Been There. Done That. Bought the Tshirt. Returned It!

Been There ➡️ Done That ➡️ Bought the T-shirt ➡️

 
R E T U R N E D I T ✔️

Today marks 8 years of wearing the Armor of God to help me combat temptation in my life. While I’m not claiming to have fully arrived at a state of perfection, I AM declaring the faithfulness of God to create beauty from ashes. Though I deserve death for the consequences of my actions, He chooses to love me anyway. In His mercy, He forgave me; through His grace, He restored me. For those of you out there who are weary and heavy laden, go to our Father in Heaven in prayer. He will give you rest for your soul. For God’s promise to Jeremiah over 2,500 years ago is just as true for us today as it was for him back then; “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Thank you God and thank you Saints! It is through the power of the Holy Spirit, serving alongside the universal body of believers, while surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, that we bring the most glory to our King and the most hope to humanity. I love you. May you all rejoice with me in this victory for Christ. All glory and praise be to God Almighty.

Ephesians 6:10-20 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Faith Based Recovery: It Works!

10,000 Words In

“... I thought back to the moment when I made the decision to stay. I was sitting in the passenger seat of a bail bondsman’s car and he asked me a #question that I’ll never forget. The manager of the halfway house where I was staying had just refused to house me any longer. Being clean and sober was a mandatory part of the recovery house rules and I had just failed my latest drug test. Since compliance to these rules was a written stipulation in my original bond paperwork, if I didn’t stay there, I had to go back to jail and bond out to another approved facility.

I wasn’t prepared to go back. I didn’t want to go back. Handcuffed, I cried and pleaded the whole way to the County jail. Nearing the final traffic light, before my fate was permanently sealed, I begged and pleaded with the bondsman to let me go. I made promises not to get in trouble and to go to additional recovery classes. I told him I would report to his office as often as he wanted and that I’d even pay him extra money. What he asked next became my motivation for staying in jail.

We stopped at the light, he looked over at me, and with eager eyes said, “Tell me; what exactly are you willing to do for me if I were to let you go free?”

I stared at the man suggesting I sell my soul for freedom and knew I wouldn’t be getting the better end of the deal. The fact that this man thought so little of my character shouldn’t have surprised me, but somehow it did. I didn’t deserve to be offended, and had no right to be angry by his proposition. I stared back into the face offering me death. Clinging to a lifestyle that treated me as a prostitute made absolutely no sense.

“The light is going to turn green. What are you going to do?”

I wasn’t willing to forfeit the only thing I had left even if it was the very thing that was killing me. I dried my eyes, sucked up my tears, and nodded in the general direction of the county jail.

“Alright, take me back then. Let’s do this.”

EXCERPT: Jenny Reese Clark, Against the Grain.

 Milestones Matter