"I wonder if we could make a necklace out of Stone..."
This was the very question that I asked myself back in August of 2007. You can see from the question how much I knew about jewelry. I have never been big on wearing Jewelry, so honestly the concept of "making" it was a bit beyond my comprehension. Luckily for all of our sakes, God is in control, and already had the plan and the people in place that could help me on this awesome journey.
But exactly how did I come to ask myself this question in the first place? In August of 2007, my Small group was doing a study called "Believing God", by Beth Moore.
Though the entire study was amazing, the concept of "Stones In The Road" was birthed in my spirit during the chapter where she addressed the Israelites crossing the Jordan River. (Joshua 4:1-24)
After a successful crossing, God told the Israelites to take twelve stones from the river bed that would serve as a Memorial of His miraculous provision that day.
After some discussion of the crossing, the stone gathering and of what the stones meant, Beth asked the audience, "What are your stones?" She was asking at what points in our own lives can we remember God's Miraculous movement, comfort, provision, etc?
We all have them, and actually to be honest I was kind of amazed at just how many of my own "Stones" came to mind as I thought about her question. I was so touched by all that I remembered, that I responded automatically with my question. "I wonder if we could make a necklace out of stone, that we could always carry with us as a personal memorial?" And so it began. The seed was planted, and over the next 9 years, this concept of remembering God has grown into what you see today and into what you don't yet see. The Lord has expanded the original idea of the "stone necklace" into several ideas designed to not only allow you to remember just how big our God is, but will help to infuse HOPE, HEALTH and Transforming LIFE into your own personal journey.
God uses sooo many different ways of getting our attention and of drawing us to Himself. For the Israelites, it was literally a set of stones that He used to cause them to remember just how capable and how willing He was to move on their behalf. For us today His "Stones" may look a bit different, but they are His Stones non-the-less. Some come in the form of amazing blessings, such as the miraculous elimination of debt, a job promotion, healing in your body, or the birth of a long awaited child. Some also come in the form of hardship such as an illness, financial difficulty or perhaps a devestating loss. How can this be?
"...ALL things work together for good to those who love God..." (Rom. 8:28 NKJV) Not some things, ALL things, and when we remember this, we can rest assured that no matter what we encounter in this fallen world, God will use it to propel us into the calling that He has already designed for us. When we trust Him, no matter the situation, then the "Stone" that He has placed, will be used to pave and uniquely create the path that He has layed out for us. This is why these "Stones" are so important. When we forget them, we lose our way. When we remember them, we have the assurance that not only will He pave the way, but He will walk right there beside us, all while maturing and training us to live a life of VICTORY and TRANSFORMATION from the inside out!
I am truly honored that you are embarking on this journey with me! May we never miss another opportunity to collect one of God's awesome "Stones" again :)
Let the Journey Begin!
-Ali
*To check out "Believing God" and other resources by Beth Moore and LifeWay Minitries, click on the photo above.
But exactly how did I come to ask myself this question in the first place? In August of 2007, my Small group was doing a study called "Believing God", by Beth Moore.
Though the entire study was amazing, the concept of "Stones In The Road" was birthed in my spirit during the chapter where she addressed the Israelites crossing the Jordan River. (Joshua 4:1-24)
After a successful crossing, God told the Israelites to take twelve stones from the river bed that would serve as a Memorial of His miraculous provision that day.
After some discussion of the crossing, the stone gathering and of what the stones meant, Beth asked the audience, "What are your stones?" She was asking at what points in our own lives can we remember God's Miraculous movement, comfort, provision, etc?
We all have them, and actually to be honest I was kind of amazed at just how many of my own "Stones" came to mind as I thought about her question. I was so touched by all that I remembered, that I responded automatically with my question. "I wonder if we could make a necklace out of stone, that we could always carry with us as a personal memorial?" And so it began. The seed was planted, and over the next 9 years, this concept of remembering God has grown into what you see today and into what you don't yet see. The Lord has expanded the original idea of the "stone necklace" into several ideas designed to not only allow you to remember just how big our God is, but will help to infuse HOPE, HEALTH and Transforming LIFE into your own personal journey.
God uses sooo many different ways of getting our attention and of drawing us to Himself. For the Israelites, it was literally a set of stones that He used to cause them to remember just how capable and how willing He was to move on their behalf. For us today His "Stones" may look a bit different, but they are His Stones non-the-less. Some come in the form of amazing blessings, such as the miraculous elimination of debt, a job promotion, healing in your body, or the birth of a long awaited child. Some also come in the form of hardship such as an illness, financial difficulty or perhaps a devestating loss. How can this be?
"...ALL things work together for good to those who love God..." (Rom. 8:28 NKJV) Not some things, ALL things, and when we remember this, we can rest assured that no matter what we encounter in this fallen world, God will use it to propel us into the calling that He has already designed for us. When we trust Him, no matter the situation, then the "Stone" that He has placed, will be used to pave and uniquely create the path that He has layed out for us. This is why these "Stones" are so important. When we forget them, we lose our way. When we remember them, we have the assurance that not only will He pave the way, but He will walk right there beside us, all while maturing and training us to live a life of VICTORY and TRANSFORMATION from the inside out!
I am truly honored that you are embarking on this journey with me! May we never miss another opportunity to collect one of God's awesome "Stones" again :)
Let the Journey Begin!
-Ali
*To check out "Believing God" and other resources by Beth Moore and LifeWay Minitries, click on the photo above.
