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It’s painful.. In this season of my life where I should find myself happiest, fulfilled, content, and accomplished, I find myself feeling the loneliest unlike ever before. Starting a whole new chapter by moving to a new city is one of the few reasons I know I feel this way, and I used that reason as an excuse to why I was feeling lonely for the most part. But subconsciously I was looking to other resources to fill my loneliness and the void I felt in my heart. I turned to my new husband to make me happy, I would engage in conversations with my friends over the phone to make me content and fill that void, I would call my parents who live hours away from me to comfort my heart because of how much I miss them. But sooner than later my expectations I had placed in people around me began to fail which led to disappointment and frustration. I remember during my quiet time with God, I asked Him “this is not what I envisioned my life to look like right now. Why am I here if this is how it was going to turn out?” I immediately felt God convicting me – I am expecting happiness from people, I am seeking fulfillment from people, I am wanting to be loved and praised by people. When the primary source of my happiness and fulfillment should and must come from God, My Savior. Duh! RIGHT?! Unfortunately, like most Christians I tend to easily forget or overlook this simple and obvious concept in various seasons of my life. The following verses came to mind as reminders; Psalm 37:4 “Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” As I was being reminded of these verses another realization dawned on me; I never acknowledged this verbally to my heavenly father in prayer. I pray and talk to God about other matters but never about my loneliness. Possibly because I didn’t think it was a big deal, or that this feeling will eventually fade away with time, or I thought there is nothing God can do about it. Is He magically going to provide me with a new friend? I am not sure. But after reading the word, I realized Jesus also related to loneliness as well. The Son of God and Lonely!? YEP. Jesus has felt lonely, not just in the early years of his ministry where he fasted alone, but throughout his ministry he had to dwell in towns outside of main cities alone even when he had disciples following him, and the loneliest of all he must’ve felt when He was crucified on the Cross asking his Father “Why have you forsaken me?” That revelation humbled my frustrated and disappointed heart quickly. Hebrews 2:18 says “Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing; he is able to help when we are being tested.” As women, I am aware we go through various seasons in life where we may feel alone, unloved, judged, criticized, etc.; but the verse above makes it known that Jesus our beloved Father himself has gone through it all and has felt all such emotions and more, to where you and I can cling onto him to fulfill us, to bring us joy, and fill our heart with love and contentment. He will NOT disappoint us, and His love will always prevail the darkest of emotions. Feeling lonely whether you are alone or in a room full of people, it can be painful. But I am reminded now more than ever that my true and ultimate companion is Jesus Christ. He is the source of my joy, happiness, and fulfillment. Through Him I will receive all that my heart longs for like friendships, community, and Christ-centered relationships, and the rest will follow. Next time you feel alone or lonely, I encourage you to take that to the Lord in prayer, He will strengthen you and fill your heart with hope, joy, peace and provide you with wisdom and help you to find new perspective in Him. No prayer is too small or too big for our God. Love, A Woman of Worth #christianity #happiness #loneliness #faith #relationships #approval #fulfillment #friends #newcity #alone #God #Godsword

Here and there my parents would occasionally say comments such as “you need to work” or “you are too much to handle in the sense of being too expensive” and they wanted me to make my own money. Those comments started to get to me and I felt like I needed to work just to get the experience for my career. During this time, when there were so many uncertainties in the world and what’s next for my life, I just decided, along with the support of someone special, to start applying to jobs that would be beneficial for my career. I decided to apply to two jobs that seemed interesting, and one of the jobs that I applied to – I discovered I had a draft of an email in my inbox two years ago applying to this company. Two years ago, I was completely focused on my studies. My mom would always tell me to just focus on my education and THEN work. Presently, I find it so surprising that I had a draft of an email to apply to this company and now here I am about to finally apply to this company. I applied to the company, personally dropping off my resume at the location. Prior to dropping off the resume, I sat in the parking lot with that someone special and I prayed over the application. That day itself, by the time I reached my house, I got an email saying they wanted to have an interview with me. The night before the interview, it was a whirlwind of emotions. I was sad, frustrated, and completely questioning everything. I barely slept that night. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:34. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9. The next morning, on the way to the interview, I was listening to a song called Prophesy Your Promise. While driving, I was driven to tears knowing that God was with me. I missed the exit for the interview, I got lost in some construction along the way, and I was late to my very first interview that I really wanted. I started to freak out, but as soon as I walked into the office building, I felt so much at peace. Everyone was so welcoming and the workers relieved any stress that I had. They eased my mind by calming me down. Once we started the interview, it honestly felt so casual. Everything that I memorized about the company and the prep that I did all went out the window. I was completely myself and they saw me for who I was. After the interview, I walked out of the building and received a job offer for a different position that I didn’t even apply to. I was so amazed because it wasn’t because of my ability to do any of this or get this job during a time where people could not even find jobs in a global pandemic. I was awestruck knowing that God paved a way for me when I was so unsure about so many things. That has been my anthem of 2020: Trusting God during uncertain situations. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your path straight.” – Proverbs 3: 5 & 6. God was with me then, He is with me now, and He will be with me forever. When I felt like I was a hot mess, God was there paving the way for me and I want to encourage you all that He is paving a way for you in whatever uncertainty you are facing in life. Let this be a daily reminder for us to trust God and not trust in our own abilities, because God has a plan for you that is 100 times better than you could possibly imagine for yourself. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55: 8 & 9. When you feel stuck, I encourage you to go to your Abba Father and hang out with Him because with Him, everything is beautiful and peaceful. There are no words to describe the feeling when you’re hanging out with the Lord. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request 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 #2020 #covid #trust #storm #pandemic #uncertainty #christian #faith #love #struggle #God

With everything going on, does anyone just feel really overcome with fear? I definitely do. These days, it feels crippling. The unknown is scary. The world is a terrifying place right now. I’m not sure who can relate, but I feel emotionally drained. Fear is REAL and it’s okay if you’re experiencing fear. You are NOT alone. When I think of fear, I always think of it in a negative connotation. It’s always associated with some sort of worry or trouble that I face. However, in the bible we’re told that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). So essentially, fear could be a good thing if used in the right way. Fearing God doesn’t mean that we should be scared of God. Rather, it means to give God reverence and fear the discipline He has for evil actions. When we were kids, our parents disciplined us for our wrongdoings. They did this out of love and our Father in Heaven does the same (Hebrews 12:6). When we fear God, it moves us in the way we react to things. When we fear anything but God, we should be reminded to REDIRECT our fear to God. As the verse mentioned above, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. When we fear God, we’re able to know Him and understand Him deeper. The more you know something, the more you’re willing to trust it. When we completely trust God, we have no reason to fear anything in this world. We’re able to hold onto the promises He has for us. Revelation 19:5 “And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God all you His servants, you who FEAR Him, small and great.”” I pray that we become a generation that fears God. When we become overcome with crippling fear over earthly things, may God redirect us to fear Him, to know Him deeply, and to trust Him. #faith #fear #overcomer #therealworld

How long, Oh Lord. How long do I need to hear the cries of the hurt? The cries of the broken hearted? The cries of the victims? How long will I have to wait? Do You hear us? I’m tired. Physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually…tiredI don’t think I can go forward.How can I let them see? How can I let them know? That the color of a person’s skin is a representation of who You are. That different cultures aren’t suppose to separate us but instead it is supposed to unite us.How can they not see You? Feel You? How can they not know? When will it end? I’m tired.I thought by now things like this would cease to exist but now it seems to have multiplied.Too much. The hurt is too much. I am tired. But Hope…Hope is what You are, so it is You that I will continue to cling onto. Even when I can’t see the hope, I know You are fighting on our behalf. I trust You. Give me rest, Abba Love, A Woman of Worth #lovelikeJesus #love #stopasianhate #AbbaFather #truth #faith #weary #hope #injustice

+ Mix in a WHOLE LOT of Jesus Have you ever been around people, but still felt lonely? I can definitely attest to that. I have family, school friends, church friends, and even a best friend. Despite having all these people in my life, I still felt extremely lonely a couple months ago. I really enjoy communicating with people; especially as the COVID pandemic emerged in March, I did my best to keep up with my friendships. Regardless of whether or not my friends or acquaintances reached out to me first, I was very intentional in showing them that they were being thought of. But, toward the end of the year, I really started to burn out. It didn’t bother me earlier when people didn’t reach out to talk to me, but it suddenly did now. I began asking myself why no one bothered to reciprocate the love I showed them. Even those closest to me didn’t seem to care enough to ask a simple “how are you?”. Whenever I looked at social media, friends whom I tried to maintain a relationship with were hanging out with each other. Was I ever invited? No. I felt so alone in those moments. I was so tired of trying to make people feel loved, but always have it go one way. In my state of vulnerability, I truly felt like no one around me really cared for me. A female character in the Bible who also went through a season of loneliness was Leah. Leah had a husband, father, sister, and maid. Yet, she felt forsaken. In Genesis 29:31, it says, “Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved…”. The Lord took notice of Leah. Unlike Jacob who was quite focused on a trivial matter (beauty), the Lord looked at Leah’s circumstances and had compassion on her. He saw that she was not being loved by those around her. When no one else sees what you are going through, remember that the Lord sees. Our God cares about us so deeply and intimately that He even knows the very number of hairs on our head. As daughters of the Most High King, we are precious in His sight. God calls us His “… royal priesthood [and] His own special people…” (1 Peter 2:9). Going back to Genesis 29, in verses 32-35, God blesses Leah with children due to her state of being unloved. Verse 32 says, “Because the LORD has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” Also, verse 34 says, “… Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons”. In these verses, Leah acknowledges that God sees her affliction, but she is not satisfied with the affection God shows her. Leah is still looking for human acceptance – specifically from her husband Jacob. In verse 35, however, there’s a shift in Leah. The verse reads, “And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she named him Judah…”. Leah choosing to praise God for Judah instead of using the children God gifts her to win the adoration of Jacob changed her story. Leah became the mother of Judah, from whose tribe Jesus derived. Leah in this verse is seen to finally be still and at peace in the knowledge that God cared for her and wanted to SHOW that He cared by providing her with children. Leah’s attitude shift was able to impact generations to come. Even if people forsake you, God can make you a blessing. You are not measured by the way others treat you or think of you. It doesn’t matter if the people around you don’t make you feel important. God can change your heart, perspectives, and status IF you are willing to be content with Him – not His gifts (such as friendship) – but Him alone. Once you come to the realization of who Jesus is and who you are in relation to Jesus, feeling cared for by others won’t matter anymore. If the God of the universe thinks so highly of you, what more do you need? Love, A Woman of Worth #lonely #God039slove #faith #blessings #content #loneliness

What does your Faith say about you? This is a question I heard in a message by Pastor Steven Furtick, and I ask this question to myself time and time again whenever I need a heart check. The year 2020 was meant to be a year of new beginnings for many. Most of us had aspirations to achieve goals, pursue dreams, and were expecting breakthroughs this past year. Unfortunately, we all have found ourselves victims to a global pandemic, putting such aspirations and ambitions on pause or given it a slow start. In times like this, it is easy for people to feel overwhelmed in the midst of the chaos caused by lockdown restrictions and the fear of getting sick each time they step out of the house, and succumb to the unfortunate reality of  COVID19. However, as a Child of God it is important to not let our Faith waver in these circumstances. Our reality is not a surprise to God. Knowing that truth, it is important to take courage and  trust that the Lord will make a way for us to continue to live a life that brings Him glory amidst the chaos. The word of the Lord says in Matthew 6:25 onwards “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more valuable than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Friends, Jesus Himself indicates here that we, as children of God, are more valuable than the birds. If He provides for them, He will surely provide for us with what we need. Even in unpredictable times, our aim and goal should be to trust that our Heavenly Father will strengthen us and feed us both spiritually and physically, because we are far more valuable than gold in His eyes. So do not let your worries cause your faith to waver. Instead let your faith grow and flourish, holding onto the truth that Jesus Christ is sovereign overall, and that “He works together all things for the good of those who love Him…”(Romans 8:28) While many of our plans are on pause and life is not going as imagined, it is important that we count our blessings and trust that there is a plan and purpose behind this period in time we are all in. With that in mind, Let us use this extra “downtime” we have as an opportunity to grow our faith, become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and to trust the process. Let us encourage one another to increase and be bold in our faith, as well as to fix our focus on the positives this past year has brought rather than what we have lost. As we wrap up this year and reflect on 2020, ask yourself, What does your Faith say about you? #2020 #storm #prayer #rest #faith #downtime #ambition #God #value

At one point or another, we have all hit rock bottom and it was quite difficult to get back up on our feet. I myself felt that way many times in my life where those thoughts took control and all hope that I had was destroyed. During those tough times, all I heard are those voices in my head saying,” You’re a failure”, “You could have done so much better”. When my head is consumed by those negative thoughts, I try to direct my attention to the creator who knew me even before I was born. He wouldn’t say any of these things about me so why should I put myself down? I always ask myself, why can’t I for once just be perfect? Instead of aiming for perfection, I look at the way God sees me. I have learned that some days are going to get better while other days will have their challenges. However, I have finally understood how to love myself by focusing my attention on God alone. God sees the tears you shed and the hard work you are putting in towards reaching your goals. God understands there will be times where you will fall and things will not go as planned, but he still loves you anyway. Can you find the courage in your heart to love yourself even when you face failure? Just take a second and think about how you are feeling right now at this moment. Use these verses as a reminder of how much God loves you in doubt and difficulties. Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail – Lamentations 3:22. God doesn’t expect perfection from you and you don’t need to hold yourself to those unrealistic expectations. God sees you with your flaws and your imperfections. The instruction of the LORD is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. The precepts of the LORD are right, making the heart glad; the command of the LORD is radiant, making the eyes light up. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are reliable and altogether righteous – Psalm 19:7-9. Jesus is molding you as he is the potter and we are his clay. He is shaping us inwardly and helping us grow to be used in his kingdom as vessels. Even during our troubled times, God will use that to teach us and carry on his plan that he has instilled for each one of us. I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus – Philippians 1:3-6 Love, A Woman of Worth #faith #God039slove #love #trust

World turned upside down in 2020? All your meticulously planned events never happen? Don’t know the last time you hung out with your friends like normal? Haven’t been in a church building since March 2020? WELCOME TO 2021!! As a “COVID bride” I can first-hand testify that 2020 was a difficult year. If you think wedding planning is hard, try doing it amidst a global pandemic. Me and my fiance live in different states so we were also not able to visit each other for some time when the initial lockdowns happened. All the things I had planned or wished for my wedding were not possible, from dress shopping with my girls to having a bachelorette party, or just having my cousins attend my wedding. None of it happened the way any of us could’ve thought. I can’t begin to count the number of times I bawled so hard because all my effort was thrown out the window with city ordinances or family situations out of my control. But you know what – we survived. Some of us thrived, some wilted, but by the grace of God we’re still standing here today. A lot of people had a clear vision of what they thought their 2020 would look like just as I had, but as we all came to know, our future is not in our hands but in God’s. In these moments it’s important to remember that God is in control. Let that sink in – not you, not your parents, not your pastor, but God. Do you truly believe that statement? When I think about it honestly I feel relieved. It’s hard to accept that no matter how much time and effort I put into planning it may not work out that way but I feel so much more at ease knowing that ultimately God’s plans come to pass. I only see the here and now but God sees past all conventional timelines and occurrences. I know my earthly father loves me a lot, so it makes sense to me that my heavenly father filled with Agape love would love me so much more. Wouldn’t a person with such undeniable love for me only plan the best and brightest for my life? Realize that this statement doesn’t equate fame and fortune, but to me it means health and happiness. Here are a few verses to help you if you struggled like I did: “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘ plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” Proverbs 16:3 “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” Proverbs 16:9 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 Throughout 2020 the biggest tool I used to combat my failed plans was communication. Communication with my family addressed issues and perceptions we were holding onto. Communication with my friends gave me support in my moments of defeat. Communication with God through prayer was literally how I survived. My prayers turned into therapy sessions where I poured my heart out when it felt like it was shattering. Did I fail to communicate? Heck yes, but it’s something I tried to work on over my continued failures. Be persistent in trying to better your situation. Just because it’s 2021 doesn’t mean all your problems of 2020 magically disappear. I saw something recently that said, “Even if 2021 isn’t different, I am going to be”. I love that because again we are not in control of our circumstances but we are in control of ourselves. If 2021 turns out to be a 2020 Part II, this 2021 woman won’t be her past 2020 self. #covid #guidance #struggle #failedplans #god039splan

When the devil says you’re less than but God says you’re more Something that’s been heavy on my heart these past couple of months is emotional wellness. Our emotional health & wellness is something we ALL commonly neglect, which can build up and later be troublesome. Our spiritual walk ties in with our mental wellness and our faith can help us with our internal struggles. About three weeks ago I gave a similar talk on emotional wellness at an ICPF Ignite session and coincidentally, not too long after I did, I found myself stuck in a bad mental state. What happens for the most of us is that a problem we go through can trigger some of the issues we try to bury away and it all eventually erupts. This was a particularly difficult week in my life, but I want to share what helped me get through it. How can we use our faith to take care of ourselves? The Christian walk was never promised to be an easy one. We all have gone through or will go through moments in our lives that really test our faith and if it is as strong as we proclaim it. One of the first points I want to make comes from a verse we all know in the beginning of James Chapter 1: “Consider it great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” Ok, but wait – rejoice? In the bad? I used to read this and think that is definitely easier said than done and not true. I mean how do you rejoice when it may feel like everything is slipping through your fingers? But i had to take a look at this verse and the word rejoice again. Even though the world we know may feel like or may actually be crumbling, what we rejoice is in our never changing, always present heavenly father. We rejoice in the fact that though everything may be going wrong, our God is still constant and still in control. This same God is the one who sees us and understands us when no one else may, the one who loves us with an everlasting love and fights for us. Focusing on the truth which is God helps us in knowing we’re not alone nor do we have to go through our struggles alone.  This also brings me to the next point of focusing on the facts. The mind is known to be the devil’s playground. That is where we face almost all of our internal battles such as insecurities, fear, pain, etc. The enemy uses our thoughts to hurt us and bring us to low points. How can you overcome that? Focus on things you can control, and let go of things you can’t instead of dwelling on them. Remind yourself of 10 things you know for sure. We are all guilty of worrying about things that haven’t happened yet, and believing the lies the enemy tells us. I’m personally notorious for overthinking and jumping to irrational decisions. For me, personally, that stems from my internal struggle of fear and trauma. How can we overcome this? We have to reframe our thoughts and focus on the facts. What facts do we focus on? Let us review: Our God is constant and unchanging – Psalms 102:27 “ but you remain the same, and your years will never end.” He is in Control – Joshua 1:9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” He walks with us through our valleys and fights for us “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” – Deut. 31: 8 Remind yourself of who God is and who you are to God and how he sees you. Way too often we get caught up with what the world thinks of us and let the opinions of others wrongly define who we are and our worth. Remind yourself that God has a purpose for you and your life – Jeremiah 1:9 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Surround yourself with a community of like-minded people. Thankfully we are all blessed to be a part of a tight-knit youth group who all have a passion to know God and grow more in Him daily. When we surround ourselves with a community whose eyes are fixed on Jesus, they will be there to lift us up in our times of need as well as help guide us with sound biblical advice. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and let them pour into your life. My last but most important point I want to end off with is delighting ourselves in God. To delight ourselves in God means enjoying who God is and his goodness in our lives. We delight in everything that is of God. In order to do that, we need to recognize the barriers that hinder our growth in our faith. Do we prioritize things in our lives more than we prioritize the time we spend in prayer or in meditating the word of God? When we are able to spend more time in God’s word and prayer, we fill our hearts with truth that helps us discern the lies of the devil and what is of God. We will feel the nearness of God’s presence at all times, especially when we need him the most. There is a quote I recently saw on social media and it was along the lines of “you can’t say God is silent if your Bible is closed.” So how did I get through that particularly difficult week in my life? It was harder than ever, but I needed to stop letting other people define my worth, and see myself how God saw me. I surrounded myself with people who were there to lift me up, give me sound advice, as well as pray for me and just sit there with me. I had to reframe my thoughts and the way I prayed. Instead of asking God, “why me?” I had to switch it up. I prayed, “this is killing me, but what do you want me to learn from this God?”, and you know what – God answered. It wasn’t in the most obvious way, but there was a lot I learned and had to change by the end of that week. Draw closer to God today, pour your heart out to him and believe that God will see you through your struggles. James 4:8 “draw near to God and he will draw near to you”. Know that every struggle or pain you go through now is shaping you intro a stronger person and building up your endurance as it says in James 1:12 – ”Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” Love, A Woman of Worth #community #mentalhealth #faith #confidance #God #emotionalhealth

A reminder of his love & faithfulness Over the past couple of months I have found myself to be in a lonely place, feeling broken and completely empty. The people that played an important role in my life a year ago are now just another couple of contacts in my phone and my plans for grad school have all of a sudden become a question mark after receiving rejection emails. Uncertainties started piling up one after another which brought a great amount of uneasiness and lost hope. As I was going through this difficult season I was drawn to a song written by Maverick City called Promises which has now become my anthem. The song reminds us about the importance of unwavering faith  because Jesus will never forsake us or let us down. It doesn’t matter what season we are in because he is always in control and all we have to simply do is just trust Jesus through it all. I started spending more time just reading the Bible and God’s word. Psalms 121:2 “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth”. The entire psalm is powerful, but this verse describes the help that we yearn for is given to us through our creator who has always been constant and all-knowing. The God we serve will carry us through our troubled times no matter how impossible it may look. Luke 18:27, “What is impossible with man is possible with God”. Although this season in my life is not finished it has allowed me to spend time with Jesus on a deeper level than ever before. I stopped allowing negative thoughts to consume my mind but allowed scripture to bring me a sense of peace. I know God has so many great things he wants to fulfill in my life. The things that have brought uncertainty will become things that are certain. While there may have been doors that were a “NO”, there will be other doors that will become a “YES” because he is our waymaker. – A Woman of Worth #Godsword #community #faithfulness #promises

We are God’s masterpiece. Scripture emphasizes this in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s masterpiece created to do good works" We’re not just any piece of artwork, but an extraordinary one. We don’t need to add or lose anything on the painting, for He made you perfect. He made you in His own image. As Psalms 139 says, He has numerous thoughts for me as vast as the sand on the seashore. He has plans for us and has written them all in His book. He has plans to show the gifts He has given us to the world. I know there are days where we feel like we’re not a masterpiece or that we don’t look as good as the artwork sitting next to us, so we try to paint some more on the piece to make it how we like it, but it doesn’t end up looking pretty. Do you think He is going to throw the piece away? No way! He was and is always going to care for you so much. Don’t put the veil over your artwork and hide out of fear because Jesus tore the veil. He instead washes the mess away and makes you brand new by His blood. . He gave us that free gift of salvation. We need to trust in Him. We need to give God the glory through everything we do. We need to be the masterpiece God made us to be. We have to step into the calling He has for us and stop believing the lies that the enemy so badly wants us to believe. How many of us call ourselves ugly? Or we look in the mirror and find soooo many faults with ourselves. We notice every bump, blemish, and scar yet God doesn't. He sees the perfect blood of jesus Christ on us so that we can be called the righteousness of christ. How dare we tell the creator God, the artist that His art work is blemished. It's broken. It's not good enough. It's what the artist says about the painting which is it's reality. What God says about us is what we need to start believing. the lies of our flesh and the lies of the enemy are meant to kill and destroy. We have to step into the idenites God has for us and be the unique, priceless, one of a kind masterpiece God intended for us to be. – A Woman of Worth #christianity #masterpiece #veiltorn

Lately I realize, I am great at putting on my ‘everything is wonderful’ mask when I am all torn up on the inside. We often feel the need to hide our brokenness, sin, pain, imperfection and suffering behind a mask of happiness and perfection. We conceal our true selves out of fear. The masks we wear become so comfortable and familiar. They become part of us and we would feel naked without them. In those moments when our guard is down and we remove the mask, we feel vulnerable and exposed. As I get older, I realize most people have become experts at hiding behind a facade of perfection when in truth they are masking a jumble of emotions: anger, hurt, fear, and bitterness. Somehow projecting an image of perfection has become the norm and we almost do not know how to go about without our masks. It is ironic that it doesn’t bother us even lying to make both ourselves and others believe that the mask we wear are the true ‘us’. 1 Cor. 12:25-26 says, “There should be no division in the body, but .. its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.” I desire for a day where we come together as people who are not afraid to take off our masks; not afraid to deal with others’ imperfections; that brokenness in others do not make us uncomfortable but we are molded in Christ-likeness to wash each others dirty feet. That our arms are open to dry tears and pray together for comfort. I pray that we become vulnerable people and accept and expect the same from others. That humility will start with us taking our “masks” off. I desire that we provide a haven for people to come and receive grace and love no matter what their story is. In desiring to stand for the kingdom and doctrines, we don’t forget that Jesus called us to love like he did. Jesus always looked for the underdog – and not for the respected person in the society. He reached out to the woman with the issue of blood, His heart went out to the widow who lost her son, to the woman who was caught in adultery. Jesus was not afraid of their imperfections and showing favor and compassion to them publicly. He was not afraid what that would do to His reputation. We have been called for such a time as this. It’s time to wake up, rise up and put on our strength. Now is the time to pray like never before. Now is the time to show compassion and love on people. God is looking for women and men who will intercede for their homes, neighborhoods, cities, country, world. He is looking for prayer warriors, intercessors who aren’t lazy to pray and fast when needed. It is time we stand firm and build our walls; it is time our hearts wept seeing broken walls and when we see them,  we do not stand in judgement but we are willing to wear our swords and help rebuild the wall with our very own hands. Rise up men & women of God! Rise up people of purpose! The horn of your calling is blowing ever so clear. We are to grow, provide stability, be useful, flourish, bear fruit and be a huge threat to the enemy! This is where true worship begins. Heavenly Father, help me to worship in a way that truly takes all of me. Help me love you with not just my words but with all my soul, my mind, my strength and my heart. Let me never be content with lukewarm worship but allow me to fan into flame the glow of the Holy Spirit that is placed within me. This post was written by Anu Varghese who is the author of other great posts which you can find on her site – https://salttoshine.blogspot.com/2020/08/masks-off.html #compassion #maskoff #riseup #united