Sticking by...

Jesus sticks by. He sticks by through all the darkness and crying and ugliness. He sticks when everyone else runs. He never gets tired of hearing my stories over and over and over again. He never gets tired of the endless questions about the same situation. He never gets tired of me trying to make sense of the messes I have made. We work it out together. He shows me the truth about where I took the wrong step. He does it gently without condemning me. Case at hand, I am reading a book that explains how wonderfully we are made. In my reading of that book I am learning about myself and the choices I have made. I am choosing to make better choices because I see now what my problem is. Truth always frees me. Jesus is the one who encouraged me to read that book. This morning I am feeling free because I have put that heavy baggage down and left it. I can't carry all that stuff anymore. Expectations and "the way things are always done", left behind! Today I am thinking about how wonderful my best friend is. This issue over "do I need this guy or not because he expects me to....", is not causing me anxiety anymore because Jesus showed me the truth about it. He also showed me exactly what to do about it. This morning I woke up thinking about how Jesus is not selfish, he doesn't have a hidden agenda or a twisted reason. This morning I have peace. I couldn't ask for a better best friend.

Saying good things to Jesus...

Today when I'm walking with the children I am going to say good things to Heavenly Father and Jesus. I am going to thank them for helping me all the time in every way. I have been having doubts and thinking about the most stupid scenarios of foolishness one could ever imagine. I woke up this morning feeling defeated already because I want perfection in my life. I don't want to keep doing stupid things. I beat myself up so bad that I can barely go on. Sometimes I think I am so bad that I don't even want to go on. Today once again I pleaded for deliverance. I pleaded for Jesus to set me free from this prison of sin and doubt. I pleaded for the chains to be broken. I pleaded like Paul and Silas did while they were praising the Lord in prison. It is time for me to stop doubting! It is time for me to praise! Time for me to say good things to Heavenly Father and Jesus! Time for me to sing and praise and hope and believe that this prison is going to be a thing of the past! The doors are going to open! These chains that are holding me are going to break off! The Lord is going to lead me out of this mess. Watch and see!

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"Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!" Acts 16:25,26 (New Living Translation)