Surprise Announcement!!
I remember staring into the hotel mirror and thinking, “I am so glad I’ve been close to the Lord leading up to this. God, thank you for teaching me how to stay near you and to stay holy.”
Then, I opened the bathroom door and called the hospital across the street to get an update on my dad as he battled complications from COVID in September of 2020.
My dad ended up being passing on to be with the Lord due to these complications. So much has changed since then, but the phrase from my prayer stuck with me. “Stay holy.” Prior to that experience, any time I had encountered a trial or tough circumstance, it revealed that there was a barrier or gap between myself and the Lord. Before I could be comforted by the Holy Spirit or Scripture, there was typically some degree of significant repentance required. But this time, though I was no where near perfect, I had learned how to abide in Christ. I had learned how to walk in daily repentance. I was praying continuously. I was regularly reading my Bible and hearing God speak to me through Scripture.
To summarize, I was staying holy. So, when a huge part of the foundation of my world was shaken, my faith was not. I wasn’t having to ask God where He was because I could hear Him and sense Him; I knew He was there. He had taught me how to position myself to be near Him and realize my holiness. Holiness is granted us by God through Christ and is realized through our cooperation with the Holy Spirit. He had taught me how to stay holy.
There Has to Be More
The impact of this phrase, “stay holy,” continued to blossom as Brandon and I started using it to talk about what we desired for our walks with Christ. What Scripture says is true - when you have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, you want more of Him. This eventually led to making a shirt that Brandon could wear. When people started commenting on it and asking where they could get one, we began to talk about the idea of selling them through More Than Words Co. But, to stay true to our mission, I knew I couldn’t simply offer a shirt. There had to be more to it than just words on a t-shirt.
I prayed and the Holy Spirit gave me a vision for what “more” meant. To date, God has never let me down. He’s the best. I believe He wants me to be constantly helping people to go one step deeper in their walk with Him. But, I don’t want to just tell you to do it or why you should do it; I want to, whenever possible, show you how to do this. Instead of just reminding you to “stay holy” or telling you how helpful it’s been for me, I want to equip you with a resource that helps you better understand holiness.
Surprise Announcement
Soooooo, in case you haven’t guessed it yet, our surprise announcement is the Stay Holy Series Merch and 7-Day Focus Guide!
I am so incredibly excited it’s finally time to share it with you! The t-shirts come in two color options: a hot pink (the color of the season! and the one I’m wearing above) and a rustic brown (what the guys are wearing… but I have one of those too!). AND! When you order a t-shirt you automatically get a sticker that color, as well as the 7-Day Holiness Focus Guide for no extra charge! (Honestly, that sentence felt a little infomercially, but it’s true lol)
If you don’t want a t-shirt, but are still even mildly interested in the 7-Day Focus Guide, you can simply get a sticker! Every “Stay Holy” sticker also comes with a free 7-Day Focus Guide! After finishing writing it I told Brandon, “TBH, I’m excited to actually go through this guide myself.” I’ve been praying so much that this will help equip you to stay holy. In the coming weeks, we are hoping to add other items… Fingers double crossed for hats and mugs! But in the mean time, head to the “Shop” section of my website to check out the t-shirts and stickers. And, please share with friends and family that are interested in making the Bible and their faith more than just words!
I believe you can live what you know to be true. You can stay holy. You have the power of the risen Christ in you. And, oh man, do I believe in Him.
Y’all’ve got this!
Jackie
