Freedom Within Your Grasp
Photo by Andressa Voltolini on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

An important part of our joy comes from our freedom. Freedom from the past and our freedom to a newness of life with all its possibilities. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

In my study time with God this morning, I found an article, that quite frankly, I wish I had written myself. These words and thoughts live inside me and I express them throughout the 40 Day Journey experience. Here, in one article, the author has summarized John 10:10 so well. I pray you are blessed as I was when reading it. Grab your journal and write some thoughts that speak to your heart, and then pray with God that He would help you let go of the lies that still bind you, and reach forward to hold on to the truth that will propel you forward.

I’m Breaking Up With My Past - Debbie McDaniel

Letting Go - Steffany Gretzinger

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

— Philippians 3:12

Radiant Joy
Photo by Fuu J on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Today is a great example of coming to God and participating in your journal even when it’s difficult. I’ve been sick since last night, but still desire to come to the Lord to hear from Him. Have you had one of those days, where it was hard to overcome obstacles and spend time with God? Are your motivations keeping you in front of God - your Father, your Savior, your Friend?

Today we start our third attribute, JOYFUL. What does it mean to be joyful? The obvious definition is, “To be filled with joy.” But what does joy mean to you? Is it a constant state of happiness? Does it have anything to do with happiness at all? Is it something that comes and goes with circumstance? What is your level of joy on a scale of 1-10? Selah.

The Bible tells us, “The Joy of the Lord is our Strength,” so it’s vitally important to eliminate anything standing in the way of our joy. What are you holding on to that prevents you from walking in the truth of your joy? Are they lies? Are they painful situations you’ve endured? Are you willing to “let go and let God?” Selah.

The Joy Of The Lord - Rend Collective Experiment

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“In mercy You have seen my troubles and You have cared for me; even during this crisis in my soul I will be radiant with joy, filled with praise for Your love and mercy.”

— Psalm 31:7 The Passion Translation

Invitation to Rest
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

The journey is moving quickly through the beautiful truths of God. Is there a part of your discovery about your loveliness you need to spend more time? Today provides an opportunity to do just that. What does your loving Father want to seal in your heart? Selah.

In my personal journey, God is speaking to me this morning about finding rest in Him Because of our relationship to Him, we have been given the power and might of His Majesty. Do we use this power to lord it over people? Certainly not! His beautiful gift allows us to rest in Him, knowing that all glory and power are His. We are to find our security in His Majesty with knowledge He is working all things for our good. Our good good Father has a perfect plan for our lives.

When we rest, we can give all our cares to God, and not spend our time worrying about ourselves. Instead, we can use our time to understand and follow the will of our Father. He will surely speak to us about how we can pray and bless others - true humility.

Confidence is such a big part of our loveliness. We do not have envy, jealously, or insecurity in our hearts - these keep us dwelling on ourselves. God provides all the security we need, which eliminates the need for us to try to protect ourselves from the possible pain from others. We are free to care and love others, just as God desires.

Please take time today to truly rest in Him and His truths.

You Can Just Rest - Bethel Worship Music

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“My heart and soul explode with joy—full of glory! Even my body will rest confident and secure.”

— Psalm 16:9 The Passion Translation

Lovely and Stunning
Photo by photo-nic.co.uk nic on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Lovely is a definitely spoken over many a bride. It’s perfectly fitting for the occasion - her day of love. Where family and friends will take one look at the bride and her groom, and know they are in love.

We are spiritual Brides of THE Bridegroom - Jesus. He has prepared the way for us, and we must ready ourselves. I often think of simplifying my life by focusing on my wedding preparation to my King. Becoming that truly lovely and beautiful bride for the One who saved my soul.

What about you? Do you think about your Wedding Day to Jesus? Is this a new concept to you? Does it sound rather strange? Here is how the Bible so beautifully describes it in Song of Solomon 3:9-13…

“The king made this mercy seat for himself
out of the finest wood that will not decay.
Pillars of smoke, like silver mist—
a canopy of golden glory dwells above it.
The place where they sit together
is sprinkled with crimson.
Love and mercy cover this carriage,
blanketing his tabernacle throne.
The king himself has made it
for those who will become his bride.
Rise up, Zion maidens, brides-to-be!
Come and feast your eyes on this king
as he passes in procession on his way to his wedding.
This is the day filled with overwhelming joy—
the day of his great gladness.”

Journal your thoughts after reading this Truth. Selah

I Can’t Wait - Merchant Band

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Lovely and stunning she leads the procession with all her bridesmaids as they come before you, her Bridegroom King.”

— Psalm 45:14 The Passion Translation

Powerful Humility
Photo by Rosie Fraser on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

“While they were nailing Jesus to the cross, He prayed over and over, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.’” Luke 23:34 The Passion Translation

A greater example of humility was never spoken. Jesus had just been tortured, mocked, forced to carry His own cross, abandoned by friends and family, and as He was being nailed to the cross, His thoughts were on others, us, you and me. He bowed low, submitted to His Father, God, and prayed for us. Perfect Humility!

Luke says in his gospel, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:32-34 New International Version. Is the treasure of your heart Jesus and others, or is it on accumulating worldly possessions, position, and power? These are the things the enemy distracts us with so we will lose focus on God and His purpose for us.

Are we willing to go back to the basics and follow the two commandments of Jesus? Loving Him and loving others? Are we willing to bow our knees and pray for the needs of others and our world before thinking of ourselves? I am. Will you join me? Selah.

When We Pray - Tauren Wells

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“... if my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. ”

— 2 Chronicles 7:14 New International Version

Praise His Majesty
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Awesome! I used to say that word a lot to express my excitement and approval towards many things. It could have been a suspenseful movie, delicious food, or good news from a friend. Everything was “awesome.” I often delivered the announcements during the service at my church, and used the word to describe the morning, the chili cook-off, the new Women’s Bible Study, and the “awesome” opportunity to work in the nursery where volunteers were needed.

After one particular service, my wise pastor talked to me in his office. He simply asked me, “If you could choose just one word to describe God, what would it be?” I immediately said, you guessed it, “Awesome.” He then went on to say, “if you use that word to describe God, could it possibly be used for anything else, or is it a word you reserve for Him?” Ever since that conversation, I use that word for God alone, because, what else am I in awe of? I can enjoy something, or take delight in something, but God alone causes me to stand in awe of His majesty.

“Be in awe before His majesty. Be in awe before such power and might! Come worship wonderful Yahweh, arrayed in all His splendor, bowing in worship as He appears in the beauty of holiness. Give Him the honor due His name. Worship Him wearing the glory-garments of your holy, priestly calling!” Psalm 29:3 The Passion Translation.

Beauties, we are given garments of His majesty to wear as His beloved. Look at what He says in Psalm 30:11, “Then He broke through and transformed all my wailing into a whirling dance of ecstatic praise! He has torn the veil and lifted from me the sad heaviness of mourning. He wrapped me in the glory garments of gladness.” The Passion Translation.

Are you walking in this gladness God has already given you? What weighs you down in the heaviness of mourning? Will you release it to Him today? Selah.

I Stand In Awe Of You - Mark Altrogge

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Breathtaking brilliance and awe-inspiring majesty radiate from His shining presence. His stunning beauty overwhelms all who come before Him.”

— Psalm 96:6 The Passion Translation

Lovely Praise
Photo by Seth Reese on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Let’s start by looking how far we’ve come so far! We’ve completed the three days of preparation and the first five days of the journey. We have far to go, but let’s not forget the work we’ve done, and how the Lord has already worked in us.

Today we begin to discover all God has for us regarding the attribute “lovely.” What’s the first thing you think about when you hear the word? Is this a word you often use? I enjoy speaking in an English accent, and in that culture, the word is used a lot. In America, we use the word “great” for everything. I use it myself several times daily.

There’s something special about the word lovely. The root word is love, so that right there makes it a Godly word in my opinion. When I googled the difference between “lovely” and “beautiful,” here’s what I found. “As adjectives the difference between lovely and beautiful is that lovely is inspiring actual love or lovely can be worthy to be praised while beautiful is attractive and possessing charm.”

We are lovely and inspire love. What makes us lovely in the first place is being filled with the Spirit. Jesus lives in us, so we have love Himself residing in us. He is what makes us lovely and draws people to Him through us. Who do you know that walks in a room, and everyone is immediately drawn to? Could you describe them as lovely? What makes them so?

If you are a Christian, if you know Christ, you are also lovely. His love flows from you and draws people to Himself. Do you believe it? Can you see yourself beholding such loveliness? If not, what lie is standing in the way of God’s truth? Selah.

Let us praise and adore the God of Heaven who made us and has filled us with His love!

Every Praise - Hezekiah Walker

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! How beautiful it is when we sing our praises to the beautiful God, for praise makes you lovely before Him and brings Him great delight!”

— Psalm 147:1 The Passion Translation

Beauty of Truth
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Here we are on Day 5 already. That was fast! I pray you’ve been blessed and have treasured your special time with God. I pray He has already given you revelation of where the enemy has lied to you, and He has replaced it with His truth.

Today I’d like us to review all the Truths we’ve learned over the past four days. This blog is only here to share some revelations God pours into my heart so I can encourage your journey. I’m sure He has provided you with so much more than you’ll find here. Let’s write those life changing thoughts from God in our journals, so we may build on them as we continue our journeys.

Here on the blog we’ve looked at some wonderful truths. The first was God’s truth sets us free. (John 8:31-32) We then looked at putting the past behind us and all the lies and damage we may have experienced and moving into the future with God as our protecter and provider. (Psalm 45:10-11) Next we tried to grasp how deep, high, long, and wide the love of God is for us. It’s a perfect love by which God adores His children. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) Finally, we saw how our differences make us uniquely beautiful and His masterpiece. (Ephesians 2:10)

Take time to soak in all the truths God has spoke into your heart. Selah

Your Word Is True - Nathan Taylor

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“For God’s Word is something to sing about! He is true to His promises, His word can be trusted, and everything He does is reliable and right.”

— Psalm 33:4 The Passion Translation

Individual Beauty
Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties

Were you able to soak in God’s love for you yesterday? I pray your time with Him was glorious. Today we return to the lyric, “You are beautiful.” Let’s look at our unique physical beauty today.

God has made every person on this planet uniquely and wonderfully beautiful. His creation allows us to see His creativity in the way He’s designed us. Flawless in His eyes, we are beautiful, each of us, though we are all different.

If you’re having trouble today believing in your beauty, try to determine where the lie crept into your heart. The world provides a plethora of avenues to fall into the “I’m not good enough” trap. Once we’re filled with insecurity, comparison, jealousy and judging others follow. These attitudes are not from God, but from the enemy.

Worldly views of beauty and battles waged against us from the enemy must be silenced with God’s truth. He has created us all to be the stunning works of art only He can make. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s masterpiece…” New Living Translation.

What is a quality about your beauty you admire? What is that one thing you hate? Are you willing to pray for reconciliation with that particular feature so God can bring healing to you? Selah.

Beautifully You - Lauren Claire

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way.”

— Song of Solomon 4:7 New Living Translation

Surrounding Love
Photo by Arnaud Schildknecht on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

So far in our journey, I’ve boldly declared we’re in a battle as described in our key Bible verse, “The enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but i have come to give you life to the full.” John 10:10. Today I want to look at the second part of the verse, the Jesus part. His promise to us. Jesus’ purpose for coming to Earth was to bring us life, true life, and it begins with His love.

What do you know about the love of Christ? The Bible gives us a beautiful description in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, “Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance.  Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong.Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up. Love never stops loving.” The Passion Translation.

Do you know His love? This unimaginable, all encompassing, glorious, rich, and perfect love? Do you know it? I't’s the one that holds you in higher regard than any majestic mountain, delicate flower, roaring ocean, or morning sunrise. It’s the one that says your good enough just the way you are and has already forgiven every trespass you’ve ever done or will do. You are loved above it all!

To know this love is to know Jesus. He IS love. It’s not something He does, it’s something He is. Do you know Him? Selah.

Your Love Is Deep - Jami Smith/Barry Saylor

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Love never fails...”

— I Corinthians 13:8 New International Version

Daddy’s Little Princess
Photo found on Unsplash.com

Good Morning Beauties!

By definition, a daughter of the king is a princess. What comes to mind when you hear that word…princess? Is it positive or negative? For most of us, it’s a word we’ve been familiar with since early in our childhood. If you watched a lot of Disney movies or read children books, you probably can list several names of princesses. Perhaps it was the name your father gave you as a term of endearment, “Daddy’s Little Princess.” But what if your family did not watch Disney, read books, or assign endearing names to the children?

Today I’m going to address this topic head on…our fathers and the impact they had on us as young daughters. Looking at relationships with friends since childhood is all I need to be convinced of what psychotherapist, Dr. Mary Jo Rapini states, “Studies show that dads give girls 90% of their self-esteem before the age of 12.” She goes on to explain, “fathers who pay attention to their daughters' achievements, interests and characters tend to produce confident adults, whereas fathers who dwell on their daughters' appearance tend to damage their self-esteem. A girl who grows up without a father tends to have a poorer self image than those with fathers who are active in their upbringing.” (From an article at National Parents Organization.com)

The enemy has destroyed many women’s self-esteem and sense of security through their father’s lack of ability to parent well. I believe the vast majority try hard and want to do a great job, but sometimes they fail. Sometimes they didn’t have a good role model in their own father, or perhaps they didn’t have a father at all. The spectrum of fatherhood performance swings wide from a Godly father who provided physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial support to fathers who abandoned or abused their child.

Parenting is hard work, and that’s why our ultimate parent is Father God, Abba Father, (Daddy). The Bible tells us that God is “the Father to the fatherless.” (Psalm 68:5) No matter where your own father fits on the spectrum, Father God can and will fill any holes that exist in your heart. None are too broken or beyond the healing balm of His perfect love. Psalm 3:3 says, “But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.” Will you allow Him to come and pour His love on your wounded places? They may be big or small, but He wants to heal them all.

Psalm 45:10-11 (below) speaks of forgetting the past, including any pain from not getting what you needed as a child, and honor God, because He is where you find your identity. He is your Daddy, Bridegroom, Friend, your all in all. Let’s take time to praise Him for who He is and all He means to us.

Glory To The King - Hillsong

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Now listen, daughter, pay attention, and forget about your past. Put behind you every attachment to the familiar, even those who once were close to you! For your royal Bridegroom is ravished by your beautiful brightness. Bow in reverence before him, for He is your Lord!”

— Psalm 45:10-11 The Passion Translation

Spending Time with The King
Photo by Kendra

Good Morning Beauties!

Today is the first day of our journey! Thank you for taking the past three days to prepare for an experience that has the potential of changing your life. I say potential, because it’s really up to you and your willingness to go “all in.”

I was reflecting on the preparation days with my husband yesterday and explaining to him how different they were from previous journeys. I’m proclaiming God’s truth with more boldness than ever before. I’m talking more about the battle, because the enemy is real and has kept you from truth long enough. Truth and freedom are more important than fluff. This journey is not a warm and fuzzy, feel-good women’s Bible study. It’s a trading lies for truth, set you free, be who you were born to be, life changing experience. So, if you’re ready to get started, let’s begin.

We must begin with a basic question. What does beauty mean to you? It’s a simple question, I know, but your answer will form the baseline for your journey. Take out your journal and respond to the questions for Day 1. You may want to listen to the song again, and certainly bathe this precious time in prayer with God. Selah.

Ben Fielding wrote a popular and glorious song called, “Who You Say I Am.” Here is what he says inspired the song. “Jesus says, 'who the son sets free, is free indeed.' It's a real declaration of identity. When I introduced this song into our church, I read John 8, the Scripture this song is based on. It talks about how a slave has no place in the family. But, once we've been brought into the family, then we have this identity as part of God's family and an identity of freedom. Our identity resides in knowing ourselves in Christ and living within the stability of knowing we are who God says we are."

"Who the Son sets free is free indeed" is a Scripture about freedom and identity. You are a child of God. That can never be threatened or taken from you. As a believer, the truth of this song changes the way I live out my faith. We were passionate to give the church a song that says that God is for them and He thinks the world of them. While everything around you and about you changes, this is the one thing about yourself that will stay constant. You are chosen by a God who loves you deeply. He is a God who is for you and is never against you. He is a God who has plans for you to prosper. He is a God who wants a relationship with you. He is a God who will never let you down.

The theme of the song is, "I am chosen, not forsaken, I am who You say I am." God has chosen us and the fact that we are in a position where we know God and be reconciled to Him. The challenge of the song is the idea that we have been set right because of the comprehensive work of Jesus. You can stand before Him as chosen, and not forsaken. You haven't been left on your own. He is running towards us.”

WOW! It’s a beautiful song to begin our journey. Here it is. Soak in these words of truth.

Who You Say I Am - Ben Fielding, Hillsong

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Jesus said to them, ‘You are truly my disciples if you live as I tell you to, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

— John 8:31-32 The Living Bible

Drawing Close to Truth
Photo by Valentin Salja on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

God is so faithful, I’m confident you have made the most of the first two days of preparing for our journey together. You’re aware of your expectations and what you’re willing to do to ensure a successful journey, along with knowing what you want God to do. You’ve also recognized obstacles that may try to block your success, but you’ve devised an action plan to combat those hinderances. Great job!! I know it took time, effort, and commitment.

On our final preparation day, we will take a look at our motivation. The “why” of taking this journey. Something got you here. What is it? For most, it’s been a desire for a closer relationship with God. Some can’t quite put their finger on it, but they felt drawn to the experience. It’s important to know your personal “why” because it’s the reason you’ll keep going when you want to quit. What is your motivation to keep going? Selah.

Can I be honest? Most do not finish, and it breaks my heart because I know that God has something life changing for everyone who does complete the 40 days. Freedom awaits you at the end of your journey. Freedom from something - big or small.

God will meet you here when you come, but you have to come. An important point is to know where you can find Him and His truth. I think there are several answers, and they are specific to each person. I find God in His Word, in His creation, in prayer, and in times of worship singing. Where do you find those special times with God? Selah.

I encourage you to write down all your answers in your journal and refer back to them on those days when you need motivation to keep going.

One of my very favorite Bible scriptures that paints a picture of a heart desiring more of God is found in Psalm 63:1-8. King David pours out his love for God in such an honest and intimate way. It’s pure poetry.

“O God of my life, I’m lovesick for you in this weary wilderness.
I thirst with the deepest longings to love you more,
with cravings in my heart that can’t be described.
Such yearning grips my soul for you, my God!
I’m energized every time I enter
your heavenly sanctuary to seek more of your power
and drink in more of your glory.
For your tender mercies mean more to me than life itself.
How I love and praise you, God!
Daily I will worship you passionately and with all my heart.
My arms will wave to you like banners of praise.
I overflow with praise when I come before you,
for the anointing of your presence satisfies me like nothing else.
You are such a rich banquet of pleasure to my soul.
I lie awake each night thinking of you
and reflecting on how you help me like a father.
I sing through the night under your splendor-shadow,
offering up to you my songs of delight and joy!
With passion I pursue and cling to you.
Because I feel your grip on my life,
I keep my soul close to your heart.”
~ The Passion Translation

Do you know this intimacy with God? Is it something you desire? Are you willing to open your heart and make the effort to draw closer to Him? Selah.

Intimacy - Matt Redman

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Move your heart closer and closer to God, and He will come even closer to you.”

— James 4:8 The Passion Translation

Fighter
Photo by DIAO DARIUS on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Welcome back to our next day of preparation. Today we’re on a mission to discover any and all obstacles the enemy has planned to throw us off course. Remember, he comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. He will put one hinderance after another on your path to stop you from being free from his lies. This journey will provide truth, freedom, and transformation, and the enemy will try anything to stop that from happening.

One very common obstacle is something as simple as time. None of us have time in our everyday schedule to sit down with God for an hour or even 15 minutes. Our hurried schedules are filled and running over, so how could we possibly add one more thing? We must make time. Beauties, our schedule is in our own hands, and we must prioritize those things which will lead to the life we desire.

I think another obstacle, one that goes much deeper is fear. Time is easy to talk about, it’s on the surface, but our fears live deep within us. Are you ready to stand up to fear and say, “No more”? What fears live in your heart?

Take time today to ponder and write down in your journal any obstacles God brings to mind. He may reveal something new. After writing those things that may cause you to stumble, pray about an action plan to overcome them. Identifying the road blocks is only the first part of your mission, you must devise a tactical plan to thwart the enemy. This process takes time and prayer, but will be extremely beneficial once you begin your journey. Selah.

Fear You Don’t Own Me - Francesca Battistelli

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“‘They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the Lord.”

— Jeremiah 1:19 New International Version

Adventure Awaits
Photo by Pawel Franke on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

You’ve made it! You’ve waited patiently, and the day has come to begin a journey with God like nothing you’ve done before. The experience is distinctive in that the 40 Days are derived from the 40 lyrics of a song, a song of God’s Truth, His Word, and The Gospel.

This journey is also unique to each participant, just as you are unique. We will travel together and yet have individual experiences with God. The journey will provide different things for different people. One thing is for sure; if you commit to spending 40 consecutive days with God, you will be changed.

The scripture God gave me while impressing on my heart to begin this women’s journal and ministry is John 10:10, “A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect —life in its fullness until you overflow!” The Passion Translation.

Have you ever noticed, that in any great adventure story, there is a fight between good and evil, the “good guy” and the “bad guy”? Beauties, the battle is real! We’ve all heard that phrase given in lighter situations as humorous, but the battle raging in the spiritual realm is very real. We fight it everyday whether we’re aware of it or not. In this journey, you will be on the offensive attack against the enemy, taking back ground he has stolen from you. It’s a fight. Are you ready?

Though it’s a battle, you must not fear, but instead rise up in confidence. God is right by your side. You can trust Him. In the Bible, He promises, “But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.” Thessalonians 3:3 New Living Translation

God will do His part, but we have to do ours too. We must begin with three days of preparation. Can you imagine going on a 40 day journey without getting ready? I can’t. In the next three days we will prepare by looking at our expectations, obstacles, and motivations.

What are your expectations for your journey experience? What exactly do you need God to do? What are you willing to do? Grab your journal and find a place you will return to often. Write down your expectations and what you’re willing to commit to in order to meet your expectations. Include your prayer of what you need from God. Selah.

Surrounded - Upper Room

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.”

— Ephesians 3:20 The Passion Translation

The Light Shines in the Darkness
unsplash.com

Good Morning Beauties!

Congratulations - you did it! Take a moment to give yourself credit for your dedication to your 40 Day Journey. I know it took sacrifice and it was hard work…more importantly, God saw your devotion to drawing closer to Him.

Are you ready to dance in freedom on Life’s Journey? Knowing there will be more dark tunnels you must go through from time to time, are you still willing to dance, trusting God is with you? As you reflect on your journey, I ask that you take a look at your notes written down on Preparation Day 1. Did the process meet your expectations? Please reflect how they were met and how they were not met.

What were some surprises along your journey? Did you think it was going to go a certain way, and it went a totally different direction? How did God use these surprises to change a part or parts of your life?

Do you see your True Beauty now? Do you see His Love radiating out of every pore? He established your beauty so others may know Him. How does that Truth motivate you to engage with others?

Let’s take a look at Isaiah 61:1-3. Jesus provides our transformation so we will walk in newness of life, the life that He came to give us. With this new life, we will become ambassadors for Christ and the power of His Love. Our lives are a living, breathing testimony of the Goodness of God.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”

In closing, I would ask you to prayerfully consider sharing this ministry and website with women in your life who could benefit from a 40 Day Journey experience. We all face our own personal battles and need encouragement from each other. I would also love to hear from you and receive your feedback. Please go to the “Let’s Connect” section of the website and tell me about your experience or share anything you’d like.

Dear Heavenly Father ~ Thank You for Your Love and Faithfulness to Your Daughters. Thank You for silencing destructive lies in our hearts that we’ve believed for too long. Thank You for replacing them with Your life-giving Truth. Jesus, Thank You for the Cross. Thank You for taking our sin and shame, and nailing them to the Cross for us so we can be reconciled to our Heavenly Father for eternity. Thank You for restoring our confidence in who we are as Women of God. We will not be defeated, but will rise up Victorious! We will take Your love to all we see and make Your Name know throughout the world. We love You! In Jesus Precious Name, Amen.

Here’s an amazing song of celebration that will have your heart singing and feet dancing.

Freedom - Jesus Culture

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Let me be clear, the Anointed One has set us free—not partially, but completely and wonderfully free! We must always cherish this truth and stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.”

— Galatians 5:1 The Passion Translation

Reflection of Beauty
goodfon.com

Good Morning Beauties!

Congratulations!  You made it through your 40 Day Journey!  I am confident the Lord, in all His love and faithfulness, has transformed at least one thing in your life, perhaps many. Tomorrow we will come back for our Day Of Reflection over the entire 40 Day Journey, but for today, let's linger in the final lyric, "And You Are Beautiful."

After looking at all 8 attributes, how do you now feel about your beauty?  Is there anything you need to turn over on this last day of your journey? What last bit does He want to speak to your heart today?  Selah.

On Day 40 of my very first journey, 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 the 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!

Take a moment to listen to this song and soak in all the truths spoken, and make the choice to believe.

You Say - Lauren Daigle

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Here’s the one thing I crave from God, the one thing I seek above all else: I want the privilege of living with Him every moment in His house, finding the sweet loveliness of His face, filled with awe, delighting in His glory and grace. I want to live my life so close to him that He takes pleasure in my every prayer.”

— Psalm 27:4 The Passion Translation

God’s Family Tree
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

You are doing magnificent on this last bit of your journey! I pray you are soaking in the Truth about the perfect love of your Abba Father. Are you lingering in His sweet presence? Do you feel His strong arms wrapped around you?

There’s much promotion these days on finding our family heritage. Everyday we see commercials about testing our DNA to discover who is in our bloodline, am I right? I know this search is very important to some people, in fact I have a few in my own extended family.

I find it all a bit amusing. We are on this Earth but a blink of an eye, so why do we focus so much of our time and energy on things that make no difference in light of eternity? I am much more interested in my true bloodline, that of Jesus Christ. He is my true family and I want to know more about all the people in His family tree. I have much to discover about these people, and they have much to teach me.

What is your perspective today? Do you focus your thoughts on Earthly matters or Heavenly ones? Does the enemy easily distract you from Godly truth? Do you know you are placed in God’s family and nothing can change that? No lie from the enemy will change the fact that you are a child of God! Selah.

Please listen to this song which is full of truths from scripture. It will be helpful to write them down in your journal and find them in your Bible. The next step is to memorize the scriptures, and have them ready to defeat the enemy when he fills your head with lies. This strategy is how Jesus defeated him in the desert, with the Word of God.

Who You Say I Am - Hillsong

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

Abba’s Love
Photo by Limor Zellermayer on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

I love the word Treasured! It’s been very important in my discovery of who I am in Christ. It is a word He has given me as my name, Segullah. (Hebrew for treasured possession)

 Treasured is a beautiful word rarely used these days, and I’ve found there is blessing in its duality of both noun and verb forms.  The noun means, "a quantity of precious metals, gems, or other valuable objects." The verb means, "keep carefully (a valuable or valued item.)"  So, let me ask you, do you feel like a precious valuable person to God, whom He carefully keeps for Himself?  Selah.

If you have or had an adoring Earthly Father, this picture of being treasured, will not be difficult to imagine. If your Father, here on earth, had difficulty expressing his love and appreciation for you, then it's much harder to accept that God, your Abba Father, loves you in such a beautiful way.

Do you need help accepting the Truth that you ARE treasured by your Heavenly Father?  Take a moment to pray for that knowledge to drop from your head to your heart today.  Selah.

In His Eyes - 1 Girl Nation

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, his treasured possession.”

— Deuteronomy 7:6 New International Version

Beauty of Being Loved
Photo by Irena Carpaccio on Unsplash

Good Morning Beauties!

Don’t you just love the words “beloved” and “adored”? They are not used often in our everyday life, so I think that makes them special. Let’s take a look at their definitions. Beloved - Greatly loved, dear to the heart. Adored - Love and respect deeply, devoted to. They seem quite similar and yet slightly different. When I wrote the lyric, I used both to build on the truth of how much we are loved by God.

I didn’t hear them growing up, but found them when I found Jesus. It took me awhile to fully understand them and believe He felt this way about me. When I finally knew and believed He truly saw me as His beloved and He truly adored me, it was overwhelming. I remember at one point I told Jesus, “If you bless me any more, I will surely die.”

Why such intense feelings with the acceptance of His love? It wasn’t just the fact of always wanting to feel loved, sure that was a part of it. I think it was also the fact He saw me, the real me, understood me, and still loved everything about me, imperfections and all. He knew every sin I had committed and all the ones still left to carry out, and yet, He loved me.

What do these two words mean to you? Did you hear them growing up? Do you use them now? Do you believe God uses them for you? Please don’t move from these questions too quickly… selah.

He Knows My Name - Francesca Battistelli

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“His love broke open the way and He brought me into a beautiful broad place. He rescued me—because His delight is in me!”

— Psalm 18:19 The Passion Translation