The Mosaic of Broken Beauty

Dusty, grimy, dirty little bits. You think to yourself as you sweep up the floor, trying to clean up the mess from the broken vase knocked from the countertop.

You sweep the shards of glass into the corner of the room and add it to the rest of the pile. Sitting down you stare at the growing mound of broken glass in different colours, shapes, and sizes. Some pieces dull, some very sharp. To you it is a memorial of things that were once beautiful but now seem rather useless.

Relationships gone wrong, mistakes you said you’d never make, fights with loved ones, morals you once held…the list could go on.

So what do you do with the pieces that seem irreparable, ugly, and worthless? Do you continue to allow them to sit in the corner of your life taking up space? Do you continue to let them be a hazard with all their sharp broken edges? Sharp enough to leave you cut, bleeding, and bruised more than once…

Today is the day you stop tip-toeing around those areas of your life. Your life, no matter what it has contained until this point, is not a pile of rubble.

God wants to make a mosaic of beauty out of all the broken pieces you’ve been carrying yet trying so desperately to ignore. Drop them into His hands.

Let The Great Artist upcycle all of your broken bits into beautiful artwork. Being broken does not make you irreparable. Being broken allows The Great Restoration Artist to arrange all of your shattered bits into a piece of artwork far more beautiful than you ever dreamed.

Mosaics can only be made with busted shards. But you have to surrender all the pieces.

Jeremiah 30:17: “For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord, because they have called you an outcast…”

You are not useless.

You are a priceless piece of artwork.


Guest post by Coleen York
Coleen York is an ardent Jesus follower and writer (and she sometimes fancies herself a part-​​time comedienne). She is passionate about ministering to the hearts of women by showing them their true worth and identity in Christ alone. This passion led her to found She Has Worth, a website designed to reinforce the worth and beauty God has given each and every woman, regardless of her past or relationship status.

Being Groomed For Your Purpose

Growing up from a young age, we all had thoughts of what we wanted to be as an adult. Some of us wanted to be teachers, lawyers, doctors, nurses, business owners, etc.

Every adult would ask you the question. “What you would like to be when you grow up?”

And of course we would say one of the careers stated above, and there was nothing wrong with that.

I am willing to bet, some of us are not living out those careers, or living out our divine purpose. Sometimes we go through life; completing high school then off to college. Graduate, and maybe a Grad school after that. Sometimes we do all of these things under the impression that we will land that awesome job or career that we so dreamed of at a young age. This is not to say, this should not be every young person’s goal. But when it has not happened for you, and education has been top priority on your list; you didn’t land that awesome job, or not flourishing in that career you so desired to be in—the question to some is:

“Now what?”

“What do I do with all this education I have?”

“Why can’t I find a job I am happy at?”

You see, I have been at this place in my life. I have completed high school, and graduated from college with an Associate of Arts degree. Growing up, I never thought about or even knew what I was going to do with my life. I just knew it was going to be something big!!!

Reading through the Book of Esther has given me great enlightenment over the years. Esther was a young woman that was taken from her village along with other young virgin women. This happened because the King summoned his leaders to find him a new Queen. Esther and the other women were brought back to the King’s palace. For one year, Esther was being groomed for the King to take on the role as his Queen.

Throughout this time Esther did not realize what was happening. She did, however, know that it was something major. So she remained obedient and followed the instructions that given to her. Esther had visits with the King throughout the entire year and was not the only one to visit him. There were other women but, she was the only one that stood out to him. Something about her that was different, something that made her unique.

After a year had past it was time for the King to choose his Queen, and he chose Esther. She was well pleased, of course, for after a year of getting to know the King she had developed feelings for him. They married and she became Queen Esther. I know this may sound like a love story, and it is, but there is more to this…so stick with me.

Esther had a cousin that had known she was going through this grooming process for a year. He stood with her and kept encouraging her to be all she could be as a Queen. After Esther became Queen, a situation arose. Her cousin informed her that the King's right hand man was going to have some people killed in her village and to notify the King of this situation. She found a way to talk to the King for 3 days. As, this occurred she asked her cousin to request the people in the village to fast, pray, and seek God’s face during the 3 days. Queen Esther also did the same thing, fasting, praying, and seeking God’s face.

You see, Esther, had a purpose that was set in motion by God before she became Queen. Her purpose was to pray and intercede on behalf of her people. That was God’s assignment for Esther all along. She just had to go through the process of being groomed as a Queen to finally step into her purpose.

I have gone through some bumps and bruises in my life time heading toward my destiny and purpose. Not, sure what all is going to unfold in my life, but, I do know it will all be good. God will produce Greatness out of me. So, you may not see it, or even imagine what God has set you apart for. But, I encourage each and every one of you—whatever trials, test, situations that are tight for you right now. You are just going through a grooming process for your destiny and purpose. Allow God to guide and instruct you, on how to connect with your purpose and destiny. Because, we all have one…



by Shal-Mar Hill

How to Break Free of Generational Sin

By Randy Singer

It takes time and intentionality, but with God’s help, you can change the legacy you give your children. Here are some suggestions to help you fight the battle against generational sin—and win.

• Identify your family’s sin patterns. Were backbiting, criticism and arguments prevalent in your home? Poor self-esteem? Alcohol or other substance abuse? Prayerfully consider whether you exhibit any negative traits that you observed growing up. But keep this in mind: Generational sins stay hidden through self-deception. We’ve become so accustomed to a certain type of environment that we don’t realize it’s not right. If you are brave enough, ask your wife or kids or family friends this question: How am I like my dad?

• Involve others in your efforts to change. Don’t assume you can go it alone. Join a Christian accountability group. Ask your wife or husband to help you—she probably knows you better than you know yourself. Also ask your children in an age-appropriate way to show you how you could improve as a parent.

• Recognize that it takes hard work, patience, and sacrifice to break an addiction or pattern of sin. I dealt with this issue in my most recent novel, By Reason of Insanity, and tried to demonstrate how hard it can be to break the cycle of abuse. In real life, breaking sin’s strongholds is a day-to-day grind, a sometimes-mundane effort with a lot riding on the outcome. Somebody has to break these generational chains. Will it be you?

• Forgive your father for his shortcomings and any wounds he has given you. Until you grant your own father unconditional forgiveness, it will be almost impossible to break free from that pattern of sin.

• Confess your sins and accept forgiveness for them. Beating yourself up for the ways you’ve failed God and your family only discourages you and weakens your resolve to change. Trust in God’s grace and gratefully accept His love and forgiveness.

• Proactively sow and seek blessings in your family’s life. Do things with your children that your parents didn’t do with you. Spend lots of quality time together so you build great shared memories. Listen to them. Ask their forgiveness when needed. Laugh together. Pray together.

• God’s Blessings to Thousands of Generations. The other side to this is that if you do break those sin patterns, God promises to bless your family for generations to come. When my son Joshua was 17, he and I attended a father-son camp that included a high ropes course, whitewater rafting, and other exhilarating activities. Josh was in his prime physically, and I … well … I was 40-something.

The camp experience gave us an opportunity to swap roles. Josh became the strong leader, and I observed and learned from him in the hard physical challenges we underwent together. The highlight for me was when Josh told me in a group setting how much he loved me—and I told him how proud I was of his bold faith in God. It was a very special moment that reinforced to me how richly God blesses those who love Him. In that moment, I felt the impact of my godly father on succeeding generations.

God wants to bless your family abundantly, to the thousandth generation. Let Psalm 112:1-2 encourage and motivate you: “How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed” (NLT).

Now that’s a gift worth giving!

Randy is the author of six Christian novels and a veteran trial attorney. He also serves as a teaching pastor for Trinity Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Check out his website at randysinger.net.

This article originally appeared in New Man e-magazine.

Getting Healthy: Oh, Taste and See

By Ashley Perez

The decision to get healthy is simple; one day you say to yourself "I want to be healthy." There, done. The follow-through however, not so much. We decide to "get healthy" because we realize something is wrong, off. Our bodies grow sluggish, our skin dull, and our waistbands increasingly tighter. This is not the realization that "you could stand to lose a few pounds", or "pretty girls are more popular"—this has nothing to do with those lies. Instead it's the realization that your body truly is a gift, a temple of sorts. And if you keep going on the way you do now, one day the temple will crumble and you'll be left standing amidst the rubble wondering how to put yourself back together.

It wasn't until my senior year of college that I decided it was time to get healthy, but by then I was such a mess of bad habits that it was hard to know where to start.


What does it mean to eat healthy? Do I need to exercise everyday? How do I get healthy without becoming anorexic or obsessed with my body?

These questions constantly ran through my mind at the beginning of my journey to personal health. I consulted the internet, read through countless women's magazines, and even delved into a few 300+ page books on proper diet, nutrition, and exercise. I was surrounded by information, but stuck in indecisiveness. Afraid to make the wrong choices, I didn't really make any choices at all. Things stayed that way for a long time, until I realized two things.

1. God has promised me power over temptation and evil. 1 Corinthians 10:13
2. He promised take care of me, feeding and clothing me. Matthew 6:26-34

For some reason we don't seem to think about God when thinking about getting healthy, as if our bodies are tied to this earth and deserve no thought in heaven. But I think we forget that our bodies are gifts from God—they are capable of climbing mountains, swimming oceans, embracing loved ones and comforting one another. More importantly our bodies are our vessels in this world, meant to take us everywhere man can walk to spread a little piece of God’s love. Therefore by ignoring our bodies and treating them with little regard, we are literally trashing a gift from God.

The day I truly started getting healthy was the day I realized God had already given me everything I needed to succeed. Here's a tip: you don't need to know a whole lot about nutrition and diet to get healthy. Simply eat from the natural bounty that God has given us and you're well on your way to health.

Just by eating a diverse selection of fruits and veggies you are giving your body everything it needs to sustain and rebuild itself. Eat colorfully and live vibrantly, pick from the plethora of tastes and choices God has provided. It's amazing that everything you would ever need to survive God has put into his creations. An apple for example has no excess, every part of it is edible and nutritionally good: low in calories, high in fiber, and with no saturated fats or excess oils, you have nothing to worry about when eating an apple. That is how much God loves you, and just one example of how all he wants to give us is good.

The reason our bodies decay and grow weary is because we are putting into them things man has artificially created in a laboratory. Should you never eat cake again or indulge in the occasional freshly-baked chocolate chip cookie? Absolutely not—we were meant to live life fully and abundantly, not in deprivation and sadness. Cookies won't kill you and neither will the occasional Coca-Cola, but what is important to remember is that God has naturally provided everything you need. So live in his abundance, and choose to recognize the gift of health that God has given you, taking care of your body so that you can continue to do his work and take care of others.

"Oh taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."(Psalms 34:8)

How can you make a lifestyle change that will help you grow closer to God?

Guest Post

Ashley is a lover of Jesus and pop culture. She is trying to be a sassy, classy, woman of character in a 21st century society. An English teacher in South Korea by day, she moonlights as a lover of Dawson's creek by night. She's cooler than this bio makes her sound, which is why you should check out her personal blog boysareidots.com and her new website twentyandto.com, a guide to getting your life together in your 20s. She also tweets @itsashleyperez. In addition to writing for Wonderfully Made, Ashley has been featured on Hello Giggles, and regularly contributes to Darling Magazine, and Amanda de Cadenet's The Conversation.  

- This article was originally posted on Know Your Value.

But the Greatest of These is Charity

I recently purchased myself a purity ring that reads “Love is Patient, Love is Kind, Love Never Fails…1 Cor. 13:4-8”.” To say I LOVE this ring would be an understatement! It is a constant reminder of what love truly is. For so long, I walked by the world’s definition of love completely ignorant of how wrong that definition was. Since wearing my ring on a daily basis, I thought it only appropriate to really dive into 1 Corinthians 13 and gain my own personal understanding of “The Love Chapter.”

Although I use several different translations for my Bible studies, my primary source is the KJV accompanied by my handy dandy dictionary. In reading 1 Corinthians 13:3-13, several things jumped out at me immediately. The first thing I noticed is that the KJV used ‘charity’ instead of the word ‘love’, so I turned to my dictionary for a little clarification as to why these two words were seemingly interchangeable.
Charity: the quality of sympathetic understanding.

Understanding: mental apprehension or appreciation; sympathy.

Sympathy: fellow feeling or compassion.

Compassion: sympathy.

1 Corinthians 13 has one goal; to emphasize the importance of charity, the greatest gift of all. Paul begins the chapter by saying that even if you’re speaking in tongues and prophesying, you are nothing. Many people associated charity with doing good deeds namely to those who are less fortunate. Paul is quick to dispel this by stating outright in verse 3 “and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (KJV)”

Within the chapter we learn much more about the definition of charity than is included in any of the above definitions. Yet, each verse lends itself to the ideas of understanding, sympathy and compassion.

• Charity sufferth long and is kind.
• Charity envieth not.
• Charity is not puffed up or vain.
• Charity is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.
• Charity rejoices in truth.
• Charity never fails although prophesies fail, tongues cease and knowledge fades away.

Verse 11 is (in my opinion) the highlight of this chapter. “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (KJV)” To follow up the very definition of charity with this verse only leads me to one conclusion. Love, charity, sympathy, understanding, compassion…these are not childish emotions. To truly walk in love, to truly live these verses we have to grow up! We have to speak out of charity and sympathy, every action has to be dripping with pure, unabashed love for others. This is no light task either, this is work!

When reading these verses from the standpoint of charity, it only further emphasizes the way we should treat others. I feel like so many of us reading 1 Corinthians 13 through the eyes of romance; this is how I should love my spouse. What if we really took these verses and applied them to every and anyone in our lives?

As I really read and prayed over these verses, I realized that charity…these verses, exemplify God’s love for us. God was compassionate towards us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us. He is a kind and loving God who rejoices in His children. Above all, though everything else will fade away, God’s love is forever. He is forever!

I challenge us all (myself included) to really love others, to live these verses out daily. These verses aren’t just for the people in our lives who we care about and are close to. These verses apply to the homeless man on the corner begging for change. They apply to the mother of 3 in the parking lot struggling to load her groceries in the car and tend to her children. These verses apply to our bosses who give us seemingly impossible tasks with an even more impossible deadline.

Commit to love.

Commit to charity.

Commit to understanding.





Danielle Erwin is a writer, speaker, sister, daughter, servant and friend, operating daily by the saying, "find a hole and fill it." With a heart for women of all ages, Danielle uses the God-given ministry Pursued to encourage women to live lives that are reflective of the one, true God. Her writings are filled with transparency and authenticity in an effort to inspire change and healing in the lives of others. You can connect with Danielle at www.iampursued.org or on twitter at @Elle_OVE.

WHOLE Spotlight: Tiffany Daniels

By Ashley Flores

Many of us dream about the opportunity to travel abroad and serve our brothers and sisters who have not had the physical luxury to be born in a country where basic healthcare needs are readily available. We watch infomercials, and our hearts break as we see children living unsafe structures and drinking contaminated water. We cringe at the reports of young women being sold through human trafficking, and of how HIV/AIDS is consuming Africa (among other countries). On July 28, speech-language pathologist Tiffany K. Daniels, 29, boarded a plane and headed to Zambia for a trip with Connective Link Among Special needs Programs (CLASP) International that would forever change her life. Daniels, who currently works for the Dallas Independent School District, was chosen because of her heart for community outreach, which is professionally supported by her work certification and licensing to serve as team leader, or supervisor, on the two week long excursion. 

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W: How were you chosen for this trip? What were the qualifications?

D: I attended an informational about CLASP International to learn more of what the organization was about after hearing a brief presentation on the need for Speech Pathologist and other allied health professions to travel to Africa and help children with disabilities. An application process was available online and an applicant was able to choose whether they would like to help with the mission of the organization as a stateside member (one who helps raise funds, find resources and materials, helps with planning for the different camps, and spreads the word about what CLASP's mission is doing/has done in South Africa) or a travel team member (one who does everything that the stateside member does, but travels to Zambia and implements the works). For my profession, qualifications included being certified and licensed, having specialty in one of the areas to be a team leader/supervisor, and having a heart for community outreach.

W: What were your thoughts about the trip leading up to it? How did you prepare mentally/emotionally/spiritually?

D: Leading up to the trip, I had a lot of mixed emotions. I was excited, yet nervous. I felt unprepared, yet somewhat over prepared. I talked with one of my friends who had taken a trip similar to this one, but in Haiti. He told me about his trip and how much of a life changing experience it was for him. Even after listening to him, the feelings that I had did not change completely, but it made me a little more calm. I went back home to [Chatom,] Alabama for a weekend because I wanted to personally thank my church family for the $1000 dollars that they raised for me. There, my pastor called me to the altar and prayed for me. As soon as he touched my head, I just started crying because I knew in my heart that I was about to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was going to be able to make a difference in not only a special person's life, but I was going to be helping someone in AFRICA!. After seeing my family and friends back home and hearing their encouragement, I felt at ease and was ready to go!

W: What was your first reaction when you landed in Africa? When you made it to where the team would be working?

D: We arrived in Zambia at sunrise and the first thing that came to my mind was..."I made it to the Motherland!". As we cramped into a minivan with our luggage, we rode through the city to our hotel. There were a lot of people walking to work, uniformed kids walking to school, and many people on the streets. We saw a lot of fruit/vegetable stands and also other vendors with different crafts that were being sold. It was amazing to see people walking and carrying crates and baskets on their heads. Also, the women carried their babies in cloth carriers on their backs.

When we arrived at our hotel, I was kind of impressed. It seemed very americanized. I mean, I didn't think that we would be at a hut or anything, but the accommodations were nice. There were several different camps that we set up which included the Special School, Craniofacial, Deaf School, Adult, NICU, and community outreach. A lot of my time was spent at the Special School. I was kind of prepared to work at the Special School, so I had my professional cap on as I observed the setting and different classrooms. I was ready to work with the administrator and teachers on planning and implementing strategies to improve classroom management so my mentality was completely focused.

 In Zambia, children who have disabilities that may show that they are "different" are considered cursed. So, those children are hidden away because their families think that there are not any treatments or ways to help them. We gave them resources and information to get the help that was needed if they suspected anyone who may have those situations. But, as I spoke with one woman, her spirit really touched me. She definitely did not have the same views as the majority of the community. This woman who I felt (from a “worldly” point of view) was poor, didn't have teeth, and her front doorway to her house was covered with a sheet, but from a "spiritual" lifestyle and the words she gave me, I knew she was rich in spirit. She said that God loves all children no matter what disability they may have, and we as humans have to be accepting knowing that we are all of His creations because He does not make a mistake. She continued to say how we have to understand that whatever we struggle with or may lack, God will provide.

As a person who lives a decent, comfortable lifestyle, I thought very hard about my own faith. Here I was talking to a woman who did not have many possessions, but one thing she did have was an abundance of faith. I wanted to be able to gain that much faith in God and just learn to be able to trust Him completely. I really admired this lady and was taken aback by the fact that she actually helped me, when I thought that I was there to help her.

W: What kind of work were you responsible for doing once you made it to Africa?

D: CLASP started a Masters Degree Program at the University of Zambia while we were there. The reason being is because there is only one Speech Pathologist in the whole country. So, with this program, twenty students were admitted and in two years, there will be Speech Pathologist who will be competent and certified to treat people with communication disorder. My responsibilities included supervising both the American and the Zambian graduate students . I was also team leader for the Special School. My team worked together to provide assessments/screenings for children with suspected speech disorders. We developed Home Education Programs for families with children with disabilities, as well. The team conducted teacher workshops and training for classroom management at University Teaching Hospital Special School. Each team member rotated to assist with the other camps too in testing and providing treatment.

However, the area that made me really feel like I was in South Africa was during the community outreaches which were held at a couple of different compounds. I had never seen a place like this. We hear about the way people live in parts of Africa all the time through media. However, to see this lifestyle first hand does something to a person. Well at least to me. It is kind of hard to describe...but we walked house to house providing education to the people in the communities and gave out information about disabilities (autism, cerebral palsy, premature babies, down syndrome) and infectious diseases.

W: How do you feel this trip has affected your thoughts about God's purpose for your life?

D: I honestly feel that I have known my purpose for a while because I have grown to be passionate about working with children and wanting them to be succesful in education. So, when I came back from Africa, I was very excited about returning to work after our summer break. It is like I have been more motivated to carry out my purpose in not only a compassionate way, but with a more concrete understanding of my purpose. Before, I understood, this is my job to work with kids and do my best to help them because that is what I love doing. But now I acknowledge the power that I possess in knowing God's purpose in my life.

I feel that we all have passions in life, but we may sometimes waver on fulfilling that passion or purpose when there are difficulties or obstacles that can cause us to give up. But, when a power is ignited and you are able to carry out a task when you had no idea of how/where the solution came from, it just solidifies that you are where you are for a reason, and that God has been preparing you by giving you the education, knowledge, and confidence to fulfill His purpose. That is how I feel about this trip. I felt that I was being tested in a lot of areas outside of my comfort zone. I was unsure about many of my responsibilities and often wondered what I was going to do to supervise the graduate students, be able to relate to the teachers by providing beneficial information to help restructure the classrooms, or how would I provide appropriate strategies for parents knowing that they have limited resources. However, when you are being used by God and understand that "it's not about you", it just comes natural. It's like I really "get it" now. I know that I am in the field of education for a reason.

 W: What advice would you give to someone who is considering applying for a position on a team such as this?

D: It's simple. Go! But go and embrace the fact that your life and mindset will be changed.

Daniels and Zambian community members served by the CLASP International team.

Daniels (left, back) and community members served by he CLASP International team.