YOU are Someone's Answer to Prayer!

I think it's safe to say that we all place value on belonging; we all want to be accepted, valued, loved and considered. We all want to have the sense of knowing that we are important and special to someone else. But, many of us have suffered from looking for such relationships in the wrong places. In High School, some of us may have tried to get approval by going against the grain; by rebelling against our parents and teachers- making choices that we'd much rather forget. In college, maybe the trend continued, or maybe, we poured ourselves into trying to find romantic relationships, our studies and our friends- not interested in letting other people into our small circle. Maybe that's not your story, but odds are, you know the pain of wanting to belong. You know the strain of hoping to be accepted and included, with no ulterior motives and no strings attached.

In my life, this has been the cause of many tears on my pillow; it has been my hearts cry through out my high school and college years and, though I am an adult now, it still pulls at my heart strings when I notice others who feel on the outside and want to be grafted in to a group- any group- that might have even an inkling of interest in them, because I understand. I understand how important it is to be apart of something or someone that we deem to be great. But if pursuing such relationships is our focus, we could be in danger of overlooking how pivotal our lives can be in adding value to others.

In Christ, there are no outsiders. There is only love and all are welcomed and included. There is no one who is too cool, too important or too good. We are all valued and held in high regard, because Christ loves us, just the way we are. I've never known so much acceptance before I met Christ, and now that I am in Christ, I see Him pour love and friendship freely into my life, through other people and for other people. And I am honored to receive and give in such a manner, not just with my friends, but in my family, in my community and in my world. I am blessed to have Pearls of Hope to pour myself into, but more importantly, I am blessed that what I pour out is not in vain. 

Pearls of Hope is not a clique. We are not an exclusive club or a secret sisterhood. We are just regular girls who followed God's love and accidentally bumped into each other along the way. We share more than casual laughs on a Friday night. We share each other's lives. We pray for one another, because we care. We pitch in to help those in need, encourage each other to believe in who God says we are and we hold each other accountable to be our upmost best out of truth and love. We're not perfect, but we trust a perfect God and He says that we belong!

This past month, we've received 2 emails from girls we've never met, who have expressed a longing to find friends who are focused on God. Neither of the authors of these emails live in North Carolina and they shared how much they wished they could find a place where they belonged. Maybe they are not alone in their feelings. Maybe, underneath it all, we just want to belong; we just want to feel loved and important. And you do! You do belong- regardless of your past, your present or your choice in future. You have a special place in Christ, if you only allow Him to produce His love in you and live in obedience in your life. I promise, the results are incredible and Christ will begin to send people your way who will encourage and support your efforts in Him!

All of us, at one time or another, felt alone. We have all felt overlooked, misunderstood and have even struggled in our Christian walk, but God knows that "it is not good for man to be alone" (Gen. 2: 18). And so, in this life with Christ, success comes when we live life corporately, not individually. God began to bring the right people at the right time and it has been a blessing that we hope to continue to share with anyone who is interested in joining us! We are friends, not because we have some secret recipe; not because we've grown up our whole lives together or even because we just have so much in common. No, our friendships are based on the one true fact that Christ loves us all and has given us a love to share with each other and with the entire world, no matter who and no matter what!

If you are still searching for a place to belong, I'd like to challenge you to pray and ask the Lord to give you friends with whom you can enjoy and encourage. Ask for guidance in choosing the right people to be apart of your life- people who will encourage you to do and be the best that you can be and people who will push you forward, not hold you back! There are so many individuals who are praying for a friend like you to enter their lives! YOU are someone's answer to prayer! Don't doubt the importance that your life brings or the impact that you can create just by walking into a room. I promise  you, you are so special, not because of what you do or who you associate yourself with, but you are special because of who loves you, and that is Christ!

Love others and let God's love shine through you! Be a friend and look for opportunities to be friendly! There is so much good we can all do in the world, but it first starts with seeking God to connect us with people that we can grow, love and learn with. No one is an island! It takes a team... a tribe, and that is what makes the journey so incredibly wonderful and fun!

Have fun, make friends and have faith!

~Pearls

2 Years Behind Us... An Even Brighter Future Ahead of Us!

At the brink of Summer, 2013, we began a little Bible Study at my kitchen table. There were only two girls, Ashley and I, and we met over breakfast to discuss our need for more of God. We read a few scriptures, had a lot of discussion, ate cinnamon rolls with coffee and smiled at the thought of having personal devotion together during that summer. It was a sweet time for us and for our friendship. Two weeks later, Jessica joined us, followed by Kourtney, and by the end of the month, we had begun our first book with our faithful four!

Fast forward two years later, we are 13 girls strong, with weekly meetings, weekend trips, community outreach, social media interactions and, to celebrate our growth in the Lord, our much anticipated 2nd Annual Ladies Luncheon!!! This year, our Luncheon was held under a beautiful blue sky, in Lindley Park, with the company of God's gorgeous creation! Our mentors/guest speakers traveled all the way from Charlotte to share their love and encouragement with us. It was a lovely success and, I believe, just a sneak peak of what more God has in store for us all!
Pearls of Hope serves as an undeniable blessing in my life. It's a joy for me to witness all that God has done for us and doing within us in only a short amount of time. We are more than just a Bible Study, we are an accountability group, filled with love and commitment toward one another, all for the sake of Christ! There were times when people close to us discouraged us from meeting. They didn't understand the vision God had placed within us. But our faith in the Lord and in each other is the only source from which our success grows! Our friendships are blooming, our confidence is growing, our relationships with Christ, although very individual and specific to each one of us, deepens with each study we complete, each prayer that we pray and each hug and encouragement that we share!

Hebrews 10: 23-25 is the scripture we have dedicated to represent our organization, as well as define our purpose and our friendships with one another:
"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's return] approaching".

At our 2nd Annual Luncheon, we were able to celebrate the growth and accountability that we share

together in Christ! We are so thankful for His blessings and look forward to ALL that  God has in store for us as we progress in Him! 2015 is filled with such promise as we endeavor upon our 6th study and plan for ideas that Christ has already begun to lay on our hearts for 2016!

"[Our] 2nd annual luncheon was nothing short of amazinggg!! This Bible study has been such a blessing to me and I can confidently say, all of the other pearls as well! My relationship with Christ grows stronger with each study and I'm so very thankful and grateful for each one of you. It is no coincidence that the things I was missing, the Lord saw fit to provide in and through this group. I love you all and I admire your pursuit of Christ, I pray God continues to grow our love and fellowship with each other and his people. Great things with be birthed from this group, the best is yet to come but God's NOW is pretty amazing"
~Jessica G., Pearls of Hope Member (Facebook Quote)

Pearls of Hope has become, not only a priority in our lives, but a necessity, because within this group, we can be transparent and vulnerable with each other, without fear. We can confess our struggles and short comings, lean on each other for encouragement, strength and forgiveness and hold each other accountable through the Word of God and in prayer. We are not just a club or a "girl's group", we are dynamic, fearless, passionate and unstoppable because we belong to the Lord!

What sets us apart? It's not our looks, or our talents. It's not the measure of our success or our intellect. What makes us phenomenal is our heart's pursuit of Christ! He has taken a group of broken, lost, mistreated and abandoned women and has exchanged our earthly treasures, existence and false senses of security for his eternal love, value, forgiveness and acceptance. We are daughters of the Most High King and it is His LIFE that makes ours BEAUTIFUL!!! 

Thank you Lord for your blessings and our friendships! We celebrate them and we cherish you!

~Pearls