Establishing...

“He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the NEXT GENERATION might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God.” Psalm 78:5-7

There is a wonderful praise song that Toby and I absolutely adore. We Will Overcome. Incredible words, that beat perfectly into the rhythm of my heart for us today.

And we will overcome

By the Blood of the Lamb

And the word of our testimony

Ladies, think with me for just a moment on the generations that have either come before you or even the ones that you see ahead of you. No matter what generation you are in there is a 100% guarantee to be one before you and one after you. Look back up at that scripture out of Psalms….”He established a testimony in Jacob..”

I just talked to a friend today about how the Lord had blessed and established an incredible testimony in the life of their family, and they are handing that testimony to their children. I’ll be honest a testimony doesn’t come easy….the ESTABLISH part definitely has a little elbow grease involved and if I’m a guessing woman the King isn’t finished establishing this daughter’s testimony. I can say with all the heart and soul God has been working in me that I will and do overcome all my temptations, struggles, obstacles and limitations by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB first and then re-telling the WORD OF MY TESTIMONY. If the Lord has overcome an addiction in your life, appropriate the blood of the lamb and establish your testimony. If you have walked by faith with the Lord consistently throughout all life’s struggles, appropriate the blood of the Lamb and establish your testimony. You may not be called to share it to thousands; it might just be establishing the word of your testimony so it settles within the chambers of your very own heart.

Regardless, Christ is establishing a testimony in you and it is for the purpose of not only overcoming personally, but to reach forward to lend a hand to the generations that will come after you. I have gained so much strength and power from men and women that are willing to share the “established testimony” of Christ at work in their lives. Every time I recall their bravery in sharing their testimony I am inspired to keep going that I’m not alone and that generations of faithful men and women have gone before me.

I can also say that when I have been a mentor to someone I have been so sharpened. I mean I have been asked some hard questions that quite honestly I haven’t had the answers to, which only inspires me to dig deeper and seek the Father more earnestly.

But one thing is true with either reaching back or reaching forward what people what to hear is YOUR STORY! They want to know how YOU have become an overcomer and an heir to the Throne. They want to know how YOU have had peace, hope and joy in the midst of overwhelming odds. They want to know how YOU have joy in all circumstances.

I am so excited about next Tuesday, July 6th @ 7pm, night’s Chick Chat because we will be discussing the Dazzling Darkness. This is a very powerful place for me in that it is a part of my established testimony.

Your testimony is the most important tool you have. I want to encourage you to start establishing your testimony as it is happening, because life will continue to evolve and you will constantly have to add chapters to the testimony of YOU. One thing is for sure, and I will say it again and again and again if I have to so that we all get it memorized :)…all your testimony is establishing is that you are becoming all glorious within and that you are a daughter, a princess, and an heir to the Throne of GRACE! So keep pressing in and keep establishing, it’s making you beautiful from the inside out!!!!

“All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. In many colored robes she is led to the king, with her companions following behind her. With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king.” Psalm 45:13 ESV

Okay so there are so many exciting God dreams that the Lord is giving to Glorious Daughters and I am honestly just trying to keep up. God is so good and I have been so very humbled by all the incredible support financially and in prayer that we have received since officially launching Glorious Daughters as a (501-c3) ministry. There are so many daughters in the over 6 billion people in the world that need the hope, beauty and worth of Jesus. I am just honored to facilitate an effort under the anointing and calling of the King to reach out with that Great Love. In Jesus Name!


I have really received hope, peace and love from the Lord today through one of my favorite scriptures Zephaniah 3:14-20

“Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout for triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away His judgments against you; He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord is in your midst; you will fear disaster no more. In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: Do not be afraid, O Zion; Do not let your hands fall limp. The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. I will gather those who grieve about the appointed feasts – they came from you, O Zion; the reproach of exile is a burden on them. Behold, I am going to deal at that time with all your oppressors, I will save the lame and gather the outcast, And I will turn their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you in, even at the time when I gather you together; Indeed, I will give you renown and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the Lord

There are so many reasons I absolutely adore this passage of scripture and am led by the Spirit to believe that this will be the focus of our Chick Chat time in August. There is just too many incredible promises to quickly graze over it and then leave it. One of my biggest passions is that as daughters we start to consume the Word and then allow it to FILL us in every way. The only way that happens is if we give it a chance to saturate into the very marrow of our souls.

“Then He said to me, ‘Son (daughter) of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll.” Ezekiel 3:1-2

With that being said, I say we open up our mouths and eat up the scroll today ladies!

Let’s start by filling in the words as you re-read Zephaniah 3:14-20 – O Zion, O Israel, O Jerusalem with your name. Like this…”Shout for joy, O daughter Cari! Shout in triumph, Cari! Rejoice and exult with all your heart O daughter, Cari!”…okay now it’s your turn….and in all seriousness do it for real!

Sounds pretty awesome huh?! That is a promise directly to your heart!!

My favorite part of that scripture is when it says that the King will save the lame, gather the outcast, and turn their shame into praise. I was recently chatting back and forth with a friend about just how many women are dying literally and figuratively of shame. The King promises to gather you together!! I like to think of it like a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Separately they are pretty, but gathered together they make a glorious arrangement of color and texture that has the power to turn that frown upside down! That is the deep passion God has given Glorious Daughters, to be the hands and feet that help the King gather together His beloved daughters and turn whatever shame they have into exuberant praise and glorious beauty.

“To all who mourn in Israel, He will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the Lord has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for His own glory. Instead of shame and dishonor, you will inherit a double portion of prosperity and everlasting joy.” Isaiah 61:3, 7

Be gathered together by the King today O daughter. Be strong and yet graceful. Allow the King to turn your shame into praise. And as the Spirit leads please pray for this ministry to be compelled by Christ as we lead other daughters into a life of prosperity and everlasting joy that can only be found in Jesus!

xoxo

Dear Young Life Girls,

Sweet Glorious Daughters it has been nearly a month since we last talked and I have missed you!!!!! God has been moving very fast on some incredible projects that I can hardly wait to share with you, which is a total testimony to your faithful prayers and support!! You Rock!!

Today, I want to write to those that are in high school or have just finished high school. I know to some that read this letter may not know what or who Young Life Girls are...to be honest I only know one Young Life daughter (and she is pretty special :)). That one daughter is standing in the gap in prayer and support, in encouragement and inspiration like no other daughter I have ever seen. Isn't it awesome the power that ONE daughter submitted to the Lord in prayer can have?!!! I love it! And she has asked me to write a letter to encourage you. So today I have addressed this letter to you! In humility I ask that you receive it in Love from the King and be encouraged because you have been prayed for and by posting this letter I know several faithful women that will read this and continue to pray for you!!! Isn't that awesome!!! So I love you all precious Glorious Daughters and am asking that you read this letter today, and no matter what life spot you find yourself in please tuck it in to your own heart and then pray for the sweet Young Life girls that it is addressed to. Thank you sweet prayer warriors!!!! You are AMAZING!!!!

I know you have all just returned from an incredible week of camp and I know the Lord was faithful in revealing Himself to each of your hearts. I know that you probably had an awesome time of worship, team building, and encouragement as a believer and maybe even some decisions to follow Christ were made!! Praise the King! That is awesome!! I am sure that it was a time of healing, promise and renewal. And I am positive that you are all BEAUTIFUL from the inside out, and that is what I want to encourage you with today.

Soak in EVERYTHING that happened last week, let God remind you of all the ways He loved on you, built you up and sealed your heart. Journal your thoughts, frame your favorite moments, talk with your friends and your family......but whatever you to don't forget!!! Life promises to throw us curve balls almost immediately after we have received a time of filling from the Lord, but HIS promises will endure. So cling to those promises that you were reminded of last week. A few prayers that were on my heart over the last couple of days for you have been.....

• That you will remember just how Beautiful the King has made you

• That you will receive that you have been created for a very special purpose and calling

• That you find your identity in Christ and be filled by HIS love for you, His daughter

• That your heart would receive that He is blown away because the beauty on the outside pales in comparison to the beauty on the inside of you!

• That you would be filled with courage and strength to stand strong in your commitment to Christ

• And finally that you would not be fearful, that you would be drawn and held together in God's love because you are becoming a woman of excellence.

I know that you are surrounded in Young Life with some beautiful women of faith that are just waiting to love on and support you. I encourage you to find a mentor that loves Jesus more than they love your acceptance or approval and learn from them. Follow them as they follow Jesus. And then find someone to mentor! There are plenty of sisters that are walking behind you just waiting to be loved and encouraged by someone that is walking even just a few steps in front of them. Be loved by those that have gone before you and find a God centered accountability to inspire your continued growth in Jesus.

I know you don't know me, and I don't know you....however you have been and will continue to be surrounded in prayer as you step boldly into your callings. The Lord will be with you and will encourage you to be ALL that He has skillfully wrought you to be (Ps 139). Be strong sweet ladies and keep walking - the Lord promises to be faithful. You are beautiful and I am so blessed by your hearts.


"And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence." Ruth 3:11

In Jesus Name I pray that group of young ladies would recognize that their intrinsic value comes from being found in Jesus. That they are beautiful, worthy and accepted in the sight of the King and that they are more than conquerors and capable of sitting at the feet of Jesus and RECEIVING the adoration of the King. That He is pleased with them and so blessed by their beauty. Amen.


Praying that you are surrounded with Great Love today,
xo Cari