This is a repost of our FIRST VIDEO! We wanted to re-share this with all of you, just to refresh you on our purpose, our mission and our goals in Jesus! Please watch and enjoy!
~Pearls
~Pearls
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day of Christ approaching."~ Hebrews 10: 23-25
February 28, 2015
February 22, 2015
Give Your Dreams To God
A thought interrupted my prayer today: "Lord, my heart is willing, but my direction is unknown".
How many times in our lives do we say that? How many times in our days? I find myself turning these words over and over within me, at any given moment, buecause like many I'm sure, I struggle with the aspirations of having faith and the actual practice, itself.
Faith is what we hope for, yet cannot see. Faith is having a dream or a goal, yet no thinkable means as to how to create it into a reality. Tell me this: why is it that some people can create conglomerates out of absolutely nothing, while others struggle to launch? The ingredient is Faith.
Scripture tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), so then what are we left yo do? How do we navigate through waters of doubt, unscathed by fear of the unknown or worries about tomorrow? How are we suppose to handle dreams that seem too big or plans that fall apart at the very intent?
Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.~1 Peter 1:21
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ~1 John 5:4
How many times in our lives do we say that? How many times in our days? I find myself turning these words over and over within me, at any given moment, buecause like many I'm sure, I struggle with the aspirations of having faith and the actual practice, itself.
Faith is what we hope for, yet cannot see. Faith is having a dream or a goal, yet no thinkable means as to how to create it into a reality. Tell me this: why is it that some people can create conglomerates out of absolutely nothing, while others struggle to launch? The ingredient is Faith.
Scripture tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), so then what are we left yo do? How do we navigate through waters of doubt, unscathed by fear of the unknown or worries about tomorrow? How are we suppose to handle dreams that seem too big or plans that fall apart at the very intent?
Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.~1 Peter 1:21
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ~1 John 5:4
So that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power. ~1 Corinthians 2:5
It strikes me profoundly that each of these scriptures, and others throughout the Bible, tell us that the source of our faith is not in faith alone. It's not our dreams that we need to build our beliefs in. It's not our determination and perseverance that we need to hold tightly to or increase in order for our aspirations to survive. No. If we want to grow our faith to the magnitude in which our hopes are seen and our dreams are realized, we have to rely on God, who gives faith and allows the outcome for dreams, for hopes and for goals. It is in Him, and only Him, where the mustard seeds of our faith can grow. God is our source, not the seed.
As of late, I've been very overwhelmed with the unrealistic expectations of my own dreams. If I were to tell you what's been in my heart, you might think, "well how do you think that can happen?". Even as I bring my dreams to Jesus, I tell him, "Lord, I know this seems impossible, but it can happen if you open the doors for me". See, I realize that I have nothing to offer to ensure my dreams come true. I don't have the resources, the required degrees, the experience or the connections to do what I feel God has placed in my heart. Yet I know it's there for a reason and the vision sparks a light in me! I am excited about this dream- I am hopeful in what may one day come, but I must remind myself, even as I am doing now, that if not placed properly in God's will or in Him as my source, my dreams will be misplaced and my faith will never grow.
D.L. Moody, a 19th century evangelist, wrote, “A little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul.” Isn't time we experienced Heaven in a personal way? Don't you want to partake in active faith, not just wish about it, but live it out? I know I do! I want my own story to tell about the acts of God and His response to my faith in His promises! I want to use my lack as fuel for my faith in The Lord, who never lacks. He never needs to ask or borrow from anyone, so why do we hesitate to start with Him?
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. ~John 14:12
When we put our faith in The Lord, there is no limit to what He can do, through us! We don't need to be afraid or embarrassed about our hopes and dreams with our Heavenly Father. He loves us and He wants us to come to Him in all that we do. I'm Let's do great works, through our faith in God! You
and I can impact the nation...we can impact the world, but it takes faith in a God who is always faithful! He will never disappoint us. He will never give to us less than who He is!
It strikes me profoundly that each of these scriptures, and others throughout the Bible, tell us that the source of our faith is not in faith alone. It's not our dreams that we need to build our beliefs in. It's not our determination and perseverance that we need to hold tightly to or increase in order for our aspirations to survive. No. If we want to grow our faith to the magnitude in which our hopes are seen and our dreams are realized, we have to rely on God, who gives faith and allows the outcome for dreams, for hopes and for goals. It is in Him, and only Him, where the mustard seeds of our faith can grow. God is our source, not the seed.
As of late, I've been very overwhelmed with the unrealistic expectations of my own dreams. If I were to tell you what's been in my heart, you might think, "well how do you think that can happen?". Even as I bring my dreams to Jesus, I tell him, "Lord, I know this seems impossible, but it can happen if you open the doors for me". See, I realize that I have nothing to offer to ensure my dreams come true. I don't have the resources, the required degrees, the experience or the connections to do what I feel God has placed in my heart. Yet I know it's there for a reason and the vision sparks a light in me! I am excited about this dream- I am hopeful in what may one day come, but I must remind myself, even as I am doing now, that if not placed properly in God's will or in Him as my source, my dreams will be misplaced and my faith will never grow.
D.L. Moody, a 19th century evangelist, wrote, “A little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul.” Isn't time we experienced Heaven in a personal way? Don't you want to partake in active faith, not just wish about it, but live it out? I know I do! I want my own story to tell about the acts of God and His response to my faith in His promises! I want to use my lack as fuel for my faith in The Lord, who never lacks. He never needs to ask or borrow from anyone, so why do we hesitate to start with Him?
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. ~John 14:12
When we put our faith in The Lord, there is no limit to what He can do, through us! We don't need to be afraid or embarrassed about our hopes and dreams with our Heavenly Father. He loves us and He wants us to come to Him in all that we do. I'm Let's do great works, through our faith in God! You
and I can impact the nation...we can impact the world, but it takes faith in a God who is always faithful! He will never disappoint us. He will never give to us less than who He is!
Keep the Faith!
~Pearls
February 18, 2015
As White as Snow
There is a precisely calming awe connected to snow. What is it about the frigid white blanket of solid precipitation that always seems to melt away the impatience, the moodiness and the restlessness of the world, if even for just a moment?
On Facebook, a friend posted, "Was I the only one who looked out of my window to check and see if it snowed this morning?". The response resulted in 244 likes and 52 comments. So, clearly, others around the country reacted in the same way. I know I did. To peel back even one blind and glance at a white covered world brings such amazement and serenity within that very moment. It makes me wonder: If natural snow, that will melt away, can give such affirmative peace, how much more than should I allow my life to rest in the eternal peace of my Salvation, which scripture tells us will make our hearts as white as snow?
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow..." ~Isaiah 1:18
On Facebook, a friend posted, "Was I the only one who looked out of my window to check and see if it snowed this morning?". The response resulted in 244 likes and 52 comments. So, clearly, others around the country reacted in the same way. I know I did. To peel back even one blind and glance at a white covered world brings such amazement and serenity within that very moment. It makes me wonder: If natural snow, that will melt away, can give such affirmative peace, how much more than should I allow my life to rest in the eternal peace of my Salvation, which scripture tells us will make our hearts as white as snow?
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow..." ~Isaiah 1:18
God desires to give us peace, not just for the moment, but for eternity. His peace is what guards our life from the troubles that come with this world and sustains us through the uncharted waters and the ups and the downs of life. Sin, that which separates us from God, no longer has to be a fear in our hearts. When we align ourselves with God and His word and when we agree to allow Jesus to be Lord over us, then our sins are washed away and our Salvation brings about a clean heart before a Holy God. No need to fear His holiness, if we are partakers in it! It is a free gift with an everlasting promise: If we turn from our own ways and accept Jesus as our Savior, there is freedom from fear, peace for the unknown and a heart made clean like snow.
As we continue to experience the winter weather of the days to come, remember that all the beauty we see out of our windows will soon melt away. The white ice will turn black from the dust and the mud. Children will ruin the crystal landscapes with their sleds and snowball fights. The city will begin to shovel and salt the mystery away, but for those of us who are rooted in Jesus, His purity, which makes our hearts snow white, will never fade. It is eternally beautiful. Our peace and security in Him and in His love will outlast any season we may experience in this life. Through Jesus, our souls are made holy and pure and nothing can take that away!
~Pearls
February 7, 2015
Share Your Bag of Gold!
This week in our Bible study, we ended our week 4 session in a riveting discussion about loving others like Jesus. In our study, Children of the Day, by Beth Moore, we found ourselves engulfed in the "madness and gladness" of human relationships. Beth clearly painted the picture of both sides of the love coin for us: on one side, we feel the glee, harmony and excitement of mutual feelings that exist between siblings, friends, lovers and other family members. When love is reciprocated and received in a balanced way, it is most fulfilling, confident and enjoyable. These are the relationships we live for. These are the relationships we pray for.
But what about the other side of the coin? What about those relationships where it seems as if we are pouring into to someone, but they don't seem to mind not pouring into us? What about the co-worker that takes the support, but never gives it? What about the cousin who always needs a favor, but is never available to help when you need it? What about the parent that demands the most of you, but always has excuses as to why they don't need to show up for themselves? These are the relationships that, naturally, we want to avoid. We want to "shake them off", as Taylor Swift would put it. We want to ignore, retreat and, at times, reject, such situations from our lives because, as we all know, love is suppose to be positive, happy and fun, right? Wrong!
"The world thinks that Christians are push overs sometimes because we keep giving and giving. It's not always easy and Christ never said that life was suppose to be easy. Love is hard. It's not about unicorns and rainbows. It's a daily fight against our flesh to love others like Jesus"- Jessica Gray, Pearls of Hope
This was the kickstart to our discussion! What do you think about Jessica's comment? In my heart, I felt so at peace to hear her words because it's comforting to know that I am not alone in the struggle to love difficult people- or to love easy people in difficult situations. It is a fight, as Jessica said. It is a daily decision that we must make, to pick up our cross and love like Jesus! As Beth Moore so eloquently put it, "there is madness and gladness when you invest yourself in other people". There are no guarantees that people will accept you, love you, respect you or value you. There are no promises given in scripture that if you treat people kindly and show them love that they will extend it back to you in return. Yet we are still called to love, regardless, just as Jesus has loved us.
In a way, it makes me so much more thankful to my Savior, because I realize that Christ put himself in this very position. He died for the sins of all human-kind, with no guarantee that he would be accepted, valued or loved in return. Yet, he was willing to take that risk for you and me. What love!!!
During our discussion, we were also reminded of the parable of the King and the Debtor (Matthew 18:21-35). Ariel Taylor, one of our newest Pearls, did such a great job retelling this story:
Love is a daily fight. It has it's highs and it's lows. It has its rainbows and its storms. It can come in the form of romance or it can come in the form of friendship or family relations. Love is multifaceted, yet the commandment is not: "Love one another, as I have loved you" (John 15:12).
Let's be like Jesus and love hard, as he does! Let's show the world our bravery to love without limits, give freely and share openly the same as our Savior does for us! Let's give what we've been given!
There is gladness in the madness and the results, even if never experienced here on earth, will be worth the sacrifice in Heaven! Let's share our bag of gold with the world and love on purpose!
Live lovingly!
~Pearls
But what about the other side of the coin? What about those relationships where it seems as if we are pouring into to someone, but they don't seem to mind not pouring into us? What about the co-worker that takes the support, but never gives it? What about the cousin who always needs a favor, but is never available to help when you need it? What about the parent that demands the most of you, but always has excuses as to why they don't need to show up for themselves? These are the relationships that, naturally, we want to avoid. We want to "shake them off", as Taylor Swift would put it. We want to ignore, retreat and, at times, reject, such situations from our lives because, as we all know, love is suppose to be positive, happy and fun, right? Wrong!"The world thinks that Christians are push overs sometimes because we keep giving and giving. It's not always easy and Christ never said that life was suppose to be easy. Love is hard. It's not about unicorns and rainbows. It's a daily fight against our flesh to love others like Jesus"- Jessica Gray, Pearls of Hope
This was the kickstart to our discussion! What do you think about Jessica's comment? In my heart, I felt so at peace to hear her words because it's comforting to know that I am not alone in the struggle to love difficult people- or to love easy people in difficult situations. It is a fight, as Jessica said. It is a daily decision that we must make, to pick up our cross and love like Jesus! As Beth Moore so eloquently put it, "there is madness and gladness when you invest yourself in other people". There are no guarantees that people will accept you, love you, respect you or value you. There are no promises given in scripture that if you treat people kindly and show them love that they will extend it back to you in return. Yet we are still called to love, regardless, just as Jesus has loved us.
In a way, it makes me so much more thankful to my Savior, because I realize that Christ put himself in this very position. He died for the sins of all human-kind, with no guarantee that he would be accepted, valued or loved in return. Yet, he was willing to take that risk for you and me. What love!!!
During our discussion, we were also reminded of the parable of the King and the Debtor (Matthew 18:21-35). Ariel Taylor, one of our newest Pearls, did such a great job retelling this story:
A man owed a king a great debt (like thousands). He was arrested and sentenced to prison because he could not pay. But the man pleaded for his life and the king had mercy on him and forgave his debt. The next day, debt free, the man ran into an associate who owed him a few hundred dollars. Enraged that the associate did not have the money, the man grabbed his comrade by the throat and demanded instant payment. When some of his other associates saw this, they went and told the King. When the King heard this, he was disgusted and sent the man to be tortured for his evil deeds and greed.
...So... What in the world does this have to do with loving others? What does this have to do with Jesus? WE are all the debtors. Our sins, our selfishness, our ill motives and bad habits... they have put us in spiritual debt before God. We all owe a great price for our sins, as scripture says it- "the wages of sin is death"! (Romans 6:23). Yet, with no guarantee that we would receive his free payment, Jesus came and gave his life for ours instead. His love is like a bag of gold for our souls! Our sins/our debt have been forgiven! How much more should we show compassion and love for others? How much more should we share the gold, without hesitations or requirements attached. If we want to be effective Christians, we have to learn to share what we've been given. It's not ours to keep, we've been bought with a price! (1 Corinthians 6:20)Love is a daily fight. It has it's highs and it's lows. It has its rainbows and its storms. It can come in the form of romance or it can come in the form of friendship or family relations. Love is multifaceted, yet the commandment is not: "Love one another, as I have loved you" (John 15:12).
Let's be like Jesus and love hard, as he does! Let's show the world our bravery to love without limits, give freely and share openly the same as our Savior does for us! Let's give what we've been given!
There is gladness in the madness and the results, even if never experienced here on earth, will be worth the sacrifice in Heaven! Let's share our bag of gold with the world and love on purpose!
Live lovingly!
~Pearls
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