Beauty For Ashes

There’s an army of women

coming out of hiding

all over the earth

They were trained in seclusion

The processes of life

birthed something irrevocable

within the ones

that chose to trust Papa

in the midst of painful journeys

It’s like looking into a mirror

when you meet these

set apart women

You see the similarities

between yourself and them

The scars that were turned into trophies

of battles won

The pain, losses, rejection and agony,

birthed a depth within them

that cannot be copied

or bought

It came with the pressure

crushing and breaking

of the process

Birthing something rare

and valuable within them

That could only exist

because  they said “yes”,

while still in a state of hopelessness

They speak from a well within

Touching and transforming lives without effort

because of the anointing

that now rest on their lives

They have paid a high price

for the costly fragrant oils

that now set them apart

Obedient to a call greater

than they imagined

Papa was their anchor

cheering them on

and building their faith

While they fade in the background

He is more evident in their lives

There is just something different

about a woman

who walked through hell

and survived

Who took possession

of her testimony

Eliminating demons

trying to infiltrate and sabotage her bloodline

She gives the enemy no foothold

because she knows her Father intimately

The fragrance she leaves

wherever she tread

Stirs a longing in others

to know the One she adores

Revelation flows from her lips

Birthed through relationship and intimacy

She wear her scars as badges of honour

Knowing that it brought her closer to her King

The anointing on her testimony

heals the broken hearted

and sets captives free

She had to walk through

the fire furnace herself

Not to glean of someone else’s testimony

but so that she would be able to carry

the weight of His glory

Her life became a testimony

of many battles won

A story of uncommon faith

She never gave ear to the whispers

trying to distract her

She never retreated

in the face of the enemy

Giving up?

No!! Never!!

Instead she took off her mask

And she took up her sword

Ready to conquer and win

Trained under the watchful eye of her King

She blossomed

She knows no fear

She only knows

how to war

and to win

Vulnerable and transparent

She shares the heart and faithfulness

of her Father

Her mouth drips with His oils

She walks in His anointing

Born through adversity, pain and many losses

The things of the world are meaningless to her

You will find her alone

In His presence

Seeking His face

Talking and laughing

and thanking her King

For taking her ashes

and giving her beauty.

~ Ebigale Wilson

Beauty For Ashes

The Journey

http://www.restoredministries.org

Broken Prayers

Be sure to listen closely to the lyrics!

I am loving this song “Broken Prayers” by Riley Clemmons.

Enjoy! ~XXOO Michelle

Image – Kleiton Silva – Unsplash

Hold On Pain Ends

Since I was a child I always wrote poetry as a way to process my pain. I stopped for many years and in 2006 I started again as I processed my brother Toby’s sudden death with a piece called An Unfinished Life.

These days I write many things – but rarely do I write much poetry anymore although I have such a deep love for it.

Today, I again wrote poetry to help me process my pain.

Hold On Pain Ends

The enemy will convince you

there is no hope.

That the restoration process is pointless.

It’s taking too long …

It’s too hard…

When will it ever end?

The mundane seems meaningless.

But the mundane is where the

miraculous is birthed.

The day in… the day out…

The baby steps

The big steps

Acts of obedience

Uncomfortable

The small

The big

One next choice

Made moment by moment to

Live. Breathe. Love. Keep Going. Forgive

Surrender to the process

Surrender to His will

Surrender to His timing

Trust not Toil

Rest not Resist

Wait not wail

Remain in His presence

Amidst the pain

That is the only place

for the pain to subside

No more

Numb

Confused

Questioning

Why?

Abiding not Answers is where it all lies

Hope is alway there…

Hope is the choice we must make

Hope is the method not the means

Hope is relying on His Grace

Hope Is His Saving Grace

HOPE…

Hold

On

Pain

Ends

~ XXOO Michelle Bollom

Rest In Peace Beautiful Girl!

You will be greatly missed.

Alone

Alone.

The word strikes terror into the heart.

Or fascination.

We are communal creatures; we crave company, and, yet, sometimes we demand to be left alone.

So, which is it, terror or fascination, or both?

With others, we learn how to love.

Alone, we learn how to just be.

We may not really know who we really are until we are left alone for awhile and have to find our own way.

Which roads shall we choose, what shall we think about, what choices need to be made, and how shall we make them? Who are our friends, and how shall we interact with them? Maybe, most importantly, who is Our God, and how shall we be with him?

Our families and friends may be able to help us find our way, if we will let them, but only our God is able to tell us definitively who we are and then give us the power to be who we were created to be.

So, we need time with both our families and friends and, also, with our God.

With him, we have to be transparent; we know that we can’t pretend to be somebody we only wish we were. Ultimately, we have to be quiet and listen to him and prepare ourselves to obey him, for, somehow, deep in our souls, we know that our success in life depends on it.

We may avoid our times with him, busying ourselves with entertainment, but, sooner or later, we must meet with him. Then, we will find out who we really are and what he would have us do.

We may go through life as a part of a group, but we will face the final judgement seat of Christ as individuals. Nobody will be able to speak for us, and we will not be able to speak for others. It will just be us, the choices we made, and the persons we became.

In life, we may have indulged ourselves with blaming God for things, when we were not ready to take responsibility for our own actions.

Here, we will have our day in court.

I am sure that God will be able to defend the choices that he made in our lives. God is love, and the choices he makes, he makes in love. The challenge for us is to be ready on that day to say that our choices in life were based on faith in him and love for our fellow man.

Did we choose to follow Christ, or did we live for ourselves? Did we learn how to please God, or did we live lives of luxury and self indulgence? Our eternal inheritance depends on our answer to these two questions.

~ Brad Heilhecker

Image – Freddie Marriage – Unsplash

Joy Unspeakable And Full Of Glory

“Joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

Really? In this broken down, fallen world of chaos and compromise? With all of the pain, suffering, and heartache? With all of the trials, temptations, and tests to pass? Who does God think we are? Who do we think we are? And, first of all, who do we think God is?

These are important questions.

Because things are going to get worse before they get better. This world is not improving morally or spiritually, regardless of what modern day prophets might try to tell you. The only panacea for this world’s ills is Jesus. The only comfort for our weary souls is Jesus.

And not just a “Yeah, sure, you’re absolutely right. Isn’t he wonderful?” type of acceptance of him. He is absolutely omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. He is not to be trifled with. The battle field is littered with the casualties and prisoners of war of all the foolish men, women, and children who assume that our Savior is somehow no one to be taken seriously.

“Joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

This is for those who have been brought to their knees. For those who have bowed their spirits to the Holy One of Israel. This is for those who have forsaken all to serve the King of Kings. This is for true disciples, lovers of the good, followers of the way.

This is for obedient children, respectful wives, and loving husbands, for all those willing to take God at his word and just obey. This is for you, and this is for me!

~ Brad Heilhecker

Image – Pinterest

The Question Is

Can it be? Do we trust that our faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice is sufficient for the forgiveness of our sins, the cleansing of our sin, and ultimately the complete removal of all that is sin from our life when we are glorified with him?

Our only part to play is to trust him? And where does this faith come from? How long will it last? And, even if it is true, what if God changes his mind and withdraws his love and his faith from our hearts? What then?

Peter writes in 2nd Peter, Chapter 1, “Be eager to make your calling and election sure. Then you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Jesus also says in Mathew, Chapter 22, “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

He says this about a man who was invited to the king’s son’s wedding feast, but who came to the feast without wearing wedding clothes, and who, ultimately, was thrown outside the feast.

So, it sounds like the chosen ones are the ones who are wise enough to put on wedding clothes before going to the Lord’s wedding.

Our faith in Christ’s sacrifice is our wedding clothes. We receive it as a gift, and it will never be taken from us. Our job is to become fully convinced of that fact.

There is much written about persevering and holding on to our faith, and these admonitions need to be heeded. However, I like the analogy of a father who tells his 2 year old son to hold on to his hand while they are walking through a crowd.

The question is, “Who is ultimately holding on to whom?”

~ Brad Heilhecker

Image – Jelleke Vanooteghem – Unsplash

Inane

Worthy Thoughts: Refuse to get involved in inane discussions; they always end up in fights.

Inane is just one letter short of insane!

Inane means silly, foolish or pointless.

This is a great promise to remember!

~ XXOO Michelle Bollom

Endure Without Complaint

There is a Promise for every problem!

We hope you will connect with us over on our Facebook pages too.

Redemptive Beauty – Tuesday’s with Tiffany

Restored Ministries

Poetically Prophetic

Your Healing Hour

Bowl Of Splendor – Kelley’s Corner On Friday’s

Sounds Of Love – Angela’s Worthy Thoughts Wednesday

Out Of The Wilderness

Angry, tired, heartbroken, alone

You find yourself in the wilderness

The last place anyone would choose to visit

We like it when life is a breeze

No bumps in the road

No lessons learned

Why this detour Papa?

Why Papa does it have to be

this way?

No answers, just a cold silence

Why God, did I have to take

this journey?

This is your journey

Uniquely yours

Laid out for you to walk

There is much liberation locked up in the journey I have asked you to walk

No one can counterfeit the anointing that was birthed through your journey

You will share your testimony with many wounded souls

At the edge of giving up, wandering around

Darkness ready to move in, but I will use My faithful fireball’s to step into impossible situations and bring My light to every dark place and heart

Demonic forces won’t be able to stand in the presence of My branded one’s, coming forth in this hour

They have been tested and found faithful to come out of hiding and take their place

My presence will be around them like a wall of fire destroying every dark work of the enemy

They will be fearless, because the wilderness birthed tenacity within them, that can’t be copied by the one’s who despised the wilderness

Many don’t know that it’s possible

To walk through fire without smelling like smoke

Swim through wild storms without drowning

Your journey is there for

a reason

It will forever be your testimony

Of healing

Of restoration

Of breakthrough

Of unspeakable joy

You finding yourself in the centre of My heart

You walked this road with

so much boldness

Within you the heart of a lioness was birthed

You never would have known

The strength you possess

The mountains you can move

The demons you can stop

With Me by your side

Many lives will be impacted

Stories of hopelessness will

be rewritten

The hurt and rejected will

know their worth

The spiritualy blind will see

Captives will walk free

All because of the obedience

of a fearless generation

Who did not crumble under

the attacks of the enemy

They stood boldly through adversity

Through the onslaught of the enemy, they grew strong

The lessons you learned

The progress and growth

you made

The tests you passed

The vulnerability of your heart

The reckless faith that was born out of your journey

Will change the lives of many wandering souls out there

When you share how My love made a beautiful tapestry

Of your once messy life

Many bound up will run free

Freedom is locked up in a journey with Me

There is a new beginning for many broken lives in your journey

Be open, don’t hide anything for deliverance to a generation was locked up in your surrender

Healing can only start when you share your heart

You overcome him by the blood of the Lamb

And by the word of your testimony!

I am dancing and singing liberation songs over you

Thank you dear ones for standing strong

You will walk out of the wilderness

With a new song on your lips

Revelations 12:11

And they overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death

Song of Solomon 8:5

Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her Beloved

~ Ebigale Wilson

Out Of The Wilderness

The Journey

http://www.restoredministries.org

What If

Recently I watched the ACM awards. Academy of Country Music.

This duet and song was one of my faves.

It’s Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina – What If’s

Enjoy! XXOO Michelle Bollom