friend, Emily Betzler. When I first met Emily online, I knew I would connect with her because we both share a love for the word beautifully. She truly does her live her life in a beautiful way! Emily is one of the co-founders of Bought Beautifully. The mission of Bought Beautifully is to support vendors who are selling and making products to share about Christ. Products in their shop are from all over the world have a goal of impacting the kingdom. Check them out for your next gift purchases and enjoy meeting Emily!Introduce yourself like we are having coffee together. What kind of coffee/tea would you drink?

Good morning! If we were meeting at a coffee shop, I would run up to you and give you a big hug, it might be little too “close” for our first meeting…I’m known to be quite friendly and invade personal bubbles for a hug. ☺ While I would probably say I was going to order green tea, the smell of fresh coffee and the thought of something sugary would have me changing my mind at the last minute to order a frappuccino/blended mocha.  After picking up our drinks I would promptly spill most of mine…I seem to have a spilling problem.

What is your definition of a “life lived beautifully“?

A life that that radiates the joy of the Lord and lived with authenticity & overflowing love.  While that may sound sort of boring, I promise it isn’t.  It is being true to myself and the person God made me to be, embracing my imperfections, and trusting God to use me where I am for His good.  It is a life that prioritizes people and relationships, good books and long walks, a life that works hard and plays hard, that is full of adventure but is grounded family a warm loving home.  One that pursues creative endeavors and eats a lot of ice cream (I love ice cream!).  I still have a long way to go to live like this daily, but I am working on it and everyday is a little more beautiful.

When did you start following Jesus?

I wish I had a Paul-like conversion story but mine was more of a slow deliberate though sometimes not so deliberate process…

I grew up in the Catholic church and was always interested in spiritual things.  My family went to church regularly and I had a sincere belief in a God or a higher power, I didn’t have a personal intimate relationship with this higher power and certainly didn’t consider Jesus my savior.  I was in a rather serious car accident in high school, which set the course for some very negative things in my life (depression, more drinking, eating disorder, etc.) but also started a more fervent search for the deeper meaning to life.   I looked everywhere except to Christianity – I didn’t see how this hum-drum boring religion had anything to offer me…

When I was in college I met a boy <3 <3 <3, who showed me what being a Christ follower truly looked like.  I started giving Christianity a reluctant chance.

Over the course of the next year I read the bible, went to church and attended some bible studies.  I remember so clearly the day Jesus revealed himself to me.  I was hiking alone in Saguaro National Park, my Grandma had just passed away and I was really struggling with what I believed.  I was standing alone in the desert in front of a huge Saguaro cactus when God clearly spoke John 14:6 to me, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

It was a precious, supernatural, amazing experience for me and from that day on I knew who the one true God was.  That said, it still wasn’t an instant conversion.  I knew that Jesus was real but I didn’t know that I could trust him or that I wanted too.  God continued to pursue me and reveal himself to me, around a year later when I finished reading Romans, I finally understood what Christ’s amazing sacrifice meant for me and fully committed my life to following him. Best. Decision. EVER!!

P.S. I married that special boy!

What are some verses you constantly cling to and bring life to your soul?

Oh there are so many verses that have become favorites during the different seasons of life.  However, two of my all-time favorites are:

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen

I love this verse for the hope, power, excitement and adventure that it promises; I have applied it in many different situations (good and hard) and have been BLOWN away how God consistently does more (and better!!) than I can imagine when it is for His glory.

The second is Romans 12: 1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The two I am currently clinging to, and trying to live out are:

Daniel 2:20-22 Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.  He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.

And Isaiah 40:31  Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

With starting a new business and having young children (both things that were longed for and hoped for before coming to fruition) I often feel pulled in different directions and quickly overwhelmed by the ever-changing “to do” list.  I need a constant reminder and grounding that God is in control; with a perfect plan and a purpose.  All I can do is work as hard as I can while honoring him in all I do, offering the rest in His capable hands.

How do you integrate sharing the Gospel with creativity?

Living my life openly and authentically…

How did God direct you to start Bought Beautifully?

I think this video gives a pretty succinct summary!

What is the vision and purpose behind Bought Beautifully?

Our vision is to connect people to organizations that are positively impacting the world by sharing God’s love.  We believe that our small everyday choices matter, and when combined and directed in ways that honor and Glorify we can make huge impacts!! As Christian’s in the United States we have the unbelievable fortune to possess disposable income – items like gifts, jewelry etc. are considered luxuries for the majority of people in the world today, I think it is such an amazing honor that we can use these purchases in meaningful ways.

If you could do anything for the glory of God, what would it be?

WOW! I feel like my answer to this is a true testimony to God’s goodness and faithfulness – I would be doing exactly what I am doing!  Being a wife and mother, living in a small community where I feel like I have deep purposeful relationships, and the delicious icing on the cake: working on Bought Beautifully.  He is so good.

If you could tell every woman reading this blog one thing God has laid on your heart, what would it be?

First and foremost it would be that you are: beautiful, talented, capable, precious, loved, and enough.  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

To go along with that, my prayer and hope for women, especially my sisters in Christ, is that we would pray over, meditate on, and seek God’s wisdom and strength to live out Romans 12:1-2, specifically “not conforming to the pattern of this world”.   Our world/culture is constantly telling us how a woman should look dress, act and feel.  We have made this pinterest perfect, sexy, skinny, well-dressed, flawless, woman with the amazing job, husband, home, children, etc., our unrealistic ideal.   I think the quest to obtain this ideal results in insecurity from constant comparison and dissatisfaction from not having it all.

Instead of embracing the fullness and wholeness we have in Christ, we often focus on what we lack and then operate from a place of scarcity.  The enemy has used this in a million destructive ways, but I think one of paramount importance, is how we perceive with one another.  We can at the same time, sincerely love our friends, yet not be genuinely happy for them.  When we live aware of what we lack, we fear that there isn’t enough goodness to go around, so then another’s success somehow points to my failure, or another’s successful calling means I’m unable find my own, another’s thriving means I’m not.   However, when we trust that we are enough in Christ and have our purpose in Him, and that He has created us for a good work to do, we let go of what we lack, to see that we are playing on the same team and that see another’s success as a compliment to my own.

I pray that this generation of women will break the chains of insecurity; that we will be women who operate out of the fullness we have in Christ instead of what we lack according to our culture.  That we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds and will start celebrating, encouraging and supporting our sisters as the wonderfully, fearfully made women that we are!  I can’t imagine how this force for good could impact the world simply by loving,  supporting and building each other up!

Catch up on other “A Life Lived Beautifully” features here!