JJ Heller - What Love Really Means (Official Music Video)

Happy Wednesday Girls,

I thought you girls would enjoy JJ Heller's new song "What Love Really Means." We all want to be loved as we are - not half-heartedly or with pretense or condition.

What is it like to truly be loved for you...not for "what you have done or what you will become?"

Click here to see the interview I did with JJ this summer if you haven't already checked it out. Isn't she the sweetest?

Reflections: Teen Girls Event Featuring the Wonderfully Made Team

Happy Friday Girls!

I want to tell you about the following upcoming event our team (myself, Kayla, Natalie & Christie) are speaking at on October 15th & 16th in Fresno, California & invite you all to come out and join us! We've been invited by NorthPointe Community Church to serve as the keynote speakers for their teen girls event called Reflections. We are each going to share our story as we expose the wrong places we as girls and women turn to for a reflection of our value & worth. If you'd like to come call NorthPointe at (559) 276-2300 to reserve your tickets! Our lovely photographer Katee Grace is going to be hosting a free photo booth and there will be shopping & beauty booths, yummy dessert, giveaways and more! We hope you can join us!

Have a beautiful weekend and choose to walk in the truth of who you are - a beloved, chosen daughter of God.

Do you love God more than your old life?

The following is a guest post by one of our dear WM Pepperdine leaders, Krisitina Fertala:


A couple Sundays ago, my pastor proposed a question to me and for many reasons left me with an unfamiliar uncomfortable feeling. From that moment, a wheel of thoughts started rotating in my mind asking the question: Do I love God more than my old life?

This question asks if I am truly happy and so in love with the Lord that no matter how much fun my old life was, God is worth much, much more. But I have had faith as a part of my life for a long time, and so this question confused me.

“I don’t have an old life apart from God,” I thought. But as I thought some more, I realized that we all have an old life. An old life can be anything from the extreme of an addiction, ranging to little mental sins or acts based on self-righteousness. I know I can look back on the past two years and place them in the category of my “old life,” or a life that was much more comfortable for me in comparison to how I am living now.

The comfort of my old life was having control: control over my body, over my relationships, and attempted control over the direction of my life. It was easy for me to go through life that way because I thought I had what I wanted and needed for happiness. Most of all, there were no surprises such as an undesirable body weight, a broken heart, or a failed situation that would make me feel uncomfortable and out of my own control. It is so desirable to live in the way that gives us the most control, as we try to fill our thirsty hearts with what we feel is the best solution. But there it is: in that moment, we are saying to God, “I love my old life more than you. I love being in control of my life more than I love you, and ultimately I love myself more than I love you, God.”

It says in Matthew 6:24,

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other…”

Although we do not need to despise our own lives, as many believers may see as sinful ‘humanness,’ to love God fully, we do need to love the life that God has given us and love him with the faith that his wisdom for our lives is above all else.

But why did that question make me feel so uncomfortable? Thinking about it, I discovered that I still see parts of my “old life” appealing and desirable.

When things get rough or frustrating, my first instinct is to think of a plan; how am I going to fix this problem, what do I need to do to make myself feel better? And there I am, placing myself right back where I was before, trying to control my life and not allowing God to work in the ways that are best for me, loving myself more than God.

When I look back at my old life, there were many things that were easier, but there was no true happiness, no fulfillment, and certainly no peace. My life was so full of worldly happiness, like the size of my body or the friends I thought would give me what I needed—things that could never fill my soul of what truly satisfies. What truly satisfies is God’s love.


So, I’ll ask again: Do you love God more than your old life? And to add to that: Do you love God more than comfort, more than control, and more than this world?

The life of loving God more than yourself is challenging and extremely uncomfortable, but when all is said and done, and we start depending on him to fill our hurt and get us through our challenges, aren’t those the things that make us feel stronger in His love? When we look at our struggles as acts of love from God we can view our lives in a completely different perspective. When I look at the hurt or the frustration of a day, I stop focusing on myself and my hardship. I strive to look to the lives and struggles of others and use my experience as a testimonial to support the people in my community and my life. I’m not saying that it is an easy fix of an old habit, or is the solution to solve all my problems, but it is a goal that I can strive towards.

In Revelation chapter 2, God acknowledges,

“I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place…To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”

He knows that a life loving Him first will not be easy, and will not be comfortable. He knows that we will fall at times and go back to our old ways. I can stand as a witness to that statement and say that I struggle everyday with loving God more than my comfortable old life, but I also stand with the knowledge, that he will always be there to pick me up.

Each of us has our own struggles, our own hurts, and our own desires to live a comfortable life. It is something that presses on our hearts each and every day and we are faced with challenges and decisions. But we have a choice. We have free will given to us from our Lord to choose. You have the choice how you want to live you life.

So what’s it going to be? Are you going to love God more than your old life?

Watermelon Face & "Ocean Star" Giveaway!

Hey Girls!

In honor of the upcoming Designed to Shine workshop hosted by Christina DiMari, we've decided to give away another copy of her book "Ocean Star."

Here's how you can try to claim it as yours:

1) Leave a comment below telling us about one of the dreams you have for your life.

2) "LIKE" our Facebook Page (if you haven't already) & write on our wall: "Thanks for the 'Ocean Star' giveaway on the wmBlog!"

We'll then every so randomly pick a winner! And because it is Random Thursday and the world wants to see your beautiful smile, I just had to show you this epic video from the Amazing Race my friend posted on her Facebook page. Have you ever gotten smacked in the face by anything random?

Eye Candy & Victorious Thinking

Happy Wednesday Girls,

I'm just working from one of my favorite coffee shops in the Santa Ynez Valley today (our internet still isn't working...grrr!) and as I write this am wondering how this day finds each of you. I know some of you are waking up full of joy while others of you may feel weary and are carrying a heavy heart. Wherever this day finds you, I want to share a simple truth - a victorious life flows from a mind filled with victorious thoughts. This is a simple, mentally difficult and life-changing truth I've especially been having to remind myself of lately.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8 TNIV)

I'm excited to share with some beautiful pictures our talented photographer Katee Grace captured of some of our pieces from the wmBoutique. If you are ever in need of a special gift for a friend or loved one, we invite you to stop by and shop our collection. Our soldered glass pendants are each handmade with love by our amazing designer Marcy and sales help support Wonderfully Made.

Our Signature WM V-neck Tee. $20

The front of our "Wings Like Eagles" Pendant. Features Isaiah 40:31 on the back. $26

The front of our "Rubies & Pearls" pendant. $28.

Our "I Am Free" Birdie Pendant. Sooo cute! $26

HerStory: Lindsay Jernigan

Today's HerStory is written by Lindsay Jernigan, one of the student leaders on Pepperdine's campus. Her story is a powerful one, and she is a walking testimony to God's faithfulness. Though she was once in darkness, she now lights up any room she walks into. She is such a blessing to our ministry and to the lives of everyone she meets!




The first time I remember calling myself fat was at 5 years old. A couple of months prior to that, the neighborhood boys made me play “doctor” with them, a game I realized wasn’t a game until much later in life, and it was shortly after the introduction of the game that I began to become uncomfortable in my own skin. From that moment on, I was constantly berating myself. Nothing was ever right. I was too short, too tall, too fat, flat chested, my hair was too frizzy, my eyes were too far apart or too close together. Every day I found something new to criticize. I never realized that this behavior was abnormal. I saw my mom do it, I saw my sister do it, I saw all my friends do it. It just seemed normal that girls and women were harsh on themselves when it came to appearance. Eventually, things spiraled out of control.

The summer before my junior year of high school, I decided to get “healthy” and begin working out and eating right. I began restricting my diet more and more to the point where I was emaciatingly thin. I felt completely trapped. All I could think about was food, exercise, and counting calories. I didn’t care about anyone around me. It was a suffocating pain that is impossible to understand unless you have experienced it. I was completely addicted to losing weight, and enough was never enough.

My eating disorder and refusal to get helped strained my relationships with everyone around me. My friends were fed up and my parents either broke down in tears or screamed at the top of their lungs. I could see these vital relationships quickly deteriorating and I didn’t care. I couldn’t stop and risk gaining any weight. Eventually the strain on my body physically became to great and I had more than one near fatal health scare. I even tried to take my own life. After my attempted suicide, I agreed to get help and today I am happy, healthy and 100% free of my addiction.

When I was in the midst of eating disorder and depression, my relationship with God waxed and waned. I remember praying to Him specifically that I would give my whole life to Him, but I just needed to control the eating thing. I told Him that He couldn’t have that, because it was my thing. The further into the eating disorder I drove, the further I pulled away from God. I remember feeling like He abandoned me. I yelled and screamed, I even told Him I hated him. As I began my recovery, I realized I was the one who walked out on Him. I see now that He was there the whole time. His grace is sufficient. There is nothing too great for Him. I learned that yes, God had to carry me through some difficult times, but He also helped me discover how much strength I possess. I learned how much resilience I have when I let God work though me.

Throughout my life, I have had to battle with a series of addictions, heartbreaks, and insecurities. I have had my fair share of struggles that I felt at times would completely break me. There were moments I didn’t know if I would make it through to the next day. But I did. It wasn’t ever easy, and I didn’t always want to trust God to take care of it. I’ve definitely felt very real pain, but I have learned that the pain is not what defines me. Scars are not beautiful because they are there. Scars are beautiful because they represent a wound that was able to heal. And healing truly is the beautiful part. I have been able to heal because of God’s amazing grace. He has brought me through every storm.

With each challenge I have been able to overcome, learn, and grow because of the strength I found in God. Today, I can say I am on the other side of my pain. I am still learning more and more every day, but I am now able to fully delight in the Lord. I am able to appreciate what I have gone through, and I will take the lessons I’ve learned and the strength I’ve gained with me for the rest of my life. I know that God will help me through anything I will encounter in life. I am His beloved.

The Mirror of God's Word

The world tells me who I am--and who I am not--every single day. Sometimes I find it difficult to navigate through the negative, and I get bogged down by expectations that have been established for me.

You're not as pretty as that girl over there. You're not as intelligent as that coworker over there. You'll never be able to run as fast as that girl who just passed by you on the trail. You don't know God as well as those other women at church.

These things are not true, of course. They are little lies that steep in my mind--getting stronger each day like a tea bag that has been left in the mug for too long--shaping my view of myself. Like a carnival mirror, they reflect a poor image of who I am, and easily leave me believing my eyes. But God's Word is true, and it shines back at me with a perfect reflection.

A few weeks ago while I was in Malibu launching our new chapter of Wonderfully Made at Pepperdine, I ran into a woman at Malibu Presbyterian Church who I adore and greatly admire and she gave me a copy of Nancy Stafford's "Beauty by the Book: Seeing Yourself as God Sees You." Today I want to share with you the truth that God shines back at you through the mirror of His Word, as taken from Nancy's book. I hope that it will be a firm reminder of your true identity, and how deeply loved and valued you are!

• I am His own. (1 Samuel 12:22)
• He sees my heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)
• He heals me. (2 Kings 20:5)
• He makes me glad with the joy of His presence. (Psalm 27:4)
• I will gaze upon the beauty of the Lord forever. (Psalm 27:4)
• He will never forsake me. (Psalm 27:10)
• He is near me. (Psalm 34:18)
• He is enthralled by my beauty. (Psalm 45:11)
• He rescues me. (Psalm 91:14)
• He crowns me with love and compassion. (Psalm 103:4)
• He satisfies my hunger with good things. (Psalm 107:9)
• I am wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)
• I speak words of life to others. (Proverbs 15:4)
• I belong to Him (Song of Songs 7:10)
• He bears my pain. (Isaiah 53:4)
• He gives me a crown of beauty instead of ashes. (Isaiah 61:3)
• He wraps me in a robe of righteousness. (Isaiah 61:10)
• He calls me by a new name. (Isaiah 62:2)
• He crowns me with splendor. (Isaiah 62:3)
• I am His workmanship. (Isaiah 64:8)
• He knows me. (Jeremiah 1:5)
• I bear His name. (Jeremiah 14:9)
• He loves me with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3)
• He speaks tenderly to me. (Hosea 2:14)
• He dresses me in rich garments. (Zechariah 3:4)
• He takes me to a quiet place and gives me rest. (Mark 6:31)
• He gives me treasure in heaven. (Luke 12:33)
• He does not judge me by appearances. (John 7:24)
• He sets me free. (John 8:36)
• I am chosen. (John 15:19)
• I reap holiness and eternal life. (Romans 6:22)
• I am accepted in the Beloved. (Romans 15:7)
• He sees me as I am. (2 Corinthians 3:16)
• He turns my hardship to glory. (2 Corinthians 4:17)
• He clothes me with Himself. (Galatians 3:27)
• He delivers me. (Galatians 5:1)
• He gives me power. (Ephesians 1:19)
• He redeems my past. (Philippians 3:13)
• He gives me hope. (2 Thess. 2:16)
• He encourages my heart. (2 Thess. 2:17)
• He sympathizes with my weakness. (Hebrews 4:15)
• He gives me everything I need. (2 Peter 1:3)

Does any of this resonate with you? Which mirror are you looking into?

In Love,

Natalie

I AM ALIVE

Labor Day. September 11^th. Suicide Prevention Week.

The convergence of these dates and their significance in my life leave me without excuse to be silent. For me they have become my Ebenezer stones or “stones of help” - reminders of God’s divine intervention in my fragile, fleeting life.

I am a survivor.

Nine years ago this month, severe clinical depression was violently destroying my picture-perfect world. Deep-seeded insecurity, stress, perfectionism, spiritual oppression and grave physiological imbalances collided, shattering my world in bits of broken pieces.

There are moments like right now when I second guess why I continue to share the ashes of my life instead of forever bury them beneath false appearances of someone who has always had it together.

But I’m alive and for the sake of my Savior I will not be silent.

But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! (Psalm 54:4).

I’ve known the feeling of death and dying within a body that keeps on living. I’ve known the ruminating, relentless thoughts of self-hate. I’ve known what it’s like to want to disappear forever and to believe the lie that world is better off without you in it.

But I also know that hope is real.

I know that such pain doesn’t equal permanence. That God is still mighty to save.

That the God who formed you and holds your life in His hand can heal your mind, mend your broken heart and give you a new song.

I believe that clinical depression is a very real, but very treatable illness that can have emotional, spiritual and of course physiological components. I know that if you are suffering, you are not alone and that there is hope for you too. Do not give up.

How has mental illness and/or suicide impacted you or your loved ones? Do you have a message of hope to share or a verse of encouragement?

For a list of resources & helplines, please visit the TWLOHA's Find Help page. Check out their I AM ALVE t-shirt which helps fund an online crisis network.

YELLOW ROSES FILM: Real girls. Real life. Real hope.

The voices are young and full of emotion.

“I just feel like I have to be perfect…We so desperately want to fit in…It’s a constant struggle.”

The faces are pretty but often contorted with uncertainty and pain.

“It’s just coming at you from all angles with everyone saying how you’re supposed to look and what you’re supposed to do…When I didn’t automatically fit in and I saw that people were making fun of me, I’d just go home and cry…On the inside I just hated myself and I thought, why am I not enough?”

-Yellow Roses

Ever since God first gave me the vision for Wonderfully Made, our team has unceasingly dreamt of creative ways we can share the struggle today's young women are enduring, and the message of hope God has for His daughters. I've always thought how epic it would be to create a documentary that authentically captured the world our generation of girls finds ourselves spinning in, while unveiling the message of our true value and worth in Christ. Well, the Yellow Roses team beat us to it and I'm so glad they did because I know this documentary will help raise awareness about the burdens our generation of girls is carrying and spread the hope-filled message of true beauty, purpose and worth God has for His daughters. I discovered the Yellow Roses film through our dear friend, Author & wmVoice Nicole Bromley whose powerful story is featured in the movie. Never before have I encountered a film that so poignantly captures the struggles every young woman encounters to some degree or another. I recently had the privilege of speaking with Karie Hughes, one of the films inspiring producers and we're exploring ways Wonderfully Made can come alongside their team in helping get this message out there! Stay tuned.

To purchase the Yellow Roses film & learn more about how to be involved, visit their website.

What are some of the struggles you face or have faced as a young woman?

Choose The Crown (by wmVoice Jennifer Strickland)

By Jennifer Strickland

A while back I had lunch with a woman who had honored me to share my testimony at her women’s luncheon. I had just moved from California to Texas at the time of my speaking and felt unusually emotional in front of the microphone. I nearly always shed a few tears at some point in telling my story, and at this particular event, the tears streamed down my face.

I am very honest when I tell about the world I came from. For the sake of the women in the room, I don’t wear a perfect mask; instead, I share my experience from the heart. I intimately recall what it was like to call out to God I didn’t know from a place of sheer darkness, to be answered by Him, and to pass by faith into a life of light. Typically, I speak and write from the pit of my stomach, from the place that remembers well a life without God at the helm. Over our debriefing luncheon, the woman commented that many women were moved by my testimony, but also asked if she could offer a correction.

“Absolutely,” I said, inching forward on the edge of my seat.

“The daughter of the King is not a victim, Jen,” she said, “She is a victor.”

At that moment I knew that as much as Christ had triumphed over my past, as much as God had restored my life with incredible blessing, I was at that time still speaking as a victim of the world. I was still giving more weight to the ways I was hurt than to the ways I’ve been healed. Why was it that I still shed tears when I told the story? Was I still hurt? Was I living like the wounded instead of the restored?

Many of you come from greater pains than I; many can’t even imagine life on earth without the Word as your guide. But if you have laid your life at the throne of Christ, you are given a beautiful, resplendent crown to wear, no matter where you come from.

Jesus came to “bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners … to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve … to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Isa 61:1-3

Are you giving the brokenness in your heart more weight than the fact that God can bind it up? Are you giving more weight to the captivity of your past or the freedom of your future? The darkness you’ve been released from or the shackle-free life ahead? The mourning or the comfort? The grief or the provision? The old spirit of despair or the new garment of praise? The ashes or the crown?

Recently, I felt the Lord ask me a simple question: Which weighs more, Jen, the crown or the ashes? The ashes are our pasts: the hurts, the injustices, the debts owed us, the ruins of what we had once hoped for but didn’t bear fruit. The crown of beauty is our future: the healing, the purpose, the truth, our cancelled debt, forgiveness, and grace. I have a beautiful crown I put on at some of my events to show women and girls the power of what it is to be a daughter of God. I think I’ll take a scale today and weigh some ashes and weigh that crown. Of course I already know which weighs more.

I refuse to put more weight on my ashes, for the past can’t tell us who we are. Instead, I lay hold of the crown of the Daughter of the King, which gives us an eternal identity and destiny. We are crowned in victory, hope, restoration, and joy. The crown of the faithful carries the weight of authority and purpose that no bucket of ashes could ever outweigh.

Today and in the days to come, choose the crown.

I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be resplendent.” Psalm 132:18

How has God traded in your ashes for a beautiful crown?

HerStory: Allie Hart

Allie Hart is Santa Clara University's fabulous Co-Director!

A RebelXSi camera,
2 duffel bags,
46 steps,

And I had made it onboard the MV Explorer. The Halifax, Nova Scotia wind blew my hair all over the place as I clumsily stepped onto the main deck of what would be my new home for the next four months.

I had said goodbye to my parents only moments before and found myself wishing to see them just one last time. I sent one last text to my boyfriend and reluctantly turned my cell phone off, dreading the next four months without it.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea…
I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Little did I know that the next four months would consist of some of the best experiences of my life. I don’t think I have ever witnessed as many God moments as I did while on that trip. And after just a few days on that boat, I knew it was exactly where He needed and wanted me to be.
The first incredible gift God gave me was a wonderful roommate, Anna, who would soon become my best friend. I know Anna will be one of the bridesmaids in my wedding-that is how close we were at the end of our adventure.

Anna taught me one of the most important aspects of friendship-honesty. Now... I don’t mean pseudo honesty. I mean the nitty gritty down to your core yucky stuff you don’t want to share with anyone. Such as the temptations in your life, the things in your past you are ashamed of, some of the thoughts you think that aren’t so God-like, and pieces of your personality you wish you could change. We would even talk about our own frustrations with each other if need be. Not to be catty or hurt each other, but to allow our friendship to continue to grow into something genuine.

Anna always allowed me to be me. If I was having a bad day, I didn’t need to lie to her when she asked “how are you doing.” If I was mad, I could yell.

It felt so good to not have to pretend to be someone I am not. Do you ever feel that way? I do all the time in class, while walking on campus, and sometimes with my friends.
The relationship I had formed with Anna is the type of relationship God wants us to have with Him.

How freeing is it to know we don’t have to hide?
But how hard is it to realize we’ve got some sticky cobwebs we don’t want to bring up ever again? It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. And God has given women the ability to be extraordinary friends and confidants. I never want to miss out on that.

About a year ago, I left for one of the best journeys of my life.
And as I sit here today watching some of the goofy videos Anna and I made, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed with the love God has put in my life.

Sand In Your Toes: Join Us for the Designed to Shine Event!

Happy Friday Beautiful Girls!

If you're a California girl or are lucky enough to be in the area, get your pretty little toes to the sand on Saturday, October 1st in Huntington Beach for a creative, fun & inspiring workshop on the beach hosted by our dear friend, Author & mentor Christina DiMari! One of our lovely wmVoices Jessica McLean will be playing live music against the sound of the waves & professional artist, Roxy girl & TV star of On Surfari Shannon McIntyre will be leading us in a fun art session. Lots of the wmGirls including Kayla & I will be there & would absolutely LOVE to see your beautiful shining faces! To RSVP for this FREE event & to get more details, visit the Facebook event page! By the way, if you haven't read Christina's book "Ocean Star" yet, be sure you get your darling little nose in its pages...you will LOVE it, I promise!

Hugs, Allie