Minha identidade em cristo (Parte 1 & 2)

Minha identidade em cristo (Parte 1 & 2)

blog da Luci

Minha identidade em cristo (Parte 1)

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Portanto, se alguém está em Cristo, ele (ela) é uma nova criação. O velho já passou; contemplar, o novo chegou.”

Romanos 8:1 “Portanto, agora nenhuma condenação há para aqueles que estão em Cristo Jesus.”

John 15:15 “Já não os chamo de servos, pois o servo não sabe o que seu senhor está fazendo; mas eu chamei vocês de amigos, pois tudo o que ouvi de meu Pai eu vos revelei”.

Quando eu era uma garotinha, Lembro-me de ter uma sensação geral de felicidade e liberdade por ser criança. Mas à medida que fui crescendo e comecei a desenvolver a consciência da minha identidade dentro da minha unidade familiar e fui vítima de abuso verbal e físico, minha perspectiva sobre quem eu era começou a mudar.

Na minha mente, eu era feio, estúpido, e geral, uma garota patética que ninguém amava ou queria estar. Lembro-me de meu pai dizendo repetidamente, “Por que você não pode ser como seu irmão ou por que você não pode ser como sua irmã?”Ele estava se referindo aos irmãos mais velhos que seguiram em frente e se tornaram bem-sucedidos, em seus olhos. Por causa de sua frustração e raiva desenfreada, ele atacou e nos fez sentir indesejados enquanto nos rebaixava, abusando de nós verbalmente. Minha mãe era uma pessoa quieta, mulher submissa com múltiplos (total de 15) crianças para cuidar. Ela não estava envolvida em nossas vidas, exceto para cuidar de nossas necessidades físicas. E os irmãos que ainda estavam em casa, me tratou com grande desprezo e me batia regularmente. Na idade 11, Eu estava sendo molestado por dois dos meus irmãos mais velhos e aos 12, Perdi minha virgindade com um homem viciado em drogas que era 14 anos mais velho, que morava no bairro. Ele literalmente se aproveitou da minha necessidade desesperada de amor e carinho e me convenceu a cooperar com suas intenções egoístas.. Eu não contei a ninguém, pois pensei que eles iriam me culpar; Eu acreditei em meu jovem coração que a culpa era minha.

Eu me senti um fracasso, que quando eu era um jovem adolescente, Comecei a me medicar com vinho e cerveja, e em um ponto, Eu me senti tão sem esperança, Eu tentei tirar minha própria vida! Obviamente, Eu não tive sucesso, mas na hora, Eu acreditava que era um fracasso mesmo assim! Eu não apenas me sentia indigno de ser amado, mas também me sentia sujo e tinha um grande sentimento de vergonha que me cobria como uma nuvem espessa..

À medida que cresci na minha adolescência, Continuei a abusar do álcool, adicionando bebidas destiladas e foi apresentado a todos os tipos de drogas ilegais, que experimentei diariamente. Vivi uma vida destrutiva de abuso de substâncias e promiscuidade. E com a idade 24, Cometi o que pensei ser uma ofensa imperdoável ao fazer um aborto, essencialmente encerrando a vida do que viria a ser meu único filho biológico. Este evento me mergulhou ainda mais profundamente em uma sensação de auto-aversão e vazio que eu ainda não havia experimentado. Na época em que eu estava 25, meu senso de autoestima estava no abismo; Eu não tinha esperança nem propósito para o meu futuro.

Então aconteceu! O Senhor Jesus, que me perseguiu durante anos através do testemunho de outros seguidores de Cristo, abri meus olhos para Sua incrível aceitação, amor e misericórdia por mim. E posso me lembrar da sensação de esperança e amor que fluiu através de mim como um rio caudaloso! Foi incrível! Minha autoperspectiva mudou naquele dia. Ousei acreditar que poderia ser algo mais do que havia me estabelecido. E embarquei em uma missão para toda a vida para conhecer o Deus que estaria disposto a morrer por mim, um patético, pecaminoso, garota feia e estúpida. Demorou anos de leitura da Bíblia, apoio de outros crentes em Jesus e algum aconselhamento bíblico, para eu aceitar minha nova identidade enquanto abracei 2 Corinthians 5:17, o que nos diz, “Portanto, se alguém está em Cristo, ele (ela) é uma nova criação. O velho já passou; contemplar, o novo chegou.”

Hoje, depois de caminhar com o Senhor por mais 37 anos, tendo Seu incrível Espírito Santo vivendo em mim, Aceito a verdade de que sou a filha preciosa de Deus, amado e querido além dos meus sonhos mais loucos! Ele me deu dignidade, autoestima e uma esperança futura. Já não me condeno porque segundo Romanos 8:1, “Portanto, agora nenhuma condenação há para aqueles que estão em Cristo Jesus.” Não aceito mais a tentativa dos outros de me manipular ou me rebaixar. Compreendi que posso ter limites e permanecer no controle, pelo poder e orientação do Espírito Santo.

Bênçãos,

Lúcia

Ver Minha identidade em cristo (Parte 2) abaixo.

 

blog da Luci

Minha identidade em cristo (Parte 2)

 

QUESTÕES:

Qual é a sua identidade? Como é diferente de quando você conheceu e recebeu Jesus como seu Senhor?

Enquanto Jesus andava pela terra, ensinando e pregando sobre o Reino de Deus, Ele validou as mulheres e mostrou-lhes grande misericórdia e respeito. Ele foi contra a cultura em que viviam. Em contraste, a cultura deles os tratava como cidadãos de 3ª classe, com poucos direitos ou respeito. Ele aceitou, curado, amou e os ensinou. E Ele está disponível para fazer o mesmo por você e por mim hoje!

De acordo com Romanos 8:17, aqueles que se arrependeram de seus pecados e receberam Jesus como seu Senhor e Salvador, tornar-se Seus herdeiros (que é aquele que recebe a propriedade de uma propriedade e tudo o que há nela), mas neste caso, estamos recebendo o Reino de Deus em toda a sua incrível beleza e perfeição. Somos filhas preciosas e amadas do Rei e seremos por toda a eternidade!

Eu quero que você se imagine vestido com uma roupa luxuosa, manto branco esvoaçante, que é o símbolo da pureza e perfeição, e vamos ler o que diz em Isaías 61:1-3, que foi escrito 740-700 AC (antes de Jesus andar nesta terra).

“O espírito do Senhor Deus está sobre mim, porque o Senhor me ungiu para levar boas novas aos pobres; Ele me enviou para curar os corações quebrantados, proclamar liberdade aos cativos, e a abertura da prisão para aqueles que estão presos; proclamar o ano da graça do Senhor, e o dia da vingança do nosso Deus; para confortar todos os que choram; conceder aos que choram em Sião – dar-lhes um lindo cocar em vez de cinzas, o óleo da alegria em vez do luto, a vestimenta de louvor em vez de um espírito fraco; para que sejam chamados carvalhos de justiça, a plantação do Senhor, para que Ele seja glorificado.” ESV

Deus leva nossos trapos imundos, que é um símbolo de nossas vidas quebradas, e Ele os substitui por limpos, vestes brancas ou justiça, conforto, cura, alegria, paz e força!

Isaías 61:10 “Minha alma se alegrará muito no Senhor, minha alma exultará em meu Deus; pois Ele me vestiu com vestes de salvação, Ele me envolveu com um manto de justiça, como o noivo se adorna com uma guirlanda e como a noiva se adorna com as suas jóias.”

Bênçãos,

Lúcia

De volta a blogs da Luci

Da vergonha à vitória (Parte 1): Minha infância quebrada

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 Click Here.

 

Fugindo de Deus

Fugindo de Deus

 

Jonah, Chapters 1 & 2

When Jonah decided to go against God’s plan for him, he took a ship to Tarshish, in the opposite direction from Nineveh, to flee from the presence of God. God continued to pursue Jonah, but it was impossible for Jonah to get away from God.

God sent a great wind and a mighty tempest so that the ship was almost broken (Jonah 1:4). Even the mariners, men who were used to the sea and storms, were afraid, but they knew this one was different. Jonah tells the mariners that he is a Hebrew and that he fears the Lord, the God of heaven, and he tells them to throw him overboard so that the sea would become calm (Jonah 1:8-12). The mariners were exceedingly fearful, but God, in His mercy, prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and he stayed in the belly of the fish for 3 days and 3 nights. God had to isolate Jonah to get his attention and finally, he cried out to God (Jonah 2). God rescued him and Jonah did go to Nineveh, and all were saved.

When I think back on my abortion, I see that I too was fleeing from God. I isolated myself from Him and my family. I allowed the enemy to lie to me and tell me, “Your parents will never accept you and the baby; it’s a big mistake. Take care of it now before anyone finds out.”

God had pursued me also and gave me a way to escape. The first time I went for my abortion, I was partying the night before. I was hung over and needed food, so I stopped at a place to eat on the way to the clinic. But when I got to the clinic, they said I could not have the abortion because I ate. When I think back to that day, I drove myself and I was all alone. What was I thinking? That’s the point; I wasn’t thinking clearly, at all. Whenever I have made decisions based on fear, they have never been good ones. But I didn’t allow this bump in the road to stop me from having the abortion. I bought into the lie that my child would be deformed because of my heavy drinking and drug usage. This was something I had to do; I didn’t see any other options.

I made another appointment, and that time, I did follow through with it. To this day, I wish I had not done it. But I cannot change my past. I had my abortion on December 10, 1980, and at that moment everything changed. My heart was broken, my body was broken, and my spirit was broken. It was the worst decision I had ever made in my life. My heart goes out to you precious sisters who were forced by someone else to have an abortion against your will.

I struggled with depression, crying episodes, feelings of isolation, and loneliness. I continued with the drinking and drugs, and thoughts of suicide started entering my mind. I just wanted the pain to go away. Then one glorious day, I heard the gospel for the first time on January 2, 1994 and in 4 semanas, I had given my heart to the Lord and asked Him to forgive all my sins and to heal my broken heart. From that moment forward, I would never have to feel alone again. I have a Savior who will never leave me nor forsake me. Obrigada, Jesus.

God has a beautiful plan and purpose for your life too. In Jeremiah 29:11, “FOR I KNOW THE THOUGHTS I HAVE FOR YOU, SAYS THE LORD, THOUGHTS OF PEACE AND NOT OF EVIL, TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE.” God can turn the darkest times in your life into something beautiful for His honor and glory.

“Running to God instead of away from God in the midst of suffering is not a natural response. It is the supernatural response that God equips His children with as we stare grief, uncertainty, medo, and sometimes Satan himself in the face.” Taken from the devotional, Pray BIG Things, by Julia Jeffress Sadler, LPC, on the You Version Bible App.

When have you run away from God?

Have you run to other things to help you cope with your past trauma instead of trusting God with it? What were those things for you?

Are you still running now?

I pray that you will know how much you are loved by God and that He has a beautiful plan for your life, but you need to trust Him.

I pray you trust Him today.

Você é amado,
TONI

 

Leia mais postagens do blog de Toni aqui!

Limites - Por que são tão importantes?

Limites - Por que são tão importantes?

Salmo 34:18, Jeremiah 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, Deus, 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? Primeiro, 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, um novo propósito, and a new life. Jeremiah 29:11 NVI, “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, especialmente depois do meu 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.

Querido, 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.

 

 

Bênçãos,

Toni

Leia mais postagens do blog de Toni aqui!

Pensamento fedorento: Ansiedade

Pensamento fedorento: Ansiedade

Pensamento fedorento: Ansiedade

por Toni Weisz/Stinking Thinking

Escrituras: Philippians 4:6-7, Mateus 6:25-26, 31 e 33, Salmo 121:2 and Matthew 10:31

Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication (humbly asking) 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.

Mateus 6:25-26, 31, e 33
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not your life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather in barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? “Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.”

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, hopeless, and discouraged. 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

But unfortunately, 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.

I thought I could minimize my anxiety by trying to control everyone and everything. But I realized that was impossible to do, and it made me very frustrated and emotionally drained. I used to jump in to fix, resgatar, and save others because I became anxious about all the what ifs.

I realized I cannot save, resgatar, 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.

I remember in my journaling, God telling me, “Get out of My way; you are preventing Me from working in your family.” IN ALL CAPS, TOO. God was not happy with me. God showed me that my lack of trust in Him was a sin and putting others before Him was an idol. 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.

Obrigada, senhor, 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.

Perguntas para levar a sério:

  1. Did you struggle with anxiety? What kinds of things would make you anxious?
  2. Are you still struggling with anxiety?
  3. What are some things you do to help you overcome your anxiety?
  4. Como podemos orar por você?

Rezo para que este tópico tenha sido útil para você. Entre em contato se precisar conversar: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Você é amado,

Toni