All Things New

Our pasts are a very powerful portion of our lives...they can either make us or break us. It's easy to get caught up in our past allowing it to identify us and shame us....if we dwell on it too long it can keep us from moving forward and pursing the life that God ultimately created for us to live. Yes, God created you to live a life of abundance...actually, His generalized purpose for your life and my life is to give us a "rich and satisfying life" (John 10:10). 

Isaiah 43:18 NASB
"Do not call to mind the former things
or ponder the things of the past"

Photo shoot at Choo-choo's baby shower!

The world has conditioned us to view and experience God as the opposite of who He really is. Unfortunately, many of us have been taught somewhere along the line that God isn't a loving God, a kind God or a compassionate God. We see Him as a Judge constantly looking down on us from afar...with a gavel in His hand ready to condemn us because we have sinned and missed the mark. (If you've read this far already and want to close out...please don't...let's explore this together!) The crazy thing is that what's listed above in regards to how many view God...is the complete opposite of who He really is. I speak from experience in my own personal life...if Jesus wasn't real I would have quit on Him a long, long time ago. I have had to learn that God actually does love me, that He cares for me like any good parent...and for those of us who have had parents that seemed to maybe not care so much, it can be easy for us to see God in that same light.

Often times, we allow our past and things we have done or things that have been done to us keep us in a place of bondage. We feel stuck...some may even feel paralyzed. I remember a season of my life where my past gripped me with such fear and anxiety to the point I honestly wasn't sure I was going to make it...was there ever going to be a light at the end of the tunnel? How long was this going to last? I cried more in that season of life than I have probably cried in my life time....but I am now on the other side and have seen the light.

Being on the other side doesn't make life a walk in the park...what actually inspired me to write this blog post was because recently, my past actually began to come back and haunt me...again. I have learned that the enemy, who prowls around like a lion, is always looking for an opportunity to come in to kill, steal and destroy...and our pasts are usually one of his most powerful "weapons of mass destruction" My mind began to race and fear quickly began to cause my heart to sink. Thankfully, as I was cleaning my kitchen, the Lord gently began to remind me that my past does not dictate my future....that because of Jesus I am really and unquestionably free...He reminded me not to dwell on the past and neither consider the things of old...to not meditate and focus on my past because I am now a NEW creation in Christ...the old is gone and the NEW has come...I am not who I used to be.

Revelation 21: 4-5
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death
or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
And the one sitting on the throne said,
'Look, I am making everything new!'"

God truly has a way of making ALL things NEW. He cares about every little detail of our life. The things that concern us, the things that weigh us down along with the things that excite us and motivate us. He is not far off...somewhere in the sky. He is near...He is close to those who are brokenhearted...just because we can't always "feel" God, doesn't mean He isn't there. He is there. He knows us better than we know ourselves. 

Xoxo,
Beth

Adopted

One day (Lord willing...), I would love to adopt a child and raise them as my own...giving them a second chance at life....I would love to be a foster parent but don't know if I could deal with the emotions that come with letting go when I would have to...those that know me can tell you that I get emotionally invested in all of my relationships and friendships...

Choo-Choo's baby shower!  

Adoption is so special...it literally means that you are choosing another human being to belong to you....you take them in as your very own child....you raise them, love them, nurture them, teach them, feed them, clothe them, etc.

We live in a world that is so quick to reject us when we don't fit into the mold of society because we aren't pretty enough, skinny enough, rich enough or whatever else enough. We live in a world that's caught up in the glitz and glamour of perfection....because after all, "practice makes perfect..." right? Sometimes we even reject ourselves....we secretly battle with this inner sense of guilt and self-rejection for not measuring up to the standards society has set for us....or even the standards we have set for ourselves. We fall short according to society and fall into a vicious cycle of internally and mentally beating ourselves up...digging ourselves deep into a pit of self-hatred and condemnation.

Some of my close friends!

One thing I can say that I'm thankful for is the opportunity to grow in finding my identity in the Lord rather in this world. I may not be where I want to be, but I'm certainly not where I used to be. Some of things that used to break me are now some of the very things that help make me. They make me stronger and so grateful. I used to be an incredibly jealous person...I would be insecure if people did anything without me and would be sick to my stomach over it wondering if they really liked me or not...but  jealousy no longer consumes me, it no longer weighs me down....my contentment has been found in Jesus and He has placed some of the most amazing people in my life. He has proven Himself to be faithful even when the going gets tough....even when I fall short and don't deserve His grace, yet He freely gives it.

Don't be fooled by my highlight reel

 I may not measure up to what society expects of me, but God has adopted me as His own...chosen me...and is raising me. I belong to HIM....not this world or the things in this world. I'm thankful that this opportunity is made available to each and every single person here on this earth. If you have a pulse, you have a purpose....so don't quit...don't quit on yourself. This world needs YOU. I need you. We need each other.

XOXO
Beth