A Leap of Faith Into Who You Are in Christ – Heart to Heart with Dr. Naima Johnston-Bush
Dr. Naima speaks about how she learned to trust in God as a young woman and gives advice on embracing your identity in Christ…
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He Touched Me & Made Me Whole – Editor’s Testimony
Recently I was asked to share part of my testimony of overcoming obstacles and hardships as a teen with a website for teen girls called Girls 4 God…
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Love Series Part 2: SOAR Readers Talk About Love
What does love mean to you? Here are some more responses from SOAR readers on love and waiting for the true love story that God writes…
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Paige Armstrong On God’s Love & True Beauty
Singer Paige Armstrong talks about true beauty and knowing our purpose…
Read More »Editor’s Journal Notes – The Beauty of the Butterfly
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” – Maya Angelou
We may look longingly at what may appear beautiful (or successful and esteemed) in our world but many times don’t consider the story behind the person or entity we admire. It’s said that an “overnight success” is never really made over night; it often takes years of toil and trials behind the scenes for every success story we see.
In the life of a believer, the beauty that God intends for us is often molded through a long period of trial, darkness, growth and a period of solitude with God in which our hearts are molded and drawn more intimately to Him. After we surrender our lives to the Potter’s hand the process of becoming more like Him and living His purpose for our lives isn’t always what we expect.
Often before God bestows the blessing He has in store for us, and before He brings dreams into fruition He takes us on a journey that shapes us, a metamorphosis of mind and character. It’s a process that we may not understand and though painful, it graces us to achieve true beauty – a beauty that does not receive its essence from outward appearance but from the heart within that is filled with His presence. Let’s set our eyes on a greater beauty today…
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11
Click here for more from my personal journal and blog. – Julene
More Journal Posts
To Boldly Go Where You’ve Always Imagined…
There are those dreams you are responsible for bringing to fruition in a sense; things you want to create, experience and learn how to do. “I want to (insert activity here)… someday.” Why not now, why not today?
Dreamfleur Diary – Stretch & Grow
No matter what creative field you’re in I think it is always a good idea to stretch and grow yourself in what you do…
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Inspiration In Rotation: Antidote from B. Reith
B. Reith’s song Antidote is beautiful and moving; in the second video below (also an acoustic version) B. Reith shares the meaning behind “Antidote” – how we often try to mask and replace the hurts and heartache in our lives, but how the one true “antidote” for our pain is God…
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In Rotation: Put Your Love Glasses On Music Video from Beckah Shae
“I believe the most necessary thing in order to share God’s love, is to first truly receive God’s love… to spend time in His presence where He can remind us of who we are and how He sees us. That’s where I find my strength to share. We can’t pour out anything unless we’ve first been poured in to.” – Beckah Shae
Check out Beckah Shae’s video for her song #putyourloveglasseson from her album Destiny, which debuted in August:
“Love is the universal language of God. Paul urges us, ‘Make love your highest aim.’ This is what we have to be after. Love should be everything we’re seeking; for without it, everything means nothing. I wanted to create a movement that will stir up love and good works…“I know God’s allowed me to endure all the things I’ve gone through in life just to know Him better and develop a true compassion and genuine love for people. I’m on a mission to dive deeper into the heart of God, and I’m committed to sharing the truth and treasures I find while I’m in there! I am just one voice rising up to proclaim God’s truth and power for such a time as this. A great and terrible day is at hand, and it is my desire that through songs of victory, we will usher revelation and courage to those who are hungry, thirsty and willing to follow the narrow road.” – Beckah Shae
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SOAR Artist Snapshots: Tiffany Stanley
“When we give our dreams to God, putting them all in His hands, and realizing that we need Him, that’s when He begins to work in mighty and powerful ways through us. Let us be a generation who stands for Christ, and love as He loves us. Young and old, let’s make an impact on the world together, as we join as one in Him.” – Tiffany Stanley
In SOAR’s Artist Snapshots Series we love to feature young upcoming artists who have inspiring music ministries. I came across Tiffany Stanley’s music one day and was encouraged by the candid messages in her songs, and the soft acoustic sound she brings.
I especially loved the lyrics of “Break Me Down” the first track off Tiffany Stanley’s new album ‘Revival’:
Visit Tiffany’s website at http://tiffanystanley.com to learn more about her ministry and to purchase her music. You can also connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.
Tiffany will be singing at an upcoming event, The Dream Girlz Gathering, hosted by music artist Melinda Watts. If you are in the Seattle area August 26th and 27th be sure to visit the Dream Girlz Gathering Facebook page to get updates.
More About Tiffany Stanley
Ever since she was a little girl, Tiffany dreamed of being more than a musician. It was in growing and developing a close and personal relationship with Christ that she knew music was more than the lyrics, chords, and notes. “To me, music is lifting up songs of worship to the Lord.” Tiffany is a musician in pursuit of Worship. “I want this music to promote the most important thing: Jesus Christ.”
Tiffany longs to share the love of Christ in her music, and show others His goodness, grace and mercy. She believes God is going to pour out revival among the nations, and prays that we as believers would rise up to encounter Christ in a whole new way. At 18 years of age, she has spent her first year after high-school enrolling in worship classes and letting God make the dream of making this album come true. She is extremely excited about what the Lord has planned, and knows it is all in His hands for the glory of His name.
Her independently released album Revival talks about exactly what it’s named: Revival. It’s about being justified in Christ, surrendering to His will, letting Him open your eyes, and coming boldly into His presence. “I didn’t want to just make an album, I wanted to tell a story of what a life in Christ is. Of needing Him every second of everyday, knowing one can’t be fulfilled without Him.” She believes in dreaming dreams, surrendering to Christ, and living in His love. “When we give our dreams to God, putting them all in His hands, and realizing that we need Him, that’s when He begins to work in mighty and powerful ways through us. Let us be a generation who stands for Christ, and love as He loves us. Young and old, let’s make an impact on the world together, as we join as one in Him.”
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The Plain Jane Project – JCTV Interview with Rowena Rodriguez on Dating, Courtship and Purity
Above: Plain Jane Project’s founder Rowena Rodriguez and a flier from one of their “Save the Date” events.
While I was watching JCTV’s Top 3 show a few weeks back I learned about a great movement encouraging purity and confidence in Christ, called The Plain Jane Project. The Top 3 hosts interviewed the movement’s founder, Rowena Rodriguez, who shares her story of a period where she felt God was calling her not to date and to pursue holiness. During that time she felt called to minister the message of purity to other young Christian singles. Watch the episode below where Rowena and Top 3 hosts Reba Toney, Larissa Lam, Rich Wilkerson Jr., and Jordan Wagner talk about dating, courtship, purity and “the significance of being ‘equally yoked…’”
You can find out more about the Plain Jane Project at www.plainjaneproject.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/plainjaneproject and on their blog www.plainjaneproject.blogspot.com.
Watch the JCTV episode with Rowena Rodriguez of the Plain Jane Project below:
More About The Plain Jane Project
PLAIN JANE PROJECT is a Christ-centered ministry that inspires women through inter-generational conversations of empowerment. Through prayer, teaching, coaching, and mentoring Plain Jane Project introduces and encourages practical living by building on faith, trust, integrity, communication, and listening. Growing strong and purposefully, individually and in community, as members in one-body-of-Christ.
About Rowena Rodriguez
Rowena is the Founder of Plain Jane Project, who launched its first ministry event in 2007. After six years of volunteer service in the Junior High ministry at Bel Air Presbyterian Church, she seeks to bridge the generational gap among women. A Senior Fashion Designer by trade, Rowena’s personal journey of purity is both wonderful & horrible; filled with struggle in past sexual sin, spiritual growing pains, & the overwhelming redemptive grace of God.To contact, email: info@plainjaneproject.com
Watch Rowena speak at one of the Plain Jane Project’s “Save the Date: Courtship vs. Dating” events:
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