La mia identità in Cristo (Parte 1 & 2)

Luci’s blog

La mia identità in Cristo (Parte 1)

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

romani 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

John 15:15 “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

When I was a little girl, I remember having an overall sense of happiness and freedom to be a child. But as I grew older and began to develop the awareness of my identity within my family unit and became the victim of verbal and physical abuse, my perspective on who I was began to change.

In my mind’s eye, I was ugly, stupid, and overall, a pathetic girl that no one loved or wanted to be with. I can remember my father saying over and over, “Why can’t you be like your brother or why can’t you be like your sister?” He was referring to the older siblings that had gone on and became successful, in his eyes. Out of his frustration and unchecked anger, he lashed out and made us feel unwanted as he put us down by abusing us verbally. My mother was a quiet, submissive woman with multiple (total of 15) kids to care for. She wasn’t involved in our lives except to care for our physical needs. And the brothers that were still in the home, treated me with great contempt and regularly beat up on me. At age 11, I was being molested by two of my older brothers and by the age of 12, I lost my virginity to a drug-addicted man that was 14 years older, who lived in the neighborhood. He literally took advantage of my desperate need for love and affection and convinced me to cooperate with his selfish intentions. I told no one as I thought they would blame me; I believed in my young heart that it was my fault.

I felt like such a failure, that by the time I was a young teen, I began to medicate with wine and beer, and at one point, I felt so hopeless, I attempted to take my own life! Obviously, I wasn’t successful, but at the time, I believed that I was a failure even at that! I not only felt unworthy to be loved but I also felt dirty and had a great sense of shame that covered me like a thick cloud.

As I grew into my teens, I continued to abuse alcohol, adding hard liquor and was introduced to all sorts or illegal drugs, which I experimented with daily. I lived a destructive life of substance abuse and promiscuity. And at age 24, I committed what I thought was the unforgivable offense by having an abortion, essentially ending the life of what would turn out to be my only biological child. This event plunged me deeper into a sense of self-loathing and emptiness that I had yet to experience. By the time I was 25, my sense of self-worth was in the pit; I had no hope and no purpose for my future.

Then it happened! The Lord Jesus, who had been pursuing me for years through the witness of other Christ followers, opened my eyes to His amazing acceptance, love and mercy for me. And I can remember the sense of hope and love that flowed through me like a rushing river! It was incredible! My self-perspective changed that day. I dared to believe that I could be something more than I had settled into. And I embarked on a lifelong mission to get to know the God who would be willing to die for me, a pathetic, sinful, ugly and stupid girl. It took years of Bible reading, support from other believers in Jesus and some Biblical counseling, for me to accept my new identity as I embraced 2 Corinthians 5:17, which tells us, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he (she) is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Today, after walking with the Lord for over 37 anni, having His amazing Holy Spirit living in me, I embrace the truth that I am God’s precious daughter, loved and cherished beyond my wildest dreams! He has given me dignity, self-worth and a future hope. I no longer condemn myself because according to Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” I no longer accept the attempt of others to manipulate or put me down. I have come to understand that I can have boundaries and stay in control, by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

benedizioni,

Luci

See La mia identità in Cristo (Parte 2) below.

Luci’s blog

La mia identità in Cristo (Parte 2)

QUESTIONS:

What is your identity? How is it different from when you met and received Jesus as your Lord?

As Jesus walked the earth, teaching and preaching about the Kingdom of God, He validated women and showed them great mercy and respect. He went against the culture they lived in. In contrast, their culture treated them like 3rd class citizens, with few rights or respect. He accepted, healed, loved and taught them. And He is available to do the same for you and me today!

According to Romans 8:17, those who have repented of their sins and received Jesus as their Lord and Savior, become His heirs (which is one who receives ownership of an estate and all that is in it), but in this case, we are receiving the Kingdom of God in all its amazing beauty and perfection. We are precious and loved daughters of the King and will be for all eternity!

I want you to picture yourself dressed in a lavish, flowing white robe, which is the symbol of purity and perfection, and let’s read what it says in Isaiah 61:1-3, which was written 740-700 BC (before Jesus walked this earth).

“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, perché il Signore mi ha consacrato con l'unzione per portare il lieto annuncio ai poveri; He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, proclamare la libertà ai prigionieri, e l'apertura del carcere a coloro che sono legati; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion – to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” ESV

God takes our filthy rags, which is a symbol of our broken lives, and He replaces them with clean, white robes or righteousness, comfort, healing, joy, peace and strength!

Isaia 61:10 “My soul will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

benedizioni,

Luci

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Dalla vergogna alla vittoria (Parte 1): La mia infanzia spezzata

Rhonda’s Story

When I was a kid, I remember being happy, wanting to understand why everything was the way it was, full of curiosity and questions. I loved playing outside, I loved my brother and I loved animals. I loved Sunday fishing, car rides and visiting family. I had a vivid imagination that helped me to escape from the reality of my dysfunctional childhood.

My parents had been dating for a while, and then they eloped. My dad decided he wanted to see Sault Ste. Marie. My mom wanted to go, so they got married. They never made it there; they stopped short in North Bay and rented a place. Dad got a job and along came my brother. Mom’s pregnancy was difficult, and she was told not to have any more kids. My Dad refused to have one child, so two and a half years later with much resentment from my mother, I was born; she and I never bonded.

I remember being afraid of my mother when I was young as she was angry a lot. She told me she had me because my father made her and that she never wanted me. I felt like I was a burden, an inconvenience. I understand now that she was angry about her life and her inability to speak up for herself.

When I was about five, my mom was in the living room crying. I asked her what was the matter, and she looked at me and said my dad had slept with his boss’s sister, he may lose his job and she didn’t know if she was going to stay married to him. I remember being scared, not really understanding and thinking I did something wrong to cause this.

Parte 2 Clicca qui.

Scappando da Dio

Giona, Capitoli 1 & 2

Quando Giona decise di andare contro il piano di Dio per lui, prese una nave per Tarsis, in direzione opposta a Ninive, sfuggire alla presenza di Dio. Dio ha continuato a perseguire Giona, ma per Giona era impossibile allontanarsi da Dio.

Dio mandò un grande vento e una potente tempesta in modo che la nave fosse quasi rotta (Giona 1:4). Anche i marinai, uomini abituati al mare e alle tempeste, eravamo spaventati, ma sapevano che questo era diverso. Giona dice ai marinai che è ebreo e che teme il Signore, il Dio del cielo, e dice loro di gettarlo fuori bordo affinché il mare si calmi (Giona 1:8-12). I marinai erano estremamente spaventati, ma Dio, nella sua misericordia, preparò un grande pesce per inghiottire Giona, e rimase nel ventre del pesce per 3 giorni e 3 notti. Dio ha dovuto isolare Giona per ottenere la sua attenzione e, infine, gridò a Dio (Giona 2). Dio lo salvò e Giona andò a Ninive, e tutti furono salvati.

Quando ripenso al mio aborto, Vedo che anch'io fuggivo da Dio. Mi sono isolato da Lui e dalla mia famiglia. Ho permesso al nemico di mentirmi e dirmelo, “I tuoi genitori non accetteranno mai te e il bambino; è un grosso errore. Prenditene cura ora prima che qualcuno lo scopra".

Dio aveva perseguitato anche me e mi aveva dato una via di fuga. La prima volta che sono andato per il mio aborto, Stavo facendo festa la sera prima. Avevo i postumi di una sbornia e avevo bisogno di cibo, così mi sono fermato in un posto per mangiare mentre andavo alla clinica. Ma quando sono arrivato in clinica, hanno detto che non potevo abortire perché mangiavo. Quando ripenso a quel giorno, Ho guidato io stesso ed ero tutto solo. Cosa stavo pensando? Questo è il punto; Non stavo pensando chiaramente, affatto. Ogni volta che ho preso decisioni basate sulla paura, non sono mai stati bravi. Ma non ho permesso che questo urto sulla strada mi impedisse di abortire. Ho creduto alla menzogna che mio figlio si sarebbe deformato a causa del mio consumo eccessivo di alcol e droghe. Questo era qualcosa che dovevo fare; Non ho visto altre opzioni.

Ho preso un altro appuntamento, e quella volta, L'ho seguito. Fino ad oggi, Vorrei non averlo fatto. Ma non posso cambiare il mio passato. Ho abortito a dicembre 10, 1980, e in quel momento tutto è cambiato. Il mio cuore era spezzato, il mio corpo era rotto, e il mio spirito era spezzato. È stata la decisione peggiore che avessi mai preso in vita mia. Il mio cuore va a voi preziose sorelle che siete state costrette da qualcun altro ad abortire contro la vostra volontà.

Ho lottato con la depressione, episodi di pianto, sentimenti di isolamento, e solitudine. Ho continuato con il bere e le droghe, e pensieri suicidi iniziarono ad entrare nella mia mente. Volevo solo che il dolore andasse via. Poi un giorno glorioso, Ho sentito il Vangelo per la prima volta a gennaio 2, 1994 e dentro 4 settimane, Avevo dato il mio cuore al Signore e Gli avevo chiesto di perdonare tutti i miei peccati e di guarire il mio cuore spezzato. Da quel momento in poi, Non dovrei mai più sentirmi solo. Ho un Salvatore che non mi lascerà né mi abbandonerà. Grazie, Gesù.

Dio ha un bellissimo piano e uno scopo anche per la tua vita. In Geremia 29:11, “PERCHÉ SO I PENSIERI CHE HO PER TE, DICE IL SIGNORE, PENSIERI DI PACE E NON DI MALE, PER DARTI UN FUTURO E UNA SPERANZA”. Dio può trasformare i momenti più bui della tua vita in qualcosa di bello per il Suo onore e gloria.

“Correre verso Dio invece di allontanarsi da Dio nel mezzo della sofferenza non è una risposta naturale. È la risposta soprannaturale di cui Dio fornisce i Suoi figli mentre fissiamo il dolore, incertezza, paura, e a volte Satana stesso in faccia”. Tratto dal devozionale, Prega GRANDI Cose, di Julia Jeffress Sadler, LPC, sull'app You Version Bible.

Quando sei scappato da Dio?

Sei corso ad altre cose per aiutarti a far fronte al tuo trauma passato invece di confidare in Dio con esso? Quali erano quelle cose per te?

Stai ancora correndo adesso?

Prego che tu sappia quanto sei amato da Dio e che Lui ha un bel piano per la tua vita, ma devi fidarti di Lui.

Prego che tu abbia fiducia in Lui oggi.

Sei amato,
TONNI

Leggi di più sui post del blog di Toni qui!

Confini: perché sono così importanti?

Salmo 34:18, Geremia 29:11, John 3:16

Personal boundaries, as defined by Psychology today, “Are the limits we set with other people, which indicate what we will accept and what we consider unacceptable behavior towards us. To know our boundaries comes from a healthy view of ourselves.” When that view is distorted due to emotional trauma as children (whether we did not get the love and care from our family which is a Type A Trauma or we were sexually, emotionally, or physically abused as children which is Type B Trauma). All these experiences as children cause us to have a distorted view of ourselves, Dio, and others and it prevents us from maturing into healthy stable adults. (Living from the Heart Jesus Gave You, A Life Model Book)

This distorted view of ourselves especially those of us who have had abortions opens up the door to all kinds of unhealthy and destructive behavior. God created women to love and nurture their children and then we did the opposite. Our hopes and dreams as young girls are dashed, and we are now open to all kinds of unhealthy destructive coping mechanisms and ungodly behavior to deal with our pain. Our very souls are tormented and we feel desperately alone, depressed and even suicidal.

So how can we stop this destructive cycle of accepting and enabling unhealthy behavior from others? Primo, we must realize we have a Savior and a friend who is the lover of our soul, and His name is Jesus. He is the only one that can heal our broken spirits, our broken bodies and our broken minds. Salmo 34:18 ESV “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves the crushed in spirit.” He is the only one that can take the disaster we have made of our lives and restore order and peace. And He alone can give us a new hope, new dreams, un nuovo scopo, and a new life. Geremia 29:11 NKJV, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

In childhood, I did not learn what healthy boundaries look like. I became a people pleaser at a very young age and as a result I allowed people to take advantage of me and treat me very poorly and I never said a word. I wondered why I never truly felt loved by others; what was it? I was allowing all kinds of unhealthy behavior because I didn’t love and respect myself, soprattutto dopo il mio aborto. I now despised myself. I didn’t understand why others didn’t treat me with love, kindness and compassion. I realized they cannot give what they do not have. But that took many decades for me to come to that understanding. I also recognized that they did the best they could with what they had and I released them into God’s Hands and started praying for and forgave them.

We all have our wounds and issues from our past, which causes us to be self-consumed and blinded, and we cannot see how we are hurting others closest to us. Only God can give us awareness and the courage to stop accepting unacceptable behavior and establish healthy boundaries. For the first time, I used my voice to explain my boundaries and insist they be respected. There was some push back but I was not going to waiver. At first, putting up boundaries is hard to do. But as God heals us, we get stronger, bolder and more courageous, and we no longer want to just exist, we want to experience the abundant life Jesus came to give us. The first step in recovery is recognizing my life is unmanageable and I need God to help me.

Dear One, I want you to know that God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross for you. (John 3:16) Have you received this gift of love and forgiveness from God? If not you can do that today? If you do know the Lord, then ask Him to help you to love yourself and to have courage to put up boundaries and no longer accept unhealthy behavior. He will help you if you ask Him, He did it for me and I know He will do it for you too.

benedizioni,

Toni

Leggi di più sui post del blog di Toni qui!

Pensiero puzzolente: Ansia

di Toni Weisz/Pensiero puzzolente

Scritture: Filippesi 4:6-7, Matteo 6:25-26, 31 E 33, Salmo 121:2 e Matteo 10:31

Filippesi 4:6-7
Non essere ansioso per niente, ma in ogni cosa con la preghiera e la supplica (chiedendo umilmente) with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Matteo 6:25-26, 31, E 33
“Perciò ti dico, non preoccuparti per la tua vita, cosa mangerete o cosa berrete; né del tuo corpo, cosa indosserai. La tua vita non vale più del cibo e il corpo più del vestito? Guarda gli uccelli del cielo, poiché non seminano né mietono né raccolgono nei granai; eppure il tuo Padre celeste li nutre. Non vali più di loro? “Therefore, do not worry, detto, «Cosa mangeremo?' o 'Cosa berremo?' o 'Cosa indosseremo?’ For after all these things the gentiles seek. Perché il tuo Padre celeste sa che hai bisogno di tutte queste cose. Ma cercate prima il regno di Dio e la sua giustizia e tutte queste cose vi saranno sopraggiunte».

Salmo 121:2
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

When I was a young child, I worried about everything. When I left a homework assignment at home accidentally, I went into a panic. What is my teacher going to think or say to me?

Frantically, I would call my mom, “Can you please bring my assignment to school?”

She said to me, “You are such a worry wart.”

I was so anxious that my perfect mask would be exposed, that people might see the real me, an insecure people-pleaser, seeking approval from others so I could feel good about myself. I so desperately needed to feel like I belonged, that I was a person of value. I was continually striving for perfection to receive love and accolades from others. But that didn’t work; it only left me feeling alone and depleted.

As an adult, I became anxious when I negatively projected into the future. When I did this, I felt weak, senza speranza, e scoraggiato. My head and eyes were cast down, and I felt like giving up. But when I recognized I was looking inward, then I reminded myself, “My help comes from the Lord,” (Salmo 121:2) and I looked up to heaven.

God has promised us in His Word that He will meet all of our needs. “Are you not of more value than many sparrows?” Matthew 10:31

Ma sfortunatamente, I did not trust Him. I made some very bad decisions because I did not trust Him with my future, my life, my marriage, or my children. I had to be in control, and relinquishing that control was a scary thing for me.

Pensavo di poter ridurre al minimo la mia ansia cercando di controllare tutti e tutto. But I realized that was impossible to do, and it made me very frustrated and emotionally drained. I used to jump in to fix, rescue, and save others because I became anxious about all the what ifs.

I realized I cannot save, rescue, or fix anyone; only God can. I was sinning against God by not trusting Him in every area of my life. I had to believe He is a good God and He can take care of me and my family.

Ricordo nel mio diario, Dio me lo dice, “Get out of My way; you are preventing Me from working in your family.” IN ALL CAPS, PURE. Dio non era contento di me. Dio mi ha mostrato che la mia mancanza di fiducia in Lui era un peccato e mettere gli altri davanti a Lui era un idolo. He showed me that He was not like my earthly parents; He was kind and gentle, loving, caring, and full of compassion. I repented and turned away from my sin of unbelief and turned to God.

I no longer struggle with feeling anxious. I have learned to pray and bring all my concerns to Him. I believe only He can provide for all my needs. I am finally free of that sick thinking and character defect that kept me stuck and fretting for so many decades.

Grazie, Signore, for the gift of your presence in my life, for the Holy Spirit to remind me that I am Yours!!! Thank you that I am not alone; You are always with me.

Domande da prendere a cuore:

Did you struggle with anxiety? What kinds of things would make you anxious?
Are you still struggling with anxiety?
What are some things you do to help you overcome your anxiety?
Come possiamo pregare per te?

I pray this topic has been helpful for you. Per favore contattaci se hai bisogno di parlare: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Sei amato,

Toni

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