Today is another day where I can’t just write what I want to say – I need to “show and tell” you. In today’s short video message below I share how God walked me through a process of looking back with courage – so I could move forward with hope. He helped me identify things I didn’t even know were affecting me and gently led my heart on a journey towards freedom – showing me how to of let go of the pain from my yesterdays so I could live with confident hope in my todays… and tomorrows.
{Are you a note-taker? If so, I created “Video Message Notes” in a PDF format here or in a MSWord doc here, just for you. Even included key verses and blanks to fill in.} 🙂
Today’s Giveaway:
I’m giving away 3 Confident Heart gift packs for 3 of you. Each one includes a copy of my book, A Confident Heart {for you or a friend?}, my “Rest Assured” message on CD and a Starbucks gift card!
Let’s Connect {and how to enter today’s drawing}:
I’d love to hear how God speaks to you through today’s video message… and this is an easy way to enter today’s giveaway too. Just click “share your thoughts” right below this post and do just that. I’ll be here reading and praying over each of you and your stories. {Also, I know the timelines I encourage you to create might sound overwhelming or scary, so I recorded a little video message to talk/walk you through that process – If you’d like to hear more click here to watch it after you share your thoughts below.}
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Renee, Thanks for being so real. There have been studies I have been through that I just cannot connect with, because the leader seems to have the perfect life. Your book and words have encouraged me to continue on processing my painful past, and begin removing my mask of “everything’s fine.” Thank you, thank you dear girl!
Thank you for sharing your heart with us. It is always encouraging to know that others go through the same doubts and questions that I have. I am older now but I have had doubts about being good enough. But as I have grown older I have found out that only through Jesus can I be good enough. I can’t do it on my own, I have to rely on God to lead me every step of the way. Sometimes he takes me out of my comfort zone, but when I obey Him then I get the blessing I would have missed. One of my daughters has been going through a rough time and she has been struggling. She is a widow with 3 young children and I know that things get overwhelming for her at times. I would love for her to have your book. If I don’t win, I will buy it for her.
Thank you for your words of encouragement. Chapter 4 is a difficult one. But, I believe God has prepared my heart to receive this call to action because there are pains in my past that I have buried and not dealt with. I am excited for this journey and thankful for the confidence in Him to move forward!
It’s a struggles sometimes, trying to let go of the past and trust people from those past hurts, but God and my faith in him as been helpful. Along with sharing with my sisters in Christ.
Thank you for sharing your message on today. It truly was a message that I needed to read and share with my family this morning. My prayer is that I releass all doubt and trust more in the Lord. Keep up the good work and please pray for my family. Love, Berthina, Adrian, Tisha, Meshia, AJ, & Brandon
Renee: I too have struggled with demons from my past. I have been unemployed since November 2011- the longest ever. I can only believe that God has other plans for me and my family. The 2 prior lay offs- I found a job within 6 weeks- however, that is not the case this time. God is providing all my needs and I am giving him back a portion as always. My walk, readings and talking to Him has increased since Februrary and it feels good to trust HIM in all that I do.
I till struggle daily with anxiety and depression and short temperment withmy children- but I know I am much better since I have released so many things.
Thank you for your encouragement and life story.
Many blessings
Kimberly
I don’t ever remember reading the Jeremiah verses that follow His promise for giving us a hope and a future. This chapter is the perfect application of those verses. Thank you.
Th Lord put your message today on my heart to share with a good friend who is “hungry”for Gods words. She is now attending a great church..working on healing her marriage. I am going to share your message today with her! Thanks!
I have not had a lot of positive influences in my life, partly because I did not seek them. So I have a lot of baggage God has been showing me through this study. Thank you Renee for coming along side of us and being a great influence and mentor.
As I read your encouraging words and then listened to them spoken out oud, I felt “hope” again. I am at a place in my life where I am being haunted by rejection. Not so much in my marriage, but in my own heart, which bleeds it in other areas which at times includes my marriage. The scripture focus and your words helped me to see, be reminded and BELIEVE in my heart that God DOES have a future planned for me in His kingdom. Although I have alot of emotional doubts and fears to work thru, I just want to finally get to that place where I can feel God’s confidence in me. Thank you for going there first, otherwise all of us women that you’ve touched thru your post today, would be that much farther from knowing God’s plans for our lives are good and full of hope and a future in Him. God bless you, Renee.
What you’ve shared makes a lot of sense. I guess my question/fear is: what if I can’t hear what God is trying to tell me? Both my husband and I have been praying about some things and asking God to please show us what He wants of us, and it has been hard to discern a response.
Thank you for sharing your words of truth and encouragement! I am praying and working through my unreal expectations I heap on my husband. I have been so critical towards him. Your words and insight in chpt 4 have brought focus to my prayers and direction toward healing in my marriage and family.
Thank you Renee, all of the Proverbs 31/Encouragement for Today team & all the previous commenters. It encourages me (and it must you too) to know that so many are blessed and encouraged by God’s heart through your words. I too am walking through this process with God & a spiritual mentor and counselor trying to uncover and deal with past issues, beliefs formed from circumstances and doubts and find my identity in Christ not my past. It has been and is a difficult and painful journey. I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home and I grew up without the pain of divorce or abuse but in a controlling environment filled with rules and expectations. I then have been married for almost 18 years to a good man but one who also has controlling expectations. Then he was in a 4- wheeler accident 6 years ago that caused severe head trauma that, praise God, he completely recovered from, but this left him with a different filter, personality, depression, and short term memory loss that has prevented him from maintaining gainful employment for any more than 4 months at a time. So many things have caused me to lose my trust, and reliance in him and I am struggling trying to get to know his ever-changing mind that I feel bitter, resentful, disrespected in our past that I don’t feel like I can give myself fully to him right now until I work through these feelings and get to a healthier place. I have also asked and asked for him to go to counsel as well and he keeps putting it off. I have hope and am hanging onto that with every ounce of energy I have left.
Jer 29:14 spoke to me, often times I feel like I’m in captivity. I was encouraged with your devo and especially enjoyed your talk last year at she speaks.
I read your daily devotion on Encouragement for Today which then led me to this video. Powerful! The personal things you shared about your disappointments in your past family life and how it affected you now in your marriage relationship with your husband was like a picture of myself. My parents were divorced and my father was never around and I too try to control my husband and make him be what I wanted so badly for my father and family to be. I didn’t even realize where that was coming from. So I’ve made my list, I have several things on it and your right, there are tears. I know as I take these things to the Lord and let him walk through them with me, he will reveal to me his healing power and give me hope for the future. Thank you so much for sharing and caring.
Thank you for sharing a part of your journey with us. I have been struggling to keep my head above water for years now. God has been leading me into a deeper relationship with Him over the last 5 or 6 years but it seems the deeper we go the more satan turns up the heat. He has attacked my children and my grandchildren. I have been led to places I never imagined myself going. I have had to visit my own child in prison, I am now raising my 4 granddaughters, and believe it or not there is more. My husband and I have remained steadfast in our faith but still the questions come, “WHY?”
Your devotional was God ordained “for such a time as this” In everything God had for me today in my quiet time He put them together in such a way that I was truly blest. It started with 2 Samuel 22 & 23 &Ps. 557 to my God’s Minute devotional, to your testimony. What an Awesome God we serve.
Thank you for your heartfelt words and always knowing what weighs on my heart..you have definately been given a gift from God!
It feels as though I have come full circle. 3 years ago, I lost my marriage, and then my job. Moved my children and self back home to live with my Mom while I picked up the pieces. Found a man who loves Jesus, and we are to be married next month. Due to budget cuts, I may lose my job again, along with several others. Feeling very hopeless and wondering what I haven’t learned that God has brought me here again. My son’s first year of Kindergarten has been so traumatic, we learned he has a learning disability and have been working hard to help him gain ground. My insurance through work covers my daughter’s braces. We live in a very rural area, and jobs are not plentiful.
Renee,
This is my first time to read your comments. They touched me and made me realize that I too have issues with past hurts. God has impressed on me that I need to work on them. As you stated, it will not be easy and the road will be long but I press on to know what He has in store for me. Thank you for your willingness to share and your open heart to help. I have also been had the desire to be involved in a Bible study and I see that yours is offered here. How great He is!
Blessings,
Linda
Thank you for the encouragement..Amazing hire this affect us that we don’t .if we are willing to go deeper in faith they slowly bubble to the surface so they can be dealt with!
Renee,
Thank you for sharing what God put on your heart today. It is something I very much struggle with from time to time and currently am in the season of life God has me placed today. As a newly wed I know God has great plans for my husband and I it is just hard to look past so much of the unknown in our life right now. What a great reminder today and thank you so much.