Happy Heart Box.

It always excites me so much to see friends of mine chasing their God-given dreams & I am thrilled to share with you today a ministry set up by a dear gem. I have had the opportunity to attend two conferences with Brittany and let me tell you, she is the real deal. One of the sweetest, most genuine ladies I have met through this sweet community. She dearly loves other women and has such a serving heart, perfect since she serves alongside her hubby in ministry. So I will let her share more about this new ministry, I really hope you will head over and check out how you can get involved. 

Hello, my name is Brittany Willard. I'm so glad you are here! Welcome to Happy Heart Box. My hope is that this is a refreshing place for you: A place where you are encouraged to celebrate in the middle of everyday life; A place where freedom in Jesus is pursued. Happiness is revived. A lifestyle of living in Him is discovered. 

Happy Heart Box started as a dream the Lord gave me in the Spring of 2014. In the Fall of 2013 I was fighting in a battle over my life. Upon the birth of my daughter, I experienced extreme health complications when I developed a rare condition called Postpartum Preeclampsia. It has taken me nearly a year to recover from this, but God is my healer. During that time, it was difficult to find encouragement. It felt as if my body was completely against me. I couldn't take care of my children, and it caused me to feel distant from loved ones.  However, the Lord brought me through it all in such a big way. God began to remind me of all the other difficult times in life he had brought me through, to show me how faithful he was then and now. He placed a passion within me to encourage other women experiencing hard times and remind them they are loved by the Lord.  

God has given me a desire to celebrate Him, to never be silent, but to always share His faithfulness with others. The Lord placed Psalm 30:10-11 in my heart during that difficult season of life and it has now become my life verse: "You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with you. That I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!" 

My hope is that women who receive a Happy Heart Box feel encouraged and know that they are loved. My desire is to simply be a little extra happy in someone's life at just the right time. To remind them to celebrate life in the Lord. The Lord instructs us in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 to walk in friendship with others, to be there for one another in hard times, and to be an encouragement. Let Happy Heart Box be here for someone in your life who needs some extra happy. 

in love,

Brittany  

happyheartbox@gmail.com

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All Images belong to Happy Heart Box, the Hope Spoken image is via Hope Spoken Website. 

//Story from a Sister: Alesha//

I wanted to allow for several other encouraging young women to share with you on Sundays, friends. Ladies who I feel will really encourage you in your walk, your pursuit of things you are passionate about and seeing how the Lord can use those who are willing. Seeing areas where those pieces are coming together...

The minute we decided to follow God's call to help plant a church in South Florida I knew God was going to ask me to help with the kids ministry. And I knew I couldn't say no, but my heart selfishly sighed.

As the day to move got closer, the inward groaning got louder and I knew that my heart would be a hindrance more than my hands would be a help. Every part of the move was full of anticipation and excitement except for the thought of helping in the kids ministry. And I ignored the selfish of my heart, and before I knew it the day came and our car was loaded up with more than I ever thought it could carry and we were setting off on our 12 day adventure across the country...

And I knew I couldn't wait any longer. I needed to let Him into that messy place of my heart. Slowly, my heart softened.

And we arrived and I started serving and it was kinda fun and my heart softened more. Then they asked me to run the kids ministry and I prayed and I began to be excited. As our Pastor and his wife poured vision and training into me, I began to get scared. So I prayed hard and long that God would use my inexperience and the passion He was giving me for His glory.

He answered me and He equipped me and He began to show me all the ways He had been preparing me for this...

Growing up as the oldest of six kids.

Helping run the nursery at a Baptist church when I was in middle school.

My mom having us serve in Sunday School with her during the summers.

Six years of teaching swim lessons.

Becoming a lead swim lesson instructor.

Teaching water exercise classes.

Co-teaching a junior lifeguard class.

Tutoring opportunities scattered through high school and college.

My almost-finished elementary education degree.

That book my husband read our first year of marriage.

Each little piece that I thought was just a job or just school or just a part of my normal everyday life was being woven together to be used for this. And the best part is, it's not the end.

Someday I'll look back and see how He's used this to prepare me for something else and that "something else" will be used to equip me for the next thing and it's all weaving together for the greater goal of my becoming like Him so His glory may greater shine through me.

Because all those moments teaching and training me for now…

All the heart changes that had to take place…

All the good and bad and seemly useless experiences up till now…

They are all working in me for His glory. Because that's the point.

That's all that really matters.

And in this…in my here and now of being the Kid's Ministry Coordinator at a little, first year church plant…in this the goal is the same.

His glory.

My growth.

His fame.

His praise.

Be blessed

<3 

//Alesha's Blog//

This post is part of my 31 day series for the month of October, 
fighting through the fears and sharing the confusing passions I have. 
Hoping to figure out the bigger picture of all these interests. 

Comment are turned off today, go say hi over on her blog =) 

Passion in Brokenness.

Honestly, its been a hard season year over here. Lots of tears, battles fought, with some won and some taking every ounce of strength I have and then some. Thankfully through it all there has been a lot of refining, growth and holding onto the Lord with everything I have. So I can't really complain about the process. Anything which brings me closer to Him with a daily drive to be in His presence is worth all the pain. 

Being married has been a blessing in so many ways, yet in others I have found it extremely hard. I have this bad habit of caring deeply what other people think of me. Often allowing their opinions to define who I think I am and not the Lord. And its been a hard year for learning to let go of approval from others. From not being ashamed of where the Lord has taken me in life, how He has orchestrated certain things and how I met my husband young. 

I started sharing our love story here. Then I stopped, to be honest I almost completely dropped out of the blogging community all together not long after. Many things factored into this happening. But one of which was feeling the desire to hide. You see, I grew up with a deep heart for purity and waiting. For waiting on the Lord's timing for romance and wanting to encourage single young women to fall in love with Him and trust Him to work out the rest. I had a lot of friendships formed with that common ground. 

It was a beautiful season in my life. 

Then I got married.

 And I was ashamed to talk about this beautiful story the Lord had written in my life. I didn't want to make other girls feel bad about where the Lord had them. I wanted to still encourage them to keep waiting and trusting, now knowing that what He had whispered to my young heart about trusting Him was completely true! 

But I began to allow this to rob me of the joy He has given me with where I am now.

It has been a hard few years understanding why the Lord gave me a passion for Waiting and Purity, then bringing my husband to me at a young age. I can't begin to understand what it feels to be a late-20 something single girl who is struggling with loneliness and longing for an earthly prince. Yet my heart breaks, because my heart is minister to you, friend. To reach out and assure you that it will be ok. That the Lord does have beautiful plans for each one of us, we are just never sure what those plans are until we are the other side.

{Via}

I am still not sure how He will continue to use me with this passion. Whether it will change into a passion for something else completely or if He will continue to use me in small ways in this area. I have no idea what the Lord is doing to be honest. 

Something I would appreciate your prayer for, friends!

I had started writing here sharing thoughts on purity, waiting and loving the Lord. I still think these are totally relevant. I also feel at a crossroads of Him doing something bigger and moving forward, I just can't yet see what that is. So maybe there are big changes ahead for this little space as I pray, listen and hope to follow His leading.

In the meantime, I am resting in the assurance that God is good. 

He is gracious and loving. 

Understanding the longings of my heart even I can seem to understand 

(or explain). 

I am so thankful to sit in His presence when my poor husband is not sure how to help because I don't understand how this passion is still so present in my current life situation.

And my heavenly prince gets it. He understands what I'm feeling and probably smiles knowing what is on the other side of the crossroad. 

In the meantime I hope to continue encouraging you ladies, sweet friends. Even in all the rambling and brokenness from this girl. Thankyou for being gracious with me as I have not replied to emails or taken forever to do things. 

You show me Christ daily and I am so thankful. 

Much Love!

L