Delighted Soul - 2019 - January

Jan 2019

DELIGHTED SOUL DESTINED TO WIN

LIVES DRIVEN

BY PURPOSE 3 WAYS TO WARM UP 2019

Letter from the Editor

2018 was an uncomfortable year for me. The “girl with a plan” was without a plan. Because of a series of life events, I loosened the grip on my focus, just enough for it to slip out of my hands. I was going through the motions and feeling more and more frustrated every day. Just as I crawled into the bed of “this is the way I’ll feel forever”, it was as if God shook me awake. I remember the day when I looked to Him and asked what I should be doing after my selfmade plans didn’t match up to His. I began mentally listing the jewels He’s given me – things that in the midst of frustration, I had taken for granted: a passion to help young adult women, writing, organization and two communication degrees, one of them specifically in magazine journalism. All at once, I recognized that a magazine for young women in pursuit of deeper relationships with Jesus was all too obvious of an assignment. Immediately the gears began turning and I felt my excitement bubbling up. I reached out to a couple dozen of my sister friends in different life seasons from high school to college to blossoming careers who are single, married, and moms, and do you know what the vast majority of this group was thinking about? Their purpose. So here we are in the first issue of Delighted Soul Magazine: The Purpose Issue. I pray that something shared in this magazine will bless you no matter where you are in life, I know it’s truly blessed me!

Jasmine Powell

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Table of Contents

4 7 9 10 11

Warming Up the New Year

DESIGN IDEAS BY KRYSTAL HAWKINS

Lives Driven by Purpose

LESSONS FROM DEIDRA EWING & DANNIE KELLY

Michelle’s Jewels

WISDOM FROM MICHELLE POWELL

Go Sis, Go!

NIKASHIA FRANKLIN’S JOURNEY

Break It Down UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT PURPOSE

A magazine for young women in pursuit of deeper relationships with Jesus.

Warming Up the New Year Design Ideas from Krystal Hawkins of @joyeandreign It’s 2019… and winter is here. #GoTS8 For many of us, ringing in the new year means setting personal goals and maintaining healthier lifestyles. But for you decorators, it’s also about reorganizing and revitalizing the interiors of the home. Lucky for you– January is a month full of winter sales and decor clearances. So as you line up your new goal list, don’t forget to use promo codes for these sale items from Anthropologie, Brooklinen, World Market, Target and more.

It will turn your home into a hibernation station for 2019.

Baby, it’s getting cold outside! And while the winter settles in, home interiors will need as much warmth and coziness as possible. Heat up your winter with this list of specialty items from Amazon that won’t break anyone’s post-Holiday pockets.

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Velvet

Velvet fabrics and furnishings are lighting up the decor list for this winter season. Top off your space with a classic look of thermal insulated velvet curtains (available in 6 colors, $32.99), velvet futons (3 colors, under $395) or plush velvet pillowcases (2 for $11.99).

Silks & Furs

Even in the midst of your goal setting, don’t forget to lounge around the comforts of your home this season. Add this hypoallergenic silk pillowcase (available in 29 colors, $22.99) to restore your sleep and to work against any frizzy bed heads and natural curl patterns. And while you’re at it, partner up the silks with a few fluffy faux furs ($19.98) to soften your love seats and sofa chairs in the living area of the home.

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Scented & Aromatic Candles

Candles help enhance the aroma of the home, which can often be therapeutic to the nose. Go beyond cinnamon and pine cone potpourri by stocking up on a few Amazon #1 Best Seller candles. The Chesapeake Bay Candle Mind & Body Scented Candle ($19.99), Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Scented Soy Candle (Pack of 2, starting at $13) and the Yankee Balsam & Cedar Candle, ($10.99, back in stock Jan 10th) will fill your space with relaxing fragrances that you can indulge in.

Happy New Year. And yes– you are welcome. :) Sources: These End-Of-Year Sales Will Turn Your Home Into A Cozy Hibernation Station, Refinery29 34 Things To Make Every Room In Your House More Comfortable, Buzzfeed

WestwingNow 6 | DELIGHTED SOUL | JANUARY 2019

Michaela Diane Designs

L ives Driven

by Purpose Deidra Ewing (@deidra_ewing) and Dannie C. Kelly (@dannieckelly) are wives, businesswomen, and authors.

Both have tapped into their purpose and now we can gleam from what they’ve found.

How did you come to know God?

Deidra: I met God when I was maybe 5 years old, but I didn’t come to know Him until my teenage years. I grew up in what I thought was a dysfunctional family. Today I’m able to say “thought” because I work with kids who don’t have a family at all. My father was an addict, my mother was the stressedout breadwinner, and my brother suffered from a severe mental illness. Dance was one of my outlets and I used it to cultivate my relationship with Him. I can still remember dancing to “Mary, Did You Know?” I was expressing my anxieties and stress through dance when I looked up to see almost the entire church in tears. It was then that I knew that something bigger than me happened.

“He met me there...in my brokenness.”

Dannie: I’ve been a PK (Pastor’s Kid) all my life, so at a very young age I fell in love with God. When I was 4, I decided to get baptized on my own. No one asked me if I wanted to and I had no pressure from my parents. I heard the minister asking, “If you believe that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, then come to the front,” so I walked to the front and was baptized. Though I accepted Christ as my Savior at 4, I can honestly say I didn’t “know” or “understand” the magnitude of how I would need God (outside of the redemption from hell) until much later. It wasn’t until I was 18 years old that I experienced God for myself and really felt I knew Him. I was broken and hurting while experiencing one of the lowest points in my life. I remember praying to God for healing. This was my first time ever surrendering to Him in this way. I wasn’t at church and there was no one around. I laid in the closet and cried out to God. I asked Him to forgive me of my sins and He met me there...in my brokenness. That day marked what would be the turn around for my life. I knew God was real and felt convicted to live for Him.

How did you discover your purpose?

Deidra: Honestly? I didn’t discover my purpose until I was 31. I got involved in a direct sales company that emphasized the importance of listening to podcasts for self growth. I stumbled across this lady who looked nothing like me and her voice made me pick up my phone to see who was speaking. She broke down how to discover your purpose and a light bulb just went off. I had no idea that my purpose had been staring me in my face for as long as I can remember. Her words, not mine, are to stop and listen to what people tell you about you (the people who love you that is). Sometimes we can be super hard on ourselves and miss it, but I can guarantee you that there’s a word or a phrase that you’re hearing over and over. My purpose was even happening when my life was jacked up! With that being said, you have to actually allow people to get to know you. The real you. Personally, He put me here to Inspire. I have to constantly seek His face to heal when I’m broken. Constantly listen to Him to know what’s next, if I’m supposed to stand still, etc. No win shows up on the outside until I get that win on the inside. My assignment is a catch 22.

Dannie: I discovered my purpose when I was about 23 years old. My church was doing a series on “Discovering Your purpose.” This gave us tools that helped us identify our purpose.

“You have to actually allow people to get to know you. The real you.”

What advice would you give to a young woman who recognizes her purpose, but doesn’t know what to do next?

Deidra: Rest. Your Sabbath ends when He speaks again. It’s not always just one day. Truly turn your brain off and just chill. You can’t hear Him speaking when your thoughts are focused on what to do next.

When you know your purpose you’re always in your season. Rest in that.

Dannie: I would encourage her to pray and ask God how she can please Him through purpose. Then, I would suggest she speak with her spiritual mentors and leaders.

God has provided us with community to assist and help point us in the right direction. When we talk about our purpose and yield ourselves to be used, it places a demand on the anointing on our lives to rise to the occasion.

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How do Purpose & Passion differ?

Deidra: Purpose is what you’re called to do.

Passion is what you enjoy doing. My purpose is to work with kids who were just like me. God placed people in my life to help me get through that chapter and He’s constantly putting me in situations to pay it forward. My passion is building wealth.

I’m good at it! If you could see me right now, I’m looking from one hand to the other. You’d see how my purpose and passion don’t match. People who serve don’t really get paid much and people who are building wealth don’t have much time to serve.

For me, the two have to relate. I’ve tried having one at a time and I’m either miserable or arrogant.

Pursuing both keeps me humble and happy.

Dannie: The biggest difference between purpose and passion is passion is fleeting while purpose is everlasting.

As a 9-year-old I had a passion to paint people’s nails. I remember charging $5 to paint nails (long story lol). I loved all the fun colors and designs. However, by 14, I no longer wanted to paint nails, instead I had a passion to cheer, and I cheered all through high school. Now at 28, I no longer paint nails or cheer, even though I was once very passionate about both activities. On the other hand, I’ve always had a burning desire to help people live their best lives especially those who have “lost their way.” I can tell countless stories of how I’ve, in some way or another, helped people come to a place of restoration. Purpose can’t escape you. Even when you aren’t aware of it...you’re unknowingly fulfilling it.

Have you ever received a vision from God or heard Him speak to you, then waited and saw it come to pass?

Deidra: I can’t even believe I’m sharing this...very few people know...but Yes! And it was one of the scariest things the first time it happened. Let’s just say I self-medicated almost too much in May 2005. When I woke up, the paramedic said my heart rate was some outrageous number and that I needed to go to a hospital to get checked out (Don’t judge me, God will use anybody!) While I was “asleep”, I saw my now husband, my kids, my life. When they say your life flashes before your eyes, that happened to me. I told God that if He got me out of that situation, I’d never touch that drug again. The old me died in the back of that ambulance. 13 years later, the promise still stands. To this day I still have moments of deja vu.

Dannie: I remember God told me that my husband and I would own our own studio (my husband is a photographer). At that point, I didn’t even know how to take it. I was excited and scared. First, I told my husband and we began to pray together. I then asked God for a sign to know when it was the right time and for it to include His favor. We had no idea what the end would look like, but we trusted that God knew best. We also began to prepare in the natural to receive the Word. We began to budget and speak with commercial real estate agents while still praying. When the time came “He gave me a glimpse of my future (sooner than we expected), God confirmed His when I didn’t deserve it.” word through grace and unexpected favor.

What advice would you give to a young woman who is unsure of her purpose?

Deidra: Get on your face. When the vision is blurry, it’s time to focus. I’d dare her to go after the heart of God; to spend time with Him (which may mean disconnecting from people/the internet for a while). I’d encourage her to learn how to fluently spit out what He says and thinks about her and to believe it.

It’s funny how we can mock and impersonate our spouses, friends, the President, and our children, but we can’t do that with God. It sounds like she’s been asking God what her purpose is already. A conversation goes two ways. Sometimes we get so caught up in the question that we forget to listen for a response. Get on your face, Boo!

Dannie: First, take a deep breath and shift from the pressure of knowing your purpose to a place of surrendering to God. The Bible is clear in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Next, reflect on your life and write down patterns. What is it that you’ve always done?

Ask your closest friends and family what they’ve noticed is a reoccurring theme in your life. Ask the question, “How does this serve others for the building of God’s kingdom?” Try to remember that gifts and talents aren’t your purpose, they are tools and aids that help us to fulfill purpose. For example, if you love to sing and desire to sing constantly, that doesn’t make singing your purpose. If that were true, then if you ever lost your voice, you’d have no purpose. Perhaps your purpose is to exhort people so that they feel loved and you do that through singing. In this case, if you ever lost your voice *knock on wood* you could still fulfill purpose using another avenue.

“Shift from the pressure of knowing your purpose to a place of surrendering to God.” 8 | DELIGHTED SOUL | JANUARY 2019

Bonus Knowledge

Deidra: We only get one shot at this. The life we’re living is not a rehearsal. Settle for nothing and surround yourself with people who are equally yoked. Whatever your purpose or passion is, become the expert in it and do it unapologetically.

Dannie: Fulfilling purpose doesn’t mean things will be easy, it just means the work will be worth it!

“Settle for nothing and surround yourself with people who are equally yoked.”

Michelle’s Jewels Words of Wisdom from Mother-In-Chief Michelle Powell

DESTINED TO WIN DESTINE: To decree beforehand, predetermine, designate, assign, dedicate in advance.

WIN: To achieve victory in the fight, context, game.

Years ago, I trained in Tae Kwando and there was a mantra that we said at the end of every class: “Winners never quit, and quitters never win, I’m not a quitter, I’m a winner.’’ Many Christians live their lives daily, never knowing their destiny in this life is to win. They walk this earth unaware of the direction they are destined to go.

God has prepared the way for us to win through Jesus.

How do I know? It’s in the Word -- Before we were even placed in our mother’s wombs, God had a plan to prosper us, to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11) -- His Will is that we would be His adopted sons and daughters (Ephesians 1:5) -- Knowing that we would need a Savior, God sent His Son, Jesus (Romans 5:8) in order for us to win eternal life with Him (John 3:16). -- When we confessed with our mouth, the Lord Jesus, and believed in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we were saved (Romans 10:9).

That sounds like winning to me. And what do we know about winning? It feels good and everyone prefers it over losing. When you’re a winner, people respect you, are drawn to you, and support you. So what does it mean to win spiritually? You have secured your salvation in Jesus Christ. You and your household serve the Lord. You have the love of God in your heart and a relationship with Him. You are an active member of a church. You pray often to God and worship Him. You give in many ways. You go to work and do your job as unto the Lord. You love your neighbor. You do not covet.

In order to win, you have to have an opponent, even we as children of God have an adversary, Satan, who comes to steal, kill and destroy. Be encouraged because we have a winning God. Dealing with the adversary is stressful and draining, but God has given us peace through His son. Yes, we will have tests, trials, and tribulations, but we are destined to win because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). The Word of God lets us know that through Him, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37).

No one wants to be called a loser. No one likes losing because it doesn’t feel good. You may feel that you’re losing because your life isn’t where you want it to be. Still, do not despise small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10). You are a winner, and if you remain faithful over a few things, God will make you ruler over many things (Matthew 25:21).

You are not qualified to get what you have on your own, it is God’s will to bless you, but you must be prepared to win. You must be willing to fight to win. Remember, you are destined to win.

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Go Sis, Go! CAREER PROFILE

Name Nikashia Franklin Hometown Houston, TX Baby! (in my Beyonce voice lol) Education High School: Eisenhower High School c/o 2002 Undergraduate: Texas Christian University x 3 years & HBU for Nursing School c/o 2008 (BSN) Post-Grad: UT Health Science Center Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and

Administration c/o 2018 Professional Employer: Texas Children’s Hospital Position: Nurse Manager in NICU 4 (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)

I’ve been a NICU nurse for almost 10 years, and a Nurse Manager for the last 4.

What do you love most about your current job?

It’s probably what most people hate about middle management: more responsibility. I love the fact that I get to go to the executives and advocate on behalf of my front line staff, the babies and their families. Jokingly, I like to say that I used to be a nurse, and now I’m a firefighter. I get the opportunity to put out (and prevent when possible) any fires that may come up in the process of trying to heal sick children.

One of the most monumental things I have experienced on this journey is a culmination of rather than just one. Parents having to bury their children is outside of the natural order What is one experiences, of things, whether their baby is 30 minutes old or 30 years old. Unfortunately, during my tenure, I of the most have experienced this more than my fair share of times. Having said that, I have learned to find the monumental collateral beauty in these experiences and capitalize on every opportunity I can to pray for and with experiences the families, during such trying times. In addition, I have a new appreciation for the little things in life. There’s nothing more humbling than to see a mommy and daddy that just want to be able to on your take a baby home, and it definitely puts everyday life into perspective. The things that used to matter journey? don’t, and the things that money can’t buy (peace, joy, quality time with friends and family, etc)… those things matter most.

Dealing with sick and dying infants can definitely create moral distress and lead to burnout, but I pray- A LOT! I have over 400 nurses that want access to me 24-7, AND my work email comes straight to my phone. In order to not get burned out, I had to learn to create boundaries. My phone How do you goes on Do Not Disturb automatically at 9P and stays on until 5A. This is public knowledge, and avoid getting I made sure to explain to them why. They know, in an emergency, they can contact me anytime. this helps them remember what a true emergency looks like. I also have a few adult relaxation burned out? But, coloring books. Because I am a tad bit of a perfectionist, me focusing on the piece that I’m coloring takes my mind away from anything else. Finally, I have the sweetest, almost-5 year old dog who I love to pieces. If things get too tough that my usual methods of stress relief aren’t working, cuddling with her always does!

How do you balance your work, church, and social duties?

If I can at all help it, I do not work on Sundays. This gives me the chance to serve and worship at church—I lead the prayer team—as well as the opportunity to visit my family. I talk to my sisters every day via phone or text, and call my parents every night before I call it a night. Church and family keep me grounded, and they are the two things that I am not willing to sacrifice for the sake of work. Now, a social life is another thing lol. Because I was in school until last month, my time was spent sparingly doing social things. But, my tribe is an amazing group of women who see to it that I get a good bit of balance in. My small group from church, work wives, best friends, sisters, and sorority sisters all love and support me beyond measure. Spending time with any combination of these people is always refilling and fulfilling for me. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup, right?

What is your ultimate career goal?

This is a tricky question. I don’t have a “goal” in mind, per se, but I do know that I want to have a global impact. I have a heart for people, especially the disenfranchised. And I want to be able to marry my skill set with my passion and change the world! I’m not sure what that looks like now, but I will keep praying about it. I don’t want to go anywhere He wouldn’t have me go, or do anything He wouldn’t have me do, but I ask that He do in me everything He has ever wanted to do in a woman!

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January’s Scripture God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding.

He says to the snow, “Fall on the earth,” and to the rain shower, “Be a mighty downpour.”

JOB 37:5-6

Break It Down

The special thing about this simple scripture is that God is telling His creations to do what He created them to do. We often drive ourselves crazy trying to be something or someone else. We run around frantically, toss and turn in bed, and self reflect from morning to night trying to figure out what we need to do to be who we’re supposed to be, when it’s already inside of us.

We are the snow being commanded to fall, we are the rain being commanded to pour down. Naturally, we sometimes see the accomplishments of others, then try to manifest that same success in our own lives without checking to see if it’s for us. We often celebrate that God will give us the desire of our hearts, but skip over the important condition of that promise, that we must first delight ourselves in the Lord, then our desires will align with His. It’s true that God created each of us to accomplish something unique, but how will we know what that is unless He tells us?

Today let’s focus less on our 10 year plan, and focus more on strengthening our relationship with God so that we can more quickly recognize the ways that He urges us to move through the Holy Spirit in us.

“He doesn’t tell the snow to thaw and become rain, or the rain to freeze itself into snow.

He says…Do the thing you love to do, what you’ve been created to do.”

Shauna Niequist, Be Who God Created You to Be, Proverbs 31 Ministries Devotions, Jan. ‘16

Do you want to share feedback or see a specific topic covered in the future? Let me know! jas@delightedsoulmag.com JANUARY 2019 | DELIGHTED SOUL | 11