Wild Hearts Magazine x Wild & Free 02

WILD HEARTS MAGAZINE

02 | Wild & Free

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Wild Hearts magazine is an online pla�orm about being unapologe�cally you in all your wildest forms, while being in touch with your beau�ful heart, driven by the wildest of love. Having unfiltered conversa�ons about spirit, body, soul and rela�onships. For the wild ones.

ing le read i h w o sten t d to li e n g i s de

APE MIXT FREE & WILD

WIILDHEARTS.COM Therèsa editor-in-chief/ visual creator @theresariver Rae editor / social media creator @raesworld @palmtreerae

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Love God | SPIRIT

Love Others as Yourself | SOCIAL

08 Wild Encounters The first time I heard God speak 10 Ten Ways to Love God Life of Worship 12 Free Spirits Agรกpe 14 Me and My Wild Heart Is Christianity Boring?

16 Wild & Holy Love letter to the LGBTQ community 20 Secret Garden Flowers in the desert

26 Unapologetically Me I love you on your worst day 29 Unconditional Lovers interview w/ Andy & Kim 34 Ten Ways to Love Yourself a life of love 38 Ten Ways to Love Others Friends Edition* 42 Him and Her He is created in the wild, She in paradise 44 Wild Child 10 things I want my children to know

Wisdom | SOUL

Stature |BODY

50 Raw Souls Freedom is a choice 52 Wild Bookclub Albums & Podcasts 54 Fear of God Lion & the lamb 56 Sleepover Club Period.

58 Sacred Gratitude 6 ways to practice gratitude 62 Moodboard Come back

66 Vibrant Bodies Hot Baths w/ God 70 Life of Worship Fresh Morning Routines 74 Fashion Glitterbombs Religious ruts, loving fashion + freedom in Christ 80 Milk & Honey Dream on 83 Live Creatively Footloose 84 Covert Affairs Servant Hearts

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‘The First Time I Heard God Speak’ A�er growing up in the church my whole life I reached a point at the age of 17 where I was kinda bored of chris�anity. My rela�onship with God was pre�y dry and church was a duty, so I stopped going. I started opening my mind to other things, one of those things being darwinism. “Maybe there isn't a God” I pondered. I was open to it.

One a�ernoon I was watching a rather heated debate between John Lennox (chris�an theologian) and Richard Dawkins (atheist) and I was being convinced of every word that was coming out of Richard Dawkins mouth. “Man, if you were a chris�an you’d really need to know the founda�on of your faith

to be in a debate like this one” I con�nued to watch and whilst I’m being persuaded there is no God I was interrupted by seeing a clear picture in my minds eye and hearing a loud internal voice, almost like an open vision. I saw in wri�ng ‘Colossians 2 vs 4’ and I heard it as clear as a bell.

Whilst this felt like a thought, there was something louder and higher about this compared to other thoughts. It was really weird, hard to explain in wri�ng.. I knew I needed to find a bible and actually read the verse. I had never read this book in the bible before, I found a bible and I couldn't believe what I read next..

‘’Hungry for Wild Encounters too? Simply ask Him to come. Holy Spirit, come in this place. Meet me face to face. Show me the truth. Be with me. And love me. Thank you for abiding in my body, your temple. Where we worship God. And you wreck my life.

I'll never be the same. You show me the Father’s Heart. Through you I can listen to His voice. Through you I feel Him so near.”

‘I tell you, then, do not let anyone deceive you with false arguments, no ma�er how good they seem to be. For even though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I am glad as I see the resolute firmness with which you stand together in your faith in Christ.

Since you have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, live in union with him.

Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and become stronger in your faith, as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving.

See to it, then, that no one enslaves you by means of the worthless deceit of human wisdom, which comes from the teachings handed down by human beings and from the ruling spirits of the universe, and not from Christ. For the full content of divine nature lives in Christ, in his humanity, and you have been given full life in union with him. He is supreme over every spiritual ruler and authority.’ Col 2:4.

I felt g heck. whole in k a e fr y m Holy . I through hope go d I just laughed ke o n p a just s is body, eny God H cannot dto me through out d ly e t c p e lea dir e pages my word. Th at day changed as h w T is . at me spoke. And th our life. God beginning of ain just the re. I will never ag ing adventu inced of anyth th. be convan the gospel tru other th ♥

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1. Life of worship So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, ea�ng, goingto-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.

Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.

Instead, fix your a�en�on on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:1-2 MSG x 2. Love God by loving people My beloved friends, let us con�nue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a rela�onship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a �me loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our rela�onship with God. John 4:7-10 MSG x 3. Love over fear. God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love

has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is iden�cal with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. John 4:17-19 MSG x 4. Love Him by obeying His loving words And friends, once that’s taken care of and we’re no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we’re bold and free before God! We’re able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we’re doing what he said, doing what pleases him.

Again, this is God’s command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us. John 3:21-24 MSG x 5. Love Him by doing things in love.If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be

burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve go�en nowhere. So, no ma�er what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-5 MSG x 6.

Love Him like a child This resurrec�on life you received from God is not a �mid, gravetending life. It’s adventurously expectant, gree�ng God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard �mes with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good �mes with him! Romans 8:15-17 MSG x 7. Love Him with your body There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact... In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for “becoming one” with another. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body. 1 Corinthians 6:16-20 MSG x 8. Love Him with gra�tude, worship & praise Thank God! Call out his Name! Tell the whole

world who he is and what he’s done! Sing to him! Play songs for him! Broadcast all his wonders! Revel in his holy Name, Godseekers, be jubilant! Study God and his strength, seek his presence day and night; Remember all the wonders he performed, the miracles and judgments that came out of his mouth. Seed of Israel his servant!

Children of Jacob, his first choice! He is God, our God; wherever you go you come on his judgments and decisions. 1 Chronicles 16:8-14 MSG x 9. Love Him by living full lives And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love.

Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians 3:16-20 MSG x 10. Love God by sharing your heart with Him God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. Now I’m alert to God’s ways; I don’t take God for granted. Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I’m watching my step.

God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

Psalm 18:20-24 MSG x ♥

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The old Greek has four different words for love; agápe, éros, philía, and storgē.

In my research and just reading books to gain more insight on freedom, the Bible blew my mind once again. It started with this verse; ''It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no �me at all you will be annihila�ng each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?'' Freedom grows by loving others as yourself. Freedom reduces by not loving others as/and ourselves.

That already blew my mind. Yet I wondered how can I love. And I thought about the love is .. verse. "Love is pa�ent, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." I know God is love and loves me like that. But I wondered if the same meaning of love where used in these verses.

So the New Testament is wri�en in old Greek. And what I was to discover now absolutely blew my mind. In the 'love is ..' verse agapé is used for the word love. Agapé is the love God loves us with. You can call it divine love, I love to call it real love. But ... in the 'Love others as you love yourself' verse the word agapé is also used. Which means God wants us to love others and ourselves in the way He loves us. That is pre�y wild. Cause if you have tasted anything of Gods love that is just wild. We are able to love others in the same love God loves them. We are able to love ourselves in the same way God loves us. That is insane.

The NIV transla�on puts it even like this; "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the en�re law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other." The en�re law is fulfilled in loving others as yourself. WHAT!? Sooo many things in life are pressing us down. But we find freedom in Loving each other and yourself. The law poin�ng us to our wrongs and punishment. Loving others as ourselves poin�ng us to rela�onship, celebra�on and freedom.

The whole secret of life is LOVE. The whole secret of life is GOD. God is love. Again agapé is used. God is agapé. "Love God with your whole heart, whole soul, whole mind and whole strength" is Him in our whole beings. That my friend is an explosion of love. That is an explosion of God. There is no place you'll ever be freer. It is insane to me He opens us to Himself like that. Not just love. But God. He is in everything.

Loving others as ourselves is the highest form of worship. It is Him through us on us in us, we are just one with His presence, one with His Spirit. It is insane to me. Love sets free. ♥ * Gal 5:13-15 * 1 Cor 13:4-7 * 1 John 4:8 * Mark 12:30

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“To my sweet Jesus, I can’t believe there was ever a time I thought you were boring.

Your wild heart daily challenges me to be freer, wilder.

You are my favorite adventure.

R.

I used to think chris�anity and church were literally the most boring thing ever. I thought that if I was going to really commit to being a chris�an I had to kiss goodbye to having fun, being happy and having a personality. I actually got pre�y used to completely separa�ng the two worlds, my life was fun, and my faith was dry and boring. I remember when I got a bit older I would read verses like ‘Now the Lord is spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’ and I would feel challenged. Freedom is the best feeling ever, and freedom is what I would seek to find in drugs, experience, and anything else I did. Can I really get this from God? Maybe good vibes do come from God a�er all? Well.. I needed to find this out for myself. Looking back now I believe this was God’s spirit within me drawing me to a new great adventure..

I moved away for a li�le while to study theology where no one knew me, so I could spend some �me really ge�ng to know who God actually was with no distrac�ons. New country, an open mind and no expecta�ons.

I started to no�ce a theme in scripture a theme of wild adventure, joy, family, impossible situa�ons becoming possible, fes�vals, celebra�ons, and great feasts and it dawned on me that all of these good things came from God. I learned that the idea of God being boring by nature was actually not truth.

Through reading the word I started to actually experience a new kind of joy and freedom within my heart that totally changed my outlook to everything.

I learned the fullness of JOY is actually in His presence, I learned that God created laughter, I learned the Gospel is actually good news, I learned that God sings over us with joy! Zephaniah 3:17- these are things that bring so much peace, joy, and good vibes to our soul. I look back now and I can’t believe I was missing out on so much more than I could ever get from the world. And even every day, there’s s�ll more that he has for us if we just believe! God is always doing new things.

• is christianity boring?

•

To my dear wild ones, I am always surprised by you, And wouldn't want it any other way. I adore each of your crazy, wild ways. I am honoured to be among your tribe.”

- Shannon Majure The Holy Spirit is the most powerful source on this planet, and when the Holy Spirit brings scripture to life things change. We might be walking in the wilderness some�mes but in Jesus there is limitless refreshment, abundance and rivers of life! In the spirit there are no dry seasons, John 7:38.

In Jesus, I am alive, free and excited!

Born to create all kinds of things, to enjoy and love people and have joy in abundance!

A�er a few years now journeying with God, I’d say chris�anity is anything but boring.

Maybe you are a chris�an and things feel a li�le dry and a bit too serious? Can I invite you to dream again? To laugh again? To dive deep in the word and discover the joy we can have in god’s presence.

His mercies are new every morning. ♥

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A love le�er to the LGBTQ community.

Wri�en by Christopher Sims

eyes and remembers the founda�on of her purpose. Love.

I’m sorry on behalf of the church.

Many, not all, chris�ans have played a large role in doing your community harm.

Fear is the biggest opponent of love.

Many Chris�ans have fear that if they love someone who they disagree with, they will give the impression that they condone what they view as wrong. They let fear hinder them from loving each other, and your community, the way they were always intended to. The many things on this planet that are not congruent with our faith or denomina�ons are not the problem. The problem is that many of us chris�ans don’t know that it is okay to love someone we disagree with. Love doesn’t require its own way. We don’t need to agree in order

The church was meant to be a lovely bride and it seems she is finally beginning to remember that. As she awakens from her drunken slumber, a�er two thousand years, she looks around and sees a world that she’s wounded. The trail of destruc�on and broken people that lay in her wake is centuries long. She falls to her knees in repentance. Jesus comes and sets her on her feet. She looks into His

to love. Chris�ans are called to love uncondi�onally as Jesus s�ll does.

However, we cannot love uncondi�onally when we nurture our fears.

Only perfect love can cast out fear.

Before chris�ans love others well they must first receive the Love of God for themselves.

did not love me because I was gay.

Eventually, I walked away from God because my desires and my faith could not coexist. That is when I came out. It took so much crushing and heartbreak for me to be honest with myself and the world. So I was determined to stay OUT and PROUD.

It is not easy for the chris�an. Think about it. We go against the popular opinion of society. We are hated, misunderstood, ostracized, labeled and discriminated against. Many people who don’t even know us call us “gay haters” and homophobes.

Consequently, many chris�ans are afraid of being mistreated so they distance themselves from people they disagree with in hopes to avoid confronta�on. Their distance is interpreted as dislike when in reality it is fear.

I didn’t know the difference between my sexual orienta�on and my iden�ty. If someone asked me who I was I would’ve told them that I was a gay man before I said that I was somebody’s brother. My world revolved around guys and the LGBTQ community. Outside of that, I didn’t know myself. I was so busy chan�ng “Born this way” in my dining room and ge�ng angry at people who were “religious” that I didn’t realize that I was becoming someone else.

My accep�ng community cheered me on as I went deeper into gender dysphoria, eventually taking on a female nickname and feeling like a slave to my desires. At that point, I would have pressed a bu�on to change myself if I could have.

I realized I was gay when I was five years old. Even at that young age,, I heard horrible things about gay people from a chris�an rela�ve and I was afraid of my feelings. As I grew older my mannerisms became no�ceably feminine and I was mistreated and mocked by family and peers because of that. My father, an ordained pastor, made it really clear how he felt about me and it was not good. I loved the Lord but I was struggling with the thought that He

Years later I spoke to God. I realized that I never gave Him a real chance. I allowed other people to define Him for me. So I told Him that I wanted to know Him for who He really is. That’s when a s�ll small voice within my heart said, “Christopher. I love you.”

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Those words went into my skin and I fell to my knees in the dirt and rain.

I wept because I knew in my heart that God Loved me. I also knew that I could not con�nue in the gay lifestyle. Being a�racted to men wasn’t a choice for me and I could not understand how that could ever change. But somehow the Lord made it clear that He wanted me to stop trying to figure everything out and just follow and trust Him. I began reading the Bible and talking with God every day. I treated Him like I would a friend that I could see.

I didn’t beg Him to change my sexual orienta�on. I just enjoyed Him. Suddenly I had the power to stop watching pornography a�er being addicted for ten years! Suddenly I stopped using profane language! He also gave me the strength to overcome an ea�ng disorder that controlled my life. Eventually, He changed my sexual orienta�on and healed me from 16 years of PTSD. Today I am completely CHANGED. My sexual/roman�c desires for men changed and I am sexually/ roman�cally a�racted to women. It’s true.

It’s my story and it cannot be taken away from me.

I was overwhelmed in the best way and I posted the news on Facebook,

“God set me free from Homosexuality!” My friends in the LGBTQ community and those who supported them were irate. I realize now that my status came off as an a�ack. I didn't mean to hurt anyone.

I wanted the world to know that my unwanted same sexual a�rac�on was gone along with the addic�ons and compulsions that fueled it.

However, no one asked me to elaborate or explain my process. My own friends turned on me like I was a violent stranger who meant harm.

For three days my status collected their venomous comments. Finally, I was called a bigot by the man who took me in as his own once upon a �me. And then, one by one, they unfriended me. I forgive them. But how I wish they would have looked beyond my status and remembered that I was a twenty-year-old who adored them.

Being “changed” does not mean that I hate or reject you. It doesn’t mean that I withhold love from you.

“Changed” does not mean that I see you differently or judge you, it refers to my convic�ons, a�rac�ons and lifestyle. If anything, now that I am changed, I am able to be more kind, gentle, and understanding of the LGBTQ community. However, I’m swimming against the current of

poli�cal correctness and popular opinion. People may shout profane and give me bad looks as I swim by, but every once in a while someone reaches out to take my hand. I swim for those people. Jesus saved me because of those people so I’ll never stop swimming. If you want to know more about people like me, and there are a lot of us, you can visit oncegay.com.

There you can read many stories of people who have been changed. There are also resources to help you or someone you may know who has UNWANTED same sexual a�rac�on.

Thank you for taking the �me to read my side of the story.

God bless you. ♥

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secret garden.

I stuffed the last suitcase into my backseat and closed the car door. As the buckle of my seat belt sealed the departure of this journey...I took a deep breath, feeling all at once that I was about to head into my worst nightmare, and also, never being more certain of my obedience to the voice of God. Things didn’t feel real un�l I saw the valley of windmills, like giants of pride and poise flashing their wings to greet you. Palm Springs; my new home. No friends, no connec�ons, no clue what was to come out of the next moment let alone the next day... I had heard God calling my name here, and as I drove through the land adorned in palms, I knew this was it.

Moving to a new city with nothing but a yes for God was not on my agenda for this year. But He’ll take you seriously when you tell Him He can have it all.

The plans I had carefully cra�ed and devised for my life from the safety of my expecta�ons, were all at once ripped from beneath me, because He had something else in mind.

Now in complete surrender, I was on my way to live in a new land, with new people, in the middle of a desert...because He told me so. Lonely, unsure, afraid, doub�ul, wavering...It’s these moments of deep pain that can be so beau�fully levering into the arms of His presence.

Every night for weeks I cried un�l there were no more tears. My lack of understanding for why God would call me to such a desolate place, with no people around me, being judged from all sides, misunderstood, looking crazy for many reasons...The pain of it all brought me to my knees at the end of

in the desert. every day. I would call my family and friends, far away and familiar... begging them to “pray one more �me” and “please hear a NO- I’m NOT supposed to be here”... even though anchored in myself there was a voice and a peace that beckoned me deeper, for this is where I was meant to be.

When you have nothing, truly, God is your everything. You hear it said, and it sounds compelling when preached from a stage in a sea of 10,000 ...but when it’s the card you are dealt, the phrase takes on a whole new meaning.

Week a�er week of depression and sorrow began to wear itself thin on my heart. Aching for companionship and a “be�er life”, I felt paralyzed. I’m so grateful for those of my rela�onships who were strong enough to shake me by the shoulders and tell me...the pain is alright for a li�le while, but it’s �me to pick up your shield, and take the next step forward.

I remember the moment things shi�ed. On the floor (once again), with my eyes closed, this voice, as

quiet as a breeze, told me to get up, and worship. I turned on my playlist, and began to take the ferocity of sadness I felt, and turn it into ferocity of praise. With everything in me I li�ed up the God who gave His life, so that I could have mine. I saw myself standing before Him, in His great and Holy throne room, pouring liquid melodies onto the feet of this King.

This worship went on for hours. And the next day, everything had shi�ed.

The realiza�on that I’m not on this journey for myself, but for Him, rested upon my shoulders like a perfectly tailored coat. It ensured a hope in me, and gave purpose to the pain and discomfort...for it wasn’t for me, but for His glory. Oh that He considers me worthy to face such trial (and what a minute trial it is!)...it unravels me.

I share with you this story because it was from that moment that I understood the value of seeking His face. Pressing in for just a moment longer, leaning in for just one more day...You will find Him, in the midst of the storm. And if you’re living for Him, He will sustain you.

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But if you’re entering into the secret place for what you can get, or for a life that falls under the reign of your agenda...disappointment, you may have no�ced, is a frequent friend.

Seeking Him is my secret weapon, and the most Holy of places. I call it the secret place, for it is a home only He and I know the address to.

The secret place is my haven that I had to find. Without it, I fear I would s�ll be lumped on my floor in a wreckless ball of despair. It is the home that leaves its doors open, so that when I am weary, I may rest. It is the heart that spreads its arms around me when I’m tempted to listen to thoughts of hopeless or abandonment. It is the only thing that sustains me, in this life we all must live.

And I say that with the utmost confidence... for I know what it’s like to be without Him en�rely.

A�er a long day, a�er a painful conversa�on, a�er a triggering thought ...in a moment I can be home, and in a moment I can be held.

I encourage you ... deligh�ul reader ... open up your mind, and let His love in.

It takes faith to trust that a good father will meet you - but I promise you, He will. Imagine yourself as a li�le child, running to the arms of your father. When you say “papa”, he responds.

When you ask him a ques�on, he answers. When you tell him how you’re feeling, he listens and comforts. What kind of father would ignore you? What kind of father would tease you, and say you must “work” in order to gain his affec�on and a�en�on?

Wherever you are, whatever �me of life you’re in, you’re a beloved and most sought a�er child. I hope that as you read this, you are filled with a s�rring to seek the face of the one who gave you breath. I pray that you are awakened to the reality that you are here for something far greater than yourself alone. I pray that in your secret place, in the home that you run to, you would be con�nually undone by the wreckless love of God. ♥ Chris�anna Burkee @chris�anna_burkee rumpalmsprings.com

‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand]. I will say of the Lord , “He is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I rely]!” For He will save you from the trap of the fowler, And from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you

and completely

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His pinions, And

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you

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come near you.

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repayment

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noon.

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command

His

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to

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guard you in all

your ways [of obedience and service]. They will lift you up in their hands, So that you do not [even] strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and cobra; The young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

“Because he set his love on Me, therefore I will save him; I will set him [securely] on high, because he knows My name [he confidently trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never abandon him, no, never]. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him And I will let him see My salvation.”'

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It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself.

That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

Galatians 5:13-14 MSG x

SOCIAL

Love others as yourself

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R. unapologetically me.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

“nothing done. nothing to give. nothing to dream, nothing to say”

“this guilt won’t leave. so much to do. gotta keep moving.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

“feeling insecure. feeling rejected. safe in isolation”

“they are better than me. that’s what I should be.”

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

“I want to be brave. but I missed the boat. I’ll try again tomorrow”

I love you on your best day I love you on your worst day

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

I love you on your worst day.

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your worst days don’t define you. your best days don’t define you. my love will never leave you my love has nothing bad to say about you my love is smiling over you my love is casting out fear my love is connected to you my love will never reject you my love will always cover you my love will always be kind to you

it was never about your works it was always about my love it was always about your heart “for God so loved the world, that He gave His only son” so take a deep breath. the price has been paid. the work has been done.

I know things are hard.

I know you don’t see the light.

But I see what you don’t see.

And I’m telling you everything will be alright.

whether you remain seated for all of your days whether you travel the nations preaching for my name’s sake I will love you all the same

so be kind to yourself my darling because I still love you on your worst day, my love will never change ♥

UNCONDITIONAL LOVERS.

Hello lovers.

When I started dreaming about our first "uncondi�onal lovers" ar�cle I knew straight away the first couple I wanted to interview were my mum and dad. Through celebra�ons of all kinds, raising 3 wild daughters, ministry, health issues, heartbreak, grief, sorrow and so much more I have seen them walk through all of it together. Keeping God number one, and staying in love as ever before, raising not only their own family but having so many spiritual sons and daughters that they mentor along the way. They are a powerful couple, and they are absolutely marriage goals.

Their love is so deep, they are best friends, and it's been a lot of work to keep it that way! So I want to introduce to you..

R.

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Q: How long have you been married?

Andy: 38 years in September!

Q: Dad, what's your favourite thing about mum?

Andy: Oh my goodness, her selflessness.

She just naturally thinks of other people first before herself, and that includes me, it's actually seeing faith in ac�on with your mum. You see God working out through her life and it's as simple as that. There's no complicated stuff with mum. She prays for virtually everyone on the planet, she loves uncondi�onally, she gives her last penny to someone in need *as he looks at her lovingly* that's you mate!

Q: Mum, what's your favourite thing about dad?

Kim: I love his eyes. The way he looks a�er us. He is such an encourager, he's always believed in me. He pushes me to have adventures that I probably wouldn't have the courage to have. The way he cares. I completely and totally trust him and his faithfulness.

Q: How do you keep the spark alive in your rela�onship a�er all these years?

Kim: *She looks at Andy* well you watch football and I go away *they laugh hysterically* Andy: Date nights! And preferring the other person, if something is important to mum then that becomes my priority and she does the same for me. The last thing I want in my life is a dog! But it's important to mum so it's important to me and that's the truth. In a marriage that's so important.

I wasn't great at that in the earlier years!

Kim: Quality �me together. Keeping short accounts with each other as well. If we annoy each other we quickly talk about it so we can solve the problem. .

Communica�on helps the spark!

Q: When have you wanted to quit on your marriage?

Kim: When dad farts! *giggles* Andy: There was one �me and I remember si�ng in the lounge and mum going out and I said to myself 'this is what divorce must look like' I can't remember what I had done but mum was fed up with me and stormed out of the room. But we dealt with things, we talked about it and we made up - spli�ng up wasn't an op�on! It's just not on our radar.

I think the problem today can be that people can go into marriage thinking it's going to be easy and you don't have to work through things and also making it work for the sake of the children! It's massive.

Kim: It would have been early on in our marriage, I was pregnant with Laura and I started to walk out in the

rain but turned back because Emma was in bed in the house - I can't even remember what that was about! *giggles* Andy: Selfish piggery probably! *he laughs* I was a selfish young man.

Kim: The thing is I would always just think about all the things I loved about him. He worked really long hours and it was the sort of job where they did a lot of socials a�er work so dad would come home really late and he'd be drunk, and if it ever annoyed me I would always think about what I loved about him.

That would always win over the things that annoyed me about him.

And also, even back then I knew I would trust him. I knew he was a faithful ol'dog!

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Q: Dad, what about when you first saw her? Because you had love at first sight! The moment you realised she actually wanted to be with you as well?

Andy: Oh no I never had a surprising moment when she wanted me back.

It was always going to happen, I knew Kimmy was the one. It wasn't a case of 'oh wow it's gonna happen' it always was gonna happen! I would not have lost Kimmy, no chance. Not for the world! *mum looks like a blushing 16-year-old girl with a big fat smile on her face* Q: Can you guys tell us about a cute magic moment that you both have had together?

Andy: Definitely seeing mum on Emma's wedding - absolutely stunning! That was a definitely a standout but oh loads of �mes. When we're together at the pub, when we're out on walks, just normal moments, moments of looking. When she's asleep, so o�en. I love her! *looks lovingly at mum* Kim: Really?!

Andy: Yeh! That's why I tell you I love you ya dozer! *they laugh*

Q: How about you mum?

Kim: When I first started falling for him. I had bu�erflies all the �me!

Watching him hold our first baby, they just stared at each other for ages.

More recently it was when we were in town and with dad not being well for so long - I was wai�ng by the car and then I saw this handsome dude walking along and I realised it was dad! He looked so light-hearted and so happy that he could be out doing normal things and that was a very special moment *giggles*

have Q: What important advice do you for people wan�ng to get married?

Kim: For me, never assume something. It might seem that dad is in a strop with me but actually most of the �me it has nothing to do with me - it's something he's worrying about.

So never assume, and have a conversa�on first. Don't take things personally always talk about things first. Also, everybody has a story, so when you start living together there might be certain behaviours they have that you don't understand - always try to find out the root of what the problem is because it could be linked with something from the past, from childhood, an insecurity so always always talk stuff through. Be very quick to forgive. Don't let the sun go down while you are angry don't do that even if you feel you're jus�fied, always talk it out. Also, make sure you know each other’s love languages as well - that's really important.

Andy: Seek to understand them before you're understood and vice versa. It's always about the other person because without understanding the other person then how can you relate truthfully and clearly with them? We all had a func�on system made up by the past, trauma, sad things and it's very rare that someone walks into a room completely happy and at peace with themselves - we are all being sanc�fied - and made more like Christ and this is a life long journey and you are on that journey with your partner.

You become one person. It's about considera�on, preferring the other person, that's love.

Understand them before they understand you - this takes years of cul�va�ng. We grow each day! That's why pu�ng Jesus first is the most important thing, God loves us uncondi�onally and we live from that place. ♥

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10 ways to Love Yourself You are quite astounding did you know that?

You’ve been through heartbreak. You’ve been called names.

You’ve been gossiped about. You’ve been falsely judged. You’ve fought against society’s impossible standard of what beauty should be. You’ve been mocked. Maybe you’ve had rumours spread. You’ve felt alone in the world. You’ve been disliked.

You’ve seen things that you didn’t deserve to see. Experienced things that are painful beyond words.

Think you deserve some love yet?

You are resilient, strong, powerful, remarkable, wonderful, victorious, you have walked through the fire + you are s�ll standing here today.

You deserve a life of love. You deserve a life of SELF-love.

I believe cul�va�ng self-love is like following a star. Without killing the vibe… you never actually arrive there.

You could have been on this journey for years and you will s�ll have bad days some�mes + baby girl that’s fine. I have days some�mes where I mindlessly beat myself up. When I realise what I’m doing I stop and say “Rae. I am proud of you. Relax. You are doing a great job” some�mes a�er doing that my mood shi�s and some�mes it doesn’t. Embrace the imperfec�on of this crazy beau�ful life it doesn’t need to be perfect.

These are 10 things that I live out and prac�se and it would bring me such joy to give you these tools. When we choose well in the moment on a daily basis we create new mindsets. Don’t feel like you’re behind. It’s all about the journey. So let’s go..

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R. daily rest daily rest for me is high priority. take at least an hour a day with yourself. drink tea. lie down. walk. journal. relax. have a bath. however you relax make sure you have this �me with yourself. i start my day every morning in silence. this brings balance to my life and clarity. i fight for this �me every single day. i need it. and so do you. xo daily play play �me is absolutely necessary for a full abundant life. make �me for friends. make �me for fun. make �me for laughter. go on road trips. weekends away. go to the cinema. play pranks. do sports. create. have adventures. make memories. watch comedies. laughter and friends is medicine. it keeps you healthy. daily work what life are you crea�ng for yourself? whatever you focus on now will be determining your future. don’t focus on your dreams or your goals. focus on what you are doing now to steward those things. what are you doing daily to create the life you want for the future? this brings passion and joy! your dreams ma�er darling. the world wants them. so work hard! believe in yourself!

shine bright this is my biggest journey. the choice in the moments to shine bright. speak up. create loudly. to put myself out there. i find this so vulnerable. but we have to be ourselves in this world. why would we waste another second on living our life living hidden away? we must not let fear take our life away! choose to shine sweet one. choose to be true to yourself. love yourself enough to live authen�cally. know your needs + get them met. for me i know that �me with god, nature, rest, fun and the list goes on is something i need therefore i will listen to my body/ soul/ spirit when it communicates to me what it needs. for you it will be different. some�mes we think it’s a bad thing to take a break in the middle of so much to do but i believe we are more produc�ve when we look a�er our needs than just ge�ng everything done. great way to love yourself + keep your soul healthy! work on self-percep�on how you see yourself is how you will think everyone else sees you. and if you have a nega�ve view on yourself this will hold you back from real connec�on in

R. rela�onship. a great way to work on your beliefs about yourself is posi�ve self-talk and declara�on. i like to speak words of life to myself whilst looking in the mirror. your beliefs create your vibes. say no now i can finally say i have no problem saying no to people. if i don’t want to do something i will not do it. i’m done with people pleasing. i used to be an absolute sucker for it. love yourself enough to say no. say no to compromise. say no to peer pressure. if you don’t wanna go to that party, say no. if you don’t have �me to do that extra shi�, say no. at first saying no is vulnerable but a�er some prac�se it will start to feel empowering!

Indulge meal �mes, coffee breaks, dessert, any�me you eat and drink is not a �me to be rushed. stop. sit down and experience the bounty of your food. experience the taste. god gave us taste buds for what reason? for the pleasure of experiencing taste! eat slowly. don’t rush. go out for dessert with your friends. try new things. treat yourself, darling. we are so blessed to experience food and drink every single day. enjoy the blessing of it.

Kindness speak to yourself gently. when you fail my love don’t be filled with shame. talk to yourself like you would the person you love most in this world. never be harsh to yourself. celebrate your progress. make �me to even reflect on your progress. speak to yourself in a loving and encouraging way. be a best friend to yourself. cut yourself some slack. this will bring so much blossom into your life. it also creates a standard. because you will not deal with anything less in your rela�onships in your life and you won’t be afraid to say so. accept your broken parts it’s �me we bin the idea of perfec�on. if we embrace the thought that we don’t have it all together some�mes, we have different insecuri�es, and fears that most of us try to hide we won’t be hiding. and we will feel so much more free. when we accept that we deal with these things, and speak about it openly – shame has to leave. so embrace reality darling. you don’t need to fight anymore. ♥

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10 ways to Love Others *friends edi�on Let’s talk inner circle peeps. So I used to have lots of friends. In all different friend groups. Oh, we had a lot of fun. And to hang out with lots of people is lovely. Don’t ever stop doing that. But honestly, I didn’t have an inner circle. I didn’t have the real friends that s�ck to your back when you are sha�ered in tears on the ground and won’t talk a word behind your back about it. You need a few of them honestly. The inner circle. The girl gang. Your sisterhood. Your bros. You name it. The ones that pick you up and lay you down. The ones that challenge you to your core, and the ones that tell you to take a step back and freaking rest.

Over all the years of my life, I have met and will meet extraordinary people. Some s�ck. Some don’t. And a chosen few I choose to be part of my tribe. And they choose me back. Back in the days my life just seemed to happen to me. Nowadays I am very aware if I don’t choose someone I can’t fight for them. And honestly, I can’t love them like they deserve to be either.

Be inten�onal Look into the gorgeous eyes in front of you. And get to know the mysterious parts of their being. Get to know who you have in front of you. Really see them. Look into the gorgeous future they have ahead of them. Be inten�onal about really seeing them. Not what they can do for you. Not how they act at the moment. Really take �me to get who they are.

Love Languages Get to know their love languages! It might be words of affirma�on, acts of service, receiving gi�s, quality �me or physical touch. So I naturally shower my friends in upli�ing words, cause words of affirma�on is my love language. But that doesn’t mean my friends feel loved by me. If their love language is quality �me I need to choose to love them by spending �me with them.

LOVE OTHERS

Bring Your Personality Get to know more about their personality. Like the Myer Briggs test for instance. Please don’t box them into that though. But you will definitely understand more about the things they do and how they are wired. Like I am a big introvert. And people need to know that to not get offended by it. You can love them so much be�er understanding more of how they are wired. Dang people are so unique.

Spark the Flame You know your friends are badass fires. You admire the way they create their lives and do their thing. You know things about them they don’t even know. Cause you see things over their lives they don’t see. So go ahead and pull the gold out of them. You also have the honour to remind them of the rainbows in their hearts whenever they forgot about them. You are the spark to their fire.

Without you, they can’t stand as bright in what they do.

Embrace their Mess And with all the gold comes the dirt it is hidden in.

Yeah, we all have dirty messes. Don’t pretend you are all okay. You are not.

And your friend neither. You are not here for their gold. You are here for who they are. So you love them in their mess and their success. Honestly,

AS YOURSELF

the same strength in your friendship in your successes is the same strength in your messes. If you can’t handle the mess, you can’t handle their success.

And you have the privilege to speak life over their messes. And smother them in love. While uncovering all your messes into rosy flowers together with them. You aren’t rivals. You are in this together.

Iron sharpens iron Yeah so gold needs fire right. I find this the most uncomfortable part of friendships. Be freaking honest with them okay. To love them means confron�ng them with the things that might possibly hurt them but you know the only thing to do life is covering them in truth. You know they are be�er, so confront them to their be�er. It is not making them perform it is holding them accountable for who they are.

Transparency Holding things back is not being honest either. You are very honest when you answer a ques�on in truth. But in inner friendship, they shouldn’t really have to ask you ques�ons right. You are already transparent with them before they even have to ques�on you. Cause you are really open with each other. You are each other’s safe haven. And trust is a big thing in your inner circle.

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T. Exit You show me your friends and I will show you your future. Some�mes it is be�er to love people from a distance. Iron needs iron. Cause wood gets iron dull. And iron destroys wood. I don’t want to make people and their future dull or even destroy it.

Yes, that is how much power friends have. They either make you or break you.

Authen�cally being you People pleasing is not loving your peeps. Punishing them is neither. It is not bringing you to the table. You are not dependent on approval from someone else for your self-worth and iden�ty. Their approval is not who you are. And they need YOU! Not shallow love. They need the real thing, babe. And yes I struggle with this too. There is no shame here.

Beyond your wildest dreams God will bless you with people and community beyond your wildest dreams. All you got to say is yes and fight for them.

From that knowing smother your friends in love.

Don’t just give what you received. Go the extra mile.

You don’t have to earn their love. You have to freely gi�. Do things you absolutely don’t have to do, but you do them anyways. Just because you choose to, cause you love them so freaking much. ♥

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He is created in the wild, In the rough and calming seas.

In the steep and lush mountains In the places that will test him to its limits he feels greatest alive In the calm of his ac�on created in the wild he saw all living come into shape naming their iden��es adventure part of his bones where he fiercely fights his ba�le full-on ac�on aroused by her beauty aflaming his deepest strengths he is carved by the mountains shaped out by the sea

She is created in the beauty of paradise.

Struck by her roman�c voice in the ability, she can let you pursue her Shame once caught her as a seductress luring you in on losing on life The veil is broken. She is stronger than ever before.

Fiercer and unafraid. Her beauty overflowing In the dangling of adventure, she feels most beau�ful Touched by the birds singing to her. the flowers blooming her garden cause they looked at her beauty while she was created in paradise yet the highest of beauty captured within her mirroring the face of the divine No one messes with the warrior queen all that is stolen will be double brought back to her all that is taken shall be restored Unafraid to share her adventure with you.

Unafraid to love like never before.

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044

10 things I want my children to know While I was reading ‘raising giant killers’ by Bill Johnson, a book I highly recommend. I came across a le�er Bill Johnson wrote to his son Eric who was at the �me 18 years old with ten things he wanted his children to know. It was so profound it made me write a list myself. Even though I don’t have kids, I lovingly want to root for my future kids.

I highly recommend to write a list yourself. You might be roo�ng for your children, your future children, your grandchildren, your nephews and nieces, your classroom kids, you name it. It is magical to get inten�onal. Be aware of what is really important for you to teach your kids. In what you want to be an example in. It is se�ng them up for success. We have the opportunity to teach them things we had a long way in of discovering. Our ceiling is their floor. They will build upon the things we teach them.

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1. You are changing the world You are making a difference by who you are, the way you love and the way you sprinkle your love into the world.

Dream on. Show you. Do you. I want to make sure I teach them to be fully them and from that doing fully them.

2. Nothing is impossible I want to teach them how to build new roads. To not go with culture, not go with whining, not go with problems.

But think in solu�ons, in new pathways. How to release Heaven on earth.

3. If God is not in the middle of it, it is just a lie Get to know God. Talk to Him. Cry out all ques�ons to Him. Thank Him for all beauty. Feast on all signs and wonders. Get to know His Word. And listen to Him. Obey His direc�ons, in the li�le and the big. They point to real deal insane adventures.

4. Death just go to hell When I want to teach them one thing is to be fully alive. Emerged in love. Fierce.

Kicking death to hell. No par�cipa�ng in its stupid ac�ons, annoying words, disgus�ng lies, endless hurt, destroying history. No, but fearless, unafraid of anything. Living by the Fear-of-God. 5. Keep your body, spirit & soul healthy I want to teach them what a balanced lifestyle looks like. Full of changing the world. But more even rest and play.

How to nurture their bodies. How to nurture their souls. How to live from the spirit.

6. Put your words into ac�on Whatever you speak into life live it out.

Let your yes be a yes over and over. Let your no be a no. Whatever you do is a choice, your choice. Whoever says you don’t have a choice is lying. Do the right thing love.

7. Find your tribe Love everyone you meet fiercely.

But invest in a li�le group of people inten�onally. Standing next to them in their fights, laughter, families, heartbreak. Taking each other to the next level in life. Iron sharpens iron.

8. Don’t spend your money, invest your money Are these companies worth inves�ng in? Are they trea�ng people and nature right? Are you inves�ng in thrash or the circle of life? What have you invested in in the long haul? Crea�vity? Wisdom?

Or emp�ness?

T. out of love. Never ever hurt them, overlook them, cut them off cause they get in the way of what you do or feel. Just love them. They need that! Leave them be�er than you found them, never worse!

10. Smile Enjoy. Never lose your wonder.

Never lose your childlike faith.

Smile. Taste life. Enjoy it. God is s�ll good when life is a mess. Don’t be afraid of the dirt. Don’t be afraid of pain. I want to teach them how to steward their emo�ons well. ♥

9. Leave people be�er than you found them You are not to cure them but simply love them, sparkle some new truths into their lives, have a li�le laugh, a confron�ng conversa�on 047

SOUL gs and vision Mindset, feelin

049

Freedom is a choice.

Raw Souls

My heart craves for freedom. Even though, I am living in a very free country. Even though, I stubbornly follow my dreams that are a tat counter-cultural. Even though, I get to make all of my choices. My heart craves for freedom. Cause where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.

So where freedom is, there is God's presence. And I need Him. Face to face.

My heart craves for being so dipped in His presence, that my bones aren't controlled by all the things I need to do today, all the things I should have accomplished by this age. The current pressures I put myself on, cause I need to go go go. Being captured by �me.

Being captured by the opinion of man.

Being captured by stress. I legit need Him. I want to wake up in the morning and know He is near. Yell in excitement Good morning, Holy Spirit, what are we up to today? I don't want to tame my rebel heart. I want to listen to His. I want to get up and stop being chicken and run the race. Fearless.

Fierce. Whatever He tells me to do.

Do. And stop standing s�ll at every pressure, every feeling, every fear.

Cause they are sub to the mission. My obedience even leading to bigger freedom. Bigger adventures. In that freedom I have peace. Complete peace. Cause I am on fire. Listening to His voice every second of the day.

Freedom is a big responsibility.

Freedom isn’t doing whatever I want. Freedom is doing the right thing for me and others. Doing what we want, aka doing what we chose, s�ll has its consequences.

You know we reap what we sow.

Others call it the law of a�rac�ons.

Others pure logic. Freedom is a choice. The choice to do what is right. The choice to love. The choice to be in His presence. The choice to follow Jesus. The choice to confront your feelings and thoughts and replace them with truth. A choice that leads to bigger and bigger freedom. To bigger and bigger decisions. Which lead to bigger and bigger adventures.

Love is how freedom grows. To love others as yourself is how freedom grows. The whole law is fulfilled by love. Loving thy neighbour as thyself. ALL thy neighbours. ALL of thyself. Loving with the Holy Spirit is Heaven on earth. You see beyond behaviours, you protect hearts, you see beyond statements, you look at the person in front of you and ask the Holy Spirit how do you see this person and you actually see the real gorgeous beings in front of you, including yourself.

Freedom is a choice. To chose Him. And to chose love. ♥

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ALBUMS

Lauren Daigle- Look Up Child

United Pursuit - Garden

Eleva�on Worship- Paradoxology

Orphan No More- Exhale vol. 2

Hillsong United - People

Let it prophesy over you

PODCASTS

Jus�n & Abi Stumvoll

Hillsong Crea�ve Podcast

Brené Brown Documentary

Pa�ern Podcast

An Invita�on to Freedom

Wild Rose Movie

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FEAR OF GOD

‫יראת יהוה‬

‫‪055‬‬

‫‪D‬‬

Today in the sleepover club I want to talk about PERIODS and HORMONES. Ladies, this struggle is seriously real.

Did you know that women spend 6 years of their lives dealing with PMS? (Feeling hormonal before star�ng a period) Did you know that the average women will have over 400 periods in her life�me?

We are PMS every single month and it s�ll manages to take us completely by surprise!?!? I really struggle when I’m due. I feel misunderstood, I doubt myself and everything I’m doing in my life, �ny problems seem massive and I cry at the �niest things. Even adverts!! Come on! This is so real.

I cha�ed to my best friend about her experience of being PMS, and she struggles with depression when she’s due. I think it’s different for every single woman and it’s important that this is validated. The darling men in our lives do their best to understand, but I don’t think they ever will. But it’s a very real thing that we go through and it’s incredibly emo�onal and physically draining. I want to share a couple of �ps with you that help me when I’m in this �me of the month.

1. Mark in your diary when you’re due every month so you know you can put any grumpiness, feels, �redness, etc on it being the �me of the month. I always stress so much and ask myself ‘why am I so freaking �red!’ ‘What’s wrong with me? Why do I feel so sad?’ ‘Why is everything falling apart?’ ‘Do I need to move to the other side of the world?’ 'is anything I'm doing even helping??' NO, girl! Chill.. You are pms. You will feel normal again in a couple of days.

2. Embrace your feelings. Feelings are like visitors, let them come and go.

3. Have a self-care evening. Hot water bo�le.

Chocolate Bath. Face mask. Chick flick. Have an early night. Have a cry if you need. It’s cool. Take some �me out.

4. Even though you are more annoyed and sensi�ve than usual, don’t take it out on people. Take ownership of your feelings. You are strong! Give your family, besty, partner, whoever a heads up that you are extra sensi�ve. If they do something annoying, or you are just super grumpy- take a deep breath and try not to take it out on anyone. I know I can be so grumpy with people for no reason to the point I’ll just shut myself away in my room away from people because even I know I’m being extra salty! Try not to react from your feelings, rise above and let’s be strong in our character.

To all my sister ladies, you are incredible. ♥ I really hope this helps x

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R.

sacred gratitude.

6 ways to prac�ce gra�tude 1. Use Instagram On our instagram @wiildhearts__ we do daily thankful hearts instagram stories. this has been a massive part of my gra�tude prac�se and not only has it kept me accountable because our followers expect these stories but it has actually changed my life….. I no�ce so many blessings every day…. I was even walking earlier and felt so thankful for the pavement I was walking on.. that would never have entered my mind before! And not only has it changed my life but I’ve had so many messages about how people love and feel so inspired by the posts. So maybe this is something you could do as well.

2. gra�tude journal buy a journal and before you go to bed write 5 things you were thankful for that day 3. embrace silence and ponder on your blessings a good �me to do this is first thing in the morning, in the a�ernoon with a cup of tea, or just before you go to sleep

4. read buy some good books that really unpack the topic. I highly recommend any of Brené Browns books 5. embrace your season God knows your heart, and He knows you. Trust Him with where you’re at and follow His voice in your heart 6. declare thanks there was an incredible moment I had in this last year, in the morning I felt really really sad and hopeless about my future, and I started to say out loud how thankful I was to God, and I listed off the blessings in my life. I felt a tangible shi� in my soul and felt so much joy the next moment! There is SO much power in our spoken word. Declare thanks. At first it will be really hard.. but persevere un�l you feel a shi� inside. The joy is already there, it just takes thanksgiving to unlock the floodgates some�mes.

‘I see gratitude as a way of life available to each of us in every moment. Consciously choosing gratitude in our daily life is an act of love and kindness to ourselves and to each other. We can choose to be grateful and invite more growth, learning, love and abundance into our lives. It is powerful to remember that the simple things we take for granted are another persons dream. In every moment, we have the power to choose gratitude and live richly’

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thankful hearts.

I am thankful for my Jesus and that even though hard �mes don’t make sense He is with me Sunshine and tender people and grace Adventure days with loved ones My husband That I have so much to be thankful for Teachers that care and understand you.

Today.

His presence.

I’m thankful that Jesus never says this is the last �me I put you back together.

Health.

I am thankful for moms.

Waking up in the mornings, my kids and grandkids health.

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Come back to the beginning.

Come back to simple childlike love, sitting on their father’s knee.

No obligation, no goals, no agenda, just simple father and child relationship.

So pure, so beautiful, so unconditional.

You’ve been running hard, You haven’t taken a minute, You’ve been chasing the stars.

Stop.

Come to me.

Let me give you rest.

Walk with me.

Talk with me.

Receive my affection.

I’m taking you back to the beginning.

It’s time to breathe again.

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ength energy, str ty and maturi

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vibrant bodies.

My love for luxurious baths started two years ago when a dear friend of mine said that I should imagine soaking in the love of God whilst I had hot bubble baths.

To some people that might seem like an odd but I liked this idea. I don’t even remember the context of our conversa�on but it always stuck with me.

Li�le did my friend know, at the �me internally I was dealing with a lot of shame and self-hatred which caused me to feel disconnected from feeling free. I felt contained and fearful and it drove me freaking crazy. I remember during this �me I felt so lonely despite being around so many people. I remember feeling such injus�ce because I felt like my outgoing personality was being robbed from me. I wanted the world around me to see who I truly was but I had this force within me that would just stop me from living freely. I had absolutely no idea how to love myself. “Where do I even start” I would think to myself.

I started to have bubble baths every day and I’d relax in the presence of God as my thoughts would organize themselves. I felt so anxious throughout the day and even when I went home there would be so many people, as I was living on a uni campus at the �me. I would look forward to my bath �me because honestly this would be the only alone �me I’d get with God.

R. As I look back on my journey I see how this was the place where I started to really love myself and let Gods love in my heart.

There would be �mes where I would cry and cry and cry as the pain from the past and the present would come out and Gods love would pour in. I would be aware of hopeless situa�ons in my life and wonder if I would ever be on the other side. I didn’t see a way out. My prayer during this �me was ‘Lord, fill the gaps in my heart, fill the gaps’ and he truly answered that prayer. as I sit here behind my computer today and I feel like my heart is whole. my bath is where I started to learn to live in love. to allow myself to rest. to allow myself to trust God and let go.

Bath �me will always be a sacred �me for me.

Not only is it prac�cally a beau�ful way to rest physically but it is also a beau�ful way to rest spiritually.

Are you living in shame?

Are you living in hatred and punishment?

My love, I was totally in that space.

If you don’t know where to start with living in love maybe start having daily baths and say a li�le prayer whilst you’re in there. And just like my friend said to me, imagine you are soaking in Gods love. You deserve to be lavished by love. So now let’s go onto how you can make bath �me even more wonderful for yourself.

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R. Because this is a �me away from everyone else where you are lavished by love, create a bath space that you love. Make this �me special. Make this �me beau�ful. Here are a few ideas for you.

1. make it look pre�y for yourself. light some candles. get some li�le plants. sprinkle petals. burn incense. put some flowers in a vase. whatever you like.

2. bubbles and colours. you need bubbles of course. maybe keep a spare draw and start collec�ng coloured bath bombs. you can get these from the shop lush. You can get all kinds of crazy colours, you can even get gli�er bath bombs! Sprinkle petals. bring your favourite lo�ons and of course facemasks. about 3 �mes a week I put on my clay mask from the body shop and my skin feels so good a�erwards. invest in some good products. love your skin. lavish yourself with love.

3. set the atmosphere. put on a relaxing playlist. I love listening to classical music when I’m in the bath and I also like to have a glass of wine or a glass of cold water. I also bring my journal just in case I need to get any thoughts on paper. enjoy your bath �me my love. let your worries pass away. rest well. x

OIL BATH At Trader Joe’s the girl at the register said to me when I bought my very first bo�le of jojoba oil, don’t you just love to take baths with this. And I am soo thankful for what she said cause I fell in love with jojoba oil baths.

They clean my skin thoroughly, making my skin very so� and removing all grease from my pores.

OATMEAL BATH A�er a severe sunburn and for my feeling having tried every natural solu�on at that moment the pain wouldn’t go away �ll I stumbled across an ar�cle on oatmeal baths. I filled a panty sock with oatmeal to keep the mess in one place and it immediately soothed the pain. It also helped great when I was faced with shingles. From �me to �me I s�ll take oatmeal baths, the water gets milky and your skin so so�.

SALT B ATH I use Dead Sea salt, others Epsom salt. They cleanse your body of toxins and nourish you with magnesium. It is said when you take a salt bath before ge�ng on your period it soothes your cramps. Worth the try! Keep yourself hydrated while taking salt baths. ♥

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morning routine.

I absolutely love the morning. It’s where you start, it’s the founda�on of your day, it’s the calm before the storm! But let’s be honest, ge�ng into the habit of a morning rou�ne can feel like an impossible task. We hit snooze un�l we only have 10 minutes because our beds are so cosy and warm ‘just 5 more minutes’ I say to myself as I dri� into a pleasant nap. We run out of the door with some toast in our hands, or we scroll through instagram as soon as we wake up.. And then as you’re running late for your day that sense of guilt creeps over you ‘why couldn't you just GET UP! It’s fine I’ll do it tomorrow!.. Who am I kidding.. No I won’t’ we think to ourselves-- but actually I come with good news! You can do it and you will do it. In the wise words of Wendy Backlund; we don’t tell a baby off when he or she falls down when their learning to walk! We celebrate their progress, because they are learning.. And the more they try they will get there in the end. We must treat ourselves the same way when it comes to renewing our mind and cul�va�ng new habits.

So going back to my struggle, I realised I needed to sit down and write down a new rou�ne to mo�vate me – because I’ll admit, a cheeky rou�ne excites me! I need to switch things up a li�le bit to spring me out of bed. And there will be days where we fail, but that’s okay. Wri�ng this months later, I’ve managed to s�ck to my rou�ne and get back into my morning habit a�er dri�ing away from it- and it really makes a difference to my day, I get out of bed straight away now, and I look forward to the mornings.

You might feel like you’re not a morning person.. But I believe if you wanted to be, you could be.

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R. So saying all of that, here’s my morning rou�ne: Don’t hit snooze.

Align with heavens smile and say a li�le prayer Get up. Wash your face + brush your teeth.

Make some tea.

Make some yummy breakfast.

Breathe.

Come into the day with silence and gra�tude.

Stretch your body.

Wake up.

Focus on today.

Get your diary and write a to do list of the things you need to do, including fun things for yourself + others.

Schedule a �me in your day to spend with Father God. Cover the day in prayer Imagine it to go well.

Have great faith.

Choose your kickass ou�it.

Do your hair + make up.

Listen to the bible app whilst you get ready.

Take these sweet moments to feed on God’s word.

Prepare your lunch.

Give thanks. Choose joy.

Get your phone out.

Take off ‘do not disturb mode’ Check your messages.

Start your day. ♥

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Religious Ruts, Loving Fashion + Freedom in Christ R. Good evening to all of my rad wild fashion loving gli�er bombs.

I want to share something personal with you today about my journey, my personal style, and how I believe God celebrates our crea�ve expression in our unique style.

I think it’s pre�y safe to say since a very young age I’ve had a very unique personal style. Yes this is a photo of me wearing a boot AND a s�le�o shoe because why not right?!!

When I was a child I honestly had the most bizarre style. I’d be dripping in jewellery, I’d wear bright coloured shoes and miss matching ou�its and I wouldn’t think twice. My mum is an absolute legend for actually le�ng me out the house looking like that. I even remember some�mes ge�ng strange looks from people when I was really li�le. Picking out random clothes to match how I was feeling was something that came naturally, and it was just me I suppose and it brought me so much joy and s�ll does to this day.

I managed to keep my quirkiness going all the way through school and college up un�l this day, but at the impressionable age of 20 years old my childlike approach to fashion got squashed by one comment from a chris�an (who I really looked up to at the �me) and I can’t even remember what he said but it was something along the lines of ‘if you want to be a proper chris�an, you need to give up fashion because it’s not Godly’

“Oh” I thought, as I guilt and shame filled my heart.

that God rebuked crea�vity, fun, colour and personality.

“Does that mean God hates that part of my personality?”

I started going down a slippery slope of legalism, religion, and condi�onal love.

“Is God annoyed with me for being passionate about fashion?”

I would feel immense guilt for wearing my quirky ou�its, when I was having fun, when I rested and if I missed a bible reading, or made a mistake I would feel so ashamed and disconnected from God. I believed He only loved me when I was trying to be a good chris�an, and keeping to the rules, and totally trying to squash my personality. And I felt anything but free. I felt like a slave, trapped in chains. It sounds very drama�c but this is really how I felt.

“If that passion wasn’t from God, is it from somewhere else?”

“Does this mean I need to walk away from my crea�vity?”

As I look back on this li�le moment I realised that through this one li�le comment, I started to believe the lie

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I thought to be a chris�an, you had to be boring. I thought God was mad.

Mad at me for who I was. Mad at me for my desire to live out of the box.

My whole rela�onship with God was an absolute lifeless drag to say the least. I totally pied off my personality.

In midst of my striving some tricky life situa�ons occurred and suddenly I didn’t have the strength anymore to put on a performance before God. My first response was ‘Screw this. I need a pack of cigare�es’ and the following weekend I called some girlfriends and we hit up the clubs and I fully intended on ge�ng drunk out my mind to drown my sorrows.

Li�le did I know that on this evening I was about to have a life-changing encounter that was going to totally change who I thought God was…. in a TOILET! I was in the club with my friends and I was star�ng to get a li�le �psy.. I needed to pee so I went off to the toilet and I sat down in the cubicle and I felt God’s presence fill up that space. I felt immense love and

kindness, I felt God’s smile over me.

His kindness overwhelmed me and it was the purest, most genuine love I’ve ever experienced in my en�re life. And I heard Holy Spirit say “daughter, this is not the way for you” and when I felt God say this, I felt no judgement whatsoever, He totally met me where I was at. In my mess and chaos. I learned for the first �me that God was kind.

God started to take me on a freedom journey, and revealed to me who He was as a father. I started to ponder on Ma�hew 5:48 where God is described as ‘the perfect father’ .. what did a perfect father look like to me? To me the perfect father would have great banter, he would be cheerful and playful, he would celebrate his kids victories and passions, he would want to spend �me with me and get to know me, I could trust him, he would provide, he would protect, and I would know no ma�er what happened I would be loved by him. To be honest, this is actually what my earthly dad IS like and so many more things – and it suddenly dawned on me that my dad, and all the other legend dads I knew were made in the image of

R. God. All of these wonderful a�ributes were placed in these fathers by God Himself and on top of that God was even MORE great that the best father on earth you could meet.

The more I started to actually have a personal rela�onship with God where the pressure was off, the more I got to know Abba Father. I started to fall so in love with God. And it got to the point where if I didn’t spend �me in God’s presence I would feel like I was suffoca�ng. And through a series of encounters with the Holy Spirit, and studying the word of God I started to feel like I was coming back to life, I started to dream again and best of all, a wild love and freedom started to flow from my rela�onship with God that gave me permission to totally be myself. And now I pick out my clothes to express the what I feel inside and even if it’s a rainy day if I feel like it I will put some gli�er on my eyes with some bright liner and whacky trousers. I want to celebrate the freedom I get to live in through Christ and one way I want to express that is through fashion.

John 10.10 says that Christ has come to give us ABUNDANT LIFE! This is anything but boring!

This is adventure, joy, wonder and so many other things.

So do you know my convic�on is now about who God is?

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I believe the things that are important to you are important to God. I believe that you are completely unconditionally loved.

I believe that fun, laughter, celebration, art and creativity was God’s idea.

I believe that we are WILD & FREE just like our Heavenly Father I believe that we are created to create.

Whether that’s through drama, dance, art, make up poetry, fashion, film, you name it. God loves it.

I believe that were the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.

I believe God gave you your personality.

I believe the things you are passionate about are for a very special reason.

I believe God is excited about your life.

I believe YOU ARE A GOD DREAM.

I love picking out what I’m going to wear for the day. It’s one of the ways I express myself (as you have probably gathered) I love mee�ng people who have their own li�le style going on. I love it when people get crea�ve with clothes, jewellery, accessories, nail varnish, make up and hair styles. I love ge�ng inspired by other people’s ou�its. I love it when I see someone wearing something totally WHACK and they have no care in the world because they like it. It doesn’t even occur to them what someone else might think.

If you want to wear those crazy neon yellow trousers do it. If you want to wear a green wig do it. If you want to dress like a punk do it. If you want to wear a nike tracksuit do it. If you want to dress like a rock star do it. If you want to dress gothic do it. If you

want to miss match your clothes do it. If you want to wear something out of the box please DO IT. Create your own unique modest colourful wonderful style that suits YOU and you only. Don’t conform to the world. Don’t follow everybody else. When you are totally yourself you inspire others to do the same. The more you express your crea�ve side that maybe you’re worried about the world seeing the more true you will feel to yourself. The more confident you will feel. The more you will love your life. Maybe people won’t accept you being different to everyone else but I think that says more about them than it does about you.

So add some whack and colour to your life. Don’t hold on to comments and opinions.

No apologies ♥

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We are dreamers. The ones with our heads in the clouds. It is our strong suit and our weakness. If we are not able to give it a place, we can’t be our true selves. Our dreams are closer to reality than reality itself. Our dreams are the place of things that will exist where reality has no idea of yet.

In the academic world, there is not much space for dreamers. I remember si�ng in classrooms looking out of endless windows covered in my thoughts. My grades were high enough so the teachers didn’t bother. But there was no place for my dreams to uncover. There were only facts and logic. But for me, I couldn’t put the logic in the deeper meaning of it all.

Even in art school one of my teachers told me I couldn’t pass for his class cause I was too much of a dreamer, and he knew he couldn’t change me. I

wouldn’t be able to ever give good presenta�ons or speeches.

I wasn’t a born speaker according to him. No ma�er how famous this person was right in front of me, I knew he was not speaking truth. I knew that if I or anyone would speak in front of thousands of people from the bo�om of our hearts anyone would be perfectly able to, and they would be perfectly able to grasp our message. Being a dreamer would only benefit actually, cause it would bring us to the table. Everyone that speaks from his heart, people will listen to.

Even when I had driving lessons my teacher told me to stop being such a dreamer and be in the here and now. But that is the thing. I can’t stop. I can’t dewire myself and mould myself into a new human being. Cause God made me in this eccentric way for a reason. And that does make

T. the day to day simple things harder for me. I am not going to lie. I myself need to find a path that fits, cause the path that works for other people doesn’t work for me. Cause my view of the world is fairly different. Even though I used to think everyone was wired exactly the same. But actually, no one is wired the same. But the path of a dreamer he needs to carve out himself I think. Cause he is bringing dreams into reality. He is bringing something that doesn’t exist into existence. So, of course, his road doesn’t exist. Yet. No ma�er the s�gma that s�cks to dreamers about living in another world that doesn’t exist and never will. It is true most of the �me I live in a completely other world. But that will never stop me from bringing that world into this world.

I believe a healthy dreamer is bringing Heaven on earth. Even when it costs you everything.

Cause being a dreamer and the

gorgeous movies you are seeing in your dreams bringing your vision, your ability to see things no one else sees into this world is hard work. You need to s�ck to your vision. You need to break through a lot of things. You need to build this thing up from the start. You need to conquer all the lies. All the setbacks. You need to go out there.

And voice the things you see.

Your dreaming capability is adding new layers to this world. You bring vision into reality. You are bringing Heaven to earth. And yes Heaven is a bigger reality than earth. You are solving problems. You are healing.

You are prophe�c. And you are changing the world. One dream at a �me.

So darling, dream on… ♥

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BOOKS

live creatively.

When I used to go to a party and I was on the dance floor with my mates I would just stand there. S�ll. I would not move a muscle in my body.

Terrified. To lose control. Terrified of what people might think. Terrified of the uncomfortable.

In my secret place I would actual start dancing with Him. Dance if no one was watching but the One. Slowly losing pieces of control. Slowly le�ng Him be the wind in my sails. Blowing all legalis�c expecta�ons. Blowing all rules I made for myself.

It is funny the year I let the Holy Spirit in, the year I got a real deal rela�onship with God. Cause through the Holy Spirit I hear His voice.

Conversa�ons in Him talking, me responding. In me talking and Him responding. Through Jesus sacrifice my prayers are covered and He prays even for me. That year so many people asked me ‘are you a dancer?’.

Which I found so odd, cause I never danced. As if they could see a glimpse of me le�ng go of that control and dancing with the Holy Spirit.

There is something so sacred on dancing. So well expressing our feelings, So pu�ng our body into our stories. Like a freedom march releasing boldness over our lives. All your cells in your body agreeing with this flow.

Dancing with the Holy Spirit might feel like a slow dance full peace and sweet elegant whispers. In other moments it feels like a wild dance party celebra�ng with every pore in your skin. ♥ 083

COVERT AFFAIRS Servant Hearts My dad served our li�le country for forty years. Pu�ng his life at stake for the safety of others. Since his re�rement, I believe he serves even more people than ever before. The scale of it might have changed from our country to local, but the impact of it definitely hasn’t.

Let me take you into the wondrous life of a volunteer. His covert ops and some less covert ops cause his face is in our local newspaper a lot lately, don’t get paid in any way.

S�ll, he treats his jobs, yes he has several ou�ngs, with the same diligence as he did in his serving.

Which I admire beyond.

He changes our neighbourhood in a very prac�cal way, I do think a lot of churches are so about church lately they totally forget to serve in a very prac�cal human way. Like the Bible talks about dressing the poor, feeding the hungry, helping out. Really, simple doable things with a massive impact.

A few of the things my dad is involved within our community is serving at a local walk-in place where people without homes or without money can have coffee, food, a shower. He also helps people with yard work, rides to the hospital, chores around the house, having quality �me, you name it, simply because these people don't have people around them that can help them.

He also serves our village through being a part of the local board and inves�ng in the community by doing some of the work behind the scenes.

He also started vision groups in several areas in the community to dream big and make our village brighter and solve problems. He also picks up trash and organises a yearly event to pick up trash of the streets and nature together. A�erwards, they have dinner together.. That is community, my love. That is making a difference.

How can we make a DIFFERENCE in OUR city?

☐ DONATE FOOD ☐ SMILE AT A STRANGER ☐ DONATE CLOTHES AT A PLACE FOR SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIMS ☐ PICK UP TRASH ☐ DONATE TOYS AT A PLACE KIDS CAN PICK UP TOYS FOR FREE ☐ DRINK TEA WITH A LONELY PERSON ☐ PUT STICKY LOVE NOTES IN THE TRAIN, ON MIRRORS, SOMEONE’S CAR, IN THE WAITING ROOM, AT THE MALL ☐ ORGANISE A DANCE PARTY ☐ VOLUNTEER ☐ SEND A POSTCARD

☐ GO ZERO WASTE ☐ PUT SWEET NOTES UNDERNEATH EVERY PICTURE YOU COME ACROSS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ☐ HELP IN SOMEONE’S GARDEN WHO CAN’T DO IT THEMSELVES ☐ GO DUMPSTER DIVING ☐ COMPLEMENT A STRANGER ☐ SERVE AT A HOMELESS SHELTER ☐ PRAY WITH SOMEONE ☐ TELL HER YOU LOVE HER ☐ TREAT YOUR GIRLFRIENDS ☐ TAKE YOURSELF ON A DATE ☐ BE THAT PERSON

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WILD HEARTS

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wild is messy. wild is passionate. wild is wholehearted. wild is daring. wild are queens.

You are a wild one.

You know. So wild.

Yet so tender.

And loving.

So selfless loving.

Figh�ng for a be�er world.

Just being you. wild is being in over your heart. wild is stretching the borders. wild is protec�ng. wild is being alive. wild is a lover risking all.

WILD HEARTS MAGAZINE