If Christians are supposed to reflect the fruits of the Spirit, then we have to be able to understand them first. They are much more than just words. Each one has a purpose and each one brings us closer to God.
In the next few weeks, I’ll be exploring each fruit of the Spirit and sharing with you what I find. This week, I’m digging into is JOY. There have been many times that I’ve asked myself, “ will I ever find joy again?” So what is JOY and how can you find it in your life?
1. Find joy on your darkest days. Every trial has a purpose.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 NIV
2. Our Joy comes through Jesus not this world.
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Luke 2:10 NIV
3. You are chosen – be joyful that Jesus chose to die for YOU. Love as Jesus – live as Jesus and you will find joy in His Name.
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.” John 15:11-17 NIV
4. Your joy is depleted when you compare yourself to the world around you. You will be hated at times, but find Joy in your Heavenly Father. Don’t depend on this world for your joy – you’ll never find it here.
““If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:18-19 NIV
5. Jesus chose joy as He walked to the cross. Why can’t we find joy in our everyday battles? Fix your eyes on Jesus and live by His example. Adjust your focus.
“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2 NIV
Choose joy.
May God bless you and show you His grace every day!
“And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”
1 John 2:3-6 NLT
Does your life reflect the life of Christ?
One of the most common comments I’ve heard while working in ministry is “I’m not sure if I’m really saved.” Any time this question is asked, I first ask the person to consider what salvation means to them. Is salvation an emotion-led decision or a life changing surrender? Is it a temporary change or will it fade shortly afterwards? Can you sin without feeling the pain of hurting your Heavenly Father, or do you know you are wrong and seek Him for guidance? All of these questions are answered in God’s Word; however, most people just want a secure yes or no answer. The truth is, I cannot tell anyone if they are saved or not.
I can look at a person’s lifestyle and make a guess where they stand with Christ, but it is not my place to decide whether or not they are truly saved. True salvation is a choice that each person has to make on their own. No one can force it and no one can verify another person’s decision, not even your pastor.
Salvation is a commitment between a person and God. Only those two parties will know if a person is truly saved. It is a choice, not a checklist.
The Bible does show us multiple times what salvation should look like, but that does not mean a “good person that follows the commandments alone” is saved.
True salvation begins when a person recognizes their need for forgiveness, believes in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and surrenders their life to Him. From that point on, a believer’s fruits will start to grow.
Paul describes salvation as “freedom from the power of sin.’” A true believer knows the power of sin but defeats it through the power of the Holy Spirit.
“We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.”
Romans 6:6-11 NLT
Over and over again, Paul states, “We know…” A person that is truly saved knows who they are in Him and knowsthat they are “dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)
In 1 John 2, the Bible gives us several if / then situations that describe a follower of Christ.
“And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments.” 1 John 2:3
The scripture continues to say that a believer that does not follow the commandments but says he is a follower of Christ is a liar in the eyes of God, making his/her salvation false.
“If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:3-6
To be sure of your salvation, you don’t need anyone else to guess your eternal destination; instead, you need to humbly seek your Heavenly Father and ask Him to reveal your relationship with Him.
You can’t have a relationship without having a conversation first, and a relationship will not grow without communication and dedication.
If you’ve surrendered your life to Christ, others should see it. No one should have doubt if you are a Christian or not, especially yourself. The people around
you should see you as different from the sinful world. They should feel His presence when you are around, and know that you are doing all that you can to reflect Christ to others. You don’t have to be perfect, but you should have an innate desire to serve and surrender to the Lord.
“Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” 1 John 3:6
If you say you are a Christian, are you living as Jesus did? Can others tell you are a follower of Christ?
Answer the questions above honestly and you’ll know how sure you are in your salvation.
Don’t waste another day being unsure. Turn your life over to Christ and let Him show you what surrender truly means.
May God bless you and show you His grace every day!
I’m not going to lie…posting this picture of a letter that I wrote at 13 was hard to do, but I had a vision and a passion, I just didn’t know what to do with it! Who would’ve thought 17 years later, I would finally publish a book! God had a purpose for my passion but He also had a time for it to be used. In His timing, His plan would start to unveil and make sense to me.
17 years after I wrote the letter in the picture above, I published my first book.
That letter was part of a plan that I had no idea about at the time.
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” John 13:7
When I was 13, I had a passion for writing and a dream to be a published author. I had no idea what I was doing or where to turn. I was searching for anyone to help me. I mailed (yeah I’m that old) this letter out to a bunch of authors, but only one wrote back, TJ Fritz. That one author wrote back and forth a few times a year just to encourage me and wish me luck. Of course, over time, we lost touch, but I plan to one day find him and thank him for simply encouraging me when I was lost and no one else seemed to listen.
God planted a passion for writing in my life at a young age, but knew it would take time for my subject matter to mature to glorify Him. A few months after that letter, I gave up on publishing, forgot about it, and lived my life with only sporadic writing, until one day, God reminded me of that passion and showed me His purpose.
At 30, I published my first devotional, “But God Had a Plan.” The following year, I published “Empowered Jesus Girl”, a devotional for teen girls, to raise money for future Empowered Jesus Girl conferences.
It was a process. It took time. It took guidance from another author that God placed in my path, Robin Lynn Leitch. It took God’s timing, not my own.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1
In God’s timing, I met Robin who would direct me in publishing. She walked me through the process, edited and revised my mess, and celebrated with me when I found my way. She is a great author and friend and I thank God for her ministry.
The ones that walk with you, help you clean up your messes, and celebrate with you as your find your purpose that God has planned for you, those are the friends that you need by your side. Those are the prayer warriors that are fighting for your purpose.
Be that friend to someone today.
Pray that God will reveal His purpose for your life and allow you to be a part of encouraging others in finding their way.
God has a purpose. He has a plan. Stay strong and stay focused on Him.
May God bless you and show you His grace every day!
“All I know is I’m not home yet – this is not where I belong – take this world and give me Jesus – this is not where I belong.”
I once heard a saying that has always stuck with me, “Your current situation is not your final destination.”
All too often we get distracted by our everyday lives and forget that this is not our home.
You are not stuck, you are not broken, you are here for a purpose.
Our eternal destination, as followers of Christ, is with Him in Heaven, where for once you’ll finally experience what peace is in the presence of the Lord.
I don’t know what you are facing today or in days past, but I do know it’s not final. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, Your Heavenly Father has prepared a place for you that surpasses anything you can imagine.
“There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” John 14:2
Today’s worries will be gone tomorrow. You won’t be “stuck” here forever, but while you’re here, make a difference. Show others Who Christ is. Choose today to start living life with an eternal focus.
May God bless you and show you His grace every day!
If you haven’t registered for Empowered Jesus Girl 2020, make sure you register soon! This is a FREE event! Please be in prayer for each girl that will be attending! I know God has big plans for this conference and I can’t wait to see it happen! Invite your friends and register today!
Join us for a girls night out filled with fun, friends, and fellowship! We’re going to have Free food, photo booths, comedy, dance/drama team, praise and worship with an awesome band, and a message of encouragement from God’s Word!
“Dear
friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must
test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many
false prophets in the world.” 1
John 4:1
In a world where anyone can have a voice and be seen
and heard throughout all the nations, it is pertinent that believers know what
they believe and trust the sources they learn it from. In James 3, the bible
says that teachers will be held to stricter judgement. Directly after this
verse, James speaks of the dangers of the tongue and how quickly it can spread
lies. Notice how quickly he jumped from teachers being under strict judgement
to the tongue being a dangerous device. One false teacher or leader can derail
a whole body of believers with a single lie.
“Not
many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers; because you know
that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all
stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they
say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. When we put
bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole
animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are
driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the
pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but
it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a
small spark.The tongue also is a fire, a world of
evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the
whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” James
3:1-6
As the spark of a flame can catch a whole forest on
fire, one lie can destroy a person’s total belief system. Believers are being
swayed every day by false teachers that look like they know it all yet have no
idea what God’s word really means.
Social media has become a “catch all” for
salespeople, speakers, and anyone that just wants an audience to see or hear
them. We live in a lonely world where the only social interaction people desire
is the interaction they can have from behind a screen.
Behind a screen, whether it is a computer, tablet,
or phone, social media, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, or whatever else
I may choose, I can be anything. I can be who I am as a wife and proud mother
of two boys. I can be a Christian that teaches His Word and prays for those in
need. But if I wanted to, I could be anything or anyone else.
Behind a screen, I could be a complete stranger portraying
a wife and mother. It’s scary to think about but behind a screen, I could be a
predator seeking out a “babysitter” for my precious children with other
intentions in mind. A screen is basically a representation of a wall between
two worlds. What you see on one side could be masked as something completely
opposite on the other side. The screen is just the division between the two.
As a middle school teacher, I see students every day
with thousands of followers and friends that hide behind screens. Are they real?
Or do they just look real? How can you trust that they are who they say they
are? A verified account doesn’t prove anything.
It’s
crazy to think that technology has made us so blind that we trust the unseen
world behind the screens of the internet yet deny the truths of the unseen God
when He is directly in front of us at all times.
Our God does not hide behind screens, yet our enemy
does.
Any time someone asks me a question about the bible
or misquotes scripture, I always ask them where they heard it from. It always
amazes me when they confidently quote YouTube or someone they’ve seen on social
media.
When it comes to religion, beware of false teachers
that hide behind screens. Anyone can say they are a preacher or sent from God
to share His word, but how do you know they are trustworthy?
The bible clearly warns us that times will get worse
and believers will be swayed more and more by evil desires. 2 Timothy 3:5 says
it best when it says people will be “always learning but never able to come to
a knowledge of truth.”
Imagine how much information is inputted in your
mind in just one hour. How about one day? How much information is put into your
brain that doesn’t line up with the word of God?
If your mind had a filter, how filthy would it be?
It’s time we clean our filters and start verifying the information we see and hear. I’m reminded of a song we sang at my church when I was little:
“Oh
be careful little eyes what you see, oh be careful little eyes what you see,
for the Father above is looking down with love, oh be careful little eyes what
you see.”
Oh
be careful little ears what you hear, be careful little ears what you hear, for
the Father above is looking down with love, oh be careful little ears what you
hear.”
The other courses include, be careful little tongue what you say, be careful little hands what you do, be careful little feet where you go, be careful little heart whom you trust, and be careful little mind what you think…
When you start questioning your beliefs because someone on the internet said it wasn’t true or had a video that made it look like the history channel showing “evidence” against it, you have to remember the day and time you are living in and immediately pray for wisdom and search His word, not anyone else’s, for the Truth.
“But
mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be
lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful,
proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful,
unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control,
brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash,
conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a
form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such
people.
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.”2 Timothy 3:1-5
“loaded down with sins, swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of truth”
You are in a battle and the devil will use every device he can to gain control of your mind and start a spark that can ignite a raging fire of lies.
Beware of false teaching and ask questions when you have them, but be careful who you ask. Check your sources by studying God’s word, praying for wisdom, and seeking leaders in your church.
One trustworthy website I will recommend to my students is: GotQuestions.org
It’s an easy to search website with reliable
sources, short videos, and scripture based answers.
Praying for guidance and wisdom!
May God bless you and show you His grace every day!
Empowered Jesus Girl
2020 is going to be an event like no other! We are going to start our night
with food, friends, and photo booths, then move on to a wonderful time of
praise and worship led by Taylor and Reid Hawkins. Our speaker, Kayla Rampey,
is going to challenge you to become the Empowered Jesus Girl God intended you
to be. Kayla is passionate about sharing His Word and helping others grow in
Him. We can’t wait to see what God is going to do at Empowered Jesus Girl 2020!
This year, we are
encouraging all participants to purchase the Empowered Jesus Girl devotionals that
go along with the conference. Speaker and author, Kayla Rampey, will be
discussing what it means to be an Empowered Jesus Girl and how we can all work
together to make a difference in society! Her book is a great way for your
teens to discover the power that God has given them and how they can use it to
encourage and strengthen others.
What is an Empowered
Jesus Girl?
An Empowered Jesus
Girl is a girl that…
Empowers others
Magnifies His Name
Prays continuously
Owns her beliefs
Waits upon the Lord
Examines her ways
Reflects God’s character
Encourages
Disciples new believers
Do you think you have what it takes to be called an
Empowered Jesus Girl?
Find out at Empowered
Jesus Girl 2020!
Empowered Jesus Girl Teen
Conference
East Pickens Baptist Church
Friday, February 21st 2020
6pm-10pm
Join us for a Girl’s Night Out full of praise and
worship!
East Pickens Baptist Church
2244 Gentry Memorial Hwy Pickens, SC
This event is for teen girls 5th – 12th
grade. Join us at 6pm for pizza & fellowship! Praise and worship begins at
7:15pm!
For more info and to register your group visit:
WildernessGrace.org
We encourage participants and leaders to purchase the Empowered
Jesus Girl devotional to go along with the conference. You can purchase your
devotionals on our website for a special group price or at the door!
All proceeds from book purchases will go directly to the Empowered Jesus Girl Teen Conferences! Thank you for your prayers and support!
You can pre-order your Empowered Jesus Girl devotional through Grace in the Wilderness Ministries for a special discounted rate of $8 per book (regularly $10). Pre-Order your Empowered Jesus Girl devotionals by sending an email with your name, number of books you would like to purchase, and your contact information to Sharon@WildernessGrace.org.
CONFERENCE MISSION: East Pickens Baptist Church has a Foster Care Ministry that provides children and foster families with basic necessities. A lot of times when a child is brought into foster care, they only have the clothes on their backs. Our Foster Care Ministry provides overnight bags, clothing, toiletries, and gift cards for the children and their foster parents. This year at Empowered Jesus Girl, we will be raising money for this wonderful ministry! We would love for you to join us in helping these families through hard times! We will have a box at the front of the church for accepting an offering to help this ministry! Donations are not required for this event but greatly appreciated! Thank you for serving the Lord by sharing with others!
Feel free to also email or call us: Sharon@wildernessgrace.org or (864) 380-2358
Can’t wait to see you at our Conference!!!
Thanks and God Bless You,
Sharon Hawkins, Grace In The Wilderness Ministries
As you prepare to celebrate Jesus’ Birthday, I want
you to reflect on the hope that God gave us through Jesus Christ. Jesus was,
and still is, more than just a baby in a manager. Jesus is our Living Hope.
Hope Offers Peace Everlasting.
Without the birth of Jesus, we would have no hope
for eternal life with Him.
Can you imagine living without this hope? Can you
imagine living without Jesus?
I’ve been reading a devotional on the bible app
called, “14-Day Christmas Devotional” by Dale O’Shields. He describes hope in a
way that I’ve never heard before, “it
gives us strength for the present and an excitement for the future.” The
excerpt below shows the vast differences between the hopeful and the hopeless.
“Hope
can keep us going when everything else is falling apart. Hope is the
expectation that even though life might be tough right now, somehow, at some time,
everything will be fine. Hope comes from the recognition that our past failures
are not fatal or final. It gives us strength for the present and an excitement
for the future. Hope senses that the best is yet to come.”
He goes on to show the opposite side of hope by saying:
“Hopeless
people feel like the sun has departed and will never return. They are caught in
the grip of a nightmare that seems to never end. Hopeless people have little
energy and no enthusiasm.”
Which category do you find yourself in today?
Hopeful or hopeless?
Followers of Christ have hope that:
One day, all pain and suffering will
come to an end, and they’ll experience peace indescribable when they enter into
their Father’s arms
They will see their loved ones again (that
were saved) in heaven
Their struggles on earth are only
temporary
Whatever they are going through now,
good or bad, has a purpose for God’s glory
God is with them always and gives them
their strength each day
The best is yet to come
Without knowing Jesus, a person cannot experience
the hope that you and I have today.
Without having hope, a person will never find true
peace.
Without hope, life becomes meaningless and joy gets
lost in the monotony of each day.
God gave you the gift of His Son, the gift of hope,
to share with others. He is a gift that is ok to re-gift over and over again.
Jesus was, and still is, God’s gift to us.
As my pastor put it this morning, a gift is offered
first and accepted second. You are the one that gets to choose if you want to accept
the Gift God has given you. When you share the gift of Jesus with others, it is
up to them if they accept it or not. You just keep sharing, keep showing His
love, and keep holding on to the hope that God has blessed you with.
May God bless you and show you His grace every day!
Share this with someone today!
The Birth of Jesus Christ
Luke
2:1-20
2 In those days Caesar
Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman
world. 2 (This was the first census that took place
whileQuirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And
everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the
town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David,
because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He
went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and
was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the
time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave
birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a
manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out
in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An
angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel
said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause
great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town
of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This
will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in
a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the
heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest
heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor
rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and
gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and
see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary
and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When
they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them
about this child, 18 and all who heard it were
amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But
Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The
shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they
had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
When I wrote, Empowered Jesus Girl, each page was prayed over and planned with a purpose from God. When you purchase one of my books, proceeds will go directly to the Empowered Jesus Girl teen conferences. Whether you want a book for yourself, or you would like to donate one to a girl at the conference, your purchase will support a ministry that has a passion for spreading the word of God.
Books are only $10 with proceeds going towards the Empowered Jesus Girl Teen Conferences! You can email KaylaRampey@yahoo.com to purchase your book locally with free delivery or you can purchase it on Amazon.com
A few years back, when I joined the Grace in
the Wilderness team, I told Sharon and Marie that I had a desire to use my
talents to share Christ with others. I have to be honest, at that time, I had
no idea what my talents were. I knew I could write, not professionally without
any mistakes, and I knew my passion was to encourage others to find God’s will
for their lives.
I knew that
with my passion, God had a purpose.
From one awkward email to a stranger, I was able to get connected with Sharon and Marie and join the Grace in the Wilderness team by writing newsletters for teen girls each month. Month after month, I felt the desire to do more. As a follower of Christ, there will be times that you ask yourself, “Am I doing enough?” The truth is, you will never feel like you are doing enough for God. You are not perfect, so don’t try to do it all. If you aren’t careful, you will burn yourself out and lose the passion Christ put within you in the first place.
Through
prayer and God’s timing, my next step began when we decided to turn the newsletter
into a blog with an updated identity. That is when Glitter and Grace Teens
began. Now, on a weekly basis, I send out Monday morning devotions to teenage
girls and young ladies from all over the place. It has been such a blessing
sending out devotionals and hearing back from teens that have been touched by
the words God placed on my heart.
To view my
blogs or sign up for weekly devotionals delivered to your email, go to
GlitterandGraceTeens.com
Empowered
Jesus Girl conferences began years before I was a part of the Grace in the
Wilderness team. As a matter of fact, I attended one when I was in the youth
group. Sharon and Marie started Empowered Jesus Girl conferences to reach teens
across the Upstate through God’s word and direction. The conferences included
mother/daughter events, fashion shows, praise and worship, drama presentations,
purity emphasis, and of course a church staple of a pizza dinner before the
message. It was a powerful event but became hard to manage over time with all
of the other women’s events that they had going on throughout the year. Grace in
the Wilderness has a vast variety of missions that they work with including
conferences for women that have lost children, ladies groups of different ages,
and much more.
It is a
wonderful thing to see churches grow, but it is also hard for churches to
afford to attend every event that they hear of. With the cost of even $5 per youth,
we found that churches were unable to bring their teens to the Empowered Jesus
Girl conferences. After working in youth ministry, I found out how limited
youth budgets can be. Plus, teens are not willing to give up $5 for a
mother/daughter event, nor do they want to spend time with their moms on a
Saturday night. Sorry moms, but teenage girls enjoy their free time when they
can get it. It’s nothing personal, but it’s important for teens to go to Christian
events where they can grow and connect with other teen girls with similar
issues. One of my favorite things about these conferences is to see the girls
gather together at the altar praying for each other and knowing that they are
not alone.
After a lot
of prayer and trust in God, we decided to make the Empowered Jesus Girl conferences
a free event. Since Grace in the Wilderness is a non-profit ministry, the
conference is dependent on donations and support from local churches and businesses
(or money out of our own pockets). In the last three years alone, we have
increased from 50 attendants at the conference to over 250. We hope to continue this growth over the next
few years and continue to keep it a FREE event that reaches girls all across
the Upstate.
Our goal is
to start a revival among teenage girls and teach them to lean on Christ for
direction and strength in their lives. With the world pulling them in 100
different directions, now is the time to reach out to these girls and show them
the One who can give them true peace and guidance.
I have a
passion to help these girls learn what it means to empower one another through
the love of Christ. Each chapter of my devotional explains how Empowered Jesus
Girls can change the world.
E- Empower
each other
M – Magnify His
Name
P – Pray for
each other
O – Own your
beliefs
W – Wait upon
the Lord
E – Examine your
ways
R – Reflect God’s
character
E –
Encourage others
D – Disciple
others
The
conclusion is simple: Believe = Become
When an Empowered
Jesus Girl believes with all heart, mind, and soul, that God can change the
world, she will trust in Him for all her needs. An Empowered Jesus Girl doesn’t
have to be 6th -12th grade only. An Empowered Jesus Girl
can be a woman of any age that has a desire to make a difference through Christ
alone.
Do you have
what it takes to be an Empowered Jesus Girl?
I’m asking
for your prayers and your support as we prepare for the conference next year.
Next years’ conference will be on Friday, February 21st at East
Pickens Baptist Church. Registration will open on January 1st, 2020!
Prepare your
team, purchase your books, and pray for revival that can change the world!
To purchase
a book, email me at KaylaRampey@yahoo.com
and I will deliver it for free. You can also purchase it on Amazon at any time!
Books are priced
at $10 with proceeds going towards the Empowered Jesus Girl Teen Conferences!
Thank you so
much for your prayers and support!
May God
bless you and show you His grace every day!
Last
Saturday was the first time in a long time that I did not receive a text
message or call from my Papa about the Clemson vs Carolina football game. He
was a true Gamecock fan for some reason and I, on the other hand, was born and
raised a Clemson fan. He used to always text me or call me when Clemson lost or
even when they won. Even when Clemson would lose, I loved reading his simple
text “how about them Tigers?” His rival comments were always so calm but came
with a purpose. When he would call or leave a message, he always started out
with “Kayla, this is your grandpa calling…” Or when I was living at home with
an old school answering machine, we would quote him before he spoke “Roger,
this is your dad…” He just had a voice and demeanor that everyone knew. We had
an ongoing family football division but it was always fun and games. To be
honest, I never really cared that much for football, but I did love the
rivalry, grilling out, and just the fun of it all. It was a way for my papa and
me to connect even when we were too busy to get together. When I married a Georgia
fan, it got interesting, but that was just one more rivalry to add to the
table. I’m sure papa would have gotten a kick out of the game this year. (Sorry
Dustin, but you know it’s true)
During
the summer, we would spend our days at the lake with papa and grandma and
whichever cousins or other family members or friends would show up. We would
fish or just go for boat rides every weekend, sit at the falls or just swim
around. In the evening we would grill out and everyone was invited. I never
remember asking them if we could come over, we just did. We all did. My Papa
loved people and he loved to be with his family and friends. I remember waking
up early on summer Saturday mornings to the smell of coffee and bacon, my dad’s
specialty. Whether we sat on our porch overlooking the calm water or walked
over to grandma and papa’s place, we were at home. Though his cabin was torn
down last summer for future developments, those memories can never be taken
away. I dreamed of the day I would be able to walk my boys down to the same
dock that my papa and dad built themselves. I wanted to see my boys sit down
under the tin roof shed and listen to the rain as it passed over on a hot
summer day. I imagined my papa and grandma sitting on the dock, probably with a
line in the water, just watching the boys jump in the water a hundred times.
What would it be like if he was still here? Would I even have made the time to
enjoy those moments?
I
live less than 5 minutes from my grandparents’ house, but for some reason, as
an adult, I would always find myself too busy to drop by and spend time with
them. As a child, I spent every summer weekend with them and a lot of my other
family members as well, but as an adult, life just got busy. From long summers
to only holidays and text messages, our relationship died down but our families
kept growing. When our campground started to dissipate as investors tried (and
are still trying) to take it over for land development, my papa basically let
go of his place. It was too much for him to handle and just not the same
without a dock and a place for his boat. We had to remove docks, clear land,
and in one day, the investors bulldozed the home that sheltered my childhood
summers. I can still smell the fruity pebbles on busy mornings and the
sparklers on July 4th. The campfire was always going and the American
flag hung on each of our decks. There are too many memories to count, but so
many memories I feel like I missed out on with him and my children just because
I didn’t make time for them.
My
papa didn’t text me during the game Saturday because his life on earth ended a
few months ago. The week before my first year teaching Released Time at Pickens
Middle School, I was sitting on a boat in Edisto with a few good friends and
their kids, my mother in law, and my husband and boys. My phone had been
ringing for a while but I never heard it since it was in my bag under my seat.
As the sun was setting and I was enjoying the view, my husband handed me his
phone to show me a text from my sister that said “tell Kayla to call me now.”
In my gut, I knew something was wrong. As I picked up the phone and called her
back, my heart sank. All she could say was, “papa died.” She couldn’t explain
it, she didn’t know how, and she was just in shock and hurting. I just wanted
to be there with my family but I couldn’t. I was hours away in the ocean, a
place my papa always loved. As tears flowed down my cheek, I looked out at the
sunset and just prayed for strength and peace that only God could provide.
The
weekend before we left for Edisto, we visited my papa and he was healthy,
happy, and ready to get his surgery over with. He was scheduled for a simple
surgery on his kidneys and was supposed to be out of the hospital in less than
a week. He told me that he loved me and he would see me soon as we walked out
the door. I knew he would be just fine. I was wrong. The day of his surgery, my
dad called to tell me everything was great and the doctors didn’t have any
concerns. Every day, every call, my dad said the same thing, he’s doing great.
The night before my papa passed, he was cracking jokes with my dad and smiling.
He didn’t look like anything was wrong with him. For some reason, the next day,
he passed away suddenly after cardiac arrest. His heart just wasn’t as strong
as it needed to be. We don’t have all the answers, nor will I ever understand
why this happened, but what I do know is that my papa is in a much better
place. Whatever his body could not handle on this earth is no longer a
hindrance to him in heaven. He is free and his death was simply a part of God’s
purpose for his life. The next morning, I woke up early with my boys, and took
a walk on the beach, one of his favorite things to do, and just remembered him
for who he was and felt his presence as if he were walking beside me. I know
that he is gone but he will always be remembered.
As
I look back, before my teenage years, I remember every detail of the little
things that my papa did to make me feel special. I remember his calm demeanor,
his “well Dean” (my grandma’s name) comments when things didn’t go just as
planned, and his love for his family no matter what happened. I remember
summers that I never wanted to end and walks on the beach in silence, just enjoying
God’s creation. I wish I had more moments like that, but I don’t have that
chance anymore.
Today,
I want you to take a deep breath and think about someone you’ve disconnected
from in the last year. Who do you only speak to on holidays or special
occasions? How would you feel if that person was no longer around for you to
see?
There
was a silence on Saturday, though even from a text, that reminded me of the
relationship I had with my papa. It wasn’t long in depth conversations about
life, but it was life and living it together. On Sunday mornings, as we sat on
his screened in porch at the lake, he would pick up his bible and head out to
church. No matter how pretty the sun was or how less crowded the lake would be,
he made a point to go to church every Sunday. His lifestyle left an imprint on
all those around him. Make an impact on others and pass on a legacy of respect
and honor for those that have served the Lord before you. Spend time, make
time, and be present with those in your presence. Put down your phones and just
live. No matter how many pictures you have on your phone they will never be able
to compare to the memories, the sights, the sounds, the smells of the moments
and the people that meant most to you.
I
pray that my children will always respect their grandparents and never get so
wrapped up in their own lives that they forget about those around them. I’m
sure I’m not the only one that regrets not spending enough time with someone
that loved so much, so don’t let that next regret be yours.
Some
of his military buddies might beg to differ, but he was a man with a gentle
spirit that calmed the room in any chaos. He was a man of God that loved his
family and will always be missed. He was my papa.
I
miss you pops! And by the way, “Go Tigers!”
“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
May God bless you and show you His Grace every day!
