Beauty for Ashes
Photo by Hisu lee on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

What a wonderful morning to meet with the Lord. He gave me a glorious gift as I sat down to journal…a beautiful cardinal in the tree in front of my window. I had the perfect view of my favorite bird. He’s such a good Father, and He gives precious moments to His Children.

Today we return to the lyric, “You are beautiful.” I shared on Day 1 about how the Lord is taking me back to remember when I first found His love and how He made me feel beautiful. Today He continues to have me reflect on the transformation He brought to my life through His love. Isaiah 61:1-3 is the perfect picture of what the anointed Jesus has done for me, and now what I want to help others experience. The transformation is real! Grab your Bibles, and read what the love of Jesus brings in Isaiah 61:1-3.

Where are you today? Are you needing a radical transformation? Healing? Freedom? Joy? Or is God asking you to reflect on what he’s brought you out of and the life change He’s given you? Selah.

No matter where we find ourselves this morning, it’s a great opportunity to praise God for who He is, what He’s done, and what He’s going to do.

Beauty for Ashes - Mid-Cities Worship

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes...”

— Isaiah 61:3 New International Version

The Word+Love=Jesus

Good Morning Beauties!

What a wonderful Truth - God loves us above all things! What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear this truth? Do you think “all things” refers to the glorious things of His creation or the mistakes and failings in your life? Selah.

I think of both the wonders of His creation and my sin. God made us in His image, gave us authority over all the creatures on the Earth, and died to save us - I believe He loves us above all things. The enemy lies to me and says I’m not worthy of God’s love because of my bad behavior, daily failures, and lifetime of sin. The truth is - nothing can separate me from the love of God, not His love for something else or when I fail Him - He loves me above it all. Do you see it? Do you believe it? Selah.

So if God truly loves us above all things, should we reciprocate? Should we devote our lives to loving God above all things? What does that look like for you? Selah.

Let’s take time this morning to praise God for His greatness.

Great in Power - Hillsong

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

— Romans 8:38-39 New International Version

Daughters of The King
Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Thanks for meeting me here and continuing your journey. I love today’s lyric, “Daughter of The King.” I need that sweet reminder of my royal status. What about you? Do you believe you are royal? Do you know your father is the King of all kings? What does that look like for you?

Growing up, I struggled with feeling valued by my parents. I felt worthless and it made accepting and trusting the love of other people difficult, let alone God’s love. It took me a long time to believe He could possibly love me - the true me - but when I handed over my heart, my world changed. I don’t blame my parents, I blame the enemy. He uses people and situations in our lives to deceive us. Remember, he came ONLY to steal, kill, and destroy.

Everyone has their own story. You may have had doting parents who made you feel cherished and loved, so who was it that told you lies? It may have been a teacher, a friend, or a stranger who made you feel less than all God says you are. Spend some time today with God as He reveals any lies you were told and you believed. Write them down and ask God to tell you His Truth about those things. Selah.

I discovered this song and video today and was blessed. Please enjoy the video, and remember to put on your crown before walking out the door.

Daughter of The King - Jamie Grace

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention: Forget your people and your father’s house. The King is enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for He is your Lord.”

— Psalm 45:10-11 New International Version

His Beautiful Bride
Photo by Kenny Luo on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Here we are, Day 1! The last three days you have prepared well, and the time spent will be worth it. You have prayed for your journey, and please know that I have too, and will continue to do so. I believe Jesus is also praying over you and your journey experience, interceding to the Father on your behalf.

In light of the Easter Season, and this being our Easter 40 Day Journey, I prayed this morning for wisdom to tie Jesus’ resurrection and our scripture verse, John 10:10 together. God brought me to a song, “He is Able” which speaks of His ability to overcome the grave, and with that power, He’ll make a way for us and never leave us. He’s the Almighty God who defeated death, and yet, He’s such a personal God. He desires intimacy with us, His Children, and is always right by our side. It’s this love that draws me to God, and allows me to trust and believe His Word. Do you know His love? Do you believe He is able to do all things? Do you believe He will make a way and will be beside you on your journey? Selah.

Let’s look at today’s lyric. We’ll see it several times again throughout the journey, but today is very important. It’s the baseline, if you will, of where your journey begins. What do you believe about your beauty today? The world is obsessed with outward beauty, but we know that God wants us to focus on inward beauty. Does one impact the other? Selah.

No matter what you currently believe, the Truth is, you ARE beautiful. God’s Word is true. He is not a liar. Over and over again, the Bible speaks of our beauty. I especially love the way Song of Solomon affirms my beauty. It’s a tender love story between the groom and his bride, and it’s where I first met the love of Jesus.

What is God saying to you about your beauty today? What are the lies He is revealing you currently believe? Are you willing to let go of the lies, and believe the Truth? Selah.

You Call Me Beautiful - Planetshakers

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful!”

— Song of Solomon 1:15 New International Version

Moved by His Love
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Welcome to our final day of preparation. We’ve set our expectations, created action plans for any obstacles, and now we determine our motivation for entering into this 40 Day Journey. Everyone will have a different answer, and all are right!

If we look at the word motivation from the word motivate we find, “the general desire or willingness of someone to do something.” Synonyms include: enthusiasm, drive, ambition, initiative, determination and sense of purpose.

I’ve taken the 40 Day Journey several times now, and each time has been special. Today when looking at my motivation to take another trip, I sensed the Lord was wanting me to look back at all He has done for me, especially when I first knew Him. What a life change that was! Like a new romance, I couldn’t get enough time with Him. I spent every minute I could in His Word, worshipping Him, singing and dancing. I was in love!

The wonderful thing is, I am still in love. Today I am renewing the romance with my Jesus. The intimacy we share will be my motivation to get up early every morning and spend precious moments with Him. It’s what He desires more than anything - us coming before Him, hearts wide open to have a love exchange.

What about you? What is it that will keep you interested and enthused to keep going on your journey when things get tough, busy, or you feel lazy? Selah. Please take time to write down your motivation in your journal as you may need to remind yourself on those difficult days.

I worshipped today with one of my favorite songs from that special time of “first love.” I’ve included the link to the song below. Enjoy!

I Could Sing of Your Love Forever - Martin Smith, Delirious

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.”

— Psalm 89:1-2 New International Version

Overcoming Obstacles
Photo by Jake Fagan on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Welcome to Day 2 as we get ready for our journey. I pray you found yesterday’s preparation helpful and hopeful. Today we will look at any obstacles that may get in the way of a successful journey experience. Our key Bible verse is John 10:10 which tells us, “the enemy came only to steal, kill, and destroy.” He will try to stand in your way of breaking free from the strongholds in your life - it’s a given. So what do you do?

We must identify any obstacles that may get in the way and create a plan of action to remove them. It sounds easy, but it takes time and effort to go through this process. Again, I encourage you to slow down, and take time to write anything that may hinder your journey and write the action plan right beside it. As these stumbling blocks come up, you have a resource at your fingertips to help keep you on track.

One of my major obstacles is fatigue. It’s hard to get up extra early (5 am) to meet with God when I haven’t had enough sleep. In my sleepiness, I’ll hit the snooze button a few times, causing me to rush through my journey that day. I never want to rush my time with God, so my action plan is to go to bed earlier than I usually do to ensure a good eight hours of rest. I also pray God would allow for a peaceful sleep before my head hits the pillow. A scripture that will help get me up and ready to spend time with my beloved Jesus is, “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 ~ New King James Version.

This example is pretty simple, but you get the picture of what an obstacle can look like and how an action plan can help. What are the things that may hinder your journey? How will you overcome them? Selah.

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care. They will walk beside quiet streams and on smooth paths where they will not stumble.”

— Jeremiah 31:9 New Living Translation

Journey of Trust
Photo by Adriann Meyer on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Today is the day we start to prepare for our 40 Day Journey. I’m so glad you’re here, and I hope you’re as excited as I am to see the marvelous work of God in our lives. He brought to mind today Jeremiah 29:11, which is perfect timing, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” - New Living Translation. He is such a loving God, and wants nothing but the best for us. He is a personal God, and knows each one of us more than we know ourselves. His loves draws us ever closer to Himself, and it’s this love that is calling us now. Do you hear Him? Are you ready to respond?

Every successful journey takes planning and preparation, so we begin today by reviewing how the journal works, how the blog plays a part, and how setting clear expectations will allow for the best experience possible. Please take time for this step. Slow down and be intentional with your preparation. This journey is for YOU! You are worth the investment of time and energy, so don’t let anyone or anything rob you of it.

In the introduction, you will see a step by step guide for using the journal. I’ve created the process the way I heard God tell me to structure it; therefore, I’ve always followed the steps and have had success. There is also room for individuality as well, because everyone is different, and God speaks to everyone in a very personal way. How do you commune with God? Perhaps in singing, dancing, drawing, praying, reading the Bible? However you and God find your “secret place” is right. This is your time to listen as He speaks. The basic steps are: pray at the beginning of your time with Him, listen to the song and let His truths speak to your heart, spend time with God and let Him guide you to revelation of His truth. Write about the lies uncovered and truth revealed. One thing to remember is everyone’s journey will be different.

Each day’s lyric is to prompt a discussion with God about why you believe or not believe that particular truth. Has the enemy told you something that is in contrast with God’s truth? This process will help you as God reveals the lies that you currently believe and replace them with His beautiful truth. The lies can be big or small. I’ve found most lies are deep rooted from childhood. The enemy is the deceiver, and he will use people and situations in our lives to convince us his lies are true which leads to our destruction. But Jesus came to bring us life, and that’s what this journey is all about. He wants to restore damaged places.

The blog is here for you as an encouragement. I am going on my own journey right along with you, so I like to share the revelations God has shared with me each day. Please feel free to use it as you want. Some Beauties read it everyday, and others only a few times, while some, not at all. There’s no right or wrong, just visit the blog as you wish. Please also use the “Let’s Connect” section of the website to correspond with me if you have questions or want to make a comment. I love hearing from Beauties along the way.

It’s time to set clear expectations. You may want to take your journal and write them down so you will want to reflect on them throughout your journey. What do you want to accomplish during the 40 Days? Be as detailed and specific as you can. What are you willing to do to ensure your expectations are met? What do you want God to do? If you read some of the stories on the website, you will see that most were pleasantly surprised how God used their journey experience. Perhaps the outcome wasn’t what they expected, but all were happy with the results.

The universal goal is change. We are asking God to reveal the lies we’ve been believing and replace them with His Truth. The battle is waged in our minds. Transformation occurs when we trust God and allow Him to change our thoughts. Are you ready for this kind of change? Selah.

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“He is a thunderous voice of one who shouts in the wilderness: ‘Prepare your hearts for the coming of the Lord Yahweh, and clear a straight path inside your hearts for him!’”

— Mark 1:3 The Passion Translation

Walking A New Walk
Robb Leahy - Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Thank you for meeting me here again for our Day of Reflection. This day gives us the opportunity to look back at our entire journey as an experience and assess our growth. Are you up for it? There’s no right or wrong way to examine your journey; there’s no correct formula.

Here are three steps you may find helpful, but please feel free to create your own method.

Step 1: Simply allow yourself to look back from Day 1 and remember what you had first believed and determine if you now have new beliefs. You may want to write down your findings to help guide the process. Do you want to look at each attribute individually, or consider your journey as a whole? It’s up to you. Which Truth had the greatest impact on your life? How has that Truth changed you?

Step 2: How did the 40 Day Journey process work for you? Were you able to following the prescribed flow of prayer, song, listen to God, journal, pray? Did you use the Creative Pages to slow down and hear from God? Did you find this blog helpful and encouraging? Did you discover the best way for you and God to find intimacy and grow closer in your relationship?

Step 3: Looking back at your 3 Days of Preparation, did your overall journey experience meet your expectations? Did your action plans keep the obstacles from ruining your journey? Did your motives for completing the journey keep you engaged throughout the entire 40 days? What worked well and what didn’t where these preparation steps are concerned?

I pray you have a greater knowledge and belief in who you are in Christ, and that you will experience greater freedom in your daily journey; freedom to be your True self and to fulfill your God given purpose.

If you have had a positive experience, I pray you will consider sharing your story with other women in your life. Jesus asks us to share what we've seen and heard as a witness of His ministry. I pray that you will also consider sharing about your journey on my website to encourage others to take their own 40 Day Journey with God, so they can also be set free from lies and deception into the glorious light of Love and Truth.

It has been a privilege and honor to have been a part of your journey of healing, restoration, and growth. I continue to pray for you and the blessed future God has in store. All joy and peace to you as we move forward in praise and adoration of our King for all that He's done and all that He's going to do.

Kiss of Heaven - Darlene Zschech

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Therefore, we were buried with Him through this baptism into death so that just as God the Father, in all His glory, resurrected the Anointed One, we, too, might walk confidently out of the grave into a new life.”

— Romans 6:4 The Voice Translation

Come Away With Me, My Beautiful One
Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Welcome to Day 40! Congratulations, you did it! Your dedication and desire to draw closer to God and know His Truth is to be commended. I’m proud of you, and I hope you are too.

Please join me here tomorrow for our Day of Reflection, where we’ll take a look at your entire journey experience, but for today, let’s focus on the last lyric of the song, “And you are beautiful.” We’ve heard this same lyric several times throughout your journey, so how is it different today? What is God saying to you about your beauty today? Selah.

Surprisingly, on Day 40 of my first journey, He spoke to me about HIS beauty. God revealed He is the True Beautiful One who simply reflects His Beauty through me.  You may be saying to yourself, "Of course!  This is a no-brainer," but the Truth traveled from my head to my heart, where I allowed it to resonate with my soul.  There is now a desire to be the Beautiful woman He created me to be for the purpose of showing the world HIS Beauty.  If we walk in guilt and shame of the lies from the enemy, how will God receive His glory?  Just as the Father was revealed to us through Jesus, we have the amazing privilege of revealing Jesus to the world. Hallelujah!

“The One I Love calls to me: Arise, my dearest. Hurry, my darling. Come away with me! I have come as you have asked to draw you to my heart and lead you out. For now is the time, my beautiful one.” Song of Solomon 2:10 - The Passion Translation. Yes, now is the time to come out of the lies and darkness, once and for all, and step into God’s glorious life He has for you.

Take a moment to pause and worship the One who created you, loves you and has given you a purpose.  He is so worthy of our praise! 

Beautiful One - Tim Hughes

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.”

— Psalm 27:4 New International Version

Rich in His Blessing
Khanh Steven

Good Morning Beauties!

You’ve had a few days now to soak in God’s lavish love for you and to grasp the awesome wonder of new life given by your Abba Father. Are you able to let these thoughts of who you are and how much you’re loved drop from your mind to your heart and fully believe the Truth? Is there anything preventing you from believing you are who God says you are? Are there any lies making it difficult to believe? Selah.

If we look in God’s Word, we find His desire that we turn from sin and be made new. In our new life we find our freedom in Him. As Children of God, He has provided our inheritance and a place for us with Him forever. He loves us that much! In Acts 26:18, Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus and commissioned him with a calling, “‘And you will open their eyes to their true condition, so that they may turn from darkness to the Light and from the power of Satan to the power of God. By placing their faith in me they will receive the total forgiveness of sins and be made holy, taking hold of the inheritance that I give to my children.’” ~ The Passion Translation.

Will you believe all He has for you? Will you trust Him and give Him all of you? No holding back? Selah.

Who You Say I Am - HIllsong

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“And since we are His true children, we qualify to share all his treasures, for indeed, we are heirs of God himself. ”

— Romans 8:7 The Passion Translation

Treasured
Limor Zellermayer - Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Today’s lyric remains one of my favorites, and one that has brought the greatest healing to my life. I’m excited to share some thoughts about the impact of this Truth, and I pray you will be blessed as I have been.

Let’s look at this beautiful word. Treasured, “to keep carefully (a valuable or valued item.)” The synonyms are quite beautiful: cherish, hold dear, place great value on, prize, value greatly, esteem; adore, dote on, love dearly, be devoted to, idolize, worship, think very highly of, appreciate greatly; preserve, keep safe.

My greatest struggle growing up and even into my young adult years was not feeling valued. The enemy had used people and circumstances to convey the message I was not worthy of love. As you can imagine this message created massive insecurities as I tried to navigate this world and relationships with the people in it.

My life changed when I truly received the perfect love of Christ. Knowing that He loved me and died to save me relieved my heartache and allowed me to live a new life. A life filled with security, grace and blessing. For the first time, I felt cherished, adored, and valuable.

What a precious thought…that we are treasured by God. How does this Truth make you feel? What lies can now be abolished knowing that you are truly valuable to God, your Abba Father? Selah.

Beautiful - MercyMe

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession.”

— Deuteronomy 14:2 (b) New International Version

Daddy’s Girl
Photo by Geovanny Velasquez on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

It’s a beautiful Winter’s morning with a blanket of white covering the Earth. Oh He is a most magnificent Creator, isn’t He? Makes me feel proud to be His daughter. That’s my Abba Father - my Daddy!

With the title of Child of The Most High God, we immediately see God as our parent, our Abba Father. Why does the Bible describe us in this way verses God’s creation alone? The answer is simple…His great love for us. It wasn’t enough for Him to be our Creator, He wanted a more intimate relationship with us.

The heart of God is that of a loving Father. The Holy Trinity is made up of God The Father, Jesus The Son, and The Holy Spirit. The Bible is jam packed with scriptures describing The Father’s love for us. One of my favorites is found in 1 John 3:1, “Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us—He calls us Children of God! It’s true; we are His beloved children.” - The Voice Translation. How incredibly beautiful is that Truth?!

As you spend time with God today, listen closely…do you hear Him singing over you? Selah.

The Father’s Song - Matt Redman

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“The same way a loving father feels toward his children - that’s but a sample of Your tender feelings toward us, Your beloved children, who live in awe of you.”

— Psalm 103:13 The Passion Translation

New Creation - New Perspective
Photo by Picsea on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Oh my goodness! We are beginning the last attribute of our 40 Day Journey. You have come so far, and I pray have learned so much about your true identity in Christ. Our Last five days together on our journey will be special. The song has a deliberate key change as we go into this attribute to indicate the significance of what is about to be said… a “crescendo” to the journey. We’ll be taking a look at our title and position of being a Child of God. Can you think of a better designation than that? I can’t.

This incredibly special title is not given to everyone. There is a prerequisite. We must believe in the Truth of Jesus. We must know in our head and believe in our hearts that He died on the cross to abolish sin and He rose again to conquer death and provide us eternal life. Do you trust Jesus as your Savior? John 1:12 clearly explains, “But for all who did receive and trust in Him, He gave them the right to be reborn as Children of God." - The Voice Translation. Our status as a Child of God is a right, a privilege, an honor.

I chose this translation because it has the word “reborn” in it. We are truly a new person as a Child of God. Our old self has passed away and a new creation is born. Staying with The Voice Translation, the Bible confirms this Truth, “Therefore, if anyone is united with the Anointed One, that person is a new creation. The old life is gone—and see—a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17.

With new life comes new perspective. The game changer for me was when I redirected my focus from my current Earthly situations, and all the fears that went along with them, to an Eternal perspective. I became more concerned for others than myself. Don’t get me wrong, I still behave in selfish ways at times, (more than I’d like to,) but I now look at my life from a Child of God viewpoint. I was created by God and placed on this Earth for a purpose - to love God and love others. Period. It’s simple.

What about you? What does being a Child of God mean to you? After spending time with Him today, what beliefs did He reveal as lies? What new Truths did He reveal to you? Selah.

No Longer A Slave To Fear: I Am A Child Of God - Chris Tomlin

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“You have all become true children of God by the faith of Jesus the Anointed One!”

— Galatians 3:26 The Passion Translation

God’s Beautiful Things
Photo by Carol Oliver on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

If you’re in Minnesota, you’re waking up to freezing rain which is coating everything in a sheet of ice. On the surface, (no pun intended) it seems awful, dangerous, and anything but beautiful. As I sit at my desk looking out my window, I’m unhappy at these weather conditions, but ask God to give me a different perspective.

I quickly become thankful and offer a prayer to Him for all the beautiful things He’s provided me. My husband in the next room, my warm home on this cold morning, my computer which allows me to communicate with the world, my office decor that creates a special place for me to come every morning to be with Him. These may seem a bit frivolous in the scheme of the world’s problems, but I appreciate how God can turn a moment of displeasure into an accounting of His beautiful blessings.

As you look back at your first thirty-five days of your journey, can you see the Beauty and work of God? I encourage you to write them down and say a prayer of thanks to the One who makes all things beautiful. Selah.

Below you will find a really cool song & scripture study of a song that’s new to me. I think it will bless you today as you look at your world through His eyes.

Songs & Scripture - You Make Beautiful Things by Gungor

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“I will offer You my grateful heart, for I am Your unique creation, filled with wonder and awe. You have approached even the smallest details with excellence; Your works are wonderful; I carry this knowledge deep within my soul.”

— Psalm 139:14 The Voice Translation

Pure Beauty

Good Morning Beauties!

Have you enjoyed the past few days of your journey? There is so much Freedom found in the Truth of your Purity; however, I think this attribute may be one of the most difficult to believe. Perhaps a quick review of the last three days will be helpful to summarize the Truths you discovered. Let’s also take a look at your beliefs in light of your discoveries. Spend time with each of the following questions to examine your heart today.

Do you believe you are Pure and able to stand before a Holy God? What was your first reaction to that question? Do you still hesitate to believe Christ died to give you full acceptance and access to The Most High God? Selah.

Do you believe God is able to turn your broken heart into one that beats with love out of restoration? Selah.

Have you surrendered your need to be perfect? Truly laid it down at the feet of Jesus, never to pick it up again, knowing that it’s okay to disappoint people because God’s acceptance is all you need? Selah.

Today, I pray you spend time pondering these questions and examining your beliefs. The enemy has lied to us from very early on as children. We were given messages of what’s “good” and what’s “bad.” Most parents and authority figures did not do a great job of distinguishing between behavior and who we are, so we grew up thinking we were bad, not our behavior. We also saw conditional love. If we are good enough, we will be loved. God’s love is quite the opposite. Despite our flaws, bad behavior, our sin - He loves and accepts us just the way we are. Do you believe this Truth? Selah.

Here’s a beautiful song to remind you of who you are in God’s sight. Enjoy!

You Say - Lauren Daigle

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“... His life-giving Spirit imparts life to you because you are fully accepted by God.”

— Romans 8:10 The Passion Translation

Beautiful Imperfection
Photo by Senjuti Kundu on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Oh ladies….today is a day of Freedom! God wants to set you free from your need to be perfect. Most of us have at least one area of our lives where our perfectionism lives. We go to great lengths to show the world “I’ve got this” “no help needed here.” The Truth is, we do need help. Our beautiful Creator did not expect for us to make it on our own. Today, the jig is up! No more striving and stressing to meet an unrealistic requirement of perfection. Whether this expectation is real or imagined, you can let go of the need to be flawless.

I believe the enemy has lied to us and created the need to be perfect out of fear. Please follow my logical deduction. Think about an area of your life you try to be perfect. Ask yourself, “what will happen if I fail?” Will someone be disappointed? Who is that person? What will happen if they are disappointed in you? What’s the worse thing that will happen? Will their love for you diminish? Will they reject you altogether? No wonder you stress and strain to be perfect. The fear of rejection is powerful, and it’s a lie!

Here’s an exercise to help identify areas that have you bound with the lie of perfectionism. Grab your journal and write down all the people, (including yourself) who you believe has an expectation, (real or imagined) you’re trying to live up to. Beside the name write down the specific expectation. Beside the expectation, write down how are you trying to fulfill it? Beside that, write your fear if you don’t succeed - what is the worst thing that could happen? Now, go back and pray for God’s Truth in all the situations and write down what He speaks to your heart.

Sometimes, it’s not people we’re fearing rejection, it’s God. I have been blessed with not needing to prove myself to others - something that I’ve struggled with for a long time. It still pops up every now and again, but for the most part, God has healed me from my deep insecurities and need for acceptance from people. I now struggle with disappointing God, Himself. Can you relate?

The Truth is your Loving Father God will never reject you. He knows all your faults and still loves you. There is nothing in the world you could ever do to change His perfect love for you. How is it possible? Jesus! We could never do anything to earn the unconditional love of God. It is only Jesus’ death on the cross that made the way for us to go before God unblemished - perfect in His sight.

Jesus made a way for us to go boldly into the throne room of Grace. But do we? I think the answer is too often, “no.” We still see our blemishes, our sin, and we still believe we’re unworthy to approach an all perfect God. We may know Truth, but still don’t believe it applies to ourselves. What does the Bible say about it? “He understands humanity, for as a Man, our magnificent King-Priest was tempted in every way just as we are, and conquered sin. So now we come freely and boldly to where love is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness.” ~ Hebrews 4:15-16 The Passion Translation.

Let His Grace and Love wash over you today as you ponder His Perfection. Selah.

Perfect - Ed Sheeran/Philippa Hanna

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.”

— Song of Solomon 4:7 New International Version

His Glorious Light

Good Morning Beauties!

Have you ever been afraid of the dark, and all you want to do is find the light? The light makes it all better. You feel safe and the danger is gone. Isn’t that what God does?

Before we met God and knew His Son, Jesus, we lived in darkness. A place filled with fear, anger, sadness, insecurity, poverty of spirit. It hardened our hearts, because we had to toughen up to survive. We had to defend ourselves when no one else would. Hardened scars from old wounds filled our hearts where soft flesh was intended.

God saw our condition and sent Jesus to be the Light in our darkness. He came with a new heart for us; a soft heart that could trust and rely on Him in every situation. “And I will give you a new heart—I will give you new and right desires—and put a new spirit within you. I will take out your stony hearts of sin and give you new hearts of love.” Ezekiel 36:26 - The Living Bible

Have you been set free from the darkness and the lies that have bound you? A simple prayer of repentance and forgiveness to Jesus is the way to begin walking out of the darkness into His Glorious Light. Ask Him to replace your heart of stone with a heart of tenderness and love. He is mighty to save and wants nothing more than to hear your prayer. Will you call upon Him today? Selah.

Once set free from my own experience with darkness, I fell madly in love with Jesus, and wanted to scream it from the rooftops. The song below is a beautiful expression of what I felt at that time. Enjoy!

Sing of Your Great Love - Hillsong

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light...”

— 1 Peter 2:9 The Passion Translation

Purity of Heart

Good Morning Beauties!

We’re beginning the last ten days of our journey. WOW! I hope you are proud of yourself and what you’ve accomplished in the first thirty days. What did you discover about yourself in the past month? What can you celebrate and where do you need grace to see improvement? Selah.

Today we start our seventh attribute - Purity. What do you immediately think of when you see or hear the word Purity or Pure? I think of Jesus and His Pure heart. He has allowed me to meet a few people with a pure heart and I’m always drawn to them.

Here are a couple of definitions of Purity to consider:
”freedom from adulteration or contamination” and “freedom from immorality”. How do you define it? What definition are you trying to live up to?

I believe we most often think it has to do with our sexuality, especially when we refer to Christian Purity. We hear and use the phrase, “I want to remain pure for my husband before our marriage”, and we wear purity rings as a commitment to remain a virgin prior to marriage. While remaining sexually pure as God has instructed us is important, I believe purity of heart is even more important.

I love great teaching, and the best is that of Jesus himself. His glorious Sermon on the Mount gave us the gift of the Beatitudes. Jesus declares, “Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for they shall see God.” What is the condition of your heart today? Do you hold any bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy, or envy that is preventing you from seeing all of God? Selah.

Jesus didn’t come to correct our behavior, but to purify our hearts. It’s always about the heart with Him. Will you join me in praying this verse of scripture? ”Create a new, clean heart within me. Fill me with pure thoughts and holy desires, ready to please you.” Psalm 51:10 The Passion Translation.

Clean - Natalie Grant

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“What bliss you experience when your heart is pure! For then your eyes will open to see more and more of God.”

— Matthew 5:8 The Passion Translation

Beautiful Cross Beautiful Jesus
Photo by Daniil Silantev on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

The attribute of Redeemed is always highly emotional and deeply moving for me. How about you? Were you able to take a good look at Truth, despite the difficulty, and accept it as your reality? Were you able to gain a new sense of freedom? What did God reveal to you during the past few days that made the greatest impact? Selah.

The point of this 40 Day Journey, is to believe we have received the eight attributes of Christ, and our beauty flows from them. You may question the beauty of redemption, because the cross was a torture device, and anything but beautiful. If we look a little closer, we find it’s the result of Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection that is truly beautiful. His love poured out to us through His sacrifice on the cross is magnificently Beautiful.

I’ve found a song that describes the beauty of the cross so well, in fact, that’s the name of the song. I usually include it on Day 30 as an encouragement. This morning, while looking for the song, I discovered an interview of the singer, Jonny Diaz. The link is provided below along with the song.

As you spend time with God today, I hope you find the article interesting and up lifting. I hope you are moved by the Truth in the song. More importantly, I pray you have found a deeper relationship with Christ, who has redeemed you from the enemy, once and for all.

Jonny Diaz Interview

Beauty of the Cross - Jonny Diaz

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“You, Lord, took up my case; You redeemed my life.”

— Lamentations 3:58 New International Version

We Are Redeemed!

Good Morning Beauties!

The past few days have been intense as we examined what Jesus did for us on the cross. The greatest love of all was displayed for our salvation. Thank you, Lord!! Hallelujah!

Today, I invite you to celebrate His love for you and the fact that you are redeemed. I love what Psalm 107:1-3 says in The Passion Translation about the joy and thanksgiving we find in our redemption, “Let everyone give all their praise and thanks to the Lord! Here’s why—he’s better than anyone could ever imagine. Yes, he’s always loving and kind, and his faithful love never ends. So, go ahead—let everyone know it! Tell the world how he broke through and delivered you from the power of darkness and has gathered us together from all over the world. He has set us free to be his very own!”

In your celebration, I also invite you to take time to color one of the artistic pages in the back of your journal. The one above is what I colored in one of my first journey experiences. I remember how it slowed me down to just listen to God, and it was amazing! He shared new thoughts and reminded me of other Truths that I had learned as a child. It was a beautiful time with my Savior. What does He want to say to you today? Selah.

For me, celebration always includes singing and dancing! Here’s a song to help us, The Redeemed, praise God in thanksgiving for what He’s done for us.

We The Redeemed - Hillsong

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Since we are now joined to Christ, we have been given the treasures of redemption by his blood—the total cancellation of our sins—all because of the cascading riches of his grace.”

— Ephesians 1:7 The Passion Translation