2 Corinthians 5:17 "anyone who has found Christ is a new creation. The old life has gone, a new life has begun."
This issue marks the first issue that Angelic is featured in Las Vegas. Our goal is to step straight into the lions den and represent Jesus in Sin City through the creative expressions of music and fashion. In only our fifth month as a print publication, we're featured across three cities in three states: San Diego, Phoenix and now Las Vegas. The rapid growth of our magazine is all a testament to the power of God. We're Jesus freaks who happen to be into music and fashion. We're not here to preach and we're not here to condemn or judge. We're here to proclaim the undeniable truth of God's love, forgiveness and everlasting grace. Although we are all imperfect, Christ redeems our imperfections and through Him we find life. Through Jesus we are made beautiful.
Romans 5:20 "Where sin increased, grace increased all the more" Grace: the free love and mercy given to us by God. JESUS. MUSIC. FASHION.
What does fashion mean to you? Fashion, to me, is an art. It is open to interpretation. It's a recreation of style that is done better than yesterday, last week, last month, year or decade. It's attitude. It's confidence. It has to do with ideas and because of all of this, fashion is timeless. What does Jesus mean to you? I am a spiritual person. As an artist I don't think there is any other way to describe it. I am blessed every day I live with this incredible gift. My gift of art in seeing and interpreting forms as well as shapes. I am moved by feeling to create what I do and it is this passion that I know cannot be overlooked and taken lightly. A greater power and spirit is at work in me. I honor it and follow who I know I am and who I know I can be with the gifts I have been given. Not only in creating my hair styles, but in other forms of art. Since before I could even write words and letters as a child, I was holding a pencil and drawing animals, then birds, then people and I developed a great desire to form dimensions. Jesus is the existence of a spirit and passion inside of me that moves me to be who I am today. What brings you to Las Vegas? I arrived to Las Vegas May 30th of 2013 from Wausau, Wisconsin, a population of approximately 44,000. I've always traveled around and last year I met Kevin Till in Las Vegas. We married last November. So I guess you could say that being in love brought me to Las Vegas. I knew if I could make things work as a freelance hair designer in a little north woods town in Wisconsin, I could certainly make things work for me in Vegas.
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What are 3 random facts about yourself? 1. I grew up in a very, very strict Polish farm family in an unincorporated village outside of the "city" where the population was less than 4,000. We worked hard. The farm was pretty much my entire life, outside of going to school, until I reached 18 and left home. 2. I was never encouraged to follow art (in any form) as a career despite seeing art as my only option ever for myself. 3. Prior to freelance hair designing I had my own business as an interior decorator/designer.
Self titled EP "Sarah Denham" Available on iTunes! www.sarahdenham.com
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By Angelic Magazine uring our interview she spoke about wanting to give hope to people through her music. I left the interview, unwrapped the plastic case and played the CD she had given me of her album as I drove home. My mind drifted as I drove. The thoughts and worries of my day started to surface. Financial worries, magazine deadline worries and the current everyday struggles we all go through started to flash. I had to catch myself from my thoughts. The lyrics of the first song on her album tuned into focus and her words sang "everything's going to be alright."
Her melody and positive tempo of the beat of the music reassured me of the hope I seek. Everything will be alright. My mind relaxed as the security of knowing God is control and the notion that everything will be alright began to drown out my doubts. In a subtle moment, her music had reminded me of my hope and I understood the gift that God had given Sarah Denham. Angelic: What inspires your lyrics? Denham: All of my songs are inspired by scripture. It's taken from scripture and written in a creative way, but all of them are based from scripture.
Angelic: You're the daughter of a pastor. What is that like? Denham: It's very hard because everybody judges you and you're held to a higher standard. It's a blessing and a curse. People will critique you but you always have that foundation of Chistianity instilled in you. Angelic: Your album was written while living in Israel. How did that come about? Denham: When I was ten years old my dad took me over there, I was completely in awe of the land. When I was twenty years old, I saw a lot of sad things going on in people's lives who I was close to and I needed to get away. I didn't want my heart to grow bitter to God and we had a family friend who owned a home there and he was gracious enough to let me live there for a few months by myself. I would literally just explore Jerusalem by myself. I would sit for hours with my bible, reading my devotions and it's where my EP was inspired. Just spending that time and reconnecting with the Lord.
Angelic: How would you describe your style of music? Denham: It's a little folky, with a dash of pop, but music with a message. Every song has a message. Angelic: What is about the message of hope that inspires your music? Denham: "Growing up in the church I've seen people go through so much pain. I'm empathetic and sympathetic to people's pain. I want people to feel hopeful and happy and I want people to feel the love of God. I've seen wonderful, Godly people who love the Lord, go through pain so it's my goal to inspire hope through my music and lyrics." Angelic: Explain some of the songs on the album. Denham: I wrote a song called "Wishing". You may wish your life was different, but God promises He will never leave or forsake. I wrote "Lovely" for this one friend of mine who didn't understand the goodness of God, or His mystery. She didn't understand His love. It's for the girl who doesn't understand the love of God but I want her to know He sees her as lovely.
Angelic: Your bio on your website said in 2007 you re足 dedicated your walk with God. What did that mean for you? Denham: When I was a freshmen in high school I walked away from the Lord and gave into the pressures of being a teenager. At seventeen, I knew I couldn't live a dual life of acting like a Christian. It was wither dive in or don't. So at seventeen I re足dedicated my life to the Lord to fully live completely for Him. Angelic: What is your ultimat goal with music? Denham: It's always been a dream to be a radio artist because I feel that radio has a big impact. There's been so many times I've turned on the radio and been blessed by a song. It reaches so many. My whole heart is for hope to be given out and if I can do that, that is my ultimate. Angelic: What message do you want to convey through your music? Denham: To give Hope. I see the power that music has when you combine it with God's word. Music, melody, it just penetrates the heart. To be a part of something that is bigger than myself and proclaim Jesus to people, that excites me. Angelic: What's next for you with music? Denham: I'm in the writing process right now. Everyday, mostly everday, a melody hits me. Lyrics will come. Ever since I finished my last project my writing style has shifted more to direct, simple folky songs. I like folk music because I feel it gets right to the point. I hope for Jesus to be able to use my music to reach those He needs it to reach.
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never quite fit in anywhere, I had friends and things I liked to do, but never felt like the shape of who I am fit into the space provided. When I was 18, in my first month of college, everyone kept telling me these were going to be the "best" years of my life and all I could think was, "how anticlimactic..." I started drinking and partying to try to make the memories I thought I should be making in college. The outcome couldn't have been further from what I was anticipating. Within 2 weeks of each other I had recieved 2 MIC's (underage drinking tickets) and crashed
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my new car. On top of heavy fines and alcohol classes, I was sentenced to twenty four hours of community service. I decided to serve mine at a church because I knew I wouldn't run into anyone that would know me. The deal was I would clean two hours before church service and they would count my attendance at the service afterward as hours too. I started going to every midweek and Sunday service available. The funny thing was, after about a week, I kinda forgot that I had to be there. I'd never met people that were so genuine and caring. They were interested in my life and not just what kind of car I drove. The pastors would do an alter call every service and I'll never forget it, it was like a flip switched in me and I became who I already was. They asked if anyone would like to receive and know Jesus and I raised my hand but instead of feeling like I had just met Him, I felt like I had just been waiting for someone I knew.
I never felt peace or love or true acceptance before. I felt to actually truly be seen and not just the image I had been trying so hard to create for myself. The best part was realizing all Jesus wants from me is to know me and have a relationship with me, that it's never been about being religious. I went from feeling like there was no one in the world who knew all of me, only a lot of people who I shared little facets with, to being able to fully rest in a God who loved all of me (good, bad, and ugly) to die for me. And now, five years later, I'm still learning about my relationship with Jesus and who He's made me to be, and I'm living my life knowing that it's not about me. There's still mystery and plenty of things I wish I knew that I don't. I'm still very flawed and the worst procrastinator I've ever met, but all my voids are filled. I wake up everyday not wondering about how to lull my senses because I'm alive! God is so much greater and more majestic that I ever could have imagined. My life has never been more exciting since God found me, and I get to live (not just exist) knowing that His plans always included knowing me.
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By Angelic Magazine here's a joke that every young Christian girl aspires to one day marry a pastor. But does the reality of being a pastors wife fit the perception? Tara Nelson, 28, is married to Josh Nelson and together they pastor The Station Church in Carlsbad, CA. Along with being the wife of a pastor, Tara Nelson is a hair stylist at Salon Richea in north county San Diego. Faith and fashion are two words that help illustrate who Tara Nelson is as a woman. Angelic sat down with Tara and Josh Nelson to get the reality of leading a church and along with conducting the interview, Tara Nelson utilized her hair styling skills for a photo-shoot that is featured inside of this issue. Why Jesus? Tara: Life is so much sweeter with Jesus. Me, personally, as a young girl I saw people in my life just living their life in a way I didn't find attractive. I saw people who were living for God and their life was just so much more full, joyful and I thought to myself, I want that.
I was nineteen. Meeting Josh grew my wisdom in faith and we've been together ever since. What were your thoughts on marrying Josh, knowing he had the desire to be a pastor? Tara: I never thought about ever marrying a pastor. My mind didn't go there, but the thought of him being a pastor I thought was cool. When it came time to start planning this church, I truthfully thought my husband married the wrong woman. I started comparing myself to other women who were more confident and I think that gets kind of dangerous when you start comparing yourself, God just had to reassure me and confirm me. Angelic:
As a pastors wife, how involved are you in the ministry? Tara: You can be involved as much as you want to be. I want to be involved. It's seldom that I sit in church because I'm really involved in the childens ministry during service. You have to make yourself available to people. Be supportive and encouraging. I have to Angelic: How did you and your husband be encouraging to my husband. There's (Josh) meet? days he needs encouragement and I do Tara: We met workng together at Mimi's as well so we just balance each other Cafe. He was a server and I was a host. I out. People don't always see the was looking for a church, I was new in town pressures that are on a pastor. and Josh said he would show me around. He had just got back from Bible college and he Angelic: For Josh Nelson - How does was on fire, ready to change the world. Tara encourage you? Josh: It's funny, when I'm discouraged, she's really encouraged or vice versa. So when I'm down, she's the one telling Angelic:
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Angelic:
me we're in this for th long run, we got to focus on the positive and she reminds me of all the positive things that have happened for us along the way, which there are many blessings. It just helps me refresh my perspective. How do you handle having a relationship with God, a relationship with your church and having a relationship with one another? Tara: I think balancing it out. The Holy Spirit is going to guide you where you need to focus your time and energy. By putting God first, he'll guide you. Angelic:
How do you keep that spark in your marriage going? Tara: By being open and honest with each other, making time to rekindle the relationship. There's times we're just both exhausted and there's been a couple times even in our marriage where things haven't felt how they used to be and we have to be honest with each other about it. Be open with your feelings and honest. For me as a wife, I need to make sure I'm doing my part as a wife, to do sweet things for him as well as lift him up because if he's lacking in any of those areas, it's so easy to seek it elsewhere. Josh: Someone told us the greatest gift we can ever give to the church is a healthy marriage. We are religious about our date nights. That's the only thing we're religious about. That's sacred. We protect that. The enemy would love to disrupt a marriage where our goal is to impact lives. Angelic:
For the full interview, visit www.angelicmag.com/joshandtara
The Station Church 3557 Monroe St. Carlsbad, CA 92008 Sundays at 10:30am
Pictured: Tara and Josh Nelson
"I said, "God I don't know why things have happened this way, and I don't know if there is anything to live for anymore. I do not see a way out of this. Please Lord, if there is a reason for me to hold on, give me a sign."
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he fall to rock bottom was chaotic, fast and blurry. My head was spinning as I sat in the driver's seat of a small white sedan. With the door open all I could hear was the buzzing of flourescent lights in the empty street. How did I end up here? The car wasn't mine. Sitting in the passanger seat was a small paper bag with a sandwich, a ziplock bag of chips and a few waters inside. That and a backpack full of clothes was everthing I had. This was rock bottom. Chaotic, fast and blurry. I had the door open with one leg out, slumped down with just the sounds of the lights and my thoughts. I tried to retrace my steps as to how excactly I ended up in this position. I grew up in a small town off the coast of California and as soon as I graduated high schooI I was on my own. My father and I had never gotten along and me leaving the house was as much relief to me as I'm sure it was to him. I wanted to go to college, get a degree and live a happy life. But things wouldn't go my way. After a year or so of working different jobs and bouncing around houses, I ran into one of the worst weeks of my life. In a nasty turn of events I lost my job, had my car break down and I split up with my high
school sweetheart of four years. The small town I grew up in no longer had anything left to offer and the next place I found myself was in southern California. At the age of nineteen with no family to depend on and limited opportunities to work and make money, I found myself lost. Things didn't work out where I had been staying and I ended up having to leave in the middle of the night. The only place I had to go was a friends car. She had school in the morning and worked at night, so I could only sleep in the car from 12pm to 6am. This was my home for two weeks.This was the lowest moment of my life. I sat there in the car and thoughts of giving up creeped into my mind. The past few years had been a rollercoaster but now I had hit the wall. I began to talk out loud. I always believed in God and decided to give him a chance. I said, "God I don't know why things have happened this way, and I don't know if there is anything to live for anymore. I do not see a way out of this. Please Lord, if there is a reason for me to hold on, give me a sign." I'm not sure what I was expecting, but all I heard was the buzzing of lights.
Then, a single, clear, beautiful raindrop hit the windshield. It was summer in southern California, so rain was not a common thing. Another raindrop hit the windshield. At this point it was pleasing to hear something other than the silence. Then the drops started to fall rapidly, and within seconds it was pouring. I had just asked God to give me a sign and I knew that was it. Not too long after this happened an old high
school friend offered me a place to stay in Las Vegas and with nothing to lose I headed to the desert. I eventually got a job working on the Vegas strip and now work at what most people consider the most popular casino on the strip. I've found happiness again. I asked God to open doors for me and told Him if he would give me the chance, I would put in the work. I pulled myself out of quicksand. But I wasn't alone.
Twenty two year old PHOENIX based singer/songwriter and praise & worship leader, DANIELLE HALL shares her story ofmaking MUSIC for JESUS.
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rowing up in a poor neighborhood wasn't the easiest. Even more than that, growing up in a family with poor communication was hard. Because of my family dynamic and the events of my early life, I became shy and introverted, not able to express my feelings or thoughts. Until I found music. Music opened up a whole new world to me. A world where it was ok to express myself and pour myself into something. That is exactly what I did. It started with singing as a preschooler. Then I started learning to play the piano at seven years old. It quickly escalated to violin, saxophone, guitar and bass. Music was my everything. I could tell stories through the notes, rhythms and lyrics. I could tell my story. That's what I did in my high school years. I told of "love"(like that is what I felt ha!), hurts and teenage life. Then an event occurred that changed all of that. Something or someone I should say that took the spot that music had once had in my
forever will be and what was done for me. I then saw that I was valued, loved, redeemed and made new. Boy, was I made new in that moment that I said, "Jesus be my Lord and Savior. I surrender my
my life." My songs changed from being depressed, worldly and lost to being redeemed, hopeful and joyful. Suddenly, I realized God has called me to a life of music and song writing. I can't say my music became amazing and I started to be recognized or got gigs every other night, but it became a way that I can express His story and how He fits in mine. Now five and a half years later, I can't say I have a CD or that I write for a studio or that I even
get gigs often, but I can say I get to serve God and worship Him with my talent. I now teach music in public schools as well as privately. I also lead worship for my church's prayer ministry. How blessed I am by the opportunities God brings my way. I was faithful with the gift He has given me and He has now given me opportunities to lead worship for conferences, touch kids lives and see Him work. I am currently working on a CD with my co-leader from the prayer ministry through my church, Phoenix First Assembly. I am so excited to see what God does through the CD and hope that He is worshiped, glorified and praised by every part of the process. I know that He has so much more planned for me and my music as well as every aspect of my life. His song will forever be sung in my heart and I pray I sing it loudly for the world to hear.
THE LASTTHING YOU MAYREAD By Anonymous
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“ am a flower quickly fading. Here today and gone tomorrow. A wave tossed in the ocean. A vapor in the wind.” But this song by Casting Crowns doesn’t stop there. “Still You hear me when I’m calling. Lord, You catch me when I’m falling, and You’ve told me who I am. I am Yours.” There’s hope in this song. It doesn’t just talk about the fact that we are here today and gone tomorrow as in that’s how quick our life on earth is. It doesn’t just talk about us being a vapor in the wind or a wave tossed in the ocean and that’s it. The End. No Hope.
No, it then continues to say that even though that’s the case, God hears us when we call on Him, and He catches us when we fall, and He has told us who we are. We are His. So yeah, we may be here today and gone tomorrow, but we are His, and He loves us. This reminds me of one of my favorite verses, John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Even here, it doesn’t stop at “In this world, you will have trouble” … and that’s it. It goes on to say that even though that’s the case, relax and be still for Jesus has overcome the world! That’s pretty exciting!
"IT’S ABOUT RIGHT NOW. IT’S ABOUT TODAY. IT’S ABOUT JUMPING ON THIS OPPORTUNITY AND NOT WAITING FOR THE NEXT ONE, BECAUSE THERE MIGHT NOT BE A NEXT ONE. "
Jesus has overcome the world! That’s pretty exciting! After being a model for fourteen years and “living my dream" I have decided to quit modeling at the age of twenty eight. The closer I got to God, the more I read His Word and the more I turned from my sin, the less comfortable I was with modeling.
I decided that if I live, I want to live for Jesus, and if I die, I want to die for Jesus, and modeling seemed to get in the way of that. Even if modeling was 99% good, but 1% bad, I would have to get rid of it if it is getting in the way of my personal relationship with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Modeling isn’t bad; yet it no longer is for me and the plans God has for my life. I decided to not wait until someone else made the decision for me like I tried
wait until I stopped getting requests or jobs, but I decided to do while I was getting requests for covers of magazines and other high paying jobs. I decided to jump on the opportunity in the midst of all that knowing that modeling is a gamble and that I wouldn’t know if there would be another know if there would be another magazine cover or another well paying gig. If I was going to follow Jesus, I had to take a leap of faith. Yes, I needed the money, and yes, my dream was to be signed by these agencies, and yes this is what I had worked so hard for, but I knew that Jesus already knew this, and He deserves everything I have. I mean, God made me and gave me the ability to be a model, and it’s all His anyways. Being in that industry, I learned that what you look like is so important to the world especially to women. I have heard believers and non – believers talk about the fact that they can’t believe it! They have a gray hair! Or they can’t believe that they are turning thirty! Or forty! I’ve heard women say,
“Don’t call me aunt! It makes me feel so old!” I’ve heard women talk about their wrinkles or how they bought a cream that makes you look younger. I’ve heard men do the same, and I could do on and on, but what I’m trying to say is aging makes me smile. I’m so happy that God has given me a new heart and that I can see above that. If anything, getting wrinkles and turning 30 and 40 and 50 and “oh how times flies" only reminds me of the fact that this is not our home, and we are literally just passing through. We are “quickly fading”. We are “waves tossed in the ocean”. We are “vapors in the wind”. James 4:14 says: “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” I can just hear people saying “Wow, I can’t believe 10 years have passed!” or “Wow, I can’t believe I just had my high school reunion!” or “Wow, I can’t believe I’m turning 50.” That should make us excited! It should only remind us at how fragile life is and how quickly we vanish, and it should only push us to read God’s word even more and to take Him up on His promises! What crosses your mind when you watch the news and hear of people dying? What crosses your mind when you drive by a cemetery or go to a funeral? Do you think Heaven and Hell is real? Maybe you need proof? Yeah, what if they’re not real? But what if they are? The Bible has reached our generation, and we don’t know how many more generations it will reach, but I do know there are people out there in different countries who would give anything to have a Bible. John 3:16 is a popular Bible verse. It’s on the bottom of In-N-Out Burger Cups, and it says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Eternal life means no turning thirty or forty or dying at the age of ninety seven, but it means eternal life. I don’t mean to get so serious in my writing, but it is pretty serious if you really think about it. I mean, you don’t know me or who I am, and I don’t know you, whoever you are. But you chose to pick up this magazine and read this, and what I do know is that we all have to face death at some point. That can be scary. So let’s say Heaven and Hell are real, are you eternally secure? We don’t know what tomorrow brings. Realistically, this could be the last magazine you ever look at or choose to read.
Obviously you’re reading this for a reason. Death can be scary, but do you want to get to know someone who overcame death? Jesus Christ died and then rose again, something nobody else has ever done. People dying and cemeteries shouldn’t scare you anymore. I challenge you, whoever you are to buy a Bible. I have the New International Version, but you can see what translation better suites you. I challenge you to open to the book of John or Psalms or Proverbs and start reading. You might not understand everything I know I didn’t, but highlight the stuff you do understand and BELIEVE. Ask God to speak to you through His words in the Bible, and watch how your life begins to transform. God loves you so much, and I want you to know that. You are loved. I once heard this story about a man saying that he was scared to fly on an airplane. So he asked someone what he should do. He had to get to get overseas somehow, but he is scared to fly on an airplane. The advice given to him was to “Fly scared”. I guess that’s how we live our lives, right? I mean, this world isn’t always the safest place to live in, but we live anyway. We drive our cars anyway, we fly on planes anyway, and we take risks. So if you’re going through a hard time right now, and if your heart hurts and if it hurts to even breathe, I want to tell you to keep breathing and living anyway. This is only a phase, and this too shall pass. Make the best of it! Write in a journal and write about your good and bad days. Try to make some changes. If you find yourself turning to alcohol or drugs for a temporary fix, make an attempt to cut them out of your life. That’s what I did with alcohol. Fourteen months later, I’m so happy for the hard times in my life that helped me to make the decision to cut alcohol out of my life. I once heard a pastor say that what you’re doing now will be your past, and your past will show up in your future. I also heard the saying that says, “If you’re going to keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’re getting.” That hit me when I was twenty seven out at the clubs in Hollywood drinking the night away thinking that if I don’t put a stop to this now, I’m going to be doing the same thing at thirty five, and I didn’t want to keep doing that at thirty five. What I’m trying to say is that it’s about right now. It’s about today. It’s about jumping on this opportunity and not waiting for the next one, because there might not be a next one. God loves you, and so do I.
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