Saturday, April 27, 2013
What's In Your Purse pt. 3
This post is a couple of months old and though I really want to post it on this blog - I no longer have all the pictures available for use. So. Head over to my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/uncommongrl) to check out part 3!!! I'll be posting part 4 in the next couple of weeks - hopefully ;)
Love you guys!!! <3
Saturday, April 21, 2012
What's In Your Purse - part 2
Yes, I have Bee Pollen capsules in my purse. I'm sure the majority of you are sitting there wondering why. Well...in my time in EJM, one thing I learned was that some former EJM members had lost quite a bit of weight taking Bee Pollen pills so, about two weeks or so before I left the ministry, I started taking them myself. Now, I'm not saying they work or not because after about a week I started forgetting to take them at every meal and now, they sit in my purse practically untouched. I actually thought that if I put them in my purse I wouldn't forget but...I do. But anyway, the reason I take the pills are for weight loss (even though I'd love to be healthier) and the main reason for that is because I don't really like what I see when I look in the mirror. BUT...is that really pleasing to the Lord?
Insecurities are something we ALL struggle with at some point and time of our life...whether we'll admit it or not...and so, this week for "What's In Your Purse" I've decided to share a part of my testimony that deals with my insecurities.
Around the time of my sixteenth birthday, I became aware of insecurities within myself. I started wearing makeup all the time to make myself look better and it was then that I began coloring my hair. I felt I wasn’t good enough and it wasn’t until insecurities with my first boyfriend began surfacing that I ever realized I had them and why and I walked in those insecurities (and didn’t realize how important it was to face them) until I was twenty-years-old.
I didn’t have my first boyfriend until I was eighteen-years-old and I met him at college. I graduated at seventeen and went straight to a non-denominational college in Birmingham, Alabama. My second year, I moved to the campus and became very close with a fellow PK and by Christmas break we were dating. I saw this Mennonite Pastor’s Son as a project to pull into the Pentecostal world and I can honestly say that “project” hurt more than it helped and it opened up the door to insecurities I had never faced with my grandparents before. Not only that but I had never been kissed and held that close to my heart, but it wasn’t long after our first date, he kissed me and over a nine-month relationship, I was introduced to the demon of lust. Emotional abuse was something I experienced in that relationship; we broke up three times and every time I took a verbal beating because he had so much pride he couldn’t see any of his wrong, and it was always my fault. I cowered down and took everything he hashed out because I was “in love” but in the end, it wasn’t God’s will. We broke up at the end of summer 2009, at the beginning of a weeklong Eddie James Ministries tour in my hometown. EJM was at my church for the week and God really used them to help me through that time (as a matter of fact, it was the week Eddie wrote “I Need You” and boy did I need Him in that time of my life). It wasn’t until that October that I realized; I had quit relying on God and started relying on myself. I was so deep in depression I could barely see the light outside the window; staying in my room 24/7, sleeping more than half the day, staying glued to the TV when I wasn’t asleep, having headaches six days out of the week and never wanting to minister (whether it be singing or dancing) but doing it anyway because I was drama team director. By November 2009 I was in so deep, I had lost control of my mind and it truly was the enemy’s playground. One Saturday night I had gone to bed but I couldn’t sleep because I could feel the literal battle of heaven and hell over my soul in those moments. I was being pulled back and forth it felt, as if God had the rope to one side of my mind and satan had the rope to the other side. I couldn’t stop squirming and all I kept thinking about suicide. I was miserable and I wanted my life to be over, so I thought. In my mind, I prayed to God and gave Him one chance to help me out of my mess. That next Sunday night, Holy Spirit showed out at my dad’s little country church and God set me free from depression and I haven't had a suicidal thought since.
Last year, I experienced the pain of a broken engagement. The emotional abuse of a broken engagement (and a breakup in general) is something that only God can heal because a girl just can’t do it on her own; and no man will ever be perfect enough to fix it. I was an insecure, broken, emotional, indecisive, mess of a twenty-one year old; who was leading worship every time the church/ministry center doors were open. My home church was genuinely concerned about me but the ministry center I was in leadership at was more concerned with my gifts than my emotional and spiritual stability. It took three months for me to allow God to begin breaking the walls and the healing process in my heart, mind and Spirit. Even after that the enemy began attacking and right when my parents were about to lose their minds with me when they began fasting and praying about the situation and a week later, I got a text from Eddie James, asking me if I was interested in being a part of EJM. In my time with EJM, I learned a lot about myself and God broke chains off of me that I thought I’d always be bound to (such as relational insecurities, hurt and bitterness toward my ex-fiance and fear of future relationships); and He broke some I didn’t even know were holding me down (such as anger and bitterness and attitudes towards leadership because of past leadership hurts) but in the end, it comes down to the fact that no matter what we do, and no matter where we’ve been, He loves us and He'll go to the greatest lengths He can to make sure we know that.
I encourage you to turn your insecurities over to Him...He'll love and affirm you like no one else will. And of course, I end out with a song and the perfect one is, "How He Loves" :)
This is a version I recorded a couple of years ago and, to put it on YouTube, I made a picture slideshow! My two favorites rolled in to one, I guess you can say! But anyway, enjoy!!! And put your security in Him because He is the only One who will never leave you or forsake you.
http://youtu.be/iDL3Q7E0e5s
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
What's In Your Purse - part 1
As soon as I got home from my tour time with EJM, the Lord dropped an idea in my heart and so, I'm following through on it for the next few weeks.
I looked over on the kitchen table at my parent's house and the first thing I heard in my Spirit was "What's in your purse?" and so, here we begin our journey together as to what's in our purse and what the Lord may have to say about it! Of course, I don't know what all is in your purse but I definitely know what's in mine so...we're gonna work straight out of my purse.
The first thing we're gonna talk about is found in my cosmetic bag...hand sanitizer (Bath & Body is my favorite)! I'm sure most people see where I'm probably taking this...we're gonna talk about our hands!
I don't think a lot of people realize how unique God made our hands. Although, I feel most people do in fact understand how important our hands are. Our hands are very unique; not only is EVERY fingerprint different but every line in our hand is different. Some hands have hair and others are smoother than a baby's bottom. Some hands have freckles and moles, while others are flawless. For example, on the top of my left hand where my hand ends and my wrist begins, I have a little mole and another on my index finger on the inside. But my right hand has no markings at all.
As you very well know, hand sanitizer takes away the germs and cleanses our hands from things that could potentially harm us. When I think about what hand sanitizer does, it makes me think of Psalm 24:3&4, "Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully."
The blood of Jesus makes our hands Spiritually clean...have we Spiritually washed our hands of things that defile our hands and make them unclean before the Lord? I mean, I don't know about you but, I want to ascend the hill of the Lord! I want to stand right in the middle of His holy place with not only clean hands but a pure heart as well. Most Christians know this passage and probably know a song or two that deals with it so, I want bring to light some other passages and ideas that maybe we, haven't thought about.
Maybe you've thought about this and maybe you haven't but...Adam and Eve are an example. Eve was created to be Adam's helping hand (Genesis 2:18) and she did just that; but her hands caused her to stumble and sin entered the world. In Genesis 3 we see that Eve's hand took the fruit and then after she ate of it, she gave it to Adam. Their hands helped bring sin in to the world.
In Job 37:7 it is written that "He sets a seal on the hand of every man..." and some believe this is in fact talking about our fingerprints. Whether true or not, God still created our hands and placed a seal on them...He made each different in His own way! But even though God created our hands, they can still lead us astray...if we're not responsible in our walk with Him.
The Bible even talks about the Lord's hand. Isaiah 49:16 says, "Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..." and the author of Hebrews talks about the heavens being the work of His hands (1:10). David writes often of the hand of the Lord in the Psalms but one of my personal favorites is in in Psalm 16:11, "...at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Those are just a handful of things the Word says about hands, I want to challenge you to dig into the Word and see what else it says about hands. But I also want to challenge you to do with your hands what God desires for you to do; to work for His Kingdom! To reach out and touch those who needs you! To do everything He's called your hands to do.
Every time I think of the hands in the Christian perspective, I think of the song "If We Are the Body" by Casting Crowns. So, I'll leave you with that thought!
http://youtu.be/kAWeHo8E70E <--Check the video out here!!!
I looked over on the kitchen table at my parent's house and the first thing I heard in my Spirit was "What's in your purse?" and so, here we begin our journey together as to what's in our purse and what the Lord may have to say about it! Of course, I don't know what all is in your purse but I definitely know what's in mine so...we're gonna work straight out of my purse.
The first thing we're gonna talk about is found in my cosmetic bag...hand sanitizer (Bath & Body is my favorite)! I'm sure most people see where I'm probably taking this...we're gonna talk about our hands!
I don't think a lot of people realize how unique God made our hands. Although, I feel most people do in fact understand how important our hands are. Our hands are very unique; not only is EVERY fingerprint different but every line in our hand is different. Some hands have hair and others are smoother than a baby's bottom. Some hands have freckles and moles, while others are flawless. For example, on the top of my left hand where my hand ends and my wrist begins, I have a little mole and another on my index finger on the inside. But my right hand has no markings at all.
As you very well know, hand sanitizer takes away the germs and cleanses our hands from things that could potentially harm us. When I think about what hand sanitizer does, it makes me think of Psalm 24:3&4, "Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully."
The blood of Jesus makes our hands Spiritually clean...have we Spiritually washed our hands of things that defile our hands and make them unclean before the Lord? I mean, I don't know about you but, I want to ascend the hill of the Lord! I want to stand right in the middle of His holy place with not only clean hands but a pure heart as well. Most Christians know this passage and probably know a song or two that deals with it so, I want bring to light some other passages and ideas that maybe we, haven't thought about.
Maybe you've thought about this and maybe you haven't but...Adam and Eve are an example. Eve was created to be Adam's helping hand (Genesis 2:18) and she did just that; but her hands caused her to stumble and sin entered the world. In Genesis 3 we see that Eve's hand took the fruit and then after she ate of it, she gave it to Adam. Their hands helped bring sin in to the world.
In Job 37:7 it is written that "He sets a seal on the hand of every man..." and some believe this is in fact talking about our fingerprints. Whether true or not, God still created our hands and placed a seal on them...He made each different in His own way! But even though God created our hands, they can still lead us astray...if we're not responsible in our walk with Him.
The Bible even talks about the Lord's hand. Isaiah 49:16 says, "Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..." and the author of Hebrews talks about the heavens being the work of His hands (1:10). David writes often of the hand of the Lord in the Psalms but one of my personal favorites is in in Psalm 16:11, "...at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Those are just a handful of things the Word says about hands, I want to challenge you to dig into the Word and see what else it says about hands. But I also want to challenge you to do with your hands what God desires for you to do; to work for His Kingdom! To reach out and touch those who needs you! To do everything He's called your hands to do.
Every time I think of the hands in the Christian perspective, I think of the song "If We Are the Body" by Casting Crowns. So, I'll leave you with that thought!
http://youtu.be/kAWeHo8E70E <--Check the video out here!!!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Uganda & Israel is NEXT WEEK!
Hello,
I hope this letter finds you doing well. I would like to take a moment and fill you in on the latest updates of Eddie James Ministries. Once again, the Lord has opened up some awesome opportunities for EJM to go across the world to share the gospel and love of Jesus Christ. Out of the many trips the Lord has given us the opportunity to be a part of, this is one of the most exciting, and here is why: On December 6th, 2011 we will be departing from America and travelling to Uganda, and Israel for an entire month! Below is a description of what we get the privilege to do in each nation:
UGANDA is going to be a very unique country to visit because of their hunger and expectancy for a move of God. Our trip coordinator, a local Ugandan, has expressed this hunger significantly. He mentions that the people will begin to walk from their homes a week before we even board a plane to enter the nation. They will walk for days in expectation of miracles, signs and wonders. We are expecting at least 50,000 people to attend each of these crusades.
We will also be doing outreach in the schools, churches, and orphanages of Uganda. These orphanages are homes to hundreds of children whose parents have died from AIDS. We get the opportunity to provide them with practical as well as spiritual needs. It is going to be life-changing!
This is the third tour that the team has taken to ISRAEL in the past year and a half; however, this trip will be very unique. We will be doing crusades with crowds of 10,000 people or more as well as street outreach. Our BIG event in Israel is on Christmas Eve. On December 24th, we will be performing live, broadcasted on NBC all over the world. There will be over 150,000 people in attendance, not counting the millions we get to reach through television. We will be ministering in Jesus' birthplace, Bethlehem, on the eve of His birthday! Please be sure to tune in if you can!
So, what's the bottom line?
Although you may never be afforded the opportunity to travel the nations and minister the love and gospel of Jesus Christ, it takes people like you to extend your hand to make it possible for EJM to go. By sowing into the ministry for this trip, you will be playing a major part in touching MILLIONS of lives. The total cost of the trip is $5000 per student. The deadline for the money is December 2nd, 2011. If you would like to play a part in making this trip a reality, simply call our headquarters at 256-476-4184. You can also donate through our website,www.ejworship.org. Thank you so much for all of your support financially and in prayer. This trip is only made possible by awesome supporters like you!
Peace and Blessing,
Eddie James
I hope this letter finds you doing well. I would like to take a moment and fill you in on the latest updates of Eddie James Ministries. Once again, the Lord has opened up some awesome opportunities for EJM to go across the world to share the gospel and love of Jesus Christ. Out of the many trips the Lord has given us the opportunity to be a part of, this is one of the most exciting, and here is why: On December 6th, 2011 we will be departing from America and travelling to Uganda, and Israel for an entire month! Below is a description of what we get the privilege to do in each nation:
UGANDA is going to be a very unique country to visit because of their hunger and expectancy for a move of God. Our trip coordinator, a local Ugandan, has expressed this hunger significantly. He mentions that the people will begin to walk from their homes a week before we even board a plane to enter the nation. They will walk for days in expectation of miracles, signs and wonders. We are expecting at least 50,000 people to attend each of these crusades.
We will also be doing outreach in the schools, churches, and orphanages of Uganda. These orphanages are homes to hundreds of children whose parents have died from AIDS. We get the opportunity to provide them with practical as well as spiritual needs. It is going to be life-changing!
This is the third tour that the team has taken to ISRAEL in the past year and a half; however, this trip will be very unique. We will be doing crusades with crowds of 10,000 people or more as well as street outreach. Our BIG event in Israel is on Christmas Eve. On December 24th, we will be performing live, broadcasted on NBC all over the world. There will be over 150,000 people in attendance, not counting the millions we get to reach through television. We will be ministering in Jesus' birthplace, Bethlehem, on the eve of His birthday! Please be sure to tune in if you can!
So, what's the bottom line?
Although you may never be afforded the opportunity to travel the nations and minister the love and gospel of Jesus Christ, it takes people like you to extend your hand to make it possible for EJM to go. By sowing into the ministry for this trip, you will be playing a major part in touching MILLIONS of lives. The total cost of the trip is $5000 per student. The deadline for the money is December 2nd, 2011. If you would like to play a part in making this trip a reality, simply call our headquarters at 256-476-4184. You can also donate through our website,www.ejworship.org. Thank you so much for all of your support financially and in prayer. This trip is only made possible by awesome supporters like you!
Peace and Blessing,
Eddie James
Thursday, November 24, 2011
What Am I thankful for? pt. 4
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
I am so thankful today for you!!!!
I hope you had an amazing day and God blessed you beyond measure this year!!!
I know He has meeeeeee!!!!!
Much love and many blessings!!!!!
I am so thankful today for you!!!!
I hope you had an amazing day and God blessed you beyond measure this year!!!
I know He has meeeeeee!!!!!
Much love and many blessings!!!!!
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