by Stacy Turley | Mar 12, 2022 | Behind the Scenes |
If you are like me, you may be curious about what led me to start this ministry, how the website was designed, and WHY I picked some of the elements of the site. So this section is to bring you Behind the Scenes to hear part of my spiritual journey and how my mind was working in the design and feel of the site.
So here we go…Just before I turned 50 years old, I was reflecting on my life up to that point. What are my passions? What are my gifts? What impact have I had on my community from my work experience, my volunteer efforts, my family and friend relationships, etc.? What does God have in store for me in the future? Am I listening to his nudges and responding with open hands? What is my calling?
I was aware that I was over halfway through my life on earth and I was not sure I had yet truly found my calling. I wanted to live into God’s call for me. I wanted to be an active partner with Him in the purpose He ordained for my life. So, I began asking the question, what is my calling? How is God asking me to step out in faith, let Him lead, embrace the uncomfortable, and be a vessel to display and share his love to others.
At the time, the lead paster of my church had recently published a book called A Why to Live for: Where Your Destiny Meets the Broken Places of the Worldby Dave Rodrigues. (Found on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Live-destiny-broken-places/dp/057843797X) Dave was offering to meet with members of our congregation to complete a Calling Quilt. This is an exercise in the book that reviews our past experiences, our highs and lows, our family dynamics, our work experiences, our gifts and passions to determine how our story is pointing us to the calling that God has in store for us. Our purpose…or in Dave’s words A Why to Live For. I met with Dave, and we completed the quilt. And he asked me, “Have you ever thought about writing?” At the time, that is not where I thought I was headed. Was I capable of writing about my journey? Would anyone care? My degree is in accounting not English or Literature or Creative Writing. Is this the door in which God is leading me? Dave helped me see that I have…
- A passion to help women who may have lost sight of their value and worth due to past trauma or have not yet discovered their value and worth in the love of Christ.
- A passion to help women realize YES…we are enough! With Jesus as our Savior, guide and counselor, we are already enough to be used for His kingdom.
- A passion to help women deepen their relationships and friendships among other women to provide support and encouragement to each other…not comparison and competition.
- A passion to celebrate the gifts that God has given each of us that unite us as one body in Christ.
- A passion to hear and share each other’s stories as a message of hope. We are not alone. We have the ability to be victorious in our journey with the strength and guidance of our Lord within us.
This opened my eyes to a possibility I had never considered. Are you in this with me, God? Is this what you want for me? Is this my purpose?…because it feels really scary.
Read the next post for more at Behind the Scenes #2: Affirming the Calling
Hugs & blessings, sweet Circle,
Stacy
by Stacy Turley | Mar 12, 2022 | In the Word |
“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel…” ~ from Paul, Phillipians 1:12
What we have gone through is NOT for nothing. Our story…our journey…our trials have been for a purpose. And that purpose has been to bring us closer to God but also to bring others closer to God. How does this happen? Why are our trials so very important to the strength and salvation of others? Here are some points to consider.
- God will use all things for good for those who love Him. In Romans we read, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) I am not saying that everything will work out for good. Period. I am saying that for those who love God, for those who have surrendered their lives to God and are willing to step out and follow Him. God will use all of our story for good. He will use our lives…the good and the bad…to provide encouragement and hope to others. This is His promise! It is not just a possibility. But that means that we must step out of our comfort zones and GO where He is telling us. He will be faithful if we are faithful. Thank you, Jesus.
- You are not alone. When we share our stories, our trials, our victories through the strength of Christ, we are letting others know that when they are going through a similar experience, they are not alone. We are with them…GOD is with them. This is crucial. So often when we are in a valley of pain, loss, addiction, hurt or trauma, we feel isolated and alone. We feel that no one could possibly understand what we are going through. But when we share our story, we offer encouragement and connection to others. But not only are we providing that connection, we are reminding each other that Jesus is also with us…always. Through all things if we surrender our lives to Jesus, He will never leave us and He will bring us victory in our trials. Just as Jesus himself went through these trials. This brings us hope.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10, NIV)
- Victor vs. victim. When we allow God to walk with us through our trials, He offers us victory over our circumstances. Nothing is too big for God.
“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27, NIV)
God is able to provide victory over all things. We are called to choose joy in all circumstances…the highs and the lows. Not “happiness” but joy in who Jesus is, not in what is happening around us. Even if our trials are not miraculously healed or changed or resolved, God promises if we walk through the trial, we will emerge with a deeper, more mature faith. Experiencing and overcoming our trials will lead to increasing our endurance, building our character, and deepening our hope in Jesus.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:3-5, NLT)
For we know He is with us through it all. We do not have to stay stuck in victim mentality due to feeling helpless or hopeless or shame. We are given the choice to celebrate victory over our circumstances by inviting God into our lives and letting him lead us through the darkness to the light that only He can provide through forgiveness of our sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit in us through our salvation in Jesus.
- A message of hope. “You made it through and so can I!” What a powerful message of hope!! Our stories can provide hope to someone who feels like giving up. Our message of overcoming through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives may be the saving message for someone who is at the end of their rope.
Don’t remain silent. Don’t ever feel like your story…your journey…is not worth sharing. We are all worthy and important to the kingdom of God. We are all part of the same body of Christ. No one is any more or less important. We all work together to advance to message of hope and love that is found in Christ Jesus. Be a vessel of hope! Join Our Circle and share your message of hope on the Gallery of this website.
Prayer: Praise to You, Lord Jesus. Thank You for walking with us on our journeys. Thank You for loving us so much that You lift us up in Your arms when we do not have the strength to take another step on our own. Help us to remember that we are more than our circumstances. We are more than our worst mistake. That our value and worth is in You. You have given us a unique gift. Our message of overcoming our low points in life will be the message of hope to other people who are also suffering. Help us have the courage to open up to others and share our stories. Help us realize that our trials do not diminish our value and worth, but just the opposite! Our trials and mistakes when we travel through them and not give up develop perseverance, character and hope. Our trials allow the power of the Holy Spirit to be revealed which make us a valuable tool in God’s kingdom works. Thank You, Jesus.
Hugs & blessings, Sweet Circle,
Stacy
by Stacy Turley | Mar 7, 2022 | Life's Journey |
My story like many of your stories has been shaped by joy, pain, love, abuse, great relationships and not-so-great relationships, great choices and not-so-great choices. Like a mountain range, my experiences are varied and filled with highs and lows. But most importantly, my story has been made complete when I found the love of Jesus. I am Worthy…You are Worthy…just as we are through the blood of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. And I know that all these experiences have grown my faith and groomed me to be the woman I am today. The Word of God reminds us that our trials bring perseverance, character, and hope. We can rejoice not only in our mountain-top experiences but also in the lowlands of the valleys.
“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” – Romans 5:3-5 (ESV)
I know I still make mistakes, and I will never be perfect. I struggle with comparison, self-doubt, anxiety, and low self-esteem. At times, I have felt there was no escape from these feelings. I have felt alone, unworthy, “not enough” in multiple areas of my life, and maybe even a little depressed at times. But I also know that I love the Lord who saved me from my sin, and I feel His love in return.
By surrendering my life to Jesus, I know I have God’s hand to hold through the celebrations and the challenges…
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. – Psalm 139:9-10 (NIV)
And His Spirit reminds me over and over of my value and worth in Him…
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. – Psalm 139:14 (NIV)
He is there for me to lean on…
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. – Psalm 121:1 (NIV)
He promises never to abandon me…
So do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
God knows me even more than I know myself…
Oh LORD, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down. And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. – Psalm 139:1-4 (ESV)
Sweet Circle of Friends, I know many of us struggle with these same issues. I feel your pain. I have experienced some of the same pain. I also see our victories and triumphs as we rise out of the valleys with Jesus in the lead. I hope we share our stories with each other to bring hope, healing, and encouragement. I also hope we grow a rich, thriving community with each other as Sisters in Christ.
More to come on my journey in future posts. Come back and let’s continue to share together and celebrate each other.
Hugs & blessings, Sweet Circle,
Stacy
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