deja de esforzarte

deja de esforzarte

deja de esforzarte

January 2024
By Toni Weisz/Spiritual Disciplines

Scripture Verses:
Salmo 27:14, Isaías 40:31a and Psalm 103:13-14

Salmo 27:14
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.

Isaías 40:31a
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

Salmo 103:13-14
As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers we are dust.

In my journaling this week, I was struggling with feelings of rejection, which caused me to be emotionally drained and physically weak. After a few days, I finally sat down with the Lord and poured out my heart to Him. I have a big family reunion coming up, and that always, for some reason, still causes me to become anxious. Those old wounds can be easily reopened, and those old tapes start playing over and over again in my mind.

I have witnessed to all of them over the years, even my nieces and nephews. Not a one has responded to the gospel. I know that is not my responsibility; it’s Gods. I know the enemy is trying to gain entrance into my thought life because he wants me to be anxious and ineffective for God. No, that’s not happening. I am aware of his plot, and I am equipping myself with the armor of God and His word to protect my mind and my heart from his lies.

Also, I am saddened by my son’s illness and the fact that he and his wife will be missing from our family reunion. Sometimes I need to take time to feel what I am feeling instead of just brushing it off or stuffing it. It’s OK to be sad, frustrated and disappointed. Entonces, I allowed myself to go there too, and afterwards, I felt refreshed.

The enemy is trying to get me to strive for approval in the area of my tennis. Instead of enjoying the gift of being able to play, I am trying too hard to win matches and the approval of others. I am striving too much, and I am physically tired. Instead, I need to rest in the Lord. He is the one who will renew my strength (Isaías 40:31a). He is the one that will give me favor with others. He is the one who opens hearts to hear the word of God and receive it. I am just a vessel that He uses for His purposes. I need to go back to the basics, enjoy the gift of tennis, and stop trying so hard to be perfect.

I also have four events this month where I will be sharing my testimony and our ministry information, and the enemy is not happy about that. Each week, we get one or two new women who come to our ministry. I need to stay close to the Lord and keep my eyes on Him. He is the one that has opened these doors, and I need to trust Him. He is the one who will give me favor and the words to say. I trust Him completely.

God wants us to pour out our hearts to Him. He sees all of us, and He knows our struggles, our heartbreaks, and our frailty. He remembers that we are dust. He is the one who created us in the first place. In Psalm 103:13-14, we read, “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers we are dust.”

I realized that I need to surrender my will and my heart to God and trust Him with all the outcomes. I cannot control those things, but I can control how I respond to things. I can have victory in all these areas if I let God use me the way He wants to and stop trying so hard.

Preguntas para tomar en serio:

  1. What area are you still striving in?
  2. Why are you trying so hard?
  3. Have you been able to surrender all to God? If not, why?
  4. Cómo podemos orar por ti?

Espero que este tema te haya sido útil.. If you need to talk you can email me at: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Eres amado,
Toni

 

 

 

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Un control en mi espíritu

Un control en mi espíritu

Un control en mi espíritu
by Toni Weisz/Abuse Recovery

Scripture reference: Efesios 4:29-32
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

I had an opportunity this week to see a leader from my past. She was the abortion recovery leader at our local pregnancy center at the time I was also volunteering. We did many post-abortion Bible studies together for several years. I was very surprised to see her because we were at an event that had nothing to do with ministry. We sat next to each other. We shared about our families, and then we also discussed ministry. We both come from totally different approaches to ministry.

Over the years, I have learned a woman doesn’t need to be slammed about her sin of abortion, that it’s something that we talk about, and the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts her of it.

At My Ashes to Beauty, we are very clear that abortion terminates a life. But women come to our ministry broken, and they need someone to lift them up, to love them, to share the truth about abortion, and to share the love of Jesus with them.

As we talked about ministry, I noticed I was raising my voice; we are both very passionate and strong women. I was not feeling good about what was happening. I felt like we were in some kind of strange competition. I felt very uncomfortable. I felt like she was defending herself and also insinuating some things about me that were not true.

At one point, I just folded my hands and stopped engaging with her just to take a break because our conversation was getting kind of bizarre. In the past, sél had hurt me in many ways by her style of leadership, and I suffered not only public humiliation in front of other leaders, but she also told me it was my sin that was causing problems in my marriage.

I have worked very hard over the years to forgive her. Caballero, I forgive her, and I pray You bless her and her family, in Jesus' name. God has taught me many things by looking at other leaders and learning from them.

She sent me a text the next day and was wanting to get together possibly. Honestly, there are some people that I have to keep at arm’s length, and she is one of them.

Have you ever felt like you had to keep yourself protected from certain individuals? For some reason, have you felt they are unsafe emotionally? Was there a check in your spirit, like a caution?

When I think about it now, I was a co-dependent people-pleaser. I had a fear of authority figures, y I considered her an authority figure. I gave her too much power over me, and that was my fault. But I was so wounded, and I had just started in the post-abortion ministry, so a lot of things were coming up from my past. I wasn’t equipped yet to handle all of that.

Perhaps she reminds me of other family members. I am very guarded around individuals like this who have hurt me in the past. I am also aware the evil one is prowling because I sent my ministry cards to some family members who are pro-choice. I know I cannot change their hearts; I am praying God does, but I want them to hear the truth from the other side that abortion not only takes a life but también harms women deeply. Please pray for God to open their hearts to hear the truth about abortion.

Preguntas para tomar en serio:

  1. Are there certain family members or friends you have to guard yourself from?
  2. How do you navigate those relationships? What do you do to protect yourself?
  3. How can we pray and encourage you?

I pray this topic was helpful for you. Por favor comuníquese si necesita hablar, toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Eres amado,
Toni

 

 

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Sus ojos están en el gorrión

Sus ojos están en el gorrión

Sus ojos están en el gorrión (Parte 1)
por Toni Weisz/Disciplinas espirituales

 

Referencias de las Escrituras: mateo 10:29-31, Isaías 61:1-3 y 1 John 4:7-8

 

mateo 10:29-31
¿No se venden dos gorriones por una moneda de cobre?? Y ninguno de ellos cae al suelo sin la voluntad de Tu Padre.. Pero hasta los pelos de tu cabeza están todos contados, No temas pues; valéis más que muchos gorriones.

Isaías 61:1
El Espíritu del Señor Dios está sobre mí., porque el Señor me ha ungido para llevar buenas nuevas a los pobres; Me ha enviado a vendar a los quebrantados de corazón., proclamar libertad a los cautivos, y la apertura de la cárcel a los presos;

1 John 4:7-8
Amado, amémonos unos a otros, porque el amor es de Dios; y el que ama ha nacido de Dios y conoce a Dios. Quien no ama no conoce a Dios, porque dios es amor.



En la tarde del lunes, Junio 5, 2023, mientras llevo a mi perro a pasear, Me encontré con un pajarito. La pobrecita aún no tenía ni plumas, y sus ojos estaban cerrados. Inmediatamente traje al perro y llamé a mi hija para preguntarle qué debía hacer.. Cuando le envié una foto del pájaro., ella dijo, "Mamá, es un cuervo”. Ella y yo odiamos a los cuervos por la forma en que viajan en un grupo llamado "asesinato" para aprovecharse de todos los pajaritos indefensos..

Llamé a muchas agencias de animales y una sugirió hacer un nido en el árbol donde estaba el nido original y los padres lo alimentarán.. Entonces, Luché tratando de encontrar mi nido improvisado y lo puse en el árbol.. Entonces para mi sorpresa, Un par de sinsontes vinieron varias veces y alimentaron al pajarito.. Le di gracias a Dios por enviarlos..

Odio ver a los débiles, vulnerable, abandonado, aprovechado y abusado o asesinado. Odio la caída cuando toda la naturaleza y la humanidad cayeron en pecado.. Anhelo ese momento en que no habrá más pecado., muerte, dolor, pena o lágrimas. Pensé, “Esta cosita tendrá suerte si logra pasar la noche.,”pero lo hizo para mi asombro..

El martes por la mañana, Miré por la ventana y vi un pájaro carpintero pelirrojo cerca del nido., y salí corriendo por la puerta para ahuyentarlo. Pensé, "Esto es Loco, no puedes hacer esto todo el día; Te volverás loco de pánico cada vez que llegue otro depredador.. Toni, tienes que entregárselo a Dios y rendirte”.

Pasó un rato y noté que el nido se había caído del árbol., Entonces busqué y encontré el pajarito y lo volví a poner en el árbol.. Los sinsontes volaban sobre mí para mantenerme alejado de este pájaro.. Traté de asegurarles, "Está bien."

Lloré y entré a la casa y escribí estos pensamientos.:
"Caballero, No puedo ayudar a todos y a todo.. no puedo salvar a nadie. Puedo proteger y ayudar a aquellos que Tú me traes., lo mejor que puedo, pero ultimamente, Necesito entregarte todo a Ti, ya sea un ave abandonada, los problemas de salud de mi hijo, una mujer que traes al ministerio o la salvación de un miembro de tu familia. Todo está en tus manos Señor; Te entrego el control.

Ver a los sinsontes cuidar de un cuervo, su enemigo, Escuché las palabras de Jesús, "Ama a tus enemigos, bendice a los que te maldicen, haced bien a los que os aborrecen”. (mateo 5:44)

Estos pájaros trabajando juntos para proteger y alimentar a este pequeño me recordaron el cuerpo de Cristo trabajando juntos para ayudar a los vulnerables., el débil, y los heridos en este mundo. en este ministerio, queremos que otros vean el corazón del Padre hacia ellos. Queremos que experimenten Su gran amor y compasión y que los cuidemos como Él lo haría..

Todo el tiempo estuve sosteniendo este pajarito en mis manos., Estaba pensando en el viejo himno., Sus ojos están en el gorrión. Los pasajes bíblicos de los que se tomó este himno están en Mateo. 10:29-31; “¿No se venden dos gorriones por una moneda de cobre?? Y ninguno de ellos cae al suelo sin la voluntad de Tu Padre.. Pero hasta los pelos de tu cabeza están todos contados, No temas pues; valéis más que muchos gorriones”.

Solo quiero que sepas, querido, que Dios te ve y te conoce tan íntimamente porque Él te creó. Y Él sabe cuántos cabellos hay en tu cabeza..

Ven a Él y trae tus sueños rotos., tu corazón roto, tu vida rota, y Él puede hacer algo hermoso con ello si estás dispuesto a confiar en Él..

Preguntas para tomar en serio:

  1. ¿Has podido amar a tus enemigos??
  2. ¿Has experimentado un momento en el que el cuerpo de Cristo trabajó en conjunto para ministrar a otros?? Puede dar un ejemplo? ¿Cómo se sintió eso??
  3. Cómo podemos orar por ti?

https://youtu.be/ku2RUdcku_w
Sus ojos están en el gorrión, Sela

Oro para que conozcas el amor de Dios en lo más profundo de tu ser porque cuando lo haces, cambiará radicalmente tu vida para siempre. Por favor comuníquese si necesita hablar. Envíeme un correo electrónico a: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Eres amado,
Toni

 

Sus ojos están en el gorrión (Parte 2)
por Toni Weisz/Disciplinas espirituales

 

Tuve que hacer planes para poner a dormir a mi querido y leal amigo.. Teníamos a Mozzie para 12 años. Él fue mi compañero constante y mi protector.; realmente amaba ese papel, jajaja. Estaba casi ciego y sordo., y no podía caminar muy bien. Sabía en mi corazón que mantenerlo con vida sería egoísta de mi parte.. Había cumplido su propósito en esta tierra.. Ya era hora de que lo dejara ir.. Me di unas semanas para llorar y dejar ir.

En septiembre 1, 2023, Lo llevé al veterinario, y mientras estaba en la sala de espera, el Señor trajo la canción, Sus ojos están en el gorrión, en mi opinión. Con lágrimas en los ojos y la voz entrecortada, Le canté la canción a Mozzie mientras lo sostenía en mis brazos y lo mecía.. Fue un momento dulce y le doy gracias a Dios por ello.. No planeaba estar con él hasta el final., pero supongo que Dios quería que yo estuviera allí con él.. Me quedé con él hasta que sus ojos se cerraron y su corazoncito dejó de latir.. Le agradecí por ser un amigo tan fiel.. Le di gracias a Dios por el regalo de Mozzie..

A la mañana siguiente cuando me levanté, Me senté frente a mi computadora para comenzar mis devocionales matutinos.. El Señor susurró a mi corazón, “Estoy orgulloso de ti por la forma en que mostraste amabilidad y por cómo lo cuidaste tan bien.. Bendice mi corazón cuando amas a mis criaturas”. Sonreí y mi corazón se llenó de su amor.. Quiero complacerte, Caballero, en cada área de mi vida.

Por favor comuníquese si necesita hablar. Envíeme un correo electrónico a: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Eres amado,
Toni

 

 

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¿Quiénes son tus amigos del balcón??

¿Quiénes son tus amigos del balcón??

¿Quiénes son tus amigos del balcón??

By Toni Weisz/Recovery Tools

Referencias de las Escrituras: Hebreos 10:24 and Matthew 11:28–30

Balcony peeps (people) are individuals who cheer you on in your life. They are literally hanging over the railing of a balcony, cheering you on in your walk with Jesus and in the hard things you have experienced in your life. They are your cheerleaders.

Who do you see as your balcony peeps? Can you see their faces? Can you hear their words of encouragement?

Too many people, even in ministry, are not kind, gentle, cariñoso, or supportive. I have experienced a lot of pride lately in leadership roles, and it makes me very sad because I know that is not pleasing to our God.

In the book, Balcony People, the author talks about the toxic people in our lives and how much importance we put on their words instead of focusing on the positive people God has put in our lives that help stir us up to love and good works. (Ref. Hebreos 10:24)

 

Here is a poem by an anonymous source taken from the book, Balcony People by Joyce Landorf Heatherley:

I was hungry and you formed a humanities club to discuss my hunger.
THANK YOU.

I was imprisoned and you crept off quietly to your chapel to pray for my release.
NICE.

I was naked, and in your mind, you debated the morality of my appearance.
WHAT GOOD DID THAT DO?

I was sick and you knelt and thanked God for your health.
BUT I NEEDED YOU.

I was homeless and you preached to me of the shelter of the love of God.
I WISH YOU’D TAKEN ME HOME.

I was lonely and you left me alone to pray for me.
WHY DIDN’T YOU STAY?

You seem so holy, so close to God; but I’m still very hungry, solitario, frío, and still in pain.
DOES IT MATTER?

 

How do we meet these women’s needs? They need a safe place to come to lay their burdens down. That’s why we do the Sunday Conference calls. We want to be the hands and feet of Jesus to these dear precious women. We provide a community of women who have experienced the same trauma because we have walked the same walk. We know through experience what they are feeling.

They are yearning to feel deeply connected in a safe community. They have been used and abused and feel isolated in their pain, and they are vulnerable to the attacks of the evil one. They desire to be seen by others. They need love, support, and encouragement that one day, if they seek God with their whole heart, they will be healed. But it’s hard work, and that is what we are here for, to cheer them on and to help them heal from their past trauma. It is God that leads them to us, and it’s through the power of Jesus, the Word of God, and the work of the Holy Spirit that they are healed. We are just vessels God uses to accomplish this miraculous work.

We meet their spiritual needs as well as physical needs. We do not judge them for the things that have happened to them in their past because that does not define them. We love them, and we know they are weary with their pain and trauma from their past.

We are reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28–30: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

I thank God for each of you on this call today. I know most of your stories, and I am in awe of God and the work He has been doing in your lives. I get to watch God miraculously heal your broken hearts, bodies, minds, and spirits. I am truly honored and humbled by the privilege to serve in this ministry and for each and every one of you.

Preguntas para tomar en serio:

  1. Who are your balcony peeps, your cheerleaders?
  2. Do you see them hanging over the balcony cheering you on? What are they saying to you?
  3. Who are you encouraging? For those that are just beginning your healing journey, take care of yourself and your family first, then you can reach out to others.
  4. How can we pray for you on your healing journey?

Please reach out if you need to talk this week. Send me a text at: 561-327-7274 o envíame un correo electrónico a: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Eres amado,
Toni

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Caballero, Quiero ser sanado

Caballero, Quiero ser sanado

Caballero, I Want to Be Healed

por Toni Weisz/Disciplinas espirituales

Referencias de las Escrituras: John 10:10b, Efesios 3:20, Isaías 41:10, Lucas 19:10 y Salmo 40:1–3

 

If we truly want to be healed from our past trauma, we must be willing to surrender all to God. We must step out and trust Him completely in this process even when it gets scary and it’s unpredictable and out of our control.

For those who have experienced abuse and abortion in our past, it is hard to let go of control because it was our protection, so we thought.

We have to come to the point where we don’t want to just survive, we want to live the abundant life Jesus came to give us (Read John 10:10b). We no longer want to just settle; we want to experience true love and acceptance, perhaps for the first time in our lives.

If you are reading this blog, you most likely have decided you want to be healed, too. You are courageous and tired of the life you were living and want more. You want to stop the cycle of dysfunction in your life and for future generations. This is a long and very hard process, but it is worth it.

If you are willing, God is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than what you can ask or think (Read Efesios 3:20). That’s the God we serve. He is not limited by time and space. He is eternal.

I remember back in 2006, when God called me to the post–abortion ministry, starting a journal called, “Why are the relationships closest to me toxic?” God gave me awareness that there was something going on in my relationships with those closest to me. But what was it? I was the common denominator, so what was I doing to enable these toxic relationships?

I discovered over a ten-year period of relentlessly going to God as a broken surrendered woman, “Lord I want to be healed from all the pain, rejection, abuse and my abortion. I want to be set free from my people–pleasing and fear of man. I want to know your love in the innermost parts of my being. I want to feel loved, cherished, and safe, but how do I get there?"

God was so gentle with me because He knew how fragile I was after a lifetime of pain, rejection and trauma. He was leading me with His righteous right hand on a path of healing that was so difficult at times, but it was also beautiful (Read Isaías 41:10).

I discovered the heart of God on this journey, and for that, I am most grateful. To know the Father’s heart towards us is life transforming. He is love, gentle, kind, faithful, peaceful, generous, powerful, and eternal. He is close to the abused, neglected, abandoned, and broken. He came to seek and to save the lost (Read Lucas 19:10). We were all that at one point. But God in His infinite wisdom, His abounding grace and love picked us up out of the pit and placed us on the rock, Jesus Christ our Lord, our strong foundation (Read Salmo 40:2).

Hallelujah!!! Gracias, Jesús.

 

Preguntas para tomar en serio:

  1. When did God show you the dysfunction in your life?
  2. What was your next step after your awareness?
  3. How is God healing you? Who or what did He use to accomplish this?
  4. Cómo podemos orar por ti?

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

I watched this movie recently eso truly blessed my heart: Kendrick Brothers’ Show me the Father.

Here is the YouTube trailer: https://youtu.be/k4g0CFfGkMk

I pray it blesses your heart also.

 

Eres amado,

Toni