When I think of Holy Week, I think of the last week of Jesus’ life. What would it have been like? What thoughts would He have had? Would He have been scared? Was He nervous about what was to come? How did He not fully explain it to everyone before it happened? Why didn’t He call Judas out before He betrayed Him and turned Him in? So many questions I would love to know but all I know is that I’m thankful. I’m thankful Jesus took my place on that cross and paid my sin debt even though He didn’t deserve any of it.

Although, Jesus is fully God, He was also fully man. When Jesus’s disciples betrayed Him, he felt their betrayal, but loved them anyway. When He was crucified, beaten for our sins, He felt every pain. When He was nailed to a wooden cross, He felt the bones breaking and the agonizing pain that it caused. He heard the people mocking Him and He knew exactly what was to come, yet from the cross He said “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”

When I start to think of my minuscule, tiny little things I call problems that I have going on in my life, it’s hard to compare them to the struggles Jesus went through during Holy Week, better yet throughout His whole life.

When He was born, He knew He was destined to die for sinners like you and me. Throughout His life He constantly had people ridiculing Him and watching Him, waiting for Him to mess up or sin one way or another. He was constantly under a microscope. As He traveled around with His disciples, He never had a true home or a place to sleep at night. He even told His followers, don’t follow Me, this road is not easy. Several times He warned them, it wouldn’t be easy, yet they followed Him anyway. Jesus didn’t have an easy life. So why do so many people today think they should have it easy?

In today’s world, it’s still not easy. Life gets harder every day. The Bible says is John 16:33,  “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

No matter what pains you feel or struggles you go through,  always remember the cross. Remember the price that was paid for your sin, my sin, and all the sins of the world. Remember the One that came to pay your sin debt. Do your pains even compare?

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

Jesus’ own blood covers our sins.

This week, I want you to focus on the day by day events that Jesus went through. From Palm Sunday, where they welcomed Jesus into town on a donkey singing praises and Hosanna to His death on the cross just a few days later where the people yelled “crucify Him.” In a moments time, Jesus was betrayed by His own friends and followers. He was beaten and crucified on a cross so that you and I could live a life worthy to Him.

For further reading: Read Luke 24 about the day Jesus rose from the dead! As followers of Christ, we know that the cross was not the end of the story. 3 days later, Jesus rose from the dead as He said He would. Later, He ascended into Heaven and left His people to spread the news of Jesus Christ all over the world. He left you to be His hands and feet, to disciple the believers, to teach the younger ones, and to help those in need. Be Jesus to every person you meet, you never know what they are truly going through.

“He is not here; he has risen!” Luke 24: 6

What have you done for Jesus your lifetime?

What will you do in the future?

Spend time in prayer studying Holy Week and thanking God for what He did for you.

May God Bless you and Show you His Grace every day!

One of the hardest commands for me to deal with in the Bible is “to love one another.” I know it sounds simple but there are days when people are just not lovable. Think about it, in the Bible, Jesus chose the tax collectors, fishermen, and even the meanest Christian persecutors to serve and follow Him. All of these men became great follower of Christ and changed lives forever.

Thinking of this, I think of Billy Graham. He was just a man, but he was a man of God that chose to make a difference. He wasn’t a superhero, he didn’t have magic powers or anything crazy like that, he was just human.

But on the inside, he had the Holy Spirit. If he Holy Spirit is in your heart, you will be changed; you’ll have a desire to serve Christ, a heart for everyone around you, and a passion that cannot be explained. Because of His faith in Christ, he changed thousands of lives and many people accepted Christ because of what God did through Him.

Jesus speaks of “Child-like” faith in Matthew 18 to remind us to be like the little children: innocent, trusting, humble, without prejudice, obedient (well most of the time), and dependent on their parents. I challenge you to read through Matthew 18 this week and see what you can learn.

In the same way, when we struggle, no matter what the struggle may be, we need to be like the children.

We need to read the Bible to see how we need to act and treat others.

We need to be humble and not prideful for what WE have done. Instead, we need to exalt the name of Jesus in everything we do. We need to be without prejudice. That means, we need to love even the people we find hard to love.  We even need to love the ones that have hurt us in the past, lied to us, lost our trust. Forgiveness is a great part of love. Jesus spent time with the prisoners, the tax collectors, the rejects and sinners in society, yet He stayed strong and changed their lives by showing them how His love is unconditional and His love is for everyone.

We need to be obedient. When God says this is what you should do…then guess what…that’s what you should no. There are not loopholes in the Word of God. It’s not a trick. What God says is what God means. In my case, when God says “love one another” that means LOVE ONE ANOTHER, not just love the ones that are easy to love or love the ones you get along with, it means, LOVE EVERYONE.

Lastly, but most importantly, we need to be dependent on our Heavenly Father. Children depend on their parents to feed them and supply their every needs. As children of God, we need to be dependent on our Heavenly Father to supply our needs. This means, when things get tough, we need to TRUST in God.

As a follow up to my last post about my depression, I am learning to love better, spending more time writing out my feelings, and growing in my faith every day. No, I’m not perfect and I never will be, but I am moving forward in my Christian walk. It takes time, and it takes trials, but through it all, Christ will never leave your side.

Stay Strong Ladies!

May God Bless you and Show you His Grace every day!

Ladies,

I want to apologize for not keeping up with my blog for the last few weeks. To be honest, I just haven’t felt like writing or doing much of anything. I know what you’re thinking…you’re a leader…you’re an adult…you’re a teacher…how could YOU not even feel like writing! Believe it or not, Ministry Leaders, Teachers, and Preachers are not invincible. We all have struggles, we are human, and we do need help sometimes.

I’ve suffered from depression/anxiety most of my life. From my teenage years till’ now, it’s always been a constant battle. One minute I’m fine then the next minute, I’m just not wanting to do anything, or maybe I’m crying for no reason, or upset with someone and really can’t even explain why. It happens in different ways and it’s been worse since my husband and I experienced several miscarriages prior to having our boys. After having Asher, who is now 2, I suffered postpartum depression, and now I just worry. I worry about the what ifs that I’ll never be able to control. For my kids: what if I’m making the wrong decisions about parenting them? What if I should’ve homeschooled instead of sent them to public school? What if there is a shooting at my kids’ school? What if I shouldn’t have been a working mom? There are too many what ifs in parenting to go into, but my major worry is that one day my kids will look back and be upset with how their Mother raised them. (wow…that’s deep for a teen blog, but it’s true. This blog is about true life and I want you to know me…the good…the bad…and most importantly the changed by God’s Grace)

Depression is a battle. A constant battle that the Devil loves to throw at me.

In October of last year, my husband and I started attending East Pickens Baptist Church. My kids loved it, we loved it, and it was a fresh start for my whole family. We were excited to a part of something. For years, we’ve been in Youth Ministry and on staff at churches, but at East Pickens, we walked in as just visitors. They even have visitor parking…just fabulous! Before East Pickens, we visited several other churches but for various reasons, we found our new church home just a few miles down the road at East Pickens Baptist Church.

My husband and I decided to be patient and not rush into ministry  or even serving again. Honestly, we were overwhelmed, overworked, and just flat out tired from working in the Church. Ministry can be exhausting, and I’ll be honest, it’s easy to get burnt out and just tired. We left Crosswell to focus on our family and grow as a family in Christ together. At one point, I was on the praise team, served in the nursey, helped with children’s church when needed, directed VBS, and oh yeah…taught the Youth and planned events for them including a Mission trip. Ministry is a blessing, and seeds were sown there that I’ll never forget but I was tired. Just the other day, I heard that several of the youth boys at Crosswell gave their lives to Christ. It’s such a blessing to know that God is still working in that church. You see – when people leave a church – it can be sad and upsetting – but you have to remember – God never leaves the church. He is always there for His children.

Sorry about the rabbit trail but let me get back to where I was. Oh yeah, East Pickens is now our new home and we were supposed to be waiting to serve, volunteering occasionally but not committing to anything. We thought we needed a break. I guess God had other plans. You see? WE never have plans…God does. WE just need to start listening closer.

It was Sunday morning, MISSION SUNDAY, when the mission teams from all over the world (straight from Pickens) stood up and told their testimonies and their mission trips that they had been on in the past year. Dustin was on the edge of his seat the whole time. A wife knows when something’s going on in her husband’s mind. I could see it in his eyes…. he was ready to pack up and go any minute, but I was still on the fence. I am very practical, a little OCD, and I like to be organized and scheduled out for every moment of my life. (I know – impossible right) It’s hard for me to feel “out of control” in situations.

By December, Dustin was talking to the Children’s Pastors about starting a new Sunday School Class for Young Couples. When he left the house he said he was just going out for coffee with the Children’s Pastor, but when he came home, he had already committed to teaching a class. He was so excited and couldn’t wait to get started. I was like, what happened to waiting, chilling out a while, just being members without actually working. I know it sounds selfish but this is where you get when you get burnt out. For me, I was starting to struggle again with depression. I wasn’t myself. I doubted God. I started to worry about the what ifs about the class. What if no one shows up? What if it’s an epic fail? What if I really just don’t want to be at church that early? What if we’re not ready? I was afraid, I was worried, and as a wife, I didn’t want to see my husband jump in to something too fast.

I know it sounds silly, but what ifs are exhausting. I hope somewhere out there someone is saying AMEN and agreeing with me. I know I’m not the only one that gets tired just by worrying and stressing.

Dustin’s Sunday School Class started the first Sunday in March and prior to that we had a young couple cookout to celebrate the start of something new. It was great to meet new people and just have fun with other people our age (or close to it). The class is for couples 35 and under. It was good time and we hope to plan another get together when it actually warms up and stays warm.

My depression and my doubts increased over the next few months and I’m not sure why or what started it, but it was getting rough. By February, I was really struggling to keep things together. As long as I was busy working or doing something, anything, I was fine, but in the quiet times, when nothing was going on, it felt like everything was going wrong. I worried, I doubted, and I struggled to keep things together.

6 weeks ago, Dustin told me he was going to Cuba on a Mission Trip. Seriously the text said… “going to Cuba.” I was like what now? Then the what ifs started again and this time I tried to hold off on sharing them with him through texts. I was at work just left wondering why, when, and how Dustin was going to make it to Cuba by April. What if we can’t afford it? What if something happens to him? What if he never comes home? What will I do with the kids while he’s gone? What if I need him for something or there’s an emergency…. on and on and on my mind raced. Then my doubts started again. Why God? Why can’t we just sit back and enjoy church together for a while? Why do we have to serve all the time and spend so much money? Lord, we live paycheck to paycheck and now you want us to have $1200 in less than 3 months? Lord, why?

My depression hit hard then. I tried so hard to stay strong for my husband. I would put on a fake smile and be the wife I needed to be…sometimes, but when he was gone or not in the room, I would cry myself to sleep or leave the room to just be alone and think. I kept myself so busy during that time just to keep my mind from thinking about the “what ifs” that I didn’t want to cross my mind. The last thing I wanted to do was discourage Dustin about his class or his mission trip or finances or anything. I just wanted him to be happy and serve the Lord with all his heart. And to be honest, I wanted to get back to the place where I wanted to serve, desired to get involved, and actively spent time seeking God’s will for my life. Despite my depression, and my doubts, I was determined to make Dustin’s mission trip happen.

Passports usually take 6-8 weeks to get processed and returned. Dustin didn’t have one. How would he ever get his passport in time to get everything he needed for the trip? I doubted it would even happen. Once again, I doubted God. Even the Mission Team Leader doubted he would get his passport in time.

Today, March 12, 2018 we have every dime we need for my husband to go to Cuba. I’m not sure how, but somehow, we managed to get the overtime, cut back on things we didn’t really need, and save the money we needed in less than 6 weeks. Dustin’s mom randomly showed up one day with $300. She didn’t say much, she just said she wanted him to serve where he was called. A few weeks later, we had the mission trip money paid in full.

Something even crazier, is that when we ordered Dustin’s passport from the PICKENS post office, it came in 2 weeks later! (not the 6-8 weeks it was supposed to take) We didn’t even pay extra to expedite it or anything. Somehow, it just happened. I know that somehow was God.

I say all this to say, never doubt God. I’m talking to myself when I say this as well. Through this storm, my husband never lost faith. There were days that I didn’t want to do anything or even facing society, yet he reminded me every day that God would see us through this. At one point, I was in the ER because my blood pressure was so high from panic attacks that I couldn’t calm down, and to be honest, it was one of the scariest moments of my life. My heart hurt, my eyes were swollen from crying, and I couldn’t even explain why I was upset, I just was. I thought I had lost my joy, my heart was broken, everything I had done in my life was worthless, my peace was gone, and I was broken. Through it all, God never left my side.

When the devil realized he couldn’t hurt the faith of my husband, he attacked my weakness to hurt my husband. My depression hurt more than just me. It hurt my family, my friends, and everyone around me. I hate to have to admit I have depression, but sometimes saying it out loud or in this case, typing it in my blog, helps me cope with the fact that some things are out of my control and somewhere out there, someone is suffering just like me and needs to hear this.

Sometimes, it hurts more to see someone else hurting than it does to hurt yourself. To me, when my kids are sick, I just want to take their pain away and if I could I would. I hate seeing them hurting and helpless. I’m the same way about any of my family members. The devil will try his best to destroy the family, destroy the plans that God has for you or your family members, but you have to remember, your GOD is bigger than the devil ever will be. YOUR GOD is in control!

No, I’m still not perfect and I still have bad days, but I know God is in control, and He can do great things…things that we think are impossible.

Whatever you are dealing with, don’t give up. God is in control and He will provide a way out for you if you’ll just let Him.

I appreciate your prayers and your patience during this trial in my life. Depression is a constant battle, and if you are suffering, don’t suffer alone. You can message me anytime and I’ll be glad to talk to you. KaylaRampey@yahoo.com  I’m also on Facebook @GlitterandGraceTeens

As always, may God Bless you and show you His Grace every day!

13 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ² During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, ³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, ⁴ rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ⁵ Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”⁸ Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁹ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet,^[a] but is completely clean. And you^[b] are clean, but not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

¹² When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant^[c] is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” John 13:1-17

In John 13, Jesus shows us true humility and selflessness. Jesus was preparing for the end of His life on this Earth, yet instead of laying around in self-pity or finishing off his “bucket list” with a bunch of crazy adventures, Jesus did something completely selfless. Jesus stood up from the table and started to wash His disciples feet. One by one he washed each of his disciples’ feet knowing that each of them would deny Him soon after. Can you imagine washing the feet of your enemies? Jesus loved His disciples unconditionally and He knew that they would betray Him and turn their back on Him before His death, yet He looked past that and selflessly washed their feet.

Jesus even washed the feet of Judas knowing that He would be the one that turned Him in for his crucifixion. Judas would trade His friend, His Savior for a few coins, yet Jesus washed His feet.

How hard is it for you to love your enemies or the ones that hurt you the most? In my experiences, people are not always the easiest to get along with. We are all different, and we all have different opinions and attitudes. At times, people can be hard to get along with…some more than others, but we have to remember that Jesus wants us to love them like He does (even when it is hard).

If Jesus can wash the feet of His disciples knowing that they would betray Him soon after, why can’t we even smile at the ones that hurt us the most?

I challenge you to pray for your enemies and practice selflessness when it would be much easier to just be selfish and mean.

Pray for…

• Your enemies and the ones that hurt you the most
• Your parents when you disagree
• Your siblings
• Your teachers
• And anyone else that you find hard to get along with

Practice Selflessness…

• Stop yourself before speaking negatively about your enemies (say a prayer or walk away if you can’t think of anything nice to say)
• Smile more – you never know what someone else is going through
• Forgive often – forgiveness is hard but Jesus teaches us to forgive. Even when He was on the cross Jesus asked His Father to forgive the ones that hurt Him. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they’ve done.”
• Shower your enemies with kindness. (randomly compliment them, don’t respond negatively to their remarks, practice being more like Christ)

I know this is a tough challenge so I’ll definitely be in prayer for you! (and myself as well)

Have a great week ladies!

May God Bless you and Show you His Grace every day!

**Don’t forget about the concert this weekend! Al Harris is great and you don’t want to miss out on this great event!

About 10 years ago, I was standing towards the middle of a Youth service with about 75-100 people there. When the invitation time came, and the music started to play, one of the leaders looked at me and asked if I would come up to the front to pray with those in need. My knees were shaking, my hands were sweaty, and I had a death grip on my Bible like no other, yet I said yes and took a step towards the front! I was terrified and had no idea what to expect.

One by one people were kneeling at the alter to pray. It was packed! God was moving in people’s hearts and I knew he had a purpose for me standing there awkwardly. About the time the music was ending, a young girl named Grace came up to the front crying. Her mother was holding her hand, but she looked right at me and said she wanted to know Jesus was in her heart. I knelt down, held her hand, and talked to her about salvation. That day, the Lord let me be a part of His plan. I was able to lead Grace to the Lord and honor my Father in Heaven by fulfilling His plan. When I spoke to her, God gave me the words to say and the confidence to overcome my fears.

““When they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.” Mark 13:11

“When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” Luke 12:11-12

The moment the Pastor looked at me and called me to the front, I panicked, and a million questions ran through my head. “Why me? I’m just a new Christian! I don’t know what I’m doing! What if someone asks me a question I don’t know! How will I ever be able to lead someone to the Lord?!” I doubted myself and my abilities when all I really needed to do was TRUST in the Lord.

“I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

That day, God showed me Grace and my Place in His plan. I trusted Him, took that first step, and He showed me His love.

To be honest, I don’t know what happened to Grace after that service. Her parents were not believers and wouldn’t allow her to get baptized or join the church. I never saw her again, but I know that God saw her that day and changed her life forever. Grace has a place in Heaven and Jesus in her heart. She received Christ that day not because of me or the prayer that I lead her in, but because of God. God had a plan all along and He knew exactly who would be a part of it.

Don’t let fear hold you back from serving the Lord.

Whatever your fears or doubts may be about yourself, give them to the Lord and take that first step of serving Him.

You never know whose life you could change!

Grace, wherever you are, thank you for being brave and stepping out on faith and receiving Christ as your Lord and Savior! I pray that God has blessed your life tremendously and changed the hearts of your family members.

May God Bless you and Show you His Grace every day!

Kayla

“ For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

So often we get wrapped up in the fact that we are members of different churches, but in reality – we are all members of the same body. Just as it says in 1 Corinthians 12, you are the body of Christ. Whether you go to the biggest church in the Upstate or the smallest church in Six Mile, you are all connected by the One True God and members of the same church.

YOU make up the body of Christ. YOU have a purpose. Together, with the rest of the church, YOU can make a difference.

Join your church family next month at this great event! Al Harris has an amazing testimony and I promise you will be blessed if you attend!

If your youth group has an event you would like to share with others, send me an email or give me a call and I’ll be glad to share it with our email list! KaylaRampey@yahoo.com

May God Bless you and Show you His Grace every day!

February 9th, 2018 7pm – 9pm at The Bridge Church

“It’s okay to be different.” – God

I’ve heard it before and I’m sure you’ve heard it as well. Maybe even you’ve said it about yourself. There’s always that moment in life where you look around and just think, “Man, that person is weird! Or maybe you just look in the mirror and say it about yourself. Either way, being weird or being different is okay in God’s eyes. As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us to be the “weird kid.”

That doesn’t mean you have to wear crazy clothes or talk in a funny voice or something “weird” like that but it does mean that you aren’t supposed to  “fit in” in this world.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;”

The ESV version says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

We are set apart to be different, to be weird, and to be “peculiar” in this world. In my small group, one of the new members said that the reason he started coming to church was because he saw a difference in Christians and he wanted to know why they were so happy all the time. He noticed how different they were, and his curiosity led him to Jesus. Needless to say, he started to go to church, then to a small group, and now he is a joyful Christian serving in the church as well. All of that happened because he noticed the something “different” about Christians and wanted to know more.

It’s not always easy being different, but remember that Jesus was (and still is) different than EVERYONE! He was/is perfect, He performed miracles, and He was sent to save us all, yet people still didn’t accept Him. He didn’t fit in anywhere, yet He died for the very people that hated Him. Can you imagine what His life was like? Where did he fit in? The truth is…He didn’t fit in. He stood out…just like you should today.

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” John 15:18

Stay encouraged in knowing that you are never alone and being “weird” or being different in this world is exactly how God wants you to be! If you can’t tell a difference between yourself and this world, you need to re-evaluate your walk with Christ and remember your purpose. “YOU ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A PECULIAR PEOPLE.”

YOU ARE STRONG. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. YOU ARE ENOUGH.

14 Days until Christmas, 25 days until Empowered Jesus Girl 2018!

Can you believe Christmas will be here in 14 DAYS??? Shortly after Christmas, Empowered Jesus Girl will be here in 25 DAYS!

In 25 Days we’ll see you at Potter’s Clay Fellowship in Easley, SC for Empowered Jesus Girl 2018! This event is for Teen Girls ages 10 and up. Alicia Ivey is going to be our speaker and she has an exciting night planned with a Make-up Tutorial and a Word from God about finding joy in the true beauty God has given you!

Savannah McCollum will be leading the music with the praise band from Potter’s Clay Fellowship. We’re excited to see what God has in store for us!

Don’t forget to come early for pizza and desserts! Dinner starts at 6pm and tickets are FREE! Just register online so we can be prepared for you and your group!

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting pretty excited!

Our speaker, Alicia Ivey is getting ready for Empowered Jesus Girl by posting videos weekly on her Facebook page and the event page on Facebook. Make sure you Like, Follow, and Share these videos with your friends!

Registration has already started so Register online at WildernessGrace.org. You can also order T’Shirts and Hoodies online before the event!

To guarantee your shirt size, shirt orders are due by DECEMBER 17^th!

I hope you all had a great snow day and have a wonderful week! See you soon!

Kayla

Rejoice in knowing that you are Empowered by Jesus Christ Himself. You are blessed, you are adored, you are a child of the One True King.

Ask your friends and family one simple question, “What do you think is important to me?” What will they say? Money? Friends? Being loved or appreciated by others? Looks? Your job? Your family? What’s important to you?

As the Holidays approach, don’t let the rush of Christmas overshadow the true meaning. Your importance doesn’t come from how many presents are under your tree or how much money you can spend on Cyber Monday, it comes from the One who created you. God created you and those around you with an important task, a task to love God and to love others.

The Bible says in Matthew 22:36-39 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

There are more ways to show love than there are to buy to love. Don’t let money consume you this holiday season. I think we all can agree that you can’t buy love. No matter how many presents I buy for my boys this Christmas, I can guarantee you that they’ll enjoy running around with their cousins more than the gifts. (and they’ll probably love the boxes more than the gifts)

Love is not a dollar sign, love is something as simple as a smile. This season, share love by showing the love of Jesus to others.

On Sunday at East Pickens Baptist Church, Pastor Jamie handed out envelopes to every person at the church. Each envelope had $30-$50 in it and a card from the church sharing the Gospel and showing God’s love. The greatest gift in each envelope is not the money, it’s the love of Christ.

He challenged us to take the envelope, pray over it, and give it to someone in the community.  I still have mine and I’m not sure who God will lead me to give it to, but I do know that through this act of kindness, we can reach people that may have never known the love of Christ.

When we are asked to give our own money…especially during the Holidays, it’s hard. But when someone sets the example, hands us the opportunity, all we have to do is follow through and share God’s love.

Giving is just one way to show God’s love. If you can’t give money, you can always share Christ in other ways. Jamie challenged us to give of our treasures, our testimony, and our talents. Each has their own place and each is a blessing to the Lord. I challenge you to do the same thing. Write a card, draw a picture, post an encouraging word, or just simply smile at someone at the store. You never know what a blessing you can be when you just smile.

This season may be the best season ever for you, but for some people, it can be very hard. There will be some people celebrating the season alone in a nursing home or sick in a hospital bed. Some people will be overseas far away from the ones they love most. Others may be home with family and friends but still feel completely alone. People everywhere are hurting and need the love of Christ and others to encourage them. Whatever your situation may be, remember those around you and remember to share Jesus and show His love wherever you go.

When you ask yourself what is important to you? Let it be Christ. Let Christ be most important in your life and others will see Him in you. When Christ is important you, your life will share His love and be a light to others.

May God Bless you and show you His Grace every day!

Love and prayers!

Kayla

***Don’t forget to sign up your group for Empowered Jesus Girl 2018 at WildernessGrace.org  This is a FREE EVENT on January 5^th 2018 at Potter’s Clay Fellowship in Easley, SC! Alicia Ivey will be our amazing guest speaker with music by Savannah McCollum and the Praise Band at PCF! We can’t wait to see what God has in store for 2018!***

For more information about the Love Loud Project at East Pickens Baptist Church visit:

SomeoneLoves.Me

Do you suffer from Nomophobia?

Do you suffer from nomophobia? Do you even know what that is? Nomophobia is the fear of being without a mobile device, or beyond mobile phone contact. According to statistics, 66% of adults feel extreme anxiety when they are without their phones. 77% of young adults 18-24 fear being without their phones for any amount of time. The same study showed that the majority of high school and college students sleep and shower with their phones and would rather lose their pinky finger than their cell phones! I’m not a psychiatrist but there’s something wrong with this picture. If you really shower with your phone…you may want to take a step back from your phone and disconnect for a few minutes.

Cellphones are great! I love the idea that I can be connected to anyone, anywhere, ANYTIME! But they also can be a HUGE distraction from the real world. Ask yourself these questions:

• Is your phone the last thing you look at before you go to bed?
• Is it the first thing you check when you wake up in the morning?
• Do you feel compelled to check your phone while waiting in line at the fast food drive through or checkout line at the store?
• Would you rather a mugger take your wallet than your phone?
• Do you feel lost without your phone nearby?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to take a break (even an hour or two) without your phone. Admit it, this world has a problem.

No, I’m not your Mother trying to get you to put your phone down at the dinner table, but I am speaking to  myself when I speak to you. Phones are addicting and if you’re not careful they will consume your life and distract you from what matters most.

Most of us, myself including, when we are bored, have a default, brain-off habit of picking up our phones and lazily clicking around. Whether you have a Facebook default, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, texting, snapchat, or whatever else you do…it’s all distracting you from the real world. To be honest, the real world can be stressful, and it is easier to focus on the “not so real” world of the internet than what’s going on real life. Because we are constantly allowing ourselves to be distracted, our thoughts become captive away from being obedient to Christ. Our minds are constantly racing and never shut down because the instant gratification of our phones so constantly distracts us. Our minds never rest because we never let them. God made us to be in a relationship with Him. Our hearts are restless until they find rest in Him.

Paul says, “I have the right to do anything, but I will not be mastered by anything.” The power of Christ in you should be stronger than anything else in your life. When you go to bed, Christ should be the last thing you think of. When you wake up, you should think of Him and how you can honor Him with your life today. When you’re bored in line, who could you talk to that might need a little encouragement? You should feel lost without Christ and without Him as your main focus. If you don’t, then you may want to reconsider your life with Christ. Are you a true follower of Christ? Are you letting your phone distract you from Christ? Christ in you is stronger than any addiction in you. Don’t let your phone be your master.

May God Bless you and Show you His Grace every day!

Kayla Rampey

Want to dig deeper? I strongly recommend #Struggles by Craig Groeschel. This is a great book for anyone at any age! It really shows the social distractions that we all deal with each day!