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Hello beloved. I am calling you beloved because you are and because I was in my hometown of Lexington, KY, this past weekend attending a Beth Moore Live event, and she gave us all name tags and said that our names were "Beloved." Why? Because she wanted us to know how much the Father deeply loves us, and I want you to know that the Father deeply loves you. She explained to us that she has a small team of about 15 (this is incredible because she is a national speaker with 600k followers on Instagram, just to put this in perspective). She explained to us that one thing she does is she takes the cities/places of each event she is going to do and writes the name on a piece of paper. Then she folds them up, puts them on a table, prays over them then each team member takes one of the pieces of paper. She says she then gives them the assignment to pray over and to listen to what God would want to communicate to those attending that event. So, for our event this weekend, the person assigned to pray for us said we needed to know that we are "beloved" by God. This is incredible leadership! This is healthy leadership. This is nonoppressive leadership. Beth Moore, who has 600k followers on Instagram, and 775k followers on FB, whose live event for this past weekend was sold out, trusted the members of her team of 15 to pray and listen to God about what He would want the people to know at an event that has her name on it! That's a leadership style worth emulating and following. Beth Moore also explained that Sharon Miller was someone she met through Twitter. She had noticed perhaps some posts of Sharon's started following her and discovered that she is a sincere Christian woman who loves God and an excellent speaker. Beth Moore shared her platform with Sharon Miller. She created space for Sharon Miller to expose us to Sharon Miller's gift(s). She empowered Sharon Miller, and she trusted God through Sharon Miller to preach and teach us on Friday night. And Sharon Miller brought that Word! It is evident that Beth is not an insecure woman; she is not focused on keeping herself in the spotlight. She shared the gifts of another woman with us so that we could be inspired, encouraged, and transformed. This is healthy leadership. This is nonoppressive leadership. This is the type of leadership style worth emulating and following. I could attend this past weekend's event because of a woman named Myshel (in the middle), who sings with Beth Moore's worship team. She and I have a mutual friend named Stacy (on the left), one of my best friends. I met Myshel through my friend Stacy in 2005 because we were on a team of 10 women and two men who went to Venezuela to teach the women there. Myshel's voice is amazing! Myshel is from Kentucky. Myshel reserved two tickets with reserved seats! I am not one to be "star struck"; however, there was just one row between where Stacy and I were sitting and Beth Moore and Sharon Miller, the preachers for the weekend. You know I like being close to the FIRE! All glory and praise goes to God! After the event, Stacy and I talked to Myshel, who said some incredibly positive things about Beth Moore, like she "anoints and prays over them (the Worship team), they do devotions with them, she's the real deal." When Stacy asked whether or not Myshel was staying in a hotel, Myshel responded quickly, "Yes, but I am well taken care of; I was able to fly in early to spend time with my dad." This is leadership par excellence! And a leadership style worth emulating and following. In two short hours, I entered a time of worship; my voice was hoarse from singing, my eye-make was gone because of my tears, and I was not just in the presence of a genuine and empowering leader. She had brought us all into the presence of the Almighty God, who never fails us! He won't! This is what healthy nonoppressive leaders do. We were all there because it was a Beth Moore event, but she did not make herself the spotlight. She made the Almighty God our focus, and then she spotlighted a beloved woman of God and essentially said, "Now let your light shine, girl." Friday night couldn't sleep; I had created 2-3 Instagram live posts and a FB live post about it (which I usually resist doing videos. We'll talk about this later in another blog). Healthy, nonoppressive leadership ignites you! I was like a little kid on Christmas Eve, waiting for 8:30 a.m. so that I could go back and be in the presence of like-minded individuals under the leadership of someone whose agenda is not to use me for her agenda. This is liberating! And that's what healthy, nonoppressive leadership does; it liberates! Because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty! Healthy nonoppressive leadership invokes the Spirit of the Lord, and when He shows up, those who are present are inspired and transformed. This is a leadership style worth emulating and following. Quite honestly, these past few weeks, I realized I had also lost some inspiration and joy, grieving the loss of my "dream job" (see my blog Everyday I Cried). Essentially I had to immerse myself in an environment without oppression. Seeing another woman being empowered and the glowing comments about Beth Moore's leadership style reignited my hope and joy that there are healthy leaders out there, and it reignited and stirred up my gifts! I am truly grateful! So…..watch…….out! Make sure that you subscribe to this site so that you will not miss out on any blogs, upcoming events, and more!

Hello Beloved, it has been a couple of weeks since I wrote a blog, I recently had a procedure on my left shoulder, so I had to take it easy. I am doing very well in physical therapy, and my shoulder is getting stronger daily! Praise the Lord! Please subscribe to this site and blog so that when I create posts, you will know! I will also create content for my subscribers, so you do not want to miss out! And you don't want the people you know to miss out too, so please share my website with others, and if you are on Instagram, follow me @joycelynignites. In a few weeks, my calendar will go live, and I will be taking clients who would like, Personal and Leadership Development coaching and who need a Church Growth Consultant, so being a subscriber is imperative so that you will be the first to have access to my calendar and other resources. I am excited to return to my home studio to record my podcast and other audio and video content. So subscribe today so you will be the first to find out when I release audio and video content. I will also be offering online workshops and more! You do not want to miss out! Subscribe today!

The most simplistic way I can define syncretism is that it is the blending of two or more belief systems, and it is what is happening every day in the hearts and the minds of Christians who are actively involved in their faith. Syncretism occurs because everyone has the basic need to be accepted; therefore, syncretism allows Christians to proclaim that they are a follower of Christ. Yet, they follow their horoscope daily, revealing themselves as an astrological sign. Syncretism says, "Don't choose just one believe mix them together and you will be accepted, this is what promotes unity the blending of beliefs not choosing just one." "Is Jesus really the only way? There are such nice people in the world." This is one of the most prevalent ways that I see syncretism creep into the life of a Christian believer. Syncretism allows for numerous sources to be the filter by which a person makes their moral decisions. The Bible is not THE Source. It is simply A source that can be used as a guide and a compass for daily living. With access to all of the various sources with just one spell of the word or concepts you are searching for, a person has access to hundreds of thousands of perspectives from different types of thought leaders, all of whom can cure their itching ears. We are in the last days, as scripture has proclaimed; Sin is the new three-letter word that people rarely want to use for fear of looking as though they are being judgemental. Syncretism allows a person to create a melting pot of beliefs based on cultural trends and passions. The church needs to make Christian disciples because syncretism is knocking on the church's door daily, saying, "Come on out, you can believe what Christians believe and what other religions and even the non-religious. You can be spiritual and not religious; you can have it all!" Does this sound familiar? Does it sound like one of the temptations of Christ in the wilderness? Satan says, "Look at all this I have; you can have it! (Matthew 4:1-11) just follow me." The truth is that "having it all" is alike. There is no such thing as having it all for the Christian. Not if you want to have all that the world has to offer, prestige, fame, and fortune. It seems that many want to make their name great, and in doing so, they are forgetting about the great name of Jesus! This is how the world is wooing Christians out of the church and keeping non-believers out because our Christian faith says we must choose who we will serve. We can't have two Masters. It says Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father. It gives us instructions on how to live our lives. There is no room for syncretism as a Christian disciple. We believe there is only one Source, and we are Sourced from Him alone. If you are going to be a disciple of Christ, you must ask yourself what is the Source and who is the Source that is the final authority and filter by which I make my decisions and live my life. The Bible is our moral compass for daily living. It teaches us who our Source is, and it teaches us who we are sourced in. So, you must get a fundamental understanding of what you believe about the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." The Word of God, the Bible, leaves no room for syncretism. Making disciples confronts the areas in our lives where we have allowed syncretism to creep in because it requires us to read scripture and allow it to challenge and transform us. While we are on this journey, we are going to take some time to talk about why the Bible is God's voice, His love letter to us; it should be the book we use to filter every decision and every belief so that we can be disciples that are a reflection of God's love. Tomorrow we will be talking about High Bar Discipleship Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash

I believe that leaders struggle with the priority of Ministry every day. There seem to be so many things that pull leaders in various directions. Which programs to do, when to offer various ministry opportunities, who the leaders are of the various ministry events and activities, who will preach, teach, lead the songs, play the music, direct the choir, serve in the nursery, be over the children's Ministry and the list can go on and on. All of the things above are worth prioritizing, but they are not the priority of the Ministry. The focus of the Ministry is to make disciples. Disciples are made thru relationships, not programs. Summer VBS, the Sunday Christian Education hour, the weekly Bible Study, and Sunday morning worship do not make disciples. How do I know this? Because Disciples reproduce disciples. Church programs, including Sunday morning worship, do not reproduce. Disciples reproduce disciples. I know I have said that twice but it is true. Most people attend Sunday School or the Christian Education hour, Bible Study, VBS, and other Christian education opportunities to equip themselves or to learn for themselves, but rarely do they take what they have learned and intentionally teach it to someone else. Disciples teach what they know to others. The priority of the Ministry is to create a disciple-making process that creates opportunities for disciples to be in relationships with others so that disciple-making relationships bear the fruit of reproduction. This requires the church to intentionally hold space for people to connect and to be paired up with someone or put in a group where they meet, hold one another accountable, read scripture, and share their successes and struggles. This is the priority of the Ministry. This is discipleship. This is the priority. One point I want to make is that it is and will be challenging to create a disciple-making process with reproducing disciples who bear the fruit of the Spirit in an unhealthy church environment. Unhealthy church environments run the risk of developing unhealthy disciples. Still, if the leadership is unhealthy, then the followers of unhealthy leaders ultimately perpetuate unhealthy discipleship; reproducing unhealthy disciples. When it comes to discipleship, I look at how Jesus discipled the twelve and others. He allowed them to become his friend (John 15:15); Jesus taught the disciples what he had learned from his Father. Who are you teaching? We all should be teachers (Hebrews 5:12-14). However, people cannot teach others what they have not been taught. It is essential to have a model of discipleship, an example that every disciple in your church can use to guide at least one other person in the teachings and principles of our faith. We need more one-on-one, small groups; we need more discipleship happening in the church. Today I want to challenge you to think of at least one person you can disciple. Ensure you are subscribed to this blog and all of my other social media platforms @joycelynignites, my podcast, etc., where you will be discipled by me in how to disciple others. I will provide materials, videos, PDFs, and more; if you follow me, I will teach you how to disciple others, and we will grow and glorify God together. Let's make disciples together! Let's make discipleship the priority because it is! In my next blog, we will talk about High Bar Discipleship. Let's ignite the church! Make sure you subscribe and share this blog with others.

On Sunday, my husband and I decided to be spontaneous and go to Pigeon Forge, TN, for a little getaway. We chose not to book a hotel until we got there because Pigeon Forge has so many hotels; it would be better to go and see the hotel before making a decision. Being spontaneous in this way was also one of the things we did before we had children. I looked up several hotels to give us places to begin when we arrived. We decided to first look at a hotel called The Ramsey Hotel and Convention Center. When we arrived, it looked like a luxury hotel; I was thinking, "This is probably gonna be a little out of our price range," but I had found an online price that was reasonable and had determined if we booked it that, I would book the room on my phone while standing in the hotel lobby. We approached the counter and asked if they had availability and the nightly rate; while I was talking with the reservationist, my husband said, "This is the one. Let's stay here." I was not surprised that he chose the hotel because it looked like one of the best hotels in the area. My husband will always gravitate toward what is considered "the best." The reservationist, Richard matched the online price, so we paid for our room and were handed our keys. After taking our bags to the room, we got a bite to eat. When we returned, I was unpacking my bag when I noticed that on the end table, there was a bible lying open with a Book mark on it. I asked my husband if he had opened the Bible, and he said he had not. I leaned in to see that the Bible was opened to Psalm 5-8, with a bookmark on top (see the picture below). I read the bookmark, and I was speechless! The bookmark was a prayer: The Ramsey Hotel was not just a random hotel we had selected; it was a specifically chosen one for us! By God himself. Our arrival at The Ramsey Hotel wasn't just our prayer that had been answered; we were a manifestation of the answered prayer based on the bookmark! We later found out that the hotel has The Ramsey Hotel Church Services on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. and Bible Study on Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. Christian music was playing in every public area, and Christians independently own it. I was so excited about The Ramsey Hotel and Convention Center that my wheels started turning, so I decided to get information about a retreat and conference there. I love hosting retreats and conferences. When we talked with the woman about the meeting spaces, we discovered that the meeting rooms are called "Salons"! What?! My coaching business is called, The Soul SALON! How amazing would that for The Soul Salon to host a retreat or conference, and in the program, the meeting spaces are described as "Salon A, Salon B, etc., "Come on, Lord! Spontaneity isn't always spontaneous; sometimes, it's God's way of revealing His plan to us. He gives us the desires of our hearts when it's in alignment with His. Don't forget to share this blog with others!

A few weeks ago, a friend asked me if I was interested in getting a P.H.D. I told her not if I had to pay to get it, but I should have said, "I already have one." I have a P.H.D. in overcoming obstacles. I have overcome the obstacles of being bullied as a child and as an adult, experiencing various forms of abuse, rejection, racism, sexism, health challenges, divorce, marital problems, low self-esteem, anxiety, motherlessness, fatherlessness, loneliness, anger, fear of public speaking, having a learning disability, working in a toxic work environment, financial problems and one of my most recent obstacles was breaking my femur. I fell and was home alone; I had to crawl to the back of my house to get my phone and then crawl back to the front of my house to unlock the door. The pain was excruciating, but I did it! After completing left hip replacement surgery, I worked very hard in physical therapy to attend my son's wedding two weeks later in another state. I know how to overcome obstacles! What I have learned about overcoming obstacles is not buying into the illusion that I will not have any obstacles. Scripture clearly says, “…in this life, you will have trouble.” (John 16:33b). Being upset that an obstacle shows up in our lives only creates more suffering. The obstacle often will create enough suffering on its own. Obstacles generate a crisis. A crisis is a time when your normal is interrupted. The crisis that is produced thru the block can be a crisis of limits where your resources run out, like loss of finances, or a crisis of forced detachments which happens when we are forced to let go, like the death of a loved one, loss of a job, kids going to college, getting married. Every obstacle invites us to transcend and move beyond what limits us. Every obstacle is an invitation. I love how Paul describes his invitation to transcend his limitation in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 in the Message Translation. "Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become." I also love the New Living Translation of 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Paul said that through his suffering and limitation, He discovered that God could give him the power to transcend. It is the obstacle that reveals God's power, and it's through the obstacle that he is empowered to transcend! This is our good news! So when an obstacle appears in our lives, we must not yield to the temptation to believe the lies it brings; it’s an invitation to believe the Truth about the One who empowers us to overcome every obstacle. In every obstacle that God empowers you to overcome, you will see the splendor of your unique communal life call, the virtues of humility and detachment will be cultivated, and you will begin to appreciate your suffering because your obstacle would have transformed you. So the next time you experience an obstacle, don't resist it. Greet it warmly and say, "Well, hello, obstacle; in what ways will God's grace use you to empower me to transcend my limitations today?" Reflection: 1. What are the obstacles in your life that God is inviting you to transcend? 2. What virtues are being cultivated in you through your obstacle(s)? 3. What scriptures combat the lie(s) that the obstacle brings? Don't forget to share this blog with someone and check out our Resources.

What is my purpose? This question seems to be on the minds and hearts of many people. Many people are struggling because they are not clear about their purpose. Purpose is not a career path, a vocation, or a ministry. Those things are ways that your purpose is expressed. Your purpose is the lens you use to observe, interpret, and respond to yourself, others, situations, and what's happening in the world. For example. I am a teacher, an encourager, a leader, an innovator; I have wisdom and keen perception or discernment. Therefore when I find myself meeting with various people or in various situations, I am generally wondering how I can take what I'm learning and share it with someone else or encourage someone to be their best selves; as a leader, I may offer guidance, as an innovator, I might be offering ideas, while sharing some wisdom and what I am discerning or perceiving. I do not work at doing these things; they come "naturally" without effort. All are attributes of God. Your purpose anchors your life in the attributes and communal call of God. This blog is the way my purpose is expressed, but doing a blog is not my purpose. My purpose is to teach, encourage, lead, innovate, offer wisdom, and be discerning. These are how I reflect God's image in the world. It's a few ways that God has formed and is forming me. I love what Proverbs 29:18 says in the Message version: If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. Did you read what that verse said? If you can't see what God is doing, you are going to stumble over yourself. The first principle for clarifying your purpose is that you must see what God is doing. As this relates to your purpose, you must see what God has done and is doing in you, how he forms you into Christ's image and creates you into Christ's image. You are made in His image. He has put gifts, talents, longings, and desires in you to fulfill Ephesians 2:10 in your life: which says that you are God's masterpiece. He has created you to do good things. The second principle for clarifying your purpose is that you will have peace when you see that you are a masterpiece. You will have a sense of stability. Proverbs 29:18 says that you will stumble over yourself if you can't see what God is doing. There is no peace in stumbling because of its instability. Stability brings peace. Peace comes from living out of who you most deeply are. Isaiah 61:3 says that you are an oak of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, and a display of His splendor. I want to ask you a few questions to help you see how God has created you. What motivates you? What energizes you? What does your heart long for? What have you wanted and never gotten? What kind of people do you enjoy being with? What kinds of people and situations get under your skin and frustrate you? What is the thing that you can do that is effortless that brings you joy? If you could do______________for the rest of your life and get paid for it, what would that be? What is the one thing you could do for the rest of your life, and it wouldn't matter if you got paid? How would you describe the lens you use to filter the world? See (Romans 12:4-8, 1 Cor. 12:4-11) These questions are designed to help you to discover your purpose. What did God reveal to you about yourself? Proverb 29:18 says that when you focus on what God is revealing, you will be blessed! Spend some time focusing on what makes you God's masterpiece! And then GO AND BE a display of His splendor and be blessed and be on purpose! Don't forget to share this with someone. If this blog resonates with you check out the Soul Salon

Have you ever had a time when life is happening, and you are struggling to get your time in with God? Of course, you can pray throughout the day, but there are days when it seems that getting more than five minutes of concentrated time with God is hard. Yes, we can say, "Make time, take the time, make spending time with God a priority, but there are times in your life when that's not even the issue. I want to offer you a resource, 40 Ways to Spend Five Minutes With God. This is an excellent resource, and I am all about being a resource and providing you with resources. We need to prioritize spending time with God, even if it's just five minutes. Five minutes can still bear fruit in your life. Enjoy! Don't forget to share this blog with someone and check out the RESOURCES.

“...you are not the person Satan says you are. You do not have to listen to that condemning voice in your head or those negative feelings in your emotions. Do not trust them. They are his lies. He would like nothing better than to get you to doubt yourself and the God who created you. Satan likes to hang identities on us that are not who we really are at all. For instance, he likes to call us Sinner Disappointment Failure Weakling Doubter Most of us have been all of these things at one time or another. But they do not define us. They are not who we are. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, God instead sees us as Righteous Achiever Overcomer Strong Faithful” Quote from: Robby Dawkins, Identity Thief: Exposing Satan's Plan to Steal Your Purpose, Passion and Power In what area of your life is satan trying to steal your identity in Christ? It's not who satan says you are. It's who God says you are! Your identity is in Christ alone. God deeply loves you, and you can overcome satan's lies. You are more than a conqueror! No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 Take some time to read the 100 Identity Truths; which one does God want you to know that needs to bear fruit in your life? Spend some time meditating on it, and may your life reflect the truth of God's Word about you! Don't forget to share this blog with someone and check out our RESOURCES.

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Psalm 95:1 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 Let this song usher you into the presence of God. Speak The Name! Sing along with the Lyrics. This is a song you will want to sing!

In coloring, there are no mistakes, just unique creations. Quote from Cleverpedia When was the last time you colored in a coloring book? I don't do it as often as I would like, but I enjoy coloring, and sometimes, when my grandchildren are coloring, I will color with them. Coloring slows down our minds and taps into our creative side. Being creative is a stress buster! So, go to the Dollar store and buy a coloring book and some crayons, or get you a plain piece of paper or maybe even draw a picture in your journal and then color it! It will help you to bust some stress! Print out the page below and color it! Enjoy! You should also check out this creative way to pray called Praying in Color. Share this blog with anyone who needs to bust some stress! Don't forget to check out our RESOURCES.

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. Colossians 1:9-10 (NLT) Take a pause to just breathe - set a timer for 10 min. simply breathe Inhale and exhale Notice any tension or pain in your body.. ask the Lord to relax you or to heal that area. Notice your thoughts.... Release all that will distract you by simply saying silently or out loud "Lord, I releaseto you." When the ten min. is up sit silently until you are fully present at this moment. Then........ Read the scripture above 3x out loud or silently. As you enter into the weekend, consider these reflection questions: 1. As you read the scripture, what word or phrase speaks to you in this season of your life? 2. In what area(s) of your life are you seeking the knowledge of his will, spiritual wisdom, and understanding? 3. In what area(s) of your life are you bearing fruit in your attitude and actions? 4. In what area(s) of your life are you struggling to honor and please the Lord? 5. As you have spent time journaling, what is God speaking to you about what is on your heart based on the abovementioned scripture? 6. Write a prayer of response. Share this blog with others. Coming Soon, I will share my insights from the book of Job! Keep Checking back or subscribe today so that you won't miss out!