Overcoming the Darkness

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Darkness is the reality for many

It appears that at some point in our lives, we have all had an encounter with it. Whether it was something spoken over us or lies we chose to believe.

Whether it was the result of circumstances we had no control of in our lives or the consequences faced from a personal decision we chose to make. Regardless of the reality, the enemy wants to keep us trapped inside that dark place.

Overcoming that darkness doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a journey. One moment at a time, one choice at a time, and one step at a time. It’s the light of truth being shed onto that dark place that makes the way of escape.

God showed us in the book of Genesis that this was the first part of the process. The very first thing God addressed was the darkness. He said “let there be light”. Only with the light of truth shown, can we see what exists inside the darkness. Then, just as God did, we too can begin to address one adversity at a time.

Overcoming the Darkness is Our Mission

Our theme for the year is to bring hope to overcoming the darkness as a whole. From this point onward, we will begin to address each adversity, one at a time and shine the light of truth on each and every lie that darkness has told.

Our hope is that each resource will help you become one step closer. Through each story, each encounter, and each moment, you will be encouraged and that you will find healing. That you will learn the truth of who you are and who you were always meant to be.

This is just the beginning of our journey, our first step on the path.

Join us.

Hope in Uncertainty

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I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] ~John 16:33 (AMPC)

This is an unprecedented time for sure. A time of uncertainty in many ways. A time that tests us. A time that reminds us to be grateful for what we have and to cherish our loved ones.

This time will not soon be forgotten. It will be etched in our minds forever. A time we were forced to slow down. A time we had to simplify. A time of rationing TP. A time of embracing the moments and watching our children just a little more carefully.

A time unlike any before and unlike any again.

A time where staying put was applauded, putting aside agendas encouraged, and calendars cleared for the sake of the community.

It’s a time that has caused me to do much reflecting. I feel steady in a very unsteady situation. I feel peace in the turmoil around me. I feel an inner strength rising up in me that I didn’t know even existed. I’ve been wondering why do I feel so at peace and not shaken by this. Don’t get me wrong, I had a few days of stress and anxiety.

But somewhere in there I stopped to just focus on my Savior, stopped to hear the whisper from God. That’s when I found myself remembering the many times of uncertainty in my past. Each one defining me and equipping me to be who God has called me to be in this moment.Times I didn’t know what the outcome would be or when I’d arrive at that outcome.

Times that scared me and left me waiting for answers.

I think back to when I was a little girl in the hospital with a rash that no one could figure out. It grew and grew. There were no answers. I laid in that hospital bed for two weeks. My diet consisted of popsicles as the sores in my mouth prevented me from enjoying any other foods. I laid there wondering when they would have the answer and when I would be able to see my siblings again. My siblings couldn’t come in because I could be contagious. Treated like I had the plague. Answers not easily found. A lot for a little girl to take in.

Uncertainty was great at that time.

Funny thing is we now call that same disease, “hand, foot, and mouth disease”. Thirty plus years ago there were no cases to compare it to.

I was one of a kind. An anomaly.

A word I’ve come to appreciate in the start of my 40s.

You see in that hospital bed waiting for answers and not knowing what tomorrow would hold. I had to reach out to the only constant I’ve ever known. I had to trust God. He didn’t step off the throne during this experience. He was there in the midst of it all. He was there to keep me steady. He was my refuge. My strength. My rock. The One I could count on.

He’s there for you too in the midst of all of this. He is your hope in uncertainty.

I know things feel crazy. I know there is a great level of uncertainty right now. Answers are hard to find and solutions are minimal.

This is the time to lean in. The time to wait. The time to simply listen.

BUY NOW

If you have been far from God, I encourage you to turn back now. His arms are open wide and He is ready to receive you. His plan and purpose for your life are great. Start today by running back to Him. Click here to get a tool that will help you embrace His amazing love for you!

If you have never known God or trusted His Son Jesus as your personal Savior, now is the time. Today truly can be the day of your salvation. I can’t promise that the storm will end but through it, you will have a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Because Gods Spirit will come to reside in you. His Holy Spirit will be your comforter. You will enter the best adventure of your life. The King of Kings will steady you and guide you. True freedom starts with one step. One step toward a Savior who died for you. A Savior who lived a perfect life so you wouldn’t have to. A Savior who gave it all for you.

Will you embrace the journey of freedom today?

Learn more here.

So if the son sets you free you will be free indeed. ~John 8:36

Free in Jesus. That’s the way to thrive through Corona Virus. To become all that you were destined to be. A child of the one, true, living God who designed you on purpose for His purpose.

Turn all the distractions off. Focus on Jesus. Pray for the prodigals to come home. For broken marriages to be healed. For families to be united like never before. For those who have been merely existing to come alive. For a great awakening to take place!

Celebrate what you have been given. Treasure the moments. Cherish your family like never before. Just breathe. Enjoy today!

The truth is that nothing bad lasts forever. There is hope in uncertainty.

One day this will all be a distant memory but the character muscles developed through this experience will be here to stay. So stretch. Get ready for a marathon. The race has just begun. You’re in it. No turning back. Strengthen those spiritual muscles and run with your eyes fixed on the prize. It will be worth it!

I’ll be sharing more from the moments of uncertainty in my life in weeks to come. Stay tuned!

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ~1 Corinthians 9:24

Dear Father God, we cry out to You for mercy on our land. May You use this tumultuous season to draw all men, women, and children to Yourself. May we be Your people. A strong force, a beautiful reminder of the Savior, a peaceful presence, and a hope unwavering. Help us to be steadfast in this very unsteady season! Give us the strength to run well and pursue You through this! Please comfort those who suffer a great loss through this and be what only You can be for all of us through this. A constant refuge in the storm.

Ps. Please share a comment on how God is bringing hope to you in this uncertain time. We would love to hear from you!

In God’s Grip of Grace,

Sarah Malanowski, author

 

 

 

 

He sees you

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Mother’s day. (sigh)

Wait, sweet friend, before you scroll, swipe, or click away. I have a couple of questions for you.

Is this day a painful reminder of what you’ve lost?

Do you feel hopeless, forgotten, invisible, or abandoned?

Do you know, you’re not the only one who feels this way? I promise you are not alone.

I know, for many, Mothers day is full of celebration, honor, hope, and much JOY. If you’re in that season, I am rejoicing with you! On the contrary, if you answered yes to the previous questions and what you are feeling is a sense of dread, hopelessness, loss, fear, abandonment, anger, and grief, I grieve with you.

There’s a myriad of scenarios and life stages that have the potential to make this Mother’s day bittersweet for you, if not just bitter entirely. You see, Mothers day hasn’t always held joy for me. For many years all I felt was the pain.  

I recall getting ready for church on Mother’s day every year and having to push beyond the tears to even walk through the doors. I swore if Pastor spoke one more time about Hannah I would drop kick him. (very Christian of me, I know!)

Year after year, the same scene would play out. I’d sit there in service feeling as though a spotlight of heat was on me and everyone saw my pain and pitied me.

I feared their questions. Did they wonder what was wrong with me or what I had done that God hadn’t given me a child yet? I always wished I could just crawl in some hole for the day or find a greater reason to stay home entirely. (as if all of that wasn’t reason enough)

I wondered often if God could even hear me, see me, and did he really know what was best or was I being punished? I wanted desperately to be seen by God yet I only felt naked to the world. How is it that one can feel naked and invisible at the same time?

To the enemy, your pain is an easy target. He aims to hit you where it hurts.  For me, every pregnant woman was an opportunity that the enemy used to remind me of how inadequate I must be, how undeserving, and how defective I was. 

Was I invisible to God? This was the question that burned deeply through pain, searing it to my soul. Having given into the enemies lies, his words became my own. Muttering them under my breath, thoughts of them would run rampant through my days and I became what I believed.

I found myself so broken, wounded at my own hand and my fractured soul hurt those around me.

Maybe you’ve never walked through the deep waters of loss, infertility or grief. Perhaps you only recognize my words by the way someone else has treated you. Then there are others of you and this is partially your story. Maybe you are thinking about how I must have read your mail!

If you find yourself on the “waiting” side of life, I’ve been there and friend, I hope you can believe me when I say it won’t always be unclear. One day you’ll be looking back too. 

When I look back over all the pain of what I felt were wasted years, I see things so differently. Now glancing at the entrusted story of my life through his eyes, I recognize where he carried me and understand how it shaped me. I can see how all the pain made preparation for my breakthroughs and are now area’s of strength.

I’ve heard it said something like this…

Our area of greatest weakness is actually our area of greatest strength and influence, still in process. 

Thank you JESUS!

I understand now His name, El Roi, “The God who sees me”.  I come to you today to share His hope. He sees YOU!  It’s in his name, his nature, and who he is. 

So I’ve come to know and understand that when I feel the most alone in my grief, God is there and holds every single moment. El Roi, He sees ME! His hands, wet with my tears, lifts my chin and tells me who I am. He tells me that I am worthy, chosen, whole, beautiful, loved and restored! God has broken through the hurt and erased the words carved by pain.

Those who sow their tears as seeds

will reap a harvest with joyful shouts of glee. Psalm 126:5 (TPT)

Have you sown your tears as seeds? Or have your tears merely made the ground wet and your feet muddy?

The only place your tears can be sown as seeds is at the feet of Jesus. Will you come with me there?

I’d love for you to pray this prayer with me.

Father God,

Thank you for always seeing me. For catching every single tear that falls from my face. Thank you for knowing what my heart needs most, this is you. Father, forgive me when I’ve questioned your love because you had me wait or your answer was no. Grant me the desires of my heart as you’ve given them to me. In asking, I trust your timing, your plan and your purpose in it all. Through my pain I will praise you, in each sorrow I’ll lift up your name. For you alone are my refuge and my strength. You are my reward. Amen

I believe this video will encourage your heart this Mother’s day.

https://youtu.be/sz81dIfwf4Y

Priceless Warrior

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In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11 – AMPC)

I’m not sure if you have noticed but we are in a battle. A battle that wages every day. The good news is we know the One who has already overcome every battle we will ever face. He is victorious and in Him we can claim victory as well! For some, the sidelines have been ok. They like watching others engage in the fight but aren’t so interested themselves.

It’s clear in God’s Word that the battle is intense. We are in it daily whether we like it or not. So why not get dressed for battle. Why not, get ready to fight!

I want to fight for every woman who has ever been marginalized by our society, told that she wasn’t good enough or treated like a commodity.

I want to take a stance in every dark place of our society and say, “no more Satan.” We are taking back the territory that you have stolen. We are fighting back for the one who cannot fight for themselves.

We will go to every dark corner, turn over every rock, and pull out the one who has yet to know her worth in Christ.

We know that women all over our nation and world are struggling with the thought of not being significant and worthy. We here at The Priceless Journey want to stand up and fight against that message. We want to reclaim the space that the enemy has occupied. So here we are, gloves on and ready to do battle.

We will do it one step at a time, declaring that every woman is truly priceless. She is valuable. She is worthy. She is loved. God made her on purpose for His purpose. She can take a stand and be who God has made her to be. She is a trophy of God’s grace!

No looking back. No wondering “why me?” No thinking, “Isn’t someone else better suited for this battle?” No more. I will stand, boxing gloves on, in fighting position, and heart ready to go as God leads.

Let’s stand together in a fight worth fighting for.

Will you join us in battle? Let us fight for the woman in the brothel who has been lured into a life that doesn’t pay. Let us fight for the stripper on the pole who thinks that’s all she’s worth. Let us fight for the prostitute on the streets who has succumb to the thoughts waging in her mind, thinking this is all she is good for. Let us fight for the one who is being trafficked this very minute.

Let’s extend hope and grace to the ones we are fighting for.

We cannot fight alone. Join our battle by extending hope and grace to one person through the purchase of our book, You Are Priceless. You can make a difference today.

One reader shares…

“This book wrecked me, I can’t stop crying and I need prayer for everything. I was only going to read one chapter to get you off my back but once I started reading I couldn’t put it down until I finished it.”

Be a life giver! Let’s give hope to the hopeless. Let’s be a voice for the voiceless. Let’s defend the defenseless. Let’s speak life and truth to the one who has yet to know her true worth and significance. Let’s go get ’em! Are you with me?

Begin by purchasing a copy of ‘You Are Priceless’ today.

you are priceless book

 

Priceless Warrior,

Sarah Malanowski, author

Pursuing the Kingdom Dream

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Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:14)

Through the journey of writing the You Are Priceless book and bringing it together I have realized I’m foregoing the American dream. In my flesh, I would love to sit and relax. I would love days where the demands of life are minimal. I would love to watch a good tv show and just spend time vegging on the couch. Sometimes I just want to sit and do absolutely nothing.

The American dream is filled with promises of happiness when you get the bigger car, bigger house, greater job, accolades, and awards. It comes with temporary satisfaction and temporary rewards. I could pursue it. In my flesh, I desire to take the easy road and leave the challenges far behind. But in my spirit something cries to be used by God… to make a difference…. to make a Kingdom Impact. Something in me won’t be satisfied until I pursue everything God has for me in this life.

Yes, I choose the Kingdom Dream. I choose the dream that will last for eternity. My days here on earth are short. David says they are but a breath. It’s possible that I won’t wake up tomorrow morning and what would my life have stood for. Would I leave a trail of someone who pursued this riches of the world or the riches of Heaven? Would it show a heart sold out for the Lord? Would it show someone who loved Jesus enough to share Him with every person I could? Would my life show that I’m living the Kingdom Dream or the American Dream? Would my life have fruit beyond my final breath?

This is what I have lived for my whole life. My greatest desire has been to share Jesus with as many people as I possibly can. To equip and encourage those who are new to the faith and help them get their legs sturdy in following Christ. To disciple one more. To equip one more. To love on one more. This is my dream! It’s not an American dream. You won’t see a closet full of designer clothes, you won’t even find a perfectly upkeep house when you come to visit, and you certainly won’t find that I waste a lot of time.

I spent many years of my life on a couch barely surviving. Years asking God to just take me home if this is all my life was going to amount to. Years wondering is this really all I’m going to do with my life. But all of that was a precursor. It was all producing in me a drive to fight. A desire to do whatever it takes to get healthy. A steadfast confidence that said even if I lose everything, following Christ is the best thing I can do with my life.

That time spent on the couch showed me that I want to waste little time. I want to be effective. I want to pursue the Kingdom Dream. A dream that doesn’t die. A dream that pays back dividends for all eternity. Are you pursuing the calling God has on your life? Have you put your yes on the table? You were designed on purpose for a purpose. I encourage you to ask God what His Kingdom dream is for you and pursue it with all your heart.

I can promise that it won’t be easy. I can promise that it will involve sacrifice. And I can promise that you will want to quit some days. But I can also promise that you will feel more free then you ever have before. You will experience rewards far beyond what this world can offer. And God will give you the strength to continue when You’ve got nothing left. Trust Him! He’s got a big plan for your life!

Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. (Psalm 144:4, ESV)

Dear Father God, Please help me to constantly be aware of how fleeting my days are here on this earth. May I make the most of the time that I am given and advance Your Kingdom purpose in every possible way. May my heart be sold out to the things of you and may pursuing you matter more to me than pursuing the American dream. I pray that I will pursue the Kingdom Dream and live with purpose for Your glory!

Pursuing the Kingdom Dream,

Sarah Malanowski, author