Bloom!

Today we're delighted to announce the addition of a new section here on Bloom! called Sisters of the Faith .  It's so important to hear how the Lord is working in our Sisters in Christ around the globe, because often He uses their lives to encourage, inspire, and strengthen us.  We hope and pray that Sisters of the Faith will give you a glimpse of God's love and show You His fingerprints of faithfulness all over countless lives of young women who follow Him. Our first interview is with Abbey, a young lady whose smile lights up a room and whose conversation is uplifting and God-pointing.  Join us as we ask Abbey a few questions.  Be prepared to be refreshed and encouraged in your walk with Jesus! When did you start living for Jesus? I received Christ as my Savior when I was eight, shortly after my dad died. However, I didn't have much of a desire to know all I could about Him. I was just glad He had saved me from hell! The...

I love the Olympics. My two favorite events, women's gymnastics and women's figure skating, combine the fun of breathtaking skills and routines with enthusiastic cheering for my favorite contestant. One reason that these events rank at the top of my list is simply because of the amazing combination of gracefulness and flexibility they display. But there is also something special about these two competitions: there are a lot of young women, only sixteen or seventeen, competing. And often winning the gold metals. In a culture saturated with the belief that teenagers are incapable of doing anything great, it is refreshing to see girls my age proving that belief wrong. Many people dream of the Olympics, and most never even qualify. But the fact that teenagers can rise to the top and win a competition that most have only dreamed of proves that we do have what it takes to accomplish something very difficult. The world bombards us with many beliefs and lies about who we are and ...

Here's a trace of where we've been this week... Persecuted believers Recently an order for the execution of Pastor Youcef , a follower of Christ in Iran, was signed.  Please keep this Brother and his family in prayer, as well as persecuted believers around the world.  For a way to encourage these believers, check out Voice of the Matryr's Prisoner Alert , where you can actually write to the prisoners! How An Abortion Saved the Lives of Many My (Joanna) friend, Jenefer Igarashi, shares her powerful testimony of God's love, grace, and forgiveness in "How An Abortion Saved the Lives of Many".  Take the time to watch this 12 minute video and be prepared to watch God's hand throughout Jenefer's story. Keep your eyes on Jesus! Megan and Joanna

As I read through books in the New Testament, like 2 Peter, James, and Revelation, one thing has been standing out to me. There are a lot of verses exhorting us to not give up, to live with our eyes fixed on the Crown, and to live in expectancy for Jesus' return. Those are all difficult commands for me, but especially the last one. God knew we would get winded, tired, forgetful, and caught up in the little things of life. That's why He reminds us, so many times (especially in Revelation!) that "time is almost up". But you know, it's really hard for that verse to stick. I can get it in context of the books themselves; understand the imagery and figurative language, get the message. But what does that command really mean, applied to our lives, here and now? If Revelation, written centuries ago, was stating "time is almost up", that means it could really almost be up now. Or it could mean that we have a few more centuries to go. But that's ...

“God, You’ve got to be bringing good out of this, You’ve just got to. I can’t take it otherwise!” I found myself whispering it aloud, craning my neck to the heavens. Thousands of stars twinkled back at me, but that didn’t comfort me. I felt so alone, so hopeless, and so riddled with pain. He whispered back, “I am doing good. You just can’t see it yet.”  That’s when peace came, His peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7). But I can't see the good.  I see pain.  Like when I have an allergic reaction and go into anaphylactic shock and I almost stop breathing.  Or when I end up in the emergency room with a concussion and PCS (post-concussion syndrome).  Perhaps it's when I can't enter a restaurant, visit with friends, or eat what I want - because I could have an allergic reaction.  Or when I can't drive, read, remember, concentrate because of the pain from PCS. Even so, I know Romans 8:28 doesn't change, that it's sti...

Do you love to use your skills, learn new things, and encourage believers around the world?   Are you passionate about helping others along their journey towards Biblical womanhood?  Then we want you to prayerfully consider joining the volunteer staff of Bloom!. As you've noticed, our posts on this blog have slowed down significantly over the past few months.  Due to various reasons, including college and such, Jessina has stepped down from the webzine (we'll definitely miss her inspirational writing and sweet presence here, though!).  Megan and Joanna have been busy juggling college classes, jobs, internships, mission trips and injuries.  While we still want to stay involved with this webzine, we've come to realize that we can't contribute to the same extent that we used to. We still have hundreds of readers, and we want to continue to use this platform and stay involved with this community that God has given us. This is where you come in. W...