Keep Asking

The following verse may seem like a tall order to fill but through God nothing is impossible! Ask God to fill you with His love for people, to keep you humble, to give you a servants heart, to help you forgive....I could go on but you get the picture. Ask God and He will deliver. Does that mean that all of a sudden you are going to have these gifts and abilities...no. He will teach you, guide you and correct you and it wont always be easy......we mess up, make mistakes and fall but through it all God is faithful and will

                                                          keep "giving" you the things you ask for. Keep asking.....

Ain't Sixteen Anymore.

You have potentially pinned the image on Pintrest, which highlights "someday someone will walk into your life and make you realize why it never worked out with anyone else." Or maybe you liked a quote and posted it on Facebook, which stated, "I am not single. I am not taken. I am simply on reserve for the one who deserves my heart." Or maybe you have even laughed and dreamed of the "Hey Girl" lines attached to Ryan Gosling. 

At sixteen, I thought I had this thing called, "love" figured out. 

Actually, I had it all planned and thoroughly written out.  I'd be married at twenty-two. I'd find the man I'd fall in love with at college and we'd marry shortly after. The moment I held his hand, I'd know he would be my husband. I envisioned we'd get married and travel the world together for a few years before settling down and raising our family. We'd buy our first home and at the house warming party, we'd announce the arrival of our first child. Eventually, I foresaw four little blonde children running around the house and filling each and every crack which such vibrant laughter. He'd chase them around the house, as I'd make dinner. We'd grow old, yet he'd still kiss me on the forehead and I'd get butterflies! Years would pass and we'd be siting in our rocking chairs on the front deck pondering life, the richness and depth of life we'd endured, as we'd marvel at how we experienced it together and that was all that mattered. 

Then I stumbled upon a list that I'd attached to the dream, which I had written at sixteen. 

A piece of my list read like this…

Recently, a friend told me that I needed to make a list, which outlined the qualities I was seeking in a guy. At first, I burst out laughing and quickly stated, "why?" She said, "you ain't going to ever find "Mr. Right, " yet I want you to understand what you deserve. Charlene, you deserve the best…"

So, if your the best…

• You have a personal and intimate relationship with God
• You play the guitar and are willing to teach me
• You are adventurous and random
• You enjoy looking up at the stars in the sky
• You engage in even the hard areas of life and ask, "how can I help?"
• You listen
• You have dreams and ambitions for life
• You make me laugh and tease me in a flirty way
• You like "power-hours" that contain a walk or hike
• You speak words of affirmation

At sixteen, I ended my list by stating, "I can wait for the best. I will simply smile and thank God for allowing me to be patient. For enabling me to know deep within my heart that he had someone specifically designed for me. I might be a sixteen-year-old girl with a list, yet this list has allowed me to guard my heart and wait for you to capture it. One day, our lives will be joined together and I will give you a beautiful gift: my heart. I will give it to you and ask that you will protect it, nurture it, and promise you will never let it go."

 "Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)." 

I ain't sixteen anymore, yet I still wait for love in my mid-twenties. As a result,  I am reminded of the love that my Heavenly Father richly lavishes upon me on a daily basis. I just have to ask! Such as, God can you reveal your love to me today? Furthermore, He is actually the one who holds my heart and protects it, nurtures it, and promises to never let it go.  He reminds me of His very character, since He is patient. He is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He does not dishonour others, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no records of wrongs. He does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. His love never fails! 

In this valentine's season of chocolates and roses, may you ask God to reveal his very character of love. Furthermore, I think you will be pleasantly surprised who he brings into your life in a season of waiting….

With a heart willing to wait,

Charlene

Oceans Acoustic - Hillsong UNITED

What a heavy thing to realize that everyone is going through hard times
and/or struggles and not all of them have a hope.
                                                                       Xo TinaMarie

Infinitely Awaken

 

There you lay sleeping; peaceful at last. Your heart is so heavy and overwhelmed, but for the next eight hours you are at rest. Head on your pillow, unaware of me watching and waiting for you to render your heart once again to me, your heavenly Father.

 

O my precious child, if you only knew the great things I had in store for you.

 

With excitement and joy I choose to bring you into this world. I formed and shaped you into the masterpiece I once saw. Now you stand broken, confused and unsure if I even exist. Who lead you astray? When did my love not become enough? Yet, I will never stop loving you.

 

 I will never give up on you.

 

I created the stars and the sea. I hung the universe with just the sound of my voice. But it is you that I created in my image. You are my prize possession. My beautiful creation surrounds you when you wake up and fall asleep, yet you continually ask, "God, where are you?”

 

I have and will always be with you.

 

Return to me, my child. Turn your eyes and heart to me. Do not be distracted from cheap imitations and false fulfillments of this broken world, I am the one and only. I am the one who desires to pour out blessing and good things from above.  Daily, I speak words of such love, hope and healing into every area of your being. I send angels throughout the day to guide and protect you. Oh how I hear your ever cry and prayer. I am aware of your every anxious thought.

 

Open your eyes and hear my voice.

When you wake up will you respond to my longing to be close to you?

 

Now I wait…..

 

Waiting for you to awake…

 

Waiting for you to see that I am here…

 

Waiting for you to respond to my relentless love for you…

 

Maybe today will be the day you finally awake!

 

Love, Your Heavenly Father

 

 

 

 

 

 

Self Control

When Did We Become So Mean? Perspectives on Bullying - Part 1

When did we  become so mean....

 

Left alone at the playground.

Locked in a bathroom stall. 

Called a loser or slut. 

Money stolen from your locker, again. 

Threats on Facebook 

Bullying.

Whether a victim of bullying or been a bully, everyone has been impacted by this growing phenomena. What is the birthplace of bullying?

Jealous- feeling envious of others achievements or advantages.

Insecurity- not confident in oneself; fear of not being accepted; feeling unsafe.

Judgement- quick to judge someone based on their outward appearance or actions.

The value of friendship has been misplaced and instead the heart of bullying has been clasped by many. When did we get so mean? 

Yet, bully can be terminated. Through the power and hope of Jesus Christ, we can together replace:

jealous with unconditional love,

insecurity with assurance,

judgement with mercy. 

Together we can.

Chantelle

Where have I become so mean?

Simple, with my words. Truthfully, I've been bullied and I've bullied. 

How? 

Words. I feel like I am a song on repeat. So, I'll state it again and again, as if it's the climax of a catchy Katy Perry song, yet why don't you use your words? Don't use them to tear yourself or anyone else down, rather use them to properly express yourself. In all honestly, I have to daily instruct myself with one rather blunt statement: use your words. I pray that you join me to use your words and ask yourself: where have I become so mean?

Charlene


LOVE The Different
    I think a huge thing we lack is realizing we are all different and we will never be the same, think the same or act the same. And just because someone is different does not give us the right to judge, bully, or try to change(only God can do that). We are called to LOVE unconditionally.....without reason or cause.
    There are so many lessons I learned as a kid that spring to mind as I write this, such as, and I quote, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Simple, so simple......why, then, is it so hard to do. Is it that you have not heard these wise and profound words? If not, please watch Bambi and heed Thumper's parent's advice ;)
    But back to LOVE......LOVE is patient, LOVE is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. LOVE does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.(1Cor.13:4-7)
    Now this seems a little more difficult.....patient, being patient is hard and I know it, pride, something else I struggle with. For some it may be trust and hope or for others, keeping no record of wrong. Whatever you struggle with in the previous verses know that through God all things are possible and if you seek Him first and put Him first you will learn what TRUE LOVE is and find less and less difficulties in LOVEing others instead of judging, bullying or trying to change them.
Let God LOVE others through you.
Xo TinaMarie

The Silent Bystander

When I think of bullying, I am overcome by an overwhelming sense of regret. Why do you ask? I was never one who purposefully or actively participated in bullying, nor was I often on the receiving end of tormenting words or actions. Instead, my role was that of the silent bystander. Many situations play across my mind of relentless bullying, verbal and emotional cruelty to others. And instead of standing against it, I silently turned away and attempted to pretend that it didn’t exist. Does this action make me any less guilty? Nope, not really. By doing nothing at all, I became a silent participator. So if silence isn’t the solution, then what is? The answer at its most simple state is LOVE. The Bible tells us over and over again that we are called to love. What does love look like? Well it certainly does not take the form of nothing nor does it often take the form of silence. No, love looks like Jesus. Love is an action. In one of my favorite passage of scriptures Paul clearly shares what love is (and yes, this is the verse that Tina shared, but could it be that there is a reason we need to hear it more than once?)

“Love is PATIENT,

                Love is KIND.

It does not ENVY, It does not BOAST, It is not PROUD. It is not RUDE, it is not SELF-SEEKING, it is not EASILY ANGERED, it KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS.

 Love DOES NOT delight in evil, but REJOICES with the truth.

                Love ALWAYS PROTECTS,

                                ALWAYS TRUSTS,

                                                ALWAYS HOPES,

                                                                ALWAYS PERSERVERES.

LOVE NEVER FAILS.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Not only does the Bible tell us HOW to love, but Jesus also told us WHO we are to love…

“LOVE the LORD YOUR GOD with ALL your HEART, with ALL your SOUL, and with ALL your MIND…

And LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.

Matthew 22: 37-39

So instead of anything else, instead of inflicting cruelty and pain, instead of responding in silence and turning away, may we always choose love. To always be love, share love, show love, and respond in love.

                With a humble heart,

                                Ashley

It's not okay...EVER!

I believe bullying has been downplayed.  You hear such sayings as...

They deserved it.

It's all in good fun.

I'm just joking.

The justifications go on and on.  But it's not okay.  There is no justification for bullying anyone, friend, family, co-worker, our peers or strangers. 

It's not okay to call someone names.  It's not okay to push someone around or be aggressive in any way shape or form.  It's not okay to share private pictures of someone all over the internet.  It's not okay to provoke someone who says they want to commit suicide and tell them...ya, go do it then.  It's not okay to hide someone's possessions, like their lunch or their clothes after hockey practice.  It's not okay to create fake accounts to pester someone on facebook.  It's not okay to write horrid, despicable statements to a stranger on youtube, just because you will never have to face this person.  It's not okay to threaten someone's life.   It's not okay to "teach" someone a lesson.  It's not okay to retaliate because someone did it first.  It's not okay to harass the guy who likes a different team, or the girl who dresses differently.  It's not okay to bully based on someone's race, gender or different ideas/opinions.  It's not okay to point out someone's flaws(God only created beautiful and good...we are unique and different for a reason)

There are so many more examples I could give that are not okay.  It's not okay for any reason, it is never ever okay. 

Yet, for some reason we downplay many of these acts of bullying.  And we justify them.  Why do we justify them?  Why do we not recognize the hurt being caused by allowing the downplay of our words and actions?  Why do we not see that countless acts of suicide are happening because we won't accept that we were the catalyst for someone taking their own life?  Why are we not taking responsibility for our children, for our youth, for ourselves and our actions/words? 

Why are we downplaying bullying?

We are a hurting human race.  We are a selfish human race.  We have lost respect for ourselves and others.  We inflict pain to hide our own.  We want to fit in, we are jealous/envious, we are competitive, we are angry...so we bully. 

No reason is reason for any form of bullying.  It is not okay...EVER!

Christy Creative Dreamer Dawn

God Has Not!!!

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.(2 Tim 1:7)NKJV

This is probably the first verse that comes to my mind when thinking of fear or being afraid.
"God Has not!!!" so powerful but do we actually believe it, have it ingrained in our heads and in our hearts.
When something rocks you to the core are you firm in your faith...are you firm in your Heavenly Father?
I am and I would love to hear the same from each and everyone of you.
Am I saying that I am never ever ever afraid!?!
No, that's not what I'm saying because it would be a lie.
What I am saying is my hope, my trust, my faith is built on nothing less then Jesus blood and righteousness.
Did you see that....see how I put a song in there :) That's one of my favorite Hymns but now I'm just getting distracted.
I have moments when I am afraid.......fleeting moments because almost immediately my gaze is brought back to my Heavenly Father who holds the whole world in His hands.
Another few verse's come to mind....
Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.(Matthew 10:29-31)NKJV

The verse at the beginning is not the only one in the Bible encouraging us to not be afraid....nope, telling us to not be afraid.
There is verse after verse after verse after ver......and I could go on. Are we getting it then. It must be super important if God felt it necessary to repeat himself soooo many times. Here are just a few more.
Do not be afraid, little flock.....(Luke 12:32)NIV
Do not tremble; do not be afraid....(Isaiah 44:8)NIV
....he will calm all your fears....(Zephaniah 3:17)NIV
....I will fear no evil,  for you are with me....(Psalm 23:4)NIV
.....So don’t be troubled or afraid.(John 14:27)NIV
This is my command—be strong and courageous.....(Joshua 1:9)NIV    And I will end on this one because now He is commanding us.....well actually He was commanding Joshua but isn't that command for all of us too?! Yup, yup it is :)
When troubles come, and they will, don't let them shake you! Plant your feet on a firm foundation and hold fast to the creator of all things, the lover of all things, the healer of all things, the giver of all things.
He will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.
The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.(Isaiah 33:6)NIV

God Has Not Given You A Spirit Of Fear!!!
Xo TinaMarie

#100 Dreams.

 #1: Travel the world

#2: Build a cabin or retreat centre

#13: Establish a scholarship fund

#32: Witness healing (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual)

#47: Write a song

#50: Own my own business (photography)

#58: Be the author at my own book-signing event!

#76: Ride in a helium balloon and helicopter

#89: Seizure free forever!

I’ve always loved to dream; yet I didn’t always believe.

For example, I’ve always had a dream to write.  Hence, I’d spend hours crafting my essays because countless teachers pleasantly informed me, “you’re an awful writer.” I don’t know what was worse: those words or the low score in red ink? I’d return home and my mom would gently remind me, “Charlene, see beauty in broken dreams…” Not necessarily what you want to hear post your dream to write is verbally and visually shattered. Ironically, a college professor approached me with tears in his eyes post reading an essay I wrote and boldly blurted, “Charlene you NEED to write…”

Have you ever considered your NEED to dream?  Truthfully, my favorite question to ask is: what’s your dream(s)? Because I believe that dreams are those deep, really deep, unspoken desires that you sadly keep hidden.

I put my dream of writing on hold for a specific season. In that period of time, God softened me and I came to accept that specific dreams would come true in his perfect timing. I had to stop orchestrating or even dictating my time on earth, which broke off my desire to control or perfect the outcome of my dreams. Instead, God reminded me that fear was standing in the way of me walking into the fullness of my dreams. He told me time and time again, “Oh Charlene, don’t be afraid! Dream big!”

A friend once told me, “Charlene, write a list of one hundred dreams!” I quickly interupted in a sarcastic tone, “I don’t write lists, anymore.” He continued, “Write a list of twenty-five dreams, another twenty-five dreams, and than another twenty-five dreams. Finally, write twenty-five dreams that are only possible with God. ” I drove home and attempted to generate such a list. Honestly, I mumbled, “this is silly…I can’t do this…its impossible!” Ironically, wasn’t that the point?

To dream the impossible…

A few days later he reminded me with such wisdom, “Charlene, writing things down gives words power. There is power in your dreams!” Those specific words granted me the ability to believe again.

Surprise, I jotted down over one hundred dreams!

Could you write such a list of dreams?

I want to challenge you to repeat this exercise of listing your dreams. May your dreams hold power and believe that God will make even the impossible dreams truly possible!

So, dream big…

Charlene

#100: Dream the impossible is possible with God!

All Things All Things

I don't believe that life should be a struggle.

"Excuse me, seriously, what did you just say!?!" But let me explain....

I know we all go through struggles, difficulties and hard times, those are unavoidable, but I believe, with ever fiber of my being, they can be amazing times.

Why do I believe this......because I have lived it, I have experienced it.

God has carried me and my family through hard times and life has felt/been easy.

 I believe that through God all things are possible, all things are Joyful, all things are peaceful....all things all things :)

My life started with what some would believe to have been a hard start.....I was born to a woman who would not be my mom. I was adopted at 3 weeks and grafted into a new family tree. The family that God chose for me. The rest of my childhood/adolescence was completely blessed. Never did it bother me that I was adopted, in fact, the thought barely crossed my mind. I was as much a part of this family as any baby born into another. I grew up surrounded by love, joy, hope and a relationship with my heavenly father. My teen years, early twenties, late twenties and even into my thirties stays the same course....I have lived a blessed life.

God turns sadness into joy, mourning into laughter....he allows things to happen in our lives that mold and shape us....he refines us but those things don't have to be hard. He is the giver of all good things and what I've learned is the importance of letting go. Letting go of control, letting go of family, letting go of one's self.

I have come to a point in my life where everything that I am and everything that I have belongs to the Lord. My life is in the best hands and I know it.

Why would I try to hold it all together on my own when there is someone who does it so perfectly. He knows what is the best for me and come what may I will trust in him, he has never failed me before.

                                                                                                   Xo TinaMarie

Junior High-Bonus Video

You Are Worthy

 YOU. 

I’ve thought about you for a while. Truthfully, I think about you all the time.  There is something very specific that you need to know. I’ve mentioned it before, yet I don’t think you’ve listened or understood.

Ironically, a man told me that I am wrong.

In response, I am going to fight for what I believe to be true.

The truth is: YOU are WORTHY!

Did you hear me?

You, the girl who sits across from me at Starbucks and asks, “How does he know that I like or even love him?”

You, the girl who met me and softly stammered, “I just need a hug.”

You, the girl who questioned me so boldly, “Does you’re past define you, even your tainted virginity?

You, the girl that is rushing to “be” someone and I’ve tenderly whispered,  “Stop and just rest.”

You, the girl that I’ve challenged time and time again, “use your words!”

You, the girl who keeps looking in the mirror and says, “I ain’t worthy…I am ugly.”

WRONG!

WRONG!

WRONG!

Because each one of you are worthy of such things:

·      Your worthy of acceptance and love

·      Your worthy of peace and intimacy

·      Your worthy of purity and hope

·      Your worthy of rest and grace

·      Your worthy of honesty and respect

·      Your worthy of and beauty and truth

I love how Jon Schmidt highlights his daughter in this beautifully composed song. May you listen and know that your Heavenly Father is stating the exact same thing, “I tried to extend that moment…”

Why?

Your Heavenly Father just wants to extend a moment with you, so He can expand on how you are WORTHY in his presence.

Ask him today, "God, how am I worthy?" 

From my heart to yours,

Charlene

P.S. If any guys are reading this: can you promise me one thing? Please ensure that the women (mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, friend, girlfriend, fiancée, or wife) in your life are aware of this simple truth: You are WORTHY!

For Such A Time As This

For Such a Time As This

           I was asked recently to write a testimony for my Church newsletter, and while I have modified it a little bit, I decided that it was something that I wanted to share with you all...May you be blessed as you read. And may you all understand that every single one of us have a divine purpose given to us by God "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14).

“You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown where feet may fail

And there I find you in the mystery

In oceans deep

My faith will stand”

~Oceans (Where feet may fail) Hillsongs United~

            One of my most favorite Biblical hero’s has always been Queen Esther, for many reasons. The fact that she was both inwardly and outwardly beautiful but strong in faith and full of courage has always drawn me. Some of us are familiar with the story of Queen Esther. How Esther, a young Jewish girl won the hearts of all whom she encountered including King Xerxes. How she was named Queen after the previous queen was stripped of her royalty. And how her faith in the Almighty God and her courage saved the Jewish nation from an evil plot of genocide at the hands of King Xerxes second in command, Hamon. I sometimes wonder about the rest of Esther’s story that we don’t know about. The story of her life and the circumstances that she faced that formed this courageous and selfless Queen that we read about today. You see, we all have a story. Our lives today are a product of situations, circumstances, and decisions made that mould us into the people we are today.

            There have been specific moments and situations that I can directly pinpoint throughout my life that have led me to the place in my life journey that I am today. As a child, I was raised to know and love Jesus as my personal Savior.  But as we grow up, God places situations and circumstances in our lives that will test our faith and separate our faith from that of our parents and family. Situations that test what YOUR faith is made of.

            Just over three years ago, I had come home to my parents to stay. I was off work for an extended period because of a sickness in my body. My husband was out of town on a short holiday with some friends, and my mom was away visiting her family in Ontario. So for a few days it was just me and my dad. Situations had arisen in my life that were causing me pain and testing my faith. One night my dad and I decided to take our family dog out for a walk. As we walked I began to share my heart with my dad. I was confused with where God was leading my husband and me, and trying to trust God with all the unknowns that we faced. My dad said something to me that night that I will never forget. He looked me right in my eyes and said to me, “Ashley, you trust God no matter what. No matter what comes your way, you trust God, even if it kills you, you keep trusting God. Because in the end trusting God is all that matters”. I wonder if my dad knew the impact that these words would have on my life. Or the fact that he was speaking into the days ahead that I would face. These words changed my life. Perhaps more so know as I reflect on my life, then the moment my dad spoke them over me.

Queen Esther knew about this kind of faith that my dad was talking about. That is why she inspires me so much. In Esther 4:12-15, Esther’s father figure Mordecai challenged her in the same way. Mordecai said to Esther “Do not think that because you are in the Kings house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this” (NIV). Esther’s response is what stirs my heart. She says in return to Mordecai “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (v.16). Queen Esther was willing to give her life in attempt to save her people and to fulfill God’s plan and calling for her life. She would do what was right and leave the consequences with God. Esther would rather die, if need be, doing what was right than remain silent in fear. This is the type of courage and faith I strive to attain, and this is the depth of courage and faith that dad was speaking into my life. It was this courage and faith that became vital for me, as I sat beside my husband’s ICU bed short months later, completely broken, and trying to understand why God would lead us to these circumstances in our lives.

          
          There is one more reason that I love the story of Esther so much. The story of Esther speaks of God’s faithfulness. In Dr. Larry Crabb’s book 66 Love Letters, it say this. “I (God) wrote Esther to let you see that everything that happens in time is under My control. I allow nothing to happen that I cannot use for the good of My plan. How I use everything is not always obvious. That I do use everything is certain. I hate much that I see, much of what goes on grieves and saddens Me and tries my patience, but I use everything to further My purpose. What I cannot use I do not permit” (p.78). The fact that God can use my days of brokenness, that the countless tears that have fallen from my eyes will be turned to great moments of rejoicing have made all that I have experienced and all that I will experience worth it. We don’t always understand why situations that we encounter are happening, but God has promised that if they are happening he will use them for his glory. My life moments happened for a purpose. My husband’s illness, the death of people I have loved more than life, even the illness of both of my parents. Through these, I have become who I am. Today I am much stronger in my faith in God than I was three years ago. Today I have the courage to follow the path that God is leading me on. Today I am able to share my story with others. And today, I am able to speak into the lives of young men and women and speak into fruition who God is calling them to be. Just as my dad did for me.

Maybe right now you are reading this and thinking to yourself, but you have no idea what I have gone through. You have no idea what people have spoken to me or done to me...Your right, I don't. I mostly likely have never experienced many of the things that you have. But I want you to know that through all of your experiences, through my experiences, we have never for one moment experienced them alone. The Bible says “it is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8). The Bible also tells us about God's unwavering and unequivocal love for us. Romans 8:37-39 says "No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, not any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord". No matter what we have faced, no matter how horrible or painful, the reality is that we are loved by our Heavenly Father beyond words, beyond the reality that we know.

            
           I want you to know, just as you are reading my testimony, that you have a testimony to share as well. Your life journey is probably different than mine, but the fact that God, through the situations and circumstances you have faced, is moulding you into the person He is calling you to be is truth. My challenge to you is to ask God how He desires to use you. Ask God how the situations and circumstances you have faced can be used to change the lives of others. I promise you He will answer…”But who knows, that you have come to this… position for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14, NIV).

 Blessings,

Ashley.

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite songs that inspires me to be courageous, and to follow God's call on my life no matter where it leads me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw