I Make All Things New

I Make all Things New
By Toni Weisz/Spiritual Disciplines

Scripture References: Revelation 21:1–5, Ephesians 2:8–9, Ephesians 3:14–21

Revelation 21:1–5
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

God has given me, and those who serve with me in this ministry, a special privilege to walk alongside you courageous brave women on your healing journey. We have watched you come broken and scared to share your secrets of trauma from your past abortions and abuse. You are fearful of condemnation and judgement. Letting go of your secrets is not an easy thing, especially for those who have been carrying them for many decades.

But our merciful kind and loving Father doesn’t want you doing this alone anymore. He wants you healed to become the women He created you to be.

I have watched God in my own life take a broken, depressed, suicidal, tormented woman and lift me off the ground, and show me His great love, by opening my spiritual eyes to see that I was a sinner headed for hell.

My life was transformed when I heard the Gospel for the first time that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified, died, buried and rose again on the third day, to defeat death and Satan. He took my place on the cross, He paid my sin debt. I went running to Jesus to rescue me from the torment of a life I had been living for 34 years. I can never repay Him for the gift of salvation that He gave to me.

Ephesians 2:8–9
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Our healing process is a lifelong journey. I was amazed at how broken and dysfunctional I was when I started my healing back in 2006. All the time the enemy had me deceived that I was fine, no need to look at my past trauma because it was such a long time ago. “I was good.”

That could not be farther from the truth. You see, the evil one wants to keep us isolated sitting in darkness being tormented by him because then he has us exactly where he wants us.

But God does not want His daughters tormented anymore. He wants us to be healed and set free from the enemy and from our own distorted view of the truth. He wants us to have the courage to step out and trust Him to lead us. He wants us to use our voices and our testimonies to help others to step out also. It is a hard process, but it is so beautiful because Jesus gently leads us by His righteous right hand.

Jesus gave me a new life, a new song, and a new purpose. He has made all things new for me, and I know He can do this for you too if you will humble yourself before Him and trust Him. He loves you more than you can comprehend.

My prayer for you:
Ephesians 3:14–21

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

If you’re wondering how you too can have this new life in Jesus:

First, we must have a relationship with Jesus our Savior. He is our healer. There is no true life change without Him. (Salvation)

Second, we must have courage to step out and trust Him. This is hard to do, but we must trust Him in this process. (Trust)

Third, we must spend time daily reading God’s Word and praying. (Daily Devotions)

Fourth, we must be accountable to others. (Accountability)

Fifth, we must continue to want to be healed in all our broken places. This is a lifelong process. (Perseverance)

Sixth, we then go out and share our testimony so other women will have the courage to step out and be healed. (Sharing Our Testimony)

Questions to take to heart:

Where are you in your healing process? Salvation, Trust, Daily Devotions, Accountability, Perseverance, or Sharing Your Testimony?
Are you ready to go to the next level in your healing?
How can we encourage you on your healing journey?

I pray this topic has been helpful for you. Please reach out to me at: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

You are loved,

Toni

“You Make all Things New”
Big Daddy Weave

https://youtu.be/4_2aX_i4qpM?si=bJrJBO7ppX2n4j2Q

How to Overcome Trauma

How to Overcome Trauma
By Toni Weisz/Abuse Recovery

Scripture References: Psalm 147:3, Psalm 27:10, Psalm 100:5

“Trauma can be more than a dark pit of despair or a spiral of depression. It has the potential to be our deepest source of empathy, strongest point of connection, and most forceful impetus (stimulus) for growth if we bravely choose to let others into both the brokenness and the mending. My brokenness becomes beautiful when I see trauma as an opportunity to grow.” (Excerpt taken from the devotional, Suffer Strong: How to Survive Anything by Redefining Everything, by Katherine and Jay Wolf.)

Psalm 147:3
He heals the broken in heart and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 27:10
When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

Psalm 100:5
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

It takes courage to face the trauma from our past. This is not an easy process. In fact, it is quite painful at times, and it is not for the faint of heart. That’s why many people don’t do it. They would rather live in their dysfunction because they know what to expect—it’s familiar.

Change can be hard, scary, and unpredictable. But it can also be beautiful, especially when we are able to come out on the other side of our pain and see the miraculous work God has done.

When I first started this ministry, the Lord encouraged me to be real.

When I am open and transparent with all of you, it gives you permission to share from your heart too. I have experienced tremendous healing as a result of doing these conference calls for the past 11 years. The work of the Holy Spirit, self-examination, and a safe community in which to share are the most important elements for true healing and the ability to break dysfunctional patterns and spiritual strongholds. This group gives me the courage to keep stepping out.

You’re only as sick as your secrets.

When I share my secrets in a safe and loving environment, it helps me to begin the healing process. It brings that secret thing into the light, and the devil no longer has power over me in that area. I am praying that each of you experience true healing in all of your broken areas. You are safe on our conference calls, dearly beloved of the Lord. What secrets are you still hiding?

I also needed to practice what I preached.

If I was telling you to stand up to the bully and use your voice, then I needed to do the same thing. This group has helped me to stay accountable and move forward in my own healing journey.

Say what you mean, but don’t say it mean.

God has shown me how to stay calm, to allow the other person to speak, and try to stay on topic. Then when it’s my turn, I share my perspective but in a way that honors God.

I apologize when I need to, but I don’t allow others to just dump on me or yell at me. I walk away or hang up because that’s not an acceptable way to communicate. I don’t allow others to be verbally abusive to me. By sharing with you, it also helped me to practice those same principles in my life.

God showed me He wanted to be first in my life.

Once I put God first in my life, then what others thought of me didn’t matter so much anymore. I was trying to please them so they would love me, but that never worked anyway. It only left me feeling empty, unloved, and depleted of my energy. I realized I could never make someone happy or sad; I didn’t have that kind of power. Only God can love me completely. So, I go to God when I need something because most people are not able to give me what I need anyway.

They cannot give what they don’t have.

Only Jesus can meet all my needs. Jesus is the answer to every situation or problem I have. When I go to Him and ask Him to help me, to show me what’s going on and why I am struggling the way I am, He gives me wisdom and shows me what I need to do.

Questions:

What burdens are you carrying right now? Is it health, finances, loneliness, relationships, loss, sadness, or something else?
Are you able to share how you are feeling right now?
How can we pray for you?

Remember: When your father and your mother forsake you, then the LORD will take you up. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. He binds up the brokenhearted and heals all of your wounds.

Please reach out if you need prayer or just want to talk. Email me at: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

You are loved,

Toni

Read more of Toni's blogs HERE.

Unmet Expectations

Unmet Expectations
by Luci Boudreaux/Spiritual Insights

Scripture References:

Hebrews 4:16
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Psalm 27:13–14
“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage wait for the Lord!”

After I surrendered my life to Jesus at age 25, I was so excited to go with God and live for Him. After years of mental and physical abuse by others and by my own poor life choices, which included abortion, I was anxious to start fresh. And I dared to dream for a normal life with God at the center.

I attended church, studied the Scriptures and hung out with other like–minded believers. I had great expectations about how God would fulfill my dreams to be a wife and a mom. And seeing all the young families at church intensified my longing to have my own family.

Years passed as my hopes and dreams went unfulfilled, in spite of my prayers. I got tired of waiting on God, so I took control and started dating a man who said the things I wanted to hear, but he turned out to be the opposite of the godly man I wanted to be with. You can read the whole story about “The Angel of Light” on MyAshesToBeauty.com under Luci’s Blogs, Abuse Recovery.

After three years of abuse and separation from God, I ended the relationship and surrendered my singleness to the Lord. And not long after this, I met the man that I’ve been so thankful to be married to for 21 years! In this difficult experience, God taught me that waiting on His timing and trusting His wisdom brings the best results.

Fast–forward to today, and again, God has me in a place of learning to trust and believe His promises. I have been physically suffering for years with GI tract and stomach pain. You might say, I carry stress in my gut! In the last few months, it has become debilitating. I’ve been aggressively reading and applying what the experts tell me to do, but nothing has brought relief. I also searched for a healthcare professional that could help to heal me. But as I prayed for guidance and searched for months, the doors continued to close.

My hope was fading as I questioned God, “Why? Why all this suffering? Why all this waiting?” In my weakened state, I believed the lie that God would not bring healing and that He wasn’t hearing my cries for help.

In this process, God showed me that I needed an adjustment in my perspective because I had lost sight of what He was and is always doing in the life of His children. He was helping me see that I was allowing the cares of this world to affect me, that I was anxious about many things, and it was manifesting in my body breaking down. In addition, he was preparing the perfect time for me to meet the right doctor. And as an added bonus, which I know was part of His plan, I not only met her but was also able to minister to her very precious mother who happened to be visiting.

God is not in the business of meeting our desires and needs in what WE believe to be the perfect time. He wants everything to be for our ultimate good (heart, mind and spirit) and for His glory. Just like Job, we can’t understand the mind of God, nor can we see the incredible plans He has for us. We have to trust that He loves us beyond our wildest dreams.

God has had His hand on my life circumstances this whole time! But He was waiting for me to give Him control and to trust His promises for me, as Scripture guides us. And one passage to emphasize is Psalm 25:9: “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way.”

QUESTIONS:

What are you hoping and waiting for in your life?

Do you have a testimony of how God has answered your prayer in a way that surprised and blessed you beyond your expectations?

How can we pray for you?

I pray this topic has been helpful for you. You can reach me at: overcomer982@icloud.com.

Blessings,

Luci

Back to Luci’s Blogs

Stinking Thinking: My Distorted View of Self

by Toni Weisz/Stinking Thinking

Scripture References: Isaiah 43:18–19, Psalm 62:6-8, Psalm 27:10, John 8:32, and Romans 5:9

Stinking Thinking refers to the negative or disturbing thoughts that torment us, especially when we are HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired). We will be looking at our distorted view of self. We will learn to discern the truth from the lies we have believed all of our lives. Our goal is to equip you so you can have victory in every area of your life.

Isaiah 43:18–19
“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Psalm 62: 6–8
“He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

Psalm 27:10
When my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take care of me.

John 8:32
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Romans 5:9
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

I was the oldest of three and came from a strict second-generation, Italian-American family. My father and his two brothers and sister ran a family-owned construction company started by my grandfather.

My grandfather had a drinking problem. And my dad acted like an alcoholic even though he did not drink. I refer to his behavior as a “rageaholic.” He worked extremely long hours and was dealing with a lot of stress and family drama. He was not able to communicate in a healthy manner without becoming angry and raising his voice. He had a very short fuse. So, when he was home, I would literally want to run and hide.

My mom tried her best to control our home environment as not to cause my dad any stress. We had to be very quiet and obedient when he was home. The slightest thing could set him off. When my dad was at work, my mom had her own way of dealing with the chaos in our home. She yelled a lot too. It wasn’t a very calm or peaceful environment. But I believe they did the best they could. They were preoccupied with putting out fires that my sister and brother were starting. It was easy for me to hide in the shadows.

As a young child, how was I supposed to get the love and attention I needed? After the “good, quiet one” persona was not working anymore, I started sneaking Scotch whiskey from my parents’ liquor cabinet at 12 years old. Now I was really hiding because of all of my secrets, which now were piling up, and it became even more difficult to keep up my façade. By 13, I was getting high and doing other drugs. At 16, I was having sex; then the unthinkable, my abortion at 21. My life was a disaster, one poor decision after another led me down a very dark path. I was very alone in this pit even though I had friends; no one really knew what I was suffering with because I wore the perfect mask. I was right where the evil one wanted me. Isolated, alone, and hiding in my secrets.

Now in my early 30’s after many years of destructive choices, unhealthy copying mechanisms and addictions, my self-loathing was at an all-time high. My depression would last for weeks at a time, and it was preventing me from functioning normally, and all the pain I had been stuffing all my life was coming out sideways. I had no control over it. I was like a walking volcano. I literally just wanted to end this torment of a life. But God gave me two children, and I wasn’t going to leave them without a mom. So, I decided I needed to do something different because what I was doing was not working. I was tired of putting my mask on every day and pretending.

I felt I was not worthy to be loved. In fact, I thought I deserved to be emotionally abused by others because of my sin. I did not see myself as a person of value to anyone, not even to God. This destructive pattern would continue until I was 34, when by the grace of God, I heard the gospel and within 4 weeks got saved and asked Jesus to forgive my sins and be my Lord and Savior. The most beautiful and memorable day of my life is February 6, 1994, when I became born-again.

Even after my salvation, I felt I had to work for love and approval from God and especially from others in leadership at Church. My people-pleasing was consuming my life, and God showed me that this is idolatry, that anything that I put above Him is a sin.

Over the past 20 years, God has slowly been showing me my character defects and areas of sin, my codependency, people-pleasing, and lack of clear boundaries and how I was enabling unhealthy behavior. I didn’t love or respect myself so how could I expect others to. I allowed people to walk all over me, to manipulate and control me, but slowly over time, I started putting up boundaries and using my voice.

God helped me to see myself through His eyes of love, care, and compassion. Back in 2015 when struggling with rejection, I wrote out these words of affirmation that I read out loud to myself every day: I am worthy, I am loved, I belong, I am accepted, I am adopted, I am confident and competent, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I am a child of God, I am victorious in Christ, just to name a few. This is my Spiritual Armor; I put this on every morning to protect myself from the fiery darts of the enemy. Our battle is won and lost in our minds. What we believe about ourselves and about God matters. God’s word is truth, and the truth will make you free.

I hope I never take for granted the miracle that took place in my life 31 years ago, when I received the gift of salvation through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for me.

QUESTIONS TO TAKE TO HEART:

How has your distorted view of yourself opened you up to all kinds of abuse and sin as a way to cope with your pain?
How did you see yourself?
Who does God say you are? Give examples of Biblical truth.
What do you do to put your Spiritual Armor on daily to protect yourself from the enemy?
How can we pray for you?

I pray this topic has been helpful for you if you need to talk, you can text me or email me at: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

You are loved, Toni

Prayer for Revival

Prayer for Revival
by Toni Weisz/Spiritual Discipline

Scripture References: Psalm 51:1–17, Psalm 139:23–24,
2Timothy 2:21, James 5:16, and Ephesians 4:29–31

Read Psalm 51:1–17

In February 1970, revival broke out at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky.

On Wednesday, February 8, 2023 (53 years later almost to the day), revival again broke out on the campus at Ashbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. After chapel service, some students lingered for spontaneous worship, prayer, and confession. The revival continued for many days and spread to other universities, and many people traveled from all over the world to experience God in that place.

PRAYER & SCRIPTURE

We are hungry for You, Lord. Just like in 1970, there was much turmoil in the world, the Vietnam War, protests, bad economy, high gas prices, inflation, and chaos all around, not much different today in our world. People are hurting. They are confused and fearful about what the future will bring. But our hope is in You, Lord. Only You know it all, see it all, and control it all.

We humble ourselves before you today and ask Your Holy Spirit to help us. We cry out as David did in the Psalms.

Psalm 139:23–24
Search us, O God, and know our hearts. Try us, and know our thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in us, and lead us in the way everlasting.

Lord God, remove any blindness that may be keeping us from repenting of sin in our lives.

2 Timothy 2:21
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

We want to be clean vessels sanctified and useful in your kingdom work. Purify us by the Word of God and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Father God, we are expecting You to move mightily to heal the brokenhearted and to heal all our wounds. We are waiting for you to heal us and our families from disease and demonic oppression, in the name of Jesus, we pray.

We are praying for our family members, friends, and neighbors who do not know You yet, that Your Holy Spirit will break their hearts of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Have mercy upon them, O Lord. We are crying out to You for revival in our own hearts, our homes, our neighborhood, our state, our nation, and the world. Come, Holy Spirit, and have Your will and Your way in us today.

We are surrendering all to You today. We are asking, seeking, and knocking on the door. Let revival continue right here and right now in us.

In the powerful name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Ephesians 4:29-31
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Preparation for Revival:

Is there someone who you are harboring unforgiveness toward for something they did or did not do?

Would you like to confess that right now?

Are you willfully going against what you know is right?

Would you like to confess that now?

Is there something that you are unknowingly doing that is not honoring to God? Ask the Lord to show you so you can repent.

Would you like to confess that now?

Are you angry with God because you are really struggling with loneliness, depression, loss of job, health issues, a relationship, and God is not moving fast enough and you are really suffering?

Would you like to confess that now?

Please reach out if you need prayer or encouragement. You can email me at: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

You are loved,

Toni

Read more of Toni's blogs HERE.

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