Uniquely Yours Ministries

{Love} An Unplanned Date

March 24, 2016March 22, 2016 UYM

By: Taylor Fast

I feel like the first Valentines Day a married couple is special in this cheesy-romantic way. For my husband and I, we were celebrating 5 months of being married! My husband is not huge on Valentines Day, but he knows that any event that I can decorate for, I’m going to be excited about.

This Valentines Day was nowhere close to being the romantic day I had imagined, but I never felt more loved and cared for by my husband during that day. So you are most likely wondering how that is possible?

The week before Valentines Day, my family and I were working through the idea that someone we loved was having some extreme health issues. This someone was my brother, who already battles Cystic Fibrosis. We had all taken turns going back and forth to the London hospital as doctors and nurses were trying to figure out what was going on. One evening as we got home from work we received a call that my brother might have cancer, but that it was a slim chance. My thoughts stayed positive as colon and bladder cancer were not something in our family, and my brother is so young.

The next morning we received a call saying that my brother did have cancer. The thoughts, emotions, and questions came rushing to our heads, as we never thought this would be a journey for my brother to go through. This all happened on Valentines weekend, as we prepped for the day after Valentines to be my brother’s surgery day to attempt to get rid of all the cancer.

Valentines morning, the day before the surgery, my husband and I woke up in worry and wonder for what tomorrow will hold. We prayed constantly and I cried endlessly. This is not sounding romantic at all, is it? You’re totally right- we swapped gifts that morning and had a nice breakfast together, but the rest of the day was spent with family prepping for surgery the next day. My husband showed me how much he cared for not just me, but my family. The love continued as even my husband’s family members sent their love and prayers towards my brother. Was this day the romantic one I wanted? No way, but I have never felt more loved, cared for, and supported by this man of God- my amazing husband.

Marriage isn’t easy, but I could tell you that we have been tested plenty of times, and our love for each other never fails, just like God’s love for us.

Looking back now to the surgery day and the days to follow, my husband has stayed by my side and has sent so much support to my brother and I am so thankful for that. As we wait now to see if my brother is 100% cancer free, my husband, his family, and my family have never been stronger. Love trumps all, even cancer.

“Above all, love each other deeply, as love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

Until Next Time,

~Taylor

Kerrington's Posts, {Life}

{Life} It’s Okay to Pass the Clipboard

March 23, 2016March 22, 2016 UYM

Written By: Kerrington Sweeney

Have you ever felt shame in passing ‘the clipboard’?

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” -Galatians 6:9

There I was one Sunday morning, sitting in church when…the clipboard was being passed around for volunteers. I dreaded the moments before it was passed to me. I took it quickly into my hands and looked at list. To be honest, in that moment I just wanted to cry. A veil of guilt draped over my weary heart.

“If I don’t sign up, what will people think?” This worry tossed around in my mind, as I tried to figure out a way to fit this event of volunteering into my already ridiculously jam-packed schedule.

Time after time, that dark veil of guilt had won. For years upon years I would run myself dry, volunteering and serving in every area I possibly could handle. I was coming into a season of absolute physical burn out.

All I could do was sit and cry. It was then that I had the new realization that –It’s okay, to pass the clipboard.

No longer, was I going to allow guilt to rule over my life and my emotions.

No longer, was I going to be a slave to the pressures and expectations that I had firmly placed upon myself.

No longer, was I going to feel guilty when my name wasn’t signed up for every volunteer area in the church.

Sweet Sisters, are you drowning in church schedules like I once was? Are you juggling your time, and compromising what truly matters? Remember, even Jesus passed on things to make time for Himself and the Father.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Mark 1:35-38

I encourage you today to just stop. Look at the areas you love serving in and do just that and the next time the clipboards get passed to you…Pause. Pray and if needed, never be ashamed or afraid to simply pass it along. It’s okay!

Until Next Time,

~Kerrington

Kerrington's Posts, {Faith}

{Faith} We Are the Kingdom | The Calm Embrace.

March 22, 2016March 16, 2016 UYM

Written By: Kerrington Sweeney

All of my life I have been striving for something more. Always more than what I am blessed and privileged to have.

More popularity.

More social contact.

More friends.

More fulfillment.

More money.

More freedom.

More likes on Facebook.

More happiness.

More time.

More education.

{Beauty} The Beauty of Worship

March 21, 2016March 16, 2016 UYM

Written by Melissa Longval

Worshipping the Lord with music and song comes easily to me. Not that I am gifted in it, but I enjoy it very much and often turn to worship during the struggles and joys of life.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he, who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:1-3

When my children were little, I was often interrupted during worship time to help them with some need. I remember looking around at the people praising and worshipping, and being struck with the beauty I saw.

Eyes closed, peace all over…Some had hands raised and others had them down at their sides. Many faces were turned up towards heaven while others had heads bowed down. It was such a powerful moment for me that I almost felt like I was intruding on these dear people…these precious brothers and sisters in Christ. Like I had caught a glimpse into something only meant for an audience of One. It took my breath away.

To see the beauty of the Lord like that has marked me for life. Witnessing the power of worship as I did, has changed how I view worship. I had previously thought God wanted our worship, because He deserves it. But after what I witnessed I realized how much worship does for us…and that is a big part of why God calls us to worship Him. When we are focused, with our gaze towards Him alone, peace flows freely and humility ushers us to throne of grace!

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103: 1-5

So the next time you are tempted to despair, remember to turn your face towards heaven, and worship your Creator. Let the beauty of the Lord and His peace surround you as you surrender to Him.

Until next time,

Melissa Longval

Lanissa's Posts

{Becoming} How God Can Use Me Even When I Feel Broken

March 20, 2016March 16, 2016 UYM

Written by: Lanissa Reale

Everyday I wake up to a blank canvas of opportunities ahead of me. Filling that blank canvas with tasks, assignments, meetings, relationships, and choices galore leaves me with the reality of striving, dreaming, struggling, winning and praying.

Each day I wake up human, prone to mistakes, prone to going through seasons and processes and prone to continuously putting cracks into this vessel called my life. I am human. I am limited, selfish, a mistake maker and expectation failure.

But. God.

You see I know, we all know, very well who we are and what we lack. We try to fill voids by our own strength, and struggle to stand on our own two feet with confidence and peace although we know that we desperately need and long for some grace. But God hears us, He knows us, and He sent His Son to die as the final sacrifice for our sin and to be raised to life so that we would no longer have to struggle and remain in our sin and our lack. The Lord has given us a new life, and is calling us to live in it as new creations. To not look at our life from a standpoint of problem, but of promise. To find our identity in Him and only Him. And when we fall short, to receive His grace each and every morning. Pastor Keith Pittman from Celebration Church once said, “God’s grace is like a life-proof case. It doesn’t keep you from falling but it keeps you from shattering”. I have learned within this past three years, that when we put expectations on people and on God of what we think our lives should look like, we are only setting ourselves up for disappoint, hard falls, heart ache and even bitterness and anger toward God for not answering our prayers.

God’s grace is sufficient for you, but only if you choose to rely on Him rather than yourself. He knows you. He knew you and created you and had plans for you before you were even woven in your mother’s womb. And He sent His Son for you so that you would be able to live a better and new life, not the life that you planned out for yourself. And thank God. Because the life that I had planned in my little head for myself and those around me was covered with cracks and mistakes and false expectations. God wants us to know, today, that He has something better in store for us. He has forgiveness, and freedom, and whole hearts, and a life of peace. And all we have to do is surrender all that we are, all of our expectations and all of our fears to Him completely… letting Him have it all. We no longer have to hold it all together and try to figure it all out, but we can trust Him to work all things together for our good.

Each day we wake up and we face a broken world. But we belong to and are made new by a HOLY and good God. In our daily struggle, we now get to look at it through the promise of God instead of eyes that only see regret and problems. When we are down, He picks us up. When we feel unworthy, He reminds us that the Creator always knows the worth of His masterpiece even when others don’t see it themselves. When we have messed up, He continuously gives us grace. And when we feel like we can’t do it on our own anymore, He says good because I never intended you to. Daily, we are reminded of what we lacked before the cross. Yet now, we can wake up each day knowing that we have been given new life, new power, new inheritance and new authority because He who created all things now lives in us.

We are ashes continuously being given beauty instead of shame. We are always Becoming. You see God doesn’t look at your sin and lack and say “away from me”. No, no. He says “I see my Son Jesus, and your sins I remember no more. Come to me, and find rest. I am all you need, my grace is sufficient for you”. We are vessels, cracked vessels. Yet the more cracks we get, the more that the light of the Father can shine in and through us.

Our pain is not our destiny. Our mistakes are not our identity. HE looks at us and gladly, with open arms, says “yes, I want and have wanted that one, just the way they are”.

Be encouraged, you are loved and cherished more than you know! In Him, there is always beauty for ashes.

~Isaiah 62:3; Psalms 94:18; Isaiah 61:3; Lamentations 3:23~

Until next time,

~Lanissa Reale (lanissareale.wordpress.com)

Melissa's Posts

{Testimony} Melissa

March 19, 2016March 30, 2016 UYM

Written By: Melissa Longval

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. – Psalm 107:2-3

I grew up in a small town in the small state of New Hampshire. I had heard about Jesus from my friend’s mom…went to church once in a while…even said the Sinner’s prayer. I liked it, but honestly, thought Christians were quite strange. I kept Jesus at a distance for a very long time. I thought I could run my own life. I loved the idea of Jesus, but didn’t want the accountability.

I was smart, quick witted, sarcastic, and angry. My sense of humour was always at the expense of others. Jealousy and gossip were frequent companions of mine. I could act like a nice girl, but I was mean…inside, I was cruel and nasty.

As time passed, I married my childhood sweetheart, bought a house, and tried to start a family. I had my first miscarriage. Then I had my second. Then my third. I realized that I couldn’t control really much of anything in my life and needed help…my heart was broken. I feared that I would never have children. That I didn’t deserve them, because of how I had lived my life, turning my back against God and living my own way.

But God is so kind. He is always kinder than I ever imagine He could be. After testing and painful procedures, I had my beautiful baby girl, Emeria Joy. Seven pounds and six ounces of pure sass!

There was something off in my head. I wasn’t right. After all this time, I wanted to be celebrating, but I couldn’t. One night while nursing, I asked God to fix Emeria…to make her sleep…stop crying…but God in His gentle way whispered deep into my soul, “She’s not the one that needs fixing.”

Oh, my. I was undone. I realized in that moment how far I was from God. All my anger, bitterness, unforgiveness was laid bare and I knew how much it separated me from the Lord. The walls that I had built to protect and shield me from harm throughout my life had blocked the One who loved me unconditionally.

In the rocking chair, holding my precious daughter, I purposed to surrender my life to the Lord and to allow Him to knock down my walls and rebuild my broken heart and dark mind. I took refuge in Jesus, the Redeemer. The One who laid down His life while I was still sinning.

It was a process and it took time. There is no magic wand or pixie dust that brought me change instantaneously. For me, it was choosing, trusting, and reading God’s Word that brought change, all while heeding the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I needed help and that came in the form of beautiful godly friends, Biblical counsel, and even anti-depressants for a short time to help with my severe post-partum depression.

But through every second, God’s kindness was present. His gentle voice and compassion led me to repent and change…to surrender who I was to become who He designed me to be. Jesus truly lifted my burdens and has changed my life forever.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8

Until next time,

Melissa

Joceline's Posts

{Testimony} Joceline

March 18, 2016March 30, 2016 UYM

Written By: Joceline Sweeney

As I have looked back on my life, I honestly didn’t feel that I had much of a testimony, but as I began to think about what I was going to write for today the Lord showed me that I do have a beautiful story.

His grace and His protection.

My story with Jesus began on a simple afternoon, I think it was a Tuesday. My family had just started to attend a church regularly and that past Sunday a salvation message was given to us little people. I was extremely shy and didn’t really know what to do, but that’s okay because the Lord knew how He wanted our story to start. In such a way that I would remember it for the rest of my life. I didn’t know if we even had a Bible in the house yet, but I knew we had a story book that my mom read to us every night before bed that had pictures of Jesus in it. So I grabbed that big story book climbed onto the coffee table in our living room. I clutched the book close to my heart, closed my eyes and asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins and come live inside of me. I know that I really had no idea what that even meant, but when I opened my eyes after my sweet little prayer, even at such a young age, I felt alive! I was no longer alone. His grace and His protection were now with me each step of the way, all the days of my life.

I never really did anything terribly bad, my dad even joked on my wedding day that I was pretty much a model child. I was a rule follower, minus the one time I lied to my parents, I didn’t disobey. So I don’t have a terrific story of God’s redemption, but mine is of His grace and protection. God has watched over me so carefully that even when I wanted something that really wasn’t’ that bad or wrong, He knew what was better for me. He kept me from myself. From friends who weren’t evil, but who wouldn’t have encouraged my walk with Him. To relationships that weren’t wrong but not the one He had planned. He knew what my heart could handle. He kept me for Himself. So I encourage you today to look upon your life, if you too were saved at a young age and don’t really feel you have much of a story, I’m here to tell you, yours may be a story of His grace and His protection. So rejoice and don’t be afraid to share it!

Until Next Time,

~Joceline

Krista's Posts

{Testimony} Krista

March 16, 2016March 30, 2016 UYM

Written By: Krista Dunbar

My story.

It’s always so hard to put my story into a few succinct paragraphs. It’s so hard to put 27 years of God’s moulding and shaping into one post. But, bear with me! I’m going to do my best. One of my favourite things to do when sharing about what I see God doing is to find a few threads and pull them a bit…

If you’ve ever gotten a tear in your sweater and have pulled it to see how far reaching the unravelling has gone, you know what I’m talking about. As you pull, it not only pulls the one strand. You begin to see the 5 or 6 other strands that it immediately connects to, holding the garment’s shape and pattern together so beautifully.

I believe it’s the same with our stories. Each story in our lives (or thread) connects to so many others, and together, they make up who we are, our experiences, and even show what God has been up to.

It’s beautiful to tell your story looking back, because you can see the beautiful garment the Lord has woven and threaded. You can see how your threads are woven and connected to others to make the story of God that much more beautiful.

Some common threads I’ve pulled out of my story have to deal with identity, calling or purpose, and seeing God work despite my weaknesses.

In high school, I struggled with finding my purpose in my circumstances. I believed that my life story would be impacted by those around me and what they chose for their lives. So, when my parents went through a divorce, I took it personally. I let it impact every part of my mental and emotional state. But because I had an amazing youth leader around who encouraged me to give it to Jesus, I was set free. For the first time in my life, I knew that Jesus was real and not just a nice man with a nice story to tell in my children’s books. He became personal.

I took Jesus to college with me. I went to church 3 times a week and tried to get involved in anything church-related on campus the first few months of my freshman year. I went to campus with high hopes of leading studies, bringing people to deeper walks with Christ, and continuing down the path I was on in my faith. A few months later, a new boyfriend later, and a new sorority later…I wasn’t so sure I was as strong as I thought I was. Looking back, I know I was trying to do it on my own…and that never works out.

I began to find my identity in what I did on the weekends and my boyfriend rather than my God-given identity. I began to search for acceptance, love, and purpose in those things…two years later, I realized I had lost myself. My boyfriend became someone I was trying to drag along with me in my faith and also the one that I had chained myself to. After years of choosing my weekends and my love life over my relationship with God, I didn’t know who I was anymore. I had completely traded my identity in Christ for one that continually left me feeling empty, confused, and depressed.

I’m so thankful that the Lord pursues us NO MATTER WHAT. I truly believe that the Lord was using the Holy Spirit to convict me and get my fanny to church, even if it was sporadically. You see, my desire for Jesus never left, but my willpower went from wanting to live out my faith to wanting to live in what was easy. To follow Jesus in those years would’ve meant doing the hard things: saying no to the temptations that surrounded me, saying no to a boyfriend that wasn’t at all spurring me on toward a closer relationship with Jesus, and saying no to the things that would give me momentary satisfaction but a lifetime of baggage.

Life looks so much different these days and I’m grateful. I used to be so embarrassed to share my story because it’s not pretty. I used to be ashamed to say that I’ve got so many bumps and bruises on my heart from the things I used to let define me. But God has picked me up, washed me white as snow as I’ve given my story to Him, and let me use my story to encourage others in theirs. I’m so thankful for His grace and redeeming love; that He would use our war stories for good and show us that no matter what we’ve done, He can make it beautiful.

Cheyenne's Posts

{Testimony} Cheyenne

March 15, 2016March 30, 2016 UYM

Written By: Cheyenne Ranta

I am not my past. I’m not my mistakes. I’m not the shame and guilt that has built it’s home in my mind. I’m not the girl that everyone doubted.

If you knew me before God got a hold of my life, only then would you understand how far I’ve actually come. I’ve hurt a lot of people because I only cared about what I wanted. I numbed myself into not caring what anybody said or thought, including God. And in the end, I hurt myself more. I lost myself, my friends and I fell far from the path of God. I had to hit rock bottom before I realized how much I really needed Him. I believe wholeheartedly that God can completely change someone if they allow Him to.

That’s exactly what He did for me.

I attended a church camp over this past summer and the Evangelist was talking on the topic of forgiveness. It wasn’t just about learning how to forgive other people when they wrong you, but also on how to forgive yourself. My heart was pounding the whole time. Memories of things that I had done played over and over in my mind. It felt like I was drowning in the guilt and shame. At the end of the sermon, he opened up the altar for anyone who would want to come and pray. My heart dropped and I felt weak in the knees but I knew I needed to go. I hated what I was feeling, but most of all I hated myself. I was the first one to the altar. It felt so far away! By the time I reached the altar, I fell to my knees and started pouring out my heart to God. I cried out saying, “God I don’t want to feel this way anymore. Lord, I have done everything except what You have asked of me. I’m so sorry. I am opening up my heart, body, mind, and soul completely to You. You know the many mistakes I have made and how many times I have willingly walked away from You. I feel so much guilt and shame for the things I have done. Lord, I need Your help in letting it all go and placing it in Your hands and never to pick it back up. I realize, Lord, that I can not live without You, and how much of a need there is for You in my life. Please forgive me, Lord, for anything I have done that has not been pleasing to You. Change me, Lord, and mould me into the woman You want me to be.”

It felt like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders. And the tears that were once tears of shame, turned into tears of joy. That was seven months ago. God has been a faithful God. I’m continuing to learn and grow in Him and my life has never been better. He changed me completely and is helping me to see my full potential.

When the fear of the past comes crawling up on me and the devil tries to remind me of who I once was, I quote to myself Isaiah 44:22,
” I have swept away your offences like a cloud, your sins like
the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

My God is a forgiving God! He forgave me of my sin, changed me, wiped my slate clean and gave me a fresh start. I don’t know where I would be without Him.

He’s so worthy of praise!

Until next time,
Cheyenne❤️

Taylor's Posts

{Testimony} Taylor

March 14, 2016March 30, 2016 UYM

Written By: Taylor Fast

I happen to be a pastor’s kid, so my testimony story started quite young. I grew up in a Christian household with parents who raised me to pray before every meal, pray before bed, and pray when I needed help. I grew up on the original Veggie Tales and there are many times still that I get old school hymns stuck in my head. I was saved in Sudbury, Ontario, my hometown, while I was in Kid’s Church. I remember having some beautiful ladies that were much older then me (“prayer moms”) always praying over me, and those people lead me to asking God to come into my heart and stay there.

Of course, as any Christian we all have moments where we slip away from God, but I believe I have stayed pretty true to Him. Growing up everyone knew I was a pastor’s kid, some people thought it was weird, but I was lucky to never be made fun of for it. I attempted to share my faith with others, but this got harder and harder as I got older, so I had to lean more and more on God and let my life and words be an example to others, as much as I could.

There were moments when my faith in God was tested. I lost a good friendship in high school and I wondered where’s God? When an Uncle very close to my family passed away, I wondered where’s God? Whenever my brother gets very sick from his illness of Cystic Fibrosis, I wonder where’s God? I tell you this because every time I felt that way, it was like I had to renew my faith in Him. I was still a Christian but I had to think back to when I was a child and I fully trusted in God, it was so easy! I have to show the same trust even as an adult.

Though we feel the weight and stress of the world more, God is still there. Our world is sinful, so moments will come where we don’t understand why God let circumstances happen, but I promise you God is always there. He doesn’t disappear. Moments like these allow me to lean on Him and ask for help and remind me of when I was saved and why I thought getting saved and becoming a Christian was a good idea. We mess up, yes, but we have a God who doesn’t, He will get us through the storm. How incredible is that?

The fact that God gave up His life for us so that we could live and He sticks around us today to help us through our daily lives, it’s hard not to be thankful!

I am saved because I believe in God, I believe in salvation, and I believe He has an amazing path for us. I believe He is a Father to the fatherless. When I doubt my salvation in times of worry and pain, I think back to my testimony story- my reason for believing, my reason for faith.

“He is a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, this is God, whose dwelling is holy.” Psalm 68:5

~Taylor