It's okay, when you see me, to take a second glance...

You see me now and have to look twice to verify my appearance. What? You don't think I look the same? Oh, well, you're right, I don't look the same. Why? Because...

...I am a new creation in Christ!

My life has been completely transformed and I walk in freedom!

Yes, I have a past BUT it does not dictate my future!

I've been through many trials and temptations BUT wouldn't change them for a minute because they have only made me stronger and more determined to live the life God has planned for me!

I am full of life, love, compassion, and peace! I am a servant of the Most High, and my value and worth is not based on what others think of me, say about me, or do to me!

I am redeemed! I have grasped who I am in Christ and no one can take that away from me!

I am called and equipped to bring glory and honor to His name!

I will not be labeled by any medical professional because I choose to live, not as a victim to the diagnosis put on me in the past, BUT as a victor labeled by my Heavenly Father as set apart, beloved, chosen one, daughter of the King, blessed, and forever changed!

I am no longer bound to a death wish BUT am alive in Christ!

It's okay when you see me to take a second glance because I'm not who I was when you first met me. I am now who I was called to be. I just had to choose to accept freedom and live in it!

-Lindsay

Dearest Daughter of Mine:

I am all you need. I am your breath. I am your life. I am your best friend. I am your counselor. I am your guide. I am your comfort. I am your love. I am your song. I am your joy. I am your creator. I am your purpose. I am your strength. I am your hope. I am your freedom. I am your shoulder. I am your hug. I am your smile. I am your wisdom. I am your laughter. I am your peace. I am your calm. I am your healing. I am your light. I am yours.

I am with you in the storms. I am with you in the pain. I am with you in the hurt. I am with you in the shame. I am with you in guilt. I am with you in loneliness. I am with you in rain. I am with you in weakness. I am with you in grief. I am with you in tears. I am with you in sickness. I am with you in sadness. I am with you in darkness. I am with you in corruption. I am with you in fear. I am with you in confusion. I am with you in suffering. I am with you.

You are my joy. You are my creation. You are my love. You are my hands. You are my heart. You are my smile. You are my words. You are my chosen. You are my friend. You are my fragrance. You are my light. You are my beloved. You are mine.

I don't bring the pain, but I am with you in it. I don't bring the storms, but I can show you the way to overcome them. I don't bring the sickness, but I can heal you. I don't bring the circumstances, but I am with you in all of them. I don't bring the destruction, but I can build restoration. I don't bring the tears, but I gladly wipe them away. I don't author the confusion, but I bring clarity.

You are mine. Your story belongs to me. You are my dearly loved creation, and I want nothing more than to shower you with blessings. You were created to worship and honor me in all you do. I am proud of you. I love you more than the stars. I love you more today than yesterday. I love you more every minute I see you live. I love you more every second you take a breath. I love you.

Always and forever,

Your Father and King

-Tamara

Songs of the Night

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you...As they pass through the valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs."
Ps. 84:5-6

I have been through the valley of weeping
The valley of sorrow and pain,
But the God of all comfort was with me,
At hand to uphold and sustain

As the earth needs the clouds and sunshine,
Our souls need both sorrow and joy,
So He places us oft in the furnace,
The dross from the gold to destroy.

When He leads through some valley of trouble,
His omnipotent hand we trace;
For the trials and sorrows that come our way,
Are part of His lesson in grace.

Oft we run from the purging and the pruning,
Forgetting the Gardener knows
That the deeper the cutting and trimming,
The richer the cluster that grows.

Well He knows that affliction is needed;
He has wise purpose in view,
And in the dark valley He whispers,
Soon you'll understand what I do.

As we travel through life's shadowed valley,
Fresh springs of His love ever rise,
And we learn that our sorrows and losses,
Are blessings just sent in disguise

So we'll follow wherever He leads us,
Let the path be dreary or bright;
For we've proved that our God can give comfort;
Our God can give songs in the night.

-Crystal

Yesterday Was One Year

Recently I celebrated one year since I entered Mercy Ministries of America in Nashville, Tennessee. I look at where I was a year ago, no, not where, but who I was, and I am astonished. Jesus has done so much in and for me! One year ago, I was a scared, stressed, depressed, angry, hurt little girl who felt fifty, not fifteen. The other day, my dad told me that a year ago was "the beginning of the end." It really was!

During my time at Mercy, it didn't take long for Jesus to totally convict my heart. Within two weeks, I was on my knees begging that He would help me. He did! To my complete and utter astonishment, Jesus was helping me. I started to trust Him. I started to have faith. I started to believe that freedom was possible, that even though I was damaged and bruised I could be healed. I learned to believe that I was loved, that I was worthy of healthy relationships, and that I wasn't a horrible person. After many tears and prayers, I finally believed Psalm 139.

I am now free. No longer am I tormented by the mirror, or the scars, or food. Jesus broke off the chains! Halleluiah hollaback! I fell in love. I fell completely, totally, utterly, irrevocably, heels over head, in love. I fell in love with the Bright and Morning Star, with the King of the Universe, with the Ancient of Days, with the Living God. I fell in love with Jesus, and I've never looked back.

Am I perfect? No, not at all. I am a sinner, but His grace is enough. I look at who I was and who I am now, and the only thing I can do is to look at Jesus and say thank you. He's the only reason I'm alive. He's the only thing that matters.

-Sarah

These Things I Know For Sure

He knows the beginning from the end and He walks with me hand in hand all the way!

Though I may have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I have nothing to fear because He is with me! He comforts me!

I don't have to be afraid of the devil by day or of terrors by night because the Lord has given His angels charge over me, to keep me in all my ways.

He is a shield for me, the glory and the lifter of my head!

He is my strong tower!

He will never forsake the righteous or leave them and their seed begging for bread!!

His GRACE is sufficient and all of His paths are MERCY and TRUTH!

He has a plan for my life, a plan full of hope, and He will prosper me as my soul prospers!

He is my leader, my teacher, my best friend, and my guide through life.

The anointing that He has placed on the inside of me is enough to destroy the yoke!!

God is well able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all I can ask or think!

In my weakness His grace is multiplied and perfected!

My fervent, effectual prayers avail much!

The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation!

He will be faithful to complete the work that He has begun in me! (And YOU!)

It is His wholehearted desire to bless me beyond imagination, to open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that I don't even have room enough to contain!

I know in whom I have believed and am confident that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him until that day!

He is my HEALER, my SOURCE, my STRENGTH, my DELIVERER, my PROVIDER, my ROCK.

He keeps those whose minds are stayed on Him at perfect peace!

The peace of God that passes all understanding guards my heart and mind through Christ Jesus!

ALL THINGS work together for GOOD for them that love Him!

(And that's me!)

What about you?

- Halle

Listen

Listen my beloved.
My eye is on you.
Listen my beloved.
My heart is for you.
You are not the problem.
Listen my beloved.
I can see you've been wondering what’s wrong with me,
Wondering if you’re doing something wrong,
Seeking for healing but healing escapes you,
Wondering if you’re the guilty one.
Listen my beloved.
My heart is for you.
Listen my beloved one.
You are not the problem.
You are not the guilty.
Listen my chosen one.

Under the weight of oppression,
Like a hand is on your mouth,
You've been silenced.
But you were made to proclaim.
You were silenced in the name of what is right.

Listen my beloved.
I have called you,
To open up your mouth, to open up your mouth, to open up your mouth.
Even men will listen to you,
For I have given much to you to give,
And do not listen to religion, do not listen to them.

Listen my beloved.
You've felt you were in a prison
With no way out but to die to yourself,
and in humbleness you've given me your best and I receive it,
and I will open up the door, for,

You were made to fly.
You were made to soar.
You were meant to fly.
You were meant to soar.

Listen. Come to me.


-Kacy

Emotion or Compassion?

This morning, I was driving back home after a couple great church services, and at one of the many red lights I encountered a lady who came to my window asking for some money. Living in a third world country, this isn’t rare. I see people begging for money in the streets many times a day.

But there was something about this woman that captured me. Her situation broke my heart. She was crippled, walking with her hands and feet, and somehow managing to balance herself over the car windows to raise one hand begging for some change as she held her little baby on her back wrapped with some fabric. The sight of this woman saddened me and made me reach down in my purse to grab a 10 dollar bill so I could give it to her. Right after I did, I found myself looking in a different direction. Anxious for the light to go green, I was almost trying to avoid the sight of this woman because that picture was too hard for me to see, too sad and just too much. My heart was broken, and I thought that if I looked at her for another second, I would release some tears and so I gave her the money and drove away.

The picture of this woman followed me the rest of the day. Tons of questions invaded my thoughts… questions like: Did she have a family? Did she have a place to stay? Had she eaten any food today? What about the baby? Was the baby healthy? Did the baby have some food, clothes? Did she have anyone to talk to? What is she feeling right now? Is she hopeless? What thoughts overtake her mind? Why doesn’t anyone help her? Is that the life that God really intended for her to have? Will she be ok? Will my 10 dollar bill make any difference with all the needs she seemed to have? I also started wondering if other people who drove by and saw her today were also affected by her and her situation. Did it sadden others as much as it saddened me?

In the gospel of Luke, we see the story of the Good Samaritan and we have all probably heard this story many times in our lives. But in Luke 10:33-34 the Bible tells us that the good Samaritan “had compassion, so he went to him.” HE HAD COMPASSION, SO HE WENT TO HIM. He had compassion, THEREFORE he went to him.

Many times in our lives we have seen or encounter people like this Jewish man or like the cripple lady at the red light. People that have been mistreated and hurt by the world, people that aren’t living life to the fullest, victims of abuse, pain, rage, hate. We have seen people who just like the Jewish man have been left half dead at the side of the road. We have experienced people that are dying emotionally, spiritually, mentally and even physically, people who have lost hope and can’t see past their misery. We have seen people with a need.

We have felt sorry for them. Many times our hearts have been sad, yet we drive or walk by and do nothing. Many others we have turned our heads and looked the other way pretending we just didn’t see them, as if they weren’t there, so we won’t feel uncomfortable. Their situations sadden us too much, and our answer is just to pray for them. Don’t get me wrong, prayer is powerful and avails much, but the time has come for us to be active, to be all about our daddy’s business, to be God’s hands and feet in this earth. It is our responsibility to meet the needs so this broken world gets to see that there’s a God who loves them and cares about them. They need to see that they are valuable and NOT FORGOTTEN.

I believe its time to align our walk with our talk! We are responsible for the things we see and the things we hear because God has entrusted us to live in this world so we can be light to the people around us.

We’re not called to DO church on Sundays but to BE the church 24/7. We are to be the salt of this world and to shine our light so bright that darkness will no longer prevail!
Yes, we are ordinary people, and maybe we can’t do a whole lot by ourselves. Give God what u have. What’s in your hand? The little boy with 5 pieces of bread and 2 fishes never thought, not even in his wildest dreams that his little lunch was going to feed thousands. Give Him what you’ve got and see miracles come to pass. God loves using ordinary people to make an extraordinary change in the world. Allow him to put that extra on your ordinary life.

-Giovanna