a wise heart...

My son, if you have a wise heart, my heart will rejoice as well.
-Proverbs 23:15
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)

How wonderful to know His approval of a wise heart. I think how happy I am when I see one of my children make a wise choice, be it first time or when there is a change of heart.

Sometimes I find it hard to contain my excitement of the Lord and His amazing works, mostly the impact He has had on my life with AMAZING grace and mercy.

I accepted the Lord into my heart at the age of 23. I was a wife and mother of an infant...carrying around A LOT of baggage. I lived a life filled with many things I was ashamed of. I am still dealing with many of those past mistakes and hurts, but now I'm not doing it alone. The Lord has taken those wounds and has addressed each one with the tender loving care only our Heavenly Father could. I'm not cowering in shame or failure, but humbly, with tears many times, handing it over to my Father who embraces me with His loving grace, unconditional love and gentle forgiveness. He beckons me to bring them to Him, telling me nothing it too much for Him, nothing is too much to be forgiven, He can heal all. Through it all, He gives me the strength to bring it to Him. Some wounds are deeper than others and many times, He has to gently remind me of His forgiveness and He continues to heal- that "yes, you can even bring that to Me".

Seven years later here I am. Truly rejoicing over the Lord! What a great God that can take this filthy, sinnful girl, woman and rejoice over her, washing her white as snow. It has been a journey to accept that He offers this to me, that I would be worthy of His love. But God's love is unconditional. It has brought hope, peace and healing into my life, into my heart, into the depths of my soul, and still going further as I slowly allow those doors to be opened. And I hand them over, head hung, shameful, fearful of rejection...and He wraps His love around my heart, assuring me of His presence and reminding me of the Savior He sent to take these sins away from me. Reminding me that He is my rock and my refuge, my strength. Reminding me He has been there always, even when I didn't walk with Him, for He knew we would be right here one day, His glory would shine (and continue). My testimony is to His glory. He brought light into a dark world. He has changed me into a woman, wife, and mother I want to be for Him. Our journey is still long, but I praise Him, that it is a journey that I desire to take with Him, for He has invited me, with trusting, loving and patient arms, knowing I will stumble but ready to pick me up.

I pray that if you have fears, shames, guilt that you are holding onto, that you will with the courage of the faith that our Lord has given us, give it to Him and believe that He will heal them- nothing is too big or too much for God. He sent Jesus here, that we could believe and be reconciled back to Him-because of his love. He is just, right and faithful, full of mercy and grace offering us life, through His son, Jesus Christ. A gift He gives to us, fully with love, compassion and forgiveness. A gift we could never offer but have been offered freely...and when we accept it, be it with shouts and praises or with timidness and a shred of hope...He rejoices! God rejoices over you and He will grow that mustard seed of faith! Praise Him! Amen!

"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."-Philippians 1:6, NIV

God bless you:)

With love,