In order to grow...we MUST remember where God brought us from, and seek where He is leading us to

Titus 3:3 says, "Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient.  We were misled by others and became slaves to many wicked desires and evil pleasures.  Our lives were full of evil and envy.  We hated others, and they hated us." (NLT)

I started this blog for many reasons, but the main one that kept coming back to me during my prayer and quiet time with God, was to share my journey to encourage others that may be in the place where I have been or empower someone to seek God's truth for their lives.

Titus 3:3 explains a lot about who I once was not so long ago.  A person filled and fueled with anger and resentment from my childhood and parents.  I lived with so much anger and the questions of "why did I get abused and unloved and forgotten when I was so good?"  It did not matter that I made straight A's, never smoked, didn't do drugs, walked the good girl line....NONE of that mattered.  The the long list of people who hurt me after that....and so on and so on grew and grew.  There are MANY things I have chosen in my life because my heart was filled with evil and not God.  It took me a very long time to learn that I could let all of it go, and surrender it all to God...and how FREEING that would be!  God gives you exactly what you need exactly when you need it!!  My "hurt others before they hurt me" mentality took me all kinds of places in the name of "independence".  It was me against the world.  Now it is, God helping me to serve others and love them even when they don't deserve it.

I spent years looking for love in all the wrong places (yes, that's a sad country song), but I am so glad I do not live in that place anymore.  The issues that Satan would love for us to cling to like distrust, abandonment, etc. can't breathe and hold true with God ruling your life.  Do I still have times, when the comfortable past where I used to hold onto so tightly, come back...oh yes!!...but I am quickly brought back to whom I belong, who created me, who was born for me, and who died and was resurrected for ME!!  And He did that for YOU TOO!!

People cannot give you what God can give you!!  Let me say that again, "People cannot give you what God gives you!"  People will let you down, disappoint you, and cause you grief.  Remembering that God made them and loves them too is very hard for me at times and in certain situations in my life...but it's the key to my happiness.  You cannot find true love, peace, kindness, faithfulness etc. in any human being.  Do we know people with these qualities??? SURE!!  I am not saying people can't be those things at times in your life, but merely that, God is that for you ALL the time....NO MATTER WHAT!!!

Titus 3:4-7 follows with "But"...it is sooooo good when God says it!! "But then our God our Savior showed us his kindness and love.  He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy."  That was perfect to my ears, but it took me a long time to believe that being a "good girl" didn't matter to my Salvation.  The verse keeps going.  "He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit.  He generously poured out the Spirit upon us because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did.  He declared us not guilty because of his great kindness.  And now we know that we will inherit eternal life."  Verse 8 says, "These things I have told you are all true.  I want you to insist on them so that everyone who trusts in God will be careful to do good deeds all the time.  These things are good and beneficial to everyone."

How many people are in your life can you count that you KNOW that they are always truthful to you for YOUR benefit???

I want to encourage you to allow God to help you find someone to put into your life that will be what we in our women's Bible Study call "your shoulder shaker".  Someone who will point you back to God's truth when we ourselves cannot see it!!  Seek a Bible Study that will cause you to grow closer to Him, read more of His word and cause you to GROW in your relationship with your EVERYTHING!!

I pray this blog shows you how in love I am with God, and how much I want to share what He has done for me...and can do for you!! Leave me a comment with your email for weekly encouragement from a great listener!!!  You can always "subscribe" and get these posts directly to your email as well.

Many Blessings,