<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Beauty for ashes!]]></title><description><![CDATA[beautyforashes]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 02:43:15 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[A Thank You… From My Heart to Yours]]></title><description><![CDATA[There are moments in life where words feel both abundant… and insufficient at the same time. This is one of those moments. Over the past weeks… and months… I have opened a part of my life that was never meant to be public. A journey that felt deeply personal, fragile, and, at times, overwhelming to even carry on my own. And yet… I shared. Not because I had it all figured out.But because something in me whispered that maybe… just maybe…there was purpose even here. What I did not expect…was you...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/a-thank-you-from-my-heart-to-yours</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d022a4f7044e6cf7abe4ac</guid><pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:51:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/edf7b0_9bb1c066e0f949268fdb544b349c5892~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Renewing the Mind: Guarding Our Peace Through Godly Boundaries]]></title><description><![CDATA[There are seasons when life presses hard on every side. Challenges can cloud our vision and test our faith, but God calls us to a higher way of living a life led by peace and guided by truth. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).  Everything starts here, with a mind grounded in Christ. The Mind: The Battlefield of Faith Our mind is the doorway to our spiritual health. Every thought becomes a seed, bearing fruit in our emotions,...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/renewing-the-mind-guarding-our-peace-through-godly-boundaries</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698114c9aa13a366d93b11cb</guid><pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 23:20:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_01060655e92d48df9a93a8a42170fbb6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Delivered From the Storm, Prepared for the Next: The Power of Praying Specifically]]></title><description><![CDATA[There was a time when I constantly listened to songs about pain, heartbreak, wounds, and emotional storms. Those songs felt comforting because they mirrored what I had lived through. I went through so much pain, and the music made me feel understood. But one day, while I was praying, God revealed something deeply personal to me: I needed to stop listening to those songs because I was no longer in that storm. It hit me so strongly. I had been delivered. God had lifted me out of the emotional...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/delivered-from-the-storm-prepared-for-the-next-the-power-of-praying-specifically</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6981113c1dce0ff3f106fde5</guid><pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 23:05:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_d90db7f5f6594392ad172a8bffe28079~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Promises of Presence, Provision, and Restoration]]></title><description><![CDATA[These scriptures weave together a powerful truth: God does not promise a life without valleys, but He promises His presence in every step of the journey.   From wilderness paths to quiet pastures, from exile to inheritance, God reveals Himself as a faithful Shepherd, Provider, Redeemer, and Keeper. Over and over, Scripture reminds us that we are not walking alone. God goes before us. He stands with us in the shadowed valleys. He strengthens the weary, supplies our needs, guards our coming and...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/promises-of-presence-provision-and-restoration</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69771b8bbd71e918b5e4ed38</guid><pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 22:54:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6d67d1d687014cd2a0655b744edc387f.jpg/v1/fit/w_653,h_490,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Becoming Her]]></title><description><![CDATA[There was a time when she was weak. She allowed others to crush her spirit, mistook silence for peace, and accepted mistreatment as love. She lived with low self-esteem for so long that it became familiar, and she wore her pain like a hidden garment. Sickness lingered in her body and sadness in her mind, yet she told herself, “This is just how life is.”   But God never intended for her to live that way. Little by little, He began stirring something inside her, a holy dissatisfaction with the...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/becoming-her</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69782ee68c41822ba0478356</guid><pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2026 22:03:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/edf7b0_55bcb1c98f10427c9cdd8a4ce00f7591~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Do We Stop Believing in a God who heals when facing a life threatening diagnosis or when Healing Takes Long?]]></title><description><![CDATA[There’s something sacred about the waiting room of healing. It’s the place where time stretches, prayers seem to echo back empty, and hope feels like a fragile thread you hold with trembling hands. When the body doesn’t recover quickly, or when the heart still aches after so many prayers, it’s easy to wonder: Should I stop asking? Should I stop believing? The answer is no, not at all.   Belief isn’t proven by how quickly something changes; it’s revealed by how deeply we stay anchored when...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/do-we-stop-believing-in-a-god-who-heals-when-facing-a-life-threatening-diagnosis-or-when-healing-tak</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69810183396306036ecd9e43</guid><pubDate>Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:58:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_77bc831f356a48c4883112fcf1602a6a~mv2_d_4586_3057_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Hardship Reveals Our Own Character]]></title><description><![CDATA[We often say that difficult seasons reveal the true character of those around us, and that’s true. Adversity has a way of showing who stays, who drifts away, and who quietly holds us up in prayer. But hardship doesn’t only reveal others. It reveals us. When pressure builds, what has been forming within begins to surface. The patience we assumed we had, the faith we believed was unshakable, the surrender we thought was complete. Trials whisper what is real and touch what is still healing. In...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/when-hardship-reveals-our-own-character</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6953f629f2ff79e8385cd4c3</guid><pubDate>Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:24:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_bcbf682f6e594dfda7d3161fe4641c54~mv2_d_3872_2592_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Choosing Sweetness Over Bitterness: Living the Word in Every Season]]></title><description><![CDATA[Waiting rooms are places where time slows, and we suddenly face the raw questions of the heart: What now?  What if? Where is God in this? In one of those waiting rooms, with uncertainty hanging in the air, I went digging into Scripture and revisited what I now call the “perks” of my all‑inclusive ticket in Christ. Here’s the link to my all-inclusive ticket post if you’ve missed it.   Verses about healing, guidance, visions, peace, justice, restoration, and God’s fierce love rose from the...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/choosing-sweetness-over-bitterness-living-the-word-in-every-season</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6953e907f2ff79e8385cce10</guid><pubDate>Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:30:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_1573b159230a45ec983189c6aa01a18b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The All-Inclusive Ticket]]></title><description><![CDATA[When someone buys an all-inclusive cruise ticket, that ticket already contains so much, if not everything, you need and more to enjoy your cruise stress-free. All the meals and drinks are included: the room for sure, activities, special perks, and experiences they haven’t ever imagined yet. The value is fully there in the ticket from the moment that you buy it.  But nothing is actually experienced until the person steps onto the ship. The voucher in their hand is real, but its richness...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/the-all-inclusive-ticket</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69753ad016ee2e05645db827</guid><pubDate>Sat, 24 Jan 2026 21:51:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_e548f50ecc334ad197e017c7ce00ef49~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dandelion Whispers Series Post #1 - The Beginning.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Last December, I unexpectedly heard words no one wants to hear. There I was, facing a diagnosis I certainly didn’t see coming. After two months of testing, with no apparent symptoms, living life fully, dreaming, juggling projects, the results came back: breast cancer.  While this is a challenging season, I felt compelled to write about my journey. Does that even surprise you? I don’t think so . I have affectionately named this story Dandelion Whispers echoes of my heart, a collection of...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/dandelion-whispers-series-post-1-the-beginning</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6951a4c482b4264136442199</guid><pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:02:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/edf7b0_58922fb96ee14304b2feee4be006ae83~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Making Room: Beyond the Season]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hey friends, I hope we all had a beautiful Christmas season. Christmas invites us into remembrance, of what God did for us. And whether we realize it or not, during Christmas we often begin to reflect the character of Christ. When we think about Christmas, what usually comes to mind? Gathering. Giving gifts. Forgiveness. Reconciliation. Generosity. Compassion. We open our homes. We open our hearts. We think of those who are suffering. We give to those in need. Some go out to serve, to...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/making-room-beyond-the-season</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6951fa25269811cce7fe66e5</guid><pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2026 10:07:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_3ca7f50edc1b4053875e8a15e9ce1363~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[ The Healing Begins Within: A Call to Intentional Self-Care]]></title><description><![CDATA[Every Janua ry, there seems to be pressure to look renewed, refreshed, and perfectly “put together.” But if you know me, you know I’m not someone who waits for a new year to make resolutions. I’ve always believed that we can choose to change, grow, or begin again at any moment in our lives. We don’t need to wait for January 1st to give ourselves permission. That’s exactly why I’m sharing about self-care today. Not because it’s the start of the year, but because I believe it’s something we...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/the-healing-begins-within-a-call-to-intentional-self-care-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6921df6e644344a477111787</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 05:02:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/edf7b0_f4f08a4e63dd49b4a4efeffc3afa1760~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ascent 2025: Recap of this year`s reflection.]]></title><description><![CDATA[As Advent comes to a close, I’m reflecting with gratitude on Ascent 2025: Candles of Resilient Light . Week 1: Hope  reminded us that even in “just enough” seasons, God is faithful, renewing mercy day by day.  Week 2: Peace  anchored us through storms and long valleys, teaching us that peace doesn’t remove trials. It sustains us through them.  Week 3: Joy  showed us that crushing is not the end; God brings oil, humility, and strength through pressure.  Week 4: Love  carried it all, holding...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/ascent-2025-recap-of-this-year-s-reflection</link><guid isPermaLink="false">692cc1860170a61543fd7015</guid><pubDate>Mon, 29 Dec 2025 10:12:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_24409e13fc004ed1acf25161830fc9e6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ascent 2025: Christmas Day - The Light That Climbs With Us]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today, we celebrate more than a moment. We celebrate a miracle. Christ has come, not just into the world, but into our valleys, our weariness, our unfinished stories. This Christmas, may you remember that hope was born in the dark, peace entered the chaos, joy rose from humility, and love came close enough to carry us all the way through. Whatever this year has held for you, God has not let go. He is still writing, still restoring, still making all things new. May the light of Christ meet you...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/ascent-2025-christmas-day-the-light-that-climbs-with-us</link><guid isPermaLink="false">693f5bd2d8215235655c6ad8</guid><pubDate>Thu, 25 Dec 2025 04:54:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_24409e13fc004ed1acf25161830fc9e6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[✨ Darkness vs Light ✨]]></title><description><![CDATA[In a world where evil, pain, confusion, and deception are all too real, we must never forget this truth: Darkness exists — but Light overcomes it.  ✝️  “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”  — John 1:5 (NKJV) Yes, we need to be aware of the enemy’s schemes. Yes, we must discern the times and understand the spiritual battles happening around us. But our focus must remain on the Light, not the shadows.    “For we do not wrestle against flesh and...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/darkness-vs-light-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6921e0b618f3b71d4fdb67b5</guid><pubDate>Wed, 24 Dec 2025 18:14:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_f85661b431974a8fa16343d91e05b1ce~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ascent 2025: Week 4 - Strength to Keep Climbing]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hello everyone! And here we are, in the fourth week of Advent. We light all four candles, Hope , Peace , Joy , and Love , as the journey reaches its fullness. Together they reveal God’s enduring love: the strength that sustains us through every hardship, the steady hand that holds us secure as we climb with humble confidence. This final week anchors the whole journey. It reminds us of a love that bears all things, believes all things, and endures all things, a love that carries us all the way...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/ascent-2025-week-4-strength-to-keep-climbing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">693f58f89e9e3b3491927889</guid><pubDate>Sun, 21 Dec 2025 21:13:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_24409e13fc004ed1acf25161830fc9e6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[ When God’s Will Makes Us Uneasy  ]]></title><description><![CDATA[We often imagine that walking in God’s will feels peaceful and confident. Yet, many faithful moments begin with deep discomfort. Sometimes, God’s direction unsettles us before it strengthens us.   Jonah’s story  reflects this perfectly. When God called him to go to Nineveh, Jonah fled (Jonah 1:3). He wasn’t lazy or indifferent, he was uneasy with God’s command. Haven’t we all felt that way? We sense a push to move, give, forgive, or speak up, and our first reaction is hesitation. When we feel...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/when-god-s-will-makes-us-uneasy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68f5733c81fa67640662727d</guid><pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:32:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/06e07efeadf349d6941b3b59baef908a.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ascent 2025: Week 3 - Joy After the Crushing]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hello everyone!! Happy third week of Advent!! I pray that the first two weeks have brought you to a place where hope and joy have been tangible experiences with the Lord. This week, I invite you to light the Joy candle  alongside Hope and Peace , embracing the deep gladness that emerges not despite pressure, but through it, like oil flowing from crushed olives or new wine from pressed grapes, forging humility and unshakable strength.   As you read this week`s daily reflections and journal the...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/ascent-2025-week-3-joy-after-the-crushing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">692cc1132bc8fd382e6e829a</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:39:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_24409e13fc004ed1acf25161830fc9e6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ascent 2025: Week 2 - Resilient Peace in the Storm and Valley]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hello everyone!! Happy second week of Advent!! With the Hope candle still burning, we now light the Peace candle  for this week, embracing God’s steady presence that anchors resilient hearts through sudden storms and long valleys . Peace doesn’t remove trials, but it gives us the strength to fight and walk through them.  In this second week, let peace become your refuge as the ascent deepens. Here are your daily reflections: Day 1: Storm vs. Valley Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/ascent-2025-week-2-resilient-peace-in-the-storm-and-valley</link><guid isPermaLink="false">692cbeea0170a61543fd6a66</guid><pubDate>Sat, 06 Dec 2025 16:32:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_24409e13fc004ed1acf25161830fc9e6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ascent 2025: Week 1 - Hope Lights a New Story]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hello everyone!! Welcome to Ascent 2025: Candles of Resilient Light, my 2025 four-week Advent journey where Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love ignite strength through valleys, storms, and crushing, rewriting “just enough” into new stories of resilient ascent. This year, I wanted to begin with the Hope Candle , a quiet flame for those seasons when energy runs low, and stories feel stuck, reminding us that God writes new chapters from the ashes of hardships.  This week, I invite you to let hope shift...]]></description><link>https://emmanuellali.wixsite.com/beautyforashes/single-post/ascent-2025-week-1-hope-lights-a-new-story</link><guid isPermaLink="false">692c51b5bdf3aa73170d42d1</guid><pubDate>Sun, 30 Nov 2025 22:01:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_24409e13fc004ed1acf25161830fc9e6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Emma Li</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>