A Shareworthy Thought

 

I have written and shared countless messages surrounding the following thought; as it has been placed on my heart to share yet again, I will never pass up an opportunity to do so.

I will always love sharing this part of my testimony. It has forever given me the greatest joy.

As a teenager, I was always someone whose greatest desire was to feel love and acceptance from those around me, namely peers within my own age group. I fiercely held this belief that being classified as different was somehow not okay. Those years of my life were truly devastating and it was more than difficult to see the reasoning for it all. 

Anybody who was anybody in school never wanted much to do with me. I was known as "the smart kid with a disability" and that's seemingly all I had going for me at the time.

As I continue to grow older, I am able to look back and see so much of the Lord's divine protection through circumstances that were incredibly painful.

From the beginning, I was separated and set apart for His glory. I missed out on so much that could have wrecked me, and I couldn't even see it at the time.

I share all of this again to reiterate that we are living amongst dangerous days. The prideful presence of sin continues to be welcomed and encouraged....the theme of the all new and upcoming generation that we are witnessing reaches far beyond the search for love and acceptance. There will never be enough words to describe the darkness that exudes from most of today's youth.

May you never feel ashamed to stand out and away from the crowd; it will never be wrong to live a life separated and set apart by God. You may seem strange or unusual to some, but that's perfectly okay. Just keep on keepin' on.

Sometimes what feels like the most painful rejection could actually be His divine protection. 

And if you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, I encourage you to allow Jesus into your heart tonight. You need to know that the path you're currently traveling on will wreck you in ways you never thought were possible.

Choosing to follow Him is the greatest decision one could ever make. 

Forgiving And Forgetting

Everything starts in the home ❤️

Sunday morning messages in church have recently revolved around the definition of family and the importance of building and keeping a solid foundation of faith within the home; that first sentence carries so much significance because it holds SO much truth---the home is at the heart of everything: it serves as a place of rest for the weary soul, a source of refuge throughout personal seasons of trouble, and an escape that provides freedom from the division and deception that holds an unrelenting presence in our world today. 

The phrase "forgiving and forgetting" came upon my heart recently through listening to these messages---brokenness effects countless families today as a result of bitterness and unforgiveness that resides within the heart.

It's never healthy to hold grudges against someone you love. We are living in such unprecedented and uncertain days; the most perfect time for all of us to forgive and to forget. 

The act of forgiveness can sometimes seem impossible--heartbreak and betrayal certainly hurts and the ache lasts for quite a while. 

Extending true forgiveness to someone comes from realizing the severity of our own sins---humans tend to judge the wrongs committed towards them with a self-determined point value system. 

(I have been super guilty of this as well!)

We think "They did such and such, but I would never do that!"

My friend, all sin is equal in the eyes of God; no matter the severity. Choosing not to forgive even the tiniest of offenses will only keep you in the spirit of bitterness. 

Forgiveness is meant for YOU. It's purpose is to provide peace. Forgetting doesn't excuse the wrong, it simply means you shouldn't think about it anymore. Give it to the Lord and let it go.

May you remember all that Christ has forgiven and forgotten in your own lifetime; may you never allow the past to stop you from pressing on for Christ.

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:31-32)

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 3:13-14)

A Quick Word On Division And Deception

 

I have waited some time to share my thoughts on what occurred this past weekend. I have never before witnessed another time filled with such evident division and deception; in my opinion, this is no longer about political affiliation, but rather a raging war against the looming presence of evil that not only involves our country...we are in deep trouble from a global standpoint as well.

I truly believe that the greatest hope we have within this lost and dying world is found through leaning on Jesus Christ; whatever decisions we make, we must place our faith in Him, fully trusting in the power of His wisdom and guidance.

Please pray for America. Pray for our world. We all stand in desperate need for revival and resolution.

 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV)