Radiant

"You are the light of the world--like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden". -Matthew 5:14

One of the most rewarding results of following Christ, is the ability to look back and see how far you've come! In our lives, relationships, faith and hearts, we know that God's hand has been apart of it all, because His light is undeniable.

Last weekend, we celebrated our 4th anniversary of spiritual growth, friendships and various accomplishments. We had the honor of gleaning from 3 amazing women of God and learning, from their experiences, how to hear and seek God's voice, even amidst distractions, internal short comings, concerns for the future and our desire for greatness in the present. You see, we are all on a journey, so none of our stories are complete yet! God is writing it all down and planning it all out, perfectly, all we need to do is trust Him and obey!

More and more, I am learning that being a Christian isn't about getting it all right, but it's more so about trusting that God's hand is in it all and that He will fulfill His promises, in due time. Perfection isn't possible until we see Jesus, but even in our imperfections, we can still shine!

We are called to be radiant, because our lives should reflect the radiance of Christ's unfailing love! It's not meant to produce fear of messing up, but rather encouragement that you are never alone! With each friendship we encounter, every scripture we read and any growth we receive, we can live out this faith in complete faith that we are becoming the women that God has purposed for us to be. This includes you! Wherever you are, whoever you and whatever you find yourself experiencing, even at this very moment, you have promise and purpose and the impacts of your life are meant to shine brightly for the whole world to see! None of us are exceptions to that calling! Christ's love is for us all; we simply have to embrace it and believe it!
If you need a friend, we are here. If you need encouragement, we hope that you won't hesitate to reach out to use, because we love you! Thank you for joining us in our journey! Blessings to you on yours!

Grateful

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. - James 1:7

A few weeks ago, we received a blessing in an unexpected way. For four years, Pearls of Hope has been meeting in living rooms and coffee shops, but now, as of April 30, 2017, we have OUR OWN LOCATION!

It reminds me of how important it is to be loving and uplifting, because you truly never know who is watching or who is being moved and impacted by your life, your words and your actions. 

Each of us has the power and the opportunity to bless others in extraordinary ways. Even if it's just to give a hug, or some positive encouragement, your love goes a long way and God promises that the blessings you give will most definitely come back to you (Luke 6:38).

In all our years of outreach, sharing, serving and loving, it's so humbling to know that our efforts didn't go unnoticed. We are sincerely thankful for the love of others, and we hope to continue to be a support, encouragement and shining light for the world to see!

Be Thankful and Give with your heart!
-Katrina McCain, President

The Cocoon Season

What do you do when you find yourself with unanswered prayers? What is your response when the choices you made don't seem to be adding up and your next move seems impossible to make?
Tonight, despite the rain, Pearls of Hope nuzzled into couches with coffee and confidence, discussing these exact life issues. "And We are Changed", by Priscilla Shirer was the book in everyone's hand and we couldn't help but bubble over with excitement over the subjects that were highlighted in our latest

read.

"Do you understand that when Jesus loves you, it doesn't matter how bleak your circumstances appear? It doesn't matter how dark life looks from the inside of the cocoon. He loves you...What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, God calls a butterfly"!

There are places and spaces in each of our lives where we feel as if we are unseen by God or we feel as if we are in a small confined experience, unable to move or see, discern or make productive choices. This is our cocoon season and we each find ourselves there from time to time. But we are never unnoticed by God. So often, we are so busy trying to bypass this season or skip it all together, because it's uncomfortable and sometimes even scary. But it is in the dark cocoon where the caterpillar is transformed!

"I want to be changed by God into what He wants for me. What we want is nothing compared to what His plans are and we can't miss out. If we miss out then we won't know what it's like to be that butterfly. It takes faith to endure the cocoon seasons, so we have to be prepared to pray more and trust God's process. The "cocoon season" spoke to me. It was my favorite part of the book and I wrote it on my mirror."- Brandi Joy Meyers

The discussion over this book as magnetic! One by one, each of us had comments to share on lessons we have learned or are continuing to learn. We laughed and joked, expressed our frustrations, encouraged each other and determined that, even in our dark times of confusion or anxious desires for what we hope will come, we can trust God to produce a beautiful change within us and bring us to the place where we can fly in our purpose and soar on the wings of His unfailing love!

Maybe you are in a cocoon season right now. You're not alone! You have so much promise! You are more than your circumstances! You are not defined by your current condition. The cocoon is not forever. It's only the end to a beautiful beginning! Christ has more in store for you than you could ever hope or imagine!

Believe God's truth with all of your heart and trust His process of transforming you into the beauty of His vision for you!

-Katrina McCain, President