Andrea's Letter of Victory

Praise Him ladies! We have another Letter of Victory today by Sis. Andrea Marban from Bradenton, Fl. Andrea has such a beautiful talent that we love to see her do. Read on to see how this little lady has let God mold her into who she is today. Be blessed!

Praise the Lord ladies! First and foremost, I absolutely love our page. I think it's a great way for us to connect on a much deeper level, sharing our struggles and our victories. I rarely talk about the past, so I will share my story before I wimp out. All I ask is that whatever is said in the next few sentences, remain here, with us. And that whomever reads this, may be blessed.

Now I know we've all hid something behind our smiles before, because when it comes down to it, we can be such great actresses. I'd consider myself a pro to be honest; there is much more to the superficial Andrea most of you have met.
To begin with, my upbringing was not all so great. My parents divorced when I was only 2 years old, so as expected my father wasn't in the picture. That affected me in so many ways. Since then, I never knew what having a family felt like. My mom was always so busy working to keep my brother and me stable. I honestly hold no resentment towards her for it, unlike my brother, I understood. My mom eventually remarried when I was 8 years old. The man she vowed to be with until the end was the same man who would bring a great deal of unhappiness to our new "family.” This is where it all began.

He was an abusive and beyond impulsive man. For years I saw my mother be beat to the ground. This all created hate within me. To witness your mother being put down by a coward is the most horrible feeling. It made me feel so helpless, because whenever I tried to get in between, it was just as worse for me. There came a point where I did blame my mother for it, I just couldn't fathom the reasons why she stayed with this man or why she would take it all in. I began to doubt her love towards us, her children. When you're part of an abusive family, you become all messed up in the head. I felt so unworthy, low, unloved, scared. I became traumatized and any little thing would set me off.

Finally, when I was about 10/11 years old, we came to church. I was a very negative and disturbed child. At only 10 years old, I had seen more than I should have. I was so hurt. I didn't get entirely involved in church until about 3 years ago, in 2011. I remember once praying in my room late at night. I felt beyond lonely and there was still a lot of pain. But I prayed. For the first time, I truly prayed. I remember just bawling, I didn't even say much. The feeling of peace and comfort I felt afterwards is what made me realize that there was a God and He had been by my side all along. He worked immensely in my home.

Now, my mother doesn't attend church, or no one in my family for that matter but I can say that a lot has changed since then. Coming to Christ was the best "escape.” Honestly, if my mom wouldn't have dragged me each Sunday morning, I don’t like to think of where I'd be right at this moment. I'm still in prayer for my family to completely come to Christ. Rather than being beat by my past, I have used it to build myself. It's what has kept me going. This and much more is what created my passion for what I love to do: mimes.

It's my way of showing my gratitude towards our good Lord for all that He's done and continues to do in my life because He sure isn't done with me. "The most sincere pantomime's are those brought together in pure darkness, where all you can do is offer each movement to God, in hope that He'll receive your worship as broken as you are" -A quote for what I do. If you sing, sing to where you can be heard across the world. If you play an instrument, go hard, make the noise because our mighty God is the reason for our joy, the reason for our genuine smiles. I just want to remind you all that it doesn't matter what your past consists of, JESUS can mend every unbearable wound.

I hope that this piece of my testimony has spoken to someone and just keep in mind that our worst moments in life come to be our best testimonies. You are ALL beautiful. I pray that you are all blessed :)

Andrea, thank you so much for stepping out and sharing a small piece of your testimony. We love you and are praying for you and your family! God bless you!

 

 

 

We Dare You....

We saw this and just had to repost. We dare you!

Tania's Letter of Victory

Praise the Lord Young Ladies of Valor, Grace, and Beauty! We hope you find yourselves blessed in the Lord! We have such a special Letter of Victory for you today. It comes to us via Sis. Tania Blandon from the mission church in Bonita Springs, Fl. Tania is a person that loves to laugh and can make pretty much anyone smile with her charm :) However, there is a deep personal struggle within her smile. Continue on to find out how victorious Tania is in Christ!

 

Hello and God bless you all and whoever reads this letter. I wish I could say this letter is filled with victory but it isn’t. It’s a journey I walked for many years. What you guys are about to read is something that isn't so easy for me to share but I believe God had a purpose for it all so I am going to share it with you guys. If there is anyone going through these struggles, know that it’s never too late to ask for help, and God is ALWAYS there even if you don't feel Him. So before I lose my nerve, here goes everything!

 

 

For all you who know me, you know that growing up I wasn't the best person. As a matter of fact I was violent, explosive, mean, and I really didn’t care that I hurt people. The older I got, the meaner I became and eventually it didn’t matter who I lashed out on. Including my family. If I’m going to be honest, I guess it all leads back to when I was about 9 or 10 years old. I saw something that completely obliterated me. I saw a friend’s mom (whose name will follow me to the grave) with another man one day after school. She went to my church, her husband was a nice man and her kids were my friends. All I could think was, “How could she do this?! Didn’t she love her family? Her husband?” She was married and what she was doing was wrong. For weeks I couldn't look them in the eye because I knew but I just couldn’t say anything. I knew it would break that family and I couldn't do that. I just couldn’t bear the thought of breaking my friends’ hearts that way. As time went by, I grew resentment for this woman because in one way or another she indirectly made me keep that secret.

 

 

For days I couldn't sleep because of the guilt I felt inside. Days became weeks. Weeks became months. And the anger I felt at the time turned into resentment. I don’t even know when those feelings turned into hate but they did and I couldn’t control it. There came a time that I couldn't even look at her without disgust or help feeling so useless. I felt like a horrible friend for letting her get away with it but what could I do? I was just a kid and it really wrecked me inside. At first I just acted out in class when I was feeling anxiety. At the time I thought, I didn’t need an excuse for my behavior. Any little thing set me off and getting me out of that rage was nearly impossible. The more I thought about it the worse I felt and I don’t know, one day I just felt like I needed to punish myself for not being brave enough to speak up. I started starving myself and telling myself I didn't deserve to eat. I think that’s when I started to lose myself. After a while it wasn't enough and I adjusted to the amount I was letting myself eat. I think I was 10 the first time I cut and it just felt…good. Now I know it’s wrong and it wasn’t the answer and never will be. I was so desperate and too scared to ask for help and cutting took my mind off of what I felt inside.

 

 

I kept getting in trouble at school but I didn't cut often, not at first. Whenever I did, it was in places no one could tell and no one would have known because I hid it too well. Funny thing is that it started off as me punishing myself and it turned into an eating disorder and uncontrollable self-harm. Those things became the hardest struggle I’ve faced in my 24 years of life. Years passed and the struggle just continued and it just overwhelmed me. I took the doctrine classes at the same time as my brother but didn’t get baptized with him because I didn't feel worthy before the Lord. I know I probably disappointed my parents when I told them I wouldn’t be joining my brother. They asked me why but I couldn’t tell them I just said I wasn't ready. I was too ashamed to ask for help. No one knew what I was going through and unfortunately there was a sister at my church who didn't know any better. She began spreading rumors about me, saying I was anorexic and vain and all sorts of things. A lot of the members at that church began looking down on me because of my decision as well. At first the only thing that kind of hurt was the anorexic comment because she just threw it around not knowing how much I was being enslaved by that.

 

 

Over time it got worse and senior year I decided to join the Marines. Everything was set to go but home was the real war zone. My parents would ask me what I was running from, was I hurt, was I afraid of something or someone and I couldn't handle it? I would go to school, then track practice, then take the last bus home, just to avoid talking about it.

 

 

One night I sat in my garage with a puppy a sister gave me, when something inside me just…snapped. I felt so trapped, desperate, ashamed, and I started to cry. I couldn't keep running from God. I just cried for help, for a way out, and for Him to just take it all from me, just for Him to hold me I guess. I had been running track my entire life so my senior years was the fittest I had ever been. That night I got up and walked to one side of my garage. Before I knew it, I was sprinting as fast as I could into the other side of the garage. I don’t know how many times I hit my head, stumbled back up, and ran, did it again, and found no way out. My mom was the first to run into the garage. To this day I can’t shake the look on her face when she saw me. I can only imagine what she must have felt. She screamed for my dad and when he reached us he tried to calm me down but the state I was, I needed to let it out. After a while I just sat on the floor and didn't say a word I just cried and told them to leave me alone. Eventually they just gave me some space but cunning as satan is, he started up again. I looked around. I didn't really know what I was looking for until I saw the water hose. I didn't even realize what I was about to do but God works in mysterious ways, and as crazy as it may sound, I know He used my dog in that moment to help me come to my senses. If it hadn’t been for my dog coming out from under a table and licking me, I would have never looked down long enough to see that at least she loved me.

 

 

I guess that’s when it hit me. If this animal can look at me with so much love even though I’m damaged, imagine how God looks at me. I had never felt so low in my life. And I wept that night like I had never wept before. Things were ok for a while after that but like every addict with no help I eventually fell back into it. I hid it all again, and got a little too confident. The Bible tells us that God always humbles the boastful one way or the other. It’s like He wanted me to see for myself how much He loved me. I could feel it. So I tried asking for help but how does one ask for help with an issue like this? I grew up in church and I knew better but I was still doing it. I was so ashamed of myself so every time I told myself I would ask for help I would chicken out.
 

Then one morning my best friend (now boyfriend) came over. We headed to the playground like usual but I had forgotten my watch. I don’t even know why I had picked my wrist because I never did it there. I guess God had it all under control. We headed to the playground and just waited for my sister and brothers. He was the one who figured it out. If I picture his face at that moment for too long I’ll cry. I had never seen him cry, but he did. Then he hugged me and told me God could help me. I tried to deny it at first but he gave me an ultimatum. Either I said something or he would. I went home but nothing felt real.

 

 

I can’t even explain it. It just felt like a dream. I don’t know why I thought cutting was the answer but I did and I felt it so I knew I wasn't dreaming. In that same moment, my dad walked into my room and saw me. If I thought I felt low before I must have fell through the ground when I saw his face. That’s when it all became real, and I asked for help. My mom is a pretty strong woman and I could say the same for my dad. As a family we have gone through a lot so to see them cry just as bad as I was kind of hurt. But they were there, and they got me help. I started counseling but the real healing came through Christ. I had finally come to the end of the road and I just told Him to take it away. It’s almost like a sponge effect; like taking a dirty sponge, dipping it in water, squeezing out the dirty water, and repeating it. My heart literally felt like He was squeezing the pain, hate, remorse, resentment, fear, and everything else that was bringing me down, out of it and dipping it in His grace.

 

 

It’s been about three years since I’ve cut or starved myself. It’s not easy all the time, but its better. I eat everyday now, I’m more open, and I fold my knees before I think of cutting. It was hard for me because in my time, it wasn’t something people (especially in church) talked about but I believe that can change. Lord knows had I had some guidance I might not have gone through the things I did but I also know He has a purpose for me bigger than I could imagine.

 

 

So if anyone out there is struggling with these issues, shame is the mask hiding recovery. Learn from me and avoid the things I didn’t. Trust in God and don’t lose faith. I leave you all with this verse because believe it or not, God makes beauty from pain.
 

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. “Ecclesiastes 3:11

 

 

Tania, thank you so much for being brave enough to share your testimony with us. The Lord has so many wonderful plans for your life. This is only the beginning. We love you! God bless you!

 

Ministry Mustard Seed Guidelines

Praise the Lord! Here is the link to fill out the application to be considered for Ministry Mustard Seeds. Be blessed!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3qsgJueLhndNTB1NWo1SkU3cE0/edit?usp=sharing

Please email your completed application to lupevp4@gmail.com Thank you!

New Series

I greet you Young Ladies of Valor, Grace and Beauty in the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Since the beginning of this year, I have had this ministry in God’s hands. I have waited to see what His will and word for this year would be.

His word to me is "Claiming Your Spiritual Inheritance" based on the book of Numbers 27:1-5.
I will be bringing a lesson every other a week on how we, as his daughters, can claim our spiritual inheritance and take possession of our rightful inheritance by our Father in heaven that He has in store especially for us.

Secondly, I want to announce that we will be giving away 2 start-up seed offerings for your ministry that God has purposefully placed in your life and that you are actively participating in now. Of course there are a few rules to qualify for, in order to receive the start-up seed offering. The ladies of valor grace and beauty is a blessed ministry and as such we want to be a blessing. Our motto is "Blessed to be a Blessing." We are planting mustard seeds and when one receives a mustard seed you plant it by faith, and God will then take care of the rest.

So I encourage you to stay tuned.
God Bless You Ladies of Valor, Grace and Beauty!
Lupe Perez

 

Kaitlyn's Letter of Victory

Hello Ladies! We hope you have been blessed by this page so far! We LOVE hearing your testimonies. Today’s Letter of Victory comes from Sis. Kaitlyn Perez from Homestead, FL. When you hear her story, you will know that this girl is a fighter! She may be small in stature but she makes up for it in strength, worship to her God, and that lovely sense of humor she has. Be blessed!

PTL Darlings,

It’s safe to say that 2013 was a rough year for us all. And in that year, I, for one, have learned many lessons from the Man Upstairs and I want to share them with you, because if you want to believe it or not you girlies are amazing and I am blessed to have such beauties as sisters! Ever since I was a young rascal, I was always interested in boys and as I grew older I became boy crazy. I never dated them or anything but I did “talk” to them. At the time, I would tell myself “It’s nothing. It’s just a crush.” But I’m a girl and with every boy I had a crush on, in my head I planned our wedding, picked the names of our 4 kids that we will have, you know the drill. Basically I created my own “perfect fairytale” with every guy I had a crush on. Can you imagine this was my mentality when I was like 12?! The sad truth is that I kept this mentality all the way to 2013, and what I thought was little crushes, began to literally crush my life. My ‘crushes’ jumped from church guys to school guys, and of course that’s where it goes downhill from here because my ‘crushes’ became my priority. I always wondered, “Why don’t they like me?  Why don’t they want to talk to me? Why don’t they notice me? Is it because I don’t look like those other girls? I’m pretty like them, right? I’m pretty right?”

I asked myself that question in 5^th grade and I thought I finally got my answer in middle school. They told me I wasn’t important when they pushed me in the hallways, they told me I was trash when they threw trash on me, and they told me that I was small when they took my stuff whenever they felt like it. They told me I was ugly and abnormal when they laughed at me. And I listened to them, for three years I listened to them. Of course my mom noticed that something was wrong when I came home crying, but my self-confidence was so low I believed that nobody could help me, so I kept that life to myself. I tried hurting myself, but I was too afraid of the physical pain that I couldn’t bring myself to do it. So I tried something different, and the first time I tried taking my own life was when I was only 13. And to think that all this life of low self-esteem, no self-confidence, and no self-worth was all because of a ‘little crush.’

I promised myself that I would never take that kind of abuse from ANYONE again, in any way or form, and if they did good luck to them because what they gave to me, I would give back to them. So on top of my ‘crushes’ (that changed every week depending on what cute guy passed me by), I pushed my butt to get into a university that was far away from home and it became my new priority. Well that’s good right, focusing on school? Not really because not once through all of this did I go to God. I never asked Him what He thought of me and what His plans were for me. Instead I kept my hurt and used it as fuel to help me succeed. BIG MISTAKE!

That awkward moment when your self-confidence was still so bad that you didn’t even try to apply to your dream university or any for that matter except Miami Dade College -who accepts anyone.  Yeah, totally awkward right? And man did it hurt! Mix that up with a couple heartbreaks and off I went to college with the mentality that I was going to be a loser for the rest of my life and a loner because my friends were getting boyfriends/girlfriends and I didn’t have anybody. UNTIL…My ex came along. Now I trust you girls that this will stay here and my aim is not to trash anyone’s name but to expose my own name. Well my prince charming seemed so perfect and in my eyes the fact that I had to fight to have him made me want him more. He made me feel beautiful, worth loving, and important; and so I gained my identity through him. I finally became somebody worthwhile and if anything were to happen between us I would not survive. I would be lost and not know who I am. I was already so lost and I didn’t even know it. I placed prince charming first over everything and everybody, even God. And when prince charming left back home I became so desperate that I wanted to marry him so we wouldn’t be apart anymore. But because I have an awesome God that gave me awesome parents, the only thing I was able to do was give him EVERYTHING that belonged to me. But one day it all caught up to me and I felt so empty and lost and FINALLY I went to God for some answers. I told Him to shake my grounds because even though I had a boyfriend, was singing in the choir, and leading the sign team, I was not satisfied. There is just no way that this is it! Be careful when you ask God for something because He will answer. Maybe not in the way YOU want or expect, but He will give you exactly what you NEED. And in my case He literally gave me what I needed. He took my prince charming away and took His rightful place as number one in my life. God is a jealous God and He will do what He has to do to be number one in your heart.

As humans we are never satisfied with anything we fill ourselves with because we have a void in us. I tried filling it with ‘crushes’, school, and my ex, and each time I failed and dug a bigger void inside of me. All of these replacements only gave me so much baggage filled with pain, guilt, and emptiness. But when I FULLY emerged myself in Christ, I gained my identity, my confidence, my worthiness, my freedom, my salvation, and a new song to sing to praise His Holy Name with! Let the trials come because with God on my side, I KNOW I will overcome and be victorious for His Honor and Glory!

When you feel down just call Him. He will answer. He will surround you with His presence and in that presence you will gain what you are missing. Your void will be FILLED. And if ever that lying devil comes knocking on your window at night, read this verse:

“The Lord is compassionate and merciful; he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love. He does not always accuse, and does not stay angry. He does not deal with us as our sins deserve; he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve. For as the skies are high above the earth, so his loyal love towers over his faithful followers. As far as the eastern horizon is from the west, so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on his faithful followers. For he knows what we are made of; he realizes we are made of clay.” Psalms 103:8-14

Be faithful followers and He will take care of you.

God bless you darlings and your paths that God has called you to walk. I love you all!

Thank you for your refreshing honesty Kaitlyn! We love you! We know this is only the beginning for you! God bless you!

In Flight

In Flight

I sit here wondering where am I going?
North, south, east, or maybe west
The wind only knows best
Instead of wondering and pondering
I asked God to give me direction
He said, “Ok, here is this generation.”
I said, “But Lord, I need wisdom.”
He said, “Ok, open the Bible and read some.”
I said, “Lord, who will go with me?”
He said, “Though none go with you, I will be there.”
I said, “Lord, I can't do this.”
He said, “It’s not your will but mine to follow.”
I said, “Lord, but I am not ready.”
You have been called from birth
Along the way I have dressed you in armor
To cast out all evil that would try to harbor
In your life, in your past, and in your future days to come
So no more excuses and hold on tight for I will now lead your direct flight

By: Evie Sanchez