Victory Edition (March/April 2019)

volume 8, issue 2 

march/april 2019

MARCH - APRIL 2019 

CONTRIBUTORS 

- writers - 

OLIVIA NICKERSON / EMILY SEAVER / JULIA FINDLEY 

/ REBECCA CARAWAY / PAULA JORDAN / AMANDA 

BROWN / SARAH CNOSSEN / LISA ELIS / JULIA RYAN 

- head photographer - 

LEAH BUFFALINO 

- photography contributors - 

ANNA BRADFORD / KYLIE CERVANTES-BAILEY / SARAH 

MARGARET DUFFY / NIA FINDLEY / CAMI FORDHAM 

/ RACHEL BROWN / REBECCA BROWN / CHRISTY 

JOHNSON 

- illustrations - 

RACHEL BROWN / EMMA FORDHAM / CAMI FORDHAM 

- design - 

AMANDA BROWN 

Volume No. 8, Issue No. 2 

WWW.OHBELOVEDONE.COM

THEME: VICTORY 

obstacles 06 

JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 1 10 


unexpected 43 

kingdom creative: amanda wright 12 

21 

victory in the valley 

THY will be done 14 

grieving 

& fishing 

32 

opportunity 48 

so then i drank coffee 54 


victory in the valley 21 


fail hard 30 

grieving & fishing 32 


conquer 36 

opportunity 

48 

cover: photo of Julia Findley by Nia Findley 

visit 

WWW.OHBELOVEDONE.COM 

to view this issue on your computer

EDITOR’S NOTE 

Amanda Brown 

EDITOR - IN - CHIEF 

I remember when I first heard that my college society’s theme song 

was Victory in Jesus. 

“Seriously?” I thought. “What a lame song.” Never mind that they’d 

changed the tune to be a bit more updated. I really can’t put into 

words why I didn’t appreciate the song. Maybe it was because I felt 

like I was hip-deep in Victory in Amanda. 

But last summer, I changed. Boy, did I change. Suddenly, I needed 

that victory in Jesus I’d scoffed at. I needed it day by day, second 

by second. The words meant so much more to me than ever before. 

“And then I cried, dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit, then 

Jesus came and somehow brought to me the victory.” 

Oh, victory in Jesus, my Savior forever! He sought me and bought me with 

His redeeming blood. He loved me ‘ere I knew Him, and all my love is due 

Him, He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood. 

And when I got to stand up in front of my classmates and sing 

that, I didn’t even have to force myself to smile. The words were so 

ingrained in my heart, I hardly even had to look at the words on the 

screen. 

Later that day, I got to share with a friend how exciting that 

experience had been; how amazing God was to give me the 

opportunity to stand on that stage and boldly proclaim His 

unending love for me and His victory over anything and everything 

in my life. 

Guys, there is such victory in Jesus. How lucky are we that we serve a 

God that actually wants us to have victory? Wow. I’m speechless. 

Let’s go be victorious in Him.

I CAN’T BUT YOU CAN 

you know that feeling 

when you no longer know 

if you can do it 

or if you can’t 

when you can’t decide 

you can’t move 

you just want to cry 

you just want to sleep 

every moment is lived unsure 

undecided 

incomplete 

what’s holding you back 

think 

why are these feelings 

taking over your life 

don’t let them 

steal your joy 

don’t let them win in the end 

be victorious 

fight 

you can do it 

i know you can 

— julia ryan

MARCH/APRIL 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM ARTICLE TITLE HERE 

print is better. 

www.ohbelovedone.com/print-magazine 

OH BELOVED ONE | 4


THE 

FAILURE 

FILES 

// 

It is not easy to lose, but often more 

is won in loss than victory. 

Jack Hyles 

OH BELOVED ONE | 5

MARCH/APRIL 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM OBSTACLES 

obstacles 

by olivia nickerson 

OH BELOVED ONE | 6


Failure. Fear. Inability. Weight. Awkwardness. Worry. 

All the words above are 

obstacles in the way of 

conquering, whether 

physically or mentally. Any of 

these things can prevent you from 

doing what you should be doing, 

from truly living freely in Christ, 

from being a bright light for Him. 

They can drive us mad. 

They make us fall to our knees in 

prayer, crying out to the Lord for 

some relief. 

They can make us literally curl 

up into a ball and sob in our 

closet. 

It’s painful, yet you don’t want 

others to know what you’re 

experiencing. 

My dear girl, I feel your hurt. 

Sometimes they never seem to 

go away. They just keep coming 

back, tripping us up, tearing us 

apart. 

Let me speak some truth into 

your troubled heart. Those things 

are LIES: Lies that creep in, 

wanting us to doubt, wanting us 

not to do what is right, wanting 

us to compare our weight to our 

thinner friends. We let being 

afraid of others and what they 

think stop us from helping 

someone in need for the fear that 

they will mock us or think badly 

about us. 

We fear failure so we do not 

“try, try again.” We fear our 

physical inability, so we do not 

do anything. 

When will we finally say 

“NO!” and put a stop to 

it? 

The truth is, it is impossible. That 

is, it is impossible to do it in our 

own strength. If you’re anything 

like me, it is so easy to fall into 

the trap of trying to conquer in 

your own strength. God is the 

only one Who can truly conquer 

for you. 

With that in mind, let’s break it 

down as to how we can conquer. 

1Find what your lie is. 

If it’s thinking that you’ll be a constant failure, take that and dissect it. Bring it to the truth of God’s Word and 

shine God’s truth on it, instead of letting your own heart judge what it thinks is the truth. Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV) 

says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” What does God say 

about your lie? Doesn’t He promise that He will never leave you nor forsake you? No matter your situation, 

God will help you. Stop thinking that you’ll fail! To be honest, the more you think that, the more that it will 

affect your performance. Our mental thoughts affect our physical performance. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 7


2 

Trust God’s promises.. 

When you look in the 

Word, trust what God 

promises for you. Trust 

that God will help you in 

difficult times, and don’t 

forget it. Hold onto God. 

He is always holding onto 

you, and always will, if 

you are His child. 

3Prepare your 

mind. 

Be prepared for a fierce battle as 

you try to conquer your obstacles. 

Nothing good ever came from 

little work, did it? Arm your 

mind with those promises that 

you now trust. Keep them at the 

forefront of your thoughts, using 

them always in your battles. 

Encourage yourself with them. 

You can also prepare your mind 

with memorizing Scripture. It 

will help to fight off the wrong 

thoughts and the lies that are 

always threatening to overtake 

you once again. 

4Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) says, 

“Do not be anxious about 

anything, but in every situation, 

by prayer and petition, with 

thanksgiving, present your 

requests to God. And the peace 

of God, which transcends all 

understanding, will guard your 

hearts and your minds in Christ 

Jesus.” 

Keep praying. 

Don’t stop crying out to God 

for His help, strength, and 

deliverance. He delights to help 

His children! 

OH BELOVED ONE | 8


5 

Focus on what 

is true. 

In your battles, remind yourself of 

God’s attributes. Keep looking to 

God’s Word to distinguish the truth 

from the lies. Philippians 4:8-9 

(NIV) says, “Finally, brothers and 

sisters, whatever is true, whatever is 

noble, whatever is right, whatever is 

pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is 

admirable—if anything is excellent 

or praiseworthy—think about such 

things. Whatever you have learned or 

received or heard from me, or seen in 

me—put it into practice. And the God 

of peace will be with you.” 

Try singing songs that remind you 

of what is true to keep your mind 

focused. Someone once told me to 

sing Jesus Loves Me really loudly 

in your head to block out the wrong 

thoughts. And it does work! 

6 

Don’t be 

afraid to share 

your obstacles. 

Christian friends, your siblings, your parents, youth leaders, pastors, mentors— 

you can talk to them about your struggles. It’s so encouraging to have someone 

praying for you, to know that someone else cares about you and wants to help. 

Maybe they are experiencing similar difficulties (we all have obstacles), and 

they needed someone to support and encourage them through their battles too. 

Don’t ever give up (and believe me, I’m talking to myself here too!). In our 

weakest moments we see God’s most amazing strength. Keep fighting the good 

fight, and conquer! obo 

OH BELOVED ONE | 9

MARCH/APRIL 2019 

OHBELOVEDONE.COM 

journal entry 

What are some obstacles that show up a lot in your life? They can be big, small, smallish, bigish . . . there are no 

rules. Take a look at page 7 for ideas of common obstacles. List yours below. Then, in a different colored marker, 

write ways you can get rid of these obstacles. These can be action steps like replacing each negative thought with 

three positive ones, or you can find specific verses to quote in times of near-defeat. 

obstacle 

obstacle 

obstacle 

obstacle 

background: vecteezy 

obstacle 

OH BELOVED ONE | 10

i like you ... 

do you 

like me 

too? 

buy me in print 

by scanning this 

barcode thing 

OH BELOVED ONE | 11

MARCH/APRIL 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM KINGDOM CREATIVES 

k i n g d o m 

c r e a t i v e s 

meet amanda wright 

for fellow 

ADVICE creatives 

1// Experiment . . . and keep 

experimenting, even if you’re bad at 

first! 

staying creative when life takes a different turn 

2// Being knowledgeable will enrich 

your design. For example, Amanda 

had to create a poster for a concert 

celebrating the Reformation. She 

researched and discovered images 

of copies of Martin Luther's theses 

that were passed among the public, 

then incorporating this into the art's 

background. 

3// Remember your purpose. Expressing 

beauty will draw you closer to God, the 

Master Creator. He brings order to chaos 

and we get the privelege of imitatin His 

beauty. Remembering your purpose will 

inspire you in your vocation. 

Photos by Christy Johnson, Kingsbridge Photography 

OH BELOVED ONE | 12


CREATIVE 

OUTLETS 

After recently being married, 

art is mostly a hobby for Amanda, 

but a calling nonetheless. She’s 

currently illustrating Bible story 

coloring pages to go along with a 

school curriculum for inner city 

kids. Amanda has put a lot of 

thought into these illustrations, 

keeping them simple but 

challenging herself to create 

something fresh and different from 

the typical images we’ve grown up 

seeing. 

GOD-GIVEN 

TRAITS 

how God has prepped 

me for my purpose 

Amanda has always loved art but 

wasn’t sure what place art would 

have in her future. Currently 

working in marketing, she’s realized 

that God can change your path 

(and even personality) to bring 

Him glory. Amanda believes that 

her empathy is a gift from God, 

allowing her to care about both 

people and the project they task her 

with. She uses this to brainstorm 

what would communicate best for 

her client’s needs. Her experience 

with illustration brings a personal 

touch to her projects. She also 

appreciates her vast array of talents, 

which allows her to take on a variety 

of projects. obo 

OH BELOVED ONE | 13

MARCH/APRIL 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM THY WILL BE DONE 

THY will be done 

by emily seaver 

Asking God for Victory While Trusting His Ultimate Plan 

OH BELOVED ONE | 14


It’s not a hard thing to do, but trusting that 

God has the best for you is difficult. He’s 

not a genie in a lamp to grant you wishes, 

and so even if you pray, he might have 

something better in mind. 

times that God had better plans 

Dear God, I prayed, Let 

me get a good time. 

The announcer told us 

to take our marks. My fingers 

brushed the edge of the diving 

block. The announcer pressed 

the button. BEEP! I dove into 

the water. 

Even though I swam my hardest, 

it wasn’t enough. My time was 

two seconds off, and I didn’t go 

to City Meet, where the best of 

the summer swimmers went. 

I was angry at myself. I didn’t 

understand why I hadn’t gotten 

what I had prayed for, and I 

thought that if I had worked 

harder, maybe I could have 

gotten in. Two of my sisters had 

gotten into City, and one of them 

couldn’t have cared less. 

A few weeks later, I had the 

opportunity to go to an amazing art 

and design camp. If I had gone to 

City Meet, I wouldn’t have gone 

to that camp, where I met some 

amazing people and had really neat 

opportunities to improve my skills. 

// 

Dear God, Please take my pride 

away from me. I’m so tired of 

dealing with it. This is a prayer I 

have prayed many, many times, and 

yet I still struggle with it over, and 

over, and over again. It never seems 

to go away. Sometimes I don’t 

understand why I struggle with it. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 15


Praying for victory 

can be hard. It involves 

trusting that 

God can do what 

you’re praying for 

and trusting God 

when He doesn’t 

do it the way you 

imagined. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 16


Paul seems to have this same issue 

when he’s writing Romans 7. 

“For I know that nothing good 

dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For 

I have desire to do what is right, but 

not the ability to carry it out. For I 

do not do the good I want, but the 

evil I do not want is what I keep on 

doing.” (Romans 7:18-19) 

times that God worked in the way 

i had prayed 

Paul has the same problem as me. 

He wants the sin to go away, but it 

won’t. It’s such a habit that his flesh 

does it without even thinking. He’s 

frustrated, and he wants to stop. Still, 

he understands that since the fall, it is 

human nature to sin. 

That is what made Jesus’s life, 

death, and resurrection so wonderful. 

Because Jesus lived a sinless life 

and died in our place, our sins can 

be forgiven. He knows that because 

of the sinful nature of the flesh, he 

will not stop sinning until he gets his 

glorified body. As a sinner he can 

honor God by fighting sin rather than 

giving into it. 

“Who will deliver me from this body 

of death?... Jesus Christ our Lord. So 

then, I myself serve the law of God 

with my mind, but with my flesh I 

serve the law of sin.” (Romans 7:24b 

and 25b) 

Paul knows that we still sin because 

he understands that we have all fallen 

short of God’s glory. But as sinners, 

we look to Jesus, who has given us 

His righteousness. Because of this, 

we have no more condemnation and 

are free from our slavery to sin. 

I was so excited as I saw my picture 

hanging on the wall with a red 

“second place” ribbon beside it. I had 

worked on the charcoal drawing all 

week at the previously mentioned art 

camp, and I won second place at the 

exhibition! 

I had prayed that one of my three 

pieces would win an award, and one 

did! In each category you could only 

win three awards, and with at least 

ten people in charcoal drawing, I 

was one of the three. It was a huge 

blessing, because not only would my 

immediate family get to see my art 

on display, but I had my grandparents 

and two of my cousins coming to see 

it, too. 

// 

Dear God, I need your help to do 

well on this science test. I am not a 

scientist or mathematician in any 

way, shape, or form. 

I had studied hard for this test and 

still didn’t feel like I knew the 

information well enough. But it 

As sinners, we look to Jesus, who 

has given us His righteousness. 

Because of Him, we have no more 

condemnation and are free from 

our slavery to sin. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 17



was time to take the test. The next 

day I got the grade back. An A. 

Even though it was a low A, I was 

ecstatic. God had helped me to recall 

information, and I had even gotten an 

answer I had guessed on correct. 

// 

Have you ever heard the song Thy 

Will by Hillary Scott? A few years 

ago I started praying that God’s will, 

and not mine, would be done when 

I wanted something to go my way. 

That helped me so much as I asked 

to do well on tests, win contests, and 

swim fastest. I remembered that I 

wanted what He wanted to happen, 

because He knew best. 

I wanted what He wanted 

to happen, because He 

knew best. 

Did you know that Jesus asked for 

something from his father, but didn’t 

get it? He asks for the cup to pass 

over him (He knows it will be hard 

and painful to bear the sins of the 

world) but God allowed Him to die 

on the cross for our sins. Because of 

this, we now have hope. We are now 

adopted into God’s family. God is in 

control, and whether you succeed or 

fail, He has the best in mind for you 

because you are his child. obo 

meet the 

author 

Emily lives in sunny, ever-humid South Carolina and co-blogs at growingintofriends.com. She spends her days being 

creative and dreaming up impractical yet exciting ideas when she doesn’t have to deal with reality. She is a freshman 

in highschool, uses as many big words as she can find, and reads every book she can get her hands on. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 18


OH BELOVED ONE | 19


// if you ordered this magazine as a beloved bundle // 

There's a sticker included above! Happy day! 

// if you ordered a single magazine (#singleasapringle) // 

you could do do one of the following: 

a. stare at the image above and dream about having it as a sticker 

b. cut it out and tape it to your forhead and pretend it's a sticker 

c. make your plans to order a Beloved Bundle next time! 

OH BELOVED ONE | 20



V 

OH 

BELOVED ONE | 21

When going through a hard situation, 

I often think, “I can’t do this!” 

Sometimes I wish I had help and 

I feel so alone. I may tell friends or family 

about the situation and garner their sympathy 

and promises of prayer, but ultimately I walk 

through the struggle alone. 

My heart hurts and my head throbs. 

Although my loved ones want me to feel 

better, they cannot actually touch my heart 

and take the pain away. They cannot touch my 

mind and sooth all the tumultuous thoughts. 

So, there I sit all alone with my struggles and 

I think, “This is the pits.” I am in the valley. 

I am so alone. 

Things seem so dark. 

The day’s sun shines brightly, but not for me. 

Somehow, I am in the shadows of the valley 

and the sun’s warm, happy beams do not 

reach me. I am cold. I want to curl up and go 

to sleep. Shut everything out. Get away from 

my problems that have mired me in a virtual 

pit. 

Again, I think, “I cannot do this.” 

I hear a quiet response, “No, you can’t.” 

I think, “Yep, I can’t.” 

I hear, “You cannot without me. I can 

help you. I can give you strength 

and wisdom you need. I can 

give you joy that passes all 

understanding.” 

Foolishly I look within and 

doubt I heard anything. 

“I can help you,” the voice 

says. 

“Hey! Who said that?” 

Then I know who spoke, 

who nudged me from 

within. I hear the voice 

again. 

“Wipe your face and 

come take a drink at the 

fountain.” 

For you are the Fountain of life; our light is from your light. // 

PSALM 36:9 (TLB ) 

I want to remind you that your strength must come from the 

Lord’s mighty power within you. // EPHESIANS 6:10 (TLB) 

I finally know the voice 

within and I listen. I go to 

the fountain and I drink. I 

let it fill my empty cup till it 

overflows. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 22

MARCH/APRIL 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM VICTORY IN THE VALLEY 

The problem is still there, 

I then return to my problems 

sustained and refreshed. I continue 

to listen to the voice and we deal 

with the problems. We walk together 

for days, weeks, months through the 

valley until I see a break through the 

midst. The sun rays beckon and I run 

out and find myself out of the valley. 

I turn and see beauty surrounds me. 

There is joy again. 

The voice is still there and I need 

to make sure I continue to hear and 

listen through the buzz of the bugs 

and chirping of the birds. Life is 

happy again. As I am excited in this 

victory, I don’t want the noise and 

business of this world to drown out 

the voice I heard in the valley. Lord, 

keep speaking to me so that I can 

keep walking this life with you. In 

you dear Lord, I have found that I can 

live in victory. 

but now I have hope. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 23


I have told you all this so that you will have 

peace of heart and mind. Here on earth, you 

will have many trials and sorrows, but 

For the Lamb standing in 

front of the throne will feed 

them and be their Shepherd 

and lead them to the springs 

of the Water of Life. And God 

will wipe their tears away. // 

REVELATIONS 7:17 (TLB) 

I must confess to you: 

While in my personal valley, 

I found things in my heart 

and in my life that were not 

pleasing to God. I had to 

come to a breaking point and 

acknowledge that these things 

needed to be taken out of my 

life and a change needed to be 

made. 

The valley became a place of 

cleansing and renewal. After 

I gave these things to God, 

my burden was lightened. The 

external problems were still 

there but I had the spiritual 

strength to tackle the problems 

in a strong godly manner. I had 

to learn that I cannot control 

other people and although it 

has an effect on me and has 

sent me spiraling into this 

valley, I need to stop pointing 

my finger at someone else. 

CHEER UP 

for i have overcome the world. John 16:33 TLB 

Yes, they are causing external 

problems, but after I dusted 

myself off, I realized, I have 

issues I need to work on 

myself. I want my prayer 

request to be answered, but 

wouldn’t it be a sweeter victory 

if not only my external problem 

was resolved, but I came 

out a better, wiser, stronger 

person? I would then have 

great victory! 

So use every piece of God’s armor to 

resist the enemy whenever he attacks, 

and when it is all over, you will be 

standing up. // EPHESIANS 6:13 (TLB) 

OH BELOVED ONE | 24


1. He took me to the valley, a quiet place, so I 

could hear His voice clearly. 

2. He showed me, in the valley, things that will 

make me stronger. 

3. He sought me in the valley, so that in 

my time of need, he could fulfill my prayer 

requests and show me miracles. 

4. He nourished me in the valley so I 

could see that without Him, I could not be 

full. 

5. He let me experience the valley so when 

others go through a hard situation, I truly 

value the power of prayer and I will 

actually fulfill my promise to pray for them. 

6. He led me to the valley so I can 

personally feel the pain and sorrows and 

become empathetic to others. 

7. He led me through the valley 

because He promised me He would. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 25


Things I Try 

to do When 

I am Sad: 

Being down in the valley is rough, so in order to help lift 

my spirits, I try to do something physically to calm myself. 

V 

Nap With Favorite Blanket – I may even launder my blanket so it is 

fresh. 

Do Facial Treatment – So many facial packs can be found at the 

store. They are so much fun! 

Put on favorite Perfume – My personal favorite is Vanilla. 

Drink From a Pretty Mug – Before putting in my hot beverage, 

I warm the cup by putting hot water in first to bring up the 

temperature of the mug. I then dump out the hot water and put in my 

hot beverage which tends to keep my beverage hot longer. 

Walk the Dog – My dog always seems happy. Don’t they all? Her 

excitement about being outside sometimes rubs off on me. She gets 

joy out of the simplest things. Squirrels, water puddles and people we 

walk by. 

Take a Hot, Steamy Shower – I give myself permission to make it 

real long. 

Listen to Happy Music – I put the earbuds in and close my eyes. 

Watch a Movie – It helps to make a list of favorites so when I am sad 

I just easily pick one. 

Take a Drive – A short drive to my favorite place. 

Eat Something Yummy – I try to eat something that is both healthy 

and yummy too! 

OH BELOVED ONE | 26


V 

i 

When I am in the 

V alley, I need 

to Value 

my inability to ignite 

the energy to walk 

alone 

T 

O 

R 

C 

through this 

Challenge without 

the C ompany 

of the Almighty Time 

Transcending God. 

He gave me this 

Obstacle as a growth 

Opportunity. 

In the Rainy, dark 

valley I Raise up my 

head and remember; 

Y 

Y 

es! I am not in this 

alone! He walks with 

Y 

me esterday, today 

and forever. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 27


Don't forget the victories 

In order to help myself work through my 

time of hardship, I started journaling. 

I combined a bit of crafting with my 

journaling to make it more fun. I have 

stickers, Washi tape, stamps, ink, paint, 

ribbon and glitter. When I think of 

something I want to write down, I get out 

my Bible, journal and crafting supplies. 

I spread everything out on the table 

and I think about what I am learning or 

struggling with. 

I gather my thoughts and start my journal 

page by selecting a colorful piece of 

paper that I cut down to fit the page. As 

I glue the page down. I start to think of 

other papers I will use and write a few 

things down. I open my Bible to find 

the answers. I try to find an appropriate 

verse that goes along with my project. 

If you don’t write the victories you will 

forget them. Make a list of answered 

prayers and miracles. 

These pages mark my struggles and the 

verses I went to for encouragement. 

Months later, as I look through 

the journal, I see what I was going 

through, how God brought me through 

it. I remember answered prayers and 

miracles. I look at pages and pages of 

growth and victory. obo 

meet the 

author 

Paula Jordan is a beloved mother and friend. After a wild whirlwind of a life, filled with adventures both inside and 

outside of the United States, she sees herself as priveleged to finally dedicate herself to the vocation she's always felt 

called to: motherhood. She is a true inspiration and full of the best kind of wisdom you can ask for. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 28



journal entry 

List out small daily victories, like making someone smile or encouraging a teacher. They can be small like waking 

up, big like getting a good grade, or they could be more of a often-but-not-always kinda thing. No rules here, friend. 

Write away! 


OH BELOVED ONE | 29

F a i l u r e i s t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o b e g i n a g a i n m o r e i n t e l l i g e n t l y , ” 


FAIL HARD 

failHAR 

FAILURE IS HARD. 

Especially at this age. 

Most of us get told that we can do anything we want if we just work hard 

enough, if we just pray enough. The truth is hard work doesn’t always 

pay off. No matter how hard we work sometimes we will fail. No 

matter how many wonderful recommendations we have on our resume, sometimes 

we won’t get that dream job. No matter how many extracurriculars we have, 

sometimes we won’t get into our dream school. No matter how much you study, 

sometimes you just won’t pass that test. But here’s the thing (are you ready to hear 

this?): 

It’s okay. 

by rebecca carraway 

It’s okay to fail. Failure is a part of life. We can’t avoid it. Failure makes us who we 

are and makes us strive to work harder in the future. 

Next time you fail at something (maybe it’s being a better sister, or maybe it’s 

with school or work) take a deep breath and think about how you can use this 

opportunity to improve. Think about how you can grow from this: what do you 

need to change? Figure out how you can be the best version of you by growing 

from this failure. 

Take your current situation, no matter how bad it may feel, and turn it into 

something better than it ever was. God gives us trials so we can grow, so we 

become closer with Him, and so we can become a better version of ourselves. I 

know that’s hard. It’s much easier to say than do. When we fail, we can be at our 

lowest. When there’s something that we’ve worked really hard for but than don’t 

get it, it can be heartbreaking. When we’re at our lowest moment it’s impossible to 

OH BELOVED ONE | 30

MARCH/APRIL 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM FAIL HARD 

D 

think that anything good can come out of it. 

So take your time. Whenever something 

bad happens in our lives, people around us 

always expect us to be upset at first but move 

on quickly. Some of us can do that, but for 

others time doesn’t heal all wounds. Some 

of us need more time than others. So when 

something happens in our life and we feel 

like nothing will ever change, take time to 

sad. 

MOURN FOR WHAT YOU LOST OR 

DIDN’T GET. 

There is absolutely no shame in being sad or 

disappointed for a while. 

Look at failure as a second chance. Whatever 

you failed at, this chance means you get an 

opportunity to try again and take a different 

approach. Nothing in this life comes easily. 

We have to work for everything that we 

have. Life is full of failure but if you know 

how to handle and deal with it, then you will 

be okay. 

Take a deep breath. 

background art created by Freepik 

Try again or try something else. 

I believe in you. obo 

meet the 

author 

Rebecca lives in Southern California with her eight younger siblings. She is currently a senior in high school and 

plans to study journalism and English in college. She loves spending time with friends, listening to music, and 

writing. You can often find her in a coffee shop hanging out with friends. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 31

“Grief is the last act of love 

we have to give to those we 

loved. — Where there is deep 

grief, there was great love 

. Anonymous 

g r i e v i n g 

& 

f i s h i n g 

— 

by julia findley 

OH BELOVED ONE | 32

MARCH/APRIL 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM GRIEVING & FISHING 

I knew it was going 

to happen eventually, 

but you always have 

a hope that it won’t 

happen so soon, or 

suddenly. 

In August last year, my grandpa 

passed away. The hurt is still there, 

but that’s because every day for 

years I prayed. And I prayed some 

more. I prayed that my grandpa would 

realize that he was a sinner, and he 

needed to be saved. 

I’ll never know if he did, and that was 

half of the pain. 

My grandpa loved to fish, something I 

never enjoyed, but think of fishing: it 

requires patience, it's time-consuming 

and for some it will never be fun. 

That’s how grieving was for me. It 

made me wait and it brought me closer 

to God. You see, I had to fish for God’s 

wisdom. It would’ve been so easy for 

me to sit on the shore and hope that it 

would just fall into my lap. 

But in times of uneasy seas, we have to 

look for the lighthouse that is our Father. 

He is always right there and He will 

never ever leave. 

When I walked into my grandpa’s 

funeral, I wanted to turn around and run 

away. I felt so helpless. My grandpa who 

I loved dearly was gone. But I knew I 

needed to say goodbye to him. I needed 

closure. I needed to say I loved him one 

more time. 

I didn’t have the best relationship with 

him, but I loved him and I will forever 

remember standing on the banks of his 

favorite lake under a full moon while he 

taught me how to fish. 

Grief. 

It’s what I had to overcome, it’s big and 

scary, but it will happen to everyone. 

How will you handle it? obo 

meet the 

author 

Julia is a student who loves to travel and loves to use her words to impact others. When she is not working you can 

find her sipping coffee, strumming her ukulele Bucky, studying or napping. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 33



journal entry 

Go back to page 27 and read over the narrative on how God used tragedy in this writer's life to show how big and 

amazing He is. Map your own valley below and see if you can find similarities in this basic outline. 

Hearing His voice: 

Making me stronger: 

Fulfilling prayer requests: 

Showing me miracles: 

Background by Vecteezy 

Nourishing me: 

Praying for others: 

Empathizing with others’ pain: 

Leading me through: 

OH BELOVED ONE | 34


// 

The greatest faith is born in the 

hour of despair. When we can see 

no hope and no way out, then faith 

rises and brings the victory. 

- Lee Roberson 

OH BELOVED ONE | 35

MARCH/APRIL 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM CONQUER 

CONQUER 

by sarah cnossen 

OH BELOVED ONE | 36


art created by Freepik 

What makes 

a victorious 

conqueror? And 

I don’t necessarily mean a 

mighty warrior with sword 

and shield, or refer to the 

conquerors of empires in our 

world history. 

What makes one victorious? 

Successful? Possible 

world-changers? And how 

can that be ME? 

To be successful in anything, 

I believe there are at 

least four characteristics 

necessary. And funnily 

enough, they tie in to one 

another beautifully. 

AMBITION. 

Drive. [noun “desire to achieve a particular end”] 

A conqueror needs this to 

motivate them. If there is no 

drive to push toward one’s 

goals, one will certainly fail 

to succeed—to conquer. What 

motivates you? Writing? 

Reading? A creative hobby? 

Family? Dance? Find your 

passion! Usually ambition will 

OH BELOVED ONE | 37


INTENTION. 

Deliberate. [adj.“done by intention or design”] 

follow. 

This one certainly takes more 

effort. But it’s not impossible! 

And just like ambition follows 

passion, intentionality follows 

ambition. They go hand in hand. 

Have courage to conquer all 

those fears and worries. Find the 

freedom to say no at times and 

when it’s necessary for you. Be 

intentional in each decision, and 

in doing so you’ll find confidence 

to conquer anything. 

// give each task 

110%—especially 

those you dislike. 

DILIGENCE. 

Committed [noun “steady, earnest, & energetic effort; 

persevering application”] 

Put effort into all you do. Give each task 110%— 

especially those you dislike (or even loathe). THAT 

is most definitely easier said than done . . . but try it 

and see! Chances are you’ll find yourself excelling 

in nearly everything you do. Persist! And do so 

cheerfully. Choose joy in your diligence. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 38


PERSEVERANCE. 

[noun “continued effort to do or achieve something despite 

difficulties, failure, or opposition; the action of condition or an 

instance of persevering” Steadfastness.] 

Stand fast. Stick to it. They say 

"practice makes perfect" for a 

reason, right? 

No one will ever gain victory— 

in anything—if they give up 

when they feel they’ve got 

nothing left. Thomas Edison said 

that, “Our greatest weakness lies 

in giving up. The most certain 

way to succeed is always to try 

just one more time.” 

And guess what? In Christ, 

we are “more than conquerors 

through Him who loved us.” 

(Romans 8:37) That’s gotta be 

motivation enough to press on! 

Why? Because we have the 

Ultimate Conqueror on our side, 

and what blessed relief it is to 

So. What makes a 

victorious conqueror? 

To summarize: Find your ambition. Be 

INTENTIONAL. Pursue diligence. And 

persevere! obo 

meet the 

author 

Sarah Cnossen is a stay-at-home wife to Evan & mama to Gabe. She’s a native Tennessean, a daughter of the King, 

an aspiring writer, and avid reader & reviewer of books. She blogs at sarah-plainandaverage.blogspot.com, and is 

99.9% sure she’s a Disney princess and that she married her Beast. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 39



journal entry 

Which conqueror characteristic do you struggle with the most? Ambition? Intentionality? Diligence? Or 

perseverance? Has this changed as you've grown older, or have you always struggled with this? It's time for some 

introspection. 


OH BELOVED ONE | 40

MARCH/APRIL 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM READERS SPEAK 

small 

1. One of my favorite little blessings is getting iced coffee! 

— Madison Avery 

2. Mine is getting my chemistry homework done. — Rachel 

Brown 

3. Actually getting up and going to breakfast before work at 

8am. — Rachel Futch 

4. Getting through classes successfully each day!! — Adebisi 

Amori 

victories 

look at all you have achieved + celebrate + 

5. Doing my Bible reading plan right when 

I wake up (and I get up really early some 

mornings AKA: sub-five am). — Caroline 

Milburn 

6. Answering all the emails in my inbox. 

— Hailey Hudson 

7. I really enjoy writing out hymns when 

I know I’m struggling. It’s a way of 

remembering the promises of old in today’s 

crural society. I often listen to sermons and 

scripture reading because one can never be too 

on guard, and, it’s a MUST for my heart! That’s 

for sure!! — Elizabeth Mason 

readers share daily victories 

OH BELOVED ONE | 41

’ve never met 


strong person 

ith an easy 

ast. 

// atticus finch 


OH BELOVED ONE | 42

MARCH/APRIL 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM UNEXPECTED 

unexpected 

by lisa elis 

When I started 

compiling verses 

for this article, I 

assumed it would be a very 

quick and simple job – look up 

‘victory’ in a concordance, write 

down the most encouraging 

verses, and I’d be ready to submit 

this to our editor. 

I didn’t expect to learn something just by reading 

random verses, but all the same, I did. 

When thinking about victory in the Bible, the 

story of the twelve spies isn’t the first that 

springs to mind – and yet it popped up quickly 

after my search. Moses sent twelve spies to 

scout out the land of Canaan, and when they 

returned from the mission, all agreed that it was 

a beautiful, bountiful land. 

Still, ten of them were convinced that it would 

be impossible to conquer Canaan because their 

enemies were so great. Only Joshua and Caleb 

believed that they stood a chance. 

“But Caleb quieted the people before Moses 

and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy 

it, for we are well able to overcome it.” 

Numbers 13:30 

OH BELOVED ONE | 43


the 

people 

didn’t 

believe 

it. 

As a result they wandered around in the desert for 40 

years. 

You know what? The people who said it would be 

impossible to conquer Canaan – they were right. 

They couldn’t have done it – on their own. But they 

forgot something very important – they were not on 

their own. God was with them. 

As a dear friend of mine would say, be blessed as you 

read the verses below. 

“In the world you will have tribulation. But take 

heart, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) 

“For everyone who has been born of God 

overcomes the world. And this is the victory that 

has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 

5:4) 

“For the Lord your God is he 

who goes with you to fight 

for you against your enemies, 

to give you the victory.” 

(Deuteronomy 20:4) 

“With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who 

will tread down our foes.” (Psalm 108:13) 

OH BELOVED ONE | 44


“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on 

serpents and scorpions, and over all the power 

of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” (Luke 

10:19) 

“What then shall we say to 

these things? If God is for 

us, who can be against us?” 

(Romans 8:31) 

“For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; 

it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one 

who helps you.’” (Isaiah 41:13) 

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 

18:14) 

“The light shines in 

the darkness, and 

the darkness has not 

overcome it.” (John 1:5) 

“For the righteous falls seven times and 

rises again.” (Proverbs 24:16) 

if 

God 

is for 

us, who 

can be 

against us 

“He brings justice to victory.” (Matthew 

12:20) 

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome 

evil with good.” (Romans 12:21) 

OH BELOVED ONE | 45


my power is made perfect in 

weakness 

“I can do all things through him who 

strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) 

“In all these things we 

are more than conquerors 

through him who loved 

us.” (Romans 8:37) 

“Thanks be to God, who gives us the 

victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

(1 Corinthians 15:57) 

“The one who conquers will have this 

heritage, and I will be his God and he will 

be my son.” (Revelation 21:6-7) 

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the 

power and the glory and the victory and the 

majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in 

the earth is yours.” (1 Chronicles 29:11) 


my grace 

is sufficient 

FOR 

YOU 

OH BELOVED ONE | 46


and these are the lessons 

i learned while compiling 

these verses: 

1. We will face many challenges and difficulties. 

2. We cannot overcome, by ourselves. 

3. Victory is a gift from God. 

4. If you are a child of God, you are a conqueror, you are victorious. 

5. To live as a child of God is to live victorious. 

6. God wants to lead you somewhere beautiful and give you something great 

7. But it’s not going to be easy to get there, so 

8. You can either be like the ten spies – let fear take over, back down, and 

so let go of what God wants to give you, or 

9. You can face the fears believing in God’s strength 

10. And come forth victorious. 

obo 

meet the 

author 

Lisa Elis is a busy high school junior from Canada who spends her free time chasing many literary interests. She’s 

also into art and design, orchids and sunshine, plus all things that grow her wanderlust. Find her scrambling to post 

every week at www.thisinkwell.blogspot.com. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 47


OPPORTUNITY 

a story by lisa elis 

they all knew she was new 



he’d given her a chance and she’d missed it 

A 

boy stood in the center of 

a circle of teenagers sitting 

on benches, chairs, and 

couches. 

They were all watching him intently, 

calling forth the names of fruits as 

suggestions, ready to jump up. 

“Apples, pears, and oranges!” he 

called and a quarter of the kids 

leaped from their seats, and darted 

for another one that had just been 

vacated. 

The boy who had been standing in 

the center dove for an empty chair. 

Everyone scrambled for a few 

seconds, and then it was over. One 

girl was slower than the rest, and 

she was left without a seat, standing 

in the middle. 

“Strawberries, bananas, and 

pineapples!” she yelled, and again 

some kids jumped up and darted 

for a place on the other side of the 

circle, shoving each other out of the 

way, bumping into their friends, all 

grinning and laughing as they threw 

comments and mock insults at each 

other. 

One girl didn’t move and didn’t say 

OH BELOVED ONE | 48

MARCH/APRIL 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM OPPORTUNITY 

you can 

do this 

she thought 

knowing that they all knew she was 

new, knowing they’d all notice she 

was too scared to try. 

“Everything you put in a 

sub!” the person who was it called. 

She watched halfheartedly, and 

sidled closer to the edge of the 

bench she was sitting on as a boy 

tumbled into the empty spot next to 

her. 

He sat down grinning. He leaned 

forward, resting his elbows on his 

knees as he watched the rest of the 

kids claim their places. 

There was a click in the girl’s 

mind. She remembered this guy. 

She’d seen him before, and she 

remembered him because of his 

wavy sandy hair. 

a thing. 

She bit her lip. 

She’d never played this game 

before. She’d never been in a youth 

group before. She’d never found 

herself in a group of teenagers 

before. 

Her heart dropped into her stomach 

as she watched the game. 

You can do this, she thought to 

herself. Just go. 

And she started to as the new boy 

in the middle yelled, “Fruit basket!” 

But when everyone sprang up and a 

mad scramble ensued, she sank back 

down. 

She couldn’t. She’d be the one left 

standing. She wouldn’t make it 

more than three paces. 

But it was just as bad sitting there, 

OH BELOVED ONE | 49


As the kid standing in the middle 

paced and contemplated the 

names of fruits, the others yelled 

suggestions to him. 

The boy looked at her and asked, 

“What fruit did you pick?” 

She turned towards him, for a 

moment so surprised that her mind 

went blank. After a few seconds of 

scrambling in her brain, she replied, 

“Pineapples.” 

He nodded, and turned back to 

watch the game. 

She wondered why he would ask. 

Just curiosity, she decided, but 

then she heard him calling to the 

it in the center, “Pineapples!” 

The boy who sat next to her was 

gone again, but all she could 

think of was that he’d said, 

“Pineapples” and she hadn’t 

moved. 

Regret swelled in her chest. 

She wondered why she suddenly 

wanted to do it so badly. Maybe 

just so that the boy’s help 

wouldn’t be in vain. He’d given 

her a chance and she’d missed it. 

She set her jaw. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 50

she 

MARCH/APRIL 

wasn’t 

2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM 

letting 

ARTICLE TITLE HERE 

this opportunity slip 

between her fingers 

OH BELOVED ONE | 51


No, she decided. I'm not letting 

this opportunity slip between my 

fingers. 

So what if she could make it only 

three paces? That would be a 

start, at least. She didn’t have to 

run to the other side of the circle. 

“Fruit basket!” came the call 

again, and she made her move. 

She launched herself for a seat 

a just a few places to her right, 

and flung herself into it before 

anyone else could claim it. She 

reached it, and exhaled as she sat 

down. A smile was mounting on 

her face. 

She’d done it. Just a few paces, 

but she’d done it. 

She had to wait two turns before 

someone called “pineapples” 

again, but when it came, she was 

ready. She sprang up and bowled 

across the circle. She fell into a 

chair, and sat there triumphantly, 

grinning at everyone else. She 

knew she could play this game. 

And she knew she would love it. 

It was just about grabbing the 

opportunity when it presented 

itself. obo 

And sometimes it helped to have a 

little nudge in the right direction. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 52


author’s note 

I wrote this story as fictionally as possible, but the truth is: this 

happened to me. Exactly the way described. I wrote this story 

to capture that feeling of fear, and that feeling of overcoming, 

and most importantly, the feeling of courage you get when 

someone takes a moment to notice you, and give you some 

encouragement. Sometimes the things you must overcome are 

so small they seem silly in hindsight—but at the time, it was so 

important. So let’s not look down on those small steps—either 

our own, or anyone else’s. 

meet the 

author 

Lisa Elis is a busy high school junior from Canada who spends her free time chasing many literary interests. She’s 

also into art and design, orchids and sunshine, plus all things that grow her wanderlust. Find her scrambling to post 

every week at www.thisinkwell.blogspot.com. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 53

so 

celebrating 

waking 

then i 

up 

drank 

coffee 

by amanda brown 

OH BELOVED ONE | 54

MARCH/APRIL 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM SO THEN I DRANK COFFEE 

grabbing Happy Hour 

Starbucks with my 

sister 

having a fruit loop 

cereal picnic with 

friends 

my treat,” I told my 

dad as I poured my 

“It’s 

second cup of coffee for 

the day. 

“But it’s the afternoon,” the almostbald 

patriarch pointed out. 

I pivoted my sock-covered feet and 

slid over to the refrigerator (you 

will always find me wearing socks 

at home; there’s power in having 

the ability to slide to and fro). 

“Exactly.” 

“And how’s it a treat if you drink it 

every day? Then it’s not a treat.” 

“But it is. It’s a reward for me 

waking up.” 

As he often does, my dad just 

shook his head and left me to my 

quizzical quirks. 

Listen, I am no morning person. 

I’m not exactly Medusa from The 

Rescuers before ten in the morning, 

but I’m also no Snow White. Yet 

I’ve managed to have eight o’clock 

classes every semester . . . which 

means dragging myself out of my 

cozy sheets at ungodly hours of the 

morning. 

I believe in making every day 

special. I mean, hey: today was 

tough. Getting out of bed is tough. 

Kudos to you for doing today. 

That always calls for a celebration. 

Some of my favorite ways to 

celebrate include the following: 

watching my favorite 

show while I do my art 

homework 

changing into a t-shirt 

from my favorite 

family vacation spot 

(Colorado) before 

beginning homework 

making myself a cup 

of hot chocolate and 

pairing it with graham 

crackers or Oreos 

OH BELOVED ONE | 55

MARCH/APRIL 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM SO THEN I DRANK COFFEE 

roll your windows down, 

open your skylight if you have one, 

and blast ‘40s music 

have a week where you 

challenge yourself to 

wear at least one item of a 

certain color every day 

take a random Walmart 

shopping trip . . . or 

bargain hunt in the Target 

dollar section 

wear a really fancy dress 

and high heels on a day 

you have a hard test (fake 

confidence if you have to) 

decorate a boring phone 

case (I’m looking at you, 

OtterBox) with bubble 

stickers 

grab a friend and go to a 

local humane shelter to 

pet puppies 

move things around in 

your room to get a fresh 

perspective obo 

OH BELOVED ONE | 56



journal entry 

Now that you're all inspired to conquer, start a conquer list below. Start with small goals you can do daily/weekly, 

then move on to monthly and yearly goals. Envision, then plan, then carry out. If you need encouragement, flip 

through the magazine again to read stories about both victories and successes. This is your victor's cheat sheet. 

Good luck, and let us know how it goes! 


OH BELOVED ONE | 57


the harder the battle 

OH BELOVED ONE | 58


the sweeter the 

victory 

OH BELOVED ONE | 59


CREDITS 

hang out with us at 

www.ohbelovedone.com 

DISCLAIMER 

Oh Beloved One is not responsible for any inaccurate 

information in its magazine pages. Additionally, we are 

not responsible for plagiarism on the part of our writers. 

We accept their work assuming that it is their own. 

Please contact us if you have any problems. 

Current reading material in our world today has been 

tainted and darkened. In our pages, we strive to share 

clean and positive articles that leave readers feeling 

blessed. 

We will not stand down for our faith; however, we will 

not push our beliefs on others. You are free to accept 

or reject things we say and we will not discriminate 

against you for any reason. Additionally, just because 

our pages are filled with positive articles does not mean 

we will not stand up for what we believe in. However, 

we believe that at this time it is best to look at the glass 

as half full. 

All photos and art not taken by an Oh Beloved One staff 

member were checked to ensure they do not infringe 

copyright laws. Please contact us if you have an issue. 

- sometimes funny, always thoughtprovoking 

posts 

- a free book about fighting 

depression 

- stickers for your laptop and stuffs 

- oh beloved one magazine in print 

- our first devotional 

- the reevaluation revolution, a 

monthly encouraging email full of 

Bible verses, freebies, devos, and 

more 

- access to past magazines 

- updates on new videos, magazines, 

blogposts, and merchandise 

- and more! 

AMAZING PEOPLE 

who took amazing photos 

Sarah Margaret Duffy—poetry page 

Anna Bradford— pgs. 8, 9, 18, 36, back cover 

Leah Buffalino—pgs. 4, 7, 17, 22-27, 31, 41, 48-52, 

55-56 

Rebecca Brown—pg. 28 

Nia Findley—cover, 14 

Julia Findley—pg. 15 

Christy Johnson—pgs. 12-13 

Rachel Brown—editor page, 11 

Unsplash—pgs. 21, 35 

Kylie Cervantes-Bailey—pgs. 37, 39 

Amanda Brown—pgs. 58-59 

MORE AMAZING PEOPLE 

who drew amazing things 

Emma Fordham—pgs. 17-18, 25, 30-31, 43-45 

Rachel Brown—pg. 32 

Cami Fordham—pg. 19, 20 

OH BELOVED ONE | 60

dedicated 


failed 

not alone 

OH BELOVED ONE | 61


next issue, let’s talk 

ohbelovedone.com 

IDENTITY 

Who are you? Are you really just the color of your hair, the 

number that flashes on the scale, and the height marked in 

pencil on the wall? Or are you your favorite pancake places, 

bands no one’s ever heard of, t-shirts you found with stories 

as special as yours? Do you identify as an artist, a daughter, a 

friend, or a world changer? Let’s talk identity, coming your way 

May 2019. 

OH BELOVED ONE | 62

Victory Edition (March/April 2019)

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?