Between the Blogs

Personal Commitment: Today, in the spirit of forgiveness, I am committing myself to fully accepting the forgiveness freely given by Jesus. I’m committing to not only forgive myself, but to learn from my mistakes, allowing the Holy Spirit to convict me of my faults, praying for forgiveness, and asking God to remove that sin from my life.

The Freedom of Forgiveness (Putting God’s Love into Action)

Along the way I’ve discovered that the only way to forgive, the only way to truly let go of my pain and anger, embracing the true spirit of forgiveness, is through the unfailing love of God; there is simply no other way that I’m able to continually forgive in the face of repeated pain. It’s only in the knowledge of God’s love for me, in the absolute security of His all-consuming love, that I finally recognize those hurtful words as lies; then, and only then, in the face of God’s perfect truth, do those lies lose their power over me. And once those words, and the person speaking them, lose their power to hurt me, I can finally recognize their pain in the hurtful words they use; only then can I forgive them when they lash out in anger.

It is only after the healing—healing that comes from the knowledge of God’s love and through His strength in us—that I can forgive, forget, and start the processes all over again.

After years of pain and struggle I finally allowed God to heal my pain, allowed Him to reveal my true beauty and worth—a truth that, once established in the very core of my being, cannot be snatched away, no matter what the world hurls at me. I was finally set free to express His love to those who hurt me.

I’m not saying that it’s an easy road; in fact, sometimes it is a very, very long road to healing, but I am a living witness to God’s healing love and His ability to transform a life of pain into a life filled with His abundant joy.

So join me as I revel in the freedom of God’s healing love. Join me as I continue following the call of Jesus to forgive, forgive, forgive…

Final Thought: True forgiveness is only possible through God and His unfailing love

Between the Blogs

Personal Epiphany: The shackles of sin can only be broken by the freedom of surrender.

Between the Blogs

Personal Commitment: This is a question that walks with me daily and that I often ponder and daily struggle with: How do I stop grabbing the reins of my life back from God? I’ve discovered that I must give it to God every morning and many times throughout the day. I have to habitually decide to put my life in God’s hands, reminding myself that He is fully capable of handling even the smallest details of my life. So, I am committed to making that decision and fully surrendering to the God Who is perpetually planning for my future.

The Freedom of Surrender (Giving It All to God)

Along the way I’ve finally—after much resistance, reluctance, and multiple failures—discovered the benefits and outlandish blessings that accompany full and complete surrender to God.

There is a freedom in letting go, in releasing the heavy burden of facing this battle alone, in continually trying to figuring it all out on my own, in planning my ...life down to the last detail; yes, there is a blissful freedom in giving my life fully over to the One Who holds all the answers—God. It is only when I put my full trust in God—giving myself body, mind, and soul over to Him—that I experience this euphoric freedom.

Sadly, I daily struggle with leaving it all in God’s hands; even after experiencing the inescapable evidence of Him working in my life, I still find myself holding on to my selfish, little plans. Even after experiencing His mercy and grace in my life and enjoying the relief that comes with full surrender, even then, I still stubbornly insist on grabbing for the reigns of my life; even then, I struggle down the path of complete surrender to God.

The beautiful truth is this: If I will fully surrender my life to God, He will begin an eternal transformation in me—a transformation that will mold me into a reflection of Him.

So join me as I revel in the freedom of full surrender, allowing God to become the foundation of my life, allowing Him to transform me into His image.

Final Thought: It is only when I fully surrender to God that I experience true freedom.

Between the Blogs

Personal Epiphany: It is only when I look to God, instead of this world, that I can properly measure the value of myself and others.

Between the Blogs

Personal Commitment: With Jesus as my example, I am committed to living a life of service that reflects His love—a life that honors everyone I come in contact with as a child of God