She is a creative thinker, a successful businesswoman, a releaser of hope, and she represents Jesus well in who she is and what she does. (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
What Season Are You In?
God is calling you into an awareness of the season that you're in. It may be that your season has shifted and that you now need to explore the adjustments that need to be made to thrive in your new season.
God is revealing His heart for marriage in this season. Deeper intimacy, fresh appreciation, and renewed commitments between husbands and wives will be the result. In the middle of our past and present failures, God is speaking about the things He wants us to learn, and how we can grow from the mistakes we've made. He is changing our perspectives from seeing failure as an obstacle to an opportunity.
Laughter will be your medicine as you cast off your heaviness and embrace the joy of the Lord. In the areas that you have been crying out for answers, you are being invited to diligently pursue and hold fast to the truth. Truth is key right now, and meditation on the truth will help you to conquer anything that would stand in your way.
"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under Heaven..." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
It may be that the season has shifted in your life, but you find yourself working hard to maintain the ways of the old season. Our past seasons are known and familiar and we've learned how to navigate them. We have learned what works and what doesn't, and usually when the season changes, all of that goes out the window. God is calling us to be more aware of the season that we're in. The season may have changed corporately or personally, and it's important to pay attention when you feel the shift. (Photo via Unsplash)
Imagine a person who's outside in the cold, shivering, having just left their warm house. Their body is trying to maintain equilibrium and is shivering to generate warmth. A toddler who is potty trained no longer needs their diapers. An elderly person who is no longer able to swallow pills shouldn't be forced to take them. For all of these people, their inner world or outer world has changed, and they must adapt to this new season of their life. They are not served by pretending they are still in their past season.
If you're unsure of the season that you're in, ask God to show you. He will show where you are, what tools you have available to you, and what adjustments need to be made.
Marriage Redefined
"...We are being transfigured into His very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another..." (2 Corinthians 3:18)
God is downloading to us His heart for marriage. Whether you're married or not, God is speaking clear truth about what marriage is, wiping the slate clean of former wrong or incomplete beliefs. He's highlighting and showing us what He created marriage to be. Out of this revelation will come a new and fresh appreciation for what marriage truly is. Couples will settle into their relationship in a way they haven't been able to before, intimacy will blossom, and a fresh, deepened commitment will be the result.
People who had previously been on the fence about their marriage, seriously considering walking away, will experience a whole-hearted acceptance of their marriage. People who have had longtime hang-ups with their spouse will be able to let those things go and accept them for who they are.
It is essential in relationships to position our hearts to understand and appreciate the differences we have with our partners rather than pick each other apart. What would our relationships look like if we all looked exactly the same? It is the contrast between us that makes the world dynamic and keeps our relationships lively and interesting. (Photo via Unsplash)
When we are able to accept one another for who we are, we will be able to access a new level of safety and intimacy within our marriages. Taking the time to learn about yourself can bring understanding, and ultimately new levels of honesty and vulnerability into your relationships.
Try taking a personality test and sharing the results with one another, taking time to learn about your spouse and the ways in which you are well-suited for one another.
God is revealing His heart for marriage. He's bringing understanding of how different and wonderful He made all of us to be, and reminding us that we get to see a more dynamic picture of Him when we appreciate the differences of those around us. There is grace to be honest with yourself right now, but vulnerability is key.
Obstacle or Opportunity
"Victory comes from the Lord—may He bless His people." (Psalm 3:8)
Failure is a mindset, and we can allow it to defeat us. What if instead of being derailed by failure, we took the time to look at what God taught us through that experience and to learn and grow from it instead? We could then build on the momentum of what He showed us and become the best version of ourselves.
What if Moses considered himself no longer worthy after he killed the Egyptian, or because of his stuttering problem? What if he hadn't kept going? He never would've led the Israelites out of Egypt! Scripture reminds us of this: "...If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).
Picture a rainbow with a pot of gold at the end of it. Then consider this: we must not be so focused on the gold at the end of the rainbow (the goodness of the reward) that we miss the beauty and significance of the journey it took to get there. So often our mindsets are focused on results and ends.
What awaits us at the end of a journey may be why we go, but the process of getting there is rich with opportunity. If you're not present in your process and journey (before reaching your reward) you will miss many of the important parts of your life. This month God is speaking to us about our failures. He is speaking encouragement, wisdom, revelation, and hope. By partnering with what He's trying to show us, we can save a lot of time if we're willing to listen, humble ourselves, and learn.
Jumping for Joy!
"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22 ESV) (Photo via Unsplash)
Medicine is intended to heal us. This Bible verse tells us that joy/laughter (depending on the version you're reading) are healing, and good for us like medicine. Our Creator knows what we need, and we all need to laugh! Most all of us need to laugh more, experience true joy, do things that bring us life and have FUN!
Steve Backlund (of Igniting Hope Ministries) says that in order to laugh you always have to let go of something. He shares that studies show children laugh around 400 times a day and adults laugh 15 times a day. Backlund calls laughter "cleaning out the pipes." Laughter brings humility, too, because sometimes when we laugh we look goofy, sound funny, or even snort!
This is a time to let go of the heaviness of your circumstances and embrace with childlikeness the prescription that God gives you to laugh and embrace joy. Romans 14:17 declares, "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Backlund reminds us that according to this verse, joy is one-third of the Kingdom!
God is reminding you that He created you to be healed when you laugh. All you need to do is take Him at His word and LAUGH out loud!
Relentless Truth
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32) (Photo via Pixabay)
This is a time for the relentless pursuit of truth. Press in to what God has been whispering to you, specifically about answers to those situations in your life that you've been crying out for, whether it's promises He's made to you, clarity and direction about your calling, or something else. Don't let anything get in your way as you seek out the answers that He has for you. Diligently seek to meet Him on the journey. As obstacles arise in your path, conquer evil and anything that stands in your way with the truth.
Hold onto the truth that He reveals and keep it before you, meditating on it day and night. It will sustain you when things try to come against your promise. There is an invitation to pursue truth. Now is not the time to focus on the way things look or obstacles that are coming against you, but instead to push into the truth that God has for you.
Declarations:
• God is speaking to me about my season.
• Commitment in marriage is being renewed.
• My "failures" are opportunities!
• Joy is one-third of the Kingdom of Heaven.
• I relentlessly pursue God's truth for me. (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
Anne Ballard
The Crowning Jewels
Website:www.thecrowningjewels.com
Email:hello@thecrowningjewels.com
Texas born, Anne Ballard worked as a nurse for seventeen years before fully embracing her creative nature. Having grown up believing that God only spoke through the Bible, her life was transformed with the personal knowledge that He still speaks today. As she experienced a revelation of God's love for her and the power of words to transform and heal, she began designing jewelry, partnering with Holy Spirit to create a tangible way to bring Heaven to Earth. This is where her prophetic jewelry company, The Crowning Jewels, was birthed. Many people recognize her company as a business-ministry hybrid. She is known as a prophetic visionary with the drive to accomplish her dreams. Her mandate is to champion others as they discover their God-given identity and fulfill their divine purpose. She currently resides in Redding, CA.
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I want to recommend Anne Ballard to you. She attended Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry from 2010-2013, with her last year serving wonderfully on my team as an intern.
