Tuesday SHINE.....

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 20

Happy Tuesday, SHINE girls! As you already know, every Tuesday is our Spotlight SHINE girl day. Each SHINE spotlight picks the next spotlight and so on and so on.

Before we get started with the precious spotlight story, I have a picture to share. My daughter brought this home from church on Sunday. She colored it in the back seat of the car on the way home. As she read it aloud, I got so choked up that I almost had to pull over.

You see, the night before, I had learned of a terrible tragedy in our small community. I was so devastated by the news. Unfortunately, the tragedy happened to be the family of one of our very own SHINE girls. My heart broke for my friend. I wanted to help her bear the burden of her loss. We have been in non-stop prayer for she and her family.

So, when my daughter showed me this in the car, I knew that it was Jesus Himself speaking to my heart. He spoke through my little girl, and I hope He speaks to you today as well.

Here is the picture:

HOPE. Believing something good,  can come out of something bad. We serve a very personal God, girls.  He speaks when we need to hear Him. Every single time.

Now on to the SHINE girl spotlight.

Grab your coffee and donuts,  granola bar, or whatever you choose and be blessed by Crystal's story.

Sabrina's Intro:

Crystal and I met while both working at a country restaurant. We immediately clicked. I couldn't even begin to tell you all the things we have gotten each other through! I am so thankful for her coming into my life. She has strengthen my spiritual walk so much. We are each others accountability partner in so many ways! I am glad to call her my sister in Christ. Crystal is always finding ways she can help others. I truly believe God has used her as a vessel through the trials in her life to help others and bring them closer to Him. I pray her story is a inspiration for others to draw closer to God.

~Sabrina

Crystal's Story:

The good Lord gives and the good Lord take away...Blessed be His name. I had been blessed with a beautiful boy and a loving husband and another on the way! It was nearly a week before my 13wk check up that I miscarried our precious angel. When we made it to the doctors to have an ultrasound there was nothing there. Not even the image of a little peanut, nor the pattering of a little heartbeat I saw nearly a month earlier.

Through that time in my life I grew so close to God. I had been saved my whole life, but it was through that precious time that I fully started living for God. Yes, I call it precious time because Jesus was walking beside me and wiping my tears. How amazing it is to go from feeling so empty to so full of joy. It was then when I realized how important it was to have (Godly women) friends to walk beside me and helped me cope as well as my husband who was there and ready anytime I needed him. God used that tragedy to grow and strengthen us and our marriage.

I started feeling called to start a ministry called prayer and share, I had realized how important it was for women to walk beside each other in their daily lives. I now feel like God pointed me to prayer and share to equip me for Embrace to give those women the same yearning. To think along the way he has rewarded me with opportunities to show Gods love to other women. 

I was reading a devotional for Moms the other day and the Title was "No" and how it is character building sometimes when you tell your child No, because Moms usually know what's best for their children. Lately I have pondered if God used that loss of our baby to build character in me. He knew how he was going to use me to be a vessel in growing His kingdom. I often think if God so loved the world He gave His only son, couldn't I spare anything dear to me for his sake? Within the time of our miscarriage we were surprised to be expecting again nearly a month later! "Faith is the evidence of things hope for yet unseen". We now have 2 healthy and beautiful children. I have had the honor now of watching my Husband grow into the man God intended for him to be. It was a time of overwhelming joy when he was ordained into the deacon ministry.

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends,when test and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure your faith life is forced into the open and shows it's true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do it's work so you become mature and well developed, not deficient in any way."
James 1:2-3 

Crystal & Anthony

Our Family

Our Children