God Misses You!

Relationships are so important aren't they? As humans, we sometimes tend to measure our existance by them. We are sisters, daughters, friends, co-workers, wives, girlfriends, best friends, cousins and aunts. We wear so many hats with so many different relationship labels on them, and each have their

special place in our lives; each require a certain measure of investment. In order to preserve or to create a relationship, it requires our time, attention and a portion of vulnerablility an openness on our part. We can't expect to maintain friendships if we never share personal thoughts or feelings. We can't 

claim to be close to our siblings and families if we never communicate with them or extend ourselves to them on a regular basis. Our boyfriends and spouses would not feel close to us if we never trusted them with our secrets and co-workers would retreat from us if we operated in distance on our 9-to-5's. Yes, Relationships require openness and availability. Think about the one person in your life that you simply cannot live without! Are they in your mind? Great...Now, think about how you might feel if

that one person never called you, never accepted an invitation from you, never extended an invitation to spend time with you, always had other plans, promised to hang out with you, then always cancelled or worse, came by to see you in a rush to leave. How would that make you feel? 

In our Christian lives, as unbelievable as it might seem, we tend to treat someone very special in that exact same way: We rush our visits and conversations; we make promises to spend time and then cancel; we ignore His calling or make excuses as to why now is not a good time and we even consider Him to be an option and not a priority. For those of us who are married, if our spouses treated us in such a way, or if our BFF did any of those things on a consistent basis, we would be irate!!! We would be so upset and hurt and let down... yet we often treat our Savior in this way throughout our day, our weeks and even throughout the course of our lives. We do not always give Him the quality time that He deserves. 

As Believers, it is our privilege to spend time with God- knowing that it is time spent with His spirit that makes a difference in our lives and moves upon our hearts to please the Father, through Jesus! Yet, our hectic lives and demand from this world can consume our every second of our time, if we let it. So then, what are we to do? Should we just accept the fact that we do not have time for God- the God who invented time for us? Should we make excuses and hope that He will understand? I think we all know the answer to that is, "no". Of course not! Our God is more precious than that and should take precedence in our lives, inspire of the schedules, the dates, the careers and the "me" time. He deserve our very best in each day that He offers to us because each and every day, He has blessed us with His best!

"My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him."
~Psalm 62:5

This scripture gives me peace in my soul and helps me to separate the truth from the demands of life. I want my continued desire to be for my God; not just His blessings, but also His presence in my life. Yes, God has given us a life to live, but He's also given us time to spend with Him. Each day, there are moments that we can set aside to share with our Lord, yet we do not always take advantage of them. We thank Him for our days, yet He might not receive an invitation from us to be apart of it. We ask Him for more things, yet His true desire is that we just want more of Him! He promises to never leave us or forsake us, but have we given Him that same promise in return?

Our God misses us! Let's remember to spend time with Him, every day. He's done so much for us already, what more could we ever need outside of His blessings of life and Jesus? This week, let's all commit to daily prayer and scripture meditation. Let's remember to thank the Lord for our job and not complain about it. Let's lift up a friend, instead of gossiping about them. Let's be joyful in giving, instead of grudgingly holding on. Let's tell our savior "Good Morning" each new day, and share His love with someone who needs the reminder!
Jobs are important, but our Lord is more so. Hanging out with friends is essential, but our Lord is more so. Planning our next move, our next vacation, our next party or our next date is dire, but giving our hearts and our time to God is even more so. Let's stop letting things get in the way of the most important relationship we could ever have. Lets open our hearts to anticipate spending time with our Savior who loves us so much! He is waiting for an invitation from us to become a regular part of our existence, not just our moment-by-moment or day-to-day.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person (spend time), and they with me." -Revelation 3:20

Time is precious and cannot be replaced. I want to spend mine on pleasing Jesus, don't you? Let's take this challenge together! Let's live a life that shows the Lord how much we love Him and include Him, every step of the way!

~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

Newest Video on our Youtube Page!!!

Hi Everyone!!!

We just wanted to share with you some updates on what God has been teaching us in our personal lives. In this video, Ashley and Katrina are back with another beautiful Pearl, Noelle!!! Watch this short video and spend some time with us regarding the lessons God has shown us on gratefulness and purpose!

Love Always,

~Pearls

Meet Some of the Pearls!

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

Sparkle for the Savior!

During my first 13 months of marriage, I was purposely unemployed... And I loved it! I exercised and took strolls in the park, took a few classes, kept the house impeccably clean, took day trips to see family and friends. I read books,  ran errands, went shopping and did my hair. I volunteered, I prepared for Bible Study, I had time to spend in devotions and in my Bible, having quiet times with Jesus. Life was easy. It was good.

Four months ago, I was hired with my first job, and boy did my quiet little House Wife life change! For the first time in my life, I experienced true stress. The demands and expectations of a full time job are no joke- let me tell you! I was tired and stretched during the day, only to have to bring more work home, steal 20 minuets to do laundry, vacuum, make dinner and do it all over again the next day. And let's talk about dinner... Before, I would spend 2 hours in the kitchen: chopping up veggies, making sauces, preparing desserts- now I'm mixing up leftovers and making up names for it! So much has changed and I was really beating myself up over it. I felt like I wasn't being as good a wife as I had been before the job. I felt like I wasn't as attentive to my husband. I felt I wasn't being as effective in my Bible Study or in Pearls of Hope, either, and I began to suffer from fear of not being good enough.

This morning, on the last day of 2014, I woke up with that same fear- that I'm not good enough. There have been some decisions that needed to be made within Pearls- important things, and quite frankly, I've struggled with self doubt- "Can I really do another study? Will it continue to be as good as the last one, or as good as the first one? Are all the girls still excited? Will everyone come back?" We've all accepted different rolls in making Pearls a strong and beautiful unit, but there are always those realities that no one can control, no matter how hard you try. I struggle with change and I struggle with being responsible because I don't like to mess up- I hate making mistakes.
See, I've always lived my life too selfishly to ever have responsibilities, and honestly, that's how I like it because there's no risk in messing up. I liked the attachment-free/stress-free liberties that I created for myself in my early twenties. I liked getting up in the mornings....errr, afternoons, without a plan for the day. There was no fear because there were no responsibilities or risk of failure. But God has been moving that mindset out of my life and He is teaching me how to live for Himself and for others, through my marriage and through Pearls of Hope. No, the kitchen might not be spotless everyday, the gas tank might not always be full. I might need to stop what I'm doing to take a phone call from one of the girls or I might have to rub my husbands back instead of doing my hair. Giving up of yourself can be a difficult notion, if you struggle with the sin of selfishness as I do. But you know, im realizing how much happier and fulfilled I am when my life isn't all about me.

The thought of failing frightens me. The idea that my efforts will collapse stresses me out! But even in the fog of fear, I know who is with me! In all that God has lead me to become and participate in, I am thankful, because He is burning selfishness out of me. I love being apart of Pearls of Hope! I am afraid to fail them and I'm afraid to loose what we have created together, but I am eager to grow with them and discover Jesus with them! I love seeing their lives change for Jesus and I love knowing that we trust each other and hold eachother accountable. I love seeing new girls join us and I love learning from them and being inspired by them! I love the questions and the conversations, because it reveals their hunger for the Lord! Even more so, I love being a wife! I love knowing that my existence is a treasure to my husband. I love the fact that we belong to eachother and that our love is pure and sealed by God! I am afraid to disappoint my husband or hurt his feelings in some way, but I am excited to be his partner in life and the mother of his children- one day, and I look forward to creating a legacy with him. I'm learning to love working, as well. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, inspite of my on going fears that I am not really smart enough to be doing this.

No matter where we find ourselves in life, there will always be fear. Fear that we're not good enough, smart enough or brave enough; fear that we can't do it or won't be successful. But in my heart, based on the word of God, I know that the Holy Spirit will equip us for every thing that God has called us to do. We need not fear, because we are so dearly loved by God! If we keep our hearts on Him and if we seek His face, we will not fail, because He loves us!

This new year, I want to live a life above my fears. I want to take responsibility with honor and with confidence! In my prayer time today, I asked the Lord to equip me with His grace to love people and to operate in compassion for others. I asked Him for confidence and faith, determination, joy, perseverance and more humility. I also asked him to replace my fears with His love, so that I may sparkle and shine more brightly for Him!

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us.

- 1 John 4:18-19

Lets live lives of love this new year! Let's live outside of fear, knowing that The love of God shines brighter than any darkness that fear can bring! I want to be fearless for my Savior, don't you? I want to break through the night and share God's love in every area, every responsibility and every relationship that I encounter!

Let God's love sparkle in you!

No more fear!

~Pearls

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever."

            -Psalm 136:1-26 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

We pray that all of you will enjoy the beauty of this day and find a quiet moment to lift a thankful prayer up in your hearts for all of God's goodness! I thank God for my family, precious mercies, the love of my friends and the joy that comes from knowing Jesus. I thank God for a promising future and for a past that won't be held against me. I thank God for an opportunity to stand up for what is right and to speak out in encouragement for others. I thank God that He is God and that His love is marvelous and free!!!

Be Thankful in all things!

~Pearls

Practicing Prayer

For the next 2 months, Pearls of Hope will be learning and practicing the gift and privilege of prayer! Last Tuesday, we entered into this very important topic with hearts wide open and optimistic spirits. It's amazing how many Jesus-believing people are either too afraid or too self conscious to practice consistent prayer, yet this is what scripture teaches us to do.

"Pray without ceasing"

-1 Thessalonians 5:17

"Ask and it will be given"

Matthew 7:7

"Pray for others"

-Hebrews 13:18

Pages and pages throughout the Bible encourage us to ask the Father, to cry out to God, to intercede for others and to approach the throne of grace with confidence. What love the Father has for us, that He allows an open door of communication to be set between Himself and His children. Yet, so many find fear, hesitation or uncomfort when put in the position to pray, especially in public. For this study, it is my hope and prayer that many of the girls find joy in praying out loud and for each other. My prayer is that we all experience a sweet presence of the Holy Spirit throughout this study, as we come together in sincere and open hearted prayer, for the next 6 weeks.

If you find fear or hesitation in your prayer life, please search the scriptures, and ask the Lord to replace your timidity with courage and boldness! Our Father loves to hear our hearts! Our brothers and sisters in Christ need to know that we are lifting them up in prayer! We have not, because we ask not. Let's all join together in asking and seeking a spirit that delights in prayer to our Loving and Gracious King!

Stay encouraged!

~Pearls

CELEBRATING NOELLE!!!!!

Congratulations to Ms. Noelle... or should we say PRINCIPAL!!! She has just completed her cohort program and received her certificate in school administration. Noelle has been a successful elementary teacher with Guilford County Schools. She has her masters in education and now she has one more accomplishment to add to her list. She will begin her new career as an Assistant Principal next school year and we couldn't be more proud of her!
Noelle has also been a tremendous influence in our Bible Studies. Her love for the Lord is an inspiration for us all and we are excited for all God is doing in her life.
CONGRATULATIONS NOELLE!!!!!!!!

Ladies Luncheon!!!

When we first began to meet together, it was always my hope that we could build a community together, where encouragement, accountability and mentorship could thrive. I think, in our generation, we are easily exposed to so many ungodly examples from other women, it's easy to believe that this is the norm or that "I am the only one who is serious about Jesus". I lived much of my High School life this way, which is why I abandoned my relationship with the Lord in college. I was tired of being, "the only one".
The reality of the matter, however, is that there are hundreds of young women out there who also feel as if they are "the only one", so if all the "only ones" could come together, we would no longer feel apart and separated, rather we could gain strength together, in Jesus!

I was pleased to have 3 of my mentors join us for this very special event, in celebration of our ONE YEAR as an official Bible Study! We played games, had AMAZING FOOD, enjoyed sharing and learning from wiser, older women and just had a beautiful time with each other. This Luncheon, for me, was a success because I feel as if the vision and hope of creating a Christ centered community of women has become a reality. We may be small in number, but the potential of spiritual growth and encouragement has no boundaries!

*For more pictures, please visit the EVENTS page.*