truth | Blessed to be Broken

God’s Out To Get Me

by Trish Cordell

This is a season of new beginnings for me. Not gonna lie, some days it’s been rough. There’s been A LOT of tears shed and A LOT of wrestling with my Heavenly Father.

I’ve learned the best question in these time is not, “Why God”? For me, it’s “What are you up to God?” or “What are you trying to teach me?” or more to the heart of it, “What are you trying to heal”?

Two of my go to verses for times when I’m not sure what’s really happening around me are:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.“
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

and

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

These two verses take the pressure off myself to figure out all the things ruminating in my head and places my trust in God.

So, it more looks like, “God, I don’t know what you’re up to, but I trust you to lead me through.”

That’s on my good days. But what happens on my not so good days? To let you know that, I’m going to give you an overall glimpse of my life.

Moved to a new home in a new area unfamiliar to me
Had a tree fall close to the house. Like, blocking my door close
Felt the call to change churches
Felt the call to change hair stylists
My beautiful and amazing Gabby gurl passed over the rainbow bridge – This still wrecks me
Got verbally attacked by someone I thought was a “friend”
Felt the call to quit my job
First time ever living alone

Like I said, this is just a glimpse into my life and this may not seem like much to you but this isn’t your journey. It’s mine. I’m not feeling all, “woe is me”, I’m feeling separated. Or as I’ve been reminded “set apart.”

On my not so good days, my thoughts take a different turn and can be summed up in one sentence, “God’s out to get me”!

From that one statement, I easily let the old lies start to play out in my head.

God’s mad at me
I’ve done something really wrong and He’s turned His back on me
I deserve all the bad things
I don’t blame you God for hating me, I pretty much hate myself
It’s no wonder you left me all alone

What are those? Lies, lies and more lies, They are old thought patterns that lead to self-pity, self-destruction, and a life based on performance instead of just being. Trying to prove we’re worthy of anything God does in our lives always leads to misconceptions of who He is.

Is it any wonder the first message at my new church was based on the book by Pastor Craig Groeschel, “Winning the War in your Mind”?

There was a card in the pocket of the seat in front of me. These are the questions that were on it:

What lie are you believing?
What Scripture will you use to tear it down?
Where & When will you do battle?

Let me show you my answers:

God’s out to get me.
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,^“ – 2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV) and “…I have loved you with an everlasting love;…” – Jeremiah 31:3 and “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,…” – James 1:17 (ESV)
Everywhere “we” go. Write these scriptures on my heart, on sticky notes, anywhere I can see them to remind me of the goodness of God and how much He loves me. Spend time getting to know the heart of my Father every day by being in His Word.

Knowing God’s truth is fundamental to my well-being. It’s so easy to spiral down into the lies the enemy would love for us to believe. Living a “less than” life is Satan’s goal. That doesn’t even sound anything close to the life God wants us to live.

This is why it’s imperative to “take EVERY thought captive”. Not some thoughts, EVERY. The lies that we set in place and believe in our lives can become lofty opinions that come against God. Yikes! I don’t know about you, but I’ve believed far too many lies about myself and I’m over it.

2022 may not have started out like I planned, but the new season God is walking me through has only just begun. If you’re like me, the song by the Carpenters just started playing in your head. You’re welcome! In order to walk with Him, I need to place my trust in Him and lay my understanding down.

If you’re in a season of new beginnings, take heart friend, God’s up to something good. One last thing I did with the lie that God was out to get me, was to flip the script. He is out to get me, but in the best possible way. After all, He’s the good Shepherd and He left the 99 to come get me. He’s out to get you too! In the best possible way.

Have an amazing day!

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Go Away…

by Trish Cordell

As I listened to the radio on my drive to work, a huge smile spread across my face as an old familiar tune played through the speakers. As soon as Donny Osmond started to sing “Go Away Little Girl,” I couldn’t help but sing along with him.

If you could see me right now, you’d see I’m still smiling.

Ohhh the crush I had on him when I was younger. With his poster hung on my bedroom wall, I’d dream about the day I would marry him. Well, that didn’t happen. He chose another. Rude, right? ha ha

After the song was over, the announcer said, “No he doesn’t. He doesn’t really want her to leave, Donny’s just playing hard to get.”

In this song scenario, my beloved Donny was already in a relationship. But there was another girl who caught his eye, who from the sounds of things, was a little too close for his comfort so he told her “go away little girl”. He even explained the reasons why he wanted her to go away.

Did she go away? In the song scenario, we’ll never know. It ends with him repeatedly telling her to simply “go away”.

Temptation.

By definition, temptation is:

“the desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise.”

Me thinks there’s going to be some serious consequences to those who fall into the trap of temptation.

Make no mistake, I may have said “fall” into temptation, but you don’t fall. You choose. Whatever you decide to do when faced with temptation, is your choice. Your choice.

When I was younger, for some reason, I knew it was wrong to want somebody who belonged to someone else. I had many crushes over the years.Donny’s poster came down, and David Cassidy’s went up. David’s came down and Starsky’s went up. The original Starsky, thank you very much.

I think you get the point. I remember when Paul Michael Glaser, aka Starsky, got married in real life, I thought, welp, no more fantasizing I’ll be his wife. That was in 1980.

Somewhere between 1980 and 1984, those lines of “you don’t mess with someone who’s taken” became so blurred, the line failed to exist altogether.

The consequences of my choices left me heartbroken and devastated. How devastated?

So devastated by the culmination of my unchecked sins that I wanted to check out of this life. The pain was excruciating and I thought it was the only way out.

Looking back, I will say those temporary pleasure choices were not worth the cost.

The first time you choose the temptation, whatever that may be for you, you may feel guilt, remorse, shame, and a slew of other bad emotions and then choose never to give into it again.

Or, you may bury all the bad emotions and continue to choose the guilty pleasure time and time again.

Either way, I dare say, you never truly know when, and for how long the effects of the choice you made will haunt you. All because you gave into temptation.

You could argue that you had no choice, you had to do it. You could argue that the temptation was just too great. There was no way you could’ve walked away. You had to do it.

You can easily “justify” the temptation in an effort to make it appear that giving into it was the only choice.

You could even say, “no one could have overcome that temptation.” But what if I told you, you have an out? What if I told you, you have been given the authority to squash any temptation that presents itself?

1 Corinthians 10:13 says:

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Stop! Go back, and read that verse again. What did you see? This is what I saw:

Your temptation is no different from what others experience
God will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.
God will show you a way out
God is faithful

That doesn’t mean you won’t have temptations, BUT, when you do, God will be faithful to show you a way out. So even if you do bite into the temptation, while you’ll have to suffer the consequences of your choice, He will show you a way to endure.

It also doesn’t mean you get to run around all willy nilly sinning all-the-day long because God will give you a way out. At some point you need to be responsible and use that gift of self-control God freely gives.

Remember when I said that by my own choices I was left devastated and wanted to take my own life? Well, that was not God’s plan. He interrupted them. He gave me a way out so that I could endure, without ending my life.

He said:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

This beautiful exchange of my devastating burdens for His rest did just what He promised. As I stepped out of my darkness and into His light, I was slowly renewed and restored. He was gentle and loving as He guided me through my sins and into repentance.

It was an exchange. I had a choice to stay stuck in my pit or grab on to the hand of Jesus, and hang on for dear life. Had I not received what God wanted to give me, I can’t say for sure where I’d be now.

Moral of this story can be found in Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Make good choices my friend! You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble and heartache. Just because it feels good now, doesn’t mean it will feel good later.

There are consequences to every choice, and you may never know how your one bad choice can affect generations.

That’s right, generations. Ahhh, but that’s a blog for another day.

Have an amazing day!

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Torn Between Two Lovers

by Trish Cordell

Now, if you know me, you know I love to sing. I once had a friend tell me that when I was going in for a CT scan, they would find a jukebox in my brain. HA!

Songs pop in and out of my head constantly. From the moment I wake up, till I go to sleep. Maybe you too? Today, I wanna talk about a song that was all about having your cake and eating it too and asking others to accept it.

“Torn Between Two Lovers” was a song recorded by Mary McGregor back in 1976. That’s right, I still remember the lyrics from a song from 1976. I would say this song would have been classified as a love song.

There’s just something about a good, sappy love song,right? But, this wasn’t really sappy, and I wouldn’t really classify it as a love song all these years later. It was more of a selfish, all about me and my wants song.

The song lyrics and melody played over and over in my head and sprung forth from my mouth, as I sang, oh so beautifully – ahem, from the sound stage that was my bedroom. I would totally ignoring the rude audience that were my brothers who would scream for me to shut up. Rude, right? La, la, la, I can’t hear you! Ha ha ha

Let’s take a peek at some of the lyrics, this song shall we? Go ahead, sing along if you remember the tune. You already know I’ll be singing. 🙂

“There are times when a woman has to say what’s on her mind
Even though she knows how much it’s gonna hurt
Before I say another word, let me tell you, I love you
Let me hold you close and say these words as gently as I can

There’s been another man that I’ve needed and I’ve loved
But that doesn’t mean I love you less
And he knows he can’t possess me and he knows he never will
There’s just this empty place inside of me that only he can fill”

Ummm, what?

Wait, it gets better.

“Torn between two lovers, feelin’ like a fool
Lovin’ both of you is breakin’ all the rules
Torn between two lovers, feelin’ like a fool
Lovin’ you both is breakin’ all the rules”

Soooo, you know what you’re doing is wrong, but yet, you keep choosing to do it anyways. Ok, got it. Continue.

“You mustn’t think you’ve failed me
Just because there’s someone else
You were the first real love I ever had
And all the things I ever said
I swear they still are true
For no one else can have the part of me I gave to you”

This is where that famous saying, “it’s not you, it’s me” comes into play. And it’s true here. It really is her and what she felt she lacked. Her answer, let’s get another guy to fill the gaps the first guy was clearly lacking.

Ok, let’s wrap this up, because once the chorus gets sung again the pièce de résistance (she said in her best French accent) of this song comes into full focus. Are you ready for it?

“I couldn’t really blame you if you turned and walked away
But with everything I feel inside, I’m asking you to stay”

Ummm, what?

Notice she didn’t say she was gonna kick the other guy to the curb. She didn’t ask for forgiveness. She never even apologizes. She simply explains herself and her actions and asks him to be ok with the third wheel being in the mix.

Sadly, we never get to hear his answer. Or if she told the other guy about the first guy. We’re just left with, here’s a girl, loving 2 guys, explaining why she needs two guys and for the two guys to be okay with it.

Spoiler alert! Anyone who has ever been in a monogamous relationship, who thought they were truly in a monogamous relationship, is not okay with this cavalier attitude towards relationship.

This is why it’s so very important what you allow to speak into your life. I’m not saying in any way, shape or form, this song is the reason I felt it was ok to ever cheat in my relationships, but it was definitely one of the seeds that gave me the illusion it was acceptable.

Inevitably, ultimately and irrevocably, I made the selfish choices to do what I did.

If you’ve ever been cheated on, I’m so sorry. It was a choice you didn’t make, but had thrust upon you and it no doubt turned your world upside down. I know, I’ve been there.

If you’ve ever been the cheater, I’m so sorry for whatever happened in your life that you felt the answer was more of what you already had over addressing the true matter of your heart. I know, I’ve been there.

Please know that if a person cheats on you, it’s not about you. I can’t say that enough. So, I’ll say it again. It’s not about you. It’s 100% about what’s going on in their heart.

They may try to pin it on you, they may twist the words to justify it, but rarely, when they’re in the thick of it, will they take responsibility for their actions and claim it’s an issue with them. Because they won’t see or refuse to see it’s an issue with them. That’s how they justify what’s going on. I know, I’ve been there.

How else could words like these be justified:

“I couldn’t really blame you if you turned and walked away
But with everything I feel inside, I’m asking you to stay”

They can’t. Those lyrics, are all about self, twisted to make it seem like they’re the victim.

It’s a matter of the condition of the heart. Proverbs 4:23 warns us:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (NIV)

Did you see that, EV-ER-Y-THING you do, flows from your heart.

Here’s a few examples. If you’ve ever had a broken heart, you cry, you grieve and your countenance is usually sad. If you’re excited, your heart beats a bit faster, your eyes glisten, and maybe your palms sweat. If your adrenaline is really kicking, from something good or bad (like being afraid), your heart beats to the rhythm of what’s going on, your breathing gets a bit more labored and you feel like you want to bust right out of your skin. And in its’ final curtain call, if your heart stops beating, well, you know that ending.

Every choice we make, every decision we act on has a consequence. It’s never just about one single person. When it comes to cheating I daresay it’s all about how much worth you place on yourself and where you get it from.

I wrote about that in this post What’s In Your Treasure Chest

But, no matter what the excuse is for cheating, it will always come back to it being a matter of your heart, your choice, your decision. It’s all about you.

So choose wisely because I can say the consequences of the thing that makes you feel temporarily awesome will inevitably rip your guts out. I know, because I was there.

There’s a saying, “once a cheater, always a cheater.” It’s what someone or society labels you when you cheat. But they don’t just call you a cheater, they wrap you in an “always a cheater” blanket and stop looking at who you really are.

If said aloud or enough to yourself, it will take root, and if you’re not secure in who God says you are, you’ll believe the lie and start acting out what those believe say you are, forgetting whose you are.

How many times have your heard someone say, “I’m such a _________. It must be true or they wouldn’t say it.” You can fill in the blank with any number of things. Failure. Loser. Mistake. Cheater.

It was in this place, where I piled guilt upon shame upon disgrace upon self-loathing, upon disgust, upon regret, upon hate on myself. It’s no wonder I didn’t want to be around myself or think I had anything good to offer this world. How could I?

But God!

Proverbs 19:21 says:

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (NIV)

In my heart, I wanted to take away my pain by ending my life. As you can see, I’m still here, my plans failed and His purpose is prevailing. Yay! Thank you Jesus!

Your lot in this life is not found in your failures. It’s about getting up after the fall. Jesus didn’t remain dead after being crucified. I mean, you can’t fall much harder than that.

No, He rose up and kicked death square in the face so that we could know victory. But before we know what victory looks like, we will fail. We will have trials. We will face persecution. We will come up against opposition. But, those things are not the end.

Today, let’s grab hold of some serious truth. This is one of my favorite truths to hold onto when I think things can “never” change.

Isaiah 43:19 says:

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (ESV)

Friends, don’t give up. It’s not over yet. This is absolutely the first day of the rest of your life. Everything else is the past, and you are not your past. You are very much here, and in the present and God is most assuredly making a way in the wilderness. I know, because I’m there.

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Will You Love Me?

by Trish Cordell

Have you ever tried to “win” someone’s love? You went out of your way to show them you love them by being there, by paying attention to what they like and surprising them with those things? Have you ever dropped everything to go and help them and yet, you get nothing in return? Your pay back is harsh words and lip service in the way of gratitude. You feel empty and depleted because you realize that nothing you do….nothing you say….can make them love you. You don’t understand because you’ve done “everything” right…they should totally love you, yet, they don’t.

It’s not your fault they don’t love you. You’re not a horrible person but they’ve made you think you are through their actions and their words. There’s several problems in this….you’re desperate for their love so you try to people please your way into their heart. They can’t receive your love because they are broken and can’t see past their own hurts so they only know how to hurt….they actually expect you to give up on them and are fully prepared when you do and they will make you feel bad for it. It will be your fault because they can’t, or they won’t accept the responsibility for it. To do that, would mean they would have to accept they are damaged and in need of help.

No doubt you’ve heard them tout they don’t need anyone and will even say, they’re a good person. Self-affirmation is the balm on top of their oozing wounds they think they’re hiding from the world. So before you can hurt them, they will hurt you. It’s a sad state of affairs when you try to pour your love into an empty vessel. They are depleted because of what ever has transpired in their life. They know how to assault you and are quite proud of how they can knock you down with those negative verbal punches to your brain and more importantly, your heart.

If you should happen to try and defend yourself, they will lash out harder and then smear your name to anyone who will listen to them. After all, they need that proverbial pat on the back to let them know they did the right thing. It’s you who were out of line because how horrible were you by trying to let them know how they made you feel. Clearly you lost your mind because only they are allowed to dump but don’t you dare dump on them.

Truth be told, they’re not equipped to handle what you have to say. They are not equipped to deal with your strength. They are not equipped to deal with your truth…I can hear Jack Nicholson screaming, “you can’t handle the truth.” And, they can’t. So it’s useless, your trying to let them know how you feel, because it’s not about you for them…it’s about them and what you should be doing for them.

And if you don’t know what you should be doing, they will be more than happy to tell you how you. They will tell you how to you’re allowed to speak to them, how to behave around them and they will tell you how horrible and awful you are when you don’t do things their way.

You’re not allowed to be yourself, so you slap on a mask and pretend to be who they think you ought to be only, you can’t do this for long because being told how to be, how to act, how to talk will bog your soul down and eventually you will erupt in some way.

You were never meant to have someone else tell you how to be you. It fights against your inner being that just wants to be loved simply for being you…not some version of you that someone thinks you ought to be.

But they won’t give up. As long as you stay, they will find some way to “beat” you into submission. Yet, all you wanted was for them to love you. So, they put you down, rob you of your joy, your confidence and your worth. They grab onto those things that make you, uniquely you and stuff them in a bag and take pride that they stripped you down so they could dress you up in the chains of their adversity.

I don’t have the answer why this happens. I just know when it does, at some point you have to make a choice…let go and let God or keep the insanity going. The pattern will continue to repeat until someone breaks the cycle. They say people don’t change…I beg to differ. When God meets you where you are, and you open your heart to Him, change is inevitable, healing begins, and hope is restored. His Word promises “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” ~~Psalm 147:3 (NIV ) His Word is truth and when you dare to believe in Him, than you can bet your bottom dollar, miracles will happen. Lives will change and glory will be His and His alone.

So, for now, I stand in the gap. I let go and I’m keeping my eyes on the only one who can resurrecte dead things. I pray for healing, for restoration and things that have been temporarily torn asunder to be healed and made whole. Because nothing my friends is too hard for God!! He is King of all Kings and no one, that’s right, no one will love you more than He does. Dare to Believe ❤

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Losing My Religion

by Trish Cordell

Maybe it’s not a blog post I need to write. Maybe it’s just putting down all the various thoughts running through my head. I prayed….maybe not the right prayers…I sought…but didn’t really know what I was seeking or who for that matter I was asking these things of. People I was surrounded with called him God. I was a catholic, I didn’t know this God, I knew a religion. Growing up, I knew how to go to a Priest and report my sins as if a human was truly able to absolve me of my actions or remove any guilt I may have had. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to crap on religion, I’m just saying, this is what I knew. It was very regimented, being a Catholic. You had rules, you said prayers, you knew about such things as mortal sins and how you never wanted to be guilty of committing a mortal sin. Don’t take communion until you go to confession if you have one of those mortal sins you’re guilty of. Divorce? Are you crazy? Birth control? I don’t think so. Turn the other cheek, confess, pray, sit, kneel, stand, the signs of the cross, the rosary, the apostle’s creed, Hail Mary’s, Our Father’s…I mean you just knew, like a lemming what came next. Steps to your salvation almost as easy as 1,2,3 as long as you played by their legalistic rules.

Doesn’t sound very personal does it? Sounds more like God took a big cookie cutter and just cut us out of the same mold and then plopped us down for amusement. But, that’s not God. God is not a religion, He never was, nor will He ever be a religion. He’s not Catholic, He’s not Muslim, He’s not Mormon, He’s not Episcopal, or Baptist….but what He is, in all those religions…is there. He is the great I am in the great right now, wherever you are, whatever you’re a part of, whatever you’re thinking, feeling, trying to run from, trying to hide behind, wishing for, praying about, stuffing down, celebrating…there is nowhere that He is not. He is everywhere and He made you and placed you, right where you are for His purposes.

And He promises…He will never leave you nor forsake you. Right now, He’s holding His hand out to you, giving you the choice to either take hold or walk away.

Looking back I can see the people He placed around me trying to get me to notice Him, but I didn’t know to notice, and I was too hardened to even care. But, it was easier for me to reflect on my religion over thinking of a relational God who cared. There are many things your religion can tell you about the way you should live your life according to their rules but there is only one Bible, the very Word of God that shows you, the Way, the Truth and the Life. No religion can ever grab a hold of your heart the way knowing God can. No religion can change you, because religion didn’t make you. God made you. He’s the reason or should be the reason for every single step you make, because He is in every single breath you take.

I don’t know what your path looks like. I don’t know why your life doesn’t look how you think it ought to look. Maybe it’s because of the choices you’ve made, maybe it’s because you need to walk in obedience, or take a step of faith or maybe it’s just simply because you’ve taken your hand out of His. Maybe you think God left you, or is angry with you, or you’re angry with Him for taking things or loved ones from your life. Maybe you think you’re too broken, too far gone, too unworthy, too dirty, too (insert your word here), but I can assure you, you are none of those condemning thoughts because Jesus already took that nail for you. Why? Because it is written, “For God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” ~~John 3:16 (NIV) It is not written, For God so loved the world He sent His religion…..because He’s not a religion. God is so much more than a religion. He is the very essence of your being, your beating heart, your breath, your life. And He has such plans for you.

How do I know? Because it is written: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~~ Jeremiah 29:11

Religion can’t make promises, but God, oh yes my friends…God makes promises. His Word is living and active and just as relevant today as it ever was, so yea, I’m all about losing my religion and holding onto His promises, His hand, and walking into His vision because He promises it will not harm me, but indeed gives me hope and a future.

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#Peace~~Getcha some!!

by Trish Cordell

“#Peace– Is it possible to make #peace with the realities of our bodies? How?”

This is one of the topics over at Proverbs 31 Blog Hop for our on-line Bible study Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst. There were more, topics but this one reached out to me as soon as I read it. My first thought was a snide….yea, right, sure..let me get right on that #peace with my body train. Mmm hmmm. Pure disdain in that first thought. But then I switched gears and thought positively, yea, right, sure…let me get right on that #peace with my body train!! Cuz this is one mentally tired girl from the constant battle in my own head that my body is not good enough!!

When I think of the word battle, I think of a fight between opposing opponents. My only opponent is my mind. I’m literally beating myself up. It’s like when my brother would take my arm in his hand and proceed to hit me in the face with my own hand, saying “stop hitting yourself.” If you’ve ever had that happen, you know what I’m talking about and no doubt just got a little annoyed.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been losing my own battle because of what? Numbers on a scale that don’t reflect what I want? Societal standards of skinny, curvy, fat, or obese…pretty, beautiful, gorgeous or that horrible word ugly? And those are just general areas. I could totally dig deeper and start picking on features…like cellulite for example. Every single one of those things is superficial. And seriously, who gets to make those standards and then label me anything less than who I am?

Maybe it was my mom, who to this day, beats herself up and passed it down onto me. Maybe it was the boys who didn’t choose me or the girls who laughed and talked behind my back. Unfortunately, that’s the type of stuff that can take up permanent residency in a place where it doesn’t belong and in reality, no one but me has the power to make myself feel less than who I am.

Lysa wrote in her book “I don’t know a woman alive who is completely happy with her body.” I thought about that and like her, I can honestly say, in my circle of friends not one of them has ever said…I love the way I look!! That’s so sad..isn’t that just so very sad? Sadder still, even when I was “skinny,” I called myself “fat.” Now that I’m bigger, I wish I was as skinny as when I thought I was fat. My brain is tired of this insanity!!

The mean girl in me that mentally abuses myself has lived with me for far too long. It’s time I looked her straight in the face and told her get out!! You’re being evicted and there’s no other space for rent!! There’s a new landlord in town and she’s at #peace with the body God so very graciously and lovingly gave to her.

You see, God is all that and a bag of chips!! He calls me by name, and says “My Grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-NIV) So any weakness I have, I’m covered by His power. That power by the way, raises the dead to life. Just sayin’ So now I can answer that question of how I can be at #peace with the realities of my body.

In my own strength, I will never have peace, but given His strength, His wisdom, His love, and His truth, I have all the #peace I want. I know that if #peace is gone, then I moved. And I know if I moved, He is still there…always and forever….there!! Go getcha some #peace and while you’re at it, grab onto the Love and share Him with everyone you can….including yourself!!