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For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
OUR STORY
Discovering the Story Behind Alabaster Heart
Choosing to see the beauty (Jesus) in the brokenness
Kintsugi is an ancient Japanese art of mending broken pottery with a special lacquer mixed with gold. Instead of hiding the cracks, Kintsugi highlights them, celebrating the beauty of the imperfections, turning brokenness into something new, more beautiful and precious than before, bringing "new life" to the object.
This beautiful process captivated our founder and creator of AHM, Jennifer, early in 2021. She saw Kintsugi as a metaphor for how God was working in her life and how He can work in every heart, taking the broken pieces of our lives and making them into something beautiful. It's a powerful reminder that our brokenness does not define us - Jesus does.
Too often we perceive broken items as damaged goods, having no value or beauty and desire to throw them away rather than take the time to see its potential and mend the broken pieces. Yet, the Japanese artist uses this process not only to restore the damaged objects but also to enhance its beauty. There is no attempt to hide its flaws or throw away the damaged elements. Instead, the repair is illuminated with precious gold, allowing the light to shine through the cracks, making the item more valuable and beautiful than in its damaged condition.
As women, we often feel the burden of perfection & life weighing heavily on our shoulders. We try to hide our imperfections, our flaws, and pretend like we have everything together, all the while feeling ashamed of our past or mistakes. But what if we could turn that perspective around? What if we embraced our brokenness and welcomed the Holy Spirit to do a work in our hearts. Just like the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold to highlight its imperfections, God too wants to illuminate our scars and brokenness with His love and grace. Although our healing journeys can be painful and messy, they can also lead us to new growth, a closer relationship with God, bring beauty from our ashes, and a testimony for others.
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Welcome!
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds
Psalm 147:3
© Copyright 2022 Artwork by Jennifer Smith Licensed use.
Alabaster Heart Ministries is a beautiful testimony of one woman's journey from brokenness to healing through the transformative power of Jesus Christ. The genesis of the ministry and its tagline "beauty from brokenness" was born out of Jennifer's own experience of brokenness. Jennifer's healing journey began with a simple journal, full of heartfelt words and doodles as she poured her heart out to God. Despite facing difficult challenges like church hurts, doubt, fear, chronic stress and anxiety, and feelings of rejection, Jennifer found strength sitting at the feet of Jesus, as she broke open her own alabaster jar, surrendering and giving Him all she had to offer.
Her story is one of a heart turning towards Jesus for rest, healing and restoration. Like the art of Kintsugi, God gently picked up the broken pieces of her life and brought renewal, hope, healing, and restoration - freedom. This story is not just hers, but one that all can relate to. Jennifer encourages others to do the same, to come before God with a heart of humility and gratitude, trusting in Him to bring healing and wholeness to their lives.
As the Spirit moved in her life, our ministry was born with a creative flair, inspired by the Holy Spirit, with a heart and passion to share God's Word, His goodness, words of encouragement and the hope of Jesus Christ. Since the inception, with the leading of the Spirit, Jennifer's words have spilled over to others through her writings, speaking, and short devotionals on social media, inspiring and touching the hearts of countless others to see the beauty and grace of God's love.
As Alabaster Heart Ministries continues to reach women, the stories we hold collectively as a team, serve as a beacon of hope and strength, an inspiration to all women - young and old. It reminds us all that even in the darkest moments of our lives, we are never alone. There is still hope, still beauty to be found in the midst of our brokenness and His name is Jesus. It's more than just our story and even yours; it's the ultimate story of hope and redemption in Jesus Christ. It is a testament to the healing power of Jesus and how He can take our brokenness and create something beautiful from the ashes. Through Him, we can find the strength to put on a garment of praise even in the midst of our heaviest burdens. (Isaiah 63) We are never too broken for God to restore. Even the most broken pieces of our lives can be transformed into something truly beautiful, illuminating His glory, bringing the hope of Jesus to others.
With God's grace, we can always turn to Jesus and find the strength, courage, and healing we need to move forward.
The meaning behind "Alabaster Heart," the heart and foundation of our ministry comes from a passage in the Bible, Luke 7:36-50. The woman in this story was deeply affected by her encounter with Jesus. She had been living a life of sin and desperation, but when she met Jesus, everything changed. She recognized who He was and fell at His feet in worship. She broke open her alabaster jar, giving Jesus everything she had - an act of worship. Jesus met her where she was and after her encounter with Him she experienced a deep sense of joy and peace.
This experience transformed her life and led her to pour out her love for Him. This unnamed woman beautifully worshipped Jesus and through her story encourages us to run to the feet of Jesus, no matter what others may think or say, surrendering our lives to Him. The story of the alabaster jar is a beautiful example of how we can be transformed by our encounters with Christ. It is a powerful reminder of the healing, transformational power of Christ's love - your story can be too.
No matter what we have done in the past, when we meet Jesus and experience His forgiveness, grace, and mercy, our lives will be changed forever. When we break open our alabaster jars and pour out our lives in the presence of Jesus, our hearts will be transformed.
Jesus sees you and He loves you as you are
...Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand...
Jeremiah 18:1-6
Even when you don't feel it ~
He is working
He never stops working ~
Friend, there is beauty in the brokenness - Jesus is in the midst working, picking up your broken pieces with His love, grace, and tender mercies - even when you don't see or feel it, He is there WITH you and FOR you. He is not against you. In Jennifer's difficult season her world was turned upside down and felt like her heart was shattered, but because of God goodness, He turned her pain and hurts into praising Him. During that season, she learned the true heart of worship and her faith strengthened as she leaned into God, knowing Him deeper. God used that season in her life to refine, remold, and draw her closer to Him. He can do the same for you. Like Jennifer, you may have experienced a deep season of brokenness where your world was turned upside down and felt like your heart was shattered, but because of God goodness He has seen you through.
Or...maybe you are in that season now, we encourage you to invite Jesus into your heart and into your hurts. Jesus loves you no matter what you have been through, what you may be going through. He can take your pain and redeem it for His goodness, the key is allowing Him into your heart. He uses our pain to draw us to Him and our scars remind us that our brokenness brought us to Him.
God uses our brokenness to display His glory and bring honor to His name. It will be hard and it may not end up looking like we expected or thought it would look like, but each beautiful gold mended crack illuminates His light and speaks of who He is, what He's done, and what He's continuing to do in our lives.
God is creating a magnificent masterpiece out of you, sweet friend, and He is the Artist who sees the entire canvas and He delights in you.
Broken hearts can be reclaimed, healed, and restored by a loving Savior who creates beautiful stories of redemption out of broken pieces for His glory.
To date, AHM is led by four women who are deeply committed to following Jesus, guided by the Spirit. We are far from alone in the mission God has called us to, in addition to our core team, we are also blessed to work with and be supported by a team of dedicated leaders and volunteers among the communities we serve, who have the same passion and play an invaluable role in the events we host.
Alabaster Heart is more than just a ministry; it's a symbol of hope and healing for women all over the world. It's undeniable that God is at work through this organization, touching hearts and changing lives in the most profound ways. As we reflect on the impact of our ministry over the short time we have existed, we are humbled by the opportunity we have in joining God in His mission to reach those He loves. It's an honor to witness the profound transformations that occur in the hearts and communities we reach. With every step forward, we feel blessed by the doors that God has opened, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to serve Him with all our hearts. Our eyes firmly fixed on the prize, Alabaster Heart is ready to continue its mission, blessing lives and bringing hope to those who need it most.
Our team has a passion for helping women experience the joy and freedom of Jesus Christ. We have a desire to help women see the beauty in their brokenness and deepen their walks with Jesus. Our hope and prayers are that this ministry will bring honor to the name of Jesus Christ, always being led by the Spirit, and that God will use it for His glory, bringing healing and restoration into the lives of all the hearts He wants to touch.
Much like the unnamed woman in Luke, the AHM team wants to pour our alabaster jars out for Jesus as a living sacrifice, fully surrendered to Him. As ordinary, broken women, we are living testimonies of the goodness of God. We have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of Jesus Christ. Each of us carrying stories of healing, restoration, and redemption, which serve as a testament to the profound grace of God and inspire others to seek a deeper connection with Him. As we work together to fulfill God's vision He has placed on our founder's heart, we are honored to serve women, our local churches, and communities with humility and gratitude.
We hope the little bit we have to offer with you online and through the events we host, it will be used for His glory and be an encouragement in your journey. It is an honor to be walking with you in your faith journey.
Thank you for taking the time to visit Alabaster Heart!
In grace and truth ~
The AHM Team
Remember you are not alone!
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You are chosen and loved by the Most High King!
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