Brighter Days are Coming

June 14, 2022June 15, 2022 by madepiecebypiece ♥ 2 Comments

Some of my friends and family members are in a storm right now or are walking through a valley wondering how to get out. They’re feeling down, hurt, angry and confused, and tomorrow’s outcome is uncertain. It hurts me to see them hurting, but if I’m honest, I can certainly relate because I too have days when I feel as though I am in a valley.

When we are in dark places dealing with conflict and struggle, we just want resolution and clarity so that we can see through the mess and feel secure or safe again.

When we are in these low places, that is when we must seek God the most. Our dark days are for a season, they will not last forever if we seek the Lord. Through God’s strength we can overcome. It may be hard to see it now, but brighter days are ahead when you allow God in and let him lead.

God uses our dark places to prepare and grow us. Although we feel like we are alone in the dark, we are not. God’s love will always find us in our darkest places and in our deepest pain.

In the Bible, God used Esther to help free his people. She was an orphan who felt abandoned and unworthy, but God still had purpose for her. She was appointed the queen of Persia. As queen she was faced with a tough decision that could cost the lives of both her and her people, the Jews. But she chose to risk her own life to tell her husband the king, about his Persian official Harmon’s evil plan to destroy all Jews, which included her his wife and Mordecai, her uncle who once saved his life. She revealed to her husband the king for the very first time that she and her uncle were both Jewish. She took this risk knowing that it was against the law to come before the king uninvited, accepting that it could result in her own death.

Through the book of Esther in the Bible, We learn that although God does not always seem present, he is always there with his people in their darkness and will never abandon them. It shows us God’s commitment to redeem his people. It also shows us that God appointed Esther in her position, “for such a time as this”, meaning God accomplished his purpose through Esther during that appointed time.

God also used Paul through darkness. He made Paul blind for three days and allowed him to sit unable to see, wondering whether he had lost his sight forever. Sitting in that dark place changed him and he found breakthrough.

Paul needed to loose his sight in order to stop viewing things in his old ways, otherwise, he would have never seen God in a new light. When he changed the way he viewed Christ, his sight was restored. Paul went from being a man who chased wealth and power into a man of faith. Had he not been put through darkness he would have never become a follower of Christ nor one of the 12 Apostles, spreading the gospel of Christ.

Acts 9:18 — Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.

When we are sitting in darkness it does not mean that we will stay there. God is at work behind the scenes. He uses darkness to get our attention, transform us and re-direct us.

So if you’re in a place feeling down, lonely, depressed, overwhelmed or struggling and are wondering why life is going the way it is for you, have faith and trust that God has a plan and brighter days are coming!

This song has been replay in my car for the past two weeks. It has kept me encouraged and uplifted and I pray that it will do the same for you!

Father God, We thank you that you are a God of redemption and that you give second chances to us. Father, tonight there are many people that are hurting, and in need of solutions to the struggles and issues that life has brought them. Lord, you are our savior and our deliverer. I pray tonight that you would reveal yourself to all who are hurting and in a dark place. Father God, meet them right there in their darkness and show them love in the mist of their pain. Transform their hearts oh God, and set a fire in their soul so that they would thirst and hunger to know you and draw closer to you on a daily basis. Father, we know that we were all created with a plan and a purpose and that you turn around what the enemy has meant for evil. You turn all evil and all bad things around for the good of those who love you. Father God, show up for your people and hear their cries Lord Jesus. I pray for the conviction of the Holy Spirit to fall upon them and that they would repent and seek to live a life chasing after your love only. This world is a dark place Father, change hearts, Lord Jesus brake chains, and cause your people to surrender to the life they were meant to live. You are a God of love, I pray that all those hurting will see the light that you are shining into their darkness and reach out for your unfailing love. In Jesus mighty name I pray, Amen

Growing with you,

Sandy

Following Christ, One Failure at a Time

April 21, 2022April 21, 2022 by madepiecebypiece ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” - Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

I get tired. I get angry at myself for failing God and end up feeling like I’m a failure to him. I think to myself, here we go again. I made another mistake, I let him down. I gave into my flesh and said the wrong thing to someone who got to me. I regret the way I handled that situation, why didn’t I stop and think first? I lost at the challenge that I was faced with, why am I so weak? That was a test from God, why didn’t I realize it?!

Why is it so hard to live in obedience sometimes?

Let’s think of our children, toddler age for example… When they’re off in their own little worlds of curiosity caught up in exploratory fun, are they set out to disappoint us? Are they even thinking of us? When we find them covered in paint on the kitchen floor or find our walls full of the art they drew, do you think it was easy for them to stop and think on how mom or dad will react? When they are throwing a tantrum because they are upset that they can’t have their way or get what they want, are we loving them any less?

No matter how many mistakes they make or how many messes they leave for us to clean up, our love for them doesn’t decrease. Depending on our own mood that day we may get a bit frustrated, but we clean up the mess they made, maybe put them in time out as a consequence and lecture them as to why they are not to do it again. But, we don’t see them as a failure. They are still our children who are our pride and joy whom we love endlessly.

God loves us just the same. We are all his children. He cleans up our messes, allows consequences in hopes that we will learn from our mistakes, and he loves us still. He knows mistakes teach us and grow us in our calling. He desires for us to learn from mistakes so that we can become who he created us to be. He could never see us as a failure.

So today, if you’ve made a mistake, don’t think less of yourself and don’t give up. Don’t believe the lies of the enemy. You are not a failure for making a mistake, the Lord knew that would happen. Continue to follow Jesus and know that you will make another mistake, and more than likely more will follow after that one. And he will still be there loving you through it.

God’s desire is that we repent and draw close to him when we fall short. Just as we teach our children to apologize when they do something wrong, Jesus wants us to come to him and do the same. Admit that we fell short and that we will try to do better in the future. Just as us parents know our little ones will make many mistakes as they grow, God knows the same of us. He knows we live in a fallen world and therefore we can never be perfect.

He doesn’t care what we did or how many times we have made that same mistake. He loves us unconditionally & just wants us to repent and call on him. Nothing is too big or too small for God. He is there always with arms wide open pursuing us to come home.

“But me he caught—reached all the way from sky to sea; he pulled me out Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning. They hit me when I was down, but God stuck by me. He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved—surprised to be loved! God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. Now I’m alert to God’s ways; I don’t take God for granted. Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I’m watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.” - Psalms 18:16-24 MSG

Father God, We thank you for loving us unconditionally and being there with open arms no matter how many times we fall short. We thank you that no matter what we do your how many times we do it, you will always welcome us back into your loving arms. Father, it is so hard for us to remember not to carry the weight of shame when we mess up or do things that are not pleasing to you. Remind us, Father God, that you desire to be the strength in our weaknesses. Remind us, Oh God, that you have a calling over every single one of our lives. Help us to see that no matter what mistakes we make you do not want us to turn away, and you desire for us to draw closer to you. Holy Spirit, when we are going through struggles and hard times draw us in and bring us deeper into praising our Savior. Reminder us Lord never to run, but instead to fall at your feet and submit to you so that we may be covered in your unfailing love. Lord, we thank you for never giving up on us. We love you & we honor you Oh God. In Jesus name, Amen

Growing with you, Sandy

Your Value is found in Christ Alone

February 3, 2022 by madepiecebypiece ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Your Value is found in Christ Alone

When You Feel like A Failure

April 15, 2021August 27, 2022 by madepiecebypiece ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Anyone who knows me well, knows I love to write. Words have always come easy for me when written. Verbally, I can’t articulate my thoughts as coherently, so finding words to express myself in a face to face conversation can be a challenge sometimes. I’m not quite sure why that is, but I think it’s partially due to the fact that my brain is constantly overthinking. Since my mind is always racing with thoughts, similarly of course, my heart is always full of the emotions my thoughts bring forth. Writing allows me time to sort and organize my thoughts and feelings.

I started this blog to encourage others and to share my own person journey of growth. To show my readers that God doesn’t expect perfection and that we should never feel alone or unworthy. But, somehow along the way I felt like I became a failure to God and I lost my voice. My words became utter confusion and I was incapable of writing anything that I felt would bless another.

A Christian is a follower of Christ and as Christians we strive to “Live like Jesus”, but as humans we will always fall short.

And I did. I became pregnant in December, 2017 with my 2nd child out of wedlock. The church teaches that sex before marriage is a sin and due to that I felt unworthy. I knew God loved me, but I felt that I failed in following him the way he desired I should. I always thought that you were supposed to be married to have children. Yet in my search for love as an unwed woman, I gave birth to two beautiful girls who are 21 years apart.

You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:13

The birth of a child [new life] is one of the most beautiful treasures you will ever experience.

My girls are my world. There is no greater beauty to me than their lives. But, the enemy took hold of my mind and caused me to feel like I was a failure since I was unwed. I was at the end of my senior year in high school when I became pregnant with my firstborn, and with my second daughter I’d just turned 39, an age which I held myself accountable due to wanting to do it “the right way”.

After raising my first daughter as a single mom, I told myself that I’d wait until marriage if I were ever again blessed with the opportunity to have a second child, but it didn’t end up that way for me. I became pregnant and had my second daughter out of wedlock as well.

Did that make me a failure? Did it mean I failed God? I felt that way. But I longed for a bigger family and to have more children, so although part of me was scared and felt that I failed God again, having a new life growing within me made another part of me feel as though a hunger was filled.

My second pregnancy occurred at a time when I thought it would never again happen for me. At a time when I’d just found peace and the acceptance that I was only meant to have one child. Or so I thought…

Internally, I was happy at this chance to be a mom again, but fear consumed my mind. I battled thoughts of failure over not setting the proper example for my then college student. My feelings of being a failure to God and my daughter stole my ability so show my inner joy.

So many thoughts consumed my mind; would I end up a single mom again? Would this man and I ever get married? Was this the man God intended for me to build a family with? Would my daughter be angry with me? Would my daughter see me as a failure for teaching her one thing and then doing another? I was not leading by example.

My mind was so loud and I felt no peace. But I knew I had to be strong. Despite the internal battle going on, I knew God was with me and that he had a plan I couldn’t see.

My partner could not understand this spiritual battle I was having within and so my battle caused strain over our relationship. At a time when I should only display happiness and gratitude, I didn’t know how to.

As months passed my new precious baby girl grew in my womb. The first time I felt her move I knew that she was “life” and that she was meant to be here. Her life was precious and I realized she was not the result of my failure. She was a blessing.

When she was born I knew from the moment I set my eyes on her that she was my gift from God. My reminder that life and love are gifts from above. And just because they don’t come in the perfect package we expected them in, that doesn’t mean we should feel shame.

No one is free from sin. We are all flawed. So why did I battle with feeling as though I were less than another woman just because I was not married? Perhaps it was because my sin was visible for all to see while others hide behind their’s. Perhaps it was because I thought people would think there was a “way” to do it.

On this journey of becoming a new mom at the age of 39, I had to learn say, “So what!!” I came to see that I had to loose some close friends in order to be reminded that God didn’t think I was a failure. He loved me just as much as he ever had.

I ‘d been allowing guilt and condemnation to hang over me like a cloud, rather than just asking God to forgive me for my human weakness and to bless my precious gift. In the hospital, the first night I spent holding my little angel Caasi in my arms, I did just that. I gave God praise and thanks for this second chance to be a mom again. And I vowed to teach my baby girl of the Lord’s unfailing love and to always seek his will for her life as she grew.

Through loosing the bond with friends I thought were dear to me, I was reminded that no human on earth has the right to label another a failure. They aren’t the author of our story, and you know what else, neither are we. So I praise God today for his grace, patience and unfailing love.

God has the final say. And he loves us without conditions and has a plan for each of us! Jerimiah 29:11 says, “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.

Today I know just how blessed I truly am. I wasn’t a failure for having my daughters out of wedlock. I was chosen by God to be a mother. He has purpose for my life and for the lives of both of my precious daughters. My joy overflows as I watch both of them grow into who God created for them to be.

ℝ𝕖𝕗𝕝𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: Have you ever felt like you let someone down and failed them? How did you handle those feelings? Negative feelings are hard to process and many times we are far harder on ourselves than anyone else is. We all have goals and expectations for our lives. The next time you feel you failed at meeting one of these goals or expectations, try not to allow fear or condemnation to consume you. Remind yourself who you are, whose you are and just how strong you are with God.

Special Note to Mothers:
Never forget that being a Mom takes strength, devotion, dedication and sacrificial love. Motherhood is both an honor and a blessing. When God chose you be Mom he gave you a purpose. Purpose that is greater than anything you could ever imagine. The purpose of motherhood is to love like Jesus: Moms love sacrificially and focus on our children. When days seem hard or near impossible, call upon the Lord. He will equip you with the strength needed to endure your situation. God blessed you with Motherhood because he knew you were capable and worthy of being called, Mama. Life is precious to God. Thank him for this calling and enjoy the beautiful journey!

Father God,
Thank you for your unconditional, unfailingly love. Father thank you for the gift of life and the gift of motherhood. I lift up anyone right now in this moment who is battling feelings of failure, fear or feelings of unworthiness. Remind them today that you did not call us to be perfect, but you did call us to seek you as our savior and to allow you to lead our lives. Father remind all who are hurting that you will work all things out for their good if they seek you and call upon your name. Remind them that all life is precious. Strengthen and renew their spirits, Father God, so that they may walk in freedom and experience your love to the fullest.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.

Growing with you,

Sandy

A Critical Spirit

September 2, 2017September 2, 2017 by madepiecebypiece ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

via Daily Prompt: Critical

crit·i·cal
adjective
1. expressing adverse or disapproving comments or judgments.

When you are critical of someone or something you tend to be expressing your disapproval or judgement on something they did or said. When I go onto social media lately, it seems that critical comments and posts are the norm. I see battles and arguments over politics and religion daily now. It seems as though everyone is out to prove that someone else is wrong. What happened to respecting others? Does respect even exist anymore?

Many are being quick to speak and put others down and react out of emotion. This is not always good or healthy. As a mother, I do my best to teach my daughter to think before speaking or posting on social media. I believe that our words [and posts] are a reflection of our character. While I don’t live my life based on what others think of me, I live trying to be mindful of the way my words or comments make others feel. Of course I am human so I too have made the mistake of blurting something out that I have regretted after the fact, but I do my best to be cautious with my words and statements.