The Past Is Over (Jesus Brings New Life.)

Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life.- Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Why can it be so hard to walk in the restoration of the Lord? I think it's because our flesh fights to pull us back to where we once were. Not physically but mentally. When we surrender our lives to Christ and He restores everything that the enemy stole ,we step into freedom. So why do so many Christians constantly live in mental bondage of the past? I'm asking this because I've seen it in my own life. When God brings something really amazing into your life your mind can kick into that mental bondage gear and make you think that whatever good thing that has been brought into your life is to good to be true because of what happened last time. This is a lie that the enemy uses to prevent you from stepping into the fullness of what God has for you. So many times we get hung up on "what happened last time" that we forget it was the "last time!" When we step into the redeeming grace of Jesus everything that happened "last time" is finished! Those same things are not going to bring you to ruin like they once did because Jesus has stepped in, covered you in His blood and righteousness, and taken back everything the enemy took from you. Sometimes I can find myself living in the mindset of "what happened last time." Every time I go into that mindset though I find that it brings me to bondage and doesn't line up with what God has said about my life. God delights in me, He paid the price for my freedom, He has removed my shackles and said "It is finished." Your past does not define the blessings of your future because your history has been re written with the blood of Jesus. His life becomes ours and any thought that doesn't line up with that is a thought from Satan. We can get so hung up on the past, myself included. When things went wrong before, it's our human nature to think it will go wrong again. It's time for us to stop chasing shadows of the past and start chasing the glorious light and freedom of Jesus! God is a redeeming God! When we commit our hearts, minds, and lives to Him restoration becomes out portion. As children of God we have been given a powerful heritage "no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me, declares the Lord." (Isaiah 54:17). God has vindicated you and no force of hell or attack of the past can prevail against you! The blood of Jesus runs through your veins and this truth reigns in our souls. We have been vindicated and everything of the past is of the past! I encourage you guys today, along with myself, don't allow things of the past to manipulate what God is doing in your life right now. Embrace the restoration of The Lord, knowing that while it may be undeserved it is a powerful testimony to the goodness of God. Step into the freedom of Jesus and walk away from the "what happened last time" mentality. Jesus has things in store for you beyond comprehension. We go from glory to glory. - Sofia  

Craving Jesus. Loosing Comfort.

"Lord, help me to crave You more than I crave comfort." The Holy Spirit deposited this prayer in my spirit yesterday as I was sitting in the doctors office waiting room. I instantly wrote it down. It's funny that this very prayer that I would not fall into always being comfortable made me feel very uncomfortable.  I think it's really powerful when the Holy Spirit gives you something to pray because it's not your own will or flesh, but it's God praying through you. The last prayer Holy Spirit gave me to pray was "Jesus I want to live in your heartbeat." For some reason I feel like I'm getting ready to enter into a new season, even though it feels like I've only been in this season for a short amount of time.One thing I've learned is that when the Holy Spirit gives you something to pray and you are obedient to praying that God begins to move in ways you've never experienced. When I submitted to the prayer the Holy Spirit gave me back in January, God wrecked my world with His amazing love like I had never experienced before. In just these short two months my heart has touched Jesus' heart in ways that I never knew possible. God stepped in and redeemed all of the time that I spent not giving my heart fully to Him and restored every promise that the enemy had convinced me I lost. I'm so thankful that I serve a God who never forgets or breaks His promises to us even when we forget or break our promises to Him. He is so merciful! So now I sit wondering what this next season is going to bring. I have to be honest that this prayer scares me a little. I know I'm not alone in saying that I like to be comfortable. I like feeling secure and in control, but I know that God's plan for my life is not that I feel in control or secure because of myself. His plan is that I am terrified of myself being in control and finding security in earthly things. God wants me to find security in nothing else but Him. He wants me to have no control so that I can know it is my King who has all of the control. This is so hard! My flesh fights with my spirit daily over wanting to have control. My flesh so badly wants to have security in earthly possessions. I want to have a nice career, a successful ministry, a big beautiful family, a nice house, an awesome husband, and so on. There's nothing wrong with wanting these things but the problem is that my flesh wants to find security in these things. While my flesh is fighting to find security in these things I hear the Spirit of God say "No, find security in Me." I know that this prayer is dangerous to the kingdom of darkness because when a Christian asks God to be taken out of their comfort zone miracles happen, people get saved, Satan gets crushed, and the church breaks out in revival. So of course as this prayer comes out of my lips daily, I will face spiritual warfare. I believe if there's anything the enemy wants more than unsaved people, it's Christians that are afraid to live radical lives for Jesus. My message to Satan is basically the same as Jesus' "Get thee behind me!" The devil has absolutely NO authority. This past Sunday the guest preacher at my church said something that convicted me greatly. "Fear is idolatry." If you fear something it's because you think it is powerful, which means you are worshiping it, which is idolatry. God has called us to fear Him only and to worship Him only.  So with boldness I rebuke Satan and say bye to the spirit of fear. God has called me to something so much bigger than myself. He wants to know that He can have my heart fully which means I may have to go through some things that show that He does. It can be scary thinking that but I have to trust that God is sovereign and nothing happens that He does not allow. If we are always comfortable we may never know what it truly means to fully rely on Jesus. This does not mean that we should live in fear of what's to come, God is a good Father and I am learning to trust in that truth daily. I have a radical spirit, and I want to see that radical spirit overflow out of my life. I know that God has called me to preach and that He wants to push that radical spirit and birth a wave of glory everywhere I go. From what I've seen and heard giving  birth is not pleasant experience, it's painful, but oh the joy that overwhelms the parents when they get to hold that baby. I think it's the same thing in the supernatural. Birthing things in the spirit realm may be painful, but the immense joy that comes when the delivery has taken place! I'm in the business of kicking Satan's butt and seeing God's people restored with the power of Jesus Christ. I'm praying right now that I will relentlessly pursue Jesus and that God takes me out of my comfort zone so that revival can brake forth. By the power of Christ in me I want to be able to don anything for Jesus! I pray that this sparks something in you guys reading this. That you will get on your faces before God and say "Jesus what do you want me to do, where do you want me to go? I say yes!" Know that when you ask God this you may get an answer that you did not expect and you may not be comfortable with it, but also know that God loves you so much and He is not going to bring you anywhere that He is not. He is your Father, your awesome Dad who is your holding your hand and is going to bring  you to places you could never go on your own. I'm still learning this and even as I type God is opening my heart to His love. God may take us out of our comfort zone but He will never take us out of the comfort of His Spirit. Step out of comfort and into Jesus' heart beat today. It will reap an eternal reward that no devil in hell can steal. Thank you Jesus! -Sofia

"Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery? says the LORD." - Isaiah 66:9

Living in His Heartbeat (Divine Healing)

The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see you." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. - Mark 10:51-52

Healing flows out of the heartbeat of Jesus. As I sit at Jesus' feet and live in His heartbeat His love for us and infallible Word to us becomes clearer to me and so much more tangible. One thing that God has pressed on my heart so passionately is divine healing. I've grown up in church where healing is a normal thing. I remember being young and laying hands on sick kids and praying that God would heal them. I've always been passionate about healing, but God is showing it to me in a new way. He is revealing it to me through His eyes. I can say with great joy and thankfulness that God has placed me in two churches, one back home and one here at college, where people are getting healed of sickness left and right. It is truly one of the most amazing things to witness, and I believe that is how God intended for the church to operate. In Mark 16:17 Jesus says "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." I believe with all of my heart that healing, signs, wonders, tongues, and the whole shabang is just as real today as it was when the Apostles were living. Jesus said that these signs will accompany those who believe, if you are a believer of Jesus Christ these things are made available to you for the sole purpose of glorifying God. The lashes that Jesus took for us were not just so we could enter the kingdom of God but so that healing would be made available to us. God's very essence is healing. When Jesus was on the cross He took on all of our sickness and infirmities. He took our sickness so that we could be made whole. Not just our spiritual sickness but our physical sickness as well. God is passionate about seeing His children healed. As I spend more time in His presence and Word this truth continues to ring in my spirit. The enemy wants the church to go into confusion and think that it is God's will when someone gets sick. It is not God's will for someone to get sick. We live in a fallen world full of sin, that's why sickness exist. When you live in the heartbeat of Jesus and spend time at His feet He reveals His heart to you and you come into the truth that He has set His affection on you. Imagine if you had children or if you do, would you ever in your will want them to be sick? Probably not. So how much more would your perfect heavenly Father want that for our lives. Jesus' heart is healing because He is the healer. As I've spent time in His presence and as He has poured His heart out on me I've experienced His healing power enter my life like never before. If you're sick or know someone who is, whether spiritually or physically, I encourage you to lay hands on them or yourself and pray for healing. Not without boldness or in a begging manner, but with the confidence that you or whoever you are praying for is already healed in the Name of Jesus! Healing is your portion because Jesus is your portion and Jesus is a healer. I know that there can be many disputes on this topic but I don't so much care about getting caught up in theological arguments, I care about chasing after the heart of Jesus and letting Him humble me as He reveals His heart and Word to me. I don't want to be looked at as a typical, safe, church girl. I want to be looked at as a radical, Holy Ghost filled, Jesus chaser who isn't afraid to actually do what the bible says, and that includes laying hands on the sick. I pray that through this lifestyle of mine Jesus is glorified above all, and that others are compelled to experience Him in that way. Sit at His feet today and ask Holy Spirit to reveal to you why healing flows out of Jesus' heart. He will blow your mind. Let us be like Bartimaeus who longed to see Jesus and had great enough faith to believe that he would. Remember that Jesus' heart beats passionately for you and that by His stripes you are healed. - Sofia

Living In His Heartbeat (Purpose)

The more that I find myself going deeper into the heartbeat of Jesus, the more I find His heart and purpose for my life being revealed. A few years ago when God met me where I was and completely wrecked my life with His presence He spoke this bible verse into my spirit.

   "Therefore this is what the Lord says: If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you," declares the Lord." -Jeremiah 15:19-20

At the time I didn't realize that God was placing a prophetic Word in my life that would soon birth in me a passion to preach. I didn't realize that this was a calling from my Savior to step into the purpose for which He has birthed me. Over the years I've gone through trials that have tested my faith and worn me out. I've submitted to my flesh rather than submitting to the Spirit. I've failed and have been disobedient. Through all of these things God has brought me closer and closer to His heart. Through each trial He reveals to me more of His purpose for my life. I wouldn't say that I have it all figured out and know exactly where God is going to call me. But I do know that I have a divine purpose and that as I sit at Jesus' feet more and more that purpose has been revealed. Jesus' heart beats for our purpose. Why? Because the purpose for which God has planned for us will glorify Him, bring souls into His kingdom, release revival, and send out His unrelenting love to every place that our feet step. You don't have to be called to be a pastor in order for these things to happen. Because these things are God's purpose for each of our lives. The enemy loves to send confusion into our lives so we become worried as to what our calling/purpose is. When I was in high school I would always hear people talk about what they wanted to have as a career and I would get overwhelmed because not only did I not know what I wanted to do but I did not feel a passion for what would be considered a normal job. When I got hung up on this confusion it turned into frustration which then led to me being upset with God. That's exactly what the enemy wanted. But I've found that submitting to the confusion of the enemy only brings you further from your purpose. Instead of submitting to the enemies confusion I started siting at Jesus' feet and saying "Lord this is your life take it, use it, do whatever you want because I have no idea what I'm doing." The more I do this, the more I find that Jesus is just as concerned with our purpose as we are. He wants to see this life that He has birthed flourish in His joy and Spirit. He wants to see the things which He has set you apart with before the beginning of the world come to fulfillment. You guys, the more that we spend time with our King the more His purpose begins to unfold in our lives. It's a supernatural process that requires of us to be faithful because we may not always be able to see where we are going. But it is so worth it. I am a strong believer that God has set a divine purpose for your life. He knew what it was before you were even growing in your mom's womb. Don't let the world tell you any differently and don't submit to the lies of the enemy. Go and sit at Jesus' feet and say "Jesus dream through me, breathe through me, have my life and let the purpose for which you have created it come to fulfillment." I promise that when we do this with open hands and open hearts He will allow us to see ourselves through His eyes and will place us right in the center of the purpose for which His heart beats. You have purpose beyond your understanding. Instead of seeking the purpose, seek the One who has created the purpose. -Sofia 

Living In His Heartbeat

"As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you."-Isaiah 62:5

The more I seek Him, the more I find Him. This has become so true in my life. The more and more that I press into Jesus the more He meets me and overwhelms me in His presence. Jesus' heart beats for us. When the Holy Spirit revealed this truth to me it wrecked my world. I look back at my life and sometimes think "How in the world did I live without constantly being saturated in the presence of God" I realize that I wasn't truly living or fully alive. My heart had not yet been fully awakened by the lover of my soul because I had not yet surrendered. But oh the rush of glory that overtook my life when I truly surrendered to my King! We were created by God and for Him. We are not meant to be out of fellowship with the very One who formed our inmost being. You know how your heartbeats really fast when you're super excited or when you're with the person that you're in love with? That's how Jesus is with us. I believe that His heart beats fast and passionately for us. He is excited about us and takes the utmost joy in our fellowship with Him. A lot of this I'm just discovering.My Savior is letting me see myself through His eyes and it's changing my life. I've never been at a more intimate place in my life with Jesus than I am now. It all came out of surrender. Saying "Jesus I"m scared and hurting and I don't want to let go of my flesh but help me, I give all of me to You, please have my heart." I hear Him say "You don't have to say please I've been waiting for this moment." I share this with you guys because I believe God has placed a mantle over my life to minister to people by sharing my heart for Jesus and most importantly by sharing His heart for us. Living in the heartbeat of Jesus is many things. It's to realize that we can't do life without Him, It's to surrender our hearts, souls, and minds at His feet, Most importantly it's to step out of the "oh yeah I'm a Christian" mentality and to step into the glory filled love of our King. To live this life in the midst of the wild and relentless love of Jesus is to be in His heartbeat. Like I said earlier Jesus' heart beats for us. I want to express this truth with my life and words. I want people to experience life in the heartbeat of Jesus. I believe that I am alive to know Jesus and to make Him known. My heart beats for the presence of God and to see His supernatural love and glory fill His church and His people.  My heart beats to see the sick healed, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. My heart beats to see chains broken off of peoples lives by the blood of Jesus. My heart beats to see salvation. My heart beats to see others experience the restoration found only in Jesus. I pray that as I take on this adventure of living in the heartbeat of Jesus that it not only effects my life but that it overflows into every life I encounter. I'm not perfect but my God is and I want His perfect love to flow out of my spirit so that others can encounter Him. Throughout this series I encourage you guys to pray to experience living in the heartbeat of Jesus. Pray that He changes your heart and removes everything from you that is not of Him. Jesus loves you, He is passionate about you, He wants all of you. His heart beats for you as if you were the only person on planet earth. This isn't just a one time event it's a lifestyle from glory to glory.- Sofia

I got this amazing blouse from my favorite clothing store called Altar'd State. It's a beautiful Christian boutique that shines with the love of Jesus and sells the cutest clothes. All the proceeds support different organizations and charities. You guys should check them out!
http://www.altardstate.com/

Glory Sunday's

Happy Sunday everyone!! I hope you all have been having a refreshing weekend. This weekend has definitely been eventful. Spring break has begun!! Me and my lovely roommate/best friend made the 3 hour treck from Liberty to DC Friday evening and having been relaxing and preparing for our week of adventure in the Nations Capital ever since. Today we visited Awakening Community Church/Prayer Furnace and it was AMAZING. I love traveling to different churches, meeting new people, and experiencing the manifest glory of God right here. We saw the kingdom of God become present in our very midst in church today and it was so awesome. I love when I go to church and people are dancing, jumping, singing, falling out under His glory, and just loving on Jesus. Both Katarina and I had such a joyful time and fell in love with this body of Christ. The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but power! I can't wait to come back!

Since the weather was so beautiful and our outfits were picture worthy we decided to have a mini photoshoot.  I am wearing a Forever 21 cable knit sweater (I'm obsessed), an added waist belt, flower print dress, tights, and booties.
Kat is wearing a Forever 21 dress (we're twins) and cute knee boots. I love dressing up and these outfits definitely express our individuality. Kat is a boho hippie and I'm super girly. I love how fashion can so much about a person! Hope you guys have a great week full of God's glory and presence and tons of adventure! - Sofia

Passion and Purpose

It is so crazy to think that I started this blog two years ago! Watching it grow and seeing the impact that God has used it to have on people's lives has been the coolest thing and has humbled and blessed me greatly. One thing that has been really awesome is to see how much I have grown through the process of this blog. Two years ago I was a junior in high school with this idea from God to start blogging and encouraging girls through fashion and God's Word. Now I am a freshman at the greatest college in the world with an even greater passion to minister to women everywhere with fashion and Jesus. Pursuing fashion and business as a career is a dream but pursuing the calling of ministry is such a story of redemption. In the past two years God has set me on fire and plunged me into His love like never before. I've never been so excited about His kingdom and the dreams that He has purposed in my heart. I didn't think I would be blogging for this long but God has continued to make Fashionably Faithful grow and has continued to fill me with different things in life, His Word, and fashion, to share. I truly believe in people's passions and dreams. God places things in us to increase His kingdom and change the world. I just want to encourage you guys that whatever your dreams and passions are, do not stop pursuing them! We serve a unique and creative God that wants to use your passions for something so much bigger than yourself. Over the past few years I've watched God use my passions and ideas to impact and inspire people all around me. It constantly blows my mind, I'm so unworthy of carrying out God's presence and mandate but yet He still uses me in the most unique ways.  Blogging is one of my passions because it is a way for me to reach numerous amount of people with the love of Christ. I pray that God will continue to use me in whatever way He wants. Whether it be blogging, opening up my own store, spending time with people and letting them know they matter, taking out the trash, babysitting, or all of these, whatever it might be I want to be able to say "yes Jesus". I encourage you guys to never stop pursing the dreams God has purposed in your heart. Do not give up or let the world tell you it's not possible. When you use the dreams in your heart to glorify God he will take them further than you ever imagined. I never thought I would still be blogging and seeing it encourage people everywhere. But God knew. I'm so thankful for each and everyone of you who reads this blog and who encourages me in my walk with Jesus. I pray that you all can be inspired through Fashionably Faithful's story to continue relentlessly pursuing Jesus. God has created you for purpose. Chase after Him and everything else will follow. Here's to many more years of blogging, pursuing Jesus, and allowing the passions He has set in my heart to change every life I encounter. Love you guys and I would love to here from you on what your God given dreams and passions are so that I can pray for them! I pray that Fashionably Faithful can continue to inspire each of you in abundance!- Sofia

"He is mighty,and firm in His purpose." - Job 36:5

Streams In The Wasteland

"For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams." -Isaiah 44:3-4

 I am so captivated by God's heart for us. Over the past month I've been experiencing His heart like never before. At then end of January I was coming out of a hard season in my life where I wasn't really listening to God and I just kind of did my own thing. God spoke to me, when I finally admitted my wrongs and surrendered, and told me He wanted to place the Bethel anointing in my life. At the time I didn't fully understand or know what that would look like but now I am in the thick of it and it blows my mind. I've been experiencing the love of Jesus like never before. He has brought me into such an intimate season with Him and I don't think I've ever been so in love with Him. Most recently He has been giving me visions. It's the same vision over and over but it is so powerful and always leaves me in greater awe of God. In the vision Jesus is sitting in a chair at a table and I'm sitting at His feet with my knees up to my chin staring at Him with this childlike love. He looks at me with these eyes that are burning with love and wonder. He begins to laugh the most incredible laugh and  I join in. We began talking, I have no idea what we're talking about, but we are just laughing hysterically. I'm sitting there at the feet of my King and He is taking delight in me. There are times when He reaches down to me and takes my hands in His and He cries. In my spirit I can feel that He is crying tears of joy and wonder. "My Child." that's what He calls me. This is the most intimate vision I've ever had and it has changed my life. Jesus is constantly changing my life with His amazing love, but this is so incredible. I mean I just saw myself sitting at the feet of my King. My King who I have disobeyed, denied, fought against, given up hope in. And He is taking delight in me. He is laughing with me, comforting me, and crying over my presence with Him. And there I am sitting at His feet in complete wonder and awe. My heart feels so full it could burst and then He weeps and calls me His child. I am so wrecked by His love. Even as I'm typing this tears stream down my face because I am overwhelmed by my God. I share this with you guys because this is how God looks at us. Jesus is madly in love with us. He just wants us to sit with Him, to rest in His presence, to tell Him about our day and laugh with Him or cry. He wants me. He wants us. I want you guys to see that Jesus wants to sit with you and take delight in you. Isn't that one of the most beautiful truths to discover. That Jesus takes delight in us. Even though we can be so annoying and disobedient and wrong. He still delights in us. There is so much found at the feet of Jesus. Peace, joy, love, restoration, quenched thirst, healing. Just look at the story of Mary and Martha. When Jesus went to stay at their house Mary sat at Jesus' feet listening to Him and soaking in everything that He said, while Martha was distracted and ran about doing work. Martha got frustrated with Mary because she was sitting at Jesus' feet and not helping her. She complained to Jesus and this is what Jesus said "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."(Luke 10:41-42). Jesus wants us to sit down at His feet. He wants to pour His Spirit into us and over us. He want to take all dry ground in your life and water it with His love causing streams to flow through everything that was once dead and dry. God wants to take the dry things in your life and make them quenched. He wants to breathe life into everything in your life that is dead. He wants to give you streams in the wasteland and cover you with flowing streams. All of these things come by sitting at Jesus' feet. I encourage you guys to encounter the heart of Jesus today. Just pray "Jesus I want to be in your heartbeat." If you are desperate and in need of a fresh wave of glory from the lover of your soul, get on your face before God and ask Him to flood your dryness with living water. Jesus doesn't just want you to be saved, He wants you to be filled with His love. He wants to laugh with you and bring redemption and restoration. He loves us so much guys. I pray that everyone who reads this encounters God's heart like they never have before. I pray that you guys experience His supernatural love for you and that your dry grounds become streams of living water as you long to get at His feet. Jesus is calling us to the table because He wants to lavish His love on us as we lavish our praise on Him. Come to the feet of Jesus, it will change your life.- Love Sofia. 

The vibrant blue colors in my skirt and sweater inspired today's post. I love how Jesus uses fashion to remind me of Him.