ARE YOU SAFE?

Good morning!

I have been busy; the truth be known, maybe not truly believing STILL, that I must blog......

I had a great conversation with my precious son this morning! as we shared & prayed, the joy in my heart became overwhelming, I thanked God for my children, for the honor that i have been given to call them, "my children", for those who are starting to entertain the desire to judge me, DON'T! save yourself the grief of having to confess your sin against God!


I boast freely, for I boast in the Lord! my children are wonderful because of Jesus living in them, I am very clear on this & I praise His Holy Name for it, I know they are truly HIS children FIRST then mine! but I still get the honor to call them "MY" children.

As I hung up with Al; I was quickened to think of the many of us who hurt every day because we don't have someone we can talk to, or should I say listen to us.........I have been guilty of being self centered & bitter & if I don't surrender my entire self to the Lord, QUICKLY,  I could put on those "old garments" before I even realize that I did........

Jesus died on an awful cross; to rid of our sins,  to rid us of our old self, however we must become "intentional" to choose to walk in obedience to Him daily so that we choose to crucify the old self & allow the NEW person in Christ to shine for His Glory.

Today, I want to ask us all a question: ARE YOU SAFE? How would you know if you are safe?


Well, let's start here: when people see you coming, are they happy to see you come?

Or are they happy to see you leave?

As most of us when we hurt, we can only think of one person; OURSELVES! our own problems, our own world! everything else seems to be like a dim light in the very far, far away distance.

Do you ever have conversations with others to hear yourself talk about yourself only? your problems, your situations, your concerns & before you realize it its time to go & you have not asked the person about their day? their concerns................we all have..........haven't we?

I remember reading one of the many books of Dr. James Dobson, he had this to say:
Parents: think of your children as THE CAR
you are the GAS that has to go into their cars; THE GAS MUST NEVER RUN OUT!


What a statement................moms, dads............are you running out? 


Are you constantly complaining? if you are...........their car has run out of gas!


If their car has ran out of gas, who will fill it up? what person will they go to? can you trust that source?


I am 52 years old & for as long I can remember, people always seem to talk about what KIDS should do............how teenagers are trouble!  etc. etc.

What about the adults? what should we be told to do?


I can honestly say, that I love ALL teenagers; they are the most honest/sincere people I know..........maybe this is why God has me working with & for them!

Here are some thoughts for today:


When you speak to your children, do their eyes  engage with yours? to the point that both of your spirits connect & speak to each other?

Are they always so quick to share with you?



Do you feel that you have to PRY to get information from them?

I have been given the privilege to work with young girls, I love women!  we go from one emotion to the other, with NO warning! lol

This week, lets' ask Jesus to help us become a SAFE PERSON who guards her/his mind, soul & spirit,

Jesus is the answer for all our questions, doubts, fears, frustrations, pain, concerns, etc...........

The Bible gives us this assurance:

1. Psalm 4:8
   In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.
   Psalm 4:7-8 (in Context) Psalm 4 (Whole Chapter)
2. Psalm 12:7
   You, LORD, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked,
   Psalm 12:6-8 (in Context) Psalm 12 (Whole Chapter)
3. Psalm 37:3
   Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
   Psalm 37:2-4 (in Context) Psalm 37 (Whole Chapter)
4. Psalm 140:4
   Keep me safe, LORD, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent, who devise ways to trip my feet.
   Psalm 140:3-5 (in Context) Psalm 140 (Whole Chapter)
5. Proverbs 18:10
   The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
   Proverbs 18:9-11 (in Context) Proverbs 18 (Whole Chapter)
6. Proverbs 29:25
   Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
   Proverbs 29:24-26 (in Context) Proverbs 29 (Whole Chapter)

Today: is the Sabbath, let's spend time in the Word asking God to lead us into ALL TRUTH, HIS TRUTH, for it is His truth that sets us free.................

Let's continue to offer forgiveness to those who hurt us.............

Let's confess our own sins & REPENT before our God, so that in doing so, we can take back ALL the power & authority that our sin had allowed the enemy to take from us.......

Let's work on becoming SAFE people.................

I live for Jesus, to serve Him, to bring awareness to those who  don't know Him with the prayer that they will repent & turn to Him & accept the salvation He died to give to us.

Thank You Jesus, for pulling me out of the mud & the mire! may I become a Holy Vessel to do the work that you have entrusted me to do!

Psalm 40:2
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

I adore my husband who has been patient to wait on the Lord:  we will be married 28 years in May, thank you Jesus, for your mercy! Thank you, Al for loving me when I was so unlovable!  You are my HERO!

To my dearest  CHILDREN: Arianna & Alejandro Jr., thank you for being a constant reminder of   what LOVE, MERCY & GRACE looks like......life is awesome because of you                           

I love you more than words can ever say, I am so proud of you!                                                          

Confession: there was a time where I was everything but SAFE; I continue to allow the Lord to pull out the weeds that had deep,deep, deep embittered roots of anger, unforgiveness, resentment that had been caused by PAIN & HURT, the loss of my earthly father left me feeling unprotected & unloved, I will write on that subject soon!

Our GOD< HE  is merciful, faithful even while I am not.

In spite of me, HE WILL BE GOD & HIS perfect will in my life WILL BE DONE!

this gives me plenty reason to live to Love & to serve Him!

May you come to a place of safety in Him!

1. Psalm 9:9
   The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
   Psalm 9:8-10 (in Context) Psalm 9 (Whole Chapter)
2. Psalm 59:16
   But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
   Psalm 59:15-17 (in Context) Psalm 59 (Whole Chapter)
3. Nahum 1:7
   The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,
   Nahum 1:6-8 (in Context) Nahum 1 (Whole Chapter)

 
 

Co-dependency vs God dependency

 I spent all day in bed after seeking answers from the only One who can.......give them to me........Jesus!

I had a conversation with a friend today about co-dependency, i wrote on it to her & we emailed back & forth, then another friend texted to tell me that the email I had also shared with her had blessed her:  I thought maybe I should blog on it, so here it is!
It seems I want to get out of writing..............but it looks as if I should continue. ..........I love you all, I hope this blesses you & it helps you start to get your personal inventory going: make a list of people who have hurt you, be specific name & incident, make another list this time with what you have done to others that hurt them.......at the end of the blog you will find the prayers to do so......hope you start today, so that God can start to clean up His house/your heart! as He has been doing mine, I hope you are a quick learner, I must admit...........I have been slow but I am catching up to Him, trying anyhow.......

What is Co-dependency, what does it look like?
Co dependency: the desire to control or a need to be controlled

Characteristics of Co-dependent People Are: without our sweet Jesus, we would all have to own the entire list but thanks be to Him that He is trying to remove all those from our lives, but as some of us are struggling  let's take a good look at the list, with the purpose of using it as a tool to help us identify possible areas of sin.

• An exaggerated sense of responsibility for the actions of others
• A tendency to confuse love and pity, with the tendency to “love” people they can pity and rescue
• A tendency to do more than their share, all of the time
• A tendency to become hurt when people don’t recognize their efforts
• An unhealthy dependence on relationships. The co-dependent will do anything to hold on to a relationship; to avoid the feeling of abandonment
• An extreme need for approval and recognition
• A sense of guilt when asserting themselves
• A compelling need to control others/or controlling others through behaviors such as: withholding, rejecting, etc.
• Lack of trust in self and/or others
• Fear of being abandoned or alone
• Difficulty identifying feelings
• Rigidity/difficulty adjusting to change
• Problems with intimacy/boundaries
• Chronic anger
• Lying/dishonesty
• Poor communications
• Difficulty making decisions

As God continues to show us that He wants to free us: here is a list of things to consider & pray about THIS IS ONLY A SUGGESTION, I am doing this today, actually I spent the entire day in my bed taking personal inventory.
1. Do you keep quiet to avoid arguments?

2. Are you always worried about others’ opinions of you?

3. Have you ever lived with someone with an alcohol or drug problem?

4. Have you ever lived with someone who hits or belittles you?

5. Are the opinions of others more important than your own?

6. Do you have difficulty adjusting to changes at work or home?

7. Do you feel rejected when significant others spend time with friends?

8. Do you doubt your ability to be who you want to be?

9. Are you uncomfortable expressing your true feelings to others?

10. Have you ever felt inadequate?

11. Do you feel like a “bad person” when you make a mistake?

12. Do you have difficulty taking compliments or gifts?

13. Do you feel humiliation when your child or spouse makes a mistake?

14. Do you think people in your life would go downhill without your constant efforts?

15. Do you frequently wish someone could help you get things done?

16. Do you have difficulty talking to people in authority, such as the police or your boss?

17. Are you confused about who you are or where you are going with your life?

18. Do you have trouble saying “no” when asked for help?

19. Do you have trouble asking for help?

20. Do you have so many things going at once that you can’t do justice to any of them?

Let's ask the Holy Spirit to take us DEEPER STILL...........

This is how psychologista treat co-dependency: Because co-dependency is usually rooted in a person’s childhood, treatment often involves exploration into early childhood issues and their relationship to current destructive behavior patterns. (my comments: bitter roots: controlling or withholding from others, out of control behaviors, hiding, gossip, comparing one self, slander, critical spirits) treatment includes education, experiential groups, and individual and group therapy through which co-dependents rediscover themselves and identify self-defeating behavior patterns. Treatment also focuses on helping patients getting in touch with feelings that have been buried during childhood and on reconstructing family dynamics. The goal is to allow them to experience their full range of feelings again.

Amazing: we have trusted the opinions of the world instead on having relied on God's Word; praise God for His mercies are new every day for us all.

Here is God's treatment for us:
Find the root (if we have a hard time finding the root, look for the fruit in our lives)
example: FRUIT:  we criticize others  ROOT: we don't feel we have any worth, as long as we speak of others, we won't have to take a look at our wounded hearts & actions, as long as we speak about others, maybe they won't notice how we are also hurting?

Identifying the ROOT: where it came from: maybe when we were little girls we were told that we were stupid, always made mistakes, etc.

Another example: FRUIT: thinking that people might not like us, wondering if people are talking about us? if they laugh & we are not part of the conversation & laughter maybe we think they might be talking about us. We become suspicious, we get mad, we reject them because we are afraid they are already rejecting us, so we pretend to reject them first just in case.........


ROOT: we might have been greatly rejected in our childhood, sometimes this rejection is something we have NEVER discussed with anyone, PLEASE find someone safe & share with them. Maybe we were abused, verbally, physically, sexually? 


Please ask God to show you, His truth in the situation if you are having trouble identifying the fruit or the root, He will show you, He wants to heal our broken hearts.

Here is what God says we do: (once we have identified the root)

We confess the sin, OUR sin = (sin by sin, name by name, one by one) we ask God to forgive us, we pin our sin onto the cross of Jesus, we plead His blood over our sin, we cancel all attacks from the enemy in Jesus name, we take back ALL power & authority our sin had given the enemy of our souls (our confessing closes the door to our accuser in this area) We ask the Holy Sprit to lead us in all TRUTH (asking if there might be more to confess) so we ask the Lord, to tell us His truth regarding this particular situation.

Here is a sample prayer: (you can change it or modify it as the Holy Spirit leads you)
 
Repentance Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I forgive me for (mention what you did that hurt others)(be specific),
I purpose & choose to forgive myself. In the name of Jesus I cancel all of satans authority over me in this sin. In Jesus name, I  take back all power & authority from him. I AM FORGIVEN! Holy Spirit, heal my heart & tell me your truth about this situation. Listen.........for the Holy Spirit ministering to you.

To confess the sins (wrongs) of others against us:

we confess to God the sin of the person (sin by sin, name by name, one by one)

we  forgive the person, pin their sin on the cross of Jesus, we plead the blood of Jesus; we take back all the power & authority from the devil (that our anger as a result of this persons' sin against us had also opened the door on our end) we place the cross of Jesus between this person & ourselves, we ask the Holy Spirit to lead us in all TRUTH (asking if there might be more to forgive) so we ask the Lord, to tell us His truth regarding this particular situation.

Forgiveness prayer: Heavenly Father, I purpose and choose to forgive (put person's name here) for (tell God exactly what the person did to you). I release (say the name of the person here) and cancel their debt to me; In the name of Jesus I cancel all of Satan's authority over me in this memory, because this sin has been forgiven. I take back all power & authority which my un-forgiveness had given the enemy in my life. Holy Spirit, heal my heart & tell me your Truth about this situation...............listen for the Holy Spirit to minister to you! 

Let's practice this from now on, whenever someone hurts us, lets be quick to confess & forgive..............when we hurt others, let's be quicker to repent, confess & ask the Lord to forgive us.........remember 

Matthew 7: 1-4 - Judging Others

 ¹ “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

   ³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Light & Darkness, Sin & Forgiveness:

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Luke11: 9-13 - 

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ¹¹ “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for^[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Prayer to our Heavenly Father:  Matthew Chapter 6 verses 9-15

 ⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

   “‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
   on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
   as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,^[a]
   but deliver us from the evil one.^[b]’

   ¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Love you all! 

Obeying God!

Today, we are going to take a detour of where we were............we have talked about; tears, hurts, & identifying our wounds, confessing, repenting & forgiving............but I think God is taking us on a detour that will bring us back around to where we were, so let me share...

Before I start; I have to share for the Glory of God our Father; I was listening to the lies of the evil one & I was wondering if I should continue to write, you see many of you who love me told me to continue, Tom, Laz, Linda & Suzanne........but I argued these people love me, of course they are going to tell me to write (I argued with God)

So, I asked God again.........really do you want me to do this? I sat in the parking lot of a school near where I live, I was about to walk into a very secular setting to try to explain & teach 24 girls in 5th & 6th grade how to identify good & bad stress, how to build a shield to deal with stress, how do you do that without God? ... I prayed asking God to speak through me, for you see I only have about 50 minutes, not enough time for me, but I know He can do it in no time............so I finished covering myself in prayer.......as I start to get out of my car, I get a text from Miri, this is what the text said: I like your blog, A LOT< from Germany... (she wrote other things)

I started crying because I knew that God would have to convince "disobedient little me", the one  who has dealt with insecurities of all sorts all of her life rooted in rejection since the day she was born (we will speak on this on another blog) Does God have to do this to you? To remind you & CONVICT YOU? He does to my daughter & this is what I want to share with you all today....

But before I go there, let me tell you about Miri: she is my niece Erika's friend from Germany, you see Erika had the pleasure to plant the seed of Jesus; we prayed for Miri for a lonnnnnnnggg time for her salvation; now she's in Germany, she is a Christian, & she is being used by God to water my seed as I have through prayer watered hers........is God not so amazing?............He had to use someone who I never had spoken to in my life before to write me me, I did not even know she knew about the blog; even though I don't know Miri in person, she is close to my heart; for you cannot pray for people & not come to love them.............maybe this is why we are to pray for our enemies? (another subject to discuss on a later blog?)

What I want to share today has to do with Believing God, obeying God & removing the element of doubt/fear from our thoughts for we know that is where the battle is either won or lost........

Let me start where it all blew out & up for Arie, at least this is where our physical eyes saw it:

We serve on a Homeless ministry with Pastor Kimmie & pastor Jackson; Arie sang here for the first time; (Pastor Jackson had been asking her for a long time to sing, but she was still battling it out with God)  I believe this is where God set her free to hear His voice....or should I say to obey it!....this was Sunday, October 17th, 2010, I witnessed men crying & one even said, we'd better repent God has sent an Angel from Heaven.....to sing for us! (Arie sang her songs before she even had them copy righted)

For the ones who don't know, on Octber 18th, 2010, my daughter was minding her own business as usual attending UGA (with God providing for her education completely, our expense was her rent), she had texted me earlier to tell me that God had told her to leave college for He was going to give her songs to write & to sing for Him, she texted me asking me for my blessing: she said mom, God is calling me to leave everything behind & follow Him, I just need your blessing, I need you to believe me...........

Talk about disbelief..........I allowed fear to enter me, what will happen, she won't finish college is the enemy trying to steal her college life the way he did me?.........

My friend Angie came to pick me up a few minutes after that as we had planned to go pray for her biological brother, my brother through Christ; we parked behind the parking lot of Laz's store to pray for him (laz-lifeasiseeit.blogspot.com) we had been fasting & praying for Laz; I did not want to ask for prayer for Arie even though God said, pray for her; just then Angie started praying for her kids & mine, so I piped in, the pastor on the other end of the phone, started praying for my daughter & before we knew it, we had what we call a SPIRITUAL FIGHT.......we finished praying! I was completely wiped out!  I called Arie & asked her what she was doing (at the time we prayed) she said God had told me to PACK & LEAVE, so I was sitting down packing my stuff to leave!

I believe our prayers strengthened her in the spirit to leave! we serve an awesome GOD!

Arie came home in the afternoon, we called her dad who was in the Dominican Republic, he asked her; did God call you? she said, yes daddy!,  he then told her, well, then we don't argue with God; I'm with you all the way! I was relieved or now I thought, well, if he agreed, we are all good & covered!

The same night Arie & I were in bed together, I cried to the Lord & yes, I questioned Him again & I said, what are you doing? He said, I have taken her out of the world, she is mine! you see Arie's 21st B-day is on the 19th of October, He called her out of the world before her 21st Birthday. He told me, He would prepare her to serve Him & many would come to know of Him because of the songs He was going to put in her soul, but she needed to remain "HIS", I argued how can I keep her from going to the things of the world? He said He would do it, my job was to love, protect & support her!

My daughter slept in my bed that night, I hugged her & felt her sweet breathing just like when she was a little girl, I cried with tears of Joy, that God would use someone like me, to give life to someone like her................then I realized that in spite of me, He would be GOD! & I praised Him for that! as I pondered that as much as I love my children, God loves us more! yeah, a lot more!

Okay, so she leaves college to follow God's call on her life; I thought of Abraham, when God called him to leave his country & his people to go to a place where he had not been before.......... I thought the same is now true of Arie! I asked God to part the waters for her, we have no idea what to do you see, but I think He likes it this way, so NOT one person will take credit, only He will take all the credit as it should be, for it is His work in us that glorifies Him.

Within two weeks of her leaving to follow Christ, a friend brought a friend to listen to Arie; a precious man of God, he was ready to produce a record for her; but Arie & I knew we had to wait.........wait for what you must be saying? wait for God.........wait on God! its not time yet.

I will skip over a few months..........Arie finds herself with an apartment that has not been able to get rented.............then she gets a sudden bill from UGA for over $700.00..............she allows doubt to enter her mind...............she shares with me she is troubled & will have to battle this one out with God herself..............

She comes & tells me that she has confessed her sin against God (remember we talked about what un-confessed sin does to us?) her sin of unbelief & doubt which of course opened the door to the enemy, she tells me that all of a sudden God started giving her more songs.............you see during the period of her unbelief, she was NOT able to write new songs or finish the many she has started........because her sin (her doubt) had separated her from God! we both cried & praised God together, that we have such an awesome Daddy!

Two days ago, she walked in my room as I was doing my Bible study (we are both studying David Seeking a Heart Like His), I was sharing with her about the exciting God we serve, on how God allowed David to full fill the call on his life in spite of his fears...........I said, I find it amazing & scary at the same time that God sent Jessie to anoint David while he is minding his own business, then Saul calls for him, God removes him from the "known" & "familiar" to the unknown & unfamiliar, now he is having to run from Saul............I asked her; why do you think God does this to us? she started crying & said:

Mom: last night I was so mad because my songs were missing, I had worked so hard on them:

(she was in my room with me sharing some songs she had recorded, she was missing 6 entire songs, that she wanted to use on her utube video, she went to her room angry) I prayed for her as she left my room & kissed me good night! I said, Lord, what are you doing?

Arie said: God just told me why they are missing & why they were wiped out my hard drive; I asked her why? 

She said, He told me; You are to sing ONLY SACRED SONGS................what do you think you are doing little girl? what did I call you for? remember that call on your life, to SING FOR & OF ME!

She said, mom the songs I was planning to use for utube video were not Sacred & even though they were good lyrics they are not songs that speak of Him! we both cried, as I hugged her & wiped her tears........

You see God is & will be God - FOREVER!

In spite of us, He will be God..............

But if we cooperate with Him; then He can do great things through us, that will bring Him glory.......for this is why we are here........the passion that lies withing our hearts & souls is there to love & worship Him & Him alone..............this is when we are our happiest, one with the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit.

I am not sure why I was to share this particulars..............but if they have touched any of you, please feel free to share.................I will share more on this subject tomorrow............I had told Arie that I was writing about it, she smiled giving me her approval!

Do you have any un-confessed sin? that is stopping the hand of God to move in your life?

Has your un-confessed sin separated you from God & from the people you love the most?

Are you hanging on to your own ways? instead of seeking His ways for you?

Are you living in sin? are you tired of the life of sin? do you need a friend to share your pain with?

Jesus is waiting....................call on Him for He rewards those who diligently seek Him

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 11:8-10 (Amplified Bible)

⁸[Urged on] by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went forth to a place which he was destined to receive as an inheritance; and he went, although he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to go.

    ⁹[Prompted] by faith he dwelt as a temporary resident in the land which was designated in the promise [of God, though he was like a stranger] in a strange country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs with him of the same promise.^(A)

    ¹⁰For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God.

Call out to Jesus, He is waiting for you...............

I love you with the love of our Father! May you feel His presence today! 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, let Jesus Be your VALENTINE!
Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Come out my little girl, come out!

Today, I am writing in Red; my favorite color! 

Before I start, I want to praise God for His mercy & His endless love for us! He really does call us, Princess that is if you have given your heart to Him!

Have you asked Him to come & live in your heart. I hope you have, if you haven't please let me know, that I might have the pleasure of leading you into a simple prayer/request asking Him to do so.
He's crazy about you! He adores you! Did you know this? I hope you do!

I want to thank my precious spiritual daughters; for allowing the Holy Spirit to move freely in our midst tonight. God has started to clean house; that is to remove all the yuk from our hearts! We praise His Holy Name for this.

The last time I blogged; I said we would talk about "wounds" little did I know, that was where  He would take us this very night!

Tonight all of us girls witnessed that we have all been wounded! Some of us shared freely & I command you for this! We have all been deeply wounded; we have all wounded others! the saddest thing of it all; none of us ever intends to hurt/inflict a wound, yet we do it, sometimes, over & over again.

So what do we do? Let's identify some of the things/events that cause wounds in our hearts!

Wounds- Wounds- Wounds - what do they look like?

You may look normal on the outside; but what do you think your soul looks like? 

Have you experienced: betrayal? abuse? (verbal, physical or sexual?) neglect? ridicule? abandonment? fear? pain? illness? poverty? hunger? shame? embarrassment? anger?  

If you answered YES, to one of these:

You have been wounded!

Have you ever been told that you are NOT worthy?, NOT smart? NOT lovable? NOT good enough! that you are ugly? that you are fat? that you are stupid? that you are good for nothing? that you are a sorry excuse of a daughter/son? that you will never amount to anything good!

If you answered YES to one of these:

You have been wounded!

We live in an imperfect world, raised by imperfect parents; I should know! I have raised two wonderful children; they can attest to the fact that I am everything but perfect!

But before we go placing blame on others; even though the others might be the cause of our wounds; tonight we are going to look at Jesus & US! that's it, for tonight forget about everyone else, its just Jesus & us! Do you hear Him calling you?.................

Do you hear Him, whispering? It's okay my little one! I know! I understand! I was there when it happened! Come to me for I have the healing ready for your wounded heart.............come just as you are! but come with a willing heart! Come & tell me everything................come!

Let's read some scripture together:

1 Peter 2:24 (The Message)

 ^21-25This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.
   He never did one thing wrong,
   Not once said anything amiss.
They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you're named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls. 

Did you know this happened to Jesus? Did you notice people called him every name in the book & HE SAID NOTHING BACK! Did you notice He waited on Father God to set things right! this is what we are going to learn how to do together: WE ARE GOING TO DO OUR PART - THEN WE ARE GOING TO WAIT ON GOD TO SET THINGS RIGHT FOR US - I assure you, HE WILL!

Jesus understands our pain; Jesus suffered as we have suffered! Jesus NEVER did anything wrong, yet people hurt Him & they hurt Him pretty bad. Did you notice that it says HE IS THE KEEPER OF OUR SOULS!  Did you notice He carried our "sins"to the Cross & He got rid of our sin!


Jesus died to forgive us of our sins; now you & I are going to move towards forgiving those who have hurt us - we will also focus on asking forgiveness from those whom we have hurt ourselves.


**   We must confess our sins & repent from our own sins


**  We must forgive others  - we must forgive ourselves

Let's take a look at what happens when we confess our sins: we CONFESSED SINS

They are blotted out  - they are forgiven - they are made white as snow - they are purged away from us - they are removed as far as the east is from the west - one is FREED from them - one is CLEANSED from them.


Let's take a look at what happens to us when we do not confess our sins: UNCONFESSED SINS
They cause death -  they hinder our prayers - they separate us from GOD - they testify against us (the devil uses them to accuse & oppress us - we will discuss our enemy & his strategy on another day) - they cause God to remember them, ouch! - They expose guilt - they bring punishment - they damn the soul - they make us servants of sin (we give the enemy open door to control us) - they cause our heart to get hard - they cause disease (we get sick) - they cause many troubles & calamities


Now do you see why we must confess our sins, the sins of others against us, repent & forgive?


Tonight, make a list of all the people in your life that have hurt you! BE SPECIFIC, VERY SPECIFIC!


Make a list of people you have hurt - make a list of people that you have said you hate.


Make a list of the things you have said that hurt people to their face or behind their backs (gossip/chisme); if you have a journal, go ahead & write in there.

If you get to a blank; sit there & invite the Holy Spirit to lead you in all truth, you can say:


Come Holy Spirit come; I invite you to come; lead me in all TRUTH; shine your light into the deepest hurts/wounds of my heart & show me what they are....................the Holy Spirit will show you!............keep asking...............keep writing............we will get through this, I promise................


I have asked God to give us something sweet to read & He has; let's meditate on His Holy Word! 

Psalm 42

A psalm of the sons of Korah

 ^1-3 A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek;
   I want to drink God,
      deep draughts of God.
   I'm thirsty for God-alive.
   I wonder, "Will I ever make it—
      arrive and drink in God's presence?"
   I'm on a diet of tears—
      tears for breakfast, tears for supper.
   All day long
      people knock at my door,
   Pestering,
      "Where is this God of yours?"

 ⁴ These are the things I go over and over,
      emptying out the pockets of my life.
   I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd,
      right out in front,
   Leading them all,
      eager to arrive and worship,
   Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving—
      celebrating, all of us, God's feast!

 ⁵ Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
      Why are you crying the blues?
   Fix my eyes on God—
      soon I'll be praising again.
   He puts a smile on my face.
      He's my God.

 ^6-8 When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
      everything I know of you,
   From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
      including Mount Mizar.
   Chaos calls to chaos,
      to the tune of whitewater rapids.
   Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
      crash and crush me.
   Then God promises to love me all day,
      sing songs all through the night!
      My life is God's prayer.

 ^9-10 Sometimes I ask God, my rock-solid God,
      "Why did you let me down?
   Why am I walking around in tears,
      harassed by enemies?"
   They're out for the kill, these
      tormentors with their obscenities,
   Taunting day after day,
      "Where is this God of yours?"

 ¹¹ Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
      Why are you crying the blues?
   Fix my eyes on God—
      soon I'll be praising again.
   He puts a smile on my face.
      He's my God.

KEEP YOUR EYES ON GOD, HE IS OUR GOD - OUR REFUGE IN TIMES OF TROUBLE

I LOVE YOU ALL,

What causes your tears?

Do you cry because your selfish pride has been wounded, or because the people around you sin against & reject our God who loves us dearly? Do you weep because you have lost something that gives you pleasure, or because people all around you will suffer for their sinfulness? Our world is filled with injustice, poverty, war, rebellion against God & our own sinfulness. Do you cry because you lost your mom or dad? do you cry because your parents moved you far away from your friends & family? Are you in  a new country? unable to speak the language?

Do you cry because while your house is full of people you feel ALONE?


Do you cry because you hear voices that whisper to you all day long that you are stupid, good for nothing, you will never amount to anything & on & on these voices go all day long?



We all cry for different reasons, we also cry when we are filled with Joy! we cry when we become thankful & receive great rewards.


But we are going to focus on the tears we cry that are loaded with pain, disappointment, hurts, unmet expectations, the tears that many us shed quietly because we are afraid to share with others....maybe because they without even realizing it are part of the same hurt that caused the wounds in our souls.........The tears that come when we have been hurt, misunderstood rejected...............we have all experienced these, I know I have. 

Some of us lost someone precious to us; I for example lost my Daddy when I was a young girl, not even able to understand what was going on around me. This left a deep wound in my soul. (we will discuss abandonment on another day)


Today we are going to talk about a wound what does it look like? & I will introduce you to the One who can heal these wounds.............maybe we should introduce Him first...........for He is worthy & He requires to be FIRST...........so we shall start with a proper introduction, His name is Jesus!


If you grew up speaking Spanish, His name is Jesus...........
if you grew up speaking English, His name is Jesus............
If you grew up speaking Hebrew, His name is Jeshua.........


He was born in a small town named Bethlehem...........some of you might know the story, some churches share the story every Christmas, do you know Jesus, have you heard of Him?


He was chosen to be King, some people did not understand this, some people did not understand Him, we read in the Holy Scriptures, that some people despised Him. Jesus was despised & rejected, let' s read what the book of Issaiah chapter 53 verse 1-6 says:

 ¹ Who has believed our message
   and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
   and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
   nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,
   a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
   he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

 ⁴ Surely he took up our pain
   and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
   stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
   he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
   and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
   each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
   the iniquity of us all. 

The Webster's Dictionary definition of a wound:

 * an injury to living tissue *a casualty * injure: cause injuries or bodily harm to * a figurative injury (to your feelings or pride); wound" * hurt: hurt the feelings of; " really bruised my ego" * the act of inflicting a wound.

All soul wounds are caused by a traumatic experience such as rape, molestation, neglect, physical or verbal abuse, or by any negative or hurtful incident. The nature of a soul wound is personal and deeply painful. It has the ability to filter into every area of your life. . It can completely distort how you perceive yourself and who God intended for you to be.

Many of our soul wounds are deeply rooted within the most inner part of our being and some of us have been in this state for so long that we have learned to accept our condition and live with a wounded soul. If this is your condition it is time for you to make a decision and commit to allowing a true transformation.  

God’s desire for us is not only to face our soul wounds, but to allow Him to bring healing and comfort to our souls.

Tomorrow, we will discuss wounds.................wounds of our soul............wounds to our soul!

And how we can receive the healing, that Jesus died to give to you & to me.

I love you all.

Why are you crying?

Why are you crying little Princess?

What is the wound that you carry around? that no one can see! It seems heavy to you! could it be you are trying to carry it alone?

What are you to do? Does anyone care? Does any one notice?It seems to scream so loudly within you? Why then is it that no one can hear it?

You see; all of us are walking around carrying our own wounds in our souls!

I am sure you have heard; Hurting people hurt people.................okay don't keep going......park yourself right here...........what does that statement really mean?

If we noticed your wounds; what would we do with them? do we then have to take a look at our own wounds? What would we do with our own hurts? if you are hurting & I am hurting, then who would help us? then we would both be hurting, then what are we to do?

What would we do with our own hurts? would we have to then share them with you?

Are you safe? That I can share? Would you run & tell all your friends? Do you have the answer?

Stay tuned, for I would love to introduce you to the One who can help us! I am sure some on you already know who it is that has ALL the answers.

Let's take this journey together..................it will be more fun.

Before we take this journey, let me ask something of you: when you post your comments think that your words carry POWER & will also carry  ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES !

Be assured of one thing; we have more things in common than you might think; young & old alike; we hurt!  Girls have POWER! power to build up & power to tear down! I should know! I have made my share of mistakes!

Let's work on building each other up; I will continue tomorrow...........

Love you with the love of Our Father!

Tel

Romans 8:28-29