Our Guest: Crystal Sarmiento
Crystal Sarmiento is Certified Behavior Analyst and Consultant as well as a Business & Executive Coach, Speaker, Best Selling Author. She is Founder of The ARI Source and Becoming a Lioness. A brand that impacts women worldwide. Her book Becoming A Lioness was ranked #1 in Christian Leadership and won The Amazon Best Seller’s Award.
Recently featured as a top coach on Fox News, NBC and CBS. A Houston Native, currently residing in Manvel, TX . She is a dedicated wife and mother to a blended family of 5.
She founded Becoming a Lioness to help motivate, empower and impact women in the community tangibly – after 13 + years helping in various international organizations and ministries. Professionally known for being a powerhouse for over 23+ years in the corporate and business sectors, she made the decision to move from corporate America to corporate calling. Founding The ARI Source. A professional development consulting firm. She also served as councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem for The City of Manvel.
Key Thoughts and Scriptures:
- God never stops pursuing us. When we turn to Him, He delights in restoring what’s been broken.
Philippians 1:6 NIV Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Joel 2:25 NIV “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…
- Questions Crystal believes historically women have asked themselves:
- Who am I?
- Why am I here?
- What’s my big purpose in life?
- And am I worthy of someone loving me and fighting for me?
- God doesn’t abandon us throughout our bad choices, but we can dearly bear the consequences.
- The godly authority in our lives is meant to protect us.
- When we sin, we go against God truly having permission to bless us.
- If a man isn’t willing to commit and make things right, that’s a red flag.
- Looking back, Crystal realized that she had wanted God to bless her bad decisions.
- “Lord, I’ll fix it.”
- It wasn’t asking God for advice, “Okay, Lord, I blew it, what do I do now?”
- A lot of women struggle with male authority depending on what their childhood looked like with the father figures in their life.
- Even in the midst of an abusive marriage, Crystal remained committed to honoring God.
- She was constantly filling her spirit with the Word of God.
- It is the Lord’s heart to reconcile families when the hearts are there to love each other.
- Crystal gave her husband many chances and did a lot of prayer and fasting for direction.
- God honors His Word.
- We need to put God first.
Even in the midst of her bad decisions, Crystal experienced God’s mercy.
- God changed Crystal’s outlook on both marriage and on herself.
- The discernment that the Holy Spirit gives when we are connected to the Word of God gives a peace that surpasses understanding.
Philippians 4:7 NIV And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 6:14 NIV Do not be yoked together with unbelievers…
- Her second husband demonstrated to their family the beauty of serving one another in marriage.
- His protection of her released Crystal to do all the things that God called her to do.
- Jesus is the lion from the tribe of Judah.
- In the Bible, every name carried the weight of their destiny.
- Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and we are His daughters with God as our Heavenly Father.
- Then we are daughters of the Lion; we are lionesses, living in the authority He has given us.
- He’s calling us to step out boldly in our faith.
- While many say we are princesses, we live in a jungle and a world where we’re battling.
Judges 4-5 NIV Deborah
- Deborah was called as a prophetess and a judge in a time where no woman had authority, yet she was a commander.
- She carried the identity of boldness and courage.
- The lioness is the one that does the hunting and protects her pride.
Crystal believes there are not enough women being developed in the business realm with their true identity.
- Yes, we need a level of self-care. And that’s why the Lord says to rest on Sunday. But He doesn’t say to rest every day of the week.
- You gotta get up, go out, work and sow the seeds and then rest.
- For you need to make a decision and then take action.
- Even before that, it starts with seeking the Lord because God has a plan for our life and He directs our steps.
- And if God has a different plan, we need to willingly lay our life down for His plans and purposes because His plans are always better.
- When you follow God, you find joy.
- The Lord says to record the vision of your heart.
- And you need to back that up with faith in action.
- The Holy Spirit brings peace and clarity about the direction God is leading you to take.
Psalm 37:23 NLT The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
- When God says He is going to do good for us, it’s not necessarily the good that humans understand.
- And so we have to ask the Lord to give us His perspective in every situation.
James 1:5 NIV If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
- We have to accept accountability where accountability is due. But the Bible also says that when the thief is caught, he must repay sevenfold.
Proverbs 6:31 NIV Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold…
John 8:44 NIV …For he is a liar and the father of lies.
John 10:10 NIV The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…
Crystal reminds us that every woman in the Bible is powerful in her own way.
- Deborah was so closely connected to the Lord that her anointing brought victory simply by her presence on the battlefield.
- She was a woman of character who earned the respect and trust of military commanders, officers, and her community.
- God is our restorer. Long before He restores our circumstances, though, He begins by restoring our hearts.
Psalm 23:3 NKJV He restores my soul…
1 Peter 5:10 NIV And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Links:
Books:
- Becoming A Lioness by Crystal Sarmiento
- Lioness Arising by Lisa Bevere
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