As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, I wanted to remind our amazing CHARLÍS Community to look around you with your heart and find the things that elevate your life and honor God the most, and focus on these things.

Life can be a real struggle, but God has given us a pathway through the difficulties of life, above and beyond the noise and negativity that surrounds us all, calling us heavenward where He is, where true beauty and joy are everlasting, and His grace and love have no limits.

We know you have faced many trials and troubles in this life, but there is a purpose in them all. Remember Queen Esther, the beautiful orphan girl who was chosen to be Queen in place of the grumbly, unhappy wife to King Ahasuerus, Queen Vashti.

Queen Vashti was banished from the kingdom, and King Ahasuerus chose Esther to replace her. All the trials and troubles of her life ultimately led to this elevated position as Queen in the most powerful kingdom of her day, all of Persia and Media. Esther was prepared through fire to do the impossible, which resulted in saving her Hebrew nation from complete annihilation.

A plot was brewing by a man named Haman, who sought to take over the kingdom. He hated Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, because he would not bow down to Haman as others did. This hurt Haman’s pride, so he tricked King Xerxes into signing an irrevocable edict that gave all the enemies of the Hebrew people the right to kill them by law, convincing the king that these people were his mortal enemies and if they were not dealt with swiftly, they would come and take over his kingdom, which was really what Haman planned on doing. When Queen Esther learned of Haman’s wicked plot to annihilate all of the Hebrews in the kingdom, she knew that only God could stop this wicked plot. She knew she must do something, stating after her uncle Mordecai said, “Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14.) Queen Esther responded to Mordecai by saying, “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16)

When Queen Esther finally went into the king’s chambers, she knew she was risking her life by going in without being requested by the king. Haman had such a hold on the king’s mind that King Xerxes had not even called for or seen Queen Esther in over a month. She walked in, prayed up, and dressed up, ready to perish if she must, trusting God to work out His will through her for the King and his kingdom. When Queen Esther walked in, she was so beautiful the king turned into butter in her hands and offered her up to half the kingdom at which time the Queen only asked that he and Haman attend a banquet she had prepared for them. The king immediately accepted. Of course, Haman was full of pride, assuming he was being honored by not only the King himself but also the Queen. Two banquets into this operation, when the king asked Queen Esther what it was that she wanted, she said that the only thing she asked for was her life and the life of her people, revealing the evil plot of Haman against her poeple. To this the king was full of wrath and had Haman hanged on the very gallows Haman made for his adversary and the king’s friend, Mordichai. Esther 7 is quite riveting.

Remember, God always blesses obedience. Queen Esther was loved by everyone who knew her. Over and over again we see that Queen Esther found favor in the sight of those who were over her as her authority, from Mordecai to the keeper of the women in the king’s chambers to Hegai the king’s chamberlain, and all who saw her. It was her quiet and submissive spirit that captured the hearts of everyone who knew her.

The story ends wonderfully when the Queen spills the tea about Haman and his wicked plot to annihilate the Hebrews with Haman being hung, the enemy being vanquished, and Mordecai was given the authority and estate of Haman.

So what the enemy meant for evil, God meant for good.

And they lived happily ever after.

And you can, too!

The point of this story is to encourage you in your life, right where you are and where you have been, to keep your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of your faith. The One Who created heaven and earth. The One Who brought you into this world with great purpose.

What is your purpose in life? I know that mine is that of a wife, a mother, a business owner, a soldier of the cross of Christ. And each one of these roles is clearly defined in the world of God.

If I look at the culture to find out what a woman is and how I should live and act, I would be sorely mistaken and let down everyone around me.

We must rise above the noise of our culture and media and look to the Living Word of God for our guidance and answers to all of life’s issues.

As we serve others before ourselves, we are being like Christ Who came not to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for many. We are living out Philippians 2 where our calling is to give everything we have in the service of others and the honor and glory of God, as Queen Esther and other heroes of the faith have done before us.

The same God that called and used Queen Esther is calling you now. Can you hear him? If no, you must ask, seek, knock. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

Remember, in this life, the real warfare is in the mind. So whatever we spend time thinking about is who we are becoming, which is why God gave us a great list of things to dwell on: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Had Queen Esther had a grumbling and complaining spirit like Queen Vashti did, she may have perished and her kingdom would have been much different. We may never have heard about her today had she lived like everyone else. But she didn’t. She focused on the things that were true, honest, lovely, virtuous and praiseworthy events and things in life.

This is our formula out of despair and the recipe for true gratitude and contentment and joy in life. Without gratitude which is rooted in the truth, and in lovely things, there is no joy.

Women, we have the honor of setting the tone in our home. What do we want to give to our families? Whatever you focus on is what you bring into the space of all those who encounter you.

Esther focused on service and on beauty. She spent a lot of time in prayer and a lot of time preparing herself to be beautiful in form and appearance.

When we walk into a room, we bring a spirit and presence with us. Let that presence be the presence of Christ and the spirit to be one of gentle thanksgiving which always brings joy.

Here is my top 10 list of things I am thankful for this year:

1. Jesus Christ

2. The Word of God - the Bible

3. My Braveheart, Ty

4. My Four Children, Brianna, Bryce, Tabitha, Charity

5. Our extended family and friends

6. Our happy home, pets, healthy food, and all the provisions provided by the Lord to us

7. Knowledge of the truth about the world, health, history, geography, and Creation

8. The Truth About Cancer & The Truth About Vaccines - MISSION

9. CHARLIS Beauty Skincare - Beauty for Ashes Ministry

10. You!

Let us know your top 10 list of things for which you are grateful this year. We love hearing from you and all about how God is working in your lives.

As a Thank you to you for all that you are to us, we are overjoyed to offer you a 50% OFF the Classic CHARLIS Face Collection for our “Gracefully Grateful - The CHARLÍS Black Friday Event” going on this Friday - Monday. Keep rising above the noise and distractions of life that only take away your joy and set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated in the heavenlies. Your Humble and Grateful Servant,

Charlene