Freedom That Lasts: Celebrating Independence Day Through the Freedom Found in Christ

Freedom That Lasts: Celebrating Independence Day Through the Freedom Found in Christ

Freedom That Lasts: Celebrating Independence Day Through the Freedom Found in Christ

By Toni Weisz/Spiritual Disciplines

Scritture:

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 (NIV)

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” — Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

Freedom That Reaches Deeper

As Americans gather to celebrate Independence Day, we remember the courage, sacrifice, and determination of those who fought for our nation’s freedom. Fireworks light the sky, flags wave proudly, and families come together to celebrate the blessings of liberty.

But while political freedom is a wonderful gift, there is another kind of freedom that reaches much deeper—the freedom found in Jesus Christ. No matter what our past holds, Christ offers healing, forgiveness, and a new beginning.

Freedom From the Weight of the Past

Many women carry burdens that no one else can see. Past mistakes, broken relationships, abortion, abuso, vergogna, colpa, paura, or regret can become invisible chains that keep us from experiencing joy and peace.

Jesus came to break those chains.

Scripture reminds us:

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” — John 8:36 (NIV)

The freedom Christ offers isn’t based on our performance or our past. It is rooted in His grace, mercy, and unconditional love. Through His sacrifice on the cross, we are invited to leave behind condemnation and embrace forgiveness.

Healing Begins With Surrender

Freedom doesn’t mean pretending the pain never happened. It means allowing God to enter our broken places and transform them into something beautiful.

God Turns Ashes Into Beauty

Isaia 61:3 tells us that God gives us “a crown of beauty instead of ashes.”

That promise is at the heart of every healing journey.

At My Ashes to Beauty, we believe no story is beyond God’s redemption. Whether your wounds come from abortion, loss, addiction, abuso, or other painful experiences, the Lord specializes in restoring what feels impossible to repair.

Healing often begins with one simple step: surrendering your pain to the One who already carried it on the cross.

Walking in Your New Freedom

Just as our nation celebrates freedom every July, believers can celebrate spiritual freedom every day.

That freedom allows us to:

  • Let go of shame.
  • Receive God’s forgiveness.
  • Experience His peace.
  • Walk confidently in His purpose.
  • Share His hope with others who are hurting.

Your past does not define your future. God’s grace has the final word.

Celebrate the Greatest Freedom

This Independence Day, enjoy the celebrations with grateful hearts—but don’t forget the greatest freedom ever offered.

Jesus invites every weary heart to exchange guilt for grace, fear for peace, and ashes for beauty.

If you’ve been carrying hidden burdens, know that you don’t have to carry them alone. Christ’s love is greater than every mistake, every regret, and every painful memory.

Today can be the beginning of a new chapter—a life marked not by your past, but by God’s redeeming love.

As we celebrate our nation’s freedom, may we also rejoice in the everlasting freedom that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” — Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

 

My prayer for you is that you will experience all of the deep and lasting freedom the Lord has provided for your spirit, soul, and body.

Please reach out if you would like to talk this week: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Here for you,

Toni

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Honoring Our Fathers—Both Heavenly and Earthly

Honoring Our Fathers—Both Heavenly and Earthly

Honoring Our Fathers—Both Heavenly and Earthly

By Toni Weisz/Spiritual Disciplines

Scritture:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Matteo 6:9
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

The Meaning of Father’s Day

Father’s Day is a special time to honor the fathers who have influenced our lives through their love, guidance, and sacrifice. It is also an opportunity to celebrate our Heavenly Father, whose perfect love and faithfulness never fail.

The Importance of Earthly Fathers

Fathers play a vital role in shaping character, values, and faith. While no father is perfect, many work hard to provide, protect, and encourage their families.

Ways to Honor Our Fathers

We can honor our fathers by:

  • Expressing gratitude and appreciation
  • Spending time with them
  • Showing respect and kindness
  • Offering forgiveness when needed
  • Praying for them regularly

These simple actions can strengthen family relationships and reflect God’s love.

God’s Command to Honor Parents

The Bible teaches us to honor our parents. Exodus 20:12 says:

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

Honoring our fathers is more than a tradition—it is an act of obedience to God and a reflection of His design for the family.

Honoring Our Heavenly Father

While we celebrate earthly fathers, we also honor our Heavenly Father, who loves us perfectly. God provides wisdom, comfort, strength, and guidance through every season of life.

Jesus taught us to pray:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Matteo 6:9

These words remind us that God desires a personal relationship with each of His children.

When Father’s Day Is Difficult

For some, Father’s Day can bring feelings of loss or disappointment. Yet God’s Word offers hope. Salmo 68:5 calls Him:

“A father to the fatherless.”

No matter our circumstances, God is always present, offering comfort, healing, and unconditional love.

The Greatest Gift of Our Heavenly Father

As we honor our fathers, let us remember God’s greatest gift—salvation through Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 tells us:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Because of His great love, God sent Jesus to die for our sins and rise again so that we could receive forgiveness and eternal life. Salvation is a gift of grace received through faith in Christ.

Have You Accepted God’s Gift?

If you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior, you can do so today.

“Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins and rose again. I place my faith in You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for Your forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer sincerely, God’s Word promises that you are now part of His family.

This Father’s Day, may we honor our earthly fathers, draw closer to our Heavenly Father, and rejoice in the salvation found through Jesus Christ.

“Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

Please reach out if you would like to talk this week: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Here for you,

Toni

 

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Benessere mentale e relazione con Gesù il Guaritore

Benessere mentale e relazione con Gesù il Guaritore

Mental Wellness and a Relationship with Jesus the Healer

By Toni Weisz/Spiritual Disciplines

Scritture: Matteo 11:28 (NIV)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

In the journey of mental wellness, many people are searching for more than coping strategies—they are searching for true, lasting peace. For those navigating the emotional aftermath of trauma, including abortion or abuse, healing often requires both practical support and spiritual restoration. A relationship with Jesus as Healer offers a powerful source of comfort, renewal, and stability for the mind.

Understanding Mental Wellness After Trauma

Mental wellness after trauma involves caring for your thoughts, emotions, and overall psychological health. Trauma can leave lasting imprints—such as anxiety, intrusive thoughts, depressione, or feelings of guilt and shame. These mental patterns can feel overwhelming, especially when they persist over time.

Mental wellness is not about ignoring these struggles. It’s about learning how to respond to them in healthy ways—developing awareness, building resilience, and creating new thought patterns that support healing. This is where both intentional habits and spiritual connection become essential.

Jesus the Healer and the Mind

A relationship with Jesus is not only spiritual—it deeply impacts mental and emotional health. Throughout Scripture, Jesus is shown as a healer of the whole person—body, mind, and heart. He meets people in their brokenness and brings restoration, not condemnation.

When the mind is burdened with anxiety, colpa, or pain, turning to Jesus can bring a sense of peace that goes beyond circumstances. His presence offers rest for overwhelmed thoughts and comfort in moments of emotional distress. Per molti, this relationship becomes an anchor during seasons of mental instability.

Renewing the Mind Through Faith

One of the most powerful aspects of mental wellness and faith is the concept of renewing the mind. Trauma often plants negative beliefs—about self-worth, safety, or identity. These beliefs can become deeply ingrained.

Through a relationship with Jesus, those thoughts can begin to shift. Replacing lies with truth—such as moving from “I am broken” to “I am being restored”—is a key part of healing. This process takes time, but it creates lasting mental and emotional change.

Spending time in prayer, reading Scripture, or sitting in quiet reflection allows truth to take root and reshape how you think and feel.

Practical Ways to Strengthen Mental Wellness

While faith is foundational, daily practices also play an important role in supporting mental health. Combining both creates a balanced approach to healing:

  • Prayer and Quiet Time: Helps calm anxious thoughts and create mental clarity
  • Journaling: Allows you to process emotions and track your healing journey
  • Community Support: Encourages connection and reduces isolation
  • Healthy Boundaries: Protects your mental and emotional space

These habits, paired with faith, help build consistency and strength in your mental wellness journey.

Healing from Guilt, Shame, and Emotional Pain

For those walking through post-abortion and/or abuse recovery, mental struggles often center around guilt, vergogna, or self-blame. These emotions can be deeply rooted and difficult to release.

This is where Jesus as Healer becomes especially significant. His message is one of forgiveness, grace, and new beginnings. Bringing your pain honestly before Him—without hiding—creates space for healing to begin. Instead of carrying the weight alone, you are invited to release it and receive peace.

Moving Forward with Hope and Healing

Mental wellness and a relationship with Jesus work together to create a path toward wholeness. Healing is always not instant, and it’s not always easy—but it is possible. Each day is an opportunity to take a step forward, to think a little differently, and to experience a little more peace.

If you are on this journey, know that you don’t have to navigate it alone. Jesus meets you where you are—in the middle of the struggle—and walks with you toward healing. With time, intentional care, and faith, your mind can find rest, your heart can find peace, and your life can move forward with renewed hope.

Being in a space where others understand—where you don’t have to explain or hide—can make a meaningful difference. Post-abortion and abuse recovery support groups, like those at Le mie ceneri alla bellezza, are created to offer that kind of safe, compassionate environment. We invite you to join us on a conference call, a safe place where you can speak honestly about your abortion or abuse, in an understanding and loving environment.

Please reach out if you would like to talk this week: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Here for you,

Toni

 

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Perché i confini sono importanti?

Perché i confini sono importanti?

Perché i confini sono importanti?

By Toni Weisz/Spiritual Disciplines

Scritture: Exodus 20: 1-17 and Ephesians 4:32

While growing up, I never learned how to have healthy boundaries. Nella mia casa d'origine, we were all intermeshed with one another, without a clear separation between me and another person. At a young age, I learned how to cope in a chaotic, unpredictable home.

Never knowing when the proverbial next shoe would drop or someone would overreact and yell or throw a shoe or smack you. I always felt like I had to be guarded, and because of this, I hid in the shadows. I wanted to be loved so desperately I was willing to do anything. As a result, I became a people pleaser. All I wanted was to make others happy with my behavior, my performance, and accomplishments. I would be whatever the other person needed me to be, just to feel loved and accepted. By doing this, I allowed others to treat me badly, to manipulate and control me. I had no boundaries. I allowed others to do these things, and I just accepted it. I just thought I must not be a person of any value, perché se lo fossi, why did others treat me this way?

Because I did not have any boundaries, I struggled with receiving love and giving love. All my relationships were unhealthy, and I truly didn’t know how to have healthy relationships. I would struggle with this for most of my life. I felt very alone and disconnected from others. I was lonely because I never truly felt loved and accepted by anyone.

Lack of clear boundaries is a very common character defect with post-abortion women and women who have been abused. We have a distorted view of God, ourselves, e altri. We do not trust that God will not abuse us also.

There has to be some level of trust in a relationship to have the courage to set up boundaries. Boundaries help us form healthy relationships that are based on love and respect for each other.

Boundaries are important because they help us to set up parameters to protect us from others and to help our relationships grow in a healthy and loving environment. Just like the 10 commandments were set up by God as guard rails to protect us from sin, so are boundaries important to protect us also.

Setting Up Healthy Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend, pages 106-107. AACC The Bible for Hope: Caring for People God’s Way.

1. What are some areas where you have boundary issues?

2. Have an accountability partner and meet regularly to discuss this; be truthful. Saying NO is hard for a person with no boundaries.

3. Recognize your part in this. Why are you fearful to set boundaries.

4. It is important to give and receive love and forgiveness.

5. Set up limits and consequences for not respecting your boundaries, and be consistent. Ex. Walking away from someone when they start yelling at you. A consequence can be, “When you yell at me, I will walk away.”

Domande da prendere a cuore:

1. Did you grow up learning how to have healthy boundaries?

2. What areas do you struggle with enforcing boundaries and insisting they are respected?

3. How did you learn how to put up healthy boundaries?

4. Come possiamo pregare per te?

A great resource on this subject is the book, Confini by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend.

I pray this topic has been helpful to you. Please reach out if you need to talk: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Sei amato,

Toni

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Fede per camminare sulle acque

Fede per camminare sulle acque

Fede per camminare sulle acque

By Toni Weisz/Spiritual Disciplines

Scritture: Matteo 14: 22-33

We see in Scripture right after Jesus feeds over five thousand men, not including women and children, the disciples are to go into the boat and go before Him to the other side. Then He sends the multitude away and goes up into the mountain to pray. But the boat, now in the middle of the sea, was caught in a treacherous storm that tossed the boat to and fro for the wind was against them.

Do you ever feel like the wind is against you when you are trying to serve God and trust Him through the storms of your life? It’s hard not to focus on the storm because it surrounds us and it causes us to fear, be anxious, and feel hopeless.

Then Jesus speaks to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Have you heard God speak those words to your heart?

Then bold and courageous Peter says, "Signore, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” I want to have faith like Peter to step out of the boat to trust God when I am in the midst of a storm of uncertainty, paura, and even death.

Jesus says to us, “Come.” He wants us to grow in our faith and trust in Him.

How do we gain the confidence to step out? Through many trials and tribulations, we learn through time that God is faithful. He is working on things behind the scenes that we are not even aware of. We know that even the bad things we go through, He is working them all out for our good and His glory (Rif. romani 8:28).

When Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus he starts to sink; the same is true for us. When we focus on the storm, we lose sight of God, and we become paralyzed by fear. Jesus is gently reminding us, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Domande da prendere a cuore:

  1. Are you in the midst of a storm right now?
  2. What are you focusing on?
  3. Is Jesus telling you it’s time to step out of the boat?
  4. Come possiamo pregare per te?

I pray this topic was helpful for you. I have learned to trust God in the midst of the storm. He is my anchor, my refuge, and my deliverer. Per favore contattaci se hai bisogno di parlare: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Sei amato,

Toni

 

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La preghiera che muove le montagne

La preghiera che muove le montagne

La preghiera che muove le montagne

By Toni Weisz/Spiritual Disciplines

Scritture: Mark 11:22b-24, Salmo 37:8c, 4-5, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, and Philippians 4:4-5un

We are starting a new year. I am challenging all of us to pray and ask God to give us a word or some Scriptures for this year. What is your word for this new year? Mine is, “Enter Into Your Rest.” Il Scriptures are found in Mark 11. As many of you know, my son has been suffering with an unknown illness for many years. My daughter-in-law has also had some extremely troubling illnesses, and my daughter is a single mom basically raising my granddaughter on her own. I have been running hard after God all of 2025, and God has moved mightily and has answered many of my petitions, but there is still more to be done.

In my journalling time with the Lord on January 1, 2026, here is what the Holy Spirit told me:

“Little Bird, you are entering a new season. You are crossing over the Jordan onto dry land to finally enter into the promised land. The land flowing with milk and honey and abundant blessings. You have been wandering in the desert for many years. I have worked in all your lives and hearts and now, ‘Enter Into Your Rest.’ No more striving, no more fear, and no more anxiety. Do not fret; it only causes harm (Salmo 37:8c). Make Me your first thought in the morning. Make Me your priority. I am your great reward. Seek Me with your whole heart, mind, body, and soul. You have been laboring for so long; you need rest—rest for your weary soul.”

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will bring it to pass. (Salmo 37:4-5)

“Have faith in God. For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them.” (Mark 11:22b-24)

I am watching God’s promises unfold, and I am so much looking forward to a year of miracles. I want to have faith to move that mountain. I will be praying for this with my whole being and believing God will go before us and will fight our battles. He will provide, and He will lead us with His righteous right hand.

I pray you are also inspired to ask God for the impossible. God spoke in Genesis Chapter 1 and all of creation came into existence. If He can impregnate a virgin with the Son of God and raise Him from the dead after 3 days, God can answer your prayers, too. We just need faith to believe.

Domande da prendere a cuore:

  1. What is your word and verse for this year?
  2. What things are you asking God for?
  3. Come possiamo pregare per te?

I believe in my heart that this year 2026 is going to be our best year ever. God will move mountains, save the lost, heal the broken hearted and bind up their wounds. He will set the captives free, and He will turn our ashes onto something beautiful for our good and His glory!!!

Per favore contattaci se hai bisogno di parlare: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Sei amato,
Toni

P.S. I want to challenge us all to pray without ceasing and to rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.

https://youtu.be/GVITQPGlI30?si=rkpm1rchU0k_oBU5

Crowder “Somebody Prayed” (Official Music Video)

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