Orlando

7 days ago, our country experienced a massacre of unprecedented degree. 50 people lost their lives, 53 more people were injured beyond just the physicality's that result from wounds of such magnitude. I myself have experienced the pain resulting from loosing a loved one to bullet wounds. The psychological devastation alone is almost unbearable. There is no telling how detrimental these lasting results will be for the individuals who were personally effected. The devastation doesn't end with the yellow tape that lines the walls of Pulse night club: there are mothers who are left to grieve for their children, friends whose only peace comes from saved text messages and memories, co-workers who are left lonely because a colleague's desk is now empty. The sinister aftermath continues to ricochet throughout the city of Orlando, the media and ultimately, our entire country and to be honest, I am left with so many conflicting feelings. Not towards the victims and their families, because, as any healthy human response should be, I am in horror, shock and grief over the loss of life and the hate that fired off into the night without any regard for those dear people. But what confuses me- more so what enrages me, are the disgusting slurs, statuses, comments and articles projecting from the mouths of people who claim that they are representations of Christ.

In our Bible study last week, one of our Pearls emotionally expressed her aggravation towards the

attitudes of "Christians" who used this tragedy as their soap box to belittle, devalue and disrespect the lives that were lost that night. She expressed how frustrated she was to see how ungracious, unkind and how cruel people (yes, even church people) can be. Listening to her and the other girls' reactions to some of the obscene and ruthless comments floating around the media is the true tragedy here, because, based on scripture, those who celebrate the destruction of others are misguided in their efforts of representing who God truly is.

According to 1 John 4:20-21, "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister".
Various translations of this scripture use the term "neighbor" instead of brother and sister and I find this very interesting. It lead me to a conversation that Jesus had with a religious man in Luke chapter 10. This man, with all of his esteem and intellect, wanted to know the way to eternal life. Because of his pride, we wanted to test Jesus. His question was in front of a large crowd and his words were coated in arrogance. So Jesus simply asked him, "What is the greatest commandment?"

To this, the man answered, "to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself". And just who is our neighbor?

Jesus goes on to tell a story of a man who was robbed and beaten. 2 religious people pass him by, avoiding the man because he did not look clean. They could've helped him, but instead, they dismissed his plight. They overlooked his condition and his tragedy, because they were full of pride and misguided in their own evaluation of themselves. Finally, a kind man passed the hurting person and did all that was in his power to help him. He gave the man his own clothes, paid for medical attention and a place for the man to stay and eat.

"Who was the neighbor to the beaten man", Jesus asked the religious man.

The religious man regretfully admitted, "The one who showed him Mercy"

In response to this answer, Jesus says, "go and do likewise".

I am touched by this story because, if we are to truly be who God has called us to be in this world, we have to be loving and love requires mercy. It doesn't matter if we agree or disagree with someone's life choices. Being a Christian is more than words and songs on Sunday; it's a lifestyle rooted in the one ideology that the term "Christian" upholds... being like Christ! It is our calling to be Jesus in the world (1 John 4:17)- to love as he loves us, to help those who are seeking hope and to have mercy when people, whom God loves, are being mistreated and abused. How in the world can we name the name of Christ, but then celebrate when tragedy falls on people who have been made in the image of the God we claim to love?

The derogatory slurs, comments and hateful Facebook statuses that I have encountered in passing, have been offensive and appalling, especially those made by people who have manipulated God's truth to support their own hateful agendas. One preacher in Sacramento, California, went so far as to say that he wished "they" would all have their brains blown up! How grotesque! ... and in the name of God? Who are any of us to misrepresent our Savior in such a way?  Wasn't it God who tells us that His heart breaks whenever anyone suffers? He doesn't want anyone to perish but for all people to know His love and be reunited in relationship with Him (2 Peter 3:9). How then, as scripture states it, can we claim to love God whom we haven't seen, yet hate our neighbor who we clearly see? We have not been called to speak love in one breath and hate with another breath. This is hypocrisy! Remember, "If we speak in tongues of angels, but don't love, we are nothing" (1 Corinthians 13: 1).

Love does not mean that we have to abandon scripture or deny what we believe in, but what love does mean is that we respect and value all human life and celebrate all people because everyone is valuable in the eyes of God! To love is not limited to only people who are like you. In Christ, we have been called to love without limitation and to love our neighbors as ourself (Mark 12: 31). These are God's commands to His church! Time and time again, Jesus emphasized this truth to his disciples and His disciples continued to proclaim these scriptures throughout all the churches of the 1st Century and into this moment. Those were not suggestions! It was not specific only to that time and place, but for all generations who chose to follow in the name of Christ. "Love one another, as I have loved you!" (John 13: 34). To claim that we love God, much less know God personally, but then reject His commandments to love others and to show good to others is only a refection of the lack of understanding and godly wisdom one possess in their heart (1 John 2:3).

I don't want to come across ranting and raving, but please, lets' do better and lets truly strive to love like Jesus! We can disagree on important matters and still maintain kindness, gentleness and respect for others (1 Peter 3: 13-16)!  I hope this is an important reminder to all of us who proclaim Christianity: to treat others out of malice and hate is not love.  And if it's not love, it isn't Christ and if it isn't Christ, then your actions are not of God! Instead of anger and hateful words, our response should be to seek ways in which we can offer hope to those who are hurting, pray for others, be compassionate and ultimately, simply show love and kindness.
"They will know you are Christians by your love" (John 13: 35). So will the REAL Christians please stand up? Where is our love? Where is our grace and our compassion? Even God, Himself, is slow to anger! He is patient and long-suffering with all of us, who by nature are all imperfect. Wasn't it God who wanted to spare Ninevah? Didn't He tell the prophet Jonah that He loved the people, in spite of their choices? Wasn't it God who said the same thing about you and me? How then, can we accept His love for us, but then deny sharing that same love with others? We are no better than anyone. In fact, we are every man- all in need of kindness, mercy and love from the Lord.

I want to end this article with a quote made by Kelly Osbourne... It's a shame that this wasn't proclaimed from the pulpits and Facebook statuses from so called "Christians". It's something to think about...

"The tragedy in Orlando devastated me and reminded me that every moment of our lives is precious. Every human is precious. Love hard. Live gracefully, authentically and with conviction, respect, purpose and compassion."- Kelly Osbourne

Love others and be compassionate. Live gracefully. Be Jesus.

~Pearls

Flawed to Perfection

I look around me and I see beauty in everyone. I consider my family and friends- their positive characteristics as well as their less than lovely issues, and I am convinced that, deep down, everyone is loving and kind, in spite of less than admirable choices, mistakes or environments. And I'm sure I am not alone.
It's human nature to argue that our good outweighs our bad, yet even at our personal best, we are at our worst because our "goodness" and our "beauty" is only circumstantial. The sin that so easily ensures us makes it impossible for us to be completely whole, completely perfect or completely guilt free 24/7. We can do good things, say good things, act in a good way and encourage others to do the same, but without Christ, our best has holes in it and leaks out any effort we make to combat our imperfections.
Human nature tells us to excuse our flaws away; make light of wrong doings, compare ourselves to others, explain why our issues are personal and no one else's business... we've all been guilty of the "cover up". In Genesis chapter 3, we see that Adam and Eve produced the first attempt to cover and explain away their sin and man has been doing that ever since. Why? It's because the "cover up" is easier than the confession. It's easy to pretend nothing is wrong or that we have it all figured out. It's easy to excuse our messes or to avoid people who we know have higher standards for us than we do for ourselves. But there is no freedom in the "cover up". Christ has come to take away our shame and trade it for His freedom!

"But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin,

so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ."~Galatians 3:22

Sin is a prison and it confines us when we don't confess. Like weeds, it creeps in and restricts the opportunity for complete beauty to shine through. Confession is the pruning of the weeds which goals are only to hold us back and strangle God's Spirit within us, which is ours through Jesus. But let's be real. None of us go around exposing every internal conflict, mistake or issue. And as Christian women, we often get slapped with the hypocrisy syndrome- we are afraid to expose our problems in fear that others will judge or reject us. But I think it is important for us all to understand that hiding our issues is not strength, it is the lack of it. Maturity is the ability to live humbly before God and before man. Instead of hiding, its more liberating to recognize this is the number one struggle that the majority of us deal with in our lives: how to live a Christ-centered life, despite our spiritual struggles. I know I am not alone in this.


Last quarter, the Pearls completed a study on the book of Esther, and I'd like to share a quote which got my brain rolling on this subject.  "Even those most serious about their pursuit of God and godliness fail to be perfect examples all the time. That's why God is busy conforming us into the likeness of Christ."

To me, this is a sigh of relief and a breath of fresh air! In my weakness and in my struggles to avoid temptation, God has made Christ strong in me! Not so that I can continue to practice things which His word instructs me not to do, but so that I can have the resilience and the desire to say no when such things begin to slither my way.

To be human is not synonymous with hypocrisy. This was a fear that I spent the first years of my salvation trying to avoid and prove; to no avail. It's debilitating for us to deny the reality of our humanity. Christ calls us not to ignore it, but to expose it and to receive forgiveness and grace that only He can give! 1 John 1:9 is a scripture that we have committed ourselves to learn in our Bible Study:
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all wrong".

Perfection is not proof of salvation! We each WILL FALL. Let's go ahead and accept that reality now and save ourselves so much stress and worry. Our beauty isn't based on our efforts, its a result of God's goodness. When we live for Him, our lives are immaculate. But when we fall, know that we fall in God's grace! Our flaws are made perfect when we trust Him with all our hearts- The great and the misguided; the struggles and the victories. His loving kindness will catch us each and every time- when we are truthful with Him, with ourselves and with others. He is more than enough for all that we endure and he equips us with what we need, as we need it. We can find trusted mentors, family members or friends to pray with us and encourage us, because this Journey with Jesus is dynamic when we are connected with others. And as we travel and grow, confess and progress, we begin to shine like Christ, in spite of our situation, and that is true Strength!

As we live this life of faith and over come our instincts to cover up, then the beauty that is ours in Christ becomes more visible and exposed. This is the true testimony: not that we are good, but that God is great! We each have our ashes, but God wants to trade them for His beauty (Isaiah 61:3). That is what makes others feel encouraged and motivated to take part in this life of Grace!

One day, we will shine like our savior and we will be free from all of our flaws, but until then...Be bold in your living! Grace is not meant to be covered up, but shared and displayed! His love is continuously perfecting us and that is worth smiling about!
~Pearls

A Wardrobe to Live By!

It's a Saturday morning and you are off to meet some friends for lunch! You complete your morning routine, as usual, bun your hair up and head for the closet. As you peel back the rows of clothes that hang in your wardrobe, you instinctively reach for a cute, selfie-appropriate dress! Even though you purchased it a year ago, the tags are still hanging from the collar. You tried it on several times in the store before you bought it and have been keeping it for just the right moment. You begin the process of putting it on, which becomes less than effortless. The bust area is too tight, the zipper won't budge and the waist line seems to squeeze the life out of you! As you stare at your reflection in the mirror, you realize that, despite it's beauty, it just doesn't fit quite right.   "No matter", you think, "It used to fit. Maybe no one will notice" and you walk out the door, in less than perfect style.

Its funny to think about purposefully leaving the house with zippers unzipped or hemlines that are
crooked. I  hope that, in real life, we would never EVER do this to ourselves. Hopefully, we would never purposefully wear clothes that we could not walk, non the less, breathe in. But the truth is, whether we are aware of it or not, spiritually, we are all guilty of wearing things we have out grown, heedless that they are no longer attractive. In our daily living we can put on things that hide the beauty that is ours in Christ. Sure, we might notice a little problem in our attitude here and there or we may recognize that a couple of motives should be checked, but instead of dealing with those concerns, we drape a necklace over it and walk out the door. We can wear attitudes, mindsets and ill gotten intensions, oblivious of how they make us look to those who are watching.

We can mistake unforgiveness as strength, not realizing that the anger we are wearing no longer fits in our life. The person you hope to scold has actually moved on, while you are still in the moment, reliving it every time they come to mind. It's time to fold those feelings away. Human anger cannot produce the goodness of God in your life or in any other situation (James 1:20). Society loves a good feud and, if we listen to what is popular in our world, we might just find ourselves wearing the wrong types of emotions. Instead, God wants us to trade in our anger by putting on kindness and forgiveness. They may not be trendy, but I promise you they will feel good and look great!

Maybe there is a relationship that you are trying to hold onto that just isn't fitting anymore. Every time you try to secure a button, another one just pops off. You give your best efforts, but the stitches continue to unravel. It might be time to place it in the "Goodwill" pile! What won't fit in your life, might be perfect for someone else! As women, I think our eternal flaw is believing that we can hold onto relationships forever, but like a summer dress, relationships are sometimes seasonal- not meant to weather every storm. Sometimes, it's more loving to part as friends, than to split as enemies. Knowing when to let go is a grace in and of itself! You don't want to be caught off guard wearing gloves in the spring or sandals in the snow! Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time for everything and that everything is beautiful in its time! But forcing to keep what God is asking you to let go of will result in catastrophe! The best thing to do, in this case, is to lay those garment...err, relationships, down and ask the Lord for His guidance. He will show you what  you need to do (John 14:26), in a mature and loving manner, as to not rip apart and tear hearts.

Another area we may be outgrowing is in the area of our personal devotion time with God. This is hard to believe, but as we follow Christ, it should result in growth and change, not perpetual behavior. Yes, we have our "go-to" books and our "go-to" sermons; we have our trusty quotes and our comfortable prayers, but what if, as we progress through life, God is asking us to try on bigger shoes or longer britches? We can become complacent in even our worship if we refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to challenge us. It might be time for a wardrobe change: exchanging our sweat shirt and jeans for something more proper. This may be uncomfortable at first, but building our faith by challenging our comfort zones will bring on maturity in our lives so that we can be better positioned to complete the good work that God has purposed for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Sometimes, our usual methods won't produce the spiritual figures that is required for us in the long run. Maybe it's time to box away our conventional attempts of praise and allow our hearts to be lead down untrodden paths that the Lord may be trying to guide us on. High Heels are cute and flats are comfy, but maybe this time, we need to put them away in their boxes and trade them in for some hiking shoes!

As I write to each of you, I am in self reflection. I am looking at my present state in life and I definitely see somethings that I cannot allow myself to wear any more, no matter how much I still enjoy them. It doesn't have to be too small or too big in order for it not to be the best fit. Maybe something fits perfectly, but it's out of season.
I remember, just recently, I walked out the house with sandals and a crop top, unaware that the weather called for a 60% chance of rain. I was bummed and embarrassed. I should have considered the environment before I selected my attire. We can all admit to making a wardrobe flop once in a while. So, what then can we do to be sure that our spiritual clothes are not the wrong size for us or that we are appropriately dressed for the right environment?
In the natural world, a mirror is the best way to check out your reflection, and, to be honest, a mirror is one of my favorite tools to use! I love mine! I have about 4! You can check your face, your hair, your body and your outfits. You can use a mirror to take cute selfies or to fix any problems that you might discover about your reflection. Many of us (and tell the truth) even carry mirrors in our bags! They are a staple in our daily routine. God has also provided  us with His own type of mirror, through His word, so that we can check ourselves before we venture out into the world and  before we engage with other people, so that we can reflect on who we are and who we are called to be and look like. We can use scripture to determine if what we are wearing is inappropriate for us or if it no longer fits. We can use scripture as our mirror to determine if we are looking like Jesus!
According to James, "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do" (James 1:23-25).

That is truly the most embarrassing wardrobe mistake of all... not knowing what you look like! I cringe at the thought of even the smallest bit of lipstick on my teeth or a shirt that has been worn backwards! Ladies, we are GORGEOUS, but if we are not living according to the scriptures, even the most prettiest of us will look foolish. So, my challenge to us all is to use God's words to self reflect this week and every day for that matter! Is this attitude out of date for me? Are these goals I have my heart set on expired and too small for me? What about my prayer life- Does it fit? Is this relationship in or out of season? Let's be sure to pattern our lives, not just our words, according to scripture so that we can reflect God's love in our hearts for others to see! His Love is always trending and it never goes out of style! 

Dress carefully, intentionally and lovingly!

~Pear