The Captivating Woman

Designed with purpose.

Passion Week: Palm Sunday

Passion Week (noun): the week between Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday. Also known as Holy Week. 

“Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” – Hebrews 12:2

Matthew 21: 1-11

As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.” This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said, “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.’” The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!” The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked. And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

John 12: 20-36

Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus. Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name.” Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him. Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” He said this to indicate how he was going to die. The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?” Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.” After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.

Introduction to Passion Week

Passion Week (noun): the week between Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday. Also known as Holy Week. 

Passion Week is a very special time in the church. It covers the last few days of Jesus’ life until His death and resurrection.

Together, we will be reading scripture which will tell of the story of Jesus, leading up to his death. We will also reflect on the passion of Jesus; the passion so that He could suffer for us and our sins. What a magnificent Man to come to this earth, knowing that the ultimate goal was to die for all.

He knew of the joy at the end, though.

“Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” – Hebrews 12:2

Praise the Father that there was joy for the Son.

Starting Sunday, we will be reading together as a community. Join us everyday, up until Easter. Invite your friends to join us as well.

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See you on Sunday.

Promises

Promise is a beautiful word that holds huge expectations.

I often think that people do not understand the importance of saying the words “I promise”. How many of you have had someone say “I promise” to you in hopes that what they are promising will come true?

I know that this has happened to me on some occasions. The few major promises that were spoken to me did not quite come true. Whether it was my previous employer saying that they will “promise” to give me a raise, my dad saying that he will “promise” to remain in my life, or my friend who will “promise” to keep in touch and maintain some sort of a relationship with me. I cannot say that I ever saw these promises be fulfilled.

But then I have to take a step back and look at my life. Was there ever a time that I made a promise to someone that I could not keep? Of course. There was a time when I promised to meet and hang with my friends and instead I went to dinner with my ex-boyfriend and his friends. There have also been times when I promised my own family that I would do a particular thing, and I unfortunately did not follow through. We all get caught in the easy way of saying “I promise” without taking a step back and looking at the repercussions.   

This past week I have been thinking about a broken promise that was made to me a while back.  I played the words over and over in my head.  One way for me to cope with this broken promise was to do some research on this strong word.

The definition of the word promise is:

a declaration or assurance that one will do or will not do a particular thing.

A few synonyms I found are vow, pledge, and oath.  What a powerful definition for word that is so loosely used.   

It is easy to get caught up in reflecting on the empty promises in our lives. It is easy to become bitter and to sit and wallow about the things that did not come true.  However, sitting and thinking about all the hurt, will not bring us happiness.  A broken promise, whether it be small or large, will never be excusable.  It will of course cause heartache and pain.  So how do we move on from the brokenness in our lives?

Although we are constantly burdened and hurt by the broken promises people stowed upon us, there is one promise that will always remain.  The promise of God’s never ending love will never be broken. There have been times when I felt alone.  I felt angry and wondered why God didn’t show up in certain situations.  Why did this pain have to occur? Yet God showed love to me in different ways. God reminded me that His promise of never-ending love, and always being there for me will never go away. As Jesus was walking with His cross on the way to His own crucifixion, He easily could have dropped that cross, walked away, and went to Heaven to be with God. He could have avoided the pain and suffering…but He didn’t.  

He chose to die on the cross for us. To be beaten and afflicted for us. To be ridiculed and mocked for us. Just to show us how much He loves us. To show us, how much he cares for us. To show us that He will never leave us nor forsake us in our time of need.  To show us that He is the one true God. He knew what was going to happen. He knew the pain that He was going to experience. The ridicule He was going to face.  

Yet through it all, He kept His promise. His promise to be the ultimate sacrifice. To die for our sins just to show us how much He loves us.  

People and their actions can be a disappointment. We hate to admit it, but that’s the truth.  
The power and love of Jesus Christ, will never disappoint. It will never be broken. He is the promise that will never be broken.

Meet Tasha Branham

I met Tasha through an email. I posted a photo on our Instagram to start the search for “Captivating Women of 2016”. Tasha, boldly sent her email. I instantly was in awe and captivated by her. You’ll read her story and learn what she does. She’s amazing, talented, and her own girl boss. We are excited to share Tasha with you! Everyone, please meet Tasha Branham.


Question: Where do you live & how old are you?
Answer: I am 35 years old and I live in Columbus, Ohio.

Q: What do you do for a living?
A: I am the CEO of Naturally Smitten (@naturallysmitten) which is a line of natural products that I developed. We are currently in select Walmart stores nationwide. Our products can also be found abroad in France, the UK, and Australia. I am also the Co-Founder of The Grapevine Box (@thegrapevinebox). The Grapevine Box is a monthly subscription service that introduces new and emerging brands to consumers. I am also a consultant for businesses and ministries. I work as a brand strategist in helping companies implement social media efforts to speak to and attract their target audience.

Q: What three words describe you?
A: Encourager. Creative. Worshipper.

Q: Give us a day in the life of Tasha.
A: My day starts at 6am. I have two sons and I make sure that they are up and ready for school. Once the boys are gone for the day, I use my initial alone time for prayer, worship and intercession. It helps me to set the tone for my day. Being a CEO and having so many things going at once, my days can be rather unpredictable. I find that if I enter His presence early, He can carry me through my day.

After prayer time, I make my to-do list. This list helps me to stay on task. As a creative, its easy to allow your creative mode to drive your day, and before you know it, you didn’t make it to any other task on your to-do list because you spent too much time in creative land!

My to-do list is followed with responding to emails, sending emails, checking our social media, planning posts for the day, and any order fulfillment. I also devote a lot of time in conducting research and brand analysis for some of the brands I work with. I also live for meetings! I have meetings and conference calls every day of the week. Sometimes, I’ll have meetings that run all day or they’ll be scheduled back, to back, to back.

Once my boys are home from school, I have to put the mom and wife hat back on while I simultaneously work. As a CEO, your work never really ends. It may just slightly pause until you have to pick it back up.

My evenings are typically jam packed as well. I will schedule in family time with my husband and kids as much as we can. My husband and I are also Co-Pastors of Advance Church Columbus. During the evening is typically when I will schedule in mentorship time with women that I am mentoring. Our church has a discipleship model and my husband and I spend time throughout our week conducting one on one time with some of the members of our church.

Q: What is the favorite part of your job(s)?
A: My favorite part of my job is inspiring others. God has blessed me in a way that has given me the opportunity to inspire other people to chase after God and to pursue the dreams/desires He’s given them. That is the thing I am most passionate about. I absolutely love to encourage women to pursue their passions.

Q: Do you ever feel disqualified?
A: Absolutely! When I share with people my journey to Walmart, I always tell them about how we made it on shelf with absolutely no money. It was a faith walk from the very beginning. Since then, I’ve had to believe God even more. Walmart wasn’t the end! Its been a huge test for me and people have often looked up to me as one that has great faith. I actually have struggled with fear and doubt often. I’m always encouraging others in their faith when my faith wavers. It’s easy for me to allow my bouts with fear to make me feel like I am disqualified to receive God’s blessings and to be an inspiration to others when I don’t have it all together!

Q: What is the biggest thing you’ve learned on your journey?
A: I learned that if we place limitations on God, that it limits Him moving in your life. I used to dream but I dreamt small. The things I prayed about and asked God for were small in comparison to His purpose for my life. When I would pray concerning the desires of my heart, He would move. I would get a new job or a new opportunity, etc but I wasn’t fulfilled. I began to seek Him to learn more about what His plans were for my life. Once He began to speak, I was able to see just how great His desires were for me. So…I began to dream a little bigger. And a little bigger. And a little bigger. I had to learn that there is no-thing that is too hard for the One who created the earth and the heavens in six days. Who else can compare to that? No one! I began to allow Him to woo me in my relationship with Him. I became hopelessly lovestruck and now, there’s nothing I won’t do for Him. I took God out of the neat little box I had placed Him in and I am now living my dream as they unfold on by one. I am so fulfilled knowing that I am doing His work and that I am positively impacting the lives of others!

Q: Favorite verse?
A: Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Q: What makes a Captivating Woman?
A: I believe a Captivating Woman is a woman that has the ability to impact and positively change the lives of other women. Her life is one to be inspired by. Her relationship with God is a source of encouragement. She is modest, caring, and walking in God’s unwavering love. A Captivating Woman displays the fruit of God’s Spirit in every area of her life.

Q: Favorite story in the Bible?
A: I enjoy most of the Old Testament! It’s so hard to choose. I’d say that my favorite read is when the Children of Israel were delivered from their captors in Egypt and lead into their promised land. There are so many life lessons throughout their journey!

Q: Who are some Captivating Women in your life that we need to know about?
A: My friend Lena. I love Lena. I really do. She is so creative and such an inspiration! If you met her, you’d love her just as much as I do! She is the Founder of Farmhouse Frocks (@farmhousefrocks) and to me, she’s a walking model of faith!

Find Tasha here, as well as check out her businesses!

Instagram: @tashabranham
Twitter: @tashabranham
Snapchat: @tashabranham
Website (in working progress): www.tashabranham.com

The Grapevine Box:

Instagram: @thegrapevinebox

Naturally Smitten:

Blessings/Answered Prayers Jar

Hey ya’ll!

So a few years ago I was looking on Pinterest and I realized I had pinned a bunch of prayer jars onto my “Crafts I Love but Will Never Have Time to Make” board. It was summer time and for the first time, I actually had time to make a craft. The jars all were so pretty on Pinterest and seemed easy enough. So I went out and got the materials I needed from Michaels.

While I was making it, I was thinking about all the prayers I would write down and put in this jar. Even just thinking about it, I was thinking about putting in things like family, friends, future school endeavors etc. There were so many, that I thought if I wrote them all down I would probably fill at least a quarter of the jar in one sitting. Then I got realistic and realized more than likely I won’t actually use this every time I have a prayer because prayer is constant and I feel that I am just always adding to the list of prayers I have.

It was then that I realized how rarely I really sit down, praise God and thank him for answered prayers and the blessings he provides in my life.

It’s easy to forget to do that, huh? So I decided to make a Blessings/Answered Prayers Jar instead. I thought it was a great concept to write down answered prayers and put them in a jar as a reminder of the times that God came through and answered my prayers. It reminds me that when I am in the midst of waiting for a prayer to be answered, I need to be patient.

I have had this jar for three years now. Reading through some of these have brought tears to my eyes because God is good. He is so good. He provided. He answered my prayers in ways that I did not even realize until later. They were better than I had ever hoped. I had a prayer from before I even started college that wasn’t answered until the beginning of my senior year of college. His answer was better than I could have ever prayed for or imagined. Having this jar has changed the way I pray. It has reminded me to just say “Thank You” because He is working and He is working for your good.

Materials Needed:

  • Jar
  • 2-3” Ribbon
  • Sharpie
  • Glitter paper
  • Hot Glue
  • Index cards
  • Scissors

Step 1: Go to Michaels/Hobby Lobby/Craft and buy any of the supplies that you do not already have.

Step 2: Pick a Bible verse that you like or that you feel reminds you to be thankful for your blessings. I chose 1 Chronicles 16:8-12:

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.”

Step 3: Write the Bible verse or part of the Bible verse on the ribbon.

Step 4: Glue the ribbon around the jar. I chose the bottom portion of the jar for mine, but you can chose another spot.

Step 5: Cut out the colored or glitter paper and write Blessings Jar, Answered Prayers jar, or whatever you would like to call your jar. If you use glitter paper I recommend cutting out other non-glitter paper and writing on that and then gluing that to the glitter paper.

Step 6: Cut up a bunch of pieces of paper. I recommend index cards and cutting them in half as it stays sturdier and looks cleaner when it is in the jar.

Step 7: Enjoy your jar as well as thanking our Father for the blessing and answered prayers.

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