Have you ever met an individual that sparkles and exudes life into all that they do? You sit back and admire their dignity, the gifts that they freely share and appreciate that they stand apart for simply being who they are. I certainly have, and Ms. Tara-Leigh Cobble falls into this category.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the delight of connecting with the lovely musician, author and speaker in New York City. Debuting her 7^th album, “Morning’s War“, she certainly had much on her mind.

As she and I sat down drinking a coke and sharing a grilled cheese at Ace Hotel in midtown, the both of us in different industries she a musician and I in non-profit, we shared a common bond being sisters in Christ and working to bring glory to God through both of our endeavors. We had a common understanding that when starting a grassroots anything, it is the thread of perseverance that is a key element.

We were discussing her music career; I had just seen her in concert that past month and was still in awe of not just her gift as a singer song-writer, but also as a speaker. She explained how she has had the opportunity to live in many different cities around the nation and meet various types of people. While she spent a season of life in Nashville (America’s music capitol), she explained how people would pat her on the back and say “…someday you’re going to make it.” She said, so often times people have the ideal in their heads of the “American Dream”, that in choosing to be a musician, she won’t truly “get there” until she has a top selling album on the radio. “I am there she yelled! I am doing what God has called me to do and I am doing what I love.” She loves that she has the opportunity to sing in both large and small crowds and really get to know her fans. I love the analogy she quoted “It’s like someone patting you on the back on your wedding day and saying, someday I’m sure you’ll have children.”

I sat in awe of this beautiful woman’s true humbleness, and thought what an example she is of a faithful servant simply following what God has called her to do. As I sat in the concert with a room of maybe 75 people, she sang her heart out to the heavens and it didn’t matter to her if there were 10 people or 10,000 people sitting in that audience. Now that my friends, is humbleness.

I’d like to look to the bible and discuss points referenced on the topic of humbleness.

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

-John 13:10-17

¹⁰Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

In John 13,  the apostle John records a ceremony that Christ performed on the very last night of His life, the foot washing ceremony which allows us a window into the character of our Savior.

Let me ask you this, why does the kingdom of heaven belong to the humble?

The fact is that most people in today’s society have forgotten what it means to be humble. They rate themselves and their feelings as being more significant that anyone else’s. I believe in these times with facebook, twitter and personal blogs, we in-fact live in a society where our lives literally revolve around us. (And I am guilty of this; I am constantly trying to find just the right balance of participating in social media sites such as facebook, but not spending too much time focused on myself. And let me tell you, I continually find it a struggle.)

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

-James 4:6

He will step in and clothe you in true honor, instead of this world’s empty pride.

Our society, has created an “every man for himself” and “me first” mentality. Have you too bought into the idea that your own well-being is more important than others around you? Ask God to show you how to be humble, so that He Himself can exalt you.

Many Blessings,

Kristina Lee Grandstaff

• Power Verse: “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” -Philippians 2:3-8

• Reflection: Have you already mastered how to be humble, or are you sometimes guilty of putting your own desires and feelings above everyone else’s?

• Action Step: If your answer is yes, pray now and ask God to work on your heart in that area.

By: Bethany Gessler

To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in You I trust,
Do not let me be ashamed;
Do not let my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

Make me know Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day.

Psalm: 25:1-5

When God says to wait, I often interpret it this way: “Be anxious, despair and give up all hope.”  But He is saying the exact opposite. He is saying, “There is a hope and your future is not cut off from you.  Wait for Me and keep my way and I will renew your strength.  There is something coming.”

In waiting for the Lord, there is a hope, anticipation, and an expectation, “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the RIGHT time Christ died for the ungodly.”  (Romans 5:5-6; see also Eccl. 3:1-11)

The month after I turned 17, my Dad died of a heart attack. I wanted to get married right away because I wanted to fill that void in my life.  Now, over five years later, I am so thankful that I did not get married nor date in those years.  I know now that I would not have brought much good into a marriage, I would only have sought out what I wanted and needed, and would have drained my husband instead of meeting his needs.  It was hard to wait, but I am now very thankful that God is sovereign and righteous in all of His ways and He does have perfect timing.  If I had gotten married when I thought I should, then I would have been missing so much of who I have become today through the healing and the waiting. I have still never dated anyone, but I know now that I will be able to go into my marriage as a help meet, instead of a hindrance.

Waiting on the Lord requires faith to believe that what He said, He will do and He is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine (see Rom. 4:17-21). I find that I have a hard time believing Him sometimes because I lean on my own understanding of the situation.  I am convicted and comforted though when I remember that His word says to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding.  In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.”  This is a promise.  He wants us to be in constant communion with Him so that we will not waver in faith when all around, others are telling you to “forget about your marriage, there’s no hope.”

“Why wait until you’re married to have sex? Come on, why torture yourself?”

“Get him back; you don’t deserve to be treated like that.”

“Live it up! Have fun now, for tomorrow we die.”

You can remember this: your life is hidden in Christ and your reward is with Him. You also receive a reward on earth when you trust in the Lord and live in obedience and submission to Him.

The wicked earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness gets a true reward. Prov. 11:18
If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner! Prov. 11:31
The one who despises the word will be in debt to it, but the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded. Prov. 13:13

Adversity pursues sinners, but the righteous will be rewarded with prosperity. Prov. 13:21
The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor and life. Prov. 22:4

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.”   Isaiah 26:3

Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to Him must believe that He is and that He is the rewarder of those who seek Him.   Heb. 11:6  (see all of Heb. 11)

I was recently convicted of my desire to take things into my own hands. I felt like God wasn’t moving like I thought He should, so I began to get upset with Him asking, “When??”  And I soon came across Acts 1:6-8 which says, “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

I realized that it’s not my right to know the times that the Father has set for me in His authority. But I know that my job is always to be His witness in all the earth, no matter what I am waiting for. As in Psalm 37, our job is to be faithful wherever He has us.

³ Trust in the LORD and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
⁴ Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
⁵ Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

“Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.” –Ps. 37:3-5&34

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.   Phil. 4:6-7

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
-1 Corinthians 15:58

Courtney Turner
Miss South Carolina 2011

I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word Marshalls, TJ Max or Home Goods, my heart literally skips a beat (Stein Mart is starting to fall under the guidelines.) You can ask my MD apparently its “condition” that some of us are born with.

As I marched in the department store with steps or shame “I’m in here again,I really don’t have the money, I could be oh you know, reading books right now.” My mind is quickly pre-occupied as my cart is soon filled with polka dot cloth napkins, cheetah ballet flats, and a “few” spring tops.

I suppose that I could direct this writing towards the topic of self control, but for today’s purposes, I’d like to focus on tithing, what the Bible instructs and how we can apply that to our lives today.

In the Old Testament, God instructed  believers to give a “tithe” because this 10% represented the first, or most important portion of all that they had. (The New Testament does not suggest a certain percentage for giving, but simply says for each person to give “in keeping with his income.”)
“On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”

- 1 Corinthians 16:2

We should not look at giving as a legalistic rule to follow. The value of our giving is not offered in how much we give, but how we give. Let’s remember that giving also means our hearts, time and talents in serving. God loves when we give with a pure and joyful heart to bless Him.

Lastly, let’s us not give with the expectation of getting back for we may not see the fruit of our investment in the lifetime.

“…It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

-Acts 20:35

Let me ask you this, have you ever dropped all of your expectations and truly relied on God for your every breath and step trusting that He would provide for your every need?

Funny story? More like, embarrassing story, ready: A few years ago when I was living in the city, somehow I had managed to lose both my debit and credit card in the same week. There I was, living in one of the most expensive cities in the world without a dime! I of course called my bank and had new cards delivered to me, but in the waiting time, I had some Ramón noodles and water and let me tell you, Starbucks had never looked more appealing.

I had plans to catch up with one of my friends in that “waiting time”, we hadn’t seen each other in quite a few months. I was so embarrassed to have to tell her the predicament I was in when right as we met she took and envelop out of her purse and said “Oh Kristina, this is so embarrassing, I know your birthday was a few moths ago, but here is your card–” I opened my card and to my surprise (but not God’s) There was $25.00 cash. I was awestruck of God’s true faithfulness. I hadn’t seen this friend in months and how often does one give just cash these days? (Isn’t there some sort of gift card rule?)

Another time, I got one of those notifications on my blackberry. “Insufficient funds in your banking account.” Oh Lord, my non-profit account has gone under again. (Give me some grace, we’re grassroots.) That same evening at church one of our elders and his wife happened to gracefully give me a donation for $100.00 which replenished our account.

My Gosh isn’t it incredible to see God’s true faithfulness. We don’t give because we want in return, but please rest assured that your Father in Heaven, the same Father that created the stars in the sky, the depths of the ocean and still, knows every hair on your head, He will provide for your every need. (Not always your wants! Your needs.)

We do not give to a church, we do not give to a pastor, we give to God and God alone.

Dear Sisters, maybe some of you are like me, I more often then not am irresponsible with my money. I want to buy that new blouse or go away for that weekend trip. I fall short so many times of honoring and serving the Lord the way He deserves. But He is a God of grace and of mercy and I love Him, because He first loved me. I know these are tough economic times and the thought of giving just seems “too tough”, let us remember as we sit in service that we are not giving our hard earned money, but rather offering a sacrifice of the money that already belongs to God. Let us remember that we are not tithing due to legalistic rules, or with the expectation of getting back, but that we are offering a percentage of our income to bless God and His Kingdom.

Every morning I have my usual glass of hot tea with breakfast. My momma has come to affectionately call it my ‘hippie tea’ because of the little thought provoking nugget that is attached to the tea bag. This morning I was struck by the truth in the words I found there.

Ego, as I see it, is the root of all selfishness. When I think of that radiating woman that I desire to be, she has come to a place of selflessness-she has conquered her own ego. Our society makes this particularly hard to do because the world validates that we are what we do more than who we actually are. If we are not being validated in what we do, our ego becomes like a ravenous lion lasing out in fear, in anger, in sadness. This leaves no room for the presence of whom we are, for our true essence devoid of ego, to sparkle and shine.

So how do we go about conquering our egos? One way is to start developing a sense of inner self-reflection as opposed to inward selfish obsession and motivation. This looking inward is different from the all-encompassing self-obsessed ego that desires to drive our every move. Although it is against our very nature to instinctively desire to put others before ourselves, once managed, there a breath of relief, a freedom, that comes from letting go of the heavy burden of the desires of our own heart.

I urge you not towards complacency, but encourage you to focus on developing your inner self so that true beauty can pour through you on to others. I believe that what we do in life should organically spring from this. What we do should evolve from who we are instead of conversely-who we are being only what we do. How refreshing and rare it is to meet someone that you know simply for their presence and not their occupation. I aspire to be one of those rare women that has developed the ability to daily crucify her own ego, and, in effect, leave behind a sweet and peaceful aroma wherever I go.

Can I be honest with you and say that I have both avoided reflecting and thinking about this topic for almost three years. Singleness. It’s taken me three years to find just some of the words below, but I rest assured and I believe that God will equip me with the rest needed before the first conference.

It was a picturesque Manhattan skyline at dusk in mid June. He got down on one knee and asked the question that every girl dreams of all of their life…

“Will you marry me?”

I felt as though all of my dreams were coming true. Ever since I knew what a wife and mother was, that was it for me. Sign me up. He was tall, dark and handsome and from the outside it had seemed as though I had met my prince charming. I landed a great job in high fashion and there it was a date set, dress bought, beautiful ring and a wedding in the works. But on the inside, that was the most painful and dark season of my life. I felt trapped in a difficult relationship and God had a different plan for my life.

Fast forward three years:

• I live with my parents back in my home town.
• I watch 3 children, (that aren’t mine.)
• I’m single.

You see, my life looks entirely different then I had ever imagined at 25. About 6 months after my broken engagement I felt a call from the Lord to move back to my home town.

Why? I asked the Lord. I love my life here in the city.

There’s not much to do in my home town..

I will be surrounded by married couples with kids.

I’ve been involved in a great church for 4 years here.

Where am I going to get authentic Mediterranean food?

My best friends are here.

I love my job.

Go, he said.

And.. I obeyed. I packed up my belongings, sublet my Upper East Side apartment..and moved back home.

Little did I know that 3 years after my broken engagement I would be leading a women’s ministry to serve women to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives. I would have the opportunity to serve the most vulnerable in this world; women that feel trapped in their current situations and feel like they have no voice or escape. Women, very much like me.

I recently sat down with one of my friends at the Ace Hotel in Manhattan (they have great food, heat and free wireless. In other words, this is where all of New York’s entrepreneurs’ “offices” reside.”) We were having a discussion about seasons of life. She and I are both in our mid twenties in a season of singleness. She said one of the most insightful things I have ever heard. “The longer I am single, the more of a compliment I feel it is from God.”

I had a revelation. To think of this season of singleness as a compliment and true gift from the Lord. My circumstances hadn’t changed, but my perspective surely did. I learned to embrace and be present in this season I am in, singleness. I did things I never imagined. I’ve always dreamed of traveling Europe but had been waiting until marriage (I’m saving Paris) but I began traveling. I sharpened my cooking skills (my parents enjoyed the benefits of this) and someday, when I have a family I will be more equipped to cook. I delighted in the alone time that I have every morning with my Heavenly father. (Someday, maybe my husband will be snoring.)

I believe God has a different plan and purpose for each and every one of His daughters. Some of us marry right out of high school and begin families, some in our 20′s, 30′s, 40′s. Some of us maybe aren’t called to be married. No path in life is more holy or blessed than the other. The truth is, I spent so much of my twenties envying the young mom’s that surrounded me. My Gosh Lord, they are living my dream! Can’t I just have my husband and 3 kids already?

But you see, in this season of life I am in yes, I desire to have a husband and maybe kids someday, but I don’t need a husband. For the Lord has filled me far more than any man ever could. I’ve learned to love the Lord as not just my father but to allow Him to romance my heart and to look at Him as my husband. Sisters, God wants to take us on this extraordinary journey with Him. He longs to be the hero of our lives, He longs to fill us with His unfailing love. He is a jealous God. He wants us to trust, obey, desire Him and Him alone. And until we learn that, we simply are not ready to marry one of His sons.

I know, I know, I should have learned this a while ago right? But if I’m honest, I truly didn’t learn what that meant in my heart until now. I’ve been a Christian nearly all of my life. I love the Lord, I truly do. But I had to learn for my self the joy and blessings that come with this single season of life. I had put marriage on a pedestal. It was an idol in my life and I had to give up my dream of marriage and kids in order to be filled fully with the Lord’s love.

Today if I look at my life through worldly eyes or “on paper” sort of speak, it wouldn’t look very glamorous. I live home with my parents. Gone are the days of stilettos, my 5th avenue office and black tie affairs. I wear sweatpants, sneakers and  watch 3 children. I spend half of my week doing their laundry and dishes. I spend hours commuting into the city for meetings. I work on a non-profit day in and day out for no salary. I work and sleep in my home office. It feels tinier by day. (But can I tell you, I am overfilled with the joy of the Lord.)

What a precious season to be back with my parents as an adult (two of the most selfless people that I know) and do life with them for some time. How often to we take a moment and thank the Lord for our loved ones? I am entrusted with these three beautiful children, three precious lives that fill me with laughter and joy. I delight in every step of the way (even potty training) and learn more from them that any college course ever taught me. I have the honor and privilege to serve my life following God’s lead on a ministry that is able to serve the most vulnerable in this world.

Don’t you see how divine God’s plan is as it unfolds in His grace? Sure I could have been married at 22 living what I thought was my dream. But to wait on the Lord for His perfect plan is far greater then anything I could have planned on my own.

As for the future, I don’t know what is in-store. I don’t know if I’ll get married. ( If I do he better be a busy man-this ministry takes a lot of time you know! ) I don’t know if I will be blessed with children. But what I do know is that I can rest assured that the Lord does and that He has my best interest at hand and that He simply wants to bless His daughters.

Dear sisters, I don’t know the season of life you are in as your are reading this. Many of you are in the season of marriage with kids. With just a taste I get from nannying I am sure there are times you feel spread so thin, and maybe, just maybe you envy times when life was a bit quieter. I pray that you would thank God this second for the man you yoked yourself with and the children you have the honor to raise. I am sure that marriage isn’t always easy by any means and I won’t proclaim to know until I am in that season, but I pray that you will take time to have date nights with your husband. Some of you are widowed and spent most of your lifetime with your late husband. I pray for you right now. For strength. I pray that you know that you are a beautiful daughter of the King most high and that He longs to captivate and romance your heart. Some of you are in a season of singleness, laying in bed as you fall asleep with tears in your eyes wondering if there is anyone out there for you. Will you ever get your dream? Hold on. Trust Jesus and persevere. I promise you He has a plan orchestrated for you life that is far more grand than any man on this earth can bring you.

In Christ,

Kristina Lee Grandstaff

This got me thinking about how advanced technology has become in this day in age and that got me thinking about just how many ways individuals can connect with one another. Email, i-pods, i-pads, i-phones, facebook, televisions in our cars, tweets, blogs, text messaging, bbm, skype, one can’t check their email without a gmail chat. I wonder to myself, what is coming next? It feels like no matter where I go, I’m being messaged from somewhere. I’m afraid my shower loufa is going to type, “Hey Kristina, how are you?”

I absolutely see that there are advantages with technology and social media and I’m not detracting from that. Being able to connect with loved ones from out of state, working from home, marketing business, non-profits, etc., these indeed are all advantages. But in all seriousness, I realized, I need to unplug from this “connected” world a bit.

Most recently– I have been thinking a lot about facebook. How this began as a website to connect college students and has now in my opinion changed the world. Think about this, having a lunch with your parents, professor, little cousin, pastor, ex-boyfriend, childhood best friend, grandma and boss all at the same table. I’m not sure what would be on the menu, but my guess is something very spicy. It’s interesting to think about inviting individuals from all different networks into one room where your personal life is exposed.

Now I’m going to be honest, I love photos. Taking them, dressing up for them. I am, a girlie girl through and through. I was the little girl with the big hat, and to this day, I am the only gal at church who wears a hat on Easter. (I should have been brought up in the south.)  But, do my “1500″ facebook friends really need to see all of these photos? Do they deserve an invite into my living room to sit with my family and open Christmas presents, or to my Father’s 50th Birthday, a weekend getaway? Do they deserve an invite into yours? I decided not.

I had been posting statuses and photos and thinking about my family and closest friends who were viewing them, but I wasn’t thinking about the 1500 other people who could as well. This realization alarmed me. I decided to hide my facebook wall and it is amazing how much peace this privacy has given me. I realized how dependent I had become on social media and how it was really effecting the boundaries in my life. When I began to open my lap-top to view emails before opening my Bible, I knew this had to change. Immediately. I’m not saying I will never go back on facebook or use other social networking sites, but-my eyes have been opened toboundaries that are needed.

Whether you are finishing your degree, a stay at home mom (aka superhero), a teacher, office manager, whatever your path in life may be I am sure you too are overwhelmed with emails, facebook messages and voicemails. We are all entitled to healthy boundaries for our private lives and need that quiet time in the morning alone with the Lord to be refreshed for all in life that comes our way. When we open that lap-top, turn on that television, answer those early morning texts, in an instant, our attention is off of the Lord and right onto technology. Isn’t this Satan’s dream world, a world where our eyes are becoming more and more fixed on technology rather then to the Lord?  Let me ask you this, with all of this technology, have we become so consumed in our own little bubbles that we have lost sight of what’s in front of us?Would we see suffering in front of us, or would we be texting on our blackberry with the i-pod tuned up?

Entering into the New Year, I learned if it takes me an extra few days to catch up on my email that is ok. Getting to sleep on time will allow me to serve others best because I have first taken care of myself. If people are confused as to why I don’t have a facebook wall, let them be. After all, there is nothing like a hand written note, catching up over a cup of tea, or telephone call to wish someone a happy birthday.

Dear sisters– I pray that this day going forward, you would take some time to look into your life and evaluate the healthy boundaries that are needed to first take care of yourself. I’ve said it before and ill say it many times, as women, we wear many hats– let’s start out in the morning unplugging from technology, turning off our computers and opening our Bibles. Let’s raise our children with less wires and more books.  Let’s get to sleep earlier rather then finishing those last flagged emails. Let’s put on some of those old dusty cds on the shelf rather then close off the world with our ipods– better yet— let’s sing.

Blessings,

Kristina Lee Grandstaff

Reflection: Do I have healthy boundaries in my life away from technology?

Action Steps: What steps can I take today to put God first and my computer on sleep mode?

Bible Text:“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.” -Ephesians 5:15-16[/box]

It’s always fun to get all dolled up on New Years spending time with a loved one, family or friends. It’s one of my favorite evenings of the year.

This year, it had been on my heart for some time to spend the evening alone with the Lord. I thought to myself, people are going to think I am crazy! I even giggled at the idea myself, up until the moment I left my front door. I asked my Pastor if I could borrow the sanctuary at my church for the evening and there it was, I had a date set with Jesus.

That evening, my attire consisted of a pair of flannels and fleece slippers to match. Blanket? Check. Candles? Check. My Bible, journal, and a few CD’s, Check. And I was off to the church at 10:30pm on New Years Eve.

Right when I walked into the sanctuary and turned the lights on, I was in awe of it’s beauty. I had grown up in this church since I was a little girl. I could picture myself nervous up on that stage for my confirmation and there I was setting up a little picnic blanket by the alter. I put on a Kari Jobe CD and was so blessed by all the words in her songs. My father had given me a card and box that I opened shortly after getting everything settled down. It was a beautiful card and necklace.

I didn’t go there with a specific plan, but knew it was where I was supposed to be. One thing that came to mind for the evening prior to, was to light a candle in remembrance of every guy that had ever broke my heart and at the end, a large candle for the Lord. I lit the candles and one by one said a prayer specifically to each man. I remembered the beautiful memories we shared and said a prayer for them wherever they are today. It was like a movie playing in my mind for each one (luckily, I remembered the good) and such a freeing feeling for each candle I blew out. At the end, I had the necklace my father had given me and a large candle to represent Jesus and His unfailing love. How I had gone through all of these men in search of the love– that was in front of me all along.

I wrote my prayer requests and some dreams for the new year, a letter specifically to Jesus and a letter to my future husband. At first I didn’t know what to write, but it didn’t take long until the words came to me. I folded each note and put them in the back of my journal.

I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful evening. My date with Jesus was by far the most beautiful I’ve ever had. (…and I even got to wear flannels!) I drove home a little after midnight and saw a beautiful fireworks show on the way home, and I knew that this was going to be a very special year. The freedom and healing I have felt from that evening has been overwhelming. I have a true sense of joy,peace and rejuvenation to enter this new year in running my non-profit, nannying and all else life has in-store.

I did something that to most probably looked outside the box, I myself thought “why am I so strange.” But I share this with you all because in life we make so many excuses. Holidays are a fun time to spend with family and friends, but sometimes it is so truly rewarding to lay down our plans at the feet of our heavenly father and give Him our full undivided attention.

Dear sisters, I don’t know where you are as you are reading this, but I pray for the same freedom and healing for you this moment wherever you are in your life. May you take time aside to spend with Jesus and may you find the peace and healing you are needing in your life.

Blessings,

Kristina Lee Grandstaff

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” - Ephesians 6:11

Oh the battles we face in life. From broken relationships, conflicts with family, friends, co-workers. The fact is that we are all broken people and live in a broken world and are all bound to face some sort of conflict in our lives.This past month, I have been going through one of the most difficult seasons in my life and have had to constantly remind myself before I place my feet into my stilettos, to put on the ”armor of God.”A few years back, while also encountering an extremely difficult season in life, I sat down for lunch in my 5th Avenue office with one of my dear friends. Looking down over Central Park with tears in my eyes, explaining the situation I was in, I was so wanting to seek justice and make my side of the story known. My friend kindly whispered  to me “Let the Lord fight your battles.”Can I tell you this one line has helped to shape my entire life. How often in life, in the midst of an unfair situation do we want to make our side known? My Gosh, with social media these days it is easier then ever. One can blog, tweet, leave a facebook status, etc. And as tempting as all of those outlets can be, I have found in all situations that by letting the Lord fight my battles, such a burden and weight is lifted in my heart. I find peace in knowing that my all loving Father, my protecter is in control. This doesn’t mean that I am going to have an instant answer in a situation or even that the other side knows they’re wrong doing or mine, but I can rest assured that at some point, whether in the breaths on this earth, or in eternity, the Lord is in control.I encourage you my dear sister, whatever difficult circumstance you are in right now, put on the armor of God in the morning and leave your battles in the hands of the Lord. I can promise you, it will be one of the greatest principals you can learn in this life.

Blessings,

Kristina Lee Grandstaff