iShineInMinistry

What are you encountering today? Is life all glitter and rainbows or do you just want to stay in bed and never come out? Are you sitting on top of the world…or in the fetal position on your floor trying to get through this thing called life? We can find ourselves in different seasons, mountains, valleys and everything in between so quickly. The best day ever can turn into the most heartbreaking moment of our life in no time flat – we have all been there.

 

 

 

This is our life cycle, but we don’t have to let our emotions get the best of us, our circumstances dictate how we respond to life or what’s in front of us decide if we are going to be joyful or not. We can go to the Maker of heaven and earth with joy, anger, broken hearts, excitement and expectancy, questions, doubts and anything else that is in the confines of our hearts. Then…we can pour it all out to Him (one time or one hundred times) and let Him be our blessed hope.

 

 

 

We don’t have to let the “good moments” be the only moments when we are sparkling with joy overflowing. But in those moments, we still need to remember that God, not the fab thing, person or circumstance that is before us, is our source of contentment. Then, when the clouds roll in (and they will)…we can still rest on that truth.

 

 

 

Please take a moment to read this Psalm – maybe even write it down somewhere so you see it often (perhaps on your bathroom mirror) and let it remind us of where our strength, hope, faith, love and peace will always rest in – the Lord! He is faithful, He is wonderful, He is with us…and we can serve Him with gladness, seek Him with joy, worship Him with thanksgiving and know that He is our God.

 

 

 

Psalm 100 (ESV)

 

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

 

Serve the Lord with gladness!

 

Come into his presence with singing!

 

Know that the Lord, he is God!

 

It is he who made us, and we are his;

 

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

 

and his courts with praise!

 

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

 

For the Lord is good;

 

his steadfast love endures forever,

 

and his faithfulness to all generations.

 

 

 

Be blessed as you walk with Him today…keep those #greatexpectations because He will do it!

 

 

 

Hearts and Hugs,

 

Jacquelynn Marie

Galatians 1:10(ESV)

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant[a] of Christ.

 

This week turned out to be the week of truly standing my ground and making some decisions that were not so easy, mostly because each of the conclusions I had to come to affect other people. It is really hard to keep everyone happy and make sure you are being the best person and reflection of God possible; however, it's also better to make sure to be obedient to the Lord even if His answer is going to test the faith of someone else because of you. As I continue to ponder and think through the answers I need to give to people, the question that I have to keep asking myself is, "Are you being obedient or are you ignoring what you've heard to make others feel better?" As I get ready to make some changes and transitions, my answer has to be, "I'm going to be obedient...that is all."

 

Friends, loved ones, coworkers and pretty much anyone else that you have to come into contact with have to understand that we all can't have our way all the time. While it's great to be the "fan favorite" among your peeps and quite impressive to have lots of people that you can consider friends, the question we all have to continue to ask ourselves is, "Who are we trying to impress?" our Facebook and Instagram following? The people that fill our calendar with fun things to do? our goal should not be this in any way shape or form. We need to stop trying to hard to please people in order to make them like us (it conditional liking by the way), be obedient to the Lord and let Him handle the rest and deal with the outcome.

 

I am going to be taking my own advice and getting some things done, even if it means someone is not too excited about how my decision will (most likely temporarily) interfere with their plans. I hope that you will step out in faith and obedience too and let the Lord have His way as you purpose in your heart to please Him!

 

Happy Sunday!

 

 

 

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

 

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 

 

What are the spiritual gifts, talents, joys, desires and burdens that the Lord has placed on your heart? Do you love creating, caring for, organizing, teaching, serving, worshipping? How are you using the things that bring you joy to bring glory to God? If you are feeling at a loss or think you may be off the path that the Lord has for you…pray through a few questions and see how the Lord leads you?

 

 

- Are you using every chance you have at school, work, sports and other hobbies/activities to be a light in dark places?

 

- What are the top three things that bring you the most joy?

 

- If you don’t know your spiritual gifts, ask the Lord (and pray with a few friends) about what gifts the Lord has been stirring in you

 

- Make a note of the things that excite you (writing, singing, dancing, sleeping, taking care of babies, missions, dirt biking…you get the point!)

 

 

I hope that you will allow the Lord to use you no matter where you find yourself today and that you will find joy in this season, this path, this time drawing closer to the Lord. I will be praying for you too (and you can pray for me). If you have any specific requests, make sure to leave them in the comments or send me a little note via email using the “Contact Us” button. Have a sparkly-blessed day!

 

 

Hearts and Hugs,

 

 

Jacquelynn Marie

Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)

 

…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

 

 

 

Last week during our weekly bible study the theme was humility. This is an area I have HUGE struggles with (if you know me, you know I’m a bit of a brat at times, please continue to pray). However, as the author took us through areas of the Bible and described what humility looks like in everyday life, there were two themes that stuck out for me: joyful dependence on the Lord and power under control. I love how both of the displays of godly character point to a heart of humility.

 

 

 

When you are fully and completely dependent on the Lord rather than your intellect, influence, finances and other skills, there is a joy that results from knowing you are submitted to His plan and not your goal list. Life is filled with possibilities and opportunities to look to God for guidance, wisdom, direction and truth. Knowing that we cannot do anything apart from Him and fully walking in that truth is a complete display of humility.

 

 

 

Knowing that you do have gifts, talents, wisdom from above and a sassy flesh nature that can sometimes get in the way is also something that we need to consider. When we are walking in humility, we will boast in nothing save what the Lord has given to us. We will also recognize the power that we have through Christ, but use the fruit of the spirit of self-control so that our flesh does not have a power-trip and “do the most” in situations where the Lord needs to be our defense.

 

 

 

Let us be ladies that are humble, joyful and powerful…all for the glory of God in everything we choose to do. Let us be vessels of honor that do what pleases the Lord as we realize that our hope is always in Him, no matter what comes our way!

Psalm 48:3 (NKJV)

 

God is in her palaces;

 

He is known as her refuge.

I love this area of scripture for a number of reasons. Number one…it says palaces and the little girl in me always thinks of princesses and castles when I see this bible verse. The other reason I love this scripture is the truth that God’s presence is there – that is truth that we can know, keep and grasp tightly!

 

 

Defender, stronghold, fortress, refuge – I looked up a few translations of Psalm 48:3 and these are the synonyms to describe how God is known. Does the Lord feel like all of these things to you today? Do you realize that you are protected, have refuge, a stronghold and a defender for you in wonderfully blessed times and moments of great despair? Do you cling to this truth or let your grip loosen as you look at how great or tragic things in your life are going at this very moment?

 

 

Sometimes we are on cloud nine and think we don’t need God’s help anymore; then there are other times when we think that God isn’t there in our trials and we forget about Him…mostly because we think He has forgotten about us. My question for you (and me) today is, will you trust and let God be God? Will you let Him continue to grow your godly character, no matter what it takes? Are you willing to let Him be your refuge, defender, fortress and stronghold? Or…do you want to try to analyze, overthink, plan, strategize and make a plan in your own strength and understanding? What will He be to you?

 

 

Today, I want to encourage and exhort you to write this scripture on the tablet of your heart. I also want you to think about an area of your life that you are fiercely trying to manipulate and control on your terms and in your strength. Then, I want you to pray (and keep praying), release, submit and surrender it to the Lord…and wait patiently for Him. Grab a friend (or five) to help, pray and hold you accountable too. Let’s make sure to walk this walk together so that we can edify one another, be a blessing and let God be everything He wants to be in our lives.

 

 

Lamentations 3:25 (NKJV)

 

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

To the soul who seeks Him.