To Date Or Not To Date: Chantelle

Perfectionism

Who Am I In High School

I am Savage

I am Savage

I am wild.

I am fierce.

I am undomesticated.

I am reckless.

I am abandoned.

I am untamed.

I am passionate.

I am released.

I am pursuant.

I am unbroken.

I am free.

I am savage.

By Christy Creative Dream Dawn (aka, the savage)

We are not indigenous to this planet.  We are foreigners...aliens if you will.  We have been called to live passionately.  God has released us to live wildly, fiercely and pursuant of Him.  Where the spirit of The Lord is...there IS freedom.  Freedom from mans constraints.  Freedom to hunger and desire for more.  More love, more joy, more peace, more patience, more kindness, more goodness, more faithfulness, more gentleness and more self control.  Against such things, there is no law(mans law/mans constraints).

Isn't God's love savage for us?  It is untamed, it is reckless, it is totally abandoned, it is a blazing fire un-containable.  God wants your heart to be savage for Him.  Savage for His people.  He wants your life to reflect the savage you truly are.  That you are living for a kingdom that is not of this world.  That your life reflects the MORE and portrays the freedom God has called you to walk in.  That you are fighting for the freedom of those that need to be released to live as savagely as you.  To live with such ferociousness that cannot be stopped.  Will not be stopped.  People will begin to question the complacent condition of their lives when the savages come around.  The savage on fire will spark the lives of the lost, the broken and the unseen.  Are you savage in your walk with God.  I know I long to know the heart of my father.  I believe that means abandoning self for divine providence.  Living with the anticipation of the home I am truly meant for.  Walking, running in the freedom He alone can give.  Letting go of the comfort and catapulting into arms wide open.  Loving others the way our father loves us, with no restraint.  A rugged, pristine, rampant love.

Love like a savage.

Live like a savage.

Ego Saevi

[I am Savage]


Mark 12:30

Gratitude & The Kitchen Floor.

Healing cannot be done without gratitude.

I sit here cross legged on the kitchen floor in my pink polka dot pajama’s.

It’s a comfortable spot, as I lean again the stove. It’s a familiar spot, as I reflect on all the conversations had in this exact place. Furthermore, it’s a safe spot, as I write the thoughts that have been circulating in my mind.

I recall my mother bluntly stating to me as a young child, “Charlene, you can’t always have what you want.” It seemed so harsh. As a result, I blurted a whinny plea of why not? And to my surprise, she said something I have never forgotten, “Pumpkin, you must always focus on what you do have.”

Ironically, why do we quickly focus on what we don’t have before even considering what we do have?

Pumpkin. It was one of my many childhood nicknames. The other common one was, “D.” Because my middle name is Desiree, which means desired one. These two names were significant to my parents, since they hadn’t been able to have children for eight years. I was their long awaited and deeply desired thanksgiving gift and the name, Pumpkin, seemed suitable.

The leaves have already changed to vibrant colors of oranges, yellows, and reds, as the wind twirls them upon the crisp ground. Costco already had its turkeys on sale in September. My neighbor had her fall wreath up since mid July, which makes me wish eager Martha Stewart “wanna-be’s” didn’t exist. It isn’t even Thanksgiving and we have seemed to rushed by it with such anticipation for Christmas!

Stop!

Wait...

Rest.

Be grateful. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Will you join me as we simply take a moment on the kitchen floor and consider what you are grateful for? Would  you stop focusing on what you don’t have and start focusing on what you do have?

I sit here and ponder the Thanksgiving season of 2012. Ironically, I found myself on the kitchen floor. It was that exact spot, where I began convulsing with such rigid and constricting movements of my upper and lower extremities. It wasn’t my first episode. I recall flying home and being 32,000 feet in the air with my fingers crossed, as I pleaded with God to heal my body. And days later, I had another episode. It was humbling to sit at the Thanksgiving table and be asked, "what are you grateful for Charlene?" I pushed my brussels sprouts to the side and softly wept while stammering,"I don’t know why I am sick. But, I do know I am blessed to be alive.”

Months followed with countless specialist appointments and further tests and bloodwork. It taught me the art of discipline.  Each day, I'd generate a simple list of gratitude and shift my perspective to focus on what I did have. Such as, the ability to run, the gift of laughter, the acceptance of tears, and the power of prayer. Gratitude through discipline brought me into a place of rest, which granted physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual healing. It clearly states in Exodus 14:14, the "Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Because "I am the Lord, who heals you" (Exodus 15:26).

I challenge you this Thanksgiving season of 2013 to simply stop; just wait for a moment; and take time to rest. Furthermore, as you gather your family around the table may you each declare what you do have. There is profound significance in focusing on what you do have and discovering a heart of healing through gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving and be blessed by this song, "10,000 Reasons." 

Charlene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtwIT8JjddM

An Impossible Situation

                                                                  An Impossible Situation

           Have you ever felt like you were in an impossible situation? A situation that causes you to feel trapped and totally surrounded by negative circumstances. I have, more than once. Reality is that the majority of us at one time or another, whether we want to admit it or not, have faced seemingly impossible situations. And maybe some of us have even given up hope that we can be victorious in our circumstances.

           I want to tell you a story about two kings and their armies, from two different kingdoms. This story is one that the Bible tells in 2^nd Chronicles 13. It takes place in a time after King David, when the great nation of Israel was separated into two kingdoms. The North Kingdom was still known as Israel and was ruled by King Jeroboam. This kingdom did not follow the ways of God. The second Kingdom was the South Kingdom, which was known as Judah. This kingdom was ruled by King Abijah, and while King Abijah was an imperfect man, this kingdom followed the ways of God and had not forsaken Him (v. 10).

These two nations were at war. King Abijah had drawn his forces together which totaled 400,000 fighting men, and King Jeroboam had drawn his forces together which totaled 800,000 fighting troops. I have absolutely no idea how many men make a troop, but it doesn’t matter, King Abijah and the kingdom of Judah were vastly outnumbered. The Bible says that King Abijah stood up on a mountain and was overlooking King Jeroboam and his men below. But, what King Abijah did not know was that King Jeroboam had also routed his army behind the army of Judah. King Abijah had thought that King Jeroboam and the enemy forces lay before him when in all reality King Abijah and his warrior men were surrounded both in front and behind by the enemy (v.13).

            At some point Abijah and the army of Judah realized that they were trapped (v.14). I wonder what Abijah and his men must have felt at that precise moment knowing that not only were they outnumbered but also trapped by their enemy. I wonder if these warrior men felt scared, and totally defeated before the battle had even began. Looking over their circumstance, Abijah and his men realized that their only hope for victory, was through placing their faith in the Lord their God. And so Abijah and his warriors “cried out to the Lord” (v.14). The priests blew their trumpets, and in unison the warrior men of Judah lifted up a battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God heard them, and God interceded their hopeless circumstance and rerouted the Israelite army before King Abijah and his warriors. The Israelites fled before Judah, but God delivered the troops of Israel into the hands of King Abijah and the warriors of Judah, and the men of Israel were subdued (v-14-18).

            So you are probably wondering what the point of this story is, and why I would share it with you.  Well here it is…We all have situations at some point in our lives that seem totally impossible. These situations can encompass so much. They could be relationships, our health or the health of someone we care about, decisions facing us, finances…it could be anything.

            The point is, we serve the God of the impossible. And when we cry out to God, just like King Abijah and his warrior men did, God hears us and He acts on our behalf. We have to remember that even though God heard the cries of King Abijah and his army, and even though God acted on their behalf, there was still a battle. King Abijah and his men had to move forward in their faith believing that God would fight for them. I have a feeling it was probably hard and really scary for these warriors to put their faith in God. I mean not only were they severely outnumbered but they had been ambushed and trapped. In the physical, odds did not look good for King Abijah and his men. But King Abijah and his men looked beyond the physical, into the supernatural, and put their trust in God, that He would win the battle for them. The Bible doesn’t say how long the battle lasted. It could have been minutes, hours or even days. The Bible only says that the Israelites fled BUT God delivered them into the hands of Abijah and his army. And the story ends saying “the men of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers (v.18).

            This is also true in our own personal situations and circumstances. God hears every cry and prayer uttered from our hearts and voiced by our lips.  Our cries stir God to act. Circumstances may not seem like they change right away and the battle within our lives may seem fierce, but God is always acting on the behalf of those who put their trust in Him. We don’t know how long our circumstances and personal battles will last, but when we choose to put our faith in God and follow His leading, with God’s help we will ultimately be victorious! So I want to encourage you. That in the midst of the circumstance that you are facing, look beyond the natural into the supernatural and place your trust in God. Cry out to God and ask Him to intercede on your behalf. I know it is hard, but God loves you, and He will fight for you.

              Your sister in Christ,
                      Ashley

Let Your Faith Be Bigger Than Your Fear

What do you fear?

Some of the greatest fears include spiders, clowns, public speaking, intimacy, rejection, small spaces.

Growing up as a little girl, I had an unusual fear of bears! Maybe it was because I grew up near the Rocky Mountains or because my mom would read to me bear attack stories from National Geographic magazine on our camping trips.

When I got older, my fears began to shift to more common fears. Such as: fear of public speaking in front of my grade 7 class, fear of my first kiss, fear that I would be a failure at sports or academics in high school, and fear that I wouldn’t be accepted in my first year of college. The fact is I will encounter fear periodically in my lifetime.

Fear is a normal physical reaction, since your body was created with a "fight or flight" response when encountering potentially threatening situations. Fear was never created to be a consistent response for your body.   Your body cannot physically survive in a continuous state of "fight or fight".  Yet, if you take a look around, you see that people every day are living in a constant state of fear.

Humanity was not created to live our lives on a foundation of FEAR but FAITH.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).

Faith requires you to believe beyond your current circumstances. To have HOPE even when you are faced with what seems impossible.

Take a moment, reflect and ask yourself: what is my foundation?

Do you base your decisions in life out of fear?

 - fear of failure

- fear of rejection

- fear of intimacy

-fear of sickness

-fear is death

-fear of never measuring up

- fear of what others may think or say

Or,

Are you living a life that is built on a foundation of faith?

The bible says, "there is no fear in love. For perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18).

God is love. God loved the world so much that He sent his son Jesus to pay the ultimate sacrifice and to die on a cross for the "sins" (wrongs) that you and I have done. You may not be perfect due to sin, yet Jesus made a way that you may have an intimate relationship with a loving, holy God through his death and resurrection on the cross.

Did you understand that?

God is love. When you encounter the love of God, you no longer have to live in fear. The truth is that you are loved. You are called a son/daughter. You are not rejected, rather fully accepted.  You are worthy. You are protected. You are not ever alone, since God is with you.

Faith in Jesus grants freedom from fear and enables a relationship with a Loving Heavenly Father. Jesus is the only one who can set you free of the bondages of fear, which is holding you back from living the life that you are created to live!!!

My challenge to you today:

Take 5, 10, 15mins and just sit. Surrender your fear to The Lord. Name whatever it is that you maybe fearing and give it to God.

    Wait in stillness and quietness.......

          Silence your thoughts and open up your heart. .....

                    Allow God to fill your heart with his love, peace, truth and freedom.

Scripture to mediate on: "God is our refuge and strength an ever present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear.  Be still and know that I am God" (Psalms 46:1,2,10).

Blessings Chantelle

A Timeless Beauty

A Timeless Beauty

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a women who fears the Lord is to be praised ~Proverbs 31:30~

Sometimes I feel like I am getting to an awkward stage of my life. I mean, I know I am still very young and the best is yet to come, but sometimes little things come up to remind me that every day I am one day older. For example, I celebrated another birthday several weeks back, and on that very day, just like time was playing a joke on me, I found my very first gray hair. Being the incredibly sweet man that my dad is, as he was with me when I first spotted this intruder, he tried to convince me that it was only a platinum colored strand... but no matter what he said, I knew the truth (thanks for trying dad). And then to add insult to injury, I looked in the mirror and for the first time I noticed lines beginning to form around the corners of my eyes. While, I will choose to believe that these are simply ‘laugh lines’, my mind knows the truth… I am simply growing older.

These new acknowledgements in my life have caused me to start thinking. One of my very favorite verses is 1 Peter 3:3, and after years of struggling to achieve self-acceptance, it has become one of my life verses. It says “your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful”.

I am entering into the stages of life where women are beginning to contemplate and seek procedures to enhance their physical beauty. I however, am beginning to feel God stir a challenge in my heart. Instead of standing in the mirror and evaluating my physical appearance, God is calling me to evaluate matters of my heart. Where before physical beauty was consuming, God is calling me to change my perspective and focus on my inward beauty. I don’t want to downplay the importance of taking care of your physical self. The Bible says “do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you” (1 Corinthians 6:19). I think it is important that we give God our best. But even more than our outward best, God is after our inward best. I am making a new challenge for myself. Every morning when I stand in front of the mirror to get ready for my day, I am going to recognize and thank God for one inward quality that makes me beautiful. Today, I said “thank you God for your joy that fills my heart”. As I declare my inward beauty daily, I believe that area’s that maybe aren’t so inwardly beautiful will begin to change in my life. I am challenging you to join me in this journey to become more inwardly beautiful. God is calling his daughters to rise up and embrace our inward beauty which is timeless, of great worth, and never ever fades.

With great love, your sister in Christ

            Ashley

She was beautiful, but not like those girls in the magazines.

She was beautiful, for the way she thought.

She was beautiful, for that sparkle in her eyes

When she talked about something she loved.

She was beautiful, for her ability to make other

People smile even if she was sad.

No, she wasn’t beautiful for something as temporary

As her looks.

She was beautiful, deep down to her soul

            ~Author Unknown~

Hello,

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."
— Mother Teresa

You guys have no idea how many quotes/saying I want to share with you in this post.......but I don't want to bombard you all at once so this one will be my starter.

My name is TinaMarie, or just Tina, and I am very excited to be apart of this adventure with these 4 other beautiful girls. A little back info on myself, I was born in Medicine Hat, Alberta and three weeks later I was adopted by my amazing, beautiful, wonderful, God-appointed parents. I have lived in the same town pretty much my who life, I believe we moved here before I had even turned one. Same church too ;)

I love the area, couldn't imagine living anywhere else unless God moves, and am so blessed to be living here with my wonderful husband of 10 and a half years and two beautiful little girls, Eva 6 and Ally(Alexis) 4.

I am doing what I have always dreamed of doing, being a stay at home mom/wife for my family and I thank God that he has blessed us to be able to live this way.

I have a passion to share with other girls/ladies/moms/teenagers....you get the picture.....their worth. I believe that too many of us have been crushed, broken down and defeated but I want to uplift, encourage and share hope. We are not worthless, we are not ugly, we are not unlovable.....we are beautiful, intelligent, loved women and I am sick of the world saying otherwise!!!

I hope through our blogging and vlogging(YouTube) we can reach you. We don't claim to be the end all be all or know it all but through our experiences and our opinions that we have formed over the years we are hoping to get you thinking and searching. There are five of us that have started this adventure together, five very different paths that have been taken to get to this point so five different points of view and opinions for you to hear. It's gonna be fun and I hope that you join with us on this adventure.

Xo TinaMarie

OK, one more quote....

"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us." 

— Mother Teresa

"I have loved you with an EVERLASTING love"

Hello friends! Wow, my heart is so passionate about you! Yup you. And you’re right, I may not know you well, but man, you live inside my heart. Let me introduce myself to you. My name is Ashley. My life began out East, but my present story is here in Alberta… And I love it.

                I want you to know that the girls you have already met, Christy, Chantelle and Charlene as well as Tina who you will meet in due time are amazing ladies. They have amazing incredible hearts that are first of all passionate about God and passionate about you. They have laid their hearts out to you, shared their dreams and their gifts. I’ve often asked God what my gift is…what I am called to do. And you know what….God has showed me. Are you ready for it… I am a sap, I LOVE love.  I am one of those people who love a good love story, it gets me every single time. I live by my heart, and as painful and amazing as that can be, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I love those timeless love stories, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and the Notebook. All of them. But the timeless love story that I love the most is the GREATEST love story of all time. The one that God is writing with me.

                God said in Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness”. Did you know God is absolutely smitten with you? He knows every single thing about you, the great stuff, the not so great stuff, and absolutely everything in between. And you know what? Even knowing all that He knows He is desperate for you. He created you, and He is amazed by you. And you know what? You take God’s breath away. You are His masterpiece, His most glorious creation. Read Psalm 139.

                My prayer for you, and for me is that we would become absolutely wrecked by God’s amazing love for us. You may not know God well, you may even be angry with Him, or feel disappointed in Him, but He loves you, has always loved you and will never stop loving you. I want you to know that I am praying for you. You did not come to this blog by happenstance or chance. It was pre-appointed and pre-destined because God loves you and He has great desires in His heart for you. He longs to take you on a journey in the greatest love story ever told. You ARE His princess/prince, you ARE exquisite and beautiful NO MATTER what anyone, including yourself has said over you. YOU are so worthy.

                I want you to know that I am partnering with you on this journey called life. God has great hopes, dreams and plans for your lives if you will open up your heart to Him. He longs to take you places you could only dream of. He longs to change your heart, my heart, and to consume us with an everlasting love.

                From my heart to yours,

                                Ashley

Creative Dreamer is my middle name!!!

Hello beautiful friend, yes…you, our beautiful friend.  If you’ve come across this blog then I am sure of two things, you are beautiful and you are most definitely now our friend.   Let me begin by introducing myself.

My name is christy dawn, I was born in the border city(aka, lloydminster) and then lived in various locations across alberta, until ultimately landing in central alberta.   I’ve always been passionate to create and have always been a dreamer.  Art & English were my favorite subjects and given the chance in any area to show a smidge of creativity I would jump at the chance.  And dreams, aaaaah, I loved to dream.  About the impossible, about the plans I wanted for my life and all the creativity I could whip up.  I used to chop up my clothes, write pages and pages of poetry and draw on my walls. My most proudest creation was a giant lion laying proudly with his head cocked as if waiting to devour me every time I entered my room, but at the same time with gentle eyes, telling me I was safe and that he’d likely just laze around and leave me alone.

My youth passed by with ups and what seemed like a lot of downs, but I always held onto the creativity and the dreaming.  And thankfully God, like the wonderful God He is continued to walk before me, behind me and held me closely as I fumbled about.  Now into my adult life, I have honed the creativity and dreams.  I dream about what God is planning, I dream about becoming the person He is molding me to be, I want see His dreams spring forth in my life.  I dream of being even a little bit as creative as my Creator.  I mean have you looked around and seen how artistic The Artist is?!?!  Have you seen how the leaves change into these burnt bright colors and how the snow lays like a big fluffy blanket glistening like a million suns on the ground.  Or what about those 10,000 plus foot rocks that tower about the earth, or the way the waves sing across the face of the sand they’ve come to kiss.  Or most of all have you looked into the mirror, a reflection of your Creator.  WOW, right?!?!

I’ve created keys for chantelle and charlene to take along on their adventure. Keys as a symbol that your life can be set apart and lived out in the heart of your Creator.  A reminder to take with you, so you know that we love you, each and every single beautiful you, and that God can take your life and transform it into the most wonderful masterpiece He’s ever created.  You are His masterpiece, His special one, His beloved, and He’s an artist and dreamer, just looking to hang out with his creation and whisper His dreams into your life.

I am thankful you’ve come here to be part of this journey.  I am thankful that I am part of it too.  I pray/hope that as chantelle and charlene travel speaking God’s truth, hearts will begin dreaming and creating again.   That lives would begin to be transformed in men/women. That they would rise up to show the world just how beautiful life is when you are creating with and dreaming with the one who created it and you!!!

Much love,

Christy Creative Dreamer Dawn ♥

Introducing Chantelle and Charlene or #chartelle!

Mother Teresa challenged us to shift our perspective and grasp that “poverty isn’t only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” What do our homes look like today? Consequently, they resemble such poverty of being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for within the dynamics of the platonic family.

Some children dream of becoming teachers, astronomers, and doctors.  Yet as a child Chantelle dreamed of revival and restoring the nation by the transformational love of Jesus Christ. She grew up and attended Vanguard College. It enabled her to pursue her passion for revival of those left damaged and restoration of the broken-hearted.  She discovered such a need within young children. As a result, she co-founded a non-profit organization called “Makaway Kids Kamp” where underprivileged children experience a free five day summer camp held at Sunnyside Christian Retreat Centre. Her dream launched her into a season of appearing on The Bachelor Canada in 2012, as she was a bachelorette of God’s light for the nation.  Thus, granting further opportunities to speak and initiate revival to her community, to the nation, and to the world!

Some children dream of becoming farmers, pilots, and professional athletes. Yet as a child Charlene dreamed of changing the world by becoming a motivational speaker. It was a dream that she put on hold. She grew up and became a nurse, who inspired her patients to not be defined by their condition, such as a stroke, spinal cord injury, or traumatic brain injury. She instructed them to embrace their dreams. A patient once asked, “have you ever thought of being a motivational speaker?” Her natural response was a laugh and a positive nod of her head. Recently, she took a four month leave of absence from nursing to join Chantelle and pursue her dream of speaking. Her deepest desire is to speak scriptural truth and to inspire people to live out their lives boldly with great expectations of what God can do!

Isaiah 61:1-2 outlines the direction for both Chantelle and Charlene, since “the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn. “ Sunnyside Christian Retreat Center has commissioned Chantelle and Charlene to promote camp ministry and Transformation Textiles.  They are eager to speak to various communities, schools, churches, and other organizations across Canada and change the world by speaking truth into the lives of those who have felt unwanted or unloved. 

Will you join us?

Please follow us in this new journey of living out truth, as we travel and speak! 

 Remember those days when your mom took your photo on the first day of kindergarten? Here is our “first” day of officially speaking! #chartelle