JESUS.
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This issue is for the romantics and the broken hearted. The married and the single. The worn out on love and the hopeful. This issue is created to illustrate the beauty of God's design for love and romance.
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love and romance EDITOR LETTER
I
:
JESSE ANAYA
scroll through Instagram and it's filtered with weddi adventurously. Or so that's the perception. I think you fascinated with romance and has the desire to tell stories o February is Valentine's month and though it's not a holiday that celebrates the love and romance of the heart. If we could create an issue that spoke truth in love and ro look like? Well, we've attempted to do just that. I've discovered my name Jesse is misleading to many str Angelic. They see our content and if you've never m assumed that I am a woman. But I'm not. Jesse is not inspired to lead the creation of this issue as I feel it's par God's design for love and romance. So often we leave it to women to be romantic. So often i and express love. If God created man in His image, we honor a woman as God would want His men to in love I believe it's a man's duty to pursue a woman in a Godly especially in matrimony. Women feel unloved by men b her worth in God's light. Men forget to pursue her even af men and women who will see this issue to transform thei has become in our world and transition it back to God's or It's my belief that God didn't create man or woman to marriage with love and romance guiding their way. I beli to be designed for marriage: One heartbeat. One soul. One I hope this issue inspires you to walk in love and roman
jesse anaya Blessings,
e
ing day pictures and couples living can agree with me, our culture is of love. religious holiday it's a worldwide omance, Godly truth, what would it
rangers who flip through an issue of met or seen me, some, many have short for Jessica. As a man I am rt of a man's responsibility to honor
it's left to a woman to communicate should exemplify what it means to and romance. y way not just when he's single but because men forget to acknowledge fter she says I do to him. I urge both ir notion for what love and romance rginal intent. be alone but to be manifested in a ieve God created love and romance e flesh. nce with God.
love and
I T ' S O U R P R AY E R T H AT THE SINGLE AND THE HEARTBROKEN A YOU ARE
 romance
THIS ISSUE SPEAKS TO D THE MARRIED, ND THE HOPEFILLED. E L O V E D.
S I N G LE NE S S .
HOPE-FILLED ROMANTIC . I A M A D M I T T E D LY O N E O F “ T H E S E P E O P L E ” . T H I RT Y. S I N G L E . A N D A H O P E L E S S R O M A N T I C . ( I F T H AT I S N O T A W I N N I N G I N S TA G R A M B I O … )
H
B Y A L I G E N T R Y
opeless. A hopeless romantic to be exact. Someone who lives and breathes love stories and happy endings. They are considered hopeless because of the amount of people willing to live with such great hope for love in a calloused world of pain and heartache is dwindling. These are the people who choose to believe in love anyway. I am admittedly one of “these people”. Thirty. Single. And a hopeless romantic. (If that is not a winning Instagram bio…) But let’s be honest, it can be tough being single around holidays because of the romance and pressure to be in a relationship. Our romantic side tries to hide to protect us from the pain of singleness or we overexpose our hearts to anyone simply in search of affirmation in return. No matter if we are single or married, we want to believe in love but we do not want to get hurt. There is a risk when we choose to have hope for love. Titanic has been my favorite movie since I first saw it as a 10 year old curled up on my parents’ couch. That was the night I knew I believed in love stories of epic proportions. This is when I knew I was a hopeless romantic. Jack and Rose (main characters) fall madly in love instantaneously, passionately and dramatically. There story was over almost as quickly as it began. When the Unsinkable Ship sank into the bottom of the frigid Atlantic, Jack sacrificed his life for Rose. (And no, they were not both able to fit on the door! Ask MythBusters!).
Titanic was the highestgrossing movie of all time (now Avatar). Many fans went back 45 times to see it again in theaters. It is a three hour movie that ends tragically. Why? Why would that many people spend that much money to watch that long of a tragic movie that many times? How was this film able to capture the hearts of people everywhere? Because this love story tapped into our innate desire to believe in a love that was instantaneous, passionate and sacrificial. This was real romance. This was true love. We are made to long for a love like this. We are made to be hopefilled romantics. Too often we project our desire and hope for an epic love story on others who cannot realistically live up to our expectations. We become disappointed. Calloused. Upset. Hopeless. Walls begin to go up and people begin to be shut out. Or maybe you find yourself on the other side sharing all of yourself with anyone who will give you affirmation to feel loved. I have done both. I have been empty, numb even, while in search of the Love I know exists. The only One who can meet us in our pain, hurt, loneliness, and love us the whole way through. His name is Jesus. Every time we watch a movie and our hearts respond to the epic love story on screen, we are responding the created longing in our own hearts for our Creator. This is Him drawing us (continued on next page)
to Himself. The feelings of pure romance give us hope for the coming age where we will forever be with the One who truly did give up His life for us while we were still going our own way because He loved us so much (Romans 5:8). He loves you in that instantaneous, passionate, sacrificial love of titanic proportions type of way. Only He can fill all of our heart’s longings. It is time to start living as a hopefilled romantic. There are people waiting for you to be vulnerable, stepping out and risking on the belief that true love exists, like the 10 year old inside of you. They want to know Love is real. And the world will know Jesus by the way we love one another (John 13:35). God created you to be a hopefilled romantic. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
P H OTO G R A P H Y BY J E S S E A N AYA M O D E L : H E AT H E R C AW L E Y MAKEUP: MARIANA ESPRIU H A I R : K R I S T E N M AY E S S T Y L I N G : SA R A H M U R Z Y N C LOT H I N G : P I N K H O U S E B O U T I Q U E LO C AT I O N : P H O E N I X , A Z
" I H AV E B E E N E M P T Y , NUMB EVEN, WHILE IN SEARCH OF THE LOVE I KNOW EXISTS. THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN MEET US I N O U R PA I N , H U R T, LONELINESS, AND LOVE U S T H E W H O L E WAY THROUGH. HIS NAME IS JESUS."
PHOTO FROM THE 1939 HOLLYWOOD FILM GONE WITH THE WIND
GONE WITH THE WIND RECEIVED 10 ACADEMY AWARDS, WINNING BEST PICTURE. WHEN ADJUSTED FOR MONETARY INFLATION IN PRESENT DAY, IT IS THE MOST SUCCESFUL FILM IN BOX OFFICE HISTORY.
5 2 % O F P EO P L E SAY THEY PREFER ROSES O N VA L E N T I N E ' S D AY
instagram poll D ATA CO L L ECTED V IA
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INS TA G RA M
48% OF PEOPLE ARE FANS OF C H O CO L AT E O N VALENTINE'S
W E S E E A G R E AT D E A L O F G O D ' S D E S I G N I N N AT U R E . T H E W I L D W H I M S Y A N D S P O N TA N E I T Y O F T H E W I N D . T H E B R U T F O R C E O F A T E N F O O T WAV E S C R A S H I N G O N T O S H A R P U N M O VA B L E R O C K S . T H E D E L I C AT E WHISPER OF BUTTERFLIES LANDING AND SOARING FROM FLOWER TO FLOWER. THEN THERE'S THE UNIQUENESS OF SOME LANDMARKS WHERE YOU JUST K N O W G O D I S A L L A B O U T T H E O N E O F A K I N D PLACES, LIKE SEDONA'S RED ROCKS. A L L
O F T H E AT T R I B U T E S M E N T I O N E D H E R E A R E
W H AT
HE
GOD
HAS DESIGNED FOR LOVE
WA N T S
S P O N TA N E O U S ,
IT
TO
STRONG,
BE
WILD,
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ROMANCE.
WHIMSICAL,
UNDENIABLE,
S T E A D Y,
RHYTHMIC, GENTLE, CARING, GIVING, SELFLESS, UNIQUE, EPIC, AND SO MUCH MORE. AS
I GROW IN
M Y U N D E R S TA N D I N G O F W H O G O D I S I S E E T I M E A N D T I M E A G A I N T H AT
H E L E A D S U S O N T H E G R E AT E S T A D V E N T U R E S . T H E L AT E S T R E V E L AT I O N T O M E I N T H AT T R U T H H A S B E E N M A R R I A G E . W H E N G O D I S AT T H E C E N T E R O F H I S C R E AT I O N ' S H E A RT S H E L E A D S U S I N WAY S W E C O U L D N E V E R G E T T O O N O U R O W N . J E S S I C A L AW S O N
PH OTOG RAPH Y BY JESSIC A L AWSON BRIDE
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G R O O M : K A R LY A N D M AT T
L O C AT I O N : S E D O N A , A R I Z O N A
E Q UA L LY YOK E D B Y V I V I A N A A .
W
hether you are in a relationship or not, married or single, it is important to recognize if you are equally yoked with the person you are with or will be with some day. It is an essential foundation that is necessary to determine the path your future and existing relationships will take. What does it mean to be equally yoked? It means to be on an equal path towards God, to be in alignment with another as you serve God daily. To be in balance with your goals and priorities with the Lord together and apart according to God’s will. 2 Corinthians 6:14 "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" If you are already in a marriage and feel that you are not equally yoked the bible says that you are able to stay in the relationship if your partner is willing to stay. Pray fervently for your spouse to turn to God, for God can change hearts and bring the two together spiritually and bless the marriage, so do not be discouraged. 1 Corinthians 7:1314 "And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband."
" W H AT D O E S I T M E A N T O B E E Q U A L LY Y O K E D ? I T MEANS TO BE ON AN EQUAL PAT H T O WA R D S G O D , T O B E IN ALIGNMENT WITH ANOTHER AS YOU SERVE G O D D A I L Y. T O B E I N BALANCE WITH YOUR GOALS AND PRIORITIES WITH THE LORD TOGETHER" The Lord has clearly stated over and over in his word not join together with someone whom you are not equally yoked with. Due to the strife and heartache it causes to the believer and will only make your relationship more difficult. So when choosing to enter into a relationship be vigilant and intentional to choose a partner that you can come together with ease through Christ. God issues boundaries to bless us and to help us in our daily life; if we choose to disregard these boundaries we only bring turmoil on ourselves. Be patient and wait upon the Lord to bring an equally yoked partner into your life so that you can be blessed for that has always been God’s intention for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
ANGELICMUSIC
Amanda Scrimale
MOUNT HOLLY, NEW JERSEY
"SOMETIMES
POWER COMES IN A QUIET VOICE AND FROM A SEASON OF SOLITUDE. SOMETIMES A POWERFUL VOICE IS ONE THAT SITS SILENT FOR A TIME. SOMETIMES A VOICE NEEDS THAT TO BECOME EVEN LOUDER. FEAR WANTS TO SILENCE OUR VOICE AND KEEP US FROM EVEN TRYING. BUT A WISE FRIEND ONCE TOLD ME “THE ENEMY ONLY TACKLES PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE GAME ANYWAY” AND FOR ME, I FEEL LIKE “THE GAME” IS ABOUT TO START."
A M A N DA S C R I M A L E
WORSHIP LEADER: THE HAVEN CHURCH
“I’m just like everyone else.” “I don’t have the best voice, the strongest voice, the right voice.” “I can’t do this.” These are lies I’ve heard. To add to that, I spent a lot of time on a church pew as the daughter of a pastor. To everyone looking in, they might say me chasing a career in music is predictable. Musical ability + pastor’s daughter = forgettable worship leader. After moving from my hometown in Florida to New Jersey, my mom bought me several CDs from the Christian bookstore. I listened to the music of Ginny Owens and Joy Williams over and over for months on my purple boombox, and I felt the way the music moved me. I sensed the power of it and realized songs have the ability to speak to people and comfort them, and I wanted to be someone who brought those things to other people too. But I’ve always been afraid to perform by myself. The thought of singing alone scared me because everyone was watching me; I preferred to be in the choir because everyone was watching us. Even though the pressure of being a perfectionist made me nervous, it’s what in my heart of hearts I wanted to do most. But this giant obstacle was in the way…those lies and fears that there was nothing that special about me. I moved to Nashville to pursue music and work through those fears, but upon arriving they only grew louder. It took singing background vocals for other people, being in bands, and starting my own artist management business to realize I had to stop hiding in fear of my own music. God used that space to speak to me. To accept a new adventure, challenge, and ministry, I had to trust him and realize He gave me my voice. It’s funny how God ties things together, so we can’t take credit for the method or the result. I knew that’s where He wanted me all along, I just needed to let go of those lies in order to step into it.
SINGER/SONGWRITER
-
M O U N T H O L LY , N J
ANGELICTESTIMONY "I STILL STRUGGLE WITH F E A R , B U T I H AV E F O U N D MY VOICE IN HIS STRENGTH." When asked what my journey with music has looked like, this verse kept coming to mind: For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and selfdiscipline 2 Timothy 1:7 Sometimes power comes in a quiet voice and from a season of solitude. Sometimes a powerful voice is one that sits silent for a time. Sometimes a voice needs that to become even louder. Fear wants to silence our voice and keep us from even trying. But a wise friend once told me “the enemy only tackles people that are in the game anyway” and for me, I feel like “the game” is about to start. The game is releasing raw, honest, worship music that I want to share with all of you very soon. I still struggle with fear, but I have found my voice in His strength. I pray for you, dear reader, just like for me, these truths would silence any lies you may be hearing about yourself. I pray fear can be the springboard for creativity and lies can be the springboard to living a life full of purpose, power, and love. When we learn to push through and create anyway, we’re accepting the call God has for each of us to build something original. When we learn to identify lies we’re hearing, we can answer the question “who told you that?” When we answer that, we’re silencing the enemy and choosing to believe instead what God says about us, leading to a life full of power, intentionality, and impact. You too can find your own voice, whether it’s in song, speech, art, etc. It’s a voice worth hearing, worth sharing. Don’t let fear or timidity stop you, but learn to embrace your Godgiven, powerful voice.
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41% OF PEOPLE WISH VA L E N T I N E ' S D AY W O U L D G O AWAY.
PHOTO FROM THE 1942 ROMANTIC FILM CASABLANCA
CASBLANCA WON THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING PICTURE. "HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, KID" THE LINE SAID BY HUMPHREY BOGART'S CHARACTER RICK TO HIS LOVE INTEREST ILSA IN THE FILM IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS QUOTES IN AMERICAN FILM HISTORY.
5 9 % O F P E O P L E SAY VA L E N T I N E ' S D AY M A K E S T H E M H A P P Y.
WHAT IS GOD ' S DESIGN FOR LOVE + ROMANCE ? GUY OPINION I F Y O U C O U L D C H O O S E B E T W E E N H AV I N G LOVE OR ROMANCE, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
I
B Y J E S S E A N A Y A
f you had the choice to choose, would you choose to have love or romance? Choose wisely. Think quietly about it for a moment, but don't answer just yet. Romance is slow dancing in the dark with her on a warm summer night under the stars. It's holding her close and tenderly brushing her hair from her face as she looks up into his eyes and presses her lips into the warmth of his. It is romance that hand writes her a note that reads only three words, I love you. Romance is him waking up in the middle of the night to feed the baby so she can rest. Romance is love carried out. But it's not so simple. God says that marriage between a man and a woman is the combining of two souls to become one flesh. Just as she is intricate and lovely, she is his better half. She is his wife, the symmetry that makes him complete. And though he made a vow to love and to cherish her for all the days of his life, will he stay true to his vow? Because love is not romance. Love is home with her on a Sunday afternoon. A thousand other boys wanted to hold her hand but she chose his. Love doesn't want anyone else but her. Love trusts. It waits for her and her only. Love protects her. Listens to her. Is faithful to her. Casts out her fear and hopes with her. Love dreams with her. Love doesn't want Sunday's with anyone else but you, only you, everyday, forever. It is love that binds her and him together. One heartbeat. One soul. One flesh. God's design for love and romance is for them never to part. Where there is love and no romance, love dies. And where there is romance without love, romance fades. When the time comes for you to choose love or romance, I hope you choose both. You deserve a love that is more than love, for all eternity.
" G O D S AY S T H AT M A R R I A G E B E T W E E N A M A N A N D A W O M A N I S THE COMBINING OF TWO SOULS TO B E C O M E O N E F L E S H . J U S T A S S H E I S I N T R I C AT E A N D L O V E LY, S H E I S H I S B E T T E R H A L F. S H E I S H I S W I F E , T H E S Y M M E T R Y T H AT MAKES HIM COMPLETE."
N I A T N U O M E S I PROM OTTERBAUM BY MICHAELA P
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MIC CAROLINE STRE
Nashville to Norway destination weddings
Q+A P R O M I S E M O U N TA I N " IT’S C LEAR THR OUGH HIS WO RD THAT HE HAS DE S I G NE D US F OR I NT I MACY AND MARRI AG E IS THE M OS T AMAZ I NG EXAM P LE OF G O D’S P UR S UIT OF US "
1. What is Promise Mountain? Promise Mountain is a company I started in 2017 that facilitates fullservice adventurous elopement weddings in Norway & Nashville. We guide couples out to the most spectacular locations in these regions and set the stage for the experience of a lifetime as they tie the knot surrounded by beauty and wonder. We take care of the flowers, the officiating, the photography, guiding, planning and lodging. It’s an all in one deal. Making it easy for the couples to just show up, and we take care of the rest. 2. The theme for this issue is God's design for love + romance, what do you believe His design for it is? The Bible carries story after story of amazing examples of love and romance in it. It’s clear through his Word that He has designed us for intimacy and marriage is the most amazing example of God’s pursuit of us, his bride. I have seen over and over, the power of vows spoken between a bride and groom that powerfully reminds me of God’s covenant with us. He will never forsake us, never leave us, and never abandon us. He’s in it, through thick and thin— which is ultimately God’s design for marriage. There is so much beauty and vulnerability in the process of being married and staying married. I’ll never stop being in awe of the way that Jesus pursues us, his bride, no matter how vulnerable or messy it may feel. 3. Norway + Nashville, what is it about these 2 places that create the perfect backdrop for a couple to start their marriage journey? The idea of Promise Mountain was birthed while I lived in the fjord region of Norway for a few years. When I moved back to the states I knew I wanted to pursue this concept through my business and once it took off in Norway I realized that there was another form of landscape beauty in Tennessee, which is where I currently live when stateside. After exploring the waterfall region a bit more in TN, I decided to launch some waterfall elopements stateside, which have been a fun addition to the Norway lineup of ceremony locations we offer. It’s a great alternative for those who can’t make it all the way to Norway for a wedding elopement. What I have discovered is that there is beauty and wonder everywhere you go, we just have to look for it. In Norway it looks one way, in Nashville it looks like something completely different.
4. What personal experience from being a part of Promise Mountain has grew your own relationship with God? Watching couples over and over commit their lives to each other is a really powerful, and moving experience to be a part of. No matter how many times I see it, I am reminded every single time of the power of covenant and the invitation we have as sons and daughters to experience this kind of love through Jesus. It’s an amazing reminder of God’s design for marriage. 5. What is the vision for Promise Mountain in 2019? This year we are excited to be stepping into our busiest year yet— servings multiple couples from all over the world. We are gearing up for an amazing summer in Norway and have some amazing people coming over to tie the knot surrounded by beauty and wonder. We’ve just launched some brand new packages that involve sail boats, islands, helicopters, mountains, etc… Really excited to see this play out for 2019! One of my favorite additions for the packages this year is that every couple who books a wedding will be sponsoring a child in Uganda for a year and sending them to one of the top schools in the country— just by getting married. I have a dream to see the wedding industry begin to impact culture in ways we’ve never seen before. This is just one small step in this direction that I’m really excited about.
MICHAELA POTTERBAUM
CAROLINE STREMIC
" T H E P O W E R O F C O V E N A N T A N D T H E I N V I T A T I O N W E H AV E A S S O N S A N D DAUGHTERS TO EXPERIENCE THIS KIND OF LOVE THROUGH JESUS. IT’S AN AMAZING REMINDER OF GOD’S DESIGN FOR MARRIAGE."
ALLIE WA T T S
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA
ANGELICTESTIMONY "IF YOU MET ME THREE YEARS AGO YOU WOULD BE TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO WAS THE WEEKEND WARRIOR, THE LIFE OF THE PARTY, AND A SECRET CHRISTIAN"
G
race is tough for me. I consistently find it hard to accept, not fully understanding why it’s a gift, how it's free. Growing up in the church I had ample knowledge of who God is, what Jesus did for us, and what that meant for my life but, it stopped there. I accepted Jesus into my heart in the 3rd grade but, fully accepting His love and grace, that took a bit longer. With this knowledge, it was easy to brush off numerous messages, talks, or podcasts on God’s mighty grace or His reckless love. I understood God loved me, but my life didn’t reflect it. In fact, if you met me three years ago you would be talking to someone who was the weekend warrior, the life of the party, and a secret Christian. I looked for love and acceptance in other people, alcohol, parties, work, all of it. It was as if I was walking around holding a cup out, hoping that others opinions, thoughts, feelings would fill me up. Riding the waves of compliments, Instagram likes, and approval, I was on a rollercoaster fueled by others fleeting feelings. One positive compliment would lift me up and one criticism would break me down. Running on empty, I wanted so badly to live a life of freedom, but the freedom society had promised only left me more broken. One message by Megan Fate Marshman began to flip the tide. Ask God to fill you up! In all the years I spent looking to others, things, events, money, to fill me up; I never thought to ask God. I knew of God, but a relationship with God—that was new for me. It started one morning, one quick prayer of surrender, “Okay God, please fill me up today.” It wasn’t overnight but, over the next three years that little prayer turned into a 30 minute study & talk with God. My morning “fuel sessions” have become the only way I tackle each day. He has wrecked my heart for Him, shown me His love is greater and more fulfilling than anything I was chasing before.
Each day I am reminded of how He ran after me. Similar to the father running to embrace his prodigal son, God, full of compassion, embraces my brokenness and offers grace, freely given, undeserved. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 He has lavished grace on me, redeemed me, and get this, He uses me! The God of the entire universe uses my broken story everyday for His glory. Through a friend’s recommendation, God led me to an amazing church home at Active Church in San Luis Obispo. I started serving and am in community with some of the kindest men and women living for Jesus. Having a family of believers in my corner has transformed and grown my faith in ways I never believed possible. True freedom is found in Him! As someone who has searched for freedom in many other places, I can say this with certainty. The world’s freedom will leave you empty but, Jesus will never leave you at all. He has turned this weekend warrior into a warrior for His plan. I walk in freedom of a prewon battle, knowing the ending to the story, so with confidence and empowerment I can take on each day. “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” Romans 5:5 When others look at my life, I hope Jesus’ grace is all they can see. He rescued me. I am broken. I am growing in His love. I am truly just figuring it out. Twenty six years of knowing Jesus and three years living for Him. He changes everything! Life with Jesus is truly free, full of hope, and most importantly it’s gracefilled.
THE
ULTIMATE
LOVE
OF
GOD
B Y V I V I A N A A .
I
" W H I L E T H E L O V E S O F T H I S W O R L D n this world we experience different types of love; A R E A N I M P O RTA N T PA RT O F O U R family, friendship and romantic love to name a few. Though no love compares to that of the love that God L I V E S W H E N T H E Y A R E I N A L I G N M E N T W I T H G O D ’ S W O R D , W E C A N N O T offers to all of us who choose accept it. Jeremiah 31:3 "The LORD appeared to us in the E X P E C T TO F I N D T H E U N C O N D I T I O N A L LOVE OF GOD IN OTHERS." past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." We all desire to be loved and to love others; it’s Which I believe we do unconsciously, not realizing we something that we are innately born with. God keep this expectation for others to fill and when they purposely placed this need within us so that we could don’t, because they never will we can become hurt or seek Him out. This is easily understood as you discover angry. who God is through his word, because God represents the When we turn to God and seek his love then we can true essence of what love is and we are created in his finally experience a love which is pure and unconditional. We can have his love which is not self image. Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us serving or unforgiving, but of grace and understanding. Once we tap into God’s love we are full filled and are in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God has blessed us as his children with the then able to fully love others in ways that we weren’t opportunities to experience various types of love; we will capable without God’s grace over our own lives. never experience the unyielding love that he has for us 1 John 4:19 "We love because he first loved us." with anyone else. In recognizing this we must know that So by receiving first, God’s holy love, we then are we cannot look to others to fill a space in our hearts that actually equipped to love others in our lives in a more purposeful way. God’s ultimate love is so abundant and was solely put there to be filled only by God alone. Most people spend their lifetimes seeking out a way to overflowing that when we allow our self to experience it full fill this void within themselves thru worldly loves. we can’t help but to have it overflow and into all of the There are those that hope to find it in romantic different types of loves that we share with one another relationships, only to jump from one relationship to each day. another. Being unable to have the need they have met by Simply by inviting the Lord into your life you then another person, not having the spiritual discernment to possess all you need to receive God’s love and can’t help, know that another human being does not possess the but to share it with others. You will no longer seek to find capacity to love as God loves. So we seek out a spiritual something in this world that only God can provide. love in worldly places and things, only to be left Which will then leave you at peace, give you and new understanding and help you to adjust your expectations of unsatisfied and often times disappointed. While the loves of this world are an important part of those around you. our lives when they are in alignment with God’s word, Psalm 86:15 "But you, Lord, are a compassionate and we cannot expect to find the unconditional love of God in gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and others. It is unfair to hold someone else to this standard. faithfulness."
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INS TA G RA M
4 0 % O F P EO P L E SAY T H E I R R E L AT I O N S H I P S TAT U S I N F LU E N C E S HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT VA L E N T I N E ' S D AY
PHOTO FROM THE 1998 ROMANTIC COMEDY YOU'VE GOT MAIL
YOU'VE GOT MAIL GROSSED $250,821,495 WORLDWIDE IN MOVIE THEATERS AND HAS BECOME A MODERN DAY ROMANTIC COMEDY CLASSIC.
P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y TAY L O R O C H O A C O U P L E : K A E LY
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L O C AT I O N : S A N F R A N C I S C O , C A
I
B E L I E V E T H AT
GOD'S
DESIGN FOR LOVE AND
R O M A N C E I S A C A L L I N G T O L O V E E A C H O T H E R A S H E LOVES
US.
A N U N WAV E R I N G L O V E , W I T H O U T C O N D I T I O N S O R J U D G E M E N T. A C C E P T I N G T H E O T H E R P E R S O N F O R W H O T H E Y A R E , M E E T I N G T H E M W H E R E T H E Y ' R E AT , A N D K E E P I N G H I M T H E P R I M A RY F O C U S O F Y O U R H E A RT S . TAY L O R O C H O A
ISN'T SHE LOVELY A P P R E C I AT I N G H E R W O R T H , G O D ' S D E S I G N F O R L O V E + R O M A N C E
GUY OPINION
Her beauty is written in her love.
I
B Y J E S S E A N A Y A
wanted this to be poetic. A slick annunciation of words typed in such a way that it connected with you like art but as I write this to you all I can seem to verbalize is truth. The happiest moments in her life will smear her mascara. The things that break her heart will inevitably ruin the blush on her cheeks. A man will fall in love with her and he will cherish her laugh, their late night talks sitting on the couch together and the way his heart feels when he holds her close. He will never know what brand of nail polish she used, but will be filled with love every time he feels her hand slip into his. The moments worth remembering, the ones we live for, growing old and living life under the sun, she will be remembered for the love she gave away freely. The nights when she whispered away the monsters to her sons and daughters, she will be remembered. The cold mornings as she drank her coffee while reading God's word, she will be remembered. Her beauty is not written in shades of colors but in the unseen of who God created her to be. Her strength. Her wisdom. Her faith. Her beauty is written in her love. Isn't she lovely.
PHOTO FROM THE 2004 FILM THE NOTEBOOK
THE NOTEBOOK IS THE 15TH HIGHESTÂGROSSING ROMANTIC DRAMA FILM, RANKING IT AMONG THE MOST ROMANTIC MOVIES OF ALL TIME.
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90% OF PEOPLE FEEL SOCIETY HAS DISTORTED GOD'S DESIGN FOR LOVE AND ROMANCE.
ANGELICMUSIC
Frankie Barranco MEO T NHGOW L LRYI T, E N J ES R SING RU / SNO R EÂWN A HSVEI Y LLE, TN
"I
WAS CONTINUALLY REMINDED OF THIS STRUGGLE OF REMEMBRANCE. REMEMBERING GOD IS FAITHFUL. REMEMBERING HE IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS. REMEMBERING THAT HE IS IN CONTROL."
Frankie Barranco Q+A INTERV
NASHVILLE, TN
1. Why do you choose to follow Jesus? Even though I grew up in the church, the last few years have been spent deconstructing a lot of what I was taught about following Jesus. As a child and young teenager, the mindset was “do this or else”. Legalism and self righteousness felt like the norm for following Jesus. But when I lost my mom at 17, Jesus became more real and relational because he was the only hope and comfort I found that resonated with my aching heart. He truly is balm for the sufferer, the lost, broken, outcast, etc. Since then, it's been a daily decision to choose to know Jesus better and accept his unconditional love. 2. How would you describe your sound/style of music? I think I fall closest to Indie Pop and SingerSongwriter genres. I’m heavily influenced by the melodies of the Beatles and the lyrical honesty of hymn writers regarding the human condition. 3. What do you hope to achieve musically in 2019? (share your dreams + goals) Oh man, so many things! I would love to lead worship at more conferences and retreats. Getting to meet new people and worship with them is one of my favorite things. I also have a new project I've been working on since last year that will release in the fall. It's completely different than anything I've done, and I'm so excited about it! 4. You have a new song coming out February 1st. What is the heart/ inspo for the song? One of my constant struggles as a believer is remembering God’s faithfulness in my life. I'm good at remembering the really hard things I’ve walked through but forget to remember that He’s been with me. I’m on staff at a church in Nashville and through some conversations with friends there, I was continually reminded of this struggle of remembrance. Remembering God is faithful. Remembering He is who He says He is. Remembering that He is in control. "Call to Mind" was written as a call to remember the promises of God when we find ourselves forgetting. 5. What have been some of the highs + lows of your music journey, and what inspires you to keep going? All the highs of my music journey have been around writing music and sharing it with others. I love the songwriting process and watching a song grow from an idea into full production. Releasing music allows me to meet new people, and that's definitely a highlight as well. As a low, being an artist can feel lonely at times. There is a lot of time spent alone creating, which is why it's important to be around other people as much as possible, especially other artists and writers. My love for creating is what keeps me going!
ANGELICMUSIC
"JESUS MORE R RELAT BECAUS THE ON AND CO FOUN RESONA MY A HEART. IS BALM SUFF
VIEW
BECAME REAL AND TIONAL E HE WAS NLY HOPE OMFORT I ND THAT ATED WITH CHING HE TRULY M FOR THE FERER"
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BROOKE NICHOLSON COUPLE: GARRETT
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L O C AT I O N : L A G U N A B E A C H , C A