ICOULD HAVE GONE TO JAIL! Not even kidding! In my mid-twenties, I reached the lowest place in my life. I honestly was so tired of trying to be perfect in marriage and feeling unnoticed- pouring myself out to others with no reciprocation-being the one to always make loving decisions, which seemed to leave me wounded- praying and praying to the Lord who seemed to have earplugs in. I was TIRED and decided to do my own thing. Whew! Not a good decision. Old, horrible habits started creeping in and I honestly got to the point of being so low, that I found myself doing things that were completely out of my character! (Disconnecting from God can lead you to this place). My life seemed so bland that I searched for thrills and excitement- which led to this moment: I had decided to walk into a department store and shop for a few outfits. I had plenty of money in the bank and plenty of clothes. Desperate for excitement because my life was so void of it, I put a shirt in my purse! Guys, I stole a shirt! Well, I obviously wasn’t a very good thief when a police chased me down and took me to a room where they had videotaped me. Clear as day, they had me on camera. He proceeded to tell me the next steps- banned from the store, arrest, jail time… you can imagine how I was feeling. Then he said this, “But I’m not going to do that. I already know what type of person you are and I know this, THIS IS NOT YOU. What you are doing IS NOT YOU.” Right there, with the cop, security guard, and cameras, I busted into tears! It wasn’t me! What was I doing? How did I freakin’ get here? They let me go, and told me to come back anytime. I went to my car and sobbed for what seemed like hours. I was so lost, but God’s grace saved me, reminding me of His love for me, and used a stranger to tell me His thoughts toward me-that He knows what I did was not me and it was time to get back to who I truly was. It was the rekindling of a beautiful friendship. I want to encourage you if you have found yourself in an emotional or physical place of doing things that are just NOT YOU. It doesn’t have to be something as open as stealing, but your attitude, decisions, character, and actions are completely opposite of who you are. It’s led to a place that seems hard to escape and you are asking, “How the heck did I get here?” I want to tell you, God sees right through the mask and knows it’s NOT who YOU are. He, instead, sees what He has called you to be- a masterpiece. So let Him take those broken pieces and get to work. It’s time to beautifully surrender and let Him in. THIS IS NOT WHO YOU ARE. For blog, click here.

DAILY DEVOTIONS

Day 1

“For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; My sin is always before me….create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51 (Amplified)

Prayer Lord, please help us to come before you with boldness and transparency. We allow you to see the parts of us we try to hide. This is who we are…the good and the bad. Please forgive us for staying in our mess for too long. Please help us to get out. We can’t do it without you.

Journal For your journal assignment this week, please work to overcome thoughts of guilt and shame. Some mistakes often push us into dark remorse that hinders us from moving forward. Take this week to read the scriptures and rehearse each prayer/ declaration. These prayers will help you to see yourself as Christ sees you. Feel free to write down any thoughts or feelings as you adopt Christ’s beautiful identity for you (that always was and always will be).

Day 2

“No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance], but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy].” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (Amplified)

Prayer We believe with certainty that you have given us the power to overcome our issues. Temptation calls us and wants us to give in, but we will NOT give way to those things. We want to walk in our identity that You’ve defined for us. We refuse to be defined by our struggles.

Journal For your journal assignment this week, please work to overcome thoughts of guilt and shame. Some mistakes often push us into dark remorse that hinders us from moving forward. Take this week to read the scriptures and rehearse each prayer/ declaration. These prayers will help you to see yourself as Christ sees you. Feel free to write down any thoughts or feelings as you adopt Christ’s beautiful identity for you (that always was and always will be).

Day 3

“Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing, Now it will spring forth…” Isaiah 43:19 (Amplified)

Prayer Coming face to face with our issues sometimes leaves us feeling ashamed and not worth loving. Help us to accept Your forgiveness. The past stays in the past with You. You only have newness for us.

Journal For your journal assignment this week, please work to overcome thoughts of guilt and shame. Some mistakes often push us into dark remorse that hinders us from moving forward. Take this week to read the scriptures and rehearse each prayer/ declaration. These prayers will help you to see yourself as Christ sees you. Feel free to write down any thoughts or feelings as you adopt Christ’s beautiful identity for you (that always was and always will be).

Day 4

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].” II Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified)

Declaration “It is fact that by nature we are sinful through and through. We are capable of far worse that we would ever dare to imagine apart from God’s grace. But the fact ALSO is, that if you belong to Christ, you HAVE a new identity. Fully and totally, you have been given the righteousness of Jesus.” (Dayton Women in the Word-  http://www.daytonwomenintheword.com/)

Journal For your journal assignment this week, please work to overcome thoughts of guilt and shame. Some mistakes often push us into dark remorse that hinders us from moving forward. Take this week to read the scriptures and rehearse each prayer/ declaration. These prayers will help you to see yourself as Christ sees you. Feel free to write down any thoughts or feelings as you adopt Christ’s beautiful identity for you (that always was and always will be).

Day 5

“He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].” II Corinthians 5:21

Declaration “Abram was called Abraham (Father of many nations) before he had his first child, because God said it was so. In Christ, we are called righteousness, blameless, spotless, light of the world, salt of the earth, and heirs. It is SO. It is NOW. The process of sanctification is us becoming what we already are. It’s walking out what’s already true by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Dayton Women in the Word-  http://www.daytonwomenintheword.com/)

Journal For your journal assignment this week, please work to overcome thoughts of guilt and shame. Some mistakes often push us into dark remorse that hinders us from moving forward. Take this week to read the scriptures and rehearse each prayer/ declaration. These prayers will help you to see yourself as Christ sees you. Feel free to write down any thoughts or feelings as you adopt Christ’s beautiful identity for you (that always was and always will be).

Day 6

“But thank God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed. And having been set free from sin, you have become the slaves of righteousness [of conformity to God’s will and purpose].” Romans 6:17-18

Prayer We will no longer allow sin to define us. It no longer has ahold of us. We rebuke all the lies sin tells us. We will always find comfort in knowing we were created by an inventor who had a distinct purpose in creating us.

Journal For your journal assignment this week, please work to overcome thoughts of guilt and shame. Some mistakes often push us into dark remorse that hinders us from moving forward. Take this week to read the scriptures and rehearse each prayer/ declaration. These prayers will help you to see yourself as Christ sees you. Feel free to write down any thoughts or feelings as you adopt Christ’s beautiful identity for you (that always was and always will be).

Day 7

“See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! For this reason, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him…and we receive from Him whatever we ask because we [carefully and consistently] keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight [habitually seeking to follow His plan for us]. 1 John 3:1, 22 (Amplified)

Prayer Help us from this day forward to follow You. Help us to keep Your commandments and hide Your word deep within our hearts so we remain strong, obedient and aware of your love.

Journal For your journal assignment this week, please work to overcome thoughts of guilt and shame. Some mistakes often push us into dark remorse that hinders us from moving forward. Take this week to read the scriptures and rehearse each prayer/ declaration. These prayers will help you to see yourself as Christ sees you. Feel free to write down any thoughts or feelings as you adopt Christ’s beautiful identity for you (that always was and always will be).