by Stacy Turley | Jun 17, 2022 | In the Word |
I was having lunch with a friend of mine this week who recently wrote a book called Finding Your YES. We were talking about our callings and how God is working in our lives. She had commented that she has so many ideas to expand her reach for God’s Kingdom through her ministry, but there wasn’t enough time in the day to do all she wanted and dreamed of doing. I had to laugh a bit. I told her that I had felt a similar drive at various times in my life. But, currently, I am in a season of REST. God has shown me over the last year and a half that YES…He has asked me serve Him and His children on this new journey and season of my life. And YES…I have responded to His call in my life to support, encourage, and share with others the love of Christ . But also, YES…I have heard God inviting me and showing me I need to REST, too. The most difficult decisions for me in saying YES to rest are saying NO to many other opportunities that are important to me…but those may not be the best opportunities for me, at this time.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give your rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
~Matthew 11:28
When we study REST in the Bible, I specifically relate to two types of rest.
- PHYSICAL REST: Physical rest in scripture is the provision God has made for us to have time and take time to rest our bodies. We need to cease our work to replenish our physical strength and health.
“And He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.”
~ Mark 6:31
- SPIRITUAL REST: Spiritual rest is our need to find peace and soul-food by the relationship, comfort and love we experience when we spend time with God. To let go of our control and let God take control of our lives… to trust and have faith in Him.
“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvaiton, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”
~ Psalm 62:5-8
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
~ John 14:27
When we are burdened, it is not enough to just take a nap, although that may be needed too. Our burdens often include a spiritual fever that requires us to slow down and create margin in order to spend time with our Savior. For only through the power of God, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in us are we able to replenish our souls to find peace and joy in all circumstances. This type of rest and time with God allows us to put our trust in Him and to develop a deeper relationship with Him, which breaks the chains and burdens of believing we have to do it all on our own. Both types of rest are often needed for us to truly feel released from our toils and replenished in our strength and health.
Christine reminded me that in order to say YES to God to serve Him, we also must say NO to other things. Or to say it differently, we must say NO to certain requests of our time and resources in order to have the time and resources to say YES to God’s calling and nudges in our lives. This is a blessing to say YES to God. To give ourselves margin to be available to respond to the quiet whispers of His voice when He nudges us. Make space for Him, my Friends. Have courage to say NO, so you may have the freedom to say YES for the better choices and YES to rest whether it is a much needed nap or a time of solitude and silence with our Lord.
QUESTONS TO PONDER:
- What do you do when you feel that you need physical or spiritual rest?
- How has God nudged you to slow down and spend some quiet time with Him so he may give you a peace that is beyond our understanding?
- When did you last wrestle with the lies from the enemy that tell you to keep going, to stay busy, to say YES whenever you are asked to help with something? What did that look like and how did you respond?
- What action or choice can you do next to say YES to the invitation of rest… to be replenished in the arms of Jesus for your physical and spiritual health.
- What decision are you able to make today to let go of your need to do it all on your own and say YES to put your trust in God?
PRAYER: (Praying Romans 12:1-2)
Abba, Father. You are a merciful and loving God. Help me to present my body and spirit to you as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you through my actions and decisions. Let my choices for the better YES be an act of worship to You. Help me resist the urge to conform to this world, the pressures of society and my own selfishness, but remind me that I am transformed to a new creation in Jesus Christ. I know you have renewed my mind and soul. Help me to discern what is your will so I may respond YES to you. I desire to do what is good, acceptable and perfect in your eyes, Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.
Hugs & blessings, Sweet Circle.
Stacy
by Stacy Turley | Jun 14, 2022 | Behind the Scenes |
Hi, Friends. I love sharing this part of my journey with you regarding the website. I know why I picked the things that I did, but you do not. I can’t speak for other websites, but every single decision from font choices to color schemes to pictures, had specific meanings for me. Let me explain so you can see the God-things in the visual elements and content of the website. I hope you feel more connected to me after reading the posts about the website creation. I hope you look at the site differently now when you go to stacyturley.com. I hope by revealing the meaning behind the details of the Gallery it allows you to see how it was inspired by God’s love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, creativity and relationship with us,
THE GALLERY – INSPIRATIONS, STORYTELLERS, WARRIORS, AND CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
We all have a story that describes our faith journey. We all want to be seen and known. This Gallery is where we are able to connect with, pray for, and celebrate with each other. My goal for this section is that we all “own” this part of the website. We can be seen and known through our submissions. I want us to celebrate each others’ gifts, to share our ideas, to give hope to others through our stories, and to encourage each other to step out of our comfort zones to help one another.
There are four sections to the Gallery for all of us to get connected and share with each other:
- INSPIRATIONS: The INSPIRATIONS page is a place where we are able to share the people, places, or things that feed our creative side. I never thought I was creative. I was even intimidated by the word. That changed when I was in my 30s and someone said to me, “We are all creative. To be creative means to do something in a new or different way.” Well, we all can do that. So what are the people, places or things that give us ideas or inspiration? Is it a walk in the woods? Is it a magazine photo? Is it the textures, colors, and smells of a garden? Is it a recipe or pattern? Is it a handmade card? I love the idea of providing each other with suggestions to explore by sharing our own areas of influence and creations.
- STORYTELLERS: We all have a story. Our journeys are unique and powerful. Every story needs to be celebrated. The STORYTELLERS page is a place for us to share our tales and narratives. To be known and celebrated. Our stories will provide hope for other women who may be struggling with the same issues or finding joy in similar mountaintop experiences. To laugh, to cry, to feel through the women who share a snippet of their life with us.
- WARRIORS: How do you serve in the kingdom of God? What do you like to do to make a small change for good in your community? To be a WARRIOR for God’s kingdom, our acts of service to not have to be big or extravagant. We are all the hands and feet of Jesus in this world. We all have different gifts. Each gift and act is needed and valuable. Let’s spur each other on to try new things by sharing our favorite service ideas on the WARRIOR’s page.
- CIRCLE OF FRIENDS: This page is all about YOU!! I love seeing who you are and where you are from. I love knowing how you connect to God and if you have a favorite craft. When you Join the Circle of Friends, your information will be added here. (Although if you prefer not to be listed, then that is fine too!)
This is NOT about comparison or competition. It is all about celebrating each other!
Sometimes we simply do not know what to do to be creative or how to serve. Sometimes we don’t know if our story is worth telling. I am here…we are here… to tell you that it IS WORTH TELLING. I can’t wait to load glimpses of your journeys and gifts on these pages so we may all pray for and celebrate you! Your ACTION is needed by submitting your photos and/or stories to this page…to be an owner of the content. Go HERE for the permission form and email address for all submissions. You have an opportunity to bring encouragement and hope to others. I hope you join me in this effort today!
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
- What have I created lately? How am I inspired to do something new or express my creativity?
- What is my faith story? How has God met me in my highs and lows? Who has impacted my life or changed my course?
- How do I love to serve? Where did I go to get plugged in? What feelings come to mind when I am helping other people?
PRAYER:
Abba, Father. Thank you for creating us in your image. (Genesis 1:27) Thank you for our gifts, our strengths, our uniqueness. We all come together to form the body of Christ. (Romans 12:4-5) We are your children. Help us to encourage each other, support each other and celebrate each other through our gifts and our stories. Help us to build each other up by serving each other well in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Hugs & blessings,
Stacy <3
by Stacy Turley | Jun 10, 2022 | In the Word |
Hello, Friends! I was talking with a friend of mine over coffee today. She shared a story about how several years ago she felt the Holy Spirit nudging her to crochet prayer shawls for charity. She ignored it at first thinking she really did not want to take on this task. But the nudge kept returning and she decided to go for it. She focused her first efforts to provide shawls for our church’s care center. But then she realized that she felt more strongly about making them for family, friends, and neighbors who could use a bit of comfort and encouragement. One dear friend of hers who was in a nursing home due to the side effects of her cancer was a blessed recipient. During one of their visits, her friend shared why she felt blessed to have received this shawl. She shared that whenever she felt discouraged or alone or hurting in her circumstances, she would wrap that shawl around herself and it reminded her that Jesus is with her and also wrapping her with His love. She felt the love of my friend whose hands made the shawl and the love of her Savior whose hands made her.
Our Lord and God has called us to encourage one another. This may look differently for each of us depending on our gifts, talents and relationships. It may be making a prayer shawl for a friend, or praying over them in a difficult time, or showing up at their home to say HELLO and that you missed them, or sending a cheerful note, or picking up the phone to tell someone how loved they are just the way they are…that they are never alone…that you want to walk life with them.
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
~1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV
Jesus modeled for us how we are able to help and show encouragement to one another. Three of the areas that He modeled are as follows:
- He showed us to be other-centered and not self-centered. Throughout scripture, Jesus focused on the soul health, physical health, and deep love of those around Him. He was in the moment with His followers and all the people He met. He looked people in the eye, touched those who were not to be touched, and spoke to those with whom no one else would speak to provide them with encouragement and hope. (See examples, “Jesus and the Woman Caught in Adultery”, John 7:53-8:11 NIV; “Jesus heals a Man with Leprosy”, Matthew 8:1-4 NIV; “Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman”, John 4:1-42 NIV).
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
~ 1 Peter 4:8, ESV
- He pointed us the power and love of God. God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. Jesus experienced the death that belonged to each of us due to our sin which separated us from God. God also told us to love others the way He loved us (John 15:12 ESV). Jesus was our example of what love looked like. Jesus showed us that love was to serve others, not be served.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. “
~ John 3:16 ESV
- He demonstrated the power of faith. Before Jesus was arrested, he went to a place called Gethsemane to pray. He was deeply distressed about his upcoming arrest and death for He knew what was coming. He asked God to spare him yet He submitted to God’s will. Jesus believed and knew that God’s plan will be fulfilled. Jesus demonstrated that when we have faith in God and submit to His plan, all things are possible! Just as Jesus was raised from the dead to overcome sin, God can and will do great things in us when we are faithful to Him.
“His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. enter into the joy of your master.”
~ Matthew 25:21 ESV
We all need support and encouragement from our Circle of Friends and family. We often lose perspective on the abilities, strengths, and uniqueness that we have been given by our Creator God. Or we become too busy and overwhelmed to live intentionally but function in a state of frenzy by reacting day-to-day to whatever comes our way. When we lose sight of ourselves and who God made us to be as well as the purpose He made us to serve, the words of encouragement and support from others help us to slow down and refocus. Encouragement from others boosts our confidence to continue to lean into our calling or face our circumstances with a renewed perspective…a reminder that we are not alone. Not only do we have a Circle of Friends to support us when we are weak, but our Holy God is also with us.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
- How does it make you feel when someone does something unexpected for you?
- When was the last time you provided support or encouragement to a friend, neighbor or family member? How did they respond?
- Who do you know who needs encouragement or support right now? Take a moment to reach out to them. You may change the course of their life by showing them they are not alone!
I heard it said once that we are denying others the ability to serve when we say, “No,” to their offer to help us. We do not have to live alone. We may ask for and accept the support of others in whatever form. And we may give the same blessing to those around us who also need help and encouragement.
PRAYER:
Abba, Father. Your love for us is amazingly beautiful and unconditional. Thank you for demonstrating that love in your Son Jesus, our Savior. You have asked us to encourage one another. Help us to keep our eyes open for the needs of others. Help us to take our attention off of ourselves and our own circumstances to see and react to the needs of those around us. Help us to trust in you and have faith in you that we too will be served in our time of need. Thank you Jesus for your example of service and encouragement and love. Amen.
Hugs & blessings, Sweet Circle,
Stacy
by Stacy Turley | Jun 7, 2022 | Behind the Scenes, Uncategorized |
Hi, Sweet Circle. I love sharing this part of my journey with you regarding the website. I know why I picked the things that I did, but you do not. I can’t speak for other websites, but every single decision from font choices to color schemes to pictures, had specific meanings for me. Let me explain so you can see the God-things in the visual elements. I hope you feel more connected to me after reading the posts on the Design Elements. This is Part 2: the “circles” of the logo and the pictures I chose. I hope you look at the site differently now when you go to stacyturley.com. I hope the visual elements allow you to see the community we have with our Lord in a new and exciting way.
THE CIRCLES OF THE LOGO
Why are there circles in the logo? Why Circle of Friends as the group name that connects us? Why are the circles imperfect? Well, let’s start with the meaning of a circle. According to Webster’s Dictionary, two of the meanings of a circle are “a group of persons sharing a common interest or revolving about a common center” and also “to move or revolve around”. This idea formed the central theme of what I wanted women to feel when they connect with each other through this website and with the Word of Jesus. The words that came to mind for me when I was brainstorming a logo were: connected, imperfect beings, wholeness together, bound, complete, surrounding, and revolving. I wanted a word that would encompass these ideas. For example, we support each other; we are connected together; and we are complete together. (Romans 12:4-6a) Where one is weak, the others in the circle encourage, support, and strengthen. (Romans 15:1) We are bound together in love as Christ loved us. (Colossians 3:14) I also love the idea that we are all revolving around our Savior Jesus. He is our center…our nucleus. We all have a shared sisterhood as followers of Jesus.
A CIRCLE seemed perfect. Yet I wanted the shape of the circles to be imperfect and I wanted many circles overlapping. None of us are perfect and we never will be this side of heaven. This idea is represented by the imperfect shape. We all have different experiences and challenges and triumphs. This idea is represented by the many circles of the logo which represents all our individual lives. And the intersections represent how our lives impact and interact with each other. We may not even know how we have touched the lives of others, but it is happening all the time. We are the circles bound together, intersecting each other, and revolving our Lord and Savior.
As the Circle of Friends, I hope that we recognize our Savior as the Center. I hope we recognize the we are better and stronger together. We learn so much about how we are to support and encourage each other when we study the One Another statements of the Bible. Click HERE for a post on In The Word #5: One Another… coming soon. Also, you may join the Circle of Friends to have access to our weekly newsletter and get a free download of the these One Another verses that you may use for Scripture journaling or topical Bible Study.
THE PICTURES
We all love pretty pictures. The colors and content draw us into the scene. A still picture may even portray movement and emotions just by looking at it and allowing the content to speak to us. I chose some of the pictures to expand on the theme of “the sand and the sea” that is also represented by the colors of the website. I also wanted to use as many personal photos as possible in order for you to feel more connected to me and what is important to me. Below are some descriptions of the photos that appear on the site:
- The picture of the ocean at the top of the Home Page – This photo was taken on the coast of Oregon while my husband and I were visiting our daughter Madi. We drove from the southern coast of Washington to the southern coast of Oregon. We stopped at a variety of locations and witnessed the beauty of the West coast in the powerful waves and rock formations. The picture shown was one of my favorite locations. I loved how the huge rocks shaped and funneled the water into submission as it rolled onto the shore. Gorgeous!
- The picture of hands knitting on the Gallery page – This is a photo of me working on a shawl for my daughter-in-law Shannon for her wedding gift. You may read more on the story is on the Gallery page found HERE. Whenever I am knitting, crocheting or using my hands to make things, I am always reminded of how God made me….how He created and crafted me for purpose. I hope to include more stories from you all in the Gallery under Inspirations. Please share with me what you like to create and why. Feel free to email me at gallary@stacyturley.com and complete the Permission Form found HERE.
- Pictures of me on the Home page and About page – Photos of me were taken by Abby Chikkala, a classmate of my son Mitch. She is so talented and spent a couple of hours with me walking around downtown Noblesville, where I live, to capture some shots for this website. She even helped me pick out my clothes!
- The picture of me at the ocean on the About page at the section called About Me – Another picture taken by my husband on the trip to Oregon. I was actually taking a photo of the waves, while unknown to me, he was taking my picture! This is one of his favorites!! So I had to include it.
And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
COLOSSIANS 3:14 (ESV)
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
- What situations make you feel most connected to those around you?
- Who has impacted your life the most? Does he/she know it? Consider writing them a note to tell them!
- What are some of your favorite pictures? Why?
- Do you find meaning in creating things? What is your hobby? Would you be willing to share your creative inspiration with others on this site? If so, feel free to email me and I will tell you how at gallary@stacyturley.com.
More to come…Hugs & blessings, Friends,
Stacy
by Stacy Turley | Jun 3, 2022 | Life's Journey |
I remember one time my husband was telling a story to some friends of ours about how a complete stranger allowed me to drive his remote control plane at a campsite where we stayed in Texas. Mind you, this was not an inexpensive device back in the 1990’s! I was so embarrassed because I was convinced it was not me who flew the plane, but must have been another girl he dated before we got married. I pulled on his arm and whispered quickly in his ear, “Babe! That was not me. It must have been someone else you dated.” Of course, our friends overheard my exclamation and laughed. My husband laughed the most as he remembered every detail of our trip from where we stayed to what we did. If he tried hard enough he would likely remember what we were wearing that day! Not me. That memory was long gone!
Isn’t it funny how so many of our memories from great times and new adventures, slowly fade away over time? At least that seems to be what happens to me. However, I have memories from some of the more challenging times of my life that I am able to recall as if they happened yesterday. I remember the details of the events and even the emotions that I felt. I can bring back the pain and hurt if I think on it for too long.
As I mentioned in Behind The Scenes #5, when I was younger, I experienced an abusive relationship. It was a very painful and confusing time for me. It occurred during a time when I was still trying to figure out who I was and where I belonged. This relationship changed what I thought of myself. I felt shame and blame for what happened to me. I thought I brought it on myself and that I deserved the way I was treated. This lie changed how I was able to deal with other people for many years. It impacted future relationships with trust and control issues. I struggled with barriers and walls that kept me from being known by others for fear of judgement and abandonment. I did not like myself and felt that others would not like me either if they knew who I was and what happened in my past. So…I buried this part of my life and stuffed it in a closet that I never planned to open again.
With the trauma locked up, I tried to move on with life as if nothing happened. I lied to myself that everything was “fine” and no one would know that anything had changed. But people knew I was behaving differently. I was pushing people away who cared about me. I was keeping secrets and avoiding conversations. I was sabotaging relationships out of fear of getting hurt again. I feared making new friends, dating, being authentic in who I was. I tried to act the way I thought other people wanted me to act and look how other people wanted me to look. I struggled with eating disorders along my journey at times in order to bring control to my life when my emotions and life seemed out of control. I began to lose sight of who I was, what I needed, and even if God actually loved me. I felt unlovable. I was hurting others and myself by keeping my pain and experiences a secret and letting them fester in the dark.
“‘Hurt people hurt people’ is more than a clever phrase….As that damage causes us to become defensive and self-protective, we lash out at others. Hurting becomes a vicious cycle.” – from Dr. Sandra D. Wilson, Hurt People Hurt People
Thankfully, God did not let me stay in the dark, where the enemy thrives to ruin our lives and our hope. God placed people in my life who loved me unconditionally. I eventually was able to bring into the light what had happened. I had people who stood by me and spoke Truth to me. The more I talked about it and recognized who I was in Jesus, the easier it became to release the chains that it had wrapped around my heart, my relationships, and my mind. I began to heal and find hope again. I recognized that even in these areas of great pain and self-harm in my life, God was molding me to grow in character, wisdom and compassion for others who have struggled with pain, abuse and addictions of all kinds.
My, Sweet Circle. We are not perfect, nor have we ever been called to be. We will still sin. We will still behave poorly. We will be hurt and hurt others. We will still have to face the consequences of our actions. BUT…oh, how I LOVE the “but”!! BUT, we are worthy and valuable, fully known, completely loved exactly how we are through the blood of Jesus and His victory over sin. HIS victory becomes OUR victory. We do not have to be a victim any longer. And we do not have to seek perfection or “get better” before we can come to Jesus for help. Our freedom from the chains of sin is easy. We believe in our Lord and Savior, Jesus. And we are forgiven by our faith in Him. That’s it.
Our journeys may still be difficult and we may still stumbled BUT we rise again with a clean slate of forgiveness through our faith in Jesus when we confess and repent of our sin.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
– 1 John 1:9
I may not remember all the good stories. BUT, I am celebrating how God is working in my life every day to redeem the places of pain. God transforms our pain to beauty through His mercy, healing, and love. Thank you, Jesus! Amen! Amen!
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
- Where are you hurting?
- Is your hurt impacting your relationships and your behavior?
- What is one step you can take today to walk towards getting help and finding healing?
PRAYER: Abba, Father. we are hurting and we need your love and your salvation. We do not need to hide from you for you already know us fully and created us with intention. Please help us to see the value and worth we have in your eyes and not rely on the world to define and judge who we are. We are already treasured by you and crafted for purpose by you. You are love. And you promise that if we live in love we live in you, and you in us. (1 John 4:16) You will never leave us alone. (Deuteronomy 31:6) If we call your name, believe in Jesus as our Savior, and accept your forgiveness through faith, we will be saved. (Romans 4:5) Thank you, Lord, for your love, healing power and forgiveness. Amen.
Hugs & blessings, my Friends,
Stacy
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