There was a lot of bling in Apple Valley this weekend! It may have showed up on google maps. My church hosted one thousand women at our Sparkle Conference. The speaker was Charlotte Gambill, a Brit who knows all about letting her light shine. She is a pastor, mom, international speaker, author, wife, Compassion International Advocate, just to start the list. She doesn’t merely shine. She sparkles.

What does it mean to sparkle?
1. to issue in or as if in little sparks, as fire or light: The candlelight sparkled in the crystal.
2. to emit little sparks,  as burning matter: The flames leaped and sparkled.
3. to shine or glisten with little gleams of light, as a brilliant gem; glitter; coruscate.
4. to effervesce, as wine.
5. to be brilliant, lively, or vivacious.

Over three days of preaching, Charlotte challenged us to get our sparkle on. How? By letting our lights shine in our area of influence, not allowing offenses or emotions to dim our light, keeping our lights burning even when God’s taking us the long way around, and letting the glow of our light shine on those right in front of us—even when we really want to walk on by.

She laid down a gauntlet. She wants to see us sparkle. Not just to shine, but to emit sparks, to effervesce, to be brilliant—not to bring attention to ourselves, but to build the church, honor God, follow the path of Christ.

I am drawing strength from her messages. Strength to look my family in the eye and say what has to be said, even the hard things. Strength to get up and move, even when my “giddy-up-and-go” has giddied-up-and-gone. Strength to open my eyes to see what has been right in front of me all along.

This sparkling requires energy. Flames only spark to life when there is a substance that feeds them. That’s one of the reasons we don’t sparkle. We just don’t have the energy or self-discipline to do what our souls are longing to do.

Ah, there’s the beauty of the sparkle. We don’t have to rely on our own energy to shine. We have the Ultimate Power Source ready to help us. We only have to ask and He comes to our rescue. He supplies our needs. He gives us words, energy, and eyes to see. He is brilliant effervescence, pure light.

Sometimes we all need is a little reminder. The bling may catch the eye, but the real sparkle comes from following Him.

On that day the LORD their God will rescue his people, just as a shepherd rescues his sheep. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.
Zechariah 9:16