Finding My Voice

       
                Today I had a session time with my counselor and we discussed some very important things...One of which was "Traci, you need to take back the voice that was taken from you as a child." You have the power and ability to say "no" to things and to set appropriate and right boundaries..As a young child your boundaries were violated and you had no ability or power to take control, but now you must take back your voice and realize that you have one. You must realize that people will try and do try to cross your boundaries and you need to realize-you are no longer a victim like you were when you were younger. You are an adult and you have the power to protect the temple God gave you! You are the temple of the Holy Spirit and what people have done and do to you that hurt you, they are hurting God and His temple. Take back your voice...."

I have been in counseling for a little while to go back over things from when I was wounded in my past. I want to grow and be healed more and more. I want to be who God has called me to be and realize that everyone has a past and everyone has something bad and hard that they have gone through (maybe even more than one thing) but that does not make them bad or anything of the like. That's why we need Jesus. He took the weight and all the sin and wounds and pain and hurt from us. We are more than conquerors through Christ who lives in us. I have a voice that God has given me and He has a plan and purpose for my life. He works all things out for the good of those who are called according to His purpose. I am called and I am chosen. I am God's child and in my weakness' Christ is made perfect. I am finding my voice..

Healthy Relationships

There's more to relationships than the feelings. There's more to relationships than what the media and the ways of this world says. Relationships of any kind are built on a commitment of love and support, of forgiveness and truth and ultimately it is built on God and the His ways, well at least a good healthy relationship is. When we seek our own selfish desires in a relationship, it doesn't get us anywhere. We must look to the needs and interests of the other person. We must learn to die to our selfish desires in many ways. I am learning this right now and have been for a while now. I know I won't be perfect and neither will you, but it's in our weakness we must ask ourselves if we are willing and have a desire to learn and overcome the trials and sins in our lives. Every relationship takes work, they don't just happen. Every relationship takes time as well. We will always be growing and we must be willing to grow and learn things about the other person and about oursleves to make the relationship work out. We must be humble and grow in the fruit of Christ. After marriage the growing doesn't stop, but it keeps going. We must get to the place that we are willing to admit we are wrong in an area and commit to pray and ask God to help us by living His word out in our lives.

I am no expert on relationship and I've never had a boyfriend, but I have seen great marriages and terrible marriages and I have great friends and others that I watch how they live and I notice that in marriages when a couple is struggling and wrestling through hard issues in life, that it's in those times that can break or make the marriage. You can't just "throw in the towl" if something goes wrong or bad, it's a life and death commitment to the person you chose to marry-in the good and bad times, in all times, seasons and things that this life brings us. That goes for ANY relationship, whether marriage or true friendships or family. We must remember that!

There is SO much that I have learned even though I am not in a relationship like marriage and I don't have a boyfriend and never have (someday I hope to-for the purpose of marriage at one point), but I have seen so many relationships and I just wanted to share with you a few things I have learned! I hope this helps!

The Mark of A True Christian

Have you ever thought-I wonder if so and so is a Christian, or I think this person is a Christian, but I am not sure. One evaluation you can have to determine if someone is a true Christian is if they are continually growing in Christ-there MUST be fruit of a Christian in their lives. Many people can say they are Christians and can even act like they are Christians, but a true lover of Jesus and follower of Christ is evidence throughout time and evidence of what's in the heart of someone. After being around and hanging around people you are able to tell what is in their hearts and what they think about. One is able to determine from relationship and being around someone where they are at in their walk with God.

I personally know and have met people who, it seemed like to everyone that they loved God and was pursuing God, but in the end we found out hidden sins that they never told us. Now everyone will have sins that they really, honestly don't know about but it's in their growth and evidence throughout time that proves where they stand and where their heart is. True repentance is when you have been doing something wrong and you turn the other way and follow after God whole heartily, never turning back-standing firm in faith and love for God. Many people can "walk the walk" and they can "talk the talk" but do they have the fruits of the Spirit, are they applying what they have learned from scripture to their lives? Are they studying the Bible and living it out in their lives? Do they honor others? Look at the character of a person and that also tells a lot. Is that person lieing a lot? Is that person listening to Godly leaders and searching out God in all of His righteousness? Is that person inspiring others to live like Christ? There are so many questions you could ask yourself and another person to see where they are at spiritually.

Evidence of love and faith in Jesus is continual growth and fruit in their lives in all aspects and it can't just be "going through the motions," but a sincere different person change in their lives. The person is different-they have a different spark or light to them that you never noticed before, etc...God is evident and real in their lives. Hidden sin is not hidden-but one is accountable to leaders in their lives for their growth in Christ. There is a difference between "unknown sin" and "hidden sin." Unknown sin is sin that a person doesn't know about sincerely, but hidden sin is sin that a person does know about and no one else knows so they hide it thinking they are getting by with it, but in the end ALL sin will be out in the open and revealed for all to see. Can you see what I'm saying? GROWTH is evident in a TRUE Christian, a RELATIONSHIP with Christ is evident in their lives!

If you have any questions on this, please feel free to talk to me about it! I will do my best to answer them!  Thanks for reading and keep following and keep updated on current posts to learn more! :)

Fear vs. Faith

Recently, I have noticed how our world is getting worse in many ways and fear has come up within me. I see so many terrible things happening within my peer groups and friends and around the world and it has really bothered me. So many don't really know the love of God and don't know Him in a personal way, as Lord and Savior and as Master and Father of their lives. Several of my, once close friends have fallen away from God and the reason I know this is because of the fruit I see in their lives. The "fruit" is not Godly fruit in no way. They aren't growing, in fact several of them are running away from the Bible and the truth and God's word. It really breaks my heart and I am a very sensitive and emotional person. I have a super compassionate heart, which makes me cry or makes me sad when I see people I know not following after God with all of their hearts, soul, mind and strength. It is very hard to see and watch. With all of this happening it has brought some fear into my heart about them, life and the future of our world. Some thoughts that come to me are, "If my "Christian" friends or once Christian friends are falling away from God, who will stand? What will our world look like in many, many years to come? Why are so many falling away? etc...?" I am just filled with thoughts, concerns, prayers and uncertainty. I don't want to be fearful or weak, I don't desire to be "drowning" in this. I want faith, not lack of faith. I want and I know God's heart and desire is that He wants those He made to worship and love Him with all that they are. I want to stand firm in my faith until death, always growing and loving God. I want to follow in His path and in His way. I can't walk my fear, but by faith!

Please remember that "without faith it is impossible to please God." If you are living or struggling in fear, I encourage you as I am beginning to do as this fear has creeped up, to replace fear with prayer and faith! We can and will walk by faith and not by sight. We will have faith and not fear, we will believe and not doubt. I will live and pray God's promises and pray for those I know and for the world and all people to know God. Faith is what I want, not fear!