Resting

2016 was a burn out year. Sacrifice proceeds success and boy were we successful! Mission trip, fundraisers, new members, interviews, national recognition, global contributions and a stellar fashion show... we were certainly busy! (Praise God!)

But, what comes up, must come down. And as we are entering this new year of 2017, The Lord, in His gentle way, has given us a new and fresh vision for this year: Rest.

In our busy and ever moving society, we tend to see this word, "rest", as a lazy term. To rest means to pause, to not do, to wait. We get anxious in the waiting and restless in the resting, but sometimes, that is the most dire state of being in order to hear more clearly from the Lord.

"Be still and know that I am God"! ~ Psalm 48:10

To know means to trust, to place one's belief in and to have confidence in. In our resting, we can have confidence that God is preparing our hearts for something great that only He can give. But we cannot expect to receive that vision if we are always busy.

Last year, was certainly full of success for us and no doubt, this year will be also. But success requires following the Lord (Proverbs 2:7). He is our guide to do what is right and fruitful. His voice is required to make sure we are following the paths to prosperity that He has purposed for us. And so, as we wait patiently on the Lord, we will be taking a look inwardly this year- focusing on our inner man, our personal relationships with God and with each other. We will be seeking the Lord for His voice, for His instruction and for His blessings and for the opportunities that He has in store for us.

I think we all need a good rest from time to time. We all need a little "me" time and we all need a lot of "God" time. When we spend ourselves on Him and place ourselves in dependency to know His desires and follow His instructions, we will not need to worry about the outcome. 

More of God and less of us!

Happy New Year to you all!

-Katrina McCain + Pearls of Hope

Thank You Charlotte!!!

After 5 months of preparations, it's hard to believe Fashion Beyond Borders is over! What a beautiful experience, with so many amazing people! Thank you to Anthony Simons of Plitzs Fashion Marketing for his direction and support! Thank you to our Designers: Sachhi Couture, The Defining Line, TLine Designs, Moniquea Renee, Malou Style, Nordstrom, Tara Davis and KoKo Nanga for a thrilling show of fashion and inspiring creativity! Thank you to all of the lovely and handsome models, who were kind, confident and so very professional! Thank you to each MAKEUP and Hair artist: EMRC, The Makeup Bully, Makeup by Onieka Cache and Derek Moser Hair! Thank you so much to Carolina Style Magazine for an incredible interview and to Erin L Hubbs for running and directing the Back Stage/BTS! Thank you also to Sachhi Event Center for allowing us to showcase at your venue. Thank you to our vendors: Fox Skynz by Melissa Davis and Mary Kay by Amani Dooley Wilkes! To SS Events, thank you for the tables, linen, chairs and lights. Thank you to Mi Amor Weddings for the gorgeous ceiling drapery and chandeliers and also a well deserved thank you to Elegant and Classy Wedding for providing the backdrop drapery. Thank you to 704Sign Printing and LW Designs for our graphics and Printing. A warm thank you to Simply Sweet and Olive Garden for the food! Thank you to Cyrus Speaks and Justin The Beloved for the entertainment and to DJ Hugo of iParty DJs for the music and good vibes! A special thank you to Samantha Pernell for hosting! Thank you to Off Broadway, Fashion&Compassion, Simply Ashleigh, DMone Jewelry, Pretty Southern and Darrell Roach for contributing the giveaway and auction pieces! Thank you to all of our media: Tyrone Combs, Brandi Myers Photography, Mr. Soc, Crys Fararr and Sheldon Lazzare! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you also to Pearls of Hope for their inspirational desire to give love and kindness in the world! Together, we can do amazing things!!!! Thank you guests, family and friends! We sold out against the odds and raised $2,241!!!! What a blessing this will be for The Merino School! We did it, together! Thank you!!!

Fashion and Compassion

As we approach the date of our first, community wide fundraiser, we must say thank you to a very special organization that has truly been a blessing to us. Fashion & Compassion, a non-profit, jewelry & accessories brand is located in Charlotte, NC. They were so kind as to invite us to host a collaborative "Jewelry Party", to help us raise money and spread the word about our Fashion Beyond Borders Fundraiser!!

Fashion & Compassion seeks to fulfill their mission by connecting caring consumers with vulnerable artisans to bring dignity through economic empowerment.Their hope and goal is to provide dignified jobs to women in vulnerable communities around the world. In addition to providing employment, they also donate ALL net proceeds to Ministry Partners, to further meet the needs of he communities they serve. Such communities include the U.S., Uganda, Sudan, Honduras, Ecuador and Ethiopia!

Today was a day of inspiration, prayer and encouragement! Thank you, truly, to Celeste and the Fashion&Compassion team for sharing your story and your space with us! Your encouragement has meant to much and we truly pray for another opportunity to share with you in the near future! If you are ever in Charlotte, please stop by and meet these beautiful women who empower other women, one life at a time! "Share and Do Good"!