Dusty Crowns: Not Forgetting who You Are and Whose You Are

The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving (Psalm 28:7).

I remember a time in my life when I was not so happy. I remember even asking my mother to put me in some type of facility because I thought that I would find peace there. What was I thinking and why would a thought like that cross my mind? I had no idea who I was or whom I would become in Christ. I just knew that I wanted peace.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7 ESV).

No one had ever talked to me about changing my mindset, all I understood was that I needed counseling and depression medication. I didn’t understand the power of prayer or the extent of deliverance that I would need to overcome the things that I was battling with. The devil is so precise with his plans against us. He watches us. He watches our families/ lineage and he sets up weapons against us with the intention of taking us out before we take the opportunity to know who we are in Jesus.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I got saved for the first time when I was 16 years old. I went to church with a friend and that same day I gave my life to the Lord. I felt a physical push and a pull to go up to the alter and so I did. I had no idea about the gifts that would begin to awaken in my life and I also had no idea about the level of war fare that I was against because of my gift.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12 NLT).

God is so very real to me because I have seen him work in my life on multiple occasions. God has done more than give me a passing grade in school, he has healed my heart and delivered me on so many levels. God has healed me from multiple heart aches and allowed me to live through car accidents. God has healed my mind and given me joy. I have a new dance because of grace.

Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp (Psalm 149:3 KJV).

At 29, God is still moving in unimaginable ways on my behalf. I trust him. I know what he has promised me and I believe him. There are many firsts that are occurring in my life and one of them is learning to praise. God deserves every thank you in the world from me because I know where he brought me from. I was in a place of loneliness and I felt worthless, but God saw beauty in me and decided to create something new in my heart. God gave me friends and even restored furniture in my life. I have been battling with this testimony, but someone needs to know that God does not forget. As a child I slept on the floor for a period of time because a parent took the bed that I was sleeping in with them. I used to have an “imaginary” bed that I would cover with sheets and pillows, but God has restored that memory and allowed me to buy something new and unused. I thank God for the new things that He is doing in my life.

I will be unashamed of where God has brought me from. All of it is not pretty but through Jesus Christ even those ugly things are beautiful. I pray that you know that seasons change. Don’t take off your crown of glory because things get hard. Dust your self off and believe that God is a redeemer of all things. God hears our hearts desires. He has not forgotten about you. I pray that your faith is restored and renewed in Jesus mighty name, Amen.

Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD (Psalm 150:6 KJV).

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“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it ; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. ” (Luke 15:20-24 KJV) Would it be fair to take a look at the notion that perhaps the prodigal son’s mistakes made him a little wiser than the son that stayed with his father? The son who did what he was supposed to do seemed pretty perfect for the most part. He seemed like a guy who did what his dad said and learned all that he was supposed to learn in order to manage what his father ...

JaNina B.

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