Joy is the source of all my strength and endurance through the difficulties that life throws at me.
I cannot tell you how many countless times that joy has rescued me from various states of mind. The battlefield in my head fights against depression, regret and condemnation. The joy in my heart tells depression, regret and condemnation to sit down and shut up, because this is temporary.
Joy is a glimpse of eternity. It reminds us that one day, after Jesus returns, there will be no more tears, no more heartache, no more depression, no more regret and no more condemnation.
Maybe that’s why God tells us to be heavenly minded while we’re earthly present? Maybe, if we could just wrap our heads around it, the day after Jesus’s return we clock into eternity and out of the limitations of the clock?
God You are so good. This world has nothing for me. When time passes away and eternity is ever present, these problems we toil over will seem so small. Lord, help me make them small and You BIG, right now. in Jesus name amen!
Great faith is a product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials,’ -Smith Wigglesworth.
Reading my devotions today and this quote has just stuck with me. So many people are struggling with different things (myself included), and I thought it might encourage someone as much as it encouraged me.
What I felt the Lord say in response: “Your test shall become a testimony that leads others to Me! Your trials shall lead you to victory! Your fight, struggle, that thing that is causing so much resistance in your marriage, your finances, your prodigal coming home, is developing a faith in you that you never thought possible. Trust and believe, that though the enemy comes to kill, rob, steal, destroy, I come to give life to the full! Though you experience the troubles, trials and tests of this world, I have overcome this world! Though you may be surrounded by the darkness, I am the light that overwhelms the darkness and the darkness has to flee!”
I’m so grateful that God speaks such words of wisdom and encouragement. It makes me respond with, “Is there really anything too hard for God?” There is nothing I’m going through that God has not been through Himself. His track record is 100% conquered all evil, in His death on the cross. Holy Spirit, help to remind me of that in the middle of the tests, trials, fights, and resistance. The struggle is so real but so are You, God! Amen.
Many know the story of Jesus calming the storm while in the boat with the disciples. (Mark 4:35-41) What’s interesting to me is that while Jesus was sleeping, they were afraid of the ginormous storm rocking their boat. However, after Jesus turned churning waters, into a sheet of reflective glass with just three words, “Peace, Be still.”, they were terrified of Jesus and of the power Jesus displayed.
It’s like up to that point they understood the storm’s power but had not truly understood the power of the man, Jesus, though they had supposedly known Him, walked with Him and ministered along side of Him.
I want to recognize that Jesus is just as powerful asleep, in my boat (life), though a storm is present, as He can, at any moment, calm the storm around me. To go a little deeper, the storm of worry cannot rock the trust I build in knowing Him, intimately, personally and intellectually. I either believe Him, or I don’t, but trust and believe go hand in hand, in every storm I face.
Lord, help me with my unbelief so that my trust in You keeps the storm of worry out of me. Amen.
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why“.
Mark Twain
“At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.” Daniel 9:23 ESV
You are greatly loved. Though this passage was written about Daniel, it’s true for us too. So many think that God is on His throne looking to and fro of whom He can punish, no my friends, that’s the devil.
God is right there with you. Waiting for you to do life WITH Him. Everything He created, including you, He created with a healthy, loving, joyful relationship in mind, with YOU. I assure you that regardless of what you have done, forgiveness and a new start, He would gladly give.
I know this because I read where He joyfully laid down His life for all, even the ones that would reject Him, to make forgiveness a viable option for our sinful man. God is not mad at you. God is madly in love with you. He created you to be in relationship with you. The healthiest, safest relationship available to all who would receive it. Will you receive it?
I pray that anyone reading this, encounters the living God today. In all His fullness. That this encounter leads them to repentance. That today is the day of their salvation. That they understand the vision of eternity in mind. We will all face eternity one day but we will all not end up in the same place. Lord enlighten the eyes of their hearts so that see the one true God that you are. No decision is still a decision. Choose this day who you will serve, God or the devil. For me and my house, we will choose God.
Can you imagine waters flowing through a desert and how refreshing that would be? I find myself in seasons of desert-like dryness and just when I think I can hardly take it, the Lord, floods me with His refreshing waters of loving-kindness. He restores my soul. He reminds me of His promises to me, that we are in a covenant that cannot be broken.
It is hard to remember a promise in the middle of a dry season. We are stretched, tested and tried. Often being brought to the edge of ourselves. Then we notice something? A trickle of water coming through the rock of our hearts, that have hardened, become jaded, disappointments, betrayal closed us off from everything, sometimes, including our promise.
Fortunately, for us, God reminds us ever-so-gently, that we have a promise to focus on IN THE DESERT. No matter what it looks like, feels like or be like, God will fulfill His promises, beloved. Let the refreshing waters of His promise, His covenant, with you, restore your soul. Let His truth flow through the desert places of your heart. Do not let the dangers of the desert, let you lose sight of the floodgates of promise that flow through the desert like a river.
Lord, help me, remember who You are, who I am to You, and the promises that will get me through those challenging times in life. Amen.
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why“.
Mark Twain
“At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.” Daniel 9:23 ESV
You are greatly loved. Though this passage was written about Daniel, it’s true for us too. So many think that God is on His throne looking to and fro of whom He can punish, no my friends, that’s the devil.
God is right there with you. Waiting for you to do life WITH Him. Everything He created, including you, He created with a healthy, loving, joyful relationship in mind, with YOU. I assure you that regardless of what you have done, forgiveness and a new start, He would gladly give.
I know this because I read where He joyfully laid down His life for all, even the ones that would reject Him, to make forgiveness a viable option for our sinful man. God is not mad at you. God is madly in love with you. He created you to be in relationship with you. The healthiest, safest relationship available to all who would receive it. Will you receive it?
I pray that anyone reading this, encounters the living God today. In all His fullness. That this encounter leads them to repentance. That today is the day of their salvation. That they understand the vision of eternity in mind. We will all face eternity one day but we will all not end up in the same place. Lord enlighten the eyes of their hearts so that see the one true God that you are. No decision is still a decision. Choose this day who you will serve, God or the devil. For me and my house, we will choose God.
My career path has been a twist and turn of events, changing the course when necessary and adjusting the course as needed. As a young girl, I always loved writing but my career path was limited due to our financial situation.
I chose the career of beauty and fashion through becoming a stylist. 25 years of provision, memories and on-the-job training to hone my entrepreneurial skills.
Then, I fell two-stories and broke my back. This, tragically brought my career to an abrupt end. Which I really could’ve used while I was going through my divorce.
I dabbled in the hospitality business for about five years. I loved the people but the rest of it was a whole lot of work with very little compensation for the work.
Circling back, I found myself at the keyboard, pouring my heart out to God, while I divorced the person who I once loved that became our worst nightmare. As I shared these daily thoughts with my social media audience, these writings started to engage others and help them through their struggles. Though all of our struggles were different, we all shared these common themes: a need for hope again, a place to process these trials through our faith and to stay the course until we were out of the storm, raging inside of us.
Beautifully Broken ministered to me while I was writing it through grief, tragedy after tragedy, financial devastation and the unknown.
The cover with the ceramic piece that represents the Japanese art of Kintsugi. This is the general concept of highlighting or emphasizing imperfections, visualizing mends and seams as an additive or an area to celebrate or focus on, rather than absence or missing pieces, according to Wikipedia.
I’m a momma to 4 beautiful daughters and Nana to 8 grandchildren. I started my writing journey, as an outlet, at the age of 9 when I lost my daddy to a careless murder. I have experienced a journey through life that has not been easy, to say the least. Yet each challenge became a breeding ground of opportunity to share my life’s testimony to God’s amazing grace; reflecting my freedom from the chains that bound me, my victory over unforgiveness, and the God-given ability to overcome many struggles, through the outlet of writing.
As a faith-based author my goal is transparency and intentionality to share my heart with purpose, and given the opportunity, to capture your heart, challenge your mind, and stir your emotions with each stroke of my pen.
My motivation behind the project?
To allow my journey to answer these questions about your journey:
1. Who is God to you?
2. Who are you to God?
3. Why does that matter?
I believe that if we can answer these questions with conviction and confidence, we can maintain our faith through the most diffficult of times.
My hope for the reader/audience?
My prayer is that at the end of this 40 day journey of devotions and journing, the reader would exchange the weight of their worries for the gift of salvation and freedom to clock into an eternal purpose. To allow their creator to repair the brokeness in their lives with His unconditional love.
How did writing this impact me?
This project started with my own difficult season that I was journaling through. I was reminded over and over again that God is cheering me on through all of life’s challenges. He can take what is broken and make it beautiful.
Beautifully Broken is a 40 day devotional that breaks down what we believe, the impact of sin, forgiveness, who God is to us, who we are to Him and why that matters.
Whether you’re new to the faith, struggling with your faith, in the middle of a difficult time or returning to your faith, this devotional will help you be more confident in what you believe and why.
If you would like to join my journey:
Email me at: kelliann@fromthedepthsofkell.com on how to receive a signed copy of Beautifully Broken
or
Click on this link to order from Amazon:
Beautifully Broken: Maintaining Faith During Difficult Times: 40 Day Devotional
Though life has brought about its various challenges, my faith and family gives me the inspiration and will to live.
There have been seasons in my life that I felt like my life was meaningless and a heavy weight on my shoulders. Not that I want to die or anything but simply that I want the situation or season to pass and pass quickly. Some of those seasons bring a lump to my throat and silent tears roll down my cheeks because the pain is not the kind that one just gets over.
My faith in a God of whom I’ve never seen helps me navigate through those tough seasons. Though not seen, He is ever present with me, from the mountain tops of celebrations to the valleys of despair, He has moved mountains and filled valleys with waves of living waters.
The tangible parts of my journey, the victories, the defeats are that though I may face these seasons alone, I am never lonely. My God is a lamp onto my feet and a light at my path. Though I may only be able to see the first feet or so that the light shines, it guides and directs me in a way that I can trust and believe.
The short answer? No. A little more detail? Fine. My mom’s side of the family was incredibly superstitious. To the point of it disrupting our lives. From black cats crossing our path to the numbers 13 and 666, they backed up from all of it. Actually, displayed fear in the confrontation of any of these superstitious ideologies. I can honestly say, I never gave these superstitions any power. Every time these adults shrunk back from broken mirrors that supposedly give you seven years of bad luck to stepping on crack will break your mother’s back, I rolled my eyes, like, “Here we go again.”
Can I just tell you that not one of these superstitions came to fruition. Not. One.
If you struggle with superstition, let me challenge you to inviting the supernatural into your life. The three in one package:
1. Believe God exists
2. Accept Jesus as your Savior from sin and death.
3. Invite the Holy Spirit in to guide and give you wisdom.
The real power is in the supernatural. They aren’t looking to trip you up at your first mistake. Nor are they waiting to dump curses and bad luck on you. They are available to give you life to the full. A life full of blessings and promises that are available to all those that believe. A life full of wisdom to all who ask for it. Faith, hope and love are waiting for you. I am a first hand witness that though the supernatural can’t be seen it can be experienced and it provides shelter, safety and direction for all that life throws at you.
Superstitions only have the power that you give over to them. The supernatural has power that they share with you.
If there is anyone wanting to know more about the supernatural power, feel free to contact me at: kelliann@fromthedepthsofkell.com
May God bless you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?
In the next six months, I will begin my masters degree program and prepare my family for buying our first home together, as a married couple. My husband is adopting our youngest daughter. Let’s just say it’s going to be a busy year, for sure.
These things are challenging but the reward upon completion is beyond what I could have thought or imagined, for my younger self. All of the hard work, discipline, dedication and sacrifice was worth it to get here.
It’s hard work, to not try to keep up with our peers. We had to wait to do things that others have done for years. The dedication to the goal requires discipline and focus on the completion of the goals. We had to sacrifice many things that seemed like a need at the time but in reality those things were just a list of wants, that we did just fine without.
Challenges are opportunities to overcome, to grow, to lead and to wait on something better than what you initially had or wanted. I’m up for the challenges life brings my way. Are you?
Everything you’re about to endure is going to give you the tools to handle the challenges in your future. You are in training for the battle of your life. You are not a victim, you are a warrior, for such a time as this.
Keep moving forward no matter what is in front of you. Press on, press in and trust God with your whole heart. He will be the only relationship that does not let you down. Even in those darkest hours, when you feel as though God has abandoned you, I assure you He has not.
Don’t be afraid to take risks, make mistakes or try new things. Even if you mess up, God can use it and flip the script so long as your end goal is to serve Him and your faith all the days of your life.
You will hit many battles along your timeline of events but the blessings in between, your children and grandchildren will be what gives you the strength and courage to do really hard things.
Whatever you do hold onto hope, do not let anything steal your peace and do not allow anyone to take up free rent space in your head. Read your Bible, go to Church, serve every chance you get.
Save your money while you’re young. Educate yourself on the difference between needs and wants. Needs are water, food, shelter, clothing and a healthy, peaceful home. Wants are desires of the heart. Those wants will come in due time, nothing is as immediate as you think at the time.
Give yourself time to process for at least 24 hours on big decisions and big expenses. It’s interesting how giving yourself space between a want and the actual cost of your time, talents and resources will save you from buyer’s remorse.
Something on your “to-do list” that never gets done.
I always have at least one incomplete writing piece waiting to be finished. There is one in particular that has been on my to-do list for almost 10 years. It’s a trilogy about a superhero that saves humanity from its own self destruction. It’s been at least 5 years since I’ve added anything to it.
I get frustrated with myself because I am processing ideas to write about almost constantly. I have my story concepts in notebooks, my phone notes, my voice recorder and journals.
Part of my struggle is the fear of my ideas being rejected. I really need to just write it and not worry about what others think about it. Time to let it flow.
What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it?
Ever since I fell 2 stories, and broke my back, I am terrified of heights. I literally get shaky legs, heart racing, instantly get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Fear sits in my stomach looking at this photo
I can’t even watch other people do heights, of any kind, without feeling the ill effects of this imagery.
Fear is such a liar, sometimes, isn’t it? I mean, prior to my fall I never gave heights a second thought. Unless, I take a step off of a cliff, heights are not going to take me down. My mind just doesn’t process heights that way when confronted with it. Fear may be a liar but I get sucked into its toxic vacuum every time.
Maybe one day I’ll conquer this fear. However, today, is not that day.
From the Depths of Kell 