Romans 5:1-5Therefore, since we
have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, 2 through
whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And
we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we
know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 And hope does not put
us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the
Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Today I was thinking about healing.
I was thinking about how healing is hard work.
Sometimes we carry around baggage and hurt like
someone who packs too much for a long journey.
And I know a thing or two about overpacking.
For a long time I carried around hurt that if I
think about it, I knew was there the whole time, and maybe I thought I deserved
to carry around a mess for all that I had done, and for what had been done to
me. And maybe I did, but that’s the
thing about Jesus He came to free us from what we deserve.
Yesterday I had a lot of crazy things happen to
me. I laughed because I was super feisty
yesterday but I kept this crazy smile on my face knowing that nothing was
directed at me, it was just what it was!
All day I was ridiculously… well happy!
I was thankful to be home (even though I had great trips), I was thankful
for sunshine, I was thankful for the people I work with and a great job! It is true that a heart of gratitude shines
through. I think about how the healing
that I worked through brought me soooooo much joy and freedom!
There were moments when it seemed so hard, it
seemed like the pain was just too much, but I just
persevered through the pain
and kept my heart and eyes focused on Jesus and kept going, and then…
freedom! I think about this half
marathon and how hard it’s gonna be and the work that’s involved in preparing
for it (right now some days I just try to get moving) but I can’t wait to run
across that finish line and the freedom that will come when I say that I did
that! The strength that I find each day
comes from the way I open my heart for God to work in it!
Some may think that was I was always nice, I
think that God always had a piece of my heart, but it was dark because of
choices (made by me and others) and as He made the light stronger in my heart,
it chased out the dark parts and I can feel my heart beating stronger and
brighter!
John
1:1-13 In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the
beginning. 3 Through
him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 In him was life, and
that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
has not overcome[a] it.
6 There was a
man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that
light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a
witness to the light.9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
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