Elleigh Ann. "Overflow"

Say hello to our beautiful guest blogger, Elleigh Ann. As Elleigh covers the topic of "Overflow" she pours out her hearts desire to truly overflow with God given Joy, such an inspiring blog post if you are feeling tired & weak. Be encouraged!

xoxo, Sarah Delanie

Jesus said: “I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow.” (John 15:11)


The words that automatically hit me as I read this verse were joy and overflow. I’ll start with joy because overflow is what really hit home with me but you can’t have that overflow without the joy, kind of like you can’t have cake without icing (good cake anyway). Joy seems like a pretty misused term if you ask me, my thoughts on joy is it’s not just happiness it’s a true feeling that is deep within our hearts or spirits that is given to us by God only for a specific reason. Joy is that one thing that we have even in those difficult times of our life. The dictionary definition of joy is “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.” It is a great pleasure and happiness, to know that God is always there to fill us with a happiness like joy, not an earthly happiness that only comes from things that will all fade away but a real happiness called joy. Joy is what makes you want to stand up SHOUT and tell the whole world that your God is super, incredible, powerful, loving, almighty, supernatural, eternal, never failing, and they HAVE to know Him!

Okay so I know I don’t have this feeling all the time and I’m sure you don’t either but we do have a joy that should overflow. Without diving into Gods scriptures and really allowing him to fill our hearts, we will never overflow with joy. I so desperately like I’m sure many of you reading this want to experience this overflowed sensation on a daily basis.


// Always overflowing, Lord let my joy runneth over more abundant than anything. //


That is my hearts plea. I fail Him daily, I don’t allow my self to overflow with his joy because I’m always going to want it my way, I want to be filled with joy on my terms using MY plan not his. I know it seems we hear this same thing all the time but let me tell you, his plan is the only plan that brings me to my knees; that says “you’re nothing without me,absolutely nothing.” I have been on my knees more than once and I know I will be there again because that’s who we are as sinners but as God’s children, we always seem to find that way to stand up only when holding his hand will we truly experience the overflow of joy because who isn’t joyous when holding the Almighty’s hand and feeling the joy of a love so deep no one can comprehend.

My Challenge to myself is this: Bring yourself to your knees everyday, dive into His word, be passionate about learning scripture, don’t let yourself get to that point where all you do is fall apart but rather take up your cross daily, and overflow with joy for Him. Never let the fire that has been kindled within burn out because no matter how old you are, you need to let the little light of yours shine but do not have a simple little light, let God set a wildfire to your heart and life that’s full of passion.



Passion for the Creator of all things and who sent a savior to be the beautiful Redeemer, the perfect sacrifice, and the One who shows what love truly means in every action He takes.

Allow yourself to be filled up and be willing to

experience an overflow of joy. 

fighting : just a little bit harder

Hello dear,

     Life has this tendency to take off at 500mph with out fair warning, if you know what I mean. It has amazed me how despite the insanity, the stress & the deadlines, I never cease to find complete restoration in Christ. It is genuinely mind blowing. This week I have been making my way through the book of John, it has filled my heart with a desire to be submissive (which is HUGE for anyone who knows my stubborn heart) to love in away that "proves I am a disciple of God" & to serve in a way that reflects Jesus & not my own selfish heart. The passages of Jesus washing his disciples feet & him saying we are to follow & do as he did have really been ripping at my heart. To bring yourself to a place of complete humbleness to wash someones feet as a symbol of your love is such a beautiful thing. I can only hope & pray that one day I can love my family and friends in a way that is authentic & world changing to those around me.

     You know how every once in a while you come across a passage that gives you chills? Well here it comes. John 17:20-26, I am going to post it down below, but what you must know first is the backstory, just so you do not take anything out of context. These few verse are a prayer out of the very mouth of Jesus (woah) not only are these his very words, this prayer is for all the believers, this prayer was for YOU. At this point in the book of John, Jesus is praying his last prayers before he is arrested to be crucified. So with that in mind here it is. 

John 17:20-26 

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.

     We are called to abide in Jesus, to live like Jesus, to be one like Jesus. Some weeks we have to fight a little bit hard, believe me I get it, but regardless of what is happening around us, this is our ULTIMATE purpose.

Never lose sight of the one who has Never lost sight of YOU.

Keep fighting,

Sarah Delanie

Where We've Been

 Oh my. It's been too long y'all. Life has been hectic for the past two months for all of us. School. Midterms. Traveling. Weddings. Photoshoots. And other awesome life happenings. We're busy in the throws of assembling the spring issue & it will be out in early April! Hooray!! Here's what we've been up to + what God has been teaching us this winter::

Bethany:

 Life is crazy. Crazy good and crazy hard.

Over the past 3 months I've been in a season of pruning and loneliness. And I've come to be okay with it...because it is a season. Not my life. Not my destiny. 

In December I moved for the first time in my life and gave up one of the only things in my life I'd kill to keep: my dog. She was a lot more than a dog, but my baby (yes, call me a sap but whatever!).  When I came face to face with the reality of having to move & give her up, I was in Fort Worth with these three lovely besties...best timing ever. Through praying about it and their wisdom, I had peace that this is what I had to do, and that God had a beautiful purpose through it. 

Oh, did He ever. 

It woke me up. From putting my identity in things other than Christ. From clinging onto things so hard. From not putting Christ first.

Losing my dog was the best thing to happen to my spiritual life.

Truth.

As I drove away from giving her away, Desert Song played on the radio. 

"All of my life

In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship"

Oh God's timing :)

My life hasn't been all peaches & cream since moving. God's been teaching me lessons on contentment, identity, and relationships, and sometimes I just want to curl up in a ball, cry, then magically transform into a girl that has it all together. Hah! I have so much to learn.

Not only did I move for the first time in my life, but I moved 25 miles out of Minneapolis into a city I would've kicked & screamed about living in 6 months ago. It's been different living in a lakeside city, not an inner suburb (mainly not seeing a lot of friends anymore), but the loneliness has been pointing me upwards. Towards Him.

One of my favorite quotes ever:

Loneliness is not an indication of abandonment, but an invitation to intimacy with the One who will never abandon you. - Steven Furtick

Can I get an amen?! 

I'm starting to feel okay about being where I am in life. Not only because after season of pruning comes flourishing, but God ordained me to be here for a gorgeous PURPOSE.

So for right now, I'm drinking in the solitude & working on assembling the next issue with the theme of new beginnings. And there is even new beginnings for the one still in the soul season of winter and loneliness. Always.

Sarah:

Hey everyone,


These past two months have been so incredible! When Bethany first began to talk about this upcoming topic of “New Beginnings” for the spring magazine issue, I was a bit nervous. Okay, I won’t lie I was really nervous.

I guess I was just afraid I wasn’t qualified enough to write on such a strong topic. WELL, little did I know all the things the Lord was going to be teaching me these past 2 months! WOW!

I mean like, holy guacamole WOW! All the way from travel to business to life, Jesus has just truly been chiseling away at my heart.

Lately the Lord has been reminding me of my past, now keep in mind its not a super yucky rebellious past, but I’m not particularly proud of it. It started at the beginning of my annual compulsive spring cleaning or LIFE DETOX as I like to call it.

After spending these past few months traveling, stressing over school & business along with not eating particularly grande, I just need to refocus on well, me. Not in a selfish way, but in a way that I needed to make sure my heart was in the right place.

But, back to life detoxing, as I rummaged through the depths of my closet I came across an old year book from my freshmen year (keep in mind this is from a large homeschool coop.) Lets just say, I wish I never had to see that again,

I think its all to easy for us to forget our past, you see, I went through this phase where I truly has no idea who I was, I was just going through the motions of life & one of my biggest faults was comparison. I was ALWAYS comparing myself to other girls around me & after a while that took a toll on my heart. My skin was certainly not clear, my heart was short and flat to my face, I had a funky sense of style, but the worst part was...

I wasn’t happy.

I thought, only if I looked like her, then I would be happy. NEGATIVE!!!!!

Girls, please please please listen to me. Until your every being lies in the Lord will you find true joy & beauty that radiates from the inside out. Start trusting Him & let him be your source of life, I promise, once you allow yourself to be transformed there is NO turning back.

I won’t lie, after looking at that year book picture & even remembering the car ride to have it taken makes me sick. I was teary eyed that morning because I felt so insecure with who I was.

For a while I thought I could dismiss this period of time in my life, but the Lord reminded me that we all change, why?

Because Jesus makes all things new.

I can now boast in the Lord for what He has done in my life & that my friends is an amazing reality.

Change is messy & far from beautiful, but until our eyes our opened to the fact that Jesus is made perfect through our imperfections can we truly live.

For it is no long I who live, but Christ who lives in me.

Needless to say I am truly excited to be sharing more about this season that the Lord really has all the Shine Team in (which is kinda wild).

Jesus is pruning & Spring is coming, come jump on this band wagon, cause we are stoked!


Ciera:

I’m at a place in my life where the friends that I grew up with are getting engaged, married, & having children of their own, while I haven’t even been on a date. Surprisingly, I’m ok with that… for now at least.

Of course, being in this stage of life is a little weird. These past two months I’ve learned a lot about myself: what I like and don’t like, what my passions are, and what makes me light up. I’m learning how to be an adult and what the world expects of me. I’ve learned to be wise when following my dreams. I’ve gone places and seen things and done stuff I never thought would be possible. I’ve dreamed big and worked hard. I’ve practiced and learned. I’ve made mistakes and pushed forward…

It’s hard some days. Those days when I start looking around at others and compare myself to them, I get discouraged at how far I have to go. But then I have to take a step back and reassess everything. The only person I can compare myself to is the person I was… so I do that and realize just how far I’ve come and all the obstacles I had to jump over to get here, where I am now.

In this issue we talk all about finding joy in the change and being content with where you are right now while still pursuing your ultimate goals. If you only take one thing away from this issue, I hope that it would be that life is all about perspective.

You can choose to focus on the negative things or you can choose to focus on the positive things. You can choose to bring glory to Christ through all of your circumstances or you can choose to be bitter about everything.

It’s up to you, how you perceive the world, and what you make of it.

These past few months have been a rollercoaster of new beginnings. It has definitely set the tone for the spring issue… from starting a new job, to traveling, to second shooting my very first wedding with Sarah, all of these combine to create the whirlwind that is my life right now, but I’m excited and ready to take on what comes next.

Mackenzie:

These past two months have flown by faster than I ever imagined they would or could! I've been balancing life, business, and school.... This year has been the most interesting combination of crazy and stressful, yet so blessed. I have traveled every other weekend, shot several gorgeous sessions in Nashville, Savannah, and Charleston... Visited with Sarah and Ciera, helped at the fantastic Making Things Happen Intensive, and lately I am burying myself in school work!

Life can be so wonderful, beautiful, and overwhelming at the same time. In every single circumstance, never forget to place your hopes and fears at the feet of Jesus. As I'm finding the balance in it all, I've been discovering so much peace in Phillipians 4:6-8:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

I'm praying and hoping that you all find rest and courage in Jesus as we head into spring! I hope you all have a beautiful weekend!

Cheers!

Hope Simmons // My Testimony

This is the first installment of the My Testimony series. You know Overcome by Jeremy Camp? The lyrics: "We will overcome by the blood of the lamp and the word of our testimony. Everyone overcome." We hope this series would do just that. Inspire you to overcome through Jesus by others beautiful testimonies of God's faithfulness in their lives.

    My name is Hope Simmons, I am a sixteen year old girl from Fort Worth Texas who was born into a Navy family in Yokosuka, Japan. I was destined for adventure when I was already back on a plane, island hopping around Japan when I was just three days old. But contrary to popular opinion I do not consider my greatest adventure to be when I spent two months in the mountains of upper state New York with a bunch of other music nerds. I don't even consider it to be when my family chose to go to Juarez, Mexico, one of the most dangerous cities in North America, despite the pleas of our grandparents. My greatest adventure is the one I began when my Love, Jesus Christ, whispered His love to my stubborn heart and pulled my dead body out of the deep waters of my sin. My greatest adventure began when I was thrown flat on my back with the realization that all is futile and decaying except the ever standing love story from God. My greatest adventure created song, dance, and everlasting joy in my life during the year that I fell deep in love with my Husband and He caused me to choose Him, His way, and only His way. And my greatest adventure still awaits me, still draws me in, and still lures my eyes to the infinite face of my Savior. I am still pulled to dream of the day upon which I will see, and fall on the ground before Him whom I will finally gaze on perfectly. Finally understanding clearly the astounding truth that He is crazy in love with...me? Yes me. And yes you, princess.

       Eight years ago, I begged my mom to let me start violin lessons. I still remember it, I was sitting at our kitchen table doing school on a spring day. I was seven years old, it was the same year I became a Christian (big year). Violin has always been an interesting journey. Within the first year it was apparent that I had talent, but the only thing I realized was that my parents had no interest in letting me quit! All 7 people in my family had played violin at one point or another in their life, but yet somehow I was the only one who hadn't been aloud to quit. I found it weird but God found it perfect. Turns out He had higher plans than a run of the mill Suzuki violin student. He had way bigger and better plans than insane camps in New York, conservatories, concert performances, and a professional music degree at college. His plan was the deepest and the most glorifying to Him and He was breaking me it to me, little by little, slowly but surely, over the course of 8 years.

    In the summer of 2011, I was invited to study in the mountains of New York for two months at a prestigious violin camp. God had pretty much dragged me to this point. You see, within three weeks of receiving my acceptance letter, I had already quit violin. Violin was so much weight to bare, it was so much money to think about spending and I didn't like it. I gave in to my flesh and quit violin in order to try and peel the burden off my own back by my own strength. God is a God who pursues His children though, and I thank Him for not letting me go more than two days without calling me back to the gift He had given me. So needless to say, walking onto those camp grounds in Westport, New York was nothing short of a miracle and a breathtaking adventure. God had provided all the funds for this camp and I realized He had me there for  reason; I was ready. Now, not meaning to disappoint you, but I'm going to skip over all the tiny details of this amazing summer and skip to about the time I arrived back home in Fort Worth, Texas.  I'm going to skip to a month after getting back home where I am in a physical therapists office. I'm stretching and strengthening my back and arm; I'm injured. After spending two whole months working intensively on my violin career and being inspired to go to a conservatory; after two months of decisions which implied my dedication of the near future to my studies, I was spending two months letting my fingers go cold in the waiting room of a physical therapy office. But let me just say, God was painting His picture just the way He wanted it and I'm just now starting to see, yes imperfectly, but still, I'm starting to see little glimpses of how beautiful it is going to be in the end.  Through the trials of injury, second guesses, and pain, God was bringing me to the point where He needed me to be in order to accept what He was planning on telling me a year later.

    It's a year later, a beautiful misty fall day in October. I've been though a change in teachers, and many new and inspiring happening in my walk with God.  Not to mention a life changing, ground shaking, heart numbing call from my Savior. As I have considered over the past few years why I was given my talent in music, why I was never allowed to quit, why I was enabled to go to music camp, why I was injured, and why I was never totally comfortable with the idea of  a normal life, I have begun to realize that I am not what this world is about. I am nothing without Jesus; I am worthless without Jesus. I have come to realize that for me, concert performance, conservatories, and college degrees are self-centered. I have a longing inside of me for more... more... more. Christ is that "more," Christ is the fulfillment and nourishment for the longing inside of  my heart. Throughout these 16 years on this earth, He has broken me, molded me, shaped me, torn me, hurt me, cried with me, laughed with me, prayed for me, and has made me...made me....the daughter He wants me to be. He has brought me to a point at which He could finally put a desire on my heart for missions. He has put a dream inside my head, but more than that, He has put a hope inside my head to go and spread His love in Africa. After hearing Him sing this longing into my life I still asked Him, "Why, though, God? And how, God? Doesn't violin play into this somewhere? Is this just a dream I'm making up for myself? Please, I need light, dear Savior, I need light. I feel blind." I felt as though I was getting in the way of seeing clearly where this was leading. He began to lead me through battles, showing me that the idols that I was holding so close to my heart had to die. I began to go  after them, a few too many times on my own, though. And as I nursed my battle wounds I began to clench tighter onto Christ's hand. And as I began to grow closer to Him I began to catch pictures of what He wanted me to do. These things brought hope, oh yes, eternal hope! I began to be filled with visions of less, but yet more, violin? What?! "God, I'm confused." I told Him one night. "Please, I need light!" I began to walk in the darkness, taking small, unnoticeable, by the world, steps through what appeared to be darkness but what was bright as the day to God. And suddenly, I beheld the glory of my leading Savior. Oh yes, my sweet Husband was leading me and answering my call for help. The Savior of all; the Creator of all, was answering my prayers. He led me to the decision that, yes, if  I was indeed going to pursue international missions than something had to change with violin. So the next week, I walked into my violin lesson and sat down with my precious teacher and talked with her, ultimately deciding to quit violin lessons. I didn't lose anything, because, in all reality, I'm closer to the truth of music then ever before.

    Christ has instilled in me a never dying desire to bring His love and His hope through music to Africa. Within the next few years I may be able to start investing in Ethiopia. But whatever happens, whether I get to go to Africa or I never get to the black faces and the red dirt of that country, I know now, not fully, but I'm beginning to know, that God has a bigger plan. And all the kicking and screaming I engage in is, at that moment, the response I am having to the fact that my Savior died on the cross for my sins. So I choose,on bended knee, today, to take up my job, today, of loving and glorifying my Savior and whatever He says that will mean today.

    Well, it looks like today that means back to school, but oh how He has changed the outlook on these things. He has changed my outlook on life, and little by little He is pouring out the realization that in Him, all things can be joyful. So see, I am no more special than you. The only thing that is special about me is my precious Lord. And, wait, that's the thing that is special about you too! Let my story encourage, inspire, and turn on the longing inside of you NOT to go to the mission field, but to stand in awe and trust what the Savior of the universe is doing in your life. So look around you and see and rejoice in the simple, little things. See what He has been doing in your life. Maybe things you have never noticed. I bet it is more breath taking than you have ever imagined. Let us live today. Yes, live; truly live.  

"For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." // Philippians 1:21

Truth // This is who YOU are

Let's face it, it is the middle of the school year & some of us are just plain pooped. As the world continues to spin around me I am refreshed & revived by this truth, so I thought I would share it with you. Believe me, this is no fancy smancy blog post with big complicated words, but simply the written truth & what has been on my heart recently.

This is who YOU are.

1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness in to his wonderful light". 

Instead of writing empty words, I just want to challenge you to mediate on this scripture. You are chosen. You belong to the King. You are called to declare the name of the Holy One who has pulled you from the pit of darkness into His marvelous & eternal light. Wow. What a great reminder of who we are & what our purpose here on this earth is! Let's take on this week with spiritual tenacity. Be a prayer warrior.

xoxo,

Sarah Delanie