Sharing my heart.....

Hi everybody! I had an amazing weekend so far. I had a wonderful opportunity to speak at a women's event today. This message is so important to me, I wanted to share it with you all too.

It’s just some simple truths.   Truth is precious and often we disregard it about ourselves.

 I want to tell you that you are valuable

This burns in my heart so strongly. I feel like I’m saying this personally to each one of you.

You are valuable.

You are needed.

You are important, and vital.

You may have heard opposite in your life.

From parents, the media, from your family, or peers

You aren’t the negative things that anyone has ever said about you.

We don’t realize sometimes how those negative words are spinning around in the background of our mind.

Influencing how we think about ourselves.

There was a time I thought I had ugly hair, because someone once told me that.

Every time I'd look in the mirror I'd feel like, "Meh..."

My husband thought for a long time that he couldn’t read well because his teacher told him  once when he was little.

that wasn’t true.

You are valuable.

You may have even told yourself the opposite.

Maybe even today.

You may walk around doubting yourself, wondering things like

“Why’d I say that? Why’d I do that? How come I’m not like everyone else?

How come they have it together, and I don’t”

Maybe never feeling good enough.

But this is the truth.

You are valuable.

We need you,

this world needs you.

You, just as you are.

You may be searching for that special  gift that you bring,

Wondering, what is it? What do I have that makes me different from everyone else?

Because you don’t see it in yourself.

But we see it.

Its you being you.

You don’t have to work at being good enough,

You don’t have to work at getting it right to be needed.

You get to be just who you are.

Because the way you are made automatically blesses the people around you

You are put together uniquely in such a way,

That You being You is what makes you the most happy

and brings the most to the people around you.

You’re a piece of the puzzle

That we need for the picture.

We all know what it’s like to put together a puzzle

And right in the center there’s that one missing piece.

No other piece is going to fit in that spot.

And the picture isn't finished without it.

Each piece is uniquely made

Just as we are,

So that we can fit together.

Yes, you might fall down

You might only see your failures, and  the ways you could do it better

You might feel like you’re trying as hard as you can to get it right

To be a good person

You might feel like you are going around and around the mountain trying to overcome the

stumbling block, or whatever it is that you are battling your life

And you might feel like you aren’t making progress.

I just want you to know I care.

I get it.

I've been there!

And remind you this life isn’t about arriving, it’s about the journey

Even though you can’t see it, you are making progress,

You will make it.

Going up the side of a mountain is about switchbacks,

Not going straight up.

God is with you, he hears you. He knows you.

He values you.

He’s glad you are here, and that he made you.

He’s glad you’re YOU.

He doesn’t want it any other way.

You haven’t failed him.

He understands we are made of dust.

He gets it

Gets us

He understands our fears

He knows what makes you tick, and why you think the way you do.

He has a plan to rescue us and bring beauty from the very ashes we see around us today.

You are beautiful, right now.

You aren’t the words you say to yourself

You are wanted, and desired.

Pleasing

You make God happy

And where you see failure and lack

Where you see you’re not good enough

He sees you full of promise, and a little girl with a tender heart.

He loves you

He adores you

He’s so glad you are here.

And every time you reach for his hand, every time

You make him smile.

He will never let go of your hand

Never

Not because He is God and he has to be there for you,

But because he doesn’t want to let go

Doesn’t want to let go of his precious girl

He will never lose you, never forsake you, always fight for you,

He will stand with you with every battle you are in

and face it with you.

You will never be alone.

He will rejoice over your with triumph.

And wrap you in his love.

This is what God says about his children

Song of Solomon 4:7   You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.

And for the part of us that wants to point out our flaws, there’s this scripture

Hebrews 10: 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Your flaws don’t scare God.

There is a banner you wear above you every day.

Loved,

Wanted,

Beautiful

Valuable

Perfect forever

Being made Holy

It’s not a feeling

It’s a truth.

It’s time that we remind ourselves of the truth Whether we feel it’s true or not.

Truth isn’t a feeling.

2+2=4 doesn’t make me happy

Or sad.

Truth isn’t an emotion.

It’s just truth.

Hang on to the truth

Hang on to the banner over your head.

Hang on to God’s hand.

Be kind to yourself in your thoughts.

Watch for the negative things you might say,

And remind yourself what God says about you.

Remember

You are valuable.

Just the way you are made.