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Beautifully Scarred

Scars…we all have them.

Even Jesus did. His nail scarred hands were marked with love and promise; yet not without pain. Whether our pain is physical, spiritual, emotional, or mental, the pain is real and it hurts!.

Every painful experience has a purpose when you belong to Jesus Christ. Do we focus on the pain or should we rise above and focus on His promise and purpose.? Your pain is marked with a purpose!

What a sight that must have been for Jesus’ disciples to see Him standing before them with His opened arms revealing His nail-scarred hands and feet.

Can we say the same thing about our scars?

Can we stand with strength and courage and reveal our scars knowing that they were not left there without a purpose?

We can with Jesus. He gives us the strength and courage to rise above the pain.

Allow your scars to be a reminder of how much He loves you and has called you to where you are today… An Overcomer who is…

BEAUTIFULLY SCARRED

“For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.” Galatians 6:17 (NIV)

Who doesn’t have scars? Don’t let those scars define you. Only Jesus defines who you are in Christ❤ He’s so much in love with you! You are His child! Just as the Father did for Jesus, He wants to take what has been broken in you and breathe new life and fill your soul with His life-changing promises.

He does that every single moment we go to Him and lay all of our trials and struggles at the foot of the cross, When you say, “I can’t,” God says, “I CAN,”

I’m so thankful that Jesus doesn’t base His love for us on the things we do or don’t do. He loves us because we belong to Him. Take His promise in prayer and read this prayer as you personalize it with your own name. Listen, because he’s whispering to you right now…

“But (your name), you belong to me. You have already won a victory over all your sufferings and trials that you have had to endure. Rejoice, because I am making all things new. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation  21:5 (NIV)

The enemy wants only to destroy you. Stand your ground and march onward in victory because the spirit who lives in you, my beautiful son/daughter (insert you name) comes from me, and not the world. This spirit in the world only wants to wreck havoc in your life, and give you no faith, no hope, and no love. (1 John 4:4) NIV (your name), this is not what I have planned for you. Breathe in and reflect on My promise; “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Dearest friend, believe His promise right now and receive it. Every temptation we face will be a test of our faith. Will we allow our flesh which is weak, or will we allow our spirit which is willing? “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 (NIV)

There is no other love that compares to the love and protection He provides in the life He has chosen for you.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you, (your name); Now remain in my love.” John 15:9 (NIV)

Take your beautiful scars and lay them at the foot of the cross; the cross where Jesus loved us enough to receive His beautiful scars and gave up His life only so that we may have everlasting life with Him. This love will never leave us, nor forsake us. “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

Joyously in Jesus, Kerri

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CALLED: Even When It Seems Impossible and You Have No Clue What You’re Doing

An Encounter with the Lord

Back in 2016, before the writing of the book, GLORIFIED UN-EXPECTATIONS, our lives changed forever. Rick shared with me his encounter with the Lord in the basement of a hospital requesting a responsibility of writing a book. I immediately said, No. I knew that I would have to go back to the place where I thought my life was over.

Message at the Window

All that changed when one day, I found myself standing at the window in my living room glaring through the screen, hoping to escape the emotions of uncertainty and see or hear something within my spirit telling me that He’s here, and everything is fine. But instead, I’m hearing a not so confident voice saying…

Climb That Mountain | In Kerri’s Thoughts & Words

I was tired of hurting…

The pain of the past was too much too take…

I didn’t want to remember how hard it was to say goodbye to my only daughter and I didn’t want to relive the scariest moment of my life as I knelt beside my son as He fought for his life!

“Be Still…”

the gentle spirit speaks; as my tears fall, searching for something or someone to hold on too.

“I’m here.”

He says to me, as he grasps my hand and gently calls to me,

“Child, you are safe, just hold on, don’t let go. Trust me and do the impossible.”

I close my eyes and I see Him, the two of us, and He’s holding me and says, “Kerri, the book has already been written. All you need to do is trust me enough to take you back to the moments when you thought I was absent.”

The Lord of the Human Impossibility

Those painful moments of my past that deflated my very soul, led me to believe what the Lord of the impossible wanted to do through me, so that His power could move in me.

You see, writing Glorified Un-Expectations was my mountain of impossibility. God takes what we think is impossible and makes it possible. When I said “I can’t write a book”, God said, He can.

Surrender

He made it possible because He gave me the strength and courage to do something I didn’t think I could do. I had to constantly rely on His direction and trust Him enough to come to a place of surrender. I had to be willing to give in, so He could move in and remove the fear of the impossible.

Writing my life’s story took time. During the two years of writing, I fought it with tears. Some days were better than others. I knew how hard it was going to be to relive those moments of despair; not just one at a time, but with all my three children.

He Was There All Along

That’s why it’s so vital to allow Jesus to move you and listen with your soul the words that His presence wants to reveal to you. A beautiful revelation that He was there all along.

He doesn’t want to keep you in the past. He only wants you to see that you were never alone. He was there. All that was needed to do the impossible, was to say His name,

“Jesus.”

Your Past Has A Purpose

We are all called for His glory. Your past has a purpose and a future with Jesus Christ. A story of redemption, whether it be through joy or sorrow is waiting to be written to bring healing to another soul.

Don’t be afraid to revisit your past. Without it, would you be where you are today?

YOU! He’s Calling YOU!

Could it be that Jesus is calling you to write your story even if you have no clue what your doing?

Do the impossible, take that step of faith, and experience the possibilities with Jesus Christ, “The Author and Finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

Joyously in Jesus,
Kerri 🙂

Image Contributor: Mimi Thian

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Moving Past the Loss of a Child

How Jesus Moves Us Out of the Past and into His Love

So many times, I ask myself this question? Why me? What do I have to offer that not only glorifies Jesus, but helps someone else? I have heard someone once say, “Don’t ever look back at your past. Keep moving forward.” Really? How can you move forward if you can’t even get past your past?  Anyone who has had to say goodbye to their child too soon, knows exactly why they want life to stop and stay right where they are.  Confusion, sadness, anger, guilt; every emotion that grabs hold of your heart and rips it into tiny little pieces that can never be put back together again.

Empty Arms and an IV Pole

This is me. Nine years ago, all this “Child of God” wanted to do was lock the door and sink deeper into despair. I felt like Jesus had slipped off to go bless someone else, and left me there to die. How can a God who knew my heart’s desire to have a daughter take her home so shortly after her birth? I remember that day like it was yesterday. I desperately wanted to be like all the other mothers holding their babies and full of joy. Instead, all I had to show were empty arms and an IV pole attached to my arm because of complications. There is no greater pain, than knowing for the rest of your life, a child that you carried or gave birth to has died. Yes, I know she is with Jesus. Yes, I know I have other children. Yes, I know she could have had health problems, but she was mine, and I wanted to be her mommy here on this earth.

Pain is Real and Deep

The pain is real and deep. I know. But how was I going to get out of the past and move forward? The answer is Jesus. God loves you and wants to heal your broken heart.  Grieving takes time. For one individual, it can take months. Mine took years. Nine years of asking God, why? Only Jesus knew the answer, and I had to trust Him enough to release me from the past and get me to a place of surrender.

During many uncertain times, I would:

  • Close my eyes.
  • Picture Him with opened arms.
  • Climb up into his lap like a little girl.
  • Get as close to Jesus as I possibly could.
  • Rest my head on His heart.

With Jesus, I felt safe and loved. When I had nothing to give, and all my strength was gone, He was able to fill my soul with His love and strength and move me to walk by FAITH, and not by sight. I had to let go, and let God.

Moving Forward

How can you offer help to someone if you have never experienced a deep despair? Whether it is a loss of a child, loss of a job, cancer, a sick child; the list can go on and on. How we move forward and get past the hurt can only be found in Jesus.

If I had not looked back to revisit my past, I would have missed the beautiful story that He continues to write in my life today.

My fear turned to faith, the uncertainty turned to hope, and my pain turned to love because “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7 ESV).

I had nothing to give, but He did, and He can do the same for you if you let Him.

It is my prayer that you allow Jesus to cradle you in His arms, and know; as He cradles you in one hand, He’s holding your precious child in the other.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)

Joyously in Jesus, Kerri 🙂