Rich Girls!

This is for the good girls, the fun girls, the "I don't need a thing" girls! We wear our heels high and our earrings low. We pop bottles to celebrate minuscule things and change relationships out of boredom. Who needs to read scripture? We have our own way of doing things. Our opinions are worth a million bucks! We have our makeup and our magazines, our fun, our rings and our friends! Our bank accounts urge us to spend out of plenty! We have gold to decorate our bodies and education to adorn our minds. 1,000 strangers follow us on IG and the girl next door is no competition for us. We are rich girls! We are legends in our own minds...but we are lacking greatly.

We are a people most poor. We show off our assets and present our lives as prosperous to all our friends on social media, but underneath the name brands and the selfies, the degrees and the business cards, we stand in calamity caused by a lack of wealth that only comes from the Spirit. Our lack of need has resulted in our lack of truth. Our riches and our confidences in our own capability has left us spiritually poor. Our lips are red with plans and suggestions, but our hearts are hollow from a lack of light."Everyone has their own truth", it is declared, yet as a people, we are stumbling in the dark. We are following this teaching and that fad; this person and that new philosophy, only to end up lost along the way. We are told that there is no longer any relevance in God's truth, because God is circumstantial and absolute truth is obsolete. In our high times, we look within, but isn't it funny how tragedy causes our nation to look outward and up in times of need? Why is it that Truth is such a scary thing? People want to avoid it, disclaim it, reject it and excuse it away. They try to find loop holes and exceptions, but why? Simply put, it's because the very essence and origin of Truth is God himself, who is light.

In the book of Mark, Jesus confronts a young man who was a product of his own riches. He claimed to be on the quest for truth and corners Jesus for an answer (Mark 10:17-27). In this situation, the man asks a simple question: "What good thing must I do to receive eternal life?" Scripture tells us that Jesus loved this young man. He knew what laid in his heart and presents the commandments to the young man, who simply disregards them, having felt justified that he had never offended any. He was convinced that his lifestyle was up to pair with God's standards. So Jesus tells the man to sell everything that he has and follow him; this was his way to eternal life. But instead of being excited to do so, Scripture tells us that the young man sadly left. He valued his earthly treasures above the truth. He could not hack it. He didn't just refuse a truth, he refused THE Truth. He turned from Christ, because the call wasn't easy or glamorous.

Looking over this story, it occurs to me that the road to finding the Truth is a quest of self abandonment. There is no glitter or bling. There won't be any neon lights to brag on our arrival or any headlines to announce its value. Accepting God's truth is a trade of charm. It requires not only a curiosity to know, but also a willingness to let go. In order to find God, we must loose ourselves. In order to receive heavenly riches, we must be willing to risk our earthly ones. This can come in the form of laying aside our pride, rejecting our right to be heard, compromising our needs and our wants for the benefit of others', forgiving when it isn't fair and even, at times, admitting to our own short comings, instead of excusing them away.

The Rich Young Ruler held on too tightly to his own sense of perfection, which kept him from knowing the Truth. He did not recognize that his heart was filled with self-righteousness and pride. He lacked humility and faith. In his heart, he carried filthy rags and garments. He depended on himself and not the Lord; not realizing that his self-made riches were really only rags compared to what God had for him. Nothing we can create could ever compare to God's plans for us. The reality, however, is that we must first recognize our need for God's truth in our lives, despite our opinions of ourselves.
Our young friend in this Bible passage failed to recognize his need for what Christ was offering him. He was a hero in his own mind; convinced that he had never done any wrong and unwilling to part with his own efforts of success. The opportunity for a trade was offered to him, in exchange for these rags, but He assumed that he was clean, based on his own understanding. The young man asked for an answer, but when given the truth, he walked away. For him, the truth was just too honest for his comfort. Many of us are like him. We look at what we haven't done, while ignoring what we have done. Welook at what we don't need, while ignoring what we do need. Yet, we all need the Lord, and we all need Truth. We can look at his situation and pity him for it. We could say, "How stupid of him. He could have encountered Heaven!" But the fact is, all of us have walked away from the Truth in one area or another; yet, if we are to encounter God, we must first be willing to not only seek the truth, but accept it.

"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."~John 14:6

In each of us, there is a Rich Young Ruler. Some of us are rich in our intellect. Others in our finances or in our relationships. We may be rich in our social status or in our education. But when it comes to knowing God, we must be willing to abandon all those things, in order to receive something greater! The time is coming, has come and will come again, when we must face the Truth of ourselves in the light of God's Word and His Will for us. If we accept His Truth, despite the difficulties and discomfort, the Bible says that a crown of glory awaits for us (2 Timothy 4:8).


In irony of it all, when we are willing to loose our riches, our entitlement and ourselves, all for the sake of Christ, well, we really gain it all back (Matthew 10:39). What seems scary to let go of, or fearful to face, is often times what is required for our progression. The truth, as we know it, is limiting; but trusting in the Truth of who God is and what He wants for our lives is transforming! This is what it really means to be rich, girls! I hope you all receive the Truth within your own hearts, that God's ways are higher than ours, that our treasure should be laid up in heaven and that a crown of glory awaits those who are obedient, faithful and pursue His Truth til the end. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. It's an awesome trade if you think about it: Riches for Rags!

Let the treasure of Truth shine in you!
~Pearls

Polished

There is an aura of relaxation and self-preservation connected to the feminine experience of the Nail Salon. It's a place of comfort and refuge from a hectic day at work, or an apparatus of expectation- the middle ground between the ordinary and the fabulous. For most women, there is something pleasurably satisfying about leaving the nail salon with a  fresh mani-pedi. You walked in with dull, chipped, peeling color, only to leave with fresh, clean and shining nails. It's a wonderful feeling. It's a lot like our Spiritual process. Let me explain.

There was once a time when I used to do my own nails. Convinced that I was saving money for other things and reluctant to become dependent on someone else, I casually purchased cheap polishes that averaged around $6 dollars or so. I had an entire collection of vivid colors. I kept my nails trimmed and had cotton balls on hand. I would take my time to touch each finger tip and patiently wait for the coat to dry. The end results were pretty... but sadly, extremely temporary. There were even instances where I had to re-do my nails twice in one day or suffer the "crack-effect", due to my cheapness. So, one day, I decided to stop shopping at Walmart for my nail color. I would, instead, invest in more salon quality nail products. I began to pay the $12 dollar fee for more expensive brands and I even invested in a top coat. The laquer and upgrade in quality really made a difference! It had more of a luster in appearance, maintained it's condition for almost twice the time as the cheaper brands and it seemed to me that I was still able to hold onto my own ability to appease my appearance and control of my wallet. Although there were definitely notable positives to my nail polish upgrade, the higher quality came with some side effects. For one, the wait time for drying took much longer and since I did not have my own nail dryer, often enough I ended up waisting time and product due to reapplication of one finger or another because of smudges, scrapes and demarkations. See, the more expensive polishes require more drying time. It may have appeared to be dry on the outside, but the undercoats were often times still damp, unbeknownst to me. Another side effect was the new fumes. Cheap polish doesn't carry as heavy a smell as more salon quality polishes. It took me a while to get used to whiffs of colored chemicals, which of course was accompanied by the need to use stronger nail polish removers. These side effects obviously didn't chase me away from doing my own nails, but over time, it became a hassle.

Friends of mine would urge me to go to the salon with them. I always would insist, however, that I didn't need to. I knew how to do my own nails. I was saving my time and money... but was I really? Probably not. Considering the time alone that it took to apply, re-apply, remove and apply again due to smears and smudges, chips and cracks, I ended up waisting more money than I actually saved and Lord only know how much time it cost me! But in my mind, I was convinced that I could do it on my own. I remember the first time I stepped foot into a nail salon, I was a skeptic. I honestly had no desire to be there, but after numerous invitations, I finally accompanied my friend Kourtney one day after classes. She wanted me to join in the seat next to her, but I declined. I didn't need someone else to do for me what I thought I could do for myself. I felt self-sufficient, but I watched as she placed her hands into the palms of the lady across from her. They had friendly conversation with each other, as the women stripped away the old color and prepared her hands for the new. The women were friendly and very attentive. They helped my friend choose her color, complimented her on her selection, massaged her hands and feet, shared laughs and stories and within an hour, her nails and toes were done. I was astonished to learn that she was able to keep the same color for 2 weeks! I remember glancing down at my nails, shiny, but already cracking; but that initial visit wasn't enough for me to change my mind. Leaving that nail salon, I felt intrigued because it wasn't just about nails... it was an entire experience that my friend could look forward to. It was an opportunity to be taken care of by professionals who made a job feel like an art. She was well taken care of. I secretly became curious about what that might be like for me.

Occasionally, I would go back to the Salon with Kourt... but only to accompany her. I wouldn't order
any services for myself. Even when a lady once urged me to let her take care of me, I kindly said, "no thank you", but really, I wanted to say, "ok". It did look very relaxing and beneficial, I just wasn't willing to part with my own routine of doing things my way. I didn't need her to do something that I could do for myself; or so I thought. It was honestly years before I got desperate enough to venture into a nail salon on my own. I had finally gotten so frustrated with trying to manage myself in my own hands. My left hand was always shaky, causing my right nails to look a hot mess. Cracks seemed to magically appear, no matter how much of a top coat I would use and chips and smudges were inevitable! The moment I felt satisfied with my own work, something would smudge or I'd accidentally knock my hand on the counter and ruin my hard efforts. After a few days, the polish would chip and loose it's shine. It was a mess! I was frustrated.
The first time I went to get my nails done, I'll never forget it. It was for an interview and I wanted to feel confident. I was nervous because I didn't want to pay a ridiculous fee and I was afraid that it would be a waist of time. I was hesitant to trust a stranger to make me look good. What if she was rude and started to speak a different language around me? What if they didn't have any colors that I liked? What if they were expensive? What if, after all the time and money, my nails still chipped? I had all these doubts in my mind, but I figured I should at least give it a try; why not? As I sat in the warm leather chair and chose my services, I can honestly say, the experience delighted me so much that I regret ever taking so long to try it! the women were friendly, diligent and had loads of suggestions. The woman who helped me was very bubbly and sweet and has never forgotten my name. I've been seeing Mrs. Lee for over 2 years now. She knows all about my career, my favorite colors, my sweet marriage and my pregnancy. I know about her home life in Cambodia, all three of her children, how she and her husband started this business from nothing and we have developed some funny jokes between the two of us. Not to mention, my nails are healthy and strong and always very pristine! For years, I was missing out on such a comforting and enjoyable experience, although I didn't even know it.

Many people, convinced that they can do life by themselves, miss out on the wonderful experience of

knowing Jesus. They think that putting their trust in the Lord is a waist of time. They see their friends or family going to church and reading the Bible, they might even join in on a service every now and then or pray when they need assistance, but in their minds, they have control over their own lives and they really don't feel the need for help from God or anybody else. They might notice things here and there in their lives that aren't up to par, so in their own attempts they try to upgrade themselves, just like I tried to upgrade my polish products. For a while, it seems to do the trick for them. They might go on a non-drinking fast for a couple of weeks, no-sex for the first few dates, they might try to loose weight or try a new hobby, quite a bad habit or change their wardrobe; so many attempts for their own personal self-maintenance, but it's only temporary. On the outside, it may appear that life is good, but underneath their top coat, stuff is still wet and unfinished. Like my nails, the cracks in life eventually begin to surface. They get hit with unexpected events that cause smudges and demarkations in their plans to stay in control. No matter how hard they try and no matter how many different upgrades, changes, investments and alterations they make, it still isn't enough and they begin to question their abilities. Those who have the heart of wisdom eventually come to the understanding that they cannot change their hearts on their own; they cannot maintain the God standard in their own efforts. Others continue to wander, trying this product or that technique, never truly finding satisfaction. We all were once there and I thank God for all the spiritual Kourtneys that aren't afraid to invite us into places of love and offer us the opportunity to experience what it's like to put our lives in the hands of someone who is more capable of governing us than we are.

In our own efforts, we think we are saving ourselves; but truly, we are just waisting time. Going round and round in circles of our own efforts, our control, our abilities and our way only leads to a life lacking in luster and full of chipped frustration. But when we allow ourselves to trust in the Lord, place our faith in His suggestions for our lives, rest ourselves in His ability to color our hearts with His love and relax in the joy of the experience of Salvation, well... that's when we really start to shine!

Ephesians 2:8 tells us that Salvation (being accepted by God) will never happen in our own efforts. Instead, God invites us to come to Him, through Jesus, to experience His love and life changing power that we can never attain on our own. It is a gift, a treasure, a permanent establishment of His presence and His perfection in our lives. No, we will never be perfect. The smudges of our past might always grip our minds, but in Jesus, they don't have the power to grip our lives. He asks us for our chipped hearts and smudged up lives, in exchange for his permanent radiance and eternal coat of glory! Christ calls to each of us, saying:
 "Come, take a seat. Give me your hands...give me your heart...give me your life. I have big plans for you! I have desires to make you shine and radiate in this world and in the next! You don't have to live in frustration any more. I know you are trying to improve yourself. I know you are afraid of letting go of control. You think you have found a short cut, but it only has you running in circles. Let me message your messes out of your life. Let me wash you with the water of my word. Let me give you a new life, one that will not fade away or loose its shine over ime. Let me coat you with my joy, my peace, my confidence and my hope. Let me laugh with you and share my heart with you. I have much to offer you that you could never acquire on your own. Trust me. Give me your hands...give me your heart...give me your life."


He wants so much more than to just change your exterior or the color of your experiences; He wants to change your life and polish your heart! He wants to establish a beauty within you that will not fade or peel away. Will you let Him? I pray that you do! I pray that we all will one day fully understand and experience how Salvation can polish our lives and radiate our existence with the eternal luster that only comes from knowing Jesus!

Trust Him with your hands...with your heart and with your life! I promise, you will not be disappointed.
~Pearls

Pearls of Hope: A Glimpse at our Tuesday Meetings

Happy Sunday, everyone! As you are preparing for your day, please take some time to check out our latest youtube video! As you watch, you will get a sneak peak of what goes on every Tuesday evening in our Bible Studies! We are extremely excited to share with you our journey with Jesus and we pray that we will be an encouragement to you as you travel through your own path with the Lord!

If you have any questions or topics that you would like us to address, please feel free to add any comments or suggestions! We are here to support you and each other! Remember, Jesus has HUGE plans for you! You are not alone and we love you!

~Pearls

Pictures Are Worth A MILLION Words!

It's been quite a journey, and who can imagine what more God has in store for us???

When we first began our Bible Study, we had no idea of what the results would be, or how the Lord would work in us, through us and use us. This process has been an incredible journey, but could not have been a success without the women who made this possible. Throughout the course of our meeting together, we have grown in grace, in love with Jesus and in our friendships with each other! We are so thankful for the journey that the Lord has lead us on, and I know I speak for everyone when I say, I couldn't have counted on as much spiritual growth with out the help, love and support of my sisters!

Pearls of Hope is a blessing to me, and I cannot wait to see how God continues to unfold his plan for us in the lives of others, for His glory!!!

Thank you Marissa Joy Kaplan for your amazing artistic eye and creativity in shooting these images for us!

marissajoyphotography.com