echohislove.com

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Hi Girls,    
  First,  I want to say THANK YOU to all the readers for your support this far! You all have been a true encouragement and a blessing to me.
     Second, I am excited to tell you that because Echo is quickly growing,  we are moving this blog to a website! It will be much easier for y'all to view the posts, especially on your mobile devices! I will be posting the same weekly blogs on the website instead of on blogspot.com! To view our new website all you have to do is go to echohislove.com!  From there you can choose to view our home page to learn more about our photographer Kimberly, view our blog, and also get in contact with me through our contact page!
I am so excited for y'all to be able to use this website! I think it will make it easier for everyone! Thank you again to each of you, I am so grateful for the time you take to read the posts every week. I truly appreciate your support and am excited about this new change! As always, feel free to contact me at anytime with questions, comments, or prayer requests. I love getting to know each of you as we walk together in the Lord! I pray each of you have a blessed day!
April Wynn

Seeking Him

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."  Matthew 6:33     

     Daughters of Christ, I want to ask you, How well do you know your Father? It is easy to claim His love and forgiveness when we need them, but are we putting in the time to truly build a relationship? I know there are a million different things demanding your time and attention, but I promise you none of them are more important than spending time with your Father. Be honest with yourself. Are you the type of daughter that hardly speaks to God, unless she finds her self in tough situation? Are you someone that has every intention of spending time with God, but no matter how hard you try something always gets in the way? Or do you truly spend time every day getting to know the God that gave His life for you? 

      No matter what stage you are in consider these verses from 1 Corinthians 3: 1-2 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly- mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it.  I love how Paul compares our spiritual life to the process of human life. Without growth we will remain infants.  I love babies, but I would hate to have lived my entire life and still be considered a infant in the eyes of Christ. Our physical bodies are always growing and aging, but what about our Spiritual relationship with Christ. Are we missing out on God's blessings because we can not handle His "solid food"?

     As we grow older the world begins pulling on us in more and more directions. Our responsibilities, and relationships grow and demand more time and effort, making it harder to set a aside time.  If we aren' t intentional about shutting the world out for a few minutes, it will consume all of our time. Satan would love nothing more than to catch our eye with a text message or a notification on our phone to interrupt our time with God. Satan knows we are easily distracted, and he knows our weaknesses. This means we have to be even more determined not to let anything distract us from that sacred time with God.

        We often are quick to ask God for his help when we need Him, but are we seeking Him ever day? We are told to  "Seek ye first the kingdom of God." How many times do we seek other things (boys, friends, beauty...etc)  instead of Christ? Trust me I am just as guilty as anyone else, but I can also tell you what a difference it makes when I set aside daily time with Christ. Spending time everyday empowers you with the strength to handle the day ahead of you.  In order to "Echo" His love we have to make time to hear His voice.

     Start today! Set aside just a few minutes of your day, turn off the TV, silence your phone, and give your Father a few minutes of time. Before this summer ends, develop a habit that will bless the rest of your life!



Photography by Kimberly Wynn

Masks of Perfection

Psalm 139: 16

 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Mascara, Foundation, Eye Shadow, Blush, Straighteners, Curling Irons, Manicures, Pedicures, Teeth Whiteners.... the list could go on forever!

       Lets be honest, as much as we love our beauty products, sometimes being a girl is exhausting! Don't get me wrong I love getting dressed up for a date with my husband or a fun night with family and friends, and there is nothing wrong with playing with make up and fashion. Yet, the unrealistic standard of beauty in our culture puts an incredible amount of pressure on us to look and feel perfect every time we leave the house. Sometimes the pressure alone is enough to make us feel unworthy of beauty.
      Along with physical expectations, we are conditioned to wear emotional masks and hide how we are feeling inside. We have learned to project a filtered image to the world, while keeping our true selves hidden. Sometimes we hide behind masks to conform, or because we fear hurt, embarrassment or rejection. Unfortunately, most of the time we hide because it is easier to throw on a smile and show the world our beautifully painted mask then our fragile hearts.

     One of the many things that I love about God is that He knows the real us. This means you can take a deep breath, and relax, because you never have to wear a mask with Him. When you come to Him in prayer your hair can be curly, straight, wet, or dry. He is not concerned with whether or not your teeth are white or if your mascara is clumpy. He does not judge you by how much weight you have gained or lost over the past month. He sees straight through the masks the world pressures us to wear, and desires for us to be honest with Him about our thoughts and feelings.
      Sometimes the idea of letting someone see us unmasked can be terrifying; however, God is your creator. He knew "your unformed body" and "all the days" of your life. He knows you better than you know yourself. What a relief it is to think that He sees every imperfection, sin, weakness, and embarrassment of our lives and loves us anyway!
      This week I invite you to take off your masks of perfection and be vulnerable to Christ's unconditional love.  Let Him show you this week how much he loves you!  He longs for you to let down your guard and form an intimate relationship with Him. Enjoy the relief of not having to be perfect in the world's eyes, because you are already made perfect in His!

Photography by Kimberly Wynn

Defining Right and Wrong.

       Psalm 119: 2-5  Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully.

           Happy Fourth of July weekend everyone! Lately I  have had many discussions about living your life to the fullest in God’s eyes vs the world's eyes.  Our culture is constantly challenging the boundaries right and wrong. Somehow we have started believing the lie that we hold the power to define these two words in our own lives.  Growing up in our tolerant society, we are taught that as long as we feel that what we do is right, then we will never be wrong. We are challenged by pop culture to "Do you" whatever that may be, and that  "you only live once" so we need to define our boundaries and create our own path in life.

             However, as Christians we do not have the power to make these decisions. Even though the world will say that you can do whatever you want to with your life, God tells us that we are to follow His guidelines. Sometimes as Christians, we compromise these standards to accommodate everyone because we are afraid of being accused of being judgemental. However, we cannot accept the world's definitions of right and wrong, because we have to hold ourselves accountable to God’s standards. Please understand, I firmly believe God accepts any and everyone that chooses to follow Him and we should do the same. However, we can not accept the sins of the world into our own lives.  Living your life to the fullest through the world's eyes means creating our own version of right and wrong; however, living life to the fullest through God's eyes means living by His definitions. Ultimately he will hold us accountable to His standard not our own.
                As you make decisions in your life make sure you are measuring your thoughts and actions against God’s definitions of right and wrong not your own. 

 

The Little Things

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

       Since about the age of 7, I have loved journaling my thoughts! As a young girl my journals were classic "Dear Diary" entries filled with emotional roller coasters of crushes, best friends, and family stories. As I grew up so did my entries (thank goodness)! In middle school my mom challenged me to begin writing down my prayers, and soon my journals were filled with thoughts, questions about life, and many prayer requests! This is when the incredible power of prayer became real to me. Sure, I had heard people say that before and I knew prayer was important, I just didn't realize how much my life could be changed through prayer. 

     As I started writing, I could physically see documented answers to the prayer requests I had written days and even months before. During my last few years of college I wrote very specific prayers for the beginning of life on my own, and over the last few years I continue to see those prayers answered in ways that I could never have thought of just a few years before. The entries have allowed me to see how far back God was piecing my life  together for my future. 

   My journals have always offered me the reassurance that God has his hand on my life and is constantly at work. However, they  have also shown the hesitations in my prayer life. Mentioning requests concerning cancer, death and salvation have always been a part of my prayers; but what I was excluding was the tiny details of my life. I used to feel that many things were too small to mention. God had so many other huge issues to deal with, I felt selfish mentioning the little things I was worried about.  However, when we read Philippians 4:6 again it says in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.  Philippians does not say, only present your biggest issues to God because God already has a lot on His plate. Instead, it says present EVERYTHING to Him details included. One of the beautiful things about our God, is that he can handle the biggest of situations and the smallest. He really does want us to come to Him with all that is worrying us. He cares about the details even if the world may consider them unimportant.

        The power of prayer is a very rea, awe inspiring gift. We have the ability to speak with God whenever and wherever we want no 4G LTE required. I wonder how many of us actually recognize the beautiful gift that we have. How many old testament characters would have loved to enter the Holy of Hollies and talk to our God whenever they wanted? I challenge you to fully embrace the ability we have to communicate with our God. Do not let Satan cause you to doubt God's ability to handle the even the smallest issues in your life.  Sometimes it is in the small details that we feel God work the most. I love this quote by Pastor Rick Warren,  "Satan tries to limit your prayers, because he knows your prayers will limit him." 

     Throughout your day take advantage of this incredible opportunity to PRAY about anything. Allow Him to show you that He is listening. It doesn't matter when or where, our God has made himself available to us at all times. He is listening and He cares about the details of your life, as well as the storms that are shaking the world. I will never understand how He can listen and answer every request  brought to Him, but that is why He is God and I am not! Isn't it amazing to know that the Ruler of the Heavens and Earth keeps the world spinning while also listening to the details of your life! 

Psalm 116:2 Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! 

"Comparison Kills Contenment"

Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances

    If you came to visit my apartment about a year ago, you would have seen "Comparison kills Contentment" written on my bathroom mirror. I am sure my husband loves my "dry erase marker on our mirror" habit, but it was formed years ago by my wonderful mother! I usually change the verse out about every week; however, this quote from Karen Hunt stayed up on the mirror for almost 6 months, because I found it was something that I constantly needed to be reminded of each and every day.
       If we are honest, most of us have struggled with a comparison at some point in our lives.  It is one of the most difficult things to control, because most of the time we do not intend to compare ourselves to others, it just happens. Whether it is a magazine cover, a post on social media, or even a stranger in the mall, our mind does a quick comparison with just one glance. Before we realize what we are doing, we can identify all the things "she" has that we are missing.
       Comparison is a dangerous spiral to fall into because, we are either tearing ourselves down by wishing for something else, or we are tearing someone else down to boost our confidence. It doesn't matter which category you fall into, comparison is a mind battle that results in hurt and discontentment. If we long to be like or even look like someone else, then our focus is on that other person. If we pick apart someone else's flaws to make ourselves feel better, then we and have placed our focus on ourselves. In both of these situations our focus of life has shifted, even if only for a few moments, it has moved from God to someone else. How can we live for Christ when we shift our focus from Him?
      A few years ago someone told me that "Contentment isn't having what you want, it is wanting what you have." At the time, I wrote those words down because I liked the idea of wanting what I had. I thought that if  I could learn to always want the things I had, then maybe I would never fall into the trap of comparison again. However, I am learning now, that even though wanting what I have is a great thing, it still requires my focus to be on myself. Although, we should always be thankful for the blessings God has given us, He still longs for our focus and desire in life to be on Him and only Him! The key to true satisfaction in our lives is to focus on God.
     Don't waste your beautiful life comparing it to a friend's or even a celebrities life. Nothing they have will make you happy, or fill that longing for contentment. Instead shift your focus off of everything else and place it back on God. He has blessed you with your life and desires for you to spend it focusing on Him.  Find your peace in God, because searching elsewhere for contentment will only lead to a life of exhausting measurements and comparisons. Ask God to help you guard your mind from comparison, and shift your focus back on Him!

Photography by Kimberly Wynn

What choice will you make?

      Mark 14: 72  Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.”And he broke down and wept.      

       I can not imagine the betrayal Jesus felt as He was denied by one of his closest friends. Being rejected by anyone hurts, but if you have ever felt betrayed by a family member or best friend, you know that the pain cuts deep.  
        When I read this story in Mark 14, I always find myself wondering how I would have handled Peter's situation.  Some days, I feel that I would be able to stand up for Christ. Other times when I truly put myself in Peter's place, I wonder if I would have also succumb to the fear of death and torture. Would I have caused Jesus that same pain? Thankfully, most of us living in the United States have not been pressed with this same life or death situation. However, we are all still faced with the choice to acknowledge or deny Christ.
         We are often asked the same question Peter was given; however it is masked in different forms. Like Peter, we have to option to identify with Christ, or choose to ignore that we know Him. Sometimes, the question is disguised as choosing to participate in underage drinking at a party.  Sometimes it comes in the form of a guy or even a boyfriend who wants to go a little too far. Other times the choice is a decision about what kind of language to use, or even what picture to post on Instagram. In each of these life situations we are asked the same question Peter was given, and we have a choice to deny Christ or to acknowledge Him. Even though we are not always giving a verbal answer, our actions answer just as loudly. 
     Think of the ways today that you are choosing to acknowledge or deny Christ in your own life. If the mask of the situation is taken off, what answer are your actions giving? Do you choose to acknowledge Christ? Or do you deny Him? Are you somewhere in between, acknowledging Him on Sundays and denying Him on Friday night? Do you reflect Him in your social media accounts, or does your Instagram look like the rest of the world's? It is easy to judge Peter in this passage of Scripture, because he was given a direct question, but if we are honest, we each face Peter's test in our own lives, and we too have the choice to either acknowledge or deny Christ. 
      Just like the servant girl was watching Peter, you are also being watched by those around you. They may not be directly asking you if you know Christ, but you can be sure that they are taking note of your actions. Be careful how you are living your life, and the choices you are making. They say more about you than know. You have a choice today and everyday to acknowledge Christ or Deny Him. What choice will you make? 


Photography by Sophie Brendle

From Once Upon a Time to Happily Ever After

We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19     

         "Once upon a time......" These four words symbolize promise, hope, and the beginning of many fairy tales. We all have a "Once Upon A Time", because we all have a beginning. It is the end of the story that is a little more difficult to predict. Searching for "Happily Ever After" is a life long quest that is not always written like a fairy tale.
     This search for love is found in most aspects of life. Almost every movie, song, and book are focused on the journey to love. Let me clarify by saying, there is nothing wrong with Romantic comedies, fairy tales or wanting your love story to end with a handsome prince. However, many girls are often searching for an earthly love with heavenly expectations. God designed each one of us with a desire for love, but not a love that anyone on earth can satisfy. We crave an unconditional, never failing, enchanting type of love. God created us this way, because He wants us to turn to Him for ultimate fulfilment. He never meant for us to look to man to fill that void.
       Even though I became Christian at a young age, I spent many years thinking that if I just had a boyfriend, then I would feel complete. The world told me that, if I could find my one true love, then he would cure all of my insecurities, while simultaneously fulfilling every dream I ever had. I believed that a boyfriend would tell me that I was beautiful, so I would never be disappointed by a mirror. I believed that I would never be lonely, because I would have someone by my side. I believed the lie that I would feel valued and special at all times, because he would know my every want and need. The problem was, these expectations always left me disappointed. I could never find a boyfriend that could fix all of my flaws and imperfections with his love. What I didn't realize is, that the love I craved did exist, but not in the form of a boyfriend, fiance, or even husband. That one, and only, love is Jesus.

   The truth is, we all desire someone who will love us unconditionally, but no matter how great of a guy your boyfriend is, he is still human. That perfect fulfillment can only come from a perfect love, and God is the ONLY one who can fill all of those longings. He created you and knows your desires better than you do, so He is the only one who can end your quest for true love. Let Him love you first!

        Please understand that I am not against an earthly love. God gave me one of the greatest gifts when he placed my husband in my life.  I love him with all my heart. He is a constant blessing in my life, and I often feel like I am living in my own fairy tale. However, even he can not fill all the longings of my heart, and I can not fill his because we are not God. Our marriage is not one based on each other, but instead on the Lord. Alone, we are not capable of loving someone perfectly because we are not perfect ourselves. I had to learn to be fulfilled in God before I could ever be loved by my husband.

      Whether you are single, married, or in a relationship, on your quest for "Happily Ever After" remember, a man can never fill your craving for God's perfect love. Unless you let God fill you, you will never find true fulfilment in your earthly relationships. Find Him and let Him love you first, then He will write your perfect fairy tale. "Happily Ever After" is found only in Christ.

"God is love. He didn’t need us. But he wanted us. And that is the most amazing thing."    ~ Rick Warren


Photography by: Aperture Vision http://www.aperturevision.com

Expect the Challenge

       It was about 3:30pm on a Tuesday afternoon in May. It was close to 80 degrees outside, and one of the last workouts I would complete as a sophomore on the Women's basketball team at Wofford College.
       A few months before, our young and energetic assistant coach announced that she would be handling our post-season conditioning that year. She warned us that we needed to be ready to work harder than we ever had before. I still love and admire her today, but she lived up to her warnings. It did not matter if it was 5:00am, 3:30pm, or 6:00pm, each and every workout pushed me to my physical limit. 
     Most of these workouts are blurred by sweat and exhaustion, but one day has always stood out in my mind as clearer than the rest. My teammates and I were each drenched in sweat, and the lack of air conditioning was not helping anyone. We were in the middle of the workout, and I honestly thought I was going to pass out before I finished the last circuit. My coach must have read my mind because she began yelling at us not to quit. She told us "It is going to be hard. If it was easy everyone would do it."  She did not say, if it gets hard, or it might be hard. She said the last circuit IS going to be hard. Those two sentences have stood out in my mind ever since that afternoon. They helped motivate me as I completed my career as a collegiate athlete, and have stayed with me through the many challenges of life. That day she taught me to expect a challenge rather than by surprised by one.
      Her words also remind me of the words in John 15: 19-20               
                 ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.  Remember what I told you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 
      In the same way my coach told me to expect the challenge, John is telling us to expect the persecution. If Jesus, God's perfect son, had to endure the hatred of the world, then we can also expect to face forms of persecution. This does not mean that we will necessarily find ourselves crucified to a tree, but we will suffer the pain of hurtful words, exclusion, and in some cases even physical abuse. This is not meant to discourage you, but instead to realistically prepare you for the persecution you will face in life. 
    Many Christians today, claim to be His followers, but they are conforming to the world because it is easier to live life of this world instead of a part of His world.  Jesus never promises us that our Christian walk will be easy, but he asks us to live for him anyway. He asks us to claim His promise that He will never leave us, no matter how hard life becomes. He asks us to find our hope and joy in Him and His gift of eternal life, instead of in the approval of the world.        
    Those four months of conditioning seemed to last for a year, but they made me a stronger basketball player, just like the trials and persecution will make you a stronger Christian. 
      I know that it is hard to be different from the crowd or left out of the group. I know all to well what it feels like to be an outside, but do not give in to this world. Do not quit on your relationship with God. Being a Christian is definitely not the easiest life to live, but you do not have to live it alone. Jesus warns us that this life is hard, but He is willing to walk through it with us.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

      Are you going to be one of the few that is determined enough not to quit? Are you willing to be strong and courageous, so that you may be made stronger in Him? 

Photography by Kimberly Wynn

Waiting...

Isaiah 40:31 "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."


     Have you ever prayed for something so hard, and felt that God wasn't answering? Maybe you were seeking direction or wisdom on a decision, but no matter how hard you prayed, you did not receive an answer. I have had this experience many times throughout my life, and it has taught me one of the hardest lessons to learn, Waiting.

     No one wants to wait! We get frustrated when the drive-thru takes more than 5 minutes, or when 3 people are in front of us in line at Target. Our world operates at a high speed, and we have grown accustomed to that speed in our own lives. Even the dry cleaners that I went to today offers same day service. As long as the clothes are in the door by 9:00 am, I can pick them up after 5:00 pm. We have learned to schedule every minute of our day and rarely leave any wiggle room! However, our heavenly Father has His own version of time, and it is so much more calculated than we could ever fathom. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that God's timing does not revolve around us, but instead we revolve around God's timing.

    When we pray we often ask for an immediate answer, or expect one within 24 hours. Sometimes, we think He works like the dry cleaners. As long as we get our prayers into Him by 9:00 am, we should have an answer by 5:00pm that night. Yet, nowhere in Scripture did God ever promise us a 24-hour turn around. However, he does promise to hear our prayers. 1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. Sometimes His answer is yes, sometimes it is no, and often times it is to wait and trust.

    Genesis 22:2  "Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him." I am sure Sarah spent many nights wondering if God remembered His promise to them. I can't imagine what she thought as year after year went by without a son. She and Abraham waited for 25 years before God gave them a Isaac. Abraham probably never imagined having a newborn after his 100th birthday, but God had a bigger plan than Sarah or Abraham could have ever dreamed. He kept His promise and they were blessed because of their wait.            

"The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations3:25-26



     If you are seeking an answer from Him today, and have not received it yet, do not give up. Take comfort in Isaiah 40:31! He is not ignoring you. He will answer you when He is ready. While you are waiting, continue to seek His answer, and use this time to grow and strengthen your relationship with Him. 

Remember, He created time. He doesn't need us to tell Him how to use it.

Photography by Kimberly Wynn

Daughter of the King

     Throughout middle and high school, my dad would often write letters to me and place them in my gym bag the night before my basketball games. He always told me how proud he was of me, how much he loved me, and that he would be in the stands watching. Even thought I already knew all of these things, it was nice to have those words written down and tucked into my bag as I faced the day ahead. Our heavenly father has written those same letters to us in His word, but sometimes we forget they are there. In our busy lives we all need to be reminded that we are Daughters of The King. This is a letter of encouragement from God to you. Each line is based off of Scripture. I challenge you to look up a few of these verses and memorize them so that you can tuck them in your heart and carry them with you throughout your day. 

Daughter, 

      I love you! (Rom 5:8)  

I know you are juggling a lot today,
 but come to me and find rest. (Matt 11:28) 

I know that this life is not easy. (John 15:18) 
Let me be your strength. (Isa 40:29) 

You will face enemies today,
 but I will be with you then too. (Ps 138:7;  Ps 121:8) 

 Stop searching for approval and affirmation from this world, 

because I have made you beautiful and unique. 

You are my creation. (Ps 139:14; Ecc 3:11) 

I know you better than anyone ever will, 

and I love you more than anyone ever can. (Ps 139:16;  John 3:16) 

Do not exhaust yourself trying to meet the demands of this world, 

but instead find peace in me. (Gal 1:10; Ps 29:11)

 I am with you as you begin your day 
and as you go to sleep. (Ps 121:5-6)  

I will handle the pressures and challenges of your day, if you simply give them to me.(Ps 55:22)

 I love you,

and I will be with you today and forever. (Heb 13:5 ; Deut 31:6)

Love, Your Father

Photography by Kimberly Wynn

Who am I to judge?

Matthew 7:1-3 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

         It happens in a split second. The power of just one glance, one thought, one word can cause scars that last for years. We know the hurt, because we have all been on the other side of that glance. We know what it feels like to walk into a room and be the object of judgement. Sometimes the judgement is based off of social media, sometimes it is the outfit you are wearing, or even what you believe. At some point in our lives we have all felt that sting, yet we fall into that same judgmental mindset more often than we realize.

      This sin is not anything new and has affected women for lifetimes. Ask any adult woman in your life, and she can tell you stories of how it feels to be judged. However, today's world makes judging even easier because we can judge from the other side of the screen. It is so easy to make careless judgments when you are not looking someone in the eye. This power can lead to many hurtful thoughts or comments that we would never think or say to someone if they were standing in front of us.

       As Christian girls, we can not afford to tear each other down. The Christian walk is difficult enough by itself. There will be many challenges in your life when you will need to be surrounded by praying friends. By pulling each other down we are making the enemy's job much easier, and our own lives more miserable. Satan wants to see us pick each other a part so he doesn't have to.

    I know in my own life I am quickest to judge when I am feeling insecure and need affirmation. Learning to detect these feelings before they spiral out of control has been a challange that I am still working on, but God has taught me that I do not need to cut someone else down to gain affirmation. I don't have to compare myself to anyone else. I am His daughter and there is no greater affirmation!

Pray today against the quick impulse to judge. Instead, treat everyone as a child of God. Think about WHO created that person that you are criticising. Do you really want to be the one judging God's design?

Photography by Kimberly Wynn

Who are you Reflecting?

"(She) had been the moon reflecting the sun's light in everything she said and did; she was not the light herself and never claimed to be"- Francine Rivers

     Growing up in a Christian home, I was often told to be a "light to the world." I love this instruction because light is exactly what this world needs (Matt 5:14-16.) However, I  would like to take this command a little further and challenge us to think about where our light comes from.
     As Christians, we have to be be careful of falling into the dangerous trap of being consumed with our own light. It is easy to become so focused on ourselves and what we are doing, that we begin to search for glory in our own lives and actions. Jesus wants us to be lights to the world, but He also wants us to remember that He is always the source that we should reflect. John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." I love Francine Rivers' idea of being a moon and reflecting God's light for two reasons.

• First, it challenges us to make sure that we are glorifying Him and not ourselves. Simply because our actions are right, doesn't always mean that our hearts are focused on giving Christ glory. Surrender everyday to the Lord, and ask God to get the glory from our lives. The minute we feel ourselves trying to be the source, step back and acknowledge that He is the only true source of light. Anything we do without Him will fail. Our light will only shine temporarily before it runs out of power, but His is an everlasting source. 
• Second, We can take comfort in the realization that we are not the source of our light. Sometimes the day ahead of us feels too challenging, and the pressure of being a light sounds exhausting. On those days, it is especially comforting to know that He is not asking us to be the source, but instead to be the moon that reflects the Son.

Who or what are we reflecting today? What do others see when they look at our social media accounts, the words we use, or the way we dress? Do we reflect Him in ALL aspects of our lives?

Reflect His light. Stop searching for your own glory, but instead ask Him how you can serve and reflect Him.

One Voice United in Prayer

Happy National Day of Prayer! 

Join our nation in prayer today. It is such a blessing to be able to talk to our God whenever we want, and it is exciting to see our nation still gather together for prayer! 

Psalm 145: 18 

The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth!

Don't let this day go by without praying for our nation!

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.  Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior,

Timothy 2:1-3

Be Joyful Always

Be Joyful Always - 1Thessalonians 5:16 (NIV)
     A few years ago I bought a pocket mirror with the verse 1 Thessalonians 5:16 written on the front of it. This little token still rides around in the bottom of my purse as a constant reminder to be happy and full of joy. I love this little symbol, because it challenges me to be joyful even when I am looking in a mirror.

     It amazes me how often we, as girls, are drawn to mirrors. As soon as we see our reflections, we begin adjusting our outfits, or taming those stubborn fly-aways. We have developed the habit of evaluating ourselves almost immediately upon seeing a mirror. This is not always a bad thing, especially when we have food in our teeth, but often times we silently begin to pick apart our clothes, body, hair, and overall appearance.
      For many of us there is something about a mirror that seems to highlight our insecurities. The world has a false standard of beauty that we can never meet. Yet, so many of us are striving to reach that standard everyday, and are broken-hearted when we feel that we have failed.
      That is why I love having 1Thessalonians 5:16 on my mirror. It is God’s little reminder to block out the world's standards and be joyful, even when looking in a mirror. This means, be joyful when Satan tries to convince us that we do not measure up. On those days when we aren't feeling particularly happy, or when our insecurities are fighting to take over, the Lord wants us to be JOYFUL because He made us! (Psalm 139). He never intended for us to look in the mirror and pick apart His creation. Instead, He longs for us to rejoice and gain all of our confidence from HIM!

I challenge each of you to Be Joyful Always in HIS creation! Stop striving to measure up with the world's standards, but instead be content and satisfied in God's masterpiece!