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stained glass windows · volume twenty · tuesday morning’s two year anniversary
dear sweet friend,
on February 6th, 2024, in the middle of my Government class, I was dilly-dallying the time away on Pinterest (of course!) & heard the Lord tell me to write a blog. imagine what a shock this was to little ole me! the Lord wanted me to create not just any blog, but a blog aimed at Christian girls, one that gave all glory + honor to Him while showing my true, whimsical personality online for anyone to take a peak at. I knew that this would have to entail expressing all of my vulnerable self in writing consistently week to week. immediately, I stepped out in bold faith & obedience. I created Tuesday Mornings that very Tuesday afternoon. & this is the story of how you’re able to read this very anniversary post today!!!!! (honestly, I celebrate the blog’s birthday bigger than I do my own).
at 17 years old, an aspiring fashion journalist with one true friend & a bad case of the “I’m about to graduate high school & am terrified of change” jitters, I let the Lord change my life with my yes.
two years, 207 subscribers, 112 published blog posts (now 113!), & only one omitted weekly edit later (I was at a conference, okay?), I can confidently say that saying yes to the Lord on something as “silly-sounding” as starting a Christian girl blog for His glory on a random Tuesday morning was one of the best decisions of my life. not only has it led to my call to vocational ministry, my other social media platforms, & my access to the sweetest, online community, but my obedience also led to me to being in the heart posture of constantly learning about what it means to be in the Spirit & knowing how to be open to witnessing the character of God in the ordinary. what a beautiful testament to His good, good plans & His abounding faithfulness to His children!
without further adieu: you’re invited to the second year celebration & reflection of ansley claire’s tuesday mornings blog!
as I’m writing this, cozy on my couch in my apartment & baffled at how much has changed for the better in such little time, there is one Bible story in particular that the Spirit has so clearly placed on my heart: when Mary responds to the angel that has appeared to her, & then goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth in Luke 1.
Mary, who found favor with God & was divinely chosen to be the mother of Jesus through the Spirit as a young virgin, understood that literally nothing would be impossible with God by her side & His opinion of her was the only one that mattered when making the decision to obey. she was presented with a request beyond full human understanding (I mean, people!!!! Spiritual conception!!!!), & yet, she obeyed out of an abundance of her trust in her Heavenly Father.
Mary knew that she was the Lord’s to use to further His Kingdom - a willing vessel!
the proof of her obedience & her heart after the Lord’s own is presented so clearly in Scripture!!!! Luke 1:38, “& Mary said, ‘behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’” no word of God is powerless, no dream set on your heart from Him is worthless - He is more than able. just give Him, like Mary, your yes! what is it that the Lord has put on your heart? what is He gently nudging you to say yes to?
as daughters of the Kingdom, we should be inclined to study her response - her boldness, trust, obedience, & willingness to be used by the Lord. there is Kingdom work that He purposefully set us apart for! what are we waiting for? I beg you, sweet friend, find joy in falling in love with the Lord over & over again so that you may be emptied of yourself & can step out into your calling, your gifts. (btw, lukewarm is no way to live! by saying yes to Jesus, He offers us a brand new way of living, of joy, & of supernatural peace that is more worth it than anything the world can offer us).
anyways! a bit after this encounter with this angel occurs, Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth. & there, Elizabeth affirms her by saying, “blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord (Luke 1:45).” blessed is she who believes!!!!! I want to encourage you to have faith that the Lord will refine you by His holy fire & make His dreams for you come true through you & in ways beyond your very imagination (just as He made Abraham the father of many nations, just as He made Mary the mother of our Savior, just as He delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, just as He redeemed Paul’s reputation, & so on).
side note: let’s also obey when it is time for us to step into Elizabeth’s role as the affirmer of her sister in Christ. be an encourager of obedience!
I can say with full joy, excitement, whimsy, & peace that I am walking in the goodness & faithfulness of a God who rewards the obedience of His children with my blog day in & day out! the Lord is bigger than my dreams & big enough to accomplish them. literally jumping up & down for joy!
I owe it all to Him!!!!! trusting that He will make something beautiful out of me!!! this entire platform, following, & ministry would not exist if it wasn’t for my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ being so kind to me by blessing me in such a intentional way.
let this birthday celebration be your reminder that above all else, God is so good & He is worthy of our full, whole-hearted, vulnerable devotion + obedience.
“hey again God, it’s me! I started my blog today! let me honor you & your plan through it, please guide me…I love feeling creative with my words & sharing them to others. I am passionate about Jesus & good connections with people - bringing others with me to Heaven…help me use my spiritual gifts on this blog to show them how cool Jesus is! my dream is to have my own ministry with tuesday mornings.”
my prayer journal entry from the evening of February 6th, 2024
year three!!!! how I am expectant for the Lord to move in this space: I have full faith that He will continue to tend to Tuesday Mornings like a sweet, little garden in the backyard at your grandparents old house - this precious community will continue to grow even more tight knit like tomato plants with vines that overlap, each post I just know will touch at least one reader as He waters my gift of writing & my capacity for Kingdom work, & He will use this platform in many ways for His glory just as one can make jams, pastries, cakes, pies, syrups, & so much more with fresh, ripe strawberries.
this year I would love to grow the reach of the Gospel, step out bolder in faith, & watch as the Lord fulfills His promises to me (like my super secret, for now, awakening project for the year)! I have no doubt in His abilities, that He will open so many doors in year three, & He has already been so faithful to me. my tangible goals: 300 subscribers, a subscriber chat, two new columns (already have one!!!! the dove), & more consistent posting/filming on my other platforms.
a recommended read or two from my past blog posts: my very first post & last year’s happy birthday blog dedication!
I just want to end this post with a lot of gratitude expressed to you all, my dearest & most avid readers. time after time, I pour my heart on these pages & then I get wrapped in the arms of this loving community. I genuinely would not be writing this post without the encouragement that each comment, like, in-person pep talk, prayer, & subscription brings to me - each & every single one of you just fill my heart with so much joy! I pray for you always & thank the Lord for how much you all have simply blessed my heart & changed my life. this is what holy friendship can look like too!!!!
until next time & with love,
ansley claire
I believe that everyone should have access to encouragement from a sister in Christ, so Tuesday Mornings is, & will stay, a free publication. however, if you feel led to support my Kingdom work with a little treat:
a prayer request: that the Lord would keep on bringing people to Him & to obey His call on their lives!!!!!!! being a worker of the Lord’s Kingdom is just such a beautiful thing & just has been the biggest blessing of my life. I mean, I’ll just cry thinking about how obedience led me to writing this post!!!!! I will be praying over you that you would experience His love in a brand new way, hear His voice in a way that you understand, & step out in bold faith.
the prayer mailbox (in progress!) is a quiet place for you to leave a prayer. I’ll be reading each one of them & holding them in prayer with you. some prayers are meant to be shared & held. if you feel lead, the mailbox is open (for now, you can leave a prayer in the comments or email me 💌 strongansleyclaire@gmail.com).
tuesday mornings is like the weekly news, but the news of an ordinary girl who writes about what the extraordinary God of the universe has done in her life!
make sure to check out the blog’s Instagram & TikTok! I have so much fun on my socials! (pssst…any image that is not taken by my camera is found on Pinterest).
also, pretty please tell me your thoughts about this post, what you’re learning in your faith walk, or just whatever is on your mind - I pinky promise I want to know!
I hope each of you has a very happy rest of the week! praying for you! peace! thank you for being here & I hope to see you again soon! 🕊️ I love you so much & so does Jesus Christ!
“therefore, encourage one another & build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” - 1st Thessalonians 5:11
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