Promises, Promises

By Aurora Gregory 

Who doesn’t love it when life is easy, problem and stress-free? Everyone does! No one asks for challenges or problems to deal with but the truth is, challenges are a fact of life. There’s no avoiding them, no way to live a problem-free life. 

But you know what? A lot of good—a lot of eternal good—comes from life’s low times.

Good times have a way of distracting us. When life is easy and breezy, we don’t look for God much. We feel like we don’t need to. Because everything’s good.

But when crazy hits our lives, Jesus isn’t always our first choice to run to. We might avoid the situation or pretend that whatever’s going on is not really happening. We do everything we can to get back to the good times as quickly as possible. Because hard times don’t feel good and most of the time, we want to do anything we can to get back to feeling good.

But when we do that, we miss out on seeing God’s promises become real in our lives. And it’s the joy of His heart to show that He is real and true in our lives at all times, but especially when life hurts. 

He wants us to be confident that His promises to love, protect and provide for us are real and true. It is impossible for the Lord to lie. Numbers 23:19 asks “God is not a man that He should lie nor a son of man that He should repent. Has He said and will He not do? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good?” 

His promises are absolutely and perfectly trustworthy. And they are eternal. They are for today in our here and now and they are for the eternity we’ll spend with Him when we see Him face to face in Heaven. We can be confident in His eternal nature and the promises He makes to us.

Hard times are never fun, never enjoyable, never a walk in the park on a sunny day. But they are so valuable, so important because they let us see the Lord a little more clearly. And they challenge us to trust Him more and to rely on our thinking, our own wisdom less.

Challenging life seasons give us the chance to see God’s promises perfectly worked out in our lives.

So enjoy the no-stress, no-problem seasons of life. But when the bumpy times arrive – and they will – don’t avoid them, don’t deny them. Work through them with an eye to what promises the Lord wants you to experience personally. He has something for you that you don’t want to miss.

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Healing Will Come to You

By Aurora Gregory

I have a friend who has suffered through some really hard traumas in her life. From childhood abuse to a near-death experience in a major car accident as an adult, she has walked most of her life hurt, broken and searching for healing that always seems to be just beyond her grasp. She’s always so close but can never quite lay hold of the One who wants to lay hold of her and make her well.

In chapter 3 of the book of Acts, we meet a man who can’t walk. And he sits outside the gate of the temple where people come to pray and worship God. The name of the gate where he sits is called Beautiful but life at the gate is anything but beautiful for him. Every day he sits, begging for money.

The scripture says the man was carried to the temple gate every day. I imagine his friends picking him up in the morning and taking him to the gate and dropping him off there on their way to pray. And then at the end of the day, they would pick him up off the ground and take him home. But they never take him inside so he can pray or to pray for him. He only gets so close to the place where he might find healing.

Maybe you see yourself in the man or in my friend’s story. The hurts of life have left you emotionally or spiritually lame. You know healing must exist but you never quite grasp it. You know there must be more. You need healing.

The lame man sees Peter and John, two of the disciples, about to enter the temple. He calls out to them and they come over. Others going by must hear him too, but they just keep going, walking past him, never really seeing him. 

But Peter and John look straight at him. They see his faith and hope in Jesus. The man is looking for a few coins but they have so much more for him.

They heal him. The man’s faith in Jesus makes his complete healing, his jumping-around-and-praising-the-Lord healing possible.

Healing can find you in the same way. Stay steadfast in faith, patient in hope. Jesus sees you and He will find you. He’ll use people who have a faith like yours to see you and to pray words of healing over you. Don’t lose heart, just believe.

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Trust

By Martha Leon

“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!
In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.”

— Psalm 31:19-20. (ESV)

As a child you learned to be trusting. You jumped off tables, couches, and counters, trusting your father or mother would always be there to protect you. Without doubting, you placed your entire trust in them. Much like we trust our earthy protectors, how much more should we put our trust in our Heavenly Protector? We can begin trusting in Him by acknowledging that our Father goes before us to make a way as well as alongside us to walk with us. He is the most devoted companion. Jesus lets us know that if we would only trust Him, we no longer have to be burden bearers. He will bring lightness to our walk, and his presence in our lives will be a testimony to everyone around us. 

He says: I have conquered the world and deprived it of power to harm you, in me you have confidence and peace. 

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A Microwave Jesus

By Brittany Wallace

The desire for instant gratification has become a normal part of life. Meals can be taken from the freezer, popped into the microwave, and ready to eat in less than five minutes.  Questions about anything from history to pop culture can be answered audibly with the press of a button. Entire seasons of just about any TV show can be easily queued and accessed for our binge- watching pleasure. In fact, our needs are usually met so quickly that even a short wait in line for coffee becomes unbearable (so if you’re like me, you use the mobile app and order your coffee before you leave the house in the morning ☺).

Unfortunately, a lot us have transferred our “need” to be instantly satisfied onto our relationship with Christ. Does this sound familiar? You experience a hard situation, have a need or desire for something. So you pray and ask God to fix it, change it, provide it, or take it away – and to do so immediately. Seems sort of like a “remove lid, add water, microwave, and stir” instruction if you ask me.

How do we even have the audacity to expect the One who spoke the world into existence to hurry to our needs and make it all better ASAP; as if He were some sort of all-knowing butler whose job is to fulfill our wishes the very moment we snap our fingers? 

We’ve got it all wrong. God does not serve us, we serve Him. He owes us nothing. We owe Him everything. I think we get so focused on our needs and wants that we forget about the sovereignty of the One who created us. This is a grave mistake. We’ve got to come to the same realization that King Nebuchadnezzar did in Daniel 4. After having his pride, possessions and sanity stripped away from him, that God is truly all powerful and should be reverenced. 

“All the people of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. ”

— Daniel 4:35, 37

Sometimes it takes God reminding us of His absolute power and strength for us to come to our senses and realize we are in no position to demand anything from Him. Job was reminded of the reality of God’s authority after he had shouted his frustrations at God for a little too long.

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?”

— Job 39: 4-5

God said these words to Job to remind him that although he was hurting and in a place of desperation, he still needed to know he was finite in comparison to God’s vastness. Surely Job wasn’t around when God laid out the earth’s foundation, and neither were we.

Even though most of our minor immediate needs can be met quickly, we have to remember that our God exists outside of time. We have to learn to be content and patient in waiting for the Lord to move on our situation. He knows our needs before we need them, and He is faithful to keep His promises to provide for us. 

So let’s say goodbye to the Microwave-Instant-Just Add Water & Stir-Jesus, and ask the Lord to forgive us. 

Yes, we should always present our petitions before the Lord and go boldly to His throne. But our attitude and disposition must change.

Let us choose to make our requests to God and wait. And regardless of the time He takes or the answer He eventually gives, let us choose to stand and serve Him alone. Let us choose to be ladies who don’t only go to God to get, but instead choose to be ladies who go to God to give our adoration, praise and wonder of an all powerful, all knowing, completely loving Father and King – no matter our circumstances.

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Worthy of Love, Worthy to Belong

Photo courtesy of Nathaniel Edmunds Photography

By Angel Cantrell

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. ”

— Isaiah 43:1-3

Do you believe God has called you by name to be His?  To be loved and chosen… this is a hard thing to accept.  Many of us struggle believing we are even worthy of being loved and chosen by anyone, much less the Creator.  Some of our pasts are filled with shameful behavior that we’ve done or was done to us.  We all have experienced some form of rejection from others, and it is quite painful.

If you have ever walked into a room and felt ‘less than’ or ‘not enough’ and wish you could hide, you struggle with the lie that you are not worthy of love and belonging.

You may think ‘if others knew ALL of me and my life, they may not want to connect to me; they may not accept me.’  But you have a God who does know all and still ‘calls us by name’.  You do belong…to a mighty God and He has given you the worth of His Son.  His love is so deep that He protects you from being swallowed up and consumed by anything life has to give.  

If you are currently caught up in some sin, repent.  If you have hardened hearts toward those who may have sinned against you, forgive. Our behaviors do affect the ability to experience the abundant life which He has already given us.  But in it all, know this – you no longer have to walk in fear of rejection or the lies of shame.  You are created and formed by the master of this universe and He has called you by name.  You never walk alone.

So when you enter that dreaded room, office, church, (name your place) and your lies begin to tell you that you do not belong and you are not loved, remember the truth.  You have been chosen and redeemed and you are His.  Walk with the poise and knowledge that you are the beloved royal bride of a heavenly groom and He is with you - always. Walk as if there is a royal crown on your head and you come to bring love, blessings, and good news to all you encounter -  because you do.

Confident, secure, loved, chosen. 

Worthy

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Desire For Freedom

By Martha Leon

Have you ever prayed the prayer "God help me, I'm messed up beyond belief. I need you."? I know I have. It is at that moment when that non-audible sound can be heard. In my heart, two words slowly take shape in my consciousness: “I'm here.” The moment of complete surrender. 

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. ”

— Proverbs 9:10

The scripture reads fearing the Lord, meaning, complete acknowledgement of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom and understanding. Wisdom and understanding come from surrendering and fully acknowledging the Lord in our life. This is when we begin to experience His rescue, redemption and hope. It is possible for you to be free and embrace the life God has for you.

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My body, His temple

“As for the deeds of men — by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.”

— Psalm 17:4

by Christa McCann

David expresses that it is by the word of God’s lips that He has been able to keep himself away from the ways of the violent (ungodly things, violence, sin etc.). 

So, by the word of God’s lips, David remained (continued to be, stayed, carried on, persisted in being) away from the ways of the violent by choice.  He is listening to the words coming from the lips of God, to instruct him, to guide him, to encourage him, to know Him, to know the way in which to go. David was in relationship with God and that relationship is what kept him away from violent ways.  

What does this mean for us?  It means that just as David needed the words from God’s lips to sustain him in his position and decision to be in relationship with God, we also need to be IN RELATIONSHIP with the living God to be able to sustain any habit that is good for us, that keeps us from choosing bad for ourselves.  It is only by being in relationship with Christ that I can choose to eat what is right for me with the right motives in my heart (not to self-idolize) and continue to do so.  It is only by receiving what he is speaking to me every day that I can make right choices for my life, my body, and my wellness because He renews my mind and shows me what is best for me and what is best for His glory (what’s making him famous).

Ask yourself: Am I in relationship with Him so that I am able to give my body to Him as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to Him? That means that my body is fit and in health so that I am able to do His work on this earth.  

Only through relationship with God, daily knowing him more and communicating with him will I be able to eat right and workout as a part of my life.  Not a “diet” that lasts a little while to lose weight.  Not a workout regimen that only lasts so long, but a lifestyle that I live because I do it as a sacrifice and duty to be a good steward of this temporary body I have been given to glorify God in.  

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Set Free

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

— Galatians 5:1

by Brittany Wallace

The definition of freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. –The state of not being imprisoned or enslaved; the power of self-determination attributed to the will; the quality of being independent of fate or necessity. 

Because Christ wanted you to have the power and the right to act, speak and think without being hindered or restrained by anything, He has set you free. He loved you enough to defeat the sinful things that you willingly obeyed for years; He cut through the chains that had you bound hand to foot and set you free to run for Him. This is huge! He wanted you and me to enjoy being free. 

 It’s almost like we’re someone who’s been trapped under a car after a horrible accident and someone with incredible strength came and lifted the car off so that we wouldn’t be crushed.  Wouldn’t you thank them profusely? Wouldn’t you ask if there was anything that you could do to repay them?  Or would you go back to the car and climb back under it? Of course not, because it’s dangerous and makes no sense. But that is exactly what we do when we choose to run back to the very things that Jesus has set us free from – porn, alcohol, ungodly relationships, drugs, whatever it is. All we have to do to exercise our freedom is to keep moving forward. Keep choosing to pursue Christ and get to know Him through real relationship and not rituals or traditions. 

So now that you know that you are surely set free (John 8:36 says If the Son sets you free, you are free INDEED), what are you going to do with it? How will you live for your Hero? 

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Sparkle On!

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

— Matthew 5:14-16

By Sonia Rodriguez

Beauty is like a diamond. You are the sparkle and Jesus is the light. If you look closely at the diamond, you’ll notice that it’s not a flat surface. It’s made up of hundreds of different facets that reflect light and this light is what gives the diamond that glorious sparkle that we all love. Just like the diamond we all reflect something different based on our personality, style, body type, and skin color. We are all different and that’s what makes us beautiful.

We were created by God to sparkle and shine like a diamond. We must allow God’s light to shine upon us and reflect the light of God to the world. However, if you do not allow the light of Jesus into your life and you remain hidden in dark, then your beauty will remain hidden. You must learn to love yourself, understand God’s love for you, and know without a doubt that you are beautiful!

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Journal Activity: What do you find beautiful about yourself? Is it your laugh, smile, eyes, your generosity, maybe it’s your ability to draw or sing. Now say, “God, thank you for my beautiful (_____________), help me to use this to shine for you today! Do this every day for a week; try adding to it for little challenge. In your journal, write down how you used your (________________) to shine for Jesus each day. Take this time to hang out with God and ask him what he is teaching you through this.

If you can’t think of anything to love about yourself, then you’re in for a treat.  We’re going to need some help from our Father in heaven. Ask God, “I need help finding the beauty in me. Help me to see that you made me beautiful.” Now look in the mirror and starting from the top of your head, begin to thank God for every single body part…(”Thank you for my hair, thank you for my eye brows, thank you for my eyes, etc…”). Continue to ask God to help you find beauty in His creation (you) and continue to do this activity every day. You are on a journey that’ll not only set you free, but also set other girls free!

Sparkle on Sisters!

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Remember Who You Are

By Brittany Wallace

I’m pretty sure that you know your name—and if someone were to call you by a name other than yours, you would politely correct that person and remind them of your name.  But sometimes we do forget who we are. We forget that we are dearly loved and precious daughters of the Most High God that have been set apart for His purpose.  This amnesia happens when we believe that we are anything other than who God says we are. The enemy loves to plant seeds of doubt and fear into our minds, and if we aren’t careful to recognize them, those seeds will take root and grow deeply into our perceptions of ourselves.

“We forget that we are dearly loved and precious daughters of God that have been set apart for His purpose.”

do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God , and you are not your own?The bible tells us in the first chapter of Ephesians that God chose us before the very foundation of the world; that he predestined us to be adopted by Him because it pleased Him. The fact that the almighty God wanted and chose us to be His daughters simply because it made Him happy makes my heart melt. It reminds me that no matter what I feel or what anyone else tells me, I am important and I make God happy.  It reminds me that I am enough and that I don’t have to do anything to receive His love and attention – because He already picked me.  

“...Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

— 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

This principle becomes especially necessary when it comes to social media.  It’s almost impossible to scroll through an Instagram feed without seeing a girl who’s posted a photo that highlights her body or exploits her curves to get the attention of others.  In our generation, the number of “likes” that someone receives equates to how beautiful or significant they are. It’s important to recognize that you are a daughter of the Most High God, and that He wants you to offer your body as a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1-2 NIV). That means that your body does not belong to you, it belongs to God and you should use it to honor Him instead of using it to glorify yourself.   1 Corinthians 6:19-20 asks “or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God , and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” These verses go hand in hand with valuing yourself and seeing yourself the way God does – priceless and precious.  

Whenever the enemy tries to plant those seeds of doubt into your mind about who you really are, use these tools to help you to remember what your Father says about you.

1. Think about your thoughts. – Do these thoughts sound like something God would say about you? If you aren’t sure, remember that this is the same God who chose you, wanted you, and is pleased by you.
2. Look up verses from the bible that speaks to how God sees you. Here are some examples:      Psalm 34:5, John 15:16, Romans 8:37-39, Ephesians2:4-5, Matthew 5:13-14, Psalm 97:11-12, 1 Peter 2:9, Ephesians 2:10
3. Write the verses that you like the best on a piece of paper or keep them in your phone, and read them OUT LOUD to yourself. You can also give your verses to a close friend, and ask them to read the verses to you whenever you need them.

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Do You Have The Time?

By Kalyn Valentine

Have you ever lost something? Imagine your most precious possession is lost and you do three things.

1. You don't spend time looking for it

2. You only scanned the area for it

3. You looked in places where you know it wouldn't be

A lot of us do that with God. We say that we care about Him and that we want a relationship with God yet we don't spend time with Him. We want a relationship, but only go to church on Sundays and pray over our food (like #2 – scan the area). Or we spend time watching TV, at the club, engrossed in our friend’s business or significant other’s life, working, doing homework, etc. We spend large amounts of time doing other things yet wonder why we don't have a close relationship with God.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

— Jeremiah 29:13

This is not to say that you shouldn't spend time at work, with friends, or doing any of the things I mentioned. I simply want to draw your attention to where you spend your time, where we spend our time. I heard a saying once, "How do you spell love? T-I-M-E." You spend time with the people and things you love. That same principle can apply to your relationship with God. Spend time with Him. Make Him your heart's desire and you will find Him. No matter how good, bad, or in-between your circumstances or feelings are.... He is right beside you. Seek Him and you will find him. Seek Him and you will get to know your Heavenly Father better... which is exactly what He wants. He longs to have a relationship with you. His hands are reaching out for you, all you have to do is reach back.

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Jesus Be My Xanax

“I was able to identify the root of my anxiety as fear—fear that I wasn’t enough”

By Kathy Wolgast

I woke up one morning with high anxiety... this has happened to me before as sometimes the stresses of life are brewing in my brain as I sleep. On this particular day I woke up restless, so that means I'm running on a horrible night’s sleep and now I'm at work and the anxiety is only getting worse. I was able to identify the root of my anxiety as fear—fear that I wasn't enough, my value and my worth felt compromised and I was mentally downward spiraling. I was on the verge of tears and locking myself in a bathroom just to breathe. I thought to myself- “self, you know what would be good right now? Xanax.” Except I don't have any, and I've actually only heard about how well it works. Then again, I don't want to be reliant on drugs... so (in a moment of total honesty and desperation) I said, "Jesus be my Xanax", and I really meant it. I needed to be rescued from my mind.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

— Philippians‬ 4‬:6-7‬ NIV

It may have sounded silly but it was my heart’s prayer. Jesus be my Xanax. And he was. The peace of God overwhelmed me...my heartbeat started to slow down, the tension in my body completely subsided and the only thing I could say was “thank you Jesus.” I know it doesn't happen this way for me all of the time and it won't happen all the time for you, but the moral of the story is that it does happen. I am a living witness. Don't be afraid to pray your heart’s desperation. God knows, He cares and He waits for us to come to Him in prayer for our needs. He delights in meeting them. Even if it is a prayer for some spiritual Xanax. 
 

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A Beautiful Violent Rose

“My thorns pushed people away…”

By Sonia Rodriguez

I must embrace the beauty of diversity. God did not create me to look like you, or her, or the celebrity on TV, just like he did not create flowers to be the same… daisies, roses, tulips, orchids… they are all flowers, but all so unique and beautiful in their own way. A rose is no more a flower than a daisy. A rose is gentle, sweet, generous in her never ending aroma, she is beauty in her finest form. A rose also has thorns and if not handled gently and carefully those thorns can turn the gentle rose into a harsh and violent plant. Through the harshness of life, just like the thorns on a rose, I have hurt people along the way. My words, attitude, and actions have hurt people I really care about. My harsh life experiences caused me to prick those around me. My thorns pushed people away… People became so use to my thorns that they failed to see the beautiful gentle rose attached. My thorns did not allow people to see every part of me… the gentle, sweet, and generous, me. It is easy to reject the beauty of a rose when the thorns are so violent and cold. My thorns kept people at a “safe” distance away so the gentle, fragile me could not get hurt any longer, so I thought; and I began to wonder why people didn’t see me for who I really was… I began to lose sight of the gentle and generous me. I told myself I was no longer a rose but a thorny bush who hurts people, but deep down inside I wanted to be the gentle rose I once was. I look around me and it’s dark and I’m surrounded by thorn bushes. I cry out, “How did I get here?” I don’t even recognize myself anymore. When and how did I become so hard, so empty and lonely. I lost my ability to feel… I lost my faith. I whispered to myself, “How do I get out of this thorn bush and find my way to the gentle, delicate rose that I use to be?” I began to smell a sweet fragrance. I look up and I can see it. I can see the rose, the beautiful and gentle rose; and as it sways in the breeze the sun pours down on me and for the first time I see hope and at that moment I know what I need to do. I must follow the Light, I must gaze into the warm gentle Son. I looked up at my Father in Heaven. I felt His Spirit alive inside of me gently lifting my head up, as I was so used to looking down at my dark surroundings that looking up at his glorious light made me shameful. I came across words He spoke in the Bible: Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame Psalm 34:5. With everything inside of me I looked up, I looked to my Father in heaven. I am free, I am a like a rose basking in the beauty of the Son. I do not despise the harsh handling of life, and I am not ashamed of my past. My past is my story and my story will forever be used for God’s glory. My story will set captives free because I have been set free. I will not let my thorns define me, I am defined by the beauty of God that shines through me.

“I am free, I am a like a rose basking in the beauty of the Son.”

If you have been defined by your thorns, and have shut people out, then choose to look up towards our heavenly Father who loves and adores you. He will turn your “thorny” heart of stone into a heart of flesh Ezekiel 36:26. You must make the decision to allow God to transform your life. That decision can be right now. Read this prayer aloud and allow the power of God to transform your life. Find someone to partner with as you begin this journey. Follow Simply Radiant and allow us to encourage you and provide you with the resources you need to walk in the beauty designed by God.

Pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me unconditionally, and even when I made the same mistakes over again you still love me. Thank you that I don’t have to earn your love because I am already loved so much by you. I choose to look to you and no longer focus on the things around. I choose to trust you in everything, so I give you my thorny heart of stone and I choose to receive a heart of flesh. Help me God by the power of your Holy Spirit to walk this journey of life in love and forgiveness. Help me to forgive those (say their names) who treated me harshly (say what they did). In Jesus’ name I pray.  

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Relax and Restore

By Brittany Wallace

Life demands a lot from us. Between school, work, church activities, errands and spending time with family, it’s easy to forget to take a break and just rest. Sometimes we can become so busy with our schedules that it takes a break down in the body, like catching a cold or becoming physically exhausted, for us to realize that it’s time to chill out.   

“By the seventh day, God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work.”

— Genesis 2:2 (NIV)

God perfectly designed the human body to be active and to need rest to restore and replace the energy that we’ve used throughout the day. He knew that we would need to take a day off from every week to just rest, and He set the example for us to follow when He created the world. Genesis 2:2 says “By the seventh day, God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work” (NIV). Rest is mentioned again in Exodus, but this time it’s in the form of a command.

God gives us commandments because He loves us so much and wants us to experience a full life in Him. Taking time out to relax and be restored is something that is essential to properly functioning the way our Creator intended us to function.

“Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.”

— Exodus 34:21 (NIV)

Jesus takes the idea of rest a step further in Mark 2:27 when He said “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (NIV).  Resting is good for us, and God created us to need it so that we don’t burn out while doing His work.

So how can we have a Sabbath and enjoy it?  

• Do nothing. That’s right, simply do nothing. Try laying your head on a pillow and imagine you are resting on God’s lap. That thought alone can provide so much peace and relaxation that everything on the “to-do list” floats away.   
• Take a nap. Play soft worship music while falling asleep; it’s a great way to rest your mind and your body.  
• Worship God. Leave every worry and care at His feet, and focus on how truly amazing it is to be in the presence of the Almighty King. Worshipping God gives rest to your spirit and quiets everything else that may be going on in life.
• Enjoy Life. Doing an activity or hobby gives you a break and recharges you; play a sport, paint, or watch a movie.

Remember, our goal should always be to pursue God in everything that we do. God designed us to need rest - in fact, He commands us to do it. So let’s take advantage of the Sabbath and rest so that we can be our best for Him.  

HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME… HE DEFINITELY LOVES ME

By Rubi Z

Sometimes I find myself going back to that grassy area on the playground, picking that beautiful flower and allowing that flower to pick my destiny.  "He loves me, He loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not…."  Fast forward years later and I have currently discovered that throughout life - my mind, my heart, my soul and my Spirit have gone through tests of love with God.  They have pondered that same thought over and over again "he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not."

 I have allowed situations and circumstances, my choices and decisions to give me that answer.  Some days I felt certain that the Lord loved me.  Some days I based that simple fact on feeling good about myself.  “Certainly the Lord loves me because I am on the right track,” I would think to myself.  I was serving Him and his people… surely He must love me.  But then there were days that I wasn't so sure days where I pondered if God loved me.  Days where I thought to myself "how can the almighty God love this mess?"

The love of God is not based on what you have done for Him.  It is not based on how much you’ve accomplished.  It’s not based on how “pretty” you are or how smart you are.  You don’t have to meet a certain criteria to be approved and loved by God.  God loves you…just the way you are.  He knows every detail of our lives and yet He continues to love us.  We cannot earn Gods love because He loves us despite of ourselves.  

Remember this… On the days where you don't FEEL loved… you are loved.  On the days where you don't think you're good enough….you are loved.  On the days where you feel like you've offended God… you are loved.  On the days where you feel weak…. you are loved.  Even in your mess God cannot help but love you.  And his love for you is so deep and so strong that He desires more for you.  He has a greater plan than your mess.  He desires nothing more than to be in a close relationship with you in hopes that one day you would in return love him with a relentless love (non-wavering, constant love).  So do not ponder anymore, do not sit like the little girl on the grass allowing destiny to control whether Christ loves you or not.  Do not allow circumstances and situations dictate whether HE LOVES YOU or whether you choose to love him back.  I challenge you to sit on that green grass of yours, wherever it may be, hold that beautiful flower with petals and say "HE loves me, He loves me, He definitely loves me!"  You are loved!

“None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.”

— Message of Romans 8:30

Song Choice:

A song that absolutely never gets old for me, and one that would fit right along with this message:  “He Loves Us” sung by several artists but I highly recommend the Kim Walker/Jesus Culture or David Crowder Band version.  You just can’t go wrong with hearing this song! Enjoy.

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Cracked Vases

By Angel Cantrell and Jada Cantrell

His hands firmly, but gently, craft yet another vase, painting on its canvas the same beauty echoed in mountains, flowers and sunsets; a beauty that no one can imitate or even fathom, but more than anything, a beauty that most could not yet fully comprehend. This vase, formed so fearfully and wonderfully, was set upon a shelf along with a plethora of others. And for many years, it held some of the most amazing wonders and crafts inside its walls. Suddenly, those walls shattered and left on the ground were its remaining shards broken into several pieces. This vase’s brokenness was not something uncommon to the other vases in this store. Each one, now looking down at this vase’s broken remains, had experienced this same falling and bursting before. Feeling the stares of the others, this vase lay helpless on the store’s dusty and dirty floor, cracked, fractured and ashamed. Not knowing that its Creator was already there to pick up the pieces and bind its brokenness, the vase quickly collected itself and hid every fracture, every crack and every crevice with a masking concealer. Once it appeared as it had previous to the fall, it regained composure and tried to forget the incident had ever happened. Yet the vase understood that soon this concealer would wear off, the mask would dissipate and it would fall yet again, only to repeat its routine of gathering its broken shards and masking and concealing the cracks and crevices. The vase had heard of its Creator’s glue and seen the results of it.

“Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.”

— PSALM 34:5 NIV

There were few surrounding vases that had shown the proof of their falls through each crack that they wore. The Creator’s glue put the pieces back together again, but He, unlike the concealer, wouldn't hide the cracks. And in those that boldly wore their cracks, was seen through each fracture, those same amazing wonders and crafts they each held inside of them.  They radiated such a bright light that it was too incredible for word’s description. But this vase would never dare expose a crack. Because although this vase held the same wonders, it believed its surface and its walls were prettier when the knock-off concealer and temporary mask held it together instead of the Creator’s transparent glue.

Many of us are like this vase. We are fearfully and wonderfully made masterpieces that hold a beauty like no other - created by the Master Designer, God. Throughout our lives, we’ve experienced falling, shattering, brokenness and fracturing that left our life and our hearts in shards laying on a dusty ground for all to see. We’ve been hurt. But too ashamed to stay there, we, like the vase, quickly collect ourselves in attempts to hide our cracks and crevices. We use a concealer that paints over our surfaces in order to make us prettier, skinnier, seeming more successful, holy or loved. And we use the masking, to not only hide the cracks but also cover up the pain by indulging in food, alcohol, drugs, shopping, excessive sleeping, promiscuity, etc.

“The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”

— PSALM 51:17 NLT

What we fail to realize is that both concealing and masking are temporary, and under it all, we are still just as wounded, just as broken and left just as unhealed as ever before.

Like the vase, although our lives and our surfaces may look pretty, we’ve trapped our purpose in life inside of those walls.

However, once we allow Jesus, the ultimate Healer of our souls, to bind our wounds and piece our lives back together, He uses those cracks to expose His beauty. Light and water have been poured inside of each of us who accept Him; a glorious light. This light can only be seen through our cracks if we don’t conceal them. Jesus is the light. Jesus is the living water poured into our vases. His Spirit is the amazing wonders placed inside each of us.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

— PSALM 139:14 NIV

Our lives and our ultimate purpose is not to sit on a shelf, concealed and masked, so that others can gaze upon our surfaces acknowledging how meaninglessly pretty we can be. Our lives were meant to radiate His light and to allow His living water to flow onto the lives of all that we come into contact with — through our healed wounds. We, as vases, were crafted and painted beautifully, but true beauty is acknowledging that our vases withhold our Creator’s light and when we are broken and shattered, the Creator can piece us back together again with a healing glue that now allows His light to be seen by all. True beauty is understanding that it is not us that is being seen, but Him.

Let us choose to allow Jesus to touch the most secretive, shameful and painful places of our past and our present. Let us choose to face the unhealed wounds and truly give God permission to use whomever he desires as the glue in our lives. And once we do, the scars from our wounds will become a showpiece of His beauty and His light so that all can see the work that the Master Artist has done. These scars will no longer be hidden along with His artwork but they will become the frame to his most incredible masterpiece.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

— EPHESIANS 2 :10 NLT

You will know you are healed when your scars are not hidden, but are being used to bring the healing of Christ to others.

Embrace your cracks, your healed wounds. Your cracked vase is invaluable and priceless. Shine, Pour, Radiate.

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