Spiritual Growth

Mood booster or just a little encouraging nudge from art in words will give hope for any occasion.

“But God” Verses

Women-in-Tech-Chispa-Magazine

I dove into scripture to find all the but God Bible verses and was blown away. It’s all throughout the Old and New Testaments and we see clearly how God works. These verses tell us that our circumstances DO NOT get the last word. The enemy DOES NOT get the last word. Death and disease DO NOT get the…

Three Simple Ways To Embrace Your Spiritual Side

Praying for Peace-Chispa Magazine

Many people reach a point in their lives when they crave something more. For some, this appears in the form of a mid-life crisis. Forty year olds yearn to be achingly cool again and buy themselves a sports car, listen to music aimed at the millennial, and wear clothes that are way too young for…

Let the Bully Go!

Let-the-Bully-Go_Maggie-Sabatier-Smith_Chispa-Magazine

I’ve been sitting on a message for a couple of weeks. Like shooting stars, thought snippets invade my space.  Words like: love anyway; love the unlovable; go deeper; repurpose. And, then the title showed up: Let the Bully Go! Have you ever lived through a season of challenges? Of course, you have. We are living…

Share Your Uglies

share-your-uglies_Chispa-Magazine_Maggie-Sabatier-Smith

Memories of childhood take me back to a time where shame and sadness would pour out of me—drenched in tears I would sit on my Papi’s lap. His soothing words, “Que te pasa hijita?” (What’s wrong little one?) would draw out an even deeper level of grief and sorrow. Oh, the drama of it all!…

Caught Unawares

Caught-Unawares-Riots_Covid_Maggie-Sabatier-Smith_Chispa-Magazine

Yesterday I searched for a meme that would represent my state of mind and heart. I wanted to hide out—separate myself from the world—to not see or be seen—just so disappointed in what is happening in our nation, cities, in our families ,and in myself. In my mind I pictured an ostrich with his head…

I Can Do It Myself

Maggie Sabatier-Smith_Chispa Magazine_Do it Myself - Slider

Lord I have such an independent spirit. How often I forget that You are the one that leads. I hear your still small voice whisper (1 Kings 19:11-13) instructions and I take off in obedience continually listening for further direction. But somewhere along the path… off I go—in my own strength—pride takes me off course. Admittedly,…

Moving Beyond Your “Now What” Season

Now-What-Season-Chispa-Magazine_Maggie-Sabatier-Smith

Let’s just talk… a different kind of article. For the first time ever, I am positive that I have something in common with all my readers—a global pandemic. Forevermore, I believe we will probably refer to life as before, during, or after the pandemic. In fact, at this point we may even wonder if there…

Comfort Zone

Comfort-Zone_Chispa-Magazine_Maggie-Sabatier-Smith

March 2020… we went to sleep one night and woke up to a global pandemic the next morning. What? A pandemic? A Star Wars fan, I’m tempted to add the words, A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. But, that is not true, is it? It wasn’t far away. It was right in the…

Digging Into History To Know When It’s “Your” Time

Understanding Your Time-Queen Esther-Mavian Arocha-Rowe-Chispa Magazine

For those who are believers in Jesus Christ, have you ever asked, why weren’t you raptured the moment of your conversion? It’s simple. God left us here for the accomplishment of a kingdom purpose. But, we easily get wrapped up in the wrong purpose: paychecks, power, and popularity. This one high school senior kept saying,…

Three Things Blocking Your Spiritual Growth

If you are concerned with trying to be as in touch with your spirituality as possible, then a big part of that is knowing what kinds of things tend to get in the way of it. Everyone has these blockages to deal with; it’s very much just a part of being human. But if you…