THE CALL OF GOD You were created for purpose. By: Tina K Baker
FROM BROKEN TO BLESSED A story of abuse and healing. By: Jennifer Hill
CAST, RELEASE, TRUST!
Learning to cast, realease, and trust God with your cares. By: Ashley Chambers
magazine
ASPIRING TO BE
ASPIRINGTOBEMAG.WORDPRESS.COM | SPRING 2017 | ISSUE 5
TABLE OF
contents 02
03
06
Letter from the Editor
The Call of God By : Tina K Baker
From Broken to Blessed By: Jennifer Hill
09
12
15
Cast, Release, Trust! By: Ashley Chambers
Signature Fragrance By: Christy Henderson
Give Your Best Resources that will help you give your best.
WWW.ASPIRINGTOBEMAG.WORDPRESS.COM | SPRING 2017 ISSUE 5
LETTER FROM
the editor
Dear readers, Thank you for making our first year a success. This past year has been very educational for someone like me. A writer at heart, I had to learn to put my editing cap on and figure out all the logistics of how a magazine works. I am thankful for your continued support as we go through this learning process. I am for you as women walking this journey of life, trying to figure out God's role for you, whatever it may be. Thank you for continuing to read and pray over this ministry. That is what Aspiring to Be Magazine really is anyway. A ministry to help the women of today learn, grow, and mature in their God given gifts and talents. We are here to encourage and support you in your daily walk. Whether you are a young, single woman or an empty-nester trying to figure out what role you now play in this world. An encourager by nature, I love to see women succeed in life. That has always been a goal of mine and God is now using that goal in a new and big way. I hope that as we take on another year and four more seasons together that we help you become all that God has created you to be.
WWW.ASPIRINGTOBEMAG.WORDPRESS.COM | SPRING 2017 ISSUE 5
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TINA K BAKER
The Call of God The call of God is life altering to say the least. That which comes from the very heart of God takes you on a path that is not always easy, not always understood, but always brings glory and honor to Him who created you for His eternal purpose and glory. Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand."
When God's call came to me it was sudden and unexpected. It’s not the plans you can dream up that you want to be demonstrated through your life but the plan of God. You cannot even imagine the things that He desires to accomplish through you as you live a laid down life in submission to Him.
When God’s call came to me, it was sudden and unexpected. I did not understand it and was not sure I even wanted to hear what He was saying to me. But I knew it was Him. I was not a believer in women being called to preach,
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but through my encounters with God He illuminated His Word to me and I had to change what I had always believed. Even though I acknowledged it was Him who was speaking, it took a process of time for me to fully grasp what was happening. From that day until now, I have seen everything He said to me and more come to pass in and through my life. At times, it has been nothing short of amazing! He may assign you to do what you do not understand. He may come to you in an inconvenient time. He does not ask your permission when He comes. He is not interested in what you know how to do and how you view yourself. People always say He is a gentleman and while He is, He is also Lord. There is no political nor religious correctness in the way He presents Himself. He speaks what He wants to say and you are responsible to adapt your life to the changes that it will bring. He is the God who calls things that be not as though they were, so when He releases His will to you, it may seem like an unbelievable thing. His thoughts are not your thoughts and His ways are not your ways, so His words spoken into you can cause there to be a shaking and reforming of how you always believed life to be. Everything outside of His will must align with what He has spoken. This can take some time. Even your own mind will be required to absorb what your spirit can say an immediate “yes” to.
"One thing I can guarantee, you were created for purpose."
You may be called to the business or political world, media, education, retail, parenting or any other place God has designed you for. You may be an artist, singer, leader, designer, musician, administrator, organizer, intercessor or someone who loves to help. He may call you as an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher. One thing I can guarantee, you were created for purpose! Others may not understand His instructions to you. It’s quite possible you won’t always
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comprehend His directions. It’s even okay if you do not feel qualified to accept the assignment. He will tell you things that seem impossible, but that’s a good thing. He specializes in impossibilities. His call will require faith to fulfill. Without faith, it is impossible to please Him. He will not give you anything that does not require faith and grace to accomplish. The good news is, all you need is found in Him. He gives wisdom when you ask and He does not rebuke you when you come with need. He is ready and always able to fill you to overflowing with all the resources required to walk in fulfillment of His purpose. No matter what it takes to align with the will of God, it is always worth it. Healing, deliverance, movement, revelation, demonstration is costly but needed when God calls your name. He wants you to be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding! He wants you to understand what His will is and then do it! Colossians 1:9 "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." Ephesians 5:17 "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."
Don’t live in reasoning and hesitation when it’s time to place yourself in the will of God. Let there be a resounding yes that comes from within you and never look back! His name will be glorified as you become who He created you to be.
Tina K Baker is the pastor of International House of Fire in Cleveland, Tennessee.
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JENNIFER HILL
From Broken to Blessed Jennifer Hill survived a life of abuse. Now God is using her in ministry to help others who have been broken by abuse to live healed and blessed.
Hello, my name is Jennifer Hill. My life is a chapter out of a fairy-tale book, but it wasn’t always, trust me. I was brutally broken at one time. I was born into chaos and turmoil, something no baby should ever be brought into. Dad loved my mother more than anything, and I was a close second. He wanted to make their marriage work, to be a happy family, but she was toxic. She hurt everyone around her. She did more than just hurt people though, she typically ended up destroying them. So of course my parents didn’t make it.
Tina K Baker is the pastor of International House of Fire in Cleveland, Tennessee. Flash forward a few years, and my mom married a new man, and that man became my step-dad. It didn’t take long, maybe a year into their marriage, for the fighting to start, the same fighting that drove my dad away. Like I said, she was toxic. When the fighting first began, my stepdad would go into these rages where he would become violently angry. He would throw things, cuss and yell to the top of his lungs. When I was 10 though, he began physically abusing me. He beat me every time they fought.
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I don’t actually remember the first time he hit me, but I do remember the first time he shoved me. The first time was all it took. From that day on I was his target. He has punched me, slapped me, kicked me, and even spit in my face countless times. He has called me everything under the sun, but his favorite thing to call me was “halfbreed”, because I wasn’t truly his. I had already been through so much in my short lifetime, between my mother being borderline sexually abusive from an early age, and my dad abandoning me, that this completely broke me. For 19 and a half years, my life was a literal hell, a prison that I was trapped in. I have been through every type of abuse there is. I understand what it is to be completely broken. Now we went to Church, every time the doors open pretty much. You must remember, abuse has two faces, the one the people see and the one you see behind closed doors. There are people that have known us since we moved here, and they are just now learning about the abuse from this ministry. There’s so much more I could say, so many more true life horror stories, but maybe another time. When I was 2 months from my 20 th birthday, I married my Prince Charming, God literally handcrafted this man for me. Make no mistake, God healed me, He just used my husband a lot to do it. It wasn’t easy in the beginning, but he truly loved me and wasn’t willing to give up. You have to handle a broken woman
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"You must remember, abuse has two faces, the one people see and the one you see behind closed doors." differently than a woman who has rainbows and lollipops all her life. Tim had to be stable and strong in the Lord, before he could ever help me to be strong. So we both had to grow, grow in the Lord and just grow as a couple. For instance, coming out of that toxic environment, I had debilitating panic attacks. If Tim wasn’t a strong man of God, he could not help bring peace in the middle of panic. He knew to hold me, to pray in the Holy Spirit. You can’t give away what you don’t have. Tim had/has immeasurable peace,
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peace that passes all understanding. I was eventually healed completely from having panic attacks. I didn’t start out trusting him, when you have been broken and betrayed by your own mother and step-dad, you trust no one. Tim had no easy task marrying a broken woman, he had to earn trust, that he had never done anything to lose, he had to listen to all my horrible stories, but he loved me unconditionally and wanted me for life, so he did what was necessary. Anyway, we havebeen happily married for over 22 years, and I can honestly say we are more in love now than ever. We have 2 beautiful children, 18 and 20, that have had a very happy (not perfect) homelife. Like I said earlier, talking about my childhood or my marriage, I haven’t even scratched the surface, but I feel like I said what I was supposed to say. I hope I’ve encouraged and helped you even a little, and just remember no matter where you have been or where you are,.. You can always go from Broken to Blessed!
"You can always go from Broken to Blessed!"
Jennifer Hill is the founder of Broken to Blessed Ministries. You can find more information about Jennifer and her ministry on their website: www.brokentoblessedministry.com . Watch on Youtube and follow on Facebook.
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ASHLEY CHAMBERS
Cast, Release, Trust current. I had a burning desire to add a second boy to our family. It was my hearts desire and I knew God's word tells me in Psalm 20:4 and Psalm 37:4 that He will give me the desires of my heart. I believed, stood and sowed seeds for a baby boy named Daniel.
"... I knew God's word tells me in Psalm 20:4 and Psalm 37:4 that He will give me the desires of my heart."
I bet the title led you to believe this article was about fishing! I could definitely use scripture to do an article about being fishers of men but that's not the angle God led me for my latest article. Instead He has called me out into the water and has asked me to trust Him and have
faith, to do something hard. Downright out of my comfort zone. He told me to share my most fresh trial and tribulation. My deep valley. This is seven weeks fresh of the press. I must share the back story of this before I get to the
Shortly after I conceived my fourth child and when we had our gender reveal, it was a girl. Several months after giving birth to her during
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praise and worship God spoke to me and said "I'm not finished" I knew He meant I was going to have more children. I smiled and just said okay Lord. I was confused as I thought in my mind four was our number. He in fact gave me the desire of my heart. I found out before my daughters first birthday we were expecting. To bring us current, seven weeks ago I gave birth to a baby boy. He was my second v-bac after three c-sections and he is our fifth child. That's a testimony in its self! I was my normal over the moon excited self until around 8 months. Anxiety crept in and I had this unusual thought that I wasn't ready and that I couldn't handle him. I silently battled those thoughts and admit sometimes meditated on them and developed fear. That led to a panic inside that I hid from everyone. Then I started to speak to that lie and say out loud I'm not ready. That became my confession for the remainder of my pregnancy. Mark 11:23 tells me I have what I say. I had a supernaturally quick and easy labor and delivery and I was relaxed and ready to take this thing on. Then the pediatric Dr. entered the room and things went south fast. I could feel it rising and then it happened a full out panic attack. I asked her to leave my room so I could gather myself. I was confused but recognized that it happened to me because I wasn't casting my cares on Him. I wasn't
"Mark 11:23 tells me I have what I say." releasing my thoughts, feelings, concerns or worries to Him. Instead I was doing what I knew better to do, holding it in and silently harming myself in the process. We came home and I'm sad to admit things progressively got worse for two weeks. I was exhausted, and still living in the mindset that I couldn't do this. I wasn't ready. I got mastitis, caught a virus and then Daniel and I ended up with thrush. My immune system was shot. My husband found out he had major blood clots in his leg from
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couldn't even think straight let alone rise up and be the courageous bold woman I am. I needed help! They were faithful and I started to have good days. I battled that for the next 4 weeks. I slowly began to pray again and was reminded of Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken" and 1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." Then I began confessing those scriptures and I was honest with God about everything. I was instructed to make some hard decisions led by the Spirit and it was tough but I followed the peace. Once I cast, released and trusted Him the thing broke! So no matter what you face just Cast, Release and Trust!
"Once I cast, released and trusted Him the thing broke! "
a year old injury. Upon finding that out, more attack flooded in. Thoughts of loosing him and then what. Thoughts that it was caught but it's still possible it could take him out. The next day I noticed signs of postpartum blues. It then developed into depression. I beat myself up thinking how could this happen to ME. I immediately contacted my husband and shared with him. Then, I contacted my prayer partners and asked for intercession. I was so weak. My heart, flesh, spirit were worn. Exhausted. I
Isaiah 10:27 "In that day the LORD will end the bondage of his people. He will break the yoke of slavery and lift it from their shoulders." Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Ashley Chambers is a wife and mother to 5. She is founder of Counting It All Joy Ministry on Facebook.
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CHRISTY HENDERSON
Signature Fragrance " Growth and maturity requires sacrifice of some kind. God is well pleased when we keep going to the end which results, sometimes, with a sweet smelling aroma that comes straight from Him. "
What is this sweet smelling aroma? Have you ever wondered what the sweet smelling aroma is that the scriptures talk about? In every case that I have read it is the result of some form of sacrifice. Jesus paid the ultimate price by dying on the cross. Ephesians 5:2 "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling aroma." I have experienced this aroma four times in my life. Each time was after a
great trial and sacrifice . I realized after each trial I had matured in that area which will remain with me for the rest of my life. Growth and maturity requires sacrifice of some kind. God is well pleased when we keep going to the end which results, sometimes, with a sweet smelling aroma that comes straight from Him. Some would call it a “Signature Fragrance”. lol Just had to put that in there. It happened just recently in the past two Sunday morning services. The first Sunday I wrote a note to my daughter
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asked my husband if there was any duct work in the front of the sanctuary, he said no. He was the maintenance man at our church for several years. So, no go there. After service I asked everybody if they smelled it. No is the response from every single person I asked. As I analyzed the direction of the aroma, it was coming from the front of the church. It was actually confirming the word being preached, which was a recap of the past three years of my life.
that was sitting two seats over asking “Do you smell that?”. My son-in-law sitting next me thought, ” Oh it’s just another one of her funny moments.” I am forever saying or doing something humorous. That’s just part of my personality. At first I didn’t know it was from God. I looked around the sanctuary to figure out where this wonderful aroma was coming from. No one seemed to have a perfume bottle out. Second thought, someone sprayed perfume and it is being carried through the duct work. But the duct work is in the ceiling which is twenty feet more or less high. Later I
The next Sunday I smelled it again. Again, coming from the front, confirming the word being preached. The subject of the sermon was to forgive family members that have hurt you in words and actions. I had been hurt so bad in the past three years I was in the process of giving up on God and life in general. The hermit’s life’s for me was my motto. But then out of the blue an acquaintance of mine, not a close friend or a family member, gave me a five second sermon on faith, and out the door they went. I felt so numb and empty it kinda scared me. The people who know me well know I do not scare easily. During the next few weeks the Lord ever so gently guided me back to reality. Even though it didn’t seem like anything around me changed, I could tell I was changing. The sweet smelling aroma confirmed that the sacrifices I made was good and pleasing. For those who did the hurting
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may never suffer the pain I did but, forgiving them and releasing them into God’s hands gives Him the opportunity to work on them. Great strength and maturity comes out of life’s trials and tribulations. My life will never be the same to say the least. I’m not totally there yet, but I’m following my "signature fragrance". Forever Looking Up!
Christy Henderson is a wife and mother of two grown and married daughters living in South Carolina. Patiently awaiting grand-children.
Ephesians 5:2 "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma."
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DIANNA AUTON
Give Your Best you learn how to give your best to those around you while finding the peace and rest you have longed for.
The Best Yes Lysa TerKeurst Thomas Nelson Publishers
Resources to help you give your best to God, your family and all those around you.
As women, there is so much going on in our lives. Many times we feel as though we need to keep busy because that is what everyone else does or expects of us. But, if you are like me, that just leaves you exhausted and
feeling like nothing has really been accomplished. Are you tired of living life feeling worn out, exhausted and overwhelmed? Then, I have some great resources to share with you that will help
"In The Best Yes, let Lysa TerKeurst help you discern the option that shapes all your other choices. Having trouble deciding which situations deserve a "yay" and which a "nay?" Are you living with the stress of an
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overwhelmed schedule and aching with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul? Offering Scripture-laced insights on effective decision-making, she encourages you to be honest, imaginative, focused, trusting, and humble as you discover the role God most wants you to play."
Breaking Busy Alli Worthington Zondervan Publishing "Discover how achieving and acquiring more might be what keeps us from finding true peace! Melding current research with biblical principles, Worthington dismantles common happiness myths and helps you move from crazy busy to confident calm. With refreshing candor and uproarious true stories, she offers real-life guidance on boundaries, relationships, making decisions, and more. 224 pages, softcover from Zondervan."
Unstoppable Christine Caine Zondervan "In his letters, Paul calls us to run the race God sets before us. Inviting you to participate in the divine relay, Caine encourages
you to run with the body of Christ, carry forward the baton of faith God entrusts to you, release it to the right runner, and claim the prize of eternal life. 224 pages, softcover from Zondervan."
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