Readers often ask me where I came up with the #SHINEBeyond tagline and what exactly it means. Of course, I’m all too happy to take the time to answer as this philosophy is something very dear to me.
Essentially, #SHINEBeyond came about as it encompassed my heart for all my work in writing, editing, and ministry—a cohesive theme seen in everything I was doing.
I am an Encourager
It’s who I am in my soul. My first reaction in most situations is to find a way to encourage the other people involved. Life gets difficult, and everyone needs a cheerleader sometimes.
As I moved into adulthood, I realized how much life had stacked against me, and just how much I would need to overcome in order to be who I wanted to be. Though it was a long process, I found the joy in the journey and in being who I was called to be.
Now, I encourage others to #SHINEBeyond their circumstances, their backgrounds, their experiences, their obstacles, their fears…
No matter what you have been through…
No matter where you are…
No matter what lies before you…
You can #SHINEBeyond the obstacles in your life—and therefore inspire and encourage those around you.
Storytelling
Like I said, #SHINEBeyond was a tagline meant to encompass all of my work, including my writing. In the Sacred Armor Trilogy, each of the major characters has their own #SHINEBeyond story arc. Now, this wasn’t intentional exactly, but it naturally spawned from the type of story I was writing.
In the Sacred Armor Trilogy, the ragtag group of allies has to retrieve the sacred armor of the Creator. Each piece of armor has a power attached to its virtue. For instance, the Belt of Truth allows the bearer to see into a person’s past and present to see what brought them to be who they are or to do what they’re doing.
In order to retrieve each piece, one person in the group must pass a challenge to be sure they can handle the power. So, Karina, who goes for the belt, has challenges that force her to face the truth about herself, the truth about others, and then to trust in herself.
In Armor of Aletheia, the group retrieved 2 pieces of the armor; in Sword of Soter, they retrieve 2 more. (And there’s still 2 left!) So, each person has to deal with a part of their lives so they can #SHINEBeyond their circumstances and help complete the quest.
No matter who you are, the choice to #SHINEBeyond is not an easy one. In fact, it is a choice we must make daily. We weren’t meant to be shadows in this world. We were meant to shine like stars, to shine light into the dark places.
Who is someone in your life that exhibits the #SHINEBeyond philosophy?
A Couple of Quick Items:
I would love to get feedback on some of my plans for social media and such for 2021. If you would like to fill out this quick questionnaire, that would be amazing of you!
Also, I mentioned in my last blog post that I will be relaunching the “Confessions of a…” series. If you would like to participate, there are only like 21 slots available! Sign up now, and I’ll send you the details for the post.
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Thank you all for being such amazing human beings. Have a fabulous week!
