Aspiring to Be Magazine Jan/Feb 2019

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 ISSUE 12

What's in A Name? by Kristi Willingham

Resurrecting Restoration by Ashley Chambers

Aspiring to Be

Contents 03

Contributors

04

Letter from the Editor

05

Resurrecting

05

Resurrecting Restoration

07

Walk With the Lord

08

What's in a Name?

By : Ashley Chambers

Restoration 07

Walk With the Lord

08

What's In a Name?

10

How You Speak Matters

13

Coming Up...

10

By: Jennifer Hill

By: Kristi Willingham

How You Speak Matters By: Dianna Auton

Contributors: Jennifer Hill

is the founder of Broken to Blessed Ministry. You can find more information about Jennifer and her ministry on her website: www.brokentoblessedministry.com .

Watch on YouTube and follow on Facebook.

Kristi Willingham lives in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee. She works in Social Services for the Salvation Army.

Ashley Chambers

is a wife and mother to 5. She is founder of Count it All Joy Ministry on Facebook. She is also a blogger for FOCUS Ministries and social media coordinator for the Girls Life group at Redemption Church in Knoxville, TN.

Dianna Auton

holds a Bachelor of Science in Christian Education. Her personal ministry is to encourage women of all walks of life to serve God in every area of life. She lives with her husband of 20 years, Andy, and daughters in East Tennessee, where she serves in her local church. You can connect with her on her personal blog, "A Little Bit of Everything" at: diannaauton.wordpress.com

Word of the Year...

Every year I usually choose a "word of the year". Of course I only choose this word after I have prayed and thought about it for some time. I felt impressed very strongly that "Love" was supposed to be the word for this year. And wouldn't you know that after I post about it on my personal Facebook page that I started to get tested in it. I actually thought at one point, "Lord couldn't I have another word. An easier one." But no, this is the Word I am supposed to work on.

Love is not just about romantic love towards your spouse, or the love of a mother or father for their child. Love goes way beyond that. It's choosing to love the people that God puts into your life. It doesn't mean allowing people to walk all over you. But allowing yourself to react in a way that reflects the Love of God to that person.

Love is not a feeling or an emotion. It is a choice that you make on a daily basis. Love is completely different than like. And, here is a shocking concept, you don't have to like someone to love them.

I will leave you with this: "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" Matthew 5:44 KJV. Be Blessed,

Dianna

Resurrecting Restoration Ashley Chambers

Every year that I have been attending Redemption Church there has always been a Word with explanation and expansion on God's Word for His people in the congregation. We get to choose to accept it, participate with it or not, but even before I really even understood it from the very beginning I trusted it, believed and spoke it all the way through until the end of the year and even claimed it to continue on in my life and be fresh for whatever season I was walking in to next. Who wouldn't want to carry the Blessings and good gifts of God with them permanently after it has been released into the earth for us to claim?

For this year it was spoken that this would be the year of restoration with restored relationships being one of the things being restored. Also, resurrection and that includes hopes and dreams that we had forgotten or given up on! I will say that I could easily say things that I was believing, trusting and standing on in the form of resurrecting old dreams and hopes. I honestly am still learning how to have a good healthy release when it comes to dealing with my past hurts and dealing with my own emotions or feelings. With that being said there were three VERY IMPORTANT relationships that meant SO much to me that needed a MIRACLE resurrection and restoration, but, I being me said to God "I'm not even sure what or who to ask on that one." I thought it in my mind but didn't speak it out because I had honestly given up hope on those relationships excepted them as they were, even though if I would've allowed the Healing oil and Jesus to deal with my TRUE feelings on them I would've realized much sooner that I needed HIS HELP and HIS HEALING. It took me until the summer to even speak to Him about the easier one and I let it go after that and then in August He proved faithful, as He always does,

and he completely restored one of those relationships. Completely, unexpectedly.

There was zero hesitation to embrace back, complete peace and immense joy overtook me and I praised him for what he had done. Then I started noticing that I had walls that started falling and begin to have my heart softened and I realized that this next one was going to be all on me and so I humbled myself and put it in his hands and once again he proved himself faithful and it was also a complete restoration.

The most beautiful things are birthed when we surrender in complete humility and have the faith and trust in him to lead us rightly and if and when we follow his perfect peace that's where we find healing, restoration, and our destiny falls more in to place. Sometimes we want the easy button and we don't even realize that we have to bow and surrender and be humbled too. May the scales fall, may His wisdom and revelation fall over us and may we choose to trust him with the process and know that he has our best on his mind as he leads us toward victory in all things! As you start your new year I pray that you would seek him and ask him to reveal any areas to you that need him to seep into so that you can be broken in order to be healed and walk in more freedom, and help others to do the same. Let me encourage you to not hold back or forsake your opportunity to be delivered from the things you may not even realize have a hold on you and hold you captive. FOLLOW HIS PERFECT PEACE!

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

Walk With the Lord in This New Year Jennifer Hill

How many of you can truly say that you’re so over “new year resolutions”? I know I have set myself up so many times. The goals: 1. Lose weight 2. Make more money 3. Spend less money 4. Just be happier and the list can go on and on.

We always want to look better, feel better, do better. We have such high expectations of ourselves and when the excitement starts to wane or we see ourselves failing early in the game, it’s over. Now don’t get me wrong, I believe we should be very goal oriented, wanting to better ourselves. I just think we go about all wrong.

Even as Christian women we forget that we have a helper in all that we do, we have someone to come alongside us. We have the Holy Spirit! We are daughters/sons of the Most High God, we are coheirs with Christ. Now I know a lot of people that say, God doesn’t want to help me diet, or make more money. I am here to tell you, yes He does. The Lord wants so much to be involved in every intricate detail of our lives. He loves us so much, remember how He walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, talking and walking with them in the cool if the day. Does the Bible not tell us to pray about ALL THINGS? We need to set goals and have new year resolutions, we just need to do it with the Lord’s help. Another thing I would like to encourage you about is this. Do not ask for or try for things that your faith isn’t built up enough for yet. What I mean is, don’t set a $1,000,000 goal if your faith is just at $10,000. If you need to diet and lose some weight, set a number you know you can believe for and then when you lose that, increase your faith and believe for a higher number.

When you start to get tired and feel like whatever you’re believing for isn’t going to come to pass, pray. The Word of God tells in Philip.4: 13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."

Call out to the Lord for help, for strength, for motivation. Ask Him to take away the obstacles or hindrances in your way, fear, lack, worry, lack of self discipline. Ask like Solomon for wisdom to know how to accomplish this thing you’ve set out to do. Let the Lord in every part of your life, believe it or not He desires it so much. So set your new goals for 2019, make those new years resolutions and know that the Lord is with you through every one of them. Let this year be your most blessed year yet. God Bless you!

What's In a Name?

Kristi Willingham

Dear Friends: I’ve had this favorite sweater since 1997. It’s so comfortable that it became my go-to sweater, because I know it. I know this sweater so well that I’ve even at times slept in it. I recently passed it on to my daughter, who also was becoming comfortable in it.

I’ve been thinking about confessions and how they have the power to change the shape of our lives. This is hard for me to admit, but for many years I struggled with low self-esteem.

For years I struggled with self-image. I felt as though I was the ugly step sister always struggling to cram my size 10 foot into Cinderella’s dainty glass slipper. I was guilty of believing the Hell-planted thoughts that I’d never be good enough and I’d always come in last.

For many years when I looked into the mirror, I didn’t like what I saw. And what came out of my mouth was, “I’m so fat. I’m so ugly. I’m so old.” I kept saying those things and, much like that sweater, they had become comfortable. So comfortable in fact that they often rolled off my tongue without even a thought. I had conditioned myself through my words to believe what I was saying. It wasn’t until I witnessed my daughter making those same confessions that it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I began praying for the Lord to help me see myself the way He sees me. This was not an overnight process, but He has slowly revealed His Perfect Love for me in ways I could never have imagined possible; and completely changed the ways in which I see myself.

A few days ago I was talking with the Lord when out of the blue, that famous Shakespearean line Juliet promulgated while declaring her undying love for Romeo came into my mind. “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” No sooner had I thought it than I stated aloud “That’s not true.”

So I began to look for wisdom from the Word. The Lord directed me first to Romans 10:10, the last half of which says “with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. He then went on to show me Psalm 17:14b-15 “You still the hunger of those You cherish; their children have plenty, and they store up

wealth for their children. 15. And I – in righteousness I will see Your Face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing Your Likeness.”

I once read of a scientific study where dry rice was taken and sealed in two separate, but identical containers. The one container was placed in a climate controlled room where someone spoke only kind,loving words to the container of rice. The other container was placed in a climate controlled room where someone spoke only harsh, unkind and hurtful or curse words to the rice.

After a period of time, the rice which was being harshly berated began to develop mold, and change color until it was black and unfit for use; while the rice which had received only kind words was still white, dry, and healthy.

Oh, sure. If you call a rose stinkweed, it’s still going to be a rose the next day and the next day and even the next day. But eventually that rose is going to take on the nature of the stinkweed. Because Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof”.

Because John 1:1 In the beginning, there was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God. And 1:3 All things were made by Him (the Word); and without Him was not anything made that was made. You see all things are made up of the Word. And we can choose to speak false words over ourselves; or we can speak the Word of Truth over ourselves.

Numbers 23:19 states that “God is not a man, that He should lie; nor the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good? In other words, God is the Word of Truth, and if we hold fast to confessing what He says about us, we’ll eventually become that which He has promised us.

As I dig into the Word of Truth, I’ve begun to create for myself a new name, rooted in the Promises of God. And I encourage you, dear friends, to do the same!

Signed: Pearl of Great Price Who Is Worthy of Love; Always Happy, Healthy, Wealthy, Wise, Every Bit Whole, and Overflowing With the Joy of The Lord Which Is My Strength; Beautiful, Without Spot or Blemish Godly Wife Who’s Youth Is Being Continually Renewed; Runner Who Does Not Grow Weary, Walker Who Does Not Faint, Always On Time For the Blessing, Above Only and Not Beneath Woman of God Who is Blessed Going In and Blessed Going Out, Able To Lend and Never Has To Borrow, One Who Continues In The Love of Jesus, and in Whom The Joy of The Lord Remains; Friend of The Lord Who Loves Others With The Love of God; Healer And Soul-Winner With Harvest Hands, Chosen and Ordained By The Lord To Go And Bring Forth Fruit; Branch Who Abides In The Vine And Bears Much Fruit; Princess Who Is A Daughter of Revival, And A Natural And Spiritual Mother Of Many Nations, Who Is Righteous And Sanctified By The Truth.

P.S. >> That’s Only The Beginning!!!

How You Speak Matters Dianna Auton I’ve been studying and reading Colossians and there is so much good stuff in there that I could write about it for weeks or even months. But something I have personally been dealing with or seeing a lot of is Christian’s who don’t understand the importance of the words they speak, write and share with others.

I know I am not perfect so I’m not saying I ALWAYS follow the rules set out in Colossians. But I do try. What I don’t understand is that some people will say things and what they say is true and yet the way they say it is so mean and not at all nice. I get that we must be honest and truthful but we must also be kind. I’m not saying sugar coat everything, because honestly we all need a little brute honesty on occasion but even that can still be done in a right manner.

I have seen people complain about how mean people are towards them in one breath and in the next start tearing apart someone else. That is not okay. And, by the way, you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7).

Colossians 3:8 & 9 in the Amplified Bible Classic says “But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foul-mouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips! Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old (unregenerate) self with its evil practices,” I also like this verse from The Passion Translation “But now it’s time to eliminate them from your lives once and for all—anger, fits of rage, all forms of hatred, cursing, filthy speech, and lying. Lay aside your old Adam-self with its masquerade and disguise.”

From these verses I can see three overall patterns of speech that we should use.

1.) Our speech should be Kind. It should not be full of anger, rage or hatred.

In Proverbs 31:26 (AMPC) it says that the godly woman “... opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction].”

Even king Lemuel’s mother expressed that this was important for a Godly woman. But it doesn’t just apply to women. Men should also speak with a kind tongue.

In Ephesians 4:32 (TPT) It says we should “...be kind and affectionate to one another.” So being kind and speaking kind is a universal thing. And its not limited to our friends but to everyone around us. How are you supposed to be a light to the World if you can not be kind in words and actions to those around you?

2.) Our speech should be Pure. We should not use curses or filthy speech.

Ephesians 4:29 (AMPC) “Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it.”

I hear this a lot. People using inappropriate language and cursing others around them and I think that if we were just out and about they definitely are not setting themselves apart from the world they sound like everyone else around.

Remember people, we live in this world but we are not a part of it. Therefore, we should not act like everyone else in action or speech. We really need to be thinking about this.

You can totally lose your witness because of the words that come out of your mouth. How many people around you have you tried to witness too after you’ve cursed someone or said some inappropriate things. The world is looking for something different and if you are talking like and acting like everyone else then you are not going to win the world around you.

3.) Our speech should be True. We should not lie. We should always be truthful.

Proverbs 12:17 (AMPC) “He who breathes out truth shows forth righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), but a false witness utters deceit.”

Even hard truths can be said with love.

So here are things we should be asking ourselves before we speak or write…

Is it kind?

Is it pure?

Is it true?

And lets go one step further… Can you speak it in the same breath as the name of Jesus?

Colossians 3:17 (AMPC) “And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.” I know that seems a bit extreme to you but if you wouldn’t be ashamed to say it while praising Jesus in the same breath, then, you will probably be okay. Besides it will create a good habit

and it will definitely set you apart from the rest of the world.

Let’s be a light to our world. Watch not only your actions but watch what comes out of your mouth.

“It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that makes him unclean and defiled, but what comes out of the mouth; this makes a man unclean and defiles [him].” Matthew 15:11 (AMPC)

WISE MEN SPEAK BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY; FOOLS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING. Plato

Coming up: Join us starting February 24th in our Facebook Group & on our blog for a book study. The Women of Easter by Liz Curtis Higgs. (Available at your local Christian retailer or online.) We will be studying one chapter per week together. Make sure to join our Facebook group and/or Follow our blog.

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FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU,” DECLARES THE LORD, “PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU, PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

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