Simply Radiant Magazine: Winter
The Simply Radiant Collection Psalm 34:5 Those who look to Him are radiant, their faces are never covered with shame. Welcome to the Simply Radiant Collection. Our collection consists of four issues that revolve around the four seasons of the calendar: Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring. Simply Radiant is designed to encourage women to embrace the love and beauty that Jesus has already deposited within them. The result is women who walk out their lives complete, fearless and free. Our radiant staff consists of women who press hard to walk in the truth of their identity and power in Christ. And because we look to Him for our beauty, we are continuously evolving and changing more into His image and our shame slowly and steadily fades. It is our prayer that you read each issue and that the articles help you to know the radiance that lives within you. We pray that you be inspired to get closer to Jesus and live your radiant life – one that reflects God’s beauty, love and power; one that shines His light onto others.
The Simply Radiant Collection
Psalm 34:5 Those who look to Him are radiant, their faces are never covered with shame.
Welcome to the Simply Radiant Collection. Our collection consists of four issues that revolve around the four seasons of the calendar: Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring.
Simply Radiant is designed to encourage women to embrace the love and beauty that Jesus has already deposited within them. The result is women who walk out their lives complete, fearless and free.
Our radiant staff consists of women who press hard to walk in the truth of their identity and power in Christ. And because we look to Him for our beauty, we are continuously evolving and changing more into His image and our shame slowly and steadily fades.
It is our prayer that you read each issue and that the articles help you to know the radiance that lives within you. We pray that you be inspired to get closer to Jesus and live your radiant life – one that reflects God’s beauty, love and power; one that shines His light onto others.
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WINTER 2016<br />
GRAFTED IN<br />
TO FAMILY<br />
PAGE 18<br />
Diagnosis:<br />
Cancer<br />
PAGE 06<br />
SIMPLY FIT<br />
TO SERVE<br />
PAGE 10<br />
PEACE &<br />
PSALM 23<br />
A RADIANT HEART<br />
PAGE 16<br />
+ WE WENT TOO FAR<br />
PAGE 14
Angel Cantrell<br />
Letter from the Editor<br />
SISTER, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE! Christmas has passed<br />
and a new year has come. <strong>Winter</strong> is in full effect. We pray<br />
your holidays were filled with the love and presence of God<br />
and that you have entered 2016 with great expectations for<br />
receiving His power and peace.<br />
Our Fall 2015 issue challenged single women to deeply<br />
examine themselves to see if they were ready for dating.<br />
We heard from women’s leaders who used the articles<br />
to teach their women’s groups and from couples who<br />
are dating who used the articles to better assess their<br />
relationship. The responses were great -sisters were<br />
empowered to walk in power, purity and holiness.<br />
This issue is filled with very personal testimonials that<br />
will touch the heart and warm the soul. The writers have<br />
shared their very intimate life journeys that will encourage<br />
anyone who reads them. We pray the photos that<br />
accompany each story stirs your imagination and brightens<br />
your spirits.<br />
From cancer, to abandonment, to impurity… read every<br />
article and watch the power and love of God radiate<br />
through each story. We pray you press as hard as our staff<br />
and writers have. You will experience a life of abundance.<br />
Choose to live out your freedom in transparency and<br />
vulnerability, so that you too will be a blessing to your<br />
sisterhood.<br />
With great expectations for a radiant life.<br />
ANGEL CANTRELL, EDITOR IN CHIEF
03<br />
STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS<br />
ANGEL CANTRELL<br />
EDITOR IN CHIEF<br />
BRITTANY WALLACE<br />
MANAGING EDITOR<br />
WINTER 2016 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM<br />
RUBI Z<br />
PHOTO EDITOR<br />
SONIA RODRIGUEZ<br />
DEPARTMENT EDITOR<br />
MARTHA LEON<br />
EDITOR, MARKETING<br />
JADA CANTRELL<br />
DEPARTMENT EDITOR<br />
AURORA GREGORY<br />
MARKETING/CIRCULATION DIRECTOR<br />
RANÉ FRANKLIN<br />
MARKETING/CIRCULATION DIRECTOR<br />
JENNIFER LUXTON<br />
ART DIRECTOR<br />
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radiance<br />
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04<br />
10 16<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE<br />
25<br />
06<br />
<strong>Radiant</strong><br />
Stories<br />
EDITOR’S LETTER 02<br />
WHEN LIFE HURTS<br />
DIAGNOSIS: CANCER 06<br />
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL<br />
HELLO, MY NAME IS ACNE 09<br />
HEALTH<br />
SIMPLY FIT: FIT TO SERVE<br />
SIMPLY SNACKING: COZY CUP<br />
OF COMFORT<br />
10<br />
12<br />
LOVE & DATING<br />
WE WENT TOO FAR 14
18<br />
22<br />
14<br />
05<br />
WINTER 2016 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM<br />
12<br />
A RADIANT HEART<br />
PROTECTION AND PEACE, NOW 16<br />
INTO-ME-SEE<br />
GRAFTED IN 18<br />
POP QUIZ<br />
THE PERFORMANCE TRAP 22<br />
HEAR MORE VOICES<br />
AND READ THE MAGAZINE<br />
ONLINE AT<br />
SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM<br />
PUBLICATION SPONSORED BY<br />
LIVING VICTORY CHURCH<br />
LIVINGVICTORYCHURCH.ORG<br />
WHAT AM I WORTH?<br />
FILIPINO—A FUNNY WORD 25<br />
PLAYLIST 26<br />
SALVATION<br />
FOR REAL THIS TIME 34
06<br />
WHEN LIFE HURTS<br />
BY LETIA MCCLARTY<br />
LIFE WAS GOOD.<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE<br />
I was 32 years old, married,<br />
with two young boys -<br />
ages two and four, and a<br />
career that was taking off.<br />
God had done amazing<br />
things in my life. But one<br />
day, I got some bad news.<br />
“YOU HAVE BREAST<br />
CANCER.”<br />
The words stunned me. Why<br />
was God allowing this to happen<br />
to me? Why was I chosen to carry<br />
this pain? Was I being punished?<br />
Had I done something wrong?<br />
Since my diagnosis, this giant<br />
called cancer has appeared more<br />
than six times in my body. My<br />
breasts have been removed and<br />
reconstructed. I have undergone<br />
chemotherapy and radiation. I<br />
have lost my hair. And I have<br />
endured several painful surgeries.<br />
My body has been cut up over<br />
the years. My beauty has been<br />
stripped from me. I will never<br />
be desirable again. If something<br />
ever happens to my marriage,<br />
who would want me? Exhaustion<br />
and fatigue kept me from tucking<br />
my little boys in bed – I am a bad<br />
mom. Am I even saved? I’m afraid<br />
to die. Am I ready to see God?<br />
I didn’t know. My thoughts and<br />
feelings were like giants. They<br />
overwhelmed and confused me.<br />
Lies! Lies! Lies! Your giants<br />
may be different from mine,<br />
but a giant is a giant. They<br />
come through the trials of life
07<br />
SLAYING THE GIANT<br />
DIAGNOSIS:<br />
CANCER<br />
WINTER 2016 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM<br />
like sickness, abuse, betrayal, losing a<br />
loved one – through death or a broken<br />
relationship, financial devastation,<br />
crushed dreams, a false image of what<br />
beauty really is, rejection, etc.<br />
These painful experiences usually come<br />
with false messages and lies. Our lies may<br />
be different, but do you know what yours<br />
are? You can’t fight what you don’t admit<br />
or know is there. You must call those lies<br />
out and kill them with the truth. And the<br />
truth can only be found in God’s Word, the<br />
Bible. John 8:31b-32, says, “If you hold to<br />
my teaching, you are really my disciples.<br />
Then you will know the truth, and the<br />
truth will set you free”.<br />
It’s been over 20 years since that first<br />
diagnosis. Since then, I have experienced<br />
more loss. The death of my father and the<br />
end of my marriage. And yes, more lies<br />
attacked me. But the Word of God rose up<br />
within me and slayed ALL of my lies.<br />
My beauty isn’t in having perfect<br />
breasts. My identity isn’t in whether I’m<br />
married or not. My strength and grace<br />
of being a good mom was found in more<br />
than being able to tuck my sons in bed<br />
at night. I am still alive and I walk in the<br />
strength of my God.<br />
I live in the truth of what God says<br />
DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THOSE WHO<br />
KILL THE BODY BUT CANNOT KILL<br />
THE SOUL.<br />
MATTHEW 10:28<br />
about me. The beauty of Christ radiates<br />
through me. I am the apple of His eye.<br />
He takes great delight in me. He rejoices<br />
over me with singing. And God has<br />
blessed me with sons who have become<br />
amazing young men that love our God<br />
and make Him famous. I am blessed<br />
and highly favored. And I continue to<br />
build the Kingdom of God at my church<br />
and wherever I go. I am thriving not just<br />
surviving.<br />
This life is not about me or you. It’s<br />
about bringing a world of hurting people<br />
to a Savior who sees, loves and cares<br />
deeply about them. And He wants to use<br />
us. Even in your struggles, He wants you<br />
to be the testimony, that no matter what<br />
you face, EVEN DEATH, you will tell of<br />
the goodness of an amazing, loving and<br />
powerful God.<br />
God has spoken to me so intimately
08<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE<br />
through this journey. In May 2015, I<br />
learned my breast cancer had spread<br />
to my lungs. One day before a doctor’s<br />
appointment, fear began to paralyze me. I<br />
looked up and saw the number 1028 on a<br />
product in my bathroom. In my spirit, the<br />
Lord spoke the word Matthew. So I looked<br />
up Matthew 10:28 in my Bible. This is what<br />
I read:<br />
Do not be afraid of those who kill the<br />
body but cannot kill the soul. Rather,<br />
be afraid of the One who can destroy<br />
both soul and body in hell. Are not two<br />
sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of<br />
them will fall to the ground outside your<br />
Father’s care. And even the very hairs of<br />
your head are all numbered. So don’t be<br />
afraid; you are worth more than many<br />
sparrows. (Matthew 10:28-31)<br />
I went to the doctor that day in peace,<br />
knowing my Father sees me and I have<br />
high value. I wasn’t afraid. And as I<br />
continue to receive chemotherapy today,<br />
still scarred and hairless, (smile ladies, I<br />
am), I walk with His promises deep in my<br />
soul. He will never leave me or forsake<br />
me. He will protect me from all harm. His<br />
love is great toward me.<br />
I encourage you to face your giants,<br />
ladies. Our God is with you. You are of<br />
great worth. Don’t be afraid.
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL<br />
Hello, My<br />
Name is Acne<br />
BY STEPHANIE VALDIVIA<br />
H<br />
ave you ever awakened in the morning<br />
to find a giant pimple on your forehead?<br />
If you have, how did you feel? Did you freak<br />
out? Did you stare into the mirror trying to pop<br />
it while searching Google for home remedies?<br />
You try everything to make it go away or if you<br />
come from a Hispanic home like me, you try<br />
1,000s of leaves, weeds, teas, or lotions that<br />
your mom said to try, hoping one will work.<br />
This was my life for two years. Every<br />
morning brought a new pimple. My face was<br />
covered in acne.<br />
At the age of 19, I felt as if my whole<br />
world was falling apart. I was diagnosed<br />
with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD),<br />
but even worse for me, I had acne like I<br />
have never seen before. I was a sophomore<br />
in college dealing with my OCD and dealing<br />
with overwhelming spiritual warfare.<br />
Everywhere I went, people stared at my<br />
face. Public outings were not<br />
appealing to me because I felt<br />
like such an ugly duckling. I<br />
did not feel pretty. I did not<br />
feel worthy. I did not feel<br />
my life had purpose.<br />
This was a really dark<br />
time and in certain<br />
moments, I felt like I could<br />
take my own life. I was<br />
lonely, depressed and I<br />
hated the way I looked. I<br />
knew who God was but<br />
I didn’t know my true<br />
identity in Christ. My<br />
identity was defined<br />
by make-up, clothes<br />
and money. But all<br />
these things left me<br />
feeling empty and<br />
rejected.<br />
My mind<br />
was filed with<br />
negative thoughts that just lowered my selfesteem<br />
even further. I was physically and<br />
spiritually exhausted. People were praying<br />
for me but my miracle wasn’t coming fast<br />
enough for me and I was ready to give up.<br />
Finally, one day, I fell to my knees and said<br />
“God, I can’t do this anymore. I need you, God.”<br />
I turned to Him and gave Him full control of my<br />
life. It started my journey of learning who I was<br />
in Christ and that my identity was not defined<br />
by what I wore or how I looked. I am a daughter<br />
of the King of kings who knit me together in my<br />
mother’s womb.<br />
God loves me. I have value because of<br />
Jesus Christ. I was created for a purpose. I<br />
am not alone. God was and is with me.<br />
If not for this season of life, I would not<br />
know my true identity today. I am a warrior<br />
princess of the One True God. Satan has<br />
been defeated in my life and I am victorious<br />
– I am free! And when moments come when<br />
I don’t feel pretty, I remember the truth<br />
of who I am in Christ. No weapon formed<br />
against me will prosper because I am a<br />
daughter of the King.<br />
Here are some tools that helped me<br />
through my journey:<br />
• Your mirror can be your friend or your<br />
enemy. Choose friend!<br />
• Put notes on your mirror that say positive<br />
things like “I am beautiful” “I am worthy”<br />
and “I am God’s princess.”<br />
• Replace every negative thought with three<br />
positive statements about yourself like, “I<br />
am caring, I am smart, and I am funny.”<br />
• Find a scripture you can memorize<br />
that will remind you of who you are<br />
to God. <strong>Simply</strong> <strong>Radiant</strong>’s theme<br />
scripture is a good one to start<br />
with:<br />
“Those who look to him are<br />
radiant, their faces are never<br />
covered with shame.” Psalm<br />
34:5<br />
• Call a friend or a mentor<br />
and let them know what<br />
you’re going through.<br />
They are there to help.<br />
• Listen to worship<br />
music. It will<br />
change your<br />
mindset!<br />
Hello, my name is<br />
Beautiful!<br />
What is yours?<br />
You choose.<br />
09<br />
WINTER 2016 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM
10<br />
SIMPLY FIT<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE<br />
Fit to<br />
SINGLE-LEG<br />
serve<br />
BY THERESSA QUARLES<br />
PLANK-UP JACK<br />
TARGETS SHOULDERS,<br />
BACK, CHEST, TRICEPS, ABS,<br />
GLUTES<br />
1. Start in forearm plank position<br />
on ground, balancing on<br />
forearms and toes.<br />
2. Lift left arm and place left<br />
palm on ground directly beneath<br />
shoulder, straightening arm;<br />
repeat with right arm until you<br />
are in full plank position.<br />
3. Reverse motion back to<br />
forearm plank and repeat, this<br />
time pressing up with right arm ,<br />
then left<br />
4. While in full plank position,<br />
jump feet out wide, then back<br />
together twice to complete 1 rep.<br />
Do 8-12 Reps.<br />
CRAB<br />
TARGETS TRICEPS, GLUTES,<br />
HAMSTRINGS<br />
1. Sit on floor with knees bent,<br />
feet flat, and palms on floor<br />
beside hips; lift hips a few<br />
inches so that body is balanced<br />
between hands and feet.<br />
2. Lift bent right leg off floor,<br />
then press hips up until body<br />
forms a tabletop; squeeze left<br />
glute.<br />
3. Lower to start position, hips a<br />
few inches off floor.<br />
Do 8-12 Reps; switch sides and<br />
repeat.<br />
CONSULT A PHYSICIAN BEFORE<br />
BEGINNING ANY EXERCISE PLAN
11<br />
WINTER 2016 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM<br />
Developing strong glutes can decrease<br />
your risk of injury in the knees, lower<br />
back, hamstrings and groin. Weak glutes<br />
can cause an imbalance in the hip,<br />
which can potentially cause knee pain.<br />
Strengthening your glutes decreases<br />
your risk for back injuries in exercises<br />
such as the deadlift and squat by taking<br />
some of the pressure off your lower back.<br />
Weak glutes can also contribute to pulled<br />
muscles in your hamstring or groin.<br />
Strong shoulders make most arm<br />
movements easier, whether you’re<br />
throwing a ball, passing food across the<br />
table, or lifting a suitcase that’s a little<br />
too heavy. Almost every upper-body<br />
exercise involves your shoulder muscles<br />
to some extent, so strengthening your<br />
shoulders enables you to lift heavier<br />
weights for chest and back exercises.<br />
Our bodies are a gift from God. We<br />
want the healthiest body we can have<br />
to maintain and improve our service to<br />
people.<br />
Be a lady who “serves by the strength<br />
that God supplies—in order that in<br />
everything God may be glorified through<br />
Jesus Christ…” 1 Peter 4:10-11
12<br />
SIMPLY SNACKING<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE<br />
Cozy Cup<br />
of Comfort<br />
BY JADA CANTRELL<br />
VANILLA CHAI TEA LATTE<br />
For this warm, winter beverage, you’ll<br />
need just a few things:<br />
• a tall mug<br />
• a small pot<br />
• a chai tea teabag<br />
• 1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk<br />
• ground cinnamon<br />
• nutmeg<br />
• 1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
• any sweetener of your choice (I.e. agave<br />
nectar, honey, sugar, etc.)<br />
• Frother<br />
(If you do not own a frother, inexpensive<br />
and effective handheld frothers can be<br />
found at almost any store*)<br />
*Frothers are used to create the foamy<br />
texture of a typical coffee shop latte,<br />
however, frothers are not needed to create<br />
the delicious taste of this cozy beverage.<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
Boil a cup of water, and pour into the<br />
mug.<br />
Steep the chai tea bag in the water<br />
for about 1 to 4 minutes.<br />
Once the tea has steeped, add a<br />
few shakes of ground cinnamon<br />
and nutmeg, a teaspoon of vanilla<br />
extract and whichever sweetener<br />
you choose depending on how sweet<br />
you’d like your beverage.<br />
4<br />
5<br />
Place one cup of almond milk in<br />
the pot in order for milk to warm<br />
up. Remove just as the milk begins<br />
to boil and slowly pour milk into<br />
the mug. (If you own a handheld<br />
frother, before pouring the milk into<br />
the mug, use the frother to create a<br />
foamy effect in the warm milk first,<br />
then pour)<br />
Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and<br />
enjoy your winter beverage!
13<br />
WINTER 2016 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM
14<br />
LOVE & DATING<br />
WE WENT TOO FAR<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE<br />
BY BRITTANY WALLACE<br />
A<br />
ll it took was space and opportunity. We<br />
texted too much, hugged too long, and<br />
took every idle moment we had as a chance<br />
to be alone together. Whenever I knew my<br />
roommate would be out of town, he was<br />
the one and only call I made. “Come hang<br />
out!” was code for “let’s see how far we can<br />
go without going too far”. I knew better, he<br />
knew better. I should have guarded my heart<br />
and his, but I didn’t do that. The temporary<br />
high that we felt while kissing seemed worth<br />
it at the time, but I didn’t know what it would<br />
cost me.<br />
We tried several times to harness our<br />
emotions and to set boundaries on our time<br />
together. But time and time again, we failed.<br />
It wasn’t until I crept back into my apartment<br />
at 3 a.m. that the little voice I had been<br />
ignoring for months became a blaring alarm.<br />
“What are you doing?” I cried out to God and<br />
confessed my sin. Although we hadn’t gone<br />
MY CHOICES TO GIVE IN TO MY DESIRES<br />
CAME WITH A BILL – AND IT WAS MUCH<br />
HIGHER THAN I THOUGHT.
all the way, we went much farther than we<br />
should have. During the days that followed, I<br />
confessed my sin to my close group of sisters<br />
(who I should have been accountable to in<br />
the first place). I also had to consistently<br />
remind myself that I was forgiven by God<br />
when lies began to swarm around me saying<br />
things like “Look at what you’ve done! You’re<br />
a fraud. You don’t really want to follow Jesus<br />
like you say you do.”<br />
In the same way that a bill comes after<br />
ordering and eating food at a restaurant,<br />
my choices to give in to my desires came<br />
with a bill – and it was much higher than I<br />
thought. Some of my friendships changed,<br />
my reputation was tarnished, and I broke<br />
two hearts; his and<br />
my own. Although this<br />
situation was painful and<br />
expensive, I grew closer<br />
to the Lord and learned<br />
lessons that turned out<br />
to be blessings. I learned<br />
that I am not my mistakes<br />
and that God’s love for me<br />
is not dependent on what<br />
choices I make, He loves<br />
me completely just as I<br />
am.<br />
I understood why it’s<br />
so important to guard<br />
my heart and my purity<br />
until I am ready to be a<br />
wife. My women’s pastor<br />
at my church teaches<br />
that we shouldn’t go<br />
into dating relationships<br />
until we are ready for<br />
marriage, and that the<br />
best way to protect our<br />
hearts is to reserve them<br />
for courtship. I strongly<br />
encourage you read the<br />
article and take the quiz<br />
in the Fall 2015 issue for<br />
a more in depth look<br />
at courtship. Although<br />
there will be hurt<br />
feelings if the courtship<br />
is cut short, it doesn’t<br />
compare to the pain that<br />
would be felt if physical<br />
boundaries are crossed.<br />
My dating experiences<br />
have taught me that<br />
when I date someone<br />
before being ready for marriage I run the<br />
risk of getting too emotionally attached and<br />
going too far physically. It’s kind of like when<br />
you put glue on a piece of paper and stick<br />
another piece of paper on top. The longer<br />
they’re stuck together, the harder it is to<br />
separate them. I stayed stuck to someone for<br />
too long and when we parted ways, we each<br />
walked away with tattered hearts.<br />
My advice: Guard your heart. Spend your<br />
single years developing your relationship<br />
with Jesus and serving at your church. Trust<br />
that God is good, and that He isn’t holding<br />
out on you – He loves you and will give you<br />
everything that He has planned for you when<br />
you’re ready to receive it.<br />
IT’S KIND OF LIKE WHEN YOU PUT GLUE ON A PIECE OF<br />
PAPER AND STICK ANOTHER PIECE OF PAPER ON TOP. THE<br />
LONGER THEY’RE STUCK TOGETHER, THE HARDER IT IS TO<br />
SEPARATE THEM.<br />
15<br />
WINTER 2016 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM
16<br />
A RADIANT HEART - DEVELOPING A HEART OF DEVOTION<br />
Protection<br />
&Peace,<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE<br />
NOW<br />
Psalm 23<br />
BY BRITTANY WALLACE<br />
Green pastures. Cool waters.<br />
Goodness. Love.<br />
Life can come sometimes<br />
feel like it is coming at you so<br />
fast. Things like challenging<br />
relationships, hard situations<br />
at home or hard thoughts and<br />
feelings that overwhelm your<br />
heart and mind can make fear<br />
and anxiety surround you.<br />
When times like this come,<br />
you probably feel that you<br />
would do anything to get<br />
relief. To find peace and rest<br />
for you soul.
That peace and rest exists. The Lord has<br />
this and more for you.<br />
Psalm 23 was written by King David, a man<br />
who had seasons of life that were anything<br />
but peaceful. Sometimes these situations were<br />
of his own making and sometimes they were<br />
brought on by others who wanted to do him<br />
harm. But all the time, David’s heart trusted in<br />
the God who promised to lead his life every<br />
step of the way.<br />
King David writes about the promises of<br />
God that encouraged him through times<br />
that wanted to steal his confidence in God.<br />
Those promises? They are for you, too.<br />
When you heart is overwhelmed by hard<br />
things, you can trust that God will lead<br />
you the way a faithful shepherd guides his<br />
precious sheep.<br />
There’s probably nothing as restful and<br />
peaceful as sitting in a lovely, cool meadow<br />
beside a beautiful, calm pond of water. As<br />
you follow and obey the Lord, He will give<br />
your spirit rest and peace. Your confidence<br />
will be built up, knowing that He goes before<br />
you, fighting your battles and protecting you<br />
from harm.<br />
Remember that your fears are no match<br />
for the love the Lord has for you. His love<br />
for you is powerful and able to protect you<br />
from thoughts, feelings and lies that would<br />
make you doubt your security and identity<br />
in Christ. You are one of God’s precious<br />
sheep and He loves, values and cares for<br />
you in a way you can’t imagine. You don’t<br />
have to walk through life in fear because<br />
God is with you – “I will fear no evil for you<br />
are with me” (verse 4a).<br />
God’s promises and protections aren’t<br />
just for your hard times, they are for all of<br />
your life. Forever. “Surely goodness and<br />
love will follow me all the days of my life”<br />
(verse 6).<br />
Do you know who is goodness and love?<br />
The Lord. This is His character, this is who<br />
He is. And He will follow you all the days of<br />
your life, leading you to green pastures and<br />
quiet waters whenever you need Him to.<br />
Take some time to read through Psalm<br />
23 and commit to memory the promises<br />
God makes to you in the verses. When you<br />
need them, you’ll be able to bring them<br />
to mind when you need them most. God’s<br />
Word will be what He uses to lead you to<br />
the quiet, peaceful places He has for you<br />
where He will remind you of His goodness<br />
and the love.
18<br />
INTIMACY<br />
(INTO - ME - SEE)<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE<br />
GRAFTED IN<br />
BY AURORA GREGORY<br />
t three days old, my father abandoned me<br />
and my mother.<br />
When I was two, my step-father, who<br />
AI’ve been told adored me, died.<br />
At 14, my father and I would meet for the<br />
only time. He would disappear from my life<br />
again for good three years later.<br />
In my mid-twenties, my mom, who raised<br />
me and my sister as a single parent, died.<br />
Throughout my life, losing people you’re<br />
not supposed to lose made a huge impact.<br />
God’s perfect order is that we are born into<br />
families that love, protect, nurture and care<br />
for us. It’s how we learn to<br />
be secure in relationships<br />
with other people and how to<br />
offer security to people who<br />
are in relationship with us.<br />
Security in relationships<br />
didn’t happen for me.<br />
Because I lost such important<br />
people very early in my life – my father<br />
and my stepfather – I never felt secure<br />
as a child. My mom was amazing and did<br />
everything she could to love and support<br />
us. But the damage had been done by the<br />
losses I suffered. By the time my mom died,<br />
I had spent my life feeling I was never safe<br />
in my relationships.<br />
When Jesus rescued me after my mom<br />
died, so much changed! One of the first<br />
Bible promises I became aware of was<br />
Psalm 68:6 – God places the lonely in
19<br />
families. That was me – I was lonely and<br />
I needed family to fill the gaps that were<br />
created by the losses that had hit my life.<br />
God began the process of grafting me<br />
into families. He gave me the most unlikely<br />
person for a sister. He turned people who<br />
had been present most of my life into<br />
parents. He gave me church friends who<br />
became spiritual sisters. I got another set of<br />
parents and sisters and brothers and more<br />
friends. I went from having very little family<br />
to having more family than I ever could<br />
have imagined!<br />
It didn’t happen all at once. But over time,<br />
I wasn’t lonely anymore. And because of<br />
Christ, I was free. Free to enjoy the families<br />
I had been placed in. Free to love and be<br />
loved. Free to be who Jesus created me to<br />
be and free to be accepted, imperfections<br />
and all.<br />
GOD PLACES THE LONELY IN FAMILIES;<br />
HE SETS THE PRISONERS FREE AND<br />
GIVES THEM JOY.<br />
PSALM 68:6 (NLT)<br />
WINTER 2016 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM
20<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE<br />
God is the giver of good gifts (James<br />
1:17). The thing about a gift is you have to<br />
be willing to receive it. To accept it. Early<br />
on, that was the hard part of getting the<br />
gift of family. When you’re grafted into<br />
a family, adopted by people who choose<br />
to love you, it can take time to believe it.<br />
And it can take time for them to believe<br />
you love them the way they love you.<br />
Eventually, I had to make<br />
a choice. I had to choose<br />
to accept the gift of family<br />
God was giving me. To<br />
embrace the people who<br />
were embracing me. It<br />
didn’t change the losses I<br />
had experienced earlier<br />
in life. But in choosing<br />
to be grafted into new<br />
families, I was accepting<br />
God’s provision for one of my greatest<br />
needs – the need to belong, to be loved,<br />
to be cared for. And to give those things<br />
in return.<br />
Maybe you’re like me. Maybe you’ve lost<br />
important people in your life. People that<br />
should still be in your world and aren’t<br />
anymore. Maybe you’re lonely.<br />
Know that your feelings are real. Know<br />
also that God sees you and cares<br />
deeply about you.<br />
Don’t despair. Turn to the Lord.<br />
God has a family for you. Look for<br />
people you can embrace and who<br />
will embrace you. And when you<br />
find them and they find you,<br />
receive the gift. Give yourself to<br />
your family with confidence.<br />
You’ll find freedom and you<br />
will find joy!
21
22<br />
The Performance Trap<br />
BY ANGEL CANTRELL<br />
(PARTIALLY TAKEN FROM THE SEARCH FOR<br />
SIGNIFICANCE BY ROBERT S. MCGEE)<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
POP QUIZ<br />
Read each statement and then write the appropriate number in the<br />
blank space next to each statement according to the possible answers.<br />
1 ALWAYS 2 VERY OFTEN 3 OFTEN 4 SOMETIMES<br />
5 SELDOM 6 VERY SELDOM 7 NEVER<br />
Because of the fear that I<br />
won’t do well, I often avoid<br />
joining in certain activities.<br />
When I sense I might fail<br />
in some important area, I<br />
become seriously nervous<br />
and anxious.<br />
I feel anxious for no reason.<br />
I am a perfectionist.<br />
I have to defend my<br />
mistakes.<br />
I get depressed when I fail.<br />
I get mad at people who do<br />
things that make me look<br />
like I don’t know what I’m<br />
doing or like I’m stupid.<br />
I do certain activities in an<br />
effort to earn or prove my<br />
worth (at home, church,<br />
school, work, etc).<br />
TOTAL<br />
(For those of you who have a low<br />
score, choose today to get out<br />
of this trap and live free. And for<br />
the rest of you who don’t struggle<br />
with this, please read on and see<br />
how you can help a friend who<br />
struggles in this area.)<br />
The Performance Trap is the<br />
false promise that success and<br />
achievements will bring ultimate<br />
satisfaction and happiness. Those<br />
who buy into this lie build their<br />
lives and base their actions on this<br />
destructive belief. Some examples:<br />
I feel good about myself if...<br />
• I make the honor roll<br />
• I score high on my SAT/ACT<br />
• I lose 10 pounds<br />
• I get a certain job<br />
• I serve in a ministry at church<br />
• I manage my home well<br />
• I belong to ________ ethnic group<br />
• I volunteer at ________ place<br />
• My children are able to ________<br />
• I have a boyfriend/husband<br />
What do you do or believe to earn<br />
your worth and value?<br />
These actions and goals, in and of<br />
themselves, are good and are not<br />
wrong. But they don’t define you.<br />
Whether you excel in them or not, you<br />
ALREADY have great worth. You are<br />
precious and honored; you captivate,<br />
by one glance of your eyes; you are<br />
greatly delighted in. And there is<br />
nothing you can do or not do that can<br />
change your worth, because all of our<br />
worth comes from God. Ultimately,<br />
you were worth dying for.
23<br />
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24<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE<br />
Therefore, let us change our thinking and<br />
say, “I feel good about myself because God<br />
sees me as precious; because God delights<br />
in me, because I captured His heart with<br />
once glance from my eyes. I feel good<br />
about myself because Jesus loved me<br />
so much, He died for me. And it has<br />
nothing to do with my performance. I can<br />
choose to live free and complete or in the<br />
performance trap; it’s a choice I make.<br />
Does that mean stop trying to do things<br />
in excellence? No, not at all. However, it<br />
does mean that you define your worth by<br />
what God says and not by what you do. If<br />
you fail at something, it doesn’t mean you<br />
are a failure. It is just another opportunity<br />
to learn and that is all.<br />
HERE IS A TOOL TO HELP FIGHT<br />
THIS FALSE BELIEF SYSTEM:<br />
• Choose your favorite ‘breath’ scriptures<br />
from below or choose one of your own<br />
• Make it personal (ex. I am precious in<br />
Your eyes – Isaiah 43:4)<br />
• Memorize it<br />
• Write it on a note cards and put in<br />
the bathroom mirror, rearview mirror,<br />
your purse, bedroom wall, closet, door,<br />
beside your bed, screen saver on your<br />
phone or computer, etc<br />
• Repeat them, every day, out loud, over<br />
and over, until you believe what you are<br />
saying. NO MATTER HOW LONG THIS<br />
TAKES or how crazy you look (days,<br />
weeks, months, years) - DON’T QUIT.<br />
POSSIBLE SCRIPTURES TO<br />
PERSONALIZE AND MEMORIZE<br />
THE LORD IS ON MY SIDE; I WILL NOT<br />
FEAR. WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME?<br />
PSALM 118:6<br />
YOU HAVE STOLEN MY HEART WITH<br />
ONE GLANCE FROM YOUR EYES.<br />
SOLOMON 4:9<br />
THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU,<br />
THE MIGHTY WARRIOR WHO SAVES.<br />
HE WILL TAKE GREAT DELIGHT IN<br />
YOU; IN HIS LOVE HE WILL NO<br />
LONGER REBUKE YOU, BUT WILL<br />
REJOICE OVER YOU WITH SINGING.”<br />
ZEPHANIAH 3:17<br />
BEHOLD, I HAVE ENGRAVED YOU ON<br />
THE PALMS OF MY HANDS.<br />
ISAIAH 49:16<br />
THE STEADFAST LOVE OF THE LORD<br />
NEVER CEASES; HIS MERCIES NEVER<br />
COME TO AN END; THEY ARE NEW<br />
EVERY MORNING; GREAT IS YOUR<br />
FAITHFULNESS.<br />
LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23<br />
I HAVE LOVED YOU WITH AN<br />
EVERLASTING LOVE; THEREFORE I<br />
HAVE CONTINUED MY FAITHFULNESS<br />
TO YOU.<br />
JEREMIAH 31:3<br />
BECAUSE YOU ARE PRECIOUS IN MY<br />
EYES, AND HONORED, AND I LOVE<br />
YOU, I GIVE MEN IN RETURN FOR YOU,<br />
PEOPLES IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR<br />
LIFE. FEAR NOT, FOR I AM WITH YOU.<br />
ISAIAH 43:4-5
Filipino<br />
A Funny Word<br />
BY CHARMAINE ABASTA<br />
G<br />
WHAT AM I WORTH?<br />
od created us and made us in His image. The<br />
Bible says: “For you formed my inward parts;<br />
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.<br />
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully<br />
made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it<br />
very well. My frame was not hidden<br />
from you, when I was being<br />
made in secret, intricately<br />
woven in the depths of the<br />
earth.” (Psalm 139:13-15)<br />
It took me a while<br />
to understand, but<br />
reflecting on this<br />
verse gives me peace<br />
knowing He created<br />
me just the way He<br />
wanted me to be. I am<br />
not made to be the<br />
same but unique and<br />
embrace that I am His.<br />
When I was<br />
younger, being<br />
different was hard for<br />
me to understand.<br />
Growing up as a<br />
child, I denied my<br />
Filipino roots. I was<br />
ashamed of my race and<br />
culture. I was as naïve as the<br />
people who asked about my<br />
ethnicity. Kids at school would<br />
ask, “Are you Chinese?” No, I would<br />
answer. “Are you Mexican?” No, I would reply.<br />
“What are you then?” I don’t know, I would say.<br />
There were not a lot of Filipinos at my school and<br />
being different was hard.<br />
Filipino was a funny word. I didn’t want to be<br />
made fun of. As I got older, the way I saw myself<br />
changed. I learned to love and embrace my roots<br />
and take pride in my heritage.<br />
When I was a freshman in college, I attended<br />
a cultural performance put on by the university’s<br />
Filipino Club. There were skits and<br />
beautiful traditional Filipino dances<br />
in the show. I was in awe. I wanted<br />
to be a part of what I saw. I wanted<br />
to know more and I wanted to have<br />
more Filipino friends who shared my<br />
cultural identity.<br />
I went to the club’s first meeting<br />
the following year and was greeted by<br />
so many friendly faces. I felt at home<br />
and comfortable around everyone.<br />
We laughed at the same jokes and<br />
understood the same stories. We all<br />
wanted to learn about our Filipino<br />
roots. The club brought us together<br />
and for the first time, I didn’t stand<br />
out as the “Asian girl”.<br />
Eventually, I became an officer and<br />
then was elected president of the<br />
club. Who would have thought the<br />
girl who once denied being Filipino<br />
would become the president of<br />
her university’s Filipino club?!?<br />
The girl who was inspired by a<br />
performance about Filipino<br />
culture was now leading the<br />
group! I was now helping<br />
others learn and appreciate<br />
their Filipino heritage. One<br />
night changed my life forever<br />
and from that experience, I<br />
have come to fully accept<br />
myself and appreciate<br />
my culture. I’m no longer<br />
ashamed of who I am.<br />
I thank God for showing<br />
me I was made for a purpose.<br />
The journey of finding<br />
myself was an answered<br />
prayer that has shaped me<br />
into the woman I am today. I<br />
learned that being different from<br />
everyone else is the best thing<br />
about me. My hair, the color of my<br />
skin, the food I eat, the shape of my<br />
body and that I speak more than one<br />
language is pretty cool. I learned that<br />
having a culture that is so rich in love is<br />
a blessing. It is who I am.<br />
I will instill my culture into my<br />
children and teach them about their<br />
roots so they can be proud of who<br />
they are and where they came from.<br />
Most importantly, I will teach them<br />
to know and understand God created<br />
them differently but perfectly and<br />
wonderfully at the same time.<br />
25<br />
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27<br />
Our<br />
WINTER 2016 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM<br />
“GREATER”<br />
BY MERCYME<br />
Angel’s Pick<br />
“LOVE YOU MORE”<br />
BY KIM HILL<br />
Aurora’s Pick<br />
“NO LONGER SLAVES”<br />
BY JONATHAN &<br />
MELISSA HELSER &<br />
BETHEL MUSIC<br />
Sonia’s Pick<br />
Playlist<br />
“HE KNOWS MY NAME”<br />
BY FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI<br />
Brittany’s Pick<br />
“LEAN ON ME”<br />
BY CONSUMED BY FIRE<br />
Rubi Z’s Pick<br />
“SOMEDAY”<br />
BY JJ HELLER<br />
Jada’s Pick<br />
“TOUCH THE SKY”<br />
BY HILLSONG UNITED<br />
Martha’s Pick
28<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE<br />
“You heavens above, rain<br />
down my righteousness;<br />
let the clouds shower it<br />
down. Let the earth open<br />
wide, let salvation spring<br />
up, let righteousness<br />
flourish with it; I, the<br />
LORD, have created it.”<br />
IS 45:8 NIV
29<br />
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30<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
31<br />
“ABOVE ALL, LOVE<br />
EACH OTHER<br />
DEEPLY.”<br />
1 PETER 4:8 NIV<br />
WINTER 2016 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM
eautyTips<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE<br />
32<br />
FOR BEAUTIFUL LIPS<br />
SMILE
33<br />
FOR BEAUTIFUL HANDS<br />
HELP SOMEONE UP<br />
FOR A BEAUTIFUL BODY<br />
PLAY WITH<br />
A CHILD
34<br />
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE<br />
For Real<br />
This Time<br />
G<br />
INVITATION TO RADIANCE<br />
BY BRITTANY WALLACE<br />
rowing up, there was never a question<br />
about what I would believe in. My great<br />
grandfather was a preacher, three of my<br />
uncles were preachers, and just about every<br />
Sunday that I could remember was spent<br />
in children’s church. I<br />
loved Jesus, and knew<br />
that He loved me too.<br />
I was baptized when I<br />
was 12, and understood<br />
that baptism meant that<br />
I was making a public,<br />
symbolic declaration<br />
of my acceptance of<br />
Christ as my savior<br />
(kinda heavy for a kid in<br />
the sixth grade). I was<br />
used to hearing words<br />
like “salvation” and<br />
“filled with the spirit”<br />
but never knew what<br />
they meant, but that all<br />
changed when I was 15<br />
and went with a friend<br />
to a church camp in<br />
the mountains over a<br />
three day weekend. It<br />
was at that camp that I<br />
first encountered a real<br />
experience with God.<br />
Through the teachings<br />
of my youth pastors,<br />
and singing songs<br />
of love and worship to the Lord, I came to<br />
understand that salvation meant more than<br />
just going to church every Sunday. I learned<br />
that because of Christ’s obedience to dying<br />
on the cross to save the world, I had a choice<br />
to accept His sacrifice of love; a free gift that<br />
was being given to me that I could never<br />
earn in a million years. I learned that being a<br />
Christian didn’t mean that I had to be perfect<br />
or follow a bunch of rules to be loved and<br />
accepted by God, (He already accepted me)<br />
but that the most important thing was to<br />
develop a real relationship with the One who<br />
came to give me a life full of His love and<br />
abundance. On the second night of camp,<br />
I went up to the front of the room and told<br />
my youth pastor that I wanted to rededicate<br />
my life to Christ because I knew more at that<br />
time than I had known three years earlier. I<br />
stood there with about 10 others who wanted<br />
the same thing that I did, and we repeated<br />
after our pastor saying something like this:<br />
“Father God, I come to you as a sinner,<br />
knowing that I need a savior. I believe Jesus<br />
Christ died on the cross for my sins, and that<br />
You raised Him from the dead. I ask that You<br />
would come into my life, and be my Lord and<br />
Savior. I choose to live<br />
my life for You. In Your<br />
Son, Jesus’ name I pray,<br />
Amen.”<br />
After that moment,<br />
I remember feeling<br />
like a new person. I<br />
remember feeling like I<br />
was a part of something<br />
that was greater than<br />
me that would never<br />
be taken away. Today<br />
I want to offer that<br />
same experience to<br />
you. If you’ve never<br />
accepted Christ as your<br />
personal savior, take a<br />
few moments to pray<br />
the same simple prayer<br />
I did. The Bible says<br />
in Romans 10:9 that if<br />
you confess with your<br />
mouth that Jesus is<br />
Lord, and believe your<br />
heart that God raised<br />
Him from the dead, you<br />
will be saved. This is<br />
something to be excited<br />
about! All of your sins are forgiven, and you<br />
now have access to all of the promises and<br />
truths of God. We would love to hear about<br />
your commitment to a relationship with<br />
Christ, so please let us know at our website,<br />
simplyradiantmagazine.com
35<br />
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THOSE WHO LOOK<br />
TO HIM ARE RADIANT;<br />
THEIR FACES ARE NEVER<br />
COVERED WITH SHAME.<br />
PSALM 34:5