1 CORINTHIANS 9:22 "I HAVE BECOME ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE SO THAT BY ALL POSSIBLE MEANS I MIGHT SAVE SOME. "
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"MY NIGHT WITH GOD. " I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. The unique thing about trying to do something for God is that in order to do it, God’s hand has to be fully alive in it, otherwise it’ll never work. And doing something for God is never an easy task. I can walk to the store by myself but if I want to proclaim His message to the world, that requires Him breaking down doors and paving the way when it seems like there is no way. Our event is this month. The Jesus Music Fashion Event. It’s took an incredible amount of prayer, trust, more prayer, difficulty, faith and more prayer for this event to happen. If people could only see behind the scenes what it’s taking to do this event. This event isn’t about a glitz and glam night, it’s fighting the good fight of faith at a public venue in downtown Phoenix. We’re utilizing the arts to proclaim Jesus. We’re combining worldly elements to bring back the purity of them to God so that the city of Phoenix can hear His name shouted from the rooftops. Jesus Music Fashion The Event can only happen if His hand is in it. I’ve had to trust Him and lean on Him so much in the buildup to this night on 10.10.14 A few nights ago I went running after midnight. I had a bulk of energy I needed to burn off and had a million thoughts swirling in my head. I ran hard. I ran further than I planned to. My headphones were blaring and in the midst of the chaos of noise I tried to find a calm.
My run ended and I unplugged my headphones. To ease my heart I began to walk. No one was around, no sign of life seemed to be awake. It was only then that I found what I was looking for. It had rained earlier that evening and the misty clouds were still hanging above. For the first time that night I had a compelling feeling to look up. I looked up to the sky and could see a ghost of clouds floating with the black of the night in the backdrop. The stars were translucent and in the moments that my eyes were fixated on what was above, I began to stare in awe at the universe. My God, your God created this. The cool breeze of the night wrapped itself around me. My heart had grown still and the chill of my workout began to drizzle down my neck. I took in the twilight of stars while my sight tried to capture the floating clouds in the distance. I took in God. I felt as if I was the only person alive in that moment. There were no noises, no sounds, no voices, no cars passing by; it was pure silence, just me and God. His beauty was staring at me and although it was inaudible, I could hear Him tell me to trust Him more. I realized if my God created heaven and earth, the oceans and the mountains, the rain and the sunlight, my God can do anything. I sat down on the ground with a wave of emotions coming to shore. My senses were activated as I was witnessing His glory, His majestic powers and I understood, I can do ALL things through Him, for it is He who gives me strength. God is alive.
10 S AMMIE & B RITTANY PHOTOGRAPHY 16 JOHNNY CORCORAN ASU YOUNG LIFE 17 THE MOMENTS IN B ETWEEN 18 S ARAH B EL GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY 20 PARALEE JOHNSON TESTIMONY 24 MUSIC S POTLIGHT: TAYLOR ANDERSON 25 HOOKERS FOR JESUS S POTLIGHT 26 MISSY S CHWARTZ TESTIMONY 30 PEARCE FAMILY FOUNDATION FEATURE 31 JUST DANCE 32 S EAN ALFONSO LIFE COACH 34 JAMES LAWRENCE: TECHNOLOGY & JESUS 35 VERSE 14: B E PATIENT & PRAY A LOT 36 ROCHELLE NICOLSON PHOTOGRAPHY 44 ALLISON PALMER TESTIMONY 48 CAN MEN RESIST LUST, TEMPTATION, S EX? 50 MUISC S POTLIGHT: MARC MILLAN 54 ALIS FASHION DESIGN PHOTO-S HOOT 60 PATRICIA S AGER TESTIMONY 64 B ERNADETTE MADDEN PHOTOGRAPHY
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G YOU IN THE LOVE OF JESUS, H ENCOURAGEMENT ITH FASHION FORWARD, E BEAUTIFUL.YOU ARE LOVED. RE YOU. T IN WHO JESUS OU TO BE.
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PHOTOGRAPHERS: S AMMIE B ROWN & B RITTANY WILSON MODEL: DESIREE B OYLE HAIR & MAKEUP: TIFFANY MARIE LOCATION: LOS ANGELES, CA
WHAT' S THE BEST PART ABOUT BEING ONE ANOTHER' S FRIENDS IN LIFE ? Brittany and I relate on a lot of levels. We are both mothers to young daughters and from that we’ve created a real bond. We enjoy spending time with one another. In fact, it’s almost a detriment to our business….We often start chatting about unrelated, unimportant topics when we are trying to conduct a business meeting. AS A TEAM, WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE NEXT 1-3 YEARS? Brittany and I function as a team but we are very different. Brittany truly loves working with families and building relationships. She loves starting with couples from the time they are engaged, to being there to document their wedding, and then celebrates with them as they grow their family. She is all about capturing those milestones within a single family. That’s what she is excited about….being there to grow with her clients. For me, I love a great wedding, but my favorite part of it is being there for the bride. So much of how a women feels about herself, her own self-worth, is tied to how she feels about her physical self. I want to grow as a beauty photographer, giving women the gift of seeing the beauty within themselves. This is a new journey for me, but I hope to see this genre flourish for our studio.
HOW DID YOU BECOME A PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM? Ha! This is a long, but funny story. I’ll try to keep it brief. My husband, daughter, and I (Sammie) moved to LA from Nashville and the first thing we did was make a trip to the San Diego Zoo. We took a private tour and our guide was Desiree (also our model in this shoot). We loved her so much we that we hired her as our nanny. She quit the zoo and moved up to LA. Fast forward a few months, it was our first LA Thanksgiving and without our families we were simply going to skip it and order in. That’s where Brittany stepped in. She invited us to have dinner at her home with all of her family. I should probably mention that Brittany is Desiree’s sister. It was over Thanksgiving dinner that we discovered that we both love photography. A few months later we put our head together and decided to take the plunge. HOW LA INFLUENCE YOU AS ARTISTS? LA is an amazing city. Art is everywhere. The museums are great, but have you ever driven down the allies behind the buildings on Melrose Ave, some of the graffiti is phenomenal. And we adore shooting outdoors and with the So Cal's gorgeous natural backdrop, the options seem limitless, especially during the golden hours. We shot these images at the Irvine Regional Park. HOW DOES FAITH INFLUENCE YOU? Starting a business takes a lot of faith. Faith in your abilities. Faith that you will have clients. Faith in a working relationship with your partner. Above all, faith that this crazy idea is in the plans God has for your life. Photographing big and small moments in people’s lives, we often get to see God reveal himself. On a wedding day we get to see the vows exchanged and the blessed covenant of marriage made. When photographing newborns we get to see this fresh little miracle God created, waking up to the world. When photographing families we get to see parents guiding and loving their children. Faith is a major part of everyday and inevitably our work.
A RIZONA STATE YOUNG L IFE STAFF A SSOCIATE
How’d you get involved with ASU Young Life? I came out here for school (originally from Connecticut) I fell in love with the people and the town and I got plugged in. Had you always chose Jesus? Thankfully, He chose me is really what it came down to. Unfortunately, I haven’t chosen Jesus many times and have chased many other things but He always pulled me to Him and I’m thankful that He did. Did you grow up in the church? I was raised catholic but got involved in Young Life in high school. I heard the gospel for the first time and I was hooked. This Jesus thing was more than tradition, following rules and my family became huge supporters of me being a part of young life. In high school, one of the young life leaders told me “you’d be great on staff.” At the time that seemed so far away. I got involved in young life in college, got on part time staff and I loved it. Someone spoke vision into my life at a really young age and now I’m a young lifer.
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To someone who’s never been to Young Life, how would you explain it? My favorite sentence to explain it is “It’s a party with a purpose.” It’s outreach ministry, it goes after the furthest out kid and we go after the unchurched, the people who would never want to step foot in a church and we go after those people. It’s a very relational ministry; we want to build relationships with people. A lot of Young Life is just doing life together. What kind of impact have you seen that Young Life has on students? A lot of times people in college are looking for a purpose. They’re looking to feel significant and valued and satisfied. So seeing a lot of students hear the story of Jesus for the first time is a great experience. Often times students think college is a time to go crazy, party and have sex with a bunch of people. But at Young Life we offer something different. We offer a community. We offer truth and people who love you for who you are.
IS LIFE NOT GOING HOW YOU PICTURE IT? DO YOU FIND YOURSELF WAITING FOR THE NEXT BIG THING?
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By Aubrey Peterson ately, there’s this space I’ve become familiar with. It's not the beginning sparks of something significant, or it doesn’t feel like it anyway. And it’s not even a place of arriving at something of substance. I feel as if I'm left without purpose -longing for the next big thing. I've found myself constantly at the dock, waiting for the adventure God has for me. For my story to play out just as captivating as I've always pictured, filled with beauty and love and excitement. But lately the words "be still" have been a whisper in my ear, a constant indication of the present, and a reminder that our moments in between hold such significance. Shauna Niequist says in Cold Tangerines, "Every season that I thought was stable and would be just how it was for a long time ended up being a preparation or a path to the next thing. When you decide to be on this journey with God, everything is interim." These words rang so sweet to my heart, much like a familiar song that sparks a comforting memory. We all have these seasons of waiting to "arrive"- eager to feel like life is taking a stroll down a path that just feels right. But what about today? What about the moments in between when God intervenes in order to teach you things and provide you with secrets he never could have if you felt your life was all figured out? I love that thought, and it continues to gently push me forward. Today, I don't have it all figured out. I don’t feel confident that my walk with the Lord is the best it’s ever been and to be honest, life
looks nothing like I would've pictured it to. But somehow, in the midst of all of my moments in between, God is more present than ever before. As soon as I trusted this season to Him, a time I feel like I’m standing a tiny bit clueless before him, then came the peace. A peace that fills my soul and surpasses any satisfaction of my life mirroring the expectations I’ve laid out for myself. But I think that’s the point. They were my expectations, rather than my Father’s. So now I’m left having to let go a little bit more, be still in his presence, and allow God's hand to rest on this chosen path of mine. I love how John Ruskin describes these "rests" in our lives, comparing them to music. He says, "Not without design does God write the music of our lives. Be it ours to learn the tune, not be dismayed at the "rests." They are not to be slurred over, not to be omitted, not to destroy the melody, not to change the keynote. If we look up, God Himself will beat the time for us. With the eye on Him, we shall strike the next note full and clear. If we sadly say to ourselves, "There is no music in a "rest,'" let us not forget "there is the making of music in it." I love that he emphasizes a beautiful significance in these “rests” of our lives. I long to continually be a woman who allows God to make music in those times. Lately, there’s this space I’ve become familiar with and I believe it's contentment with the moments in between.
PHOTOGRAPHER: S ARAH B EL GRAY MODEL: PARALEE JOHNSON HAIR & MAKEUP: PEARL ESPINOZA WARDROBE: JUNKY TRUNK B OUTIQUE LOCATION: GILBERT, AZ
PARALEE JOHNSON
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MESA, AZ
he light of Christ shines down onto everyone. There are times in my life when that light seems dim. It seems so far off in the distance, unreachable, cold and impossible to find comfort in the warmth of His light. The key word there is “seems”. His light is always there, it is constant and welcoming to anyone willing to let it calm their spirit. Each person’s spirituality is individual in how they feel close to the Lord. It takes humility, faith, and dedication to allow yourself to feel His love. This last year was easily the hardest year of my life. Divorce. Single mom. Providing for myself. Living on my own. Learning to believe in me without the influence of others opinions. The previous 8 years in my marriage, I lived feeling not good enough. I struggled to achieve perfection from pressure of a religion that I boxed myself into. Spirituality, and faith are vital to my life. But the way in which I was living was unhealthy. It was full of extremes and guilt. With my own insecurities in expecting perfection from myself, I was miserable. My marriage was unhealthy, and with two beautiful little girls something had to change. Believing in Christ is not determined by a specific set of rules. You can follow Christ in your own way. Discovering balance in all things has been a journey. Through the light, no matter how dim, Christ is there to love and inspire. My girls are my saving grace. I hope to show them that the path they walk with Christ is their own. No one else can determine how you feel His love, to always remember their worth, and it’s okay to love and forgive yourself for mistakes and imperfections.
HOW DOES JESUS INFLUENCE YOU?: Jesus influences not only my career, as a photographer, but in every aspect of my life. His influence is imperative to my existence; it is what makes me, what drives me, what encourages me, and what strengthens me. As a Christian, Jesus is like a deluge in the desert that is my life - his presence pours down and floods every aspect of my life - and I can either run from the rain, or open my arms and allow it to encompass my entire being. I choose the latter because I have found that without Him, I am nothing but a barren, dry land. WHY DO YOU DO PHOTOGRAPHY?: I chose photography because I have always been a visual person. As a child, I would recall things in my mind as vividly as if I was seeing it for the first time (it made me a very imaginative young girl). I think it was wired into my brain to be a visual creative, and photography is one of the many ways I love to express it. Photography started as a hobby, and grew into a passion as I truly saw how much a photograph can stir a memory. We sift through old family images, and with the glimpse of one photo a surge of emotions can wash over us. To elicit that type of reaction to an image is why I am a photographer.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS? Foremost, my relationship with Jesus takes precedence over every other relationship in my life. That, however, is easy to say - but to put that into practice each and every day is something that takes dedication. I admit, there are days that my priorities slip toward my family and my husband. And it's with each day, I must press that 'reset' button to make my relationship with Jesus the first priority of my day. It's important that I am able to find moments to reflect on God's Word and speak to him in prayer. I try to make times like 'nap time' the moments I can focus on growing in my relationship with Him. Other times, I wake up a little earlier than everyone else in the house to be able to begin my day with the right focus. My marriage ultimately comes next, and making each other a priority is important to us. This doesn't mean to say my child isn't a large focus of my every day, he's probably the main 'human being' I spend the most actual time with - and though I love him with all my heart - my marriage is something I fight for and will always fight for each day. My role as a mother is to teach my child about the love of God, and grow him to be a man who seeks after Him, no matter what. One day, he won't be under my care anymore, but my marriage is something I will have until 'death do us part'.
Angelic Editor We sat outside Byat Lux Coffee Shop, which is popular
with the locals in Phoenix who seek to fill their coffee craze. A monsoon was trying to come out that afternoon so the weather was grey and windy enough to shield us from the summer heat that plagues the valley of the sun. Throughout this year I’ve interviewed fashion designers, musicians, pastors, models and an array of people with different occupations and titles. But there’s something different about people with passion that stands out. His passion for Jesus and for music was at the surface of who he is. He referred to the Lord as his Father, he spoke with conviction of his faith and illustrated his knowingness that singing music for Jesus was all he’s ever wanted to do. This passion has led him to being one of the leaders at RENEW, a monthly gathering in downtown Phoenix which offers a night of pure praise music for God. RENEW draws hundreds, a mass crowd to grasp the Spirit through music. Taylor Anderson is at the forefront of the Jesus music scene in Phoenix and he is performing at Angelic Magazine's Jesus Music Fashion Event on Friday, October 10th. Why Jesus? I grew up understanding that God deserves all of our glory and all of our praise. The same guy who put the stars in the sky, when He spoke and said "let their be light" when there wasn't any light befor that, I realized this guy wants to be my friend and He doesn't have to. Jesus died four sin and He didn't have to but He did it so that we can be with Him in paradise. The incredible thing is that He just wants to know me. He wants all of me, which is crazy. Why music? I grew up in the church, my family has always been involved in ministry in one way or another. I would sit
MUSIC DIRECTOR: URBAN CONNECT - PHX during worship and I'd start singing the melodies. I'd get bored with the melodies and I'd start singing something else. I learned to tell what chords were and sound structure just by kind of listening through ear. It's kind of my basis for creativity. When did you know you wanted to sing music for Jesus? There was no one else to sing for. I've always known I wanted to do music, I've always known I wanted to sing. When I was really little I remember getting a lot of propthetic words saying you're going to do music. I've always known I was going to do music for Him. How did RENEW come about?
Me and a couple other guys really felt like the Lord was pushing us to do music.We'd only done church music and it was cool but it wasn't super interesting. It felt limiting. We
were in Cambodia and the Lord was telling us to do this worship thing where anyone can come, there was nothing that you had to do to qualify, if you want to come, you're welcome to come. Worship not because I want to receive the worship fuzzies. It says in the word the rocks will cry out if we don't worship. We just started doing it. When the Father wants something to happen, it'll happen.
ANNIE LOBERT IS A SURVIVOR OF MORE THAN A DECADE OF SEX TRAFFICKING. S HE WORKED AS AN EXOTIC DANCER AND A HIGH- CLASS ESCORT AND WAS PROSTITUTED IN HAWAII, MINNEAPOLIS, AND LAS VEGAS.
(PICTURED, ANNIE LOBERT)
IN 2003, AFTER A SERIOUS DRUG OVERDOSE AND AN EPIPHANY WITH GOD, ANNIE BEGAN HER PERSONAL
JOURNEY OF HEALING AND RECOVERY TO EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL, AND SPIRITUAL WHOLENESS . ANNIE’S MISSION WAS TO GO BACK AND REACH THE LADIES SHE HAD LEFT BEHIND WHO WERE WORKING IN L AS VEGAS AS PROSTITUTES /SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIMS . WHAT STARTED AS A PIONEERING, GRASS ROOTS OUTREACH TO SEX WORKERS SOON BECAME A NON-PROFIT, WHOSE FOCUS WAS TO HOOK (OUTREACH) HOPE (JESUS ) HELP (HOUSING) HEAL (RESTORATION). IN 2005, HOOKERS FOR JESUS, WAS BIRTHED.
HOW IS JESUS REPRESENTED THROUGH YOUR MINISTRY? Jesus is the center of our ministry as he is the source for the grace and mercy that we all need. We cannot complete the healing of our past without walking with Jesus, daily. HOW DID HOOKERS FOR JESUS BEGIN? Hookers for Jesus started in 2005 as an outreach on the strip after Annie felt God calling her to go back to the strip and tell the working girls that God loves them. HOW CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED/CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT YOU’ RE DOING? Visiting our website, hookersforjesus.net, is the best way to get involved whether you would like to volunteer your time or make a donation. LAS VEGAS IS KNOWN AS SIN C ITY. WHAT IS HFJ VISION FOR MAKING LAS VEGAS A CITY FOR C HRIST? Romans 5:20 states “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” We are working towards making Las Vegas a city for Christ by reaching out to his daughters who have been victims of the city and everything it promotes. Our mission is to share the love and grace of Christ and to help the women who have been affected become new and healed. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE FOR GOD TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGH YOUR MINISTRY IN THE NEXT 3-5 YEARS? In the next 3-5 years we would like to see the Destiny House program expand to all over the country, not just in Las Vegas.
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PHX TO AUSTIN, TX
rowing up with a knowledge of Jesus and who He is definitely helps when faced with the opportunity to make bad decisions or good ones, but I've finally learned life isn't about making good or bad decisions. True life (in Jesus Christ) is the ability to be one with our Creator and to truly know Him as our Father. I grew up missing this invaluable nugget of truth, which turns out to be the key to Life. I was in and out of "church" most of my childhood. I've seen many "pastors" in my days who have broken the hearts of the hundreds and thousands of people who looked to them for care and guidance. I've seen imperfect people do imperfect things- me being one of them, and I can't help but think there's got to be more to this life than trusting in things and people who can't satisfy or sustain us. Going to "church" became a chore that I wasn't really interested in because nobody seemed to be living the "abundant life" I had read about in the story of Jesus. In the bible, John 10:10 quotes Jesus saying "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly". I saw a lot of people saying they believed one thing, but didn't seem to live that out in their daily lives. I wanted more, and I could tell that they did too. In the "church" we are taught that we should live by the standards of the bible, but have no real idea of how to do that. I believe that Jesus tells us how; by His Spirit in us. Jesus was calling me to be His disciple. He wanted me to follow Him and do the great things He has planned in advance for me. I was so afraid to leave the life I had always known behind, but the promise of adventure and abundant Life was calling my name. The past few years of my life haven't been at all what I expected or planned, and I couldn't have asked for anything better. God has sought me out and found me wanting for more. He extended an invitation to me that I couldn't reject, an invitation to abundant life in Jesus.
If there's one piece of advice I could give someone, it would be to choose to do the things they are the most afraid of. Fear has held me back from doing and discovering a lot of things and places in life, but courage has led me to do things I would have never dreamed of. Most of us choose to not face our fears and end up with safe and comfortable over unknown and possibly dangerous. I have faced my greatest fears: leaving all I know, being jobless, having no home or car, getting married, not knowing where food or money will come from, and most importantly what others think of me. I can finally say that I'm holding nothing back and I've got nothing left to keep from Him. My desire for Life is what drives my motivations and dreams. Belonging to Him and following Him is what keeps us from drying up and rotting. Being afraid isn't wrong, but if we let it drive us and keep us from the things that God has for us, we aren't living in the land of freedom that we are called to live in. I believe there is a reason why we are commanded to not be afraid, but to be courageous. You see, God's people are very imperfect and weak, yet He tells us to not let fear hinder us because He is with us. The living God is here with us every moment. He is calling us out to live a life that is worth something. If we loved God, we would follow Him and not care what others think of us. In our comfortable society, we read about Jesus and think that He doesn't really mean it when He tells us to leave everything and follow Him. It may look different for everyone, but facing your fears and choosing to follow Jesus in spite of them will bring you the abundant life you seek and so desperately need. I challenge you to face a fear you have and take a leap of faith into the unknown; He's waiting for you, ready to extend His hand to those who seek Him with everything they've got and with all that they are.
M
eghan Pearce, 30, of Scottsdale, Arizona is embarking on a journey of making change. With the heart and ambition to impact the lives of her community, Pearce has created "Angels Around Us" a non-profit organization by the Pearce Family Foundation. "We raise money for families who have a child suffering from a life threatening or severe illness. I approached my father and asked if we could start a foundation in our family name. I'm fifth generation Arizonian." When a child is sick, what people don't see is the struggle that their families go through. In many instances these families have multiple children, jobs, mortgages, utilities and they're conflicted with the realities of life while wanting to be by their child's bedside in the hospital. "We choose 4 families where we give our grant that is $2500 to help families pay their bills, help them pay their rent, help them pay for food. We step in and help families when they're in the midst of their struggle."
"I feel in the valley, families is what holds us all together. Your family is the core that holds you together. My great-grandfather was one of the founding fathers of Mesa and I want to continue the legacy of making a difference in our community." Along with issuing their grant, Pearce has also held a fundraisers and gathered gift cards for families. "I just got $1500 in gift cards for groceries for a family. This family has a son where he has tumors growing all over his body, I heard about this family and I wanted to do my part to help." "I follow my dreams and I'm a hardworker. I want to give back. I feel that this is going to be my footstep on earth to make a difference. I really want to give back and I'm not going to take no for an answer on my mission to achieve this." To be considered for the grant that the Pearce Family Foundation offers or find out how you can get involved with their mission, visit www.pearcefamilyfoundation.org
JUST DANCE SELF- CONSCIOUSNESS WILL TELL YOU NOT TO DO IT,
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BUT FAITH WILL TELL YOU TO DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING.
By Anna Marie Dorris ome days I barely have the strength to get out of bed and others I am so busy trying to get everything done I collapse on the couch when I get home. Let me take you back, while growing up my living room turned into my dance stage and I danced and choreographed my own little performances. I danced to everything from my mom’s favorite “The Three Tenors” to Blue Grass and Disney Princess songs. I never stopped dancing and I didn’t take any dance lessons. I danced for Jesus and just let go of the emotions I was going through. So what is the problem? Somewhere down the road I lost confidence in MYSELF. I began comparing my unrehearsed dance moves to others who had a natural and beautiful ability to dance. Fast forward to a late night several years ago when I was with some of my closest friends. Praise Jesus for them. They knew I wanted to dance yet I was hesitant to really let it all go. We were in this living room and I start dancing slowly and very stiffly at first, caring about this silly home video that no one was ever going to see. Then all my childhood dances started flashing back in my mind and I remembered how much I loved dancing. One song after another I kept dancing, slowly loving myself just where I was. Grace flooded over me even though I wasn’t the best dancer, yet I was having the best time! I began letting go and accepting God’s grace, realizing that there was no need for comparison.
I was doing this as an act of worship to Him and it brought deep joy to my Father’s heart. In Psalm 30:11 David writes, “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” Everyone can have fun dancing, you just have to let go of the limitations you put on yourself. I have found that the people who have most enjoyment dancing are the ones who dance like no one is watching them even if they are. There is a beautiful freedom in that which I hope to continue to experience and share with others. No matter how bad I am feeling even if I am just standing and flaying my arms around dancing puts me in a better mood. It helps relieve (some of) my pain and I get a fresh perspective on where I am in life. Right now I love Taylor Swift’s music video “Shake It Off”, it reminds me to love the moves my body can make. It also gives me a deep appreciation of the beauty and discipline it takes to be a part of any style of music. Whether its Taylor Swift or another artist, I strongly encourage you to DANCE one entire song, you can rest afterwards; trust me you won’t regret it. Your body will thank you. No matter where you are you can dance; it’s your time, free and no membership required. Dancing is a form of worship to the Lord; your unique style pleases Him. What is your favorite song to dance all out to?
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L IFE COACH - SCOTTSDALE, A RIZONA
had never interviewed, yet let alone met a life coach before. Our initial conversation was on the telephone and he said, "Everything I do in my coaching, I bring it back to Jesus." My attention was caught and we scheduled to do an interview for Angelic Magazine. He invited me to do the interview at his home office. He said, “You’ll get to see where all the magic happens.” I arrived at his house, a custom built home in the suburbs of Scottsdale, Arizona. I knocked at the door, he greeted me and let me in. His office caught my attention. A full set of DJ gear immediately looked at me. In the backdrop of his office a painting of a turntablist was hanging on the wall. We began to talk. He was passionate about music, passionate about his hometown California Bay Area sports teams and he was very passionate about Jesus. Through the course of the interview I began to understand who Sean Alfonso was as a man and as someone who desired to help people. I came into the interview with a pre-conceived notion of who Sean would be. I pictured someone like Dr. Phil, a lecturing counselor type. But I left the interview understanding that Sean Alfonso is a real person who can relate to people and he genuinely cares about them. He shared about his love for his daughters, he shared vivid stories from his childhood and I left the interview that day with a friend. I got in my car and realized I just had a session with Sean. We spoke about life, he encouraged me to run after my goals, he broke down the struggles, fears we hold in our mind and explained how through God we can do anything. I indeed did get to see where Sean Alfonso created his magic that day.
Angelic: Why Jesus? Alfonso: Jesus chose me. I am passionate about my God. I am passionate about my Jesus. I have the greatest God. The greatest father. The greatest daddy. I was a latch-key kid and I didn't want to join a gang and I realized as a kid that people didn't get shot at church. In Daly City, right outside of San Fransisco where I grew up there was a church called Holy Angels. I'd just go and sit there. Color, listen to my walkman and right before it was about to get dark I'd go to grandma's house to get food. Jesus has always sought me. Q. As a life coach, who do you help? A. I help everybody. Anyone who wants to make change in their life. I only work with people who want to make change, not think to make change. If you really don't want to make a change but just want to say you have a life coach, that doesn't work with me. I'm here to help people make real change in their lives. I found at a young age that I enjoyed helping people and if I can help them through declaring God, I knew that's what I wanted to do. Q. What are some of your strategies with your coaching? A. I love them and I listen to them. I call what I do motivational coaching. It's about getting people to think differently and help them get out of their own way. I help people look at life and details of it differently. In can be anything, a relationship, an opportunity for a job. I help a lot of single dad's, single parents. If you want to be a better parent, if you're a college student and want help finding more direction in your life, it's my goal to help you reach your life goals. If you can get people to re-tune their mind and help them see life through a new perspective, that's when they have these "ah-ha" moments and that's what I'm passionate about.
JAMES LAWRENCE CHIEF OF STAFF + INNOVATION ROCK CHURCH SAN DIEGO, CA
WHY DO YOU CHOOSE JESUS? As a teenager I was looking to everything but God for the answers to my problems. I looked in all the dark places and ended up feeling unsatisfied and broken. I had very little exposure to the Gospel growing up and my view of God was filtered through the lens of the mistakes my parents made. I read everything I could find on religion, and came up pretty empty. But when a Christian man took interest in me and lived out his beliefs in Jesus, it was a powerful revelation for me. I decided to follow Jesus and when I made that decision, my life went through a major transformation where I lost almost everything I thought I cared about, but then gained a miraculous future. HOW
DO YOU FEEL SOCIAL MEDIA HELPS OR NEGATES A PERSON' S WALK WITH GOD?
Social media is the great intoxicant of our age. It’s a powerful drug most people can’t even recognize they’re taking. I don’t use the word “drug” lightly. I think most people now feel entitled to information and are compelled to give their opinions, even when no one is listening. That’s creating a false sense of self that clouds our self-awareness, our view of God, and our relationship to Him. Naturally, like any technology, social media can be a source for good or bad depending on how it’s being used. In small doses where the user seeks to engage in authentic dialog, it can achieve a lot of good. But nothing can replace the physical community of others.
WHAT
ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THE CHURCH FOR UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY BETTER?
You can no longer build a successful ministry without a commitment to technology. Develop a strategy that aligns technology with your mission. Don’t try to bend your mission to leverage technology; it rarely works. Focus on your web presence and list management processes so that you can keep your ministry family close and informed. Lastly, make sure you have an experienced tech person serving on your leadership team.
WITH THE UTILIZATION OF PODCASTS, LIVE STREAMING OF
SERVICES AND BLOGS WHERE DO YOU SEE TECHNOLOGY TAKING THE CHURCH?
The Church will continue to move towards online experiences. Physical buildings are becoming less important to proliferation of the Gospel. The Church has spent the last couple of decades investing in structures and is now discovering that equally powerful ministry can be accomplished online through streaming, mobile apps, social media dialog, and the written word. Churches need to support our young leaders to guide the next season of evangelism taking place online.
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A RE YOU WAITING FOR GOD TO BRING YOU A SIGNIFICANT OTHER? KATIE MAY FROM VERSE 14 SHARES HER INSIGHT ON TRUSTING JESUS WITH THE DESIRES IN YOUR HEART.
o many people choose to be alone rather than be surrounded with bad company, whoever that might be, and probably don’t get acknowledged for it. But I think everyone needs encouragement to do it. It's a very good thing to choose not to be in a relationship with the guy who is charming and fun if he doesn’t know how to honor you and your boundaries. I believe it’s a good thing to distance yourself from the friends who are always making you laugh, if they have no interest in accountability or encouragement. And choosing to go to bed alone at night may feel like the lonelier option, but finding comfort in having someone to sleep next to you robs you of much more than it gives you. Sometimes I get upset and impatient with my overwhelming desire for someone else to know and see me for who I truly am. I forget that Jesus sees me. He knows me at my core, including each little and big desire of my heart. He has already provided for me, and chooses to love me every day. And yet this is what I keep searching for and daydreaming about. I know It’s not easy to choose what’s best for you in the long run when someone or something in the meantime feels really good. I think we’ve all been there in one way or another. We so easily get caught up in and distracted by things that appear bigger and more powerful than they really are. One of my favorite songs is “Full Attention” by Jeremy Riddle because it reminds me God’s voice is so much bigger and truer than any other. So, I just want to encourage anyone who has been patiently waiting for something, if you’re hurting, or if sometimes you just feel like God has forgotten about you, He hasn’t. Be patient, and pray a lot. Be grateful that God has saved you from a lot of ‘bad’ that seemed good. And remember that this is all temporary; loneliness, singleness, grief, and minuscule desires of this earth. God will bless your obedience and patience. It may be over said, but it’s not said enough- trust Him.
PHOTOGRAPHER: ROCHELLE NICOLSON MODEL: S UNNI JUNIPER LOCATION: LAKE ELSINORE, CA
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od has a plan for you, trust Him. If someone would have shared these words with me over a year ago I would have not cared to understand the true meaning of them. I heard such words and read such words and more throughout my life. I went to a Christian school through grad school. My mother is Christian, my father has no beliefs. Growing up my mother prayed with my siblings and I, and spoke of God often. I felt I had a relationship with God at a young age but as I became a teenager my faith began to slip away. At this age there wasn’t much talk of God in my home, not much talk of his love and not much talk of who Jesus was and what he did for us. I always had a longing for God but was so afraid of what direction to go and what others would think. In my late teens and into my early 20s I said I was a Christian but lived my life in the flesh and not in the spirit. I would drink to get drunk and I had sex with men who I thought loved or cared for me. My late teens to mid-20s I was in serious relationships: 1 year, 3 year, 1 year, hanging onto men, afraid to be alone and in relationships where I constantly felt like something was missing. I always thought that missing something was in my partner. While in these relationships I would have never dreamed that what I always felt was missing was inside of me all along. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior at a young age but lived the life of sin and foolishness. Thought I knew better then God on how I should live my life, I mean it was my life right? I was so wrong. And I thank God every day that He never ever gave up on me!
He was with me every single step of the way. It took me finally being single and alone. This time was not by my choice and it hurt. For the first time I struggled with loneliness, depression and heartache. It took me desperately crying out to God to take away my pain, that I could no longer bare it. He wrapped me up so tightly in His spirit and comforted me with His love. I then realized just how much I needed Him and only Him, I longed for His love and His comfort. Nothing compared to it. I now know that the direction my life is going is the direction He has planned for me. I now know that when I was in the darkest of valleys and the hardest of trials I was never alone, my heavenly father was walking right beside me guiding and leading me. Jesus opened up my eyes so that I could see Him that He is all the love that I need. Every challenge I have faced is molding me into the woman God desires for me to be. In Jesus I have found profound strength and courage, the love that I forever longed for and the path that I have been seeking. His love is eternal, it never fails. I have found that true love and fulfillment can only come from Him. His love is unconditional, freely given and never ending. I am His and He is mine. I love Him and He loves me. Jesus died for me and I will live for him. I am saved with amazing grace. My mother is my hero. Her faith and love for Jesus Christ radiates from her. Her bravery in sharing His word and His love has helped me want to become a better Christian and live my life for the Lord and for my family.
(PICTURED BELOW, ROCHELLE NICOLSON)
A LLISON PALMER
"I FOUND OUT FOR MYSELF THAT JESUS IS MY SAVIOR, AND I NEED HIM. A ND EVEN THOUGH I COME WITH A LOT OF MESS AND BAGGAGE, HE WANTS ME, OH HOW HE WANTS ME. " By Allison Palmer As I continue to get older, I can constantly see how my relationship with Jesus is continually evolving. It is evolving in ways I never thought possible, and I couldn’t be more blessed about that. I find myself knowing Jesus on a deeper level, making my need to be perfect slowly slip into the distance because Jesus makes me perfect. My desire to keep track of all my good deeds no longer finds a place on my list as I know that Jesus’ grace is sufficient and it is more than enough, it is a waterfall unending. When life seems to throw me endless chaos, I rest in Jesus because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. And even when I let the world around me try to define who I am, I never forget whose I am because He calls me His child. This past season in my life has been very eye opening for me. When I became a Christian in high school, I thought my life needed to look a certain way in order for me to genuinely be considered a Christian. I thought I had to be volunteering every spare moment I had to the church. If I wasn’t in at least one bible study a semester I obviously was doing it wrong. If I had questions, well they were just from the enemy and I should just pray for them to go away. And if I wasn’t preaching Jesus to my friends and family I thought they would never encounter His endless mercies. But then Jesus wrecked all that for me. Don’t get me wrong, if you are doing all those things, that is awesome, we need more people like you but only if that is what Jesus is truly calling you to do.
I’ve come to realize that all my time doesn’t need to be consumed with this youth group or that youth group but Jesus does call us to spend time with Him, and to rest in His unfailing love. A great quote I’ve leaned on this year has been preach the gospel all the time and when necessary, use words. My friends and family don’t need me in their face trying to convince them to follow Jesus. When the time is right, and only Jesus knows when that time will come, hopefully they will see how I live my life and wonder, she has something about her, she has a light and I want to know what that is. And even then, I will let my actions reflect on the One who I choose to follow. But I think my biggest struggle has been my questioning and the response I got from those around me, I felt bad for questioning who Jesus was but the more I tried to push those questions to the side, the more I found myself distanced from Jesus. But if it hadn’t been for those questions I don’t think I would know Jesus the way I do now. I was forced to find answers myself and truly become rooted in Jesus and our relationship. For the first time, I felt like I was learning these things for myself, not just hearing the same message over and over again and agreeing. I found out for myself that Jesus is my Savior, and I need Him. And even though I come with a lot of mess and baggage, He wants me, oh how He wants me.
PHOTOGRAPHER: TARRYN KEOPKE - HAIR: MELISSA PIERSON - MAKEUP: S OFIA VERDUGO C LOTHING: VOX CURVY COUTURE LOCATION: PHOENIX, AZ
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DO MEN HAVE THE ABILITY TO RESIST LUST? TEMPTATION? SEX?
By Angelic Editor t was my senior year of high school and I had no idea what awaited me. My parents got divorced in the lead up to my senior year and to make up for a broken home, my parents bought me a new car. I drove a black Mustang convertible with custom wheels that year. I’d hand wash it at least once a week and it was my prized possession back then. At a young age my mom instilled in me the importance of being wellgroomed and well-dressed and that year she let me splurge on school clothes. In the midst of the transition of my home life, my social and personal life were really just about to begin. Being a party animal wasn’t a phrase that was ever associated with me as I was never a party person but that year I had the freedom to experiment. I now realize this season of my life was by God's design. I went to a high school party that year and a girl I knew from school walked up to me and said she wanted to have sex with me that night. She was a little tipsy but knew exactly what she was saying. As point blank as she was with what she wanted, the point blankness of it struck me like a bullet. It was the first time a girl had ever come on to me like that. A couple weeks later my friend's parents went out of town and in high school that meant a rager was about to happen. I picked up DJ’ing in my junior year and that night I
DJ’d my friends party. After the party was over, about 2 or 3am in the morning, I didn’t want drive home as it rained heavy that night and felt it was safer if I left in the morning when the roads were dry. My friend had a spare bedroom upstairs and I quietly slipped away to the room as stragglers from the night had stayed to try to continue the teenage mayhem of our youth. I was wide awake and remember lying on the bed, just thinking about how I DJ’d this crazy party where drunkenness was happening all around me. I DJ'd because I loved music not because I loved partying. I remember thinking to myself I shouldn't have been there. A few moments later a girl opened the door and walked into the room. The room was dark and I started to feel uneasy. I didn’t know her. She must’ve been from another high school. I laid there trying to play dead as if maybe she wouldn’ notice I was there but obviously she did notice. She crawled into the bed and took off her blouse leaving only her bra showing. Although I thought I was cool and smooth, I really wasn’t as evidence of what happened next. She asked me if I wanted to go under the covers? I can still remember her voice saying that. I sheepishly said, “No, I’m cool.” I got up from the bed and feeling as not cool as can be, I left the room.
"A MAN HAS THE CHOICE TO SEEK JESUS MORE OR SEEK GRATIFYING HIS FLESH. JESUS WILL NEVER FALL INTO SIN WITH US BUT HE WILL EXTEND US HIS HAND TO PULL US FROM SIN IF WE ACCEPT IT. " She probably thought I was some weirdo or I was gay, or something. I slept in my car that night outside of my friends house in the dampness. I froze. Around 6:30 am I started my car and left. Those nights were my introduction to temptation with women. I don’t write this to try to make it sound as if I was some ladies man back then, I write this to share my experiences and illustrate that men can say no. What people didn’t know about me was I've always had Jesus in my heart. As I carried on through college I had more experiences like the ones I explained. I had more opportunities to take advantage of the lust that tried to captivate me but I always had Jesus in me directing my steps. I picked up fashion photography when I was in college and that opened my world not just to girls at parties or girls from school but to fashion models, women who are by worldly standards what most men crave I've always been intrigued by style and capturing fashion became a natural creative outlet for me. I remember the first time I had a model ask me if I’d photograph her naked, I told her I only photograph PG type of stuff and she got offended. I started to realize these incidences weren’t by random chance. I began to realize the devil was trying to trip me up from the plan Jesus had designed for me. .
I'm the editor ofAngelic Magazine and today I desire to stand up for women, not exploit them. The devil has thrown women at me, offered me sex, offered me opportunities to be in the presence of naked fashion models but Jesus has never let me give into any of that. I like women, I’m attracted to women, I desire to marry a woman and all of these experiences of lust and temptation trying to seduce me has made me want to walk a straight and narrow path towards Jesus and the one woman He has waiting for me. Men will always be tempted, I will be tempted but it’s acting on the temptation that is the key for us men. A guy has two choices, to give in or to give it to Jesus. Our spirits know what Jesus wants from us. Scripture tells us the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. And Jesus’ response to that is to go pray so that you won’t fall into temptation. A man has the choice to seek Jesus more or seek gratifying his flesh. It's a tug-of-war. Jesus will never fall into sin with us but He will extend us His hand to pull us from sin if we accept it. I read a quote that said, “When you become captivated by lust, you eventually become lusts captive.” By ourselves we will fail. With Jesus we have the ability to be set free from sin. In my flesh I am weak, but with Jesus my spirit is strong.
"HE OFFERS TO CARRY MY BURDENS AND TEACH ME, LIVE INSIDE ME AND PROTECT ME"
WHY DO YOU DO MUSIC? I was given these talents as a gift, to not use them would be a shame, so at the core I use these gifts to bring honor to Jesus. WHY DO CHOOSE JESUS? Why wouldn’t I? He loves me, He literally became everything I have tried to do exhaustingly on my own, He offers to carry my burdens and teach me, live inside me and protect me and above all, reconciled me back to my Heavenly father, seriously, I could go on for a long time here with the impact of the “good news”, truth is, I can’t see a better reason why NOT to choose Jesus. AS A PRAISE AND WORSHIP LEADER, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BE IN YOUR SHOES? Be faithful in today and where God has you today, God has so much in store for us and he prepares us for that in the small things, the ordinary things. How do you juggle your relationship with God, your family and ministry? I’d say there isn’t much of a juggle, Jesus has priority to me and my heart, I make sure He has me in private and throughout the day, when I’m out in public, after that My wife and kids are my first ministry, they learn about Jesus through my life at home. The ministry work I have is always better when I spend time with Jesus and my wife, family first. God. Family. Ministry- In that order. One day when your full legacy is written, what would you like it to say? I pray that my short life existed to breathe a fresh intensity and passion to raise up a generation of worshipers, a generation of Levites who carried the banner of helping people know Jesus and helped people learn how to engage with His heart, through worship.
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FASHION DESIGNER: LANA GERIMOVICH MODEL: ABBY ZETTLE HAIR: CHELSEY DEAN MAKEUP: CHAR GARTRELL ASSISTED BY S ASHA & YUI KUZNETSOV LOCATION: S COTTSDALE, AZ
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ue to the circumstances in my life right now, this has been the hardest thing I've ever had to write about. I always thought that I would write about how impressively amazing my family is and how everything is so fine and dandy in my life right now thanks to Jesus. Even though my life is in pure chaos and madness right now, my heart still belongs to Jesus and I trust him with all of me every day. In the morning when I wake up, throughout the hectic day and at night when I go to sleep. I used to be one of those people who say "I believe in God but I don't go to church.� How did that make sense in my head? I guess I just thought those people were hypocrites. A few years ago we started going to church and oh boy did that change my life and perspective! I cannot live without it any longer. It's like a hospital to my soul. My weekly check up. They tell me what I shouldn't do and what I should and most of all, that I'm gonna get better. When your heart is aching so badly and you don't know what's wrong, what better thing then to have people reaffirm to you that our Heavenly Father still loves us and is taking care of us. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, Christians aren't perfect people, we are just trying to improve and that's all that matters, that everyday our heart is a little better through him who created us.
"I AM 28 YEARS OLD AND ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW YET THE PLAN HE HAS FOR ME, I STILL CHOOSE TO TRUST HIM AND LET HIM LEAD MY HEART." I have three kids and I constantly struggle with the idea that they may not grow up knowing what choice to make. Knowing the difference between good, bad or wise. So far they've impressed us so much. As many other parents would tell you, we are constantly trying to set the right example for them and talking to them trying to let them know how to choose but, we constantly fall short from choosing wisely too. And who are we kidding? We are only human parents. It's so important that they grow up surrounded by other believers who will reinforce our values so that In the future, they may know where to look for the answer and in all cases, trust God with all of their hearts even when it feels impossible. I see it already making a huge impact in them. I was 7 years old when I decided that I was going to believe in God. I was 11 years old when I decided to trust Him through whatever I went through. I was 17years old when he blessed me with my first born and when I decided that I would let Him lead me through life. I was 25 years old when he tested my faith and almost took my unborn daughter. I am 28 years old and although I don't know yet the plan he has for me, I still choose to trust Him and let Him lead my heart.
www.BERNADETTESART.com
PHOTOGRAPHY: B ERNADETTE MADDEN MODEL: MAKAMAE KAILANI LOCATION: HARBOR CITY, CA
WHY DO YOU DO PHOTOGRAPHY? In college I was focusing on the fine arts like drawing and painting with watercolors/acrylic, but I was always drawn back to the pictures I took with my Nikon pointnshoot in Europe when I was 17. I was amazed by the images I got back from the developed film. I felt like I had created art that clearly expressed the real emotions that I had felt at the moment when I snapped the picture. It wasn't until years later, after having children that I began to take photography more serious as a calling. I love the way in which light and shadows can help tell a story, express an emotion, and reveal something inside that's difficult to express with words. WHAT'S THE BEST PART ABOUT LIVING IN THE LA AREA? I love the diverse cultures and subcultures found in Los Angeles, from the surfers at the beach; to the bboys, b girls, lockers and poppers in various dance spots in L.A.; the rastas, skins and rudeboys at the DubClub of the Echoplex; the folk musicians and artists hanging out at coffee shops and spots like the Largo; the homeless and affluent; the wild assortment of people at Venice Beach; the normal, and the not so normal. I also love having friends of multiethnic backgrounds and the opportunity to visit cultural districts in the city such as the Mexican culture of Olvera Street, or Chinese culture in Chinatown, the Jewish district of Fairfax, and Little Ethiopia. Also delicious healthy food is easy to come by here. How does the SoCal culture/setting/lifestyle influence you as an artist? In the last 13 years I've gained such a love for the diverse cultures here through my experience as a bgirl (breakdancer) in the hip hop counter culture, my husband's involvement in various bands in the music industry, and being around so many talented artists and musicians. You might not see all of that in my work, but all the people I've met have helped me to relate to many different types of people. Being a photographer is a bit like being an actor, because as a goal, I try to somehow identify with my subject and capture their essence in a way that tells their story. Southern California is inspiring, yet extremely competitive, having so many photographers and artists spilling over at the brim. I try not to let that bother me, but it does make me want to work harder at the gifts that God has given me. HOW DOES JESUS INFLUENCE YOU? My faith in Christ as my Lord and Savior is crucial in my everyday life as a wife, mother, and artist. His expression of Love, through his death on the cross for our sins and His resurrection, shows a relational God desiring fellowship and intimacy with us, calling me to respond with a thankful heart and worshipful life. Depending on God for strength and wisdom in all that I do is so important to me, especially in my art where I need help from the master storyteller who gives me the ability to understand my subject and tell their story. Of course being an artist is not everything my relationship with the Lord, my marriage, and being a mother comes first. When those things are in place, with the Lord at the center, it helps me to be a better artist.