Oh how I am LOVING reading so much about each of you. Gosh I wish we could all meet!! What an amazing group of women of all ages and from all places God has gathered here in HIS name! Makes me just about burst with joy! And now, I’m so glad today is here. Some days my written words come easily. Other days I just have to show and tell you what’s on my heart. Today is one of those days.
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I recently went through a break-up with someone I thought loved me. I loved him so much that when his job transfered him I also moved. I had been a window for 9 years. I trusted him. The pain was sometimes is unbarable, I didn’t think I would make it. I was so tired of trying to fix our relationship, I lost myself but, most of all I lost my relationship with God. Through it all I never stopped praying but it seemed things weren’t working according to the way I wanted. I finally surrendered to God. I beat myself down for not listening and still at times beat myself down for failing God. Learning to let go of the hurt has been a struggle. I can say “The Confident Heart” has opened my eyes thus far to how I was looking for the emptiness to be filled in the wrong places. I feel as if I have walked a part of Sam’s shoes. I’ve read that story many times but I see it in a different light. Reading so many of the testimonials has really given me strength, I love u all for your strength u are giving me.
Today’s message really hit home for me. I have tried to make myself feel needed, wanted, accepted by what others thought of me. I thought if a man was interested in me…then I am OK! I am somebody. This is such a lie. My identity is found in Christ, and not in any….thing or person!
Wow, I forgot how powerful your message was from the first time around. I am amazed at what I picked up so much more this time.I am growiing even more about Jesus and how he affects our lives daily. Last time I would of told you that my pitcher was only half filled and that there was a darkness vying over my pitcher. Today I can honestly say that my pitcher is just about completely full. I am hoping that by the time I finish this bible study will fulfill my pitcher to the top. I love reading others comments and seeing that I am not alone in some of the things in my life that there are other woman who feel the same way I do. Thanks for this wonderful Bible Study Renee.
This video and chapter 3 blessed me so much. This year I turned 27 and for the longest time I have been single and although I’m not sitting around for him to come it’s always in the back of my mind. Because I’m single I often times doubt my beauty and my personality. God has ministered to me in this area and it’s gotten a little better but there are times I still doubt. Yesterday after reading chapter 3 instead of letting my mind wander into thoughts of one day being special in someone’s eyes I began to think of God and His amazing qualities. My mind and heart began to worship Him for His amazing love and kindness, and Him healing words He speaks over me and the times, He has show Himself strong. It blessed me so much. I pray that I would continue to grow in that thinking and to %100 truly understand that his love is greater and deeper than any love any man has to offer.
Wendy\o/
This is a easy and hard lesson all in one. I think it’s so difficult to fill our jar with God because he doesn’t fill it with concrete things, nothing we can physically hold in our hands. I find that I pray and pray, but nothing ever seems to happen .. I’m a very tactile person, and I can’t hold and touch and feel and manipulate the Living Water of God .. makes this very difficult.
What a beautiful video and it brought me to tears. At 40 years old, I have finally come to this overwhelming awareness of my life long insecurity and the pattern of ill choices I have made based on fear and putting my faith in everything BUT God. This study is helping me so much right now, as I am working through one of the deepest valleys of my life and trying desperately to withstand the temptation to crusade as a “victim” and allow all hope, joy and beauty to be stolen by the Enemy. I feel that is exactly what happens when we focus SO much on what we dont have….we become unaware of the gifts that remain, the love and beauty around us….the people who needs us and the ultimate peace and sustenance of our Heavenly Father!
I am what they call an “alienated” mom. My ex and his family have crusaded to keep me from my 15 year old son for years now with absolutely no other purpose but pride and vindication. I have kept this inside for so long….the despair, the anguish in feeling the sting of court system corruption, lack of resources, and simply fighting an earthly battle I can not physically win. Until this study, I felt myself slowly dying inside, as I have for YEARS now, tried to move on with my life, even putting my “jar” out to gain acceptance and love elsewhere, from ANYWHERE I could get it. Doing this to “fill” the void has left me on the verge of total spiritual collapse at times….to the point where my physical and mental health were severely compromised. It wasnt until recent years that I REALLY allowed God to start pouring into me….slowly filling up those empty spaces– a very slow process but every day I get stronger. Immersing my mind in his word daily has done wonders for me. We can never allow the lies of the Enemy to convince us that we are defeated! Though people may say my situation appears as though I have lost, I am now believing and praying for miracles….that my son will be spared from the bitterness being implanted in his heart, that God’s justice will one day soon bring truth to light… and my heart will be filled with the promises of Jesus and his assurance of PEACE through every trial. Thank you, Renee for your beautiful message of hope and confidence that I so need right now! You signed my book in the office that day and I have waited to read it until my heart could truly receive the message. It is serving as a daily spirit builder for me, such a time as THIS. Thank you so much!
I have had very similar feelings.. I am separated from my husband and he wants nothing to do with me and seeks another.. I feel am trying to seek god’s will of marriage and no the world’s exceptance of divorce
I was/am struggling a little bit so I wrote this very quickly without allowing myself to over think it. I haven’t edited the structure or anything, lol, but I thought I would share it with you in hopes that it might encourage you:
I am forgiven. Once was for all.
I am forgiven forever. I’ve been freed from that fall.
There is nothing, I said nothing that can be said or can be done that could ever separate me from God’s One and only Son.
I am free. Free to be who I am.
I have been freed- by the Great I Am.
So who could say anything or do what I so fear?
I cannot be lost, I will not be tossed, so I will go and draw near.
I am redeemed. A child of the Living Lord.
I have been redeemed- so what do I keep searching for?
Why am I scared?
Why do I hide?
Why do I listen to those lies?
I am redeemed, forever made clean, I will lift up my eyes.
I am restored. My life has been spoken for.
Oh yes, restored. A precious child of the risen Lord.
The darkness made light, the truth and the life, oh nothing I said nothing could keep me a prisoner of this world.
and so I sing! Yes I sing to my King- a song of -I am free! A song of blessed be! I will sing forever to my King!
Hi Laura that is so heart touching It had tears in my eyes as I read it. Don’t change a thing. May I copy this so I can put it on my daily read wall that I have made in my house In Christ Love
Absolutely! Thank you SO much for your encouragement. I hoped it would touch someone’s heart when they read it, so I’m happy to hear that it did! God bless you <3
Hi Laura Please keep writing God has giving you a gift to reach people by your writings. Share more when you feel the need. In Christ Love
Oh thank you! If you click on my name it will take you to my blog if you are interested in anymore of my writings 🙂 My mind gets so noisy, that God and I speak best through the written word, lol.
You want to hear something neat, Angela?
I have been questioning my writing lately and then just today, you encouraged me and then a man who has an online ministry emailed me asking me if I would volunteer my writing abilities and be a guest blogger from time to time on his site. Pretty neat timing from God wouldn’t you say?
Laura
that is great see God works in ways you would never think of. Keep up the great writings and God Bless. Amen In Christ love
Thank you for the wonderful reminder that my jar should be filled with the thing God and not clutter with the worldly things.
My sister shared this with me today. I have seen this illustration before (Beth Moore)but I needed to think again about what I am filling my jar with. My is filled today with thoughts many many thoughts and concerns..wondering how all the problems in my life will ever work out for my good? Some have been going on for many many years. Thoughts on why it is taking so long? Thoughts of where is God’s love/Thoughts on quitting, thoughts of frustration. Thoughts of self pity. Thoughts of living a life I’ve never thought would have ended up this way, but am living it. These thoughts are not fulfilling and leave you with many unanswered questions. Daily I battle to “take every thought captive unto Christ”. What a battle. So not only things can fill your jar but your problems too, so much so that you don’t leave room for God’s peace, presence and grace. So the question then becomes will my thoughts be ones of trusting God with all the messes, living in his hand protected by His peace or thoughts that leave me empty.
Cindy, I can so relate to what you have said. And, yes, I struggle every day to take my negative, worrying, weary thoughts captive and to allow God to fill me and to give me peace. Thank you for sharing.
This video lesson reminds me that I need to ask God to fill my cup and satisfy me each day when I pray. It reminds me of an analogy I used once when I was student chaplain at my High School and leading a chapel service.
In the same way that God is the water that fills our the cup of our heart, God is the outlet that gives us power (or fire) for Him. I use to be in a traveling choir, and sometimes we had to beautify ourselves in Sunday School classrooms or bathrooms without an outlet. I would plug my curling iron in the closest room with an outlet, let it heat up, and then run to the bathroom for the mirror to curl my hair. Unfortunately I would have to return to the outlet several times before finishing.
So this is the analogy: God gives us power like the outlet gives the curling iron power, and like the curling iron, the longer we’re “unplugged” (out of prayer/quiet time etc) the colder we become.
Thanks so much, Renee, for reminding me of this awesome time in my life when I was a teenager and more on fire for God than ever!
Love the analogy!
I love the analogy of the curling iron. This is so amazing and awesome. I never thought of it that way. God is awesome! i will remember to stay plugged in so I can receive his power. I dont ever wanna get cold. I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!! THANKS STEPHANIE!!!! YOU JUST MADE MY DAY!!!!! : )
Great video…thanks for sharing from your heart Renee. I too like you didn’t grow up with a Godly father. So chapter 2 hit home a lot for me. I realized that yes, I do have a Father who loves me and wants me to long for Him with unconditional love and to know that I am not alone. Thank you for this wonderful reminder.
Thank you so much for this video!! I have spent my whole life filling my jar with the things of this world. I am finally seeking God. Thank you for this study!!
I really enjoyed this video! Just as so many others have commented, actually seeing a visual representation of our jar makes the message very powerful and memorable. I have full jar of things and people, but with empty spaces. I’m ready to fill them up with Jesus’ love!
Today was tough for me. When I first saw the title of this chapter, I wasn’t sure how it would pertain to my life, but just as God so often does, He surprised me and showed me some things I need to work on. I have been a people-pleaser my entire life. I was overweight and cast off by many peers when I was younger and when I did good things, I felt important and needed and loved. But that has followed me into my adult life where I still long to feel accepted and wanted. I thirst for the approval of others and while it fills my heart briefly, I find myself back at square one questioning myself, my worth, & my purpose and the longing creates a vicious cycle of pleasing others to lift my spirit up. I relate to the busyness you describe in your life in chapter 3. That has always been me, involved in too many activities to count b/c as long as I stay busy, say yes to everyone that needs help, and give myself as a living sacrifice, I could earn my worth. I just don’t know how to let go of that. When it’s all you’ve ever known, it’s hard to know how. I’m praying for God to fill me up with his living water so I will stop looking to fill me up with things and people that can’t satisfy me like God can. Thank you Renee, for your words, your honesty and your prayers!
I can relate to wanting to do as much as I can to “earn” my worth. I’ve learned to break that cycle by praying before I say yes to people and commitments. And only to say yes if God is calling me into something, not just because I would be good at it. It’s hard to turn things down and risk losing peoples’ approval, but it’s actually been great. I have a lot more free time and I’m only involved in things I’m sure God wants for me. It’s really a change in perspective to glorify Him instead of me. As He must increase, so I must decrease. God bless!
Right there with you.. I feel I have no value sometimes… But when I pray I thank God for valuing me
Like so many others, I have been looking for a new job. After almost 15 years at my current job I have realized that it is time to move on. My husband and I were so hoping to move back to my home town (just an hour away). It looked like it was going to happen, he had an opportunity come his way. We were so excited, we were going to live with my Mom and I was going to go back to school full time. Today we found out that that opportunity will most likely not be happening. I feel so lost. I have been praying and it seems that this is what God wants me to do, go back to school. But now we need another opportunity to come our way.
Please pray for direction and patience. Thank you so much.
Don’t give up! It’s hard to face closed doors but God doesn’t close one door without opening another. He’ll find a way for you and your family. God bless!
This is an excellent video, thank you! I pray that I look only to God to fulfill my needs instead of others.
Wonderful illustration!
This was a great object lesson. A lot of wisdom as I read through these posts. Living water trumps our stuff anyday.
Thank you Renee for your wise words. As I listened to you my heart swelled w/ thankfulness as I connected w/ what you said. Thank you Jesus! Thank you for opening my heart and mind to hear the meaning in Renee’s words!
Wow! I read each and every post on this blog today! Took me about 2 1/2 hours! What amazing women you all are! I’m so blessed to be able to share in your lives in some small way. Each of you is so valuable to God, and yet how many of us realize it? I’ve struggled with self-doubts and people pleasing a lot in my life, too. Isn’t it just like the enemy to make us think we are ‘the only one” who feels that way? What a lie! It’s so wonderful to know the truth of who we are in Christ!!! The illustration in the video was wonderful! Another woman and I are taking this online course together so we can teach it our our small group in the near future. Please pray that we will present it the way God wants us to. I’m praying for each of you that God will continue to touch your hearts and lives with His truth and grace. Blessings to you all.