Guest Perspectives Archives – Page 4 of 14

You Are Celebrated!

02.25.2020 by Nikki Laureano //

Welcome back friends! I (Megan) am glad you are here! We are wrapping up our adventures in the “Do You Know You Are…?” series with a dear friend of mine, Nikki! If you want to check out the rest of the series, we have touched on being “cherished“, “honored“, and “beloved” in the past weeks. This week, Nikki has graciously shared some of her story, and how God has affirmed that He celebrates her! I pray that you find encouragement through her words.

I am probably one of the most nostalgic people you’ll ever meet. I can romanticize the past like it’s nobody’s business. The ‘90s era is one of my favorites, especially when it comes to movies. Because of that, I am a huge fan of all things Disney from that decade. One of my favorites is Aladdin. The danger, the treasure and adventure, the betrayal, the tales of friendships, and the love story… I just love everything about it.

Reality or Perception?

One of my favorite scenes is when Prince Ali comes busting through the gates of Agrabah. His grand entrance certainly doesn’t disappoint. He is preceded by his giant caravan, marching along and singing his praises. Bells are ringing. Drums are banging. People are cheering. The entire bazaar lines up to greet him, and grovel at his feet, looking up to him on his giant elephant with respect and reverence.

From the local “street rat”, to a celebrated prince. It almost leaves you with a feeling of magic and wonderment, until you realize Aladdin is only getting his chance to shine as the impostor Prince Ali Ababwa. Aladdin’s perception was that he needed to come before the town’s sovereignty as a cleaned-up prince before he could receive any accolades, acknowledgement, or praise.

If you’re anything like me, maybe you can relate.

I grew up in church, but I had no idea that the enemy had a voice. When certain thoughts came to mind, I processed them as if they were my own. I can look back and hear myself saying things like “you aren’t good enough; you aren’t worthy enough”, followed by a big “BUT IF….”

If I cut my hair…
If I wear this…
If I stop doing that…
…. then I will be celebrated.

For years I lived with this perception. There were times when I questioned my own life because I had lost myself inside so many masks trying to please the world. I felt pinned to the bottom of a hole and I couldn’t stop digging. Isn’t that exactly where the enemy wants us? Striving to feel celebrated by people rather than deeply knowing our God has been celebrating who we are from the very start?

Identifying Reality

It reminds me of the woman with the issue of blood. For 12 years, she bled. For 12 years, she was deemed legally unclean. But where the world failed her, God prevailed. He saw and celebrated His daughter.

Then a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the [tassel] fringe of His outer robe; for she had been saying to herself, ‘If I only touch His outer robe, I will be healed.’ But Jesus turning and seeing her said, ‘Take courage, daughter; your [personal trust and confident] faith [in Me] has made you well.’ And at once the woman was [completely] healed.” Matthew 9:20-22 (emphasis added)

With one touch of Jesus’ hem, she was healed immediately. And not only was she healed, but Jesus looked right at her, acknowledged her, and celebrated her. She didn’t have to show up clean or perfect. She didn’t have to change anything about herself. She needed not do anything more than to trust.

I found myself in a similar situation in 2016. Tormented by crippling anxiety for years prior because of shame and guilt over my past, I felt too dirty to be celebrated. I am so grateful that we have a God who doesn’t let us stay in that space. He makes a way, and He did for me.

Freedom in Truth

One weekend, I found myself in a small group of strangers confessing all the reasons why God couldn’t celebrate someone like me. Immediately following that confession, I felt the heartbeat of Heaven fall upon me in a way I can still feel to this day. I felt deeply seen and acknowledged. Although there were trembling lips and tears, there was much celebration from my Father. The Lord looked at me through the eyes of His children and said “I am so proud of you. I rejoice and dance over you, and I have been this whole time.” I knew how celebrated I was, am, and always will be.

Aren’t you glad we serve a God that doesn’t make us rub any sort of magic lamp or perform a dance routine perfectly in order to experience His sovereign celebration? With God, you don’t have to earn belonging, significance, or His celebration. You already have it. You won His heart before you were born! He has delighted in you, and celebrated you from the very beginning.

The Lord your God is in your midst, a Warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins], He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17 AMP

The eyes of the Father are looking right at you with total delight all the time! My prayer is for you to feel celebrated today and everyday going forward. Wrap your arms around yourself, and become insanely aware of his presence all around you right now singing “you are my CELEBRATED child!”

Take a minute to leave Nikki a comment below, or continue the conversation on the FACETS Facebook page.

2020 Vision: Up for Adventure?

01.28.2020 by Sharon Porter //

Welcome, friend! We’re so glad you popped into see what’s happening at FACETS this week. We’re all focused on how we see 2020 and our vision for it. We want you to meet our friend, Sharon Porter. Her heart beats fast for her relationship with God and others. Since I (Jennifer) have known her, I’ve loved hearing her wisdom and being greeted by her big smile! Please give her a warm welcome to FACETS!

vi·sion /ˈviZHən/ n.

1. the faculty or state of being able to see.

- the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom.

You know, there’s SO much I want to share with you about vision! I’m sitting writing little pieces of different things that have come to me over the past weeks as I have prayed about writing this piece, and thought about what God wants me to say. I’m going to write from my heart—as I put that down I feel a swell of emotion and feel the sting of tears. Why? Because I long for each and every person to KNOW that God has a vision for them and their life!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”—Jeremiah 29:11 [emphasis added]

Read the first 5 words of that verse slowly 5 times. Can you imagine that? The God of the universe knows—knows—the plans He has for YOU! You were created from the vision He had of you. You were created with purpose!

Why do I long for every person to know that God has a vision for their life?

About 15 years ago God began to tear apart the box I lived in. I’m so thankful that He did!

I had no vision. I lived in inner chaos. No one could see the inner chaos. Most people would never have guessed what was going on on the inside—there was no visible or known ‘thing’ anyone would have ‘seen’ that would have given a hint of it. My family saw and experienced some of it. Unfortunately what they saw and experienced was what they used to define me, and it was what I used to define me as well.

God has taken me on a journey of discovering myself, healing the fragmented parts of myself, and beginning to live truly alive.

What kept me without vision, I believe, is the same for all of us—the battle scars, or wounds, that we carry! Think about it, when you are sick or hurt, are you great at thinking about others or about your vision? No, you’re thinking about you and how you can get better. If someone hits you where you’re hurt, you’ll most likely yell. And, so…that’s the story of my life. Until now.

As God has lifted me out of the box I was living in and healed so much, my eyes—including the eyes of my heart—are seeing a whole new horizon. I just thought of one of my favorite movies: Aladdin. (Sing it with me!)

A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us, “No”
Or where to go
Or say we’re only dreaming
A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I’m way up here
It’s crystal clear
That now I’m in a whole new world with you (Aladdin, Walt Disney Productions, 2019)

Kind of fun because I can put that into a spiritual picture with Jesus! When Jesus gives us a vision of who we are created to be in Him, it becomes crystal clear. Well, maybe not ‘crystal’ clear, but clear enough because we don’t need to see more when we’re with Him!

Walking a healing journey with God is an incredible adventure of faith, joy, tears, love, sorrow, courage, repentance, & more! Living alive from a place of vision and purpose is almost intoxicating in moments.

How CAN you see 2020? (Asked with a tone of excitement.)

You have the privilege of sitting with the God of the universe and asking Him that question: “Jesus, how CAN I see 2020?” Ask Him to give you His vision for this next year, that is also the beginning of a new decade! Write down the words, pictures, emotions you feel come from Him. (Don’t over-analyze when you do this. Ask, listen, put down what comes to mind or heart. After putting it down you’ll be able to discern if it’s truly from Him or not.) Please don’t worry if you feel like you get nothing! Keep asking, keep listening, keep trusting! Unlike Aladdin, we’re not rubbing a magic lamp! (Said with a laugh.) Pressing into God often requires effort, diligence, and time—just like anything that is worth having!

How can you see 2020? I pray you see 2020 WITH JESUS!

The vision He has for your life is an adventure worth taking!

Want to see the other posts on 2020? Click the FACETS’ names to read: Tracy, Jennifer, and Megan. Where can you find the FACETS anytime on social? Check out our Facebook Page!

Expecting the Unexpected: from fear to anticipation

12.24.2019 by Maricela Martinez //

Our team is excited to introduce you to our friend, Maricela. Once we experienced her friendship and her beautiful heart—well, you’ll understand why we love her so much! She’s a wife, mom, and deeply-caring friend who shows up for ladies in her church’s coffee house ministry. She loves her ladies well, and they love her back. We were thrilled she accepted our invitation to write on expecting the unexpected (the series began with Tracy’s, Jennifer’s, and Megan’s posts). I (Jennifer) have been anticipating this post since the invitation. And now, here it is!

Please welcome Mari to Facets, friends, and leave comments below or at the Facebook Page!

Hello, ladies!

When I was invited to write for Facets of Faith I was honored, excited, and very nervous. I’m not a writer. I do a few scribbles here and there in my journal but not anything I’ve ever shared. I decided early in the year that I would say yes to any opportunity that God gave me to share how He has worked in my life. It may bring hope to others. I’m excited to share how my feelings on expecting the unexpected went from fear to anticipation. When I used to think of the unexpected, I always expected the worst, but our God is a good, faithful Father, and He uses the unexpected for our good.

Christmas 2005 was a sad and dark one for me. It was the end of a 10-year relationship I expected to last forever. I don’t believe I have ever fought so hard at anything. The kind of fighting that leaves one drained, empty, and defeated. I didn’t believe in divorce. I couldn’t stand the thought of my son having to go between two homes. I prayed for a loving husband and a loving father for my son, but there I was, a divorced single mother. I felt like a failure and slipped into a severe depression. I was disappointed with God for not answering my prayers the way I expected Him to. I wondered why I wasn’t loved enough by God to let me keep my family together. Why did everything fall apart for me? I tortured myself with questions. Did I not pray enough? Did I not pray the right prayers? Scripture says that if I have enough faith, I could move mountains. Did I not have enough faith?

From a very young age I believed in God. I believed Him to be all mighty and powerful. I knew about His son, Jesus, who died for me, but I was not in relationship with Him. I prayed only to make requests and to give thanks for the good things. Feeling hurt, defeated, and unworthy of God, I turned to other things to fill the void I was carrying. That didn’t turn out well for me.

Without going into deep details, my life just kept spiraling out of control. I had become a victim of my situation. I blamed my bad choices on my life situation. I had an excuse for everything. I had become bitter and full of sarcasm. I went through my days expecting the worst.

It took some time, but slowly I started to feel better and started to seek God again. God healed my wounds. He revealed to me that my identity was not in that broken relationship but in HIM as HIS beloved daughter. He allowed me to revisit my past without the bitterness and anger; thus allowing me to see that He was always present. Although I couldn’t see it back then, He provided me with wonderful friendships, a loving family, and a son that would be my strength and reason to move forward.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

There are times in our life when we can’t understand why things fall apart for us. The unexpected can leave us heartbroken, but the Lord asks us to trust Him in everything, to acknowledge Him always, and to refrain from trying to make sense out of situations. His ways are greater than ours. He will restore our peace and joy in ways that only He can do. Our Father will always replace what we lost with something greater than we ever expected, when we seek Him first.

In 2008 I met Jose on an online dating site. I didn’t expect I would marry him the following year. He became that loving and caring father I had been praying for my son, Tony. In 2011 we were blessed with another son, Gabriel. I wish I could say that Jose and I fell in love, got married, and everything has been great ever since, but that isn’t our story. Jose and I went through a very difficult season in our marriage. Almost defeated and tired of fighting, I surrendered my marriage to God. Instead of fighting, I prayed. Oh, did HE answer my prayers in unexpected ways!

In the spring of 2014, Jose met Jesus and fell in love. I was no longer on this faith journey alone; God provided a companion for me, my husband. We promised each other that we would work on putting Christ at the center of our marriage. We began to seek God’s direction for our family. We got baptized together in March of 2019. It was such a special day for us. In June we celebrated 10 years of marriage. The relationship that I expected to die was given life by Jesus.

Today life is far from perfect, but I know my Father has led me exactly to where I’m supposed to be. I no longer fear the unexpected because I look for God’s sweet blessings in it.

Reality or Perception?

Identifying Reality

Freedom in Truth

vi·sion /ˈviZHən/ n.