JESUS.
MUSIC.
FASHION.
ANGELIC NOV
/
D E C 2015
SAN DIEGO
SAN DIEGO
ANGELICNOV/DEC 2첫15
CONTENT 8 MUSIC: MATTHEW & MISSY SCHWARTZ 14 JESUS: QUIET TIME 15 16 17 18
JESUS: TYLER NOVAK TESTIMONY JESUS: RISE UP SAN DIEGO JESUS: BEAUTIFULLY UNIFIED PEOPLE FASHION: RACHAEL CONSAUL PHOTO-SHOOT
JESUS. MUSIC. FASHION.
S H O P ANGELIC JESUS. MUSIC. FASHION.
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EDITOR LETTER WE'RE BACK SAN DIEGO
W
e're back San Diego, but this time we're speaking to you. We started in September 2013 in San Diego. And our first issues were spent wandering in and out of coffee shops in north county. Leucadia. Carlsbad. Oceanside. But now we're back two years later after having grown some. We spread from our base in San Diego to reach everywhere for Jesus and our monthly issue now connects us from coast to coast. But this is our community San Diego only issue, featuring Jesus, music and fashion for just you, your city, our city. We're back and now we hope to unite San Diego for Him and to do mighty things in His name May Jesus be glorified. May Jesus be the guiding light through all we do.
Jesse Anaya
THE WORKSHOP LEXINGTON // 12.5.15 REGISTER ONLINE: ANGELICMAG.COM
/WORLDCHANGER
BY ANGELIC MAGAZINE
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MATTHEW AND MISSY SCHWARTZ SINGER/SONGWRITERS LA MESA, CA
MATTHEW & MISSY SCHWARTZ La Mesa, CA // mattandmissymusic.com
"WE'VE BEEN GIVEN AN EXTRAORDINARY GIFT THAT FUNCTIONS BEST WHEN WE BOTH ARE SUBMITTED TO THE HIGHEST POWER. " 1. As husband and wife, how did you start making music together? It wasn't something that we really sought out—it kind of just happened to us. We started writing music a little over two years ago and are ecstatic about discovering the possibilities. Music, for us, feels more like a result of being who we are and less like a pursuit or “dream.” 2. How is Jesus communicated through your music? The way that we live communicates who we are and what we believe in. Our music isn't separate from that, but it tells that story of life, love, and hope, that there's more out there than we can see. 3. How do you want to see Jesus move in San Diego? Yes, it's one of the most desirable places to live. We really want to see Jesus meet people wherever they are. SD is more open-minded in terms of possibilities in the natural and super natural. We really believe that the lives of many will be touched through that opening, and it will spread like a wildfire to other places. 4. What are your goals with music? To be honest, we really don't have any particular goals. Whatever happens, we just want to enjoy the process and explore whatever and wherever God takes us. 5. What would you like people to know about you as husband and wife? This is the truth we have experienced in our marriage: God's plans are better for us than our own. All the wonderful things about our marriage come from Him choosing for us. Our love for each other goes deeper than material things and outward appearances. We've been given an extraordinary gift that functions best when we both are submitted to the Highest Power. Only then can we fully love and fully live.
A
QUIET TIME
B Y S HANNON NOVAK s a child, I remember waking up to the bubbling and brewing of a fresh pot of coffee each morning, the slightly burnt, savory smell wafting past my little nose. I would walk out into the living room where I saw two heads bent in silence, a fire burning in the fireplace and filling the room with cheery light. My father would be sitting on the corner end of the couch next to the table where he could set his black coffee, my mother in the arm chair, forehead resting on her manicured hand. Both of them would be silently reading their Bibles and praying. It wasn’t until I was a bit older that I realized I was getting a glimpse at the most important part of their day—what should be the most important part of my day, too. I’ve noticed that it’s easy to begin the day with a list of things to do rather than personal time with Jesus, but, the point of being a Christian isn’t to check off a list—it’s to have an intimate relationship with God. My parents understood that in order for that all-important intimacy to take place, there must be time set aside for it grow and thrive. The Bible has never crawled up onto my lap of its own accord. If there is one thing I’ve learned about making time with God, it’s that I must be intentional—otherwise, it just won’t happen. Sometimes we can forget that there’s a spiritual battle going on where Satan is doing everything he can to keep us from God and His word. Oswald Chambers, Scottish preacher and author of My Utmost for His Highest, wrote in his well-known devotional, “The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack.” The time we spend in fellowship with God will attract Satan’s attention because it is the very thing that blesses God the most. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
"OUR TIME WITH GOD ALLOWS US TO EXPLORE WHO HE IS, HOW MUCH HE LOVES US, AND PERSONALLY HEAR HIS TENDER VOICE. " Christ died out of love for us, but the purpose was so we could be reconciled to God—to have fellowship with Him. The value God places on this intimate time with us is seen through Christ’s death on the cross because it made a way for that relationship to take place. Yet, without intentionality, the time we meant to spend with Him just falls to the wayside. Satan knows that, without time with God, we will try to carry life’s burdens ourselves, while our spiritual strength dwindles down. Psalm 36:9 says, “For with You is the fountain of life…” God is meant to be the fountain head whose waters flow through us into every facet of our lives. Meeting with Him each day is more than just taking a sip of water to whet sin-parched lips, it’s receiving a fountain of living water that quenches the thirst within our very souls. It’s fulfilling the very purpose of our existence and the reason for Jesus’ precious sacrifice. My parents enjoyed their time with God in the morning—in fact, a good day couldn’t begin without Him. My dad often described his mornings with the Lord as “crawling up into his heavenly Father’s lap.” Their time with Him was personal—a mutual sharing of their hearts with His. Our time with God allows us to explore who He is, how much He loves us, and personally hear His tender voice. Time with God is so much more than a box to check at the beginning of the day, it’s where a holy relationship is deepened, widened, and woven into our daily lives.
TYLER NOVAK San Diego "I HAD A SAVIOR,
I
BUT THE NEXT STEP WAS MAKING MY SAVIOR MY L ORD. "
s it possible to live a Christian life but not really know God? Is it possible to have God's saving grace but not be living the life God has for you? I grew up in a Godly Christian home in Southern California. Sunshine, saltwater, and authentic quesadillas were my usual as a kid. I was blessed with wonderful parents whose highest priority has been honoring God in the family. As a result, I spent most of my early years highly involved in church. I was an active young attendee of Sunday school, Christian school, and Awanas; I was well taught in the Bible. I accepted Jesus into my heart at the age of four years old on a family road trip. Getting older always presented new challenges, but the Godly foundation I was raised upon kept me focused. When I was eleven years old, my family felt called to move to southern Pennsylvania in order to pursue full-time ministry. The move was challenging as we left everything familiar, but we all knew in our hearts that it was the right thing to do. I met many of my close Christian friends at the church we began serving in as a family. I started to serve more and more around the church, following the example my parents had set. We would clean the church building or help set up the chairs before service. I played drums for the worship team, and my dad and mom were serving in leadership for the church. Eventually, a dear friend gave me a guitar and told me he felt like the Lord had put it on his heart to give it to me. I quickly learned and began playing worship songs in my free time. As I entered my teens, the importance of having personal time with God was emphasized by my parents. I was homeschooled and having a quiet time sometimes felt more like a chore since I was anxious to get on with my assignments, but I would still pray and talk with the Lord about all kinds of things. I remember going about my days constantly praying just like one would with a close friend.
Nothing really looks wrong about anything I've written so far, but there was something missing—something that needed to happen. The relationship I had with God needed to become my own. See, at that time, I had a Savior, but the next step was making my Savior my Lord. I distinctly remember one morning, during my time with the Lord, where He presented me with the question, "Do you trust Me?" This was a question that my teenage brain took very seriously and still does. Saying yes meant that God could do whatever He wanted with me—good or bad. That quiet time ended up being a very long one as I took time to consider the weight of the question before me. I had to take time to assess the next step on my journey. "Yes, Lord, I trust You." This was the moment I felt my life really began. When I gave God an honest "yes" answer to His question, He started using me in ways I'd never imagined, opened doors I'd never been through, and, most importantly, my heart grew close to His. I still deal with that question every day as an adult. The temptation now is to bank on the deeds of my own righteousness when I know the Lord says my righteousness comes only from the blood of Jesus. "This is where I have you—do you still trust me?" So the answer is yes, it is possible to be a Christian and not really know who God is. It is possible to be saved but not be living the life God has for you. It all relies on how you answer the question, "Do you trust Me?"
RISE UP SAN DIEGO B Y JESSE ANAYA We must rise up & South County. North County. We are one. unite as one for Jesus. One San Diego, one community. One Jesus. La Jolla. Oceanside. Santee. Downtown. Carlsbad. We are one. Jesus walked the earth and proclaimed His message and that message was to repent and be baptized by the Holy Spirit. The message was to do the will of God and love Him deeply. And a new commandment He gave us was to love each other as He loves us. Rise up San Diego. Rise up in love. Our beaches. Our weather. Our culture. Our food. Rise up San Diego and let’s make San Diego known for Jesus. Our community of one Father, one Son and one Holy Spirit, let’s spread His love. Let’s preach the Gospel. Let’s unite as one body, one county, one community for Him. People from other places hear about us and when they experience us, they love us. San Diego, there’s no other place like it. Rise up San Diego, there’s no one like you. Our coast, our waters, our place. Let’s come together for Him. No more divide of south county and north county. No more distance between where we are, but together as one we can make a difference. Imagine a city by the water where Jesus is being proclaimed on the rooftops. A city where the vacationers don’t just come for the weather and the beaches, but they come to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rise up San Diego. This is our time. This is our moment to unite. This is our destiny to fight the good fight of faith. There’s no one like you San Diego. We have something others don’t have. We have the salt of the earth that strangers seek to find. We are the salt of the earth. Imagine a city where the sun always shines and the breeze is always perfect. Imagine a city where the people are hungry for His word. Imagine a city where that word spreads by the masses. Imagine a city by the sea united as one for Jesus. Rise up San Diego. This is our time to proclaim Jesus Christ our Savior.
A Beautifully Unified People "WE LONG FOR COMMUNITY,
BUT PUSH EVERYTHING THAT’S REAL AWAY. "
B Y KELSEY ACH - COUTURE 31
The coming together never makes sense until you’ve been
broken apart. The coming together never even becomes a reality until you’ve been the one shattered and isolated. And the mirage of the unity continues to inch its way closer, until we find ourselves right in the middle. I’ve lived in the same city my entire life. Born, raised, and now an adult, I’ve never seen a need quite like the one I walk in every day. School days, business days, and game days are false reflections of what really happens here. Because what is the norm here is the norm everywhere and we’re all just coasting through our days like we have it all together.
We don’t admit the mess because to admit the mess would be to deny perfection.
So here we are, a bunch of isolated human beings living together. And the world spins ironic as we long for community, but push everything that’s real away. The reality that the perfect family is struggling with their marriage. The reality that the beautiful friend secretly cuts at her skin each night. The reality that the president of the company has contemplated suicide on multiple occasions. The reality that people are broken and alone and we aren’t the only ones struggling. But in a world offalse perfection, we’re convinced we are the only ones.
So depression and addiction have the run of a place where everyone is secretly crying out for someone else to just be with them. We just need another to climb down in the rubble with us. But no one does, so we keep burying ourselves deeper until eventually, we will all fade away. And I just can’t let the story end that way. You see, we aren’t alone and that is the true reality. And it’s time we started acting that way. We weren’t created in eternal hands to keep to ourselves. We were created in eternal hands to reach out to those around us. We see pain? We reach . We see heartache? We reach . We seek depression? We reach. We reach because Someone reached for us. The simplicity of a walk with Jesus is plain: we reach in love because He reached in love. Caught in the rubble of addiction, He didn’t hesitate to search for us. Buried in a pile of hopelessness, He was the one to find us. Succumbed to the immoral
ANGELIC FAITH pressures of the world, He still came.
Jesus was the voice that finally called isolation a lie and to say we’re alone now would be to deny His very Presence.
And it’s this journey of isolation and then being found that drives our minds crazy. We can’t understand what it means to hear another speak the words, Me too. It’s been such a rare thing for another to reach out that we’ve gotten used to the breaking; we are comfortable in our pain. But we just can’t talk back to a Man Who left Heaven to break this lie and give us a place to belong. He literally vacated a throne to put on human flesh, walk dusty streets, and then die a criminal’s death. . . all for us. Because He believed in us and loved us and wouldn’t take separation for an answer. So my hope for this world is simple and straightforward: that we would reach and be just like Him. That we would look to Heaven and realize that we are truly never alone. Relationship with Jesus has changed all of that now. And so we can reach out and love others and be with them in their rubble. We can allow others to see our breaks and sit with us in our own rubble, too. It’s not perfection, but imperfection that brings us together. It’s a jumble of vulnerability and honesty that unites and creates wholeness. It’s hearts reaching up as Heaven reaches down to love, heal, and forgive. It’s admitting we’re sin stained and broken and suddenly falling into the two nailscarred hands that saved us. It’s crying and letting Him piece us back together. It’s receiving the comfort, peace, and love we’ve always needed. It’s us allowing Him to look us in the eyes, hands cupping our face as He whispers, You’ve never been alone. I’ve always been with you. I love you.
It’s our hearts resting for the first time in forever as we actually believe His Presence changes everything and responding to His love that binds and heals. And then? We watch streets, cities, states, and countries shift in response to the coming together. Children finding Father and then finding each other, we are now a force to be reckoned with. No longer a mirage, the unity is real, tangible, felt. We are a beautifully unified people. . . the body of Christ.
RACHAELCONSAUL
I
ENCINITAS, CA Photographer
love all the amazing people I get to meet through photography! My name is Rachael, I'm a portrait, lifestyle and wedding photographer based in San Diego, California. My first memories of photography started from a young age. Growing up in an artistic household, I spent my early childhood playing with old film cameras. After high school, I picked up my first digital camera. I began photographying anyone and everyone around me - acquiring a love of photography and telling ones story through a series of images.
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