Mind Battles

Blessings,
Kristin

Forgiving Love

I had the privilege of speaking at my home town school's FCA (Fellowship of Christian Atheletes) this morning and I'd like to share it with you all. Here is a rundown of what I said:

When I was in junior high, I had a friend that treated me really bad behind closed doors. I guess you could say that I was bullied. It left me feeling empty and hating myself. But more than anything.. I had a hatred in my heart for that friend. One day I had had enough. I told God I didn't want anything to do with that person and that I hated them. 

Then I went to Lebanon Family Church for the first time and literally they spoke about forgiveness.

That's when I knew I had to forgive them.. And myself. It took time, but I began to see things much differently than before and our relationship was restored.

Forgiving someone frees you. Holding a grudge against people hurts YOU, not them. So let it go. It is a process, but forgive them.

The book of Hosea is about a prophet of God named Hosea that marries a woman and has children with her. But she kinda goes crazy and becomes a prostitute. God tells Hosea to go buy her for 15 shekels so that he can take her back home to be free and they can be husband and wife again. Hosea obeys God, and still loved his wife. She repeatedly leaves Hosea. And Hosea repeatedly keeps getting her back and loving her. Imagine how rejected and hurt he felt. But he couldn't hold a grudge.. because God told Hosea to continue loving her. You see, God was showing Hosea how He loves His people. We constantly reject God, yet He constantly loves us. It's amazing to me. No matter what we do, we are beautiful in His sight. What a blessing His mercy and grace is. He gives us a Love that we don't deserve. 

So remember that to help you get over grudges... Because people are human and mess things up. But God loves us anyways.

1 Corinthians 13:5 ...."Love keeps no record of being wronged..."

So Simple

"I love You, O Lord, my strength." Psalm 18:1

This verse keeps showing up. I love when that happens. 

I love the simplicity of this. David is simply just telling God that he loves Him and that He is his strength. That's beautiful to me.

I tend to overcomplicate things.. Kinda a lot. A lot of people do, though, I'm sure. It messes things up. 

As a young Christian, I have found myself trying to prove my worth to people and Jesus. It makes me laugh now that I realize.. There is absolutely no need for that. Some people simply don't need to be proved, and God already knows. He loves us more than any of His other creation. He shows that to us in many beautiful ways. 

But, I just wanted to share that verse. It really means a lot to me.

I hope that you have a beautiful day and receive a blessing today! 

Blessings,

Kristin 🌸

Dear Lord, in Jesus name I raise up every reader right now, to You. May you bless them today and show them Your lovingkindness. Bring to them the joy of Your salvation and show them the right path to take! Bless them with wisdom and clarity of all things in Jesus name. I plead the blood of Jesus Christ over every reader and send your warrior angels to minister and protect and fight on their behalf in Jesus name. Whatever is broken and needs healing will be remade in Jesus name and anyone that needs awakened will be right now in Jesus name. Amen.

Laugh Without Fear of The Future

Doesn't that sound nice? 

To laugh without fear of the future? Man, that sounds like a dream.

I want to be that woman of God that doesn't worry about my future. In all honesty.. I've never been that girl. I've come close, but something always can up that caused me to turn my head and take my eyes off Jesus for just a second. What I mean by that is that Just when I would be doing good and trusting in Jesus... Id start to fear again.

Honestly, I think I've become addicted to worry. For some strange reason, I have this thing where I want to make sure everything goes right. I know I'm not alone in this, either, because some of my friends and peers have told me that they are or have been dealing with the same thing. 

As human beings, we plan things, and if things don't seem to go as planned... We tend to freak out a little... Or a lot in my case. 

I think Jesus does that sometimes. He does things differently than we thought. He wants to reassure us all the time that He is in full control and He knows what He is doing. He is all knowing. And there is no way that we can be all knowing right now. So shouldn't we just trust the fact that He knows it all. 

Only, Jesus can hold it all. Only He can fix it all. So, worrying about my future won't get me anywhere. Worrying about my future won't take me to the promise land. Trusting in Jesus for my everything will lead me to the promise land. He is the key. If we try to make ourselves the key... We will never make it through that door. 

So, laughing without fear of the future does not mean that we are oblivious to the circumstances we are in. But instead, that we find joy in the promises of our future that Jesus has for us even in the midst of a weary battle. It's a confident knowing that we will make it across the finish line with flying colors. It's hope that we have. Rise up. Your time is coming. 

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 

James 1:2-4 NKJV

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 

Ephesians 2:10 NKJV

Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come. 

Proverbs 31:25 NKJV

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 

John 14:1-6 NKJV

Jesus,

Thank You for this word. Thank You, that you want us as we are. You have such a glorious plan or us. You want us to experience You like never before. Lord, I pray that You would touch an heal every reader individually as they need it in Jesus name. I break off any opposition or curse that is upon them in Jesus name. I command healing in every body of each saint that in reading in Jesus name. Hallelujah. We have authority through You, Jesus. Thank You for Your mercy and grace, and Lord I pray that a you would show us how You love us. In Jesus name I send angels too minister and protect every reader and their loved ones and their future. In Jesus name, thank You. Amen.

Eyes on the Shepard

I have found myself changing.

And maybe not the good kind of change. I have had many people close to me tell me that I have been acting different.

Other than the fact that I have been in severe pain in my stomach... I guess I didn't know what it was.

But, the other day, I noticed what it was: my thoughts.

I seem to have forgotten my hope. So many things have changed in this year and I must have dropped it while I was trying to catch up. 

Life, this year, has felt like running on a treadmill that's going 6 mph. Maybe to some of you, that's a piece of cake. But a whole year of that will do something to you. At some point, my legs must have given out. 

You see, I've been carrying too much. I've been carrying too many people. It's worry. 

At church a couple months ago, during praise and worship, one of my home girls and youth leader came up behind me and spoke a few words to me that struck me to the core. She had no clue about what I was going through. She was just listening to God and speaking His words to me. She said something along the lines of, "Don't grow weary in doing good. You are carrying too many people. God knows your heart."

It's true. I had been doing exactly what she said not to. I had been growing weary in doing good. My eyes were on the sheep more than they were on the Shepard, and this caused me to try and do His job for Him. No one can handle the weight of the world, except Jesus, and I needed to get ahold of that. 

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Galatians 6:9 NKJV

If you would like, read the following prayer out loud:

I am strong in You, Lord, but I have got to let go of this worry and doubt. Show me exactly who You are in all of the deepest ways. She me how to love without trying to take Your job. I cannot hold the weight of the world. Only You can do that. 

I plead the blood of Jesus over myself and everyone involved with me in Jesus name. I rebuke the devil away from us and the plans You have for us in Jesus name. Show us Your glory in the most beautiful ways. In Jesus name, amen.

"I Don't Care"

This whole year my life has completely changed. From having my grandma pass away to leaving the school and town I was raise up in. Honestly, I have kept a good attitude about it.. For the most part. But in the past few months I have not been. 

Honestly, I think the pain became more real and.. I started to push out the pain as best as I could. Ignore it. Unfortunately, this didn't have the effect that I thought it would. I've grown a little cold. I have caught myself becoming careless about what I'm thinking. Over and over I have been telling myself, "I don't care." 

After "not caring" I guess you could say I started to believe that I didn't care. After this.. I started to become more numb than ever. 

Now, I believe that everyone has a moment like this or two.. Where they feel like a robot or that they are in a dream. I have had this happen to me. But this... This is something completely different. 

Have you ever went in an out? You felt as if you were floating and the world was not there? Blank mind.. No feelings. Nothing. 

Yep.. That's what I'm talking about. That has been me the past month or so. It just kept getting worse and worse. 

Honestly, I don't know if anyone will even read this... Considering I haven't posted very many frequent posts on this blog. But if you are reading, keep listening. What I am about to say may do something in you.

Sometimes I would feel everything.. And it would hurt. It's like a simple emotion could wreck me. Other times I felt nothing at all. My mind would go blank, and then I snap out of it. Yes, I am okay. I guess it just took me realizing something for me to see what was happening to me.

After opening up to a really good friend about what I was feeling, I realized that wha was happening to me was not all in my head. Honestly, I thought I was crazy. But, it turns out that he understood. He went through it, too. This completely changed my perspective. 

Days after this, I opened up to three other people that I trusted about what had been happening. All three of them had been through the same thing and understood me word for word. I think this is what woke me up. I am not crazy. I am not alone.

The devil does that a lot. It's one of his things.. To make us feel alone. Even if we aren't sitting there thinking, "Gee, I'm alone," we could still be believing the lie that we are. When we think we are alone, we shut people and anything out. 

I don't even know if I am read to post this yet, considering I am still figuring this out. But, I'm going to do it anyways.. Just in case someone is going through the same thing that I have been. If you feel numb.. You can still feel. If you can still feel... You're still here. If you're still here... You're here for a reason. Do NOT give up. 

If you are reading this and you felt God move in you and around you, or you have been dealing with this too... Feel free to share or message me in the comments below. Jesus is not a lie. He is real and by this you know that is true. 

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 

(James 1:2-3 NKJV)

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16 NKJV)

Blessings, 

Kristin :*

Perfect

It's been awhile since I have posted... But that is seriously going to change. I think I am just going to be more real on here. Don't get me wrong.. This blog is to encourage you all.. But maybe it's time I become a little more transparent in my posts. After all.. We all want real.. Don't we? I know I do. 

This year has been a year of exposure, for me. 

I realized a lot of my weaknesses and I have finally accepted that I cannot be perfect.. Not do I want to be. I'm such a messy person.

As Christians.. I think it's important that we don't hide that. We cannot be perfect. I remember reading in Psalms that God remembers that we are made of dust. He knows we are gonna mess up. He doesn't expect us not to. He just wants to keep us from pain.. Which sin causes. 

This year I have experienced a lot of change which pulled me straight out of my comfort zone. I was exposed to myself and I have realized that I need to stop lying to myself. I cannot make up for what I didn't do right. God perfects me. I cannot perfect myself. 

Perfect, when it comes to us, shouldnt mean everything about us is without spot. It should mean that we realize our weaknesses, we don't try to hide them, and we realize who IS perfect. Perfection is not found in what we do.. But what HE did. 

Blessings, 

Kristin :*