Some days my written words come easily. Other days I need to show and tell you what’s on my heart. Today is one of those days.
Please {like pretty please even if you don’t normally watch video posts} click the arrow below to “hear” today’s message from my heart to yours. I don’t want another day to go by without you knowing this…
{Are you a note-taker? If so, I created “Video Message Notes” in a PDF and in MSWord just for you. Even included blanks to fill in. 🙂
Today’s Giveaway:
Two friends of mine who serve behind the scenes and are part of our online study, [thank you Donna & Veronica] have donated copies of my book to giveaway today. Together we created 5 gift packs for 5 of you. Each one includes a copy of my book, A Confident Heart {for you or a friend?} and my testimony/teaching message on CD, Letting God Fill My Empty Places.
Let’s Connect {and how to enter today’s drawing}:
I’d love to hear your thoughts about today’s 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 – share your thoughts. {I love to read them! And pray over you when I do.} I’ll be there reading and sharing my heart with you too.
For More Daily Encouragement join my Confident Heart Facebook page.
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This came at a perfect time…
I am wrestling through recognizing the times when I am choosing food for comfort – and learning to make better choices, filling those hurting, empty places with the Lord. I am weeping over the broken relationship with my parents – having been told they don’t ever want to see or hear from me & my family again. I am fighting the “being a Mom is a thankless job” feelings yet knowing that I would rather be home than in the workplace. I find myself feeling “unworthy” based on the size/age of our home (and it’s a rental!).
This SO resonated with the battle that I find myself in… and was SO INCREDIBLY ENCOURAGING to see and hear your message today! Looking to HIM to fill my empty places today!!
Thank you, Renee!!!
Renee,
Thank you for your timely message. I see I am not alone in my struggles. I can’t remember if I first heard of your book from Courtney @ Women Living Well, or my friend Lisa Smith who is reading your book–or she has already done the study. She posts a lot of quotes/verses from “A Confident Heart” and I keep thinking I sure need to read that! Struggling more than I should and I’ve been a Christian for 40 years! I’m already following you on facebook/ twitter/ and Pinterest. I hope I win the book…but if not I hope to get it soon. I know the answers are simple and just need to commit to being in the Word and prayer more. Thanks for saying you will pray for us on here too.
I love the illustration! I am going to use it at home with my kids. I have a 16 yr old, 13 yr old and a 10 yr old. I think it is appropriate for all ages. I am excited about the give away!
Thank you Renee for these words of encouragement and reminders that we need to look to Jesus to fill our empty spaces – all the spaces. Today I hit a bump in the road but God has used this message and another study I am doing to get me back on track. Thank you for listening to what God is telling you and sharing it with us. It is a great encouragement.
Thank you for your message! There is so much going on right now and I needed the message to ground me and to shift my focus where it needs to be. God Bless you!
Thank you for this visual. I love flower vases so this really speaks to me. I have been searching for words for my emotions and your video gave me words to speak to God. I have been taught that we are always going to be searching or longing for something…it is how we are made. I will focus on what really matters by using this visual when I feel like I don’t get what I want.
Renee,
Thank you for allowing God to use you. I needed this today. I have tried to feel my empty spaces with people, relationships and things. Always seeking others approval and not God’s. When we allow God to enter in and take full control, he will make us whole and fill every space. Thank you.
Thank you Renee for being willing to be used by God to help us realize that only He can fill our empty places. 🙂
Awesome!! God has really used your message to speak to me today. You are such a blessing, thank you for all you do.
Thank you, Renee. I know I have been looking to other things and people to fill me. I recently realized that I was trying to prove my worth in order to be filled. Since I began reading your book, I realized that I have been looking to other people to fill me. From childhood, I have heard the concept that I have to let God be my all before I can do anything else. This has been stuck as head knowledge all this time, and I think your words will help me begin to change this. I feel like I am still grasping at it, not fully getting it, but I am trying. I pray God will grant me the grace to embrace this, embrace Him, and live in confidence and freedom.
I am a mother of four, public school teacher about to retire, and a wife second time around. I have been a full time Christian Educator, always taught and volunteered at church, and home schooled. What haven’t I done, but I also leak and need to seek that relationship daily that fills me. Thanks for your encouragement!
Can I just say WOW! Such a powerful visual to demonstrate what I’ve been looking to, and what so many of us women look to fill and satisfy us.
I’ll be honest with you, about a year ago, I decided to take a relationship that I knew was God’s will for my life, and take it into my own hands… so I broke up with him. He didn’t do anything, I just rebelled. As soon as I broke up with him I knew in my heart, and God made it clear to me that I made a big no-no. In the beginning of our relationship you couldn’t seperate us, we were so in love… and I was going by my feelings. Since we have broke up, he is now with another girl… but God keeps telling me he’s going to work it out. To not look at those things which I see but believe what he has promised me (and it’s him.) God gave me a promise about him about 2 or 3 years ago… so now I’m waiting. I have been putting him as a priority with my mind, thinking and letting him consume my mind… and God through this study and since our break up have been trying to get my attention saying KIM, I want you! I love you, and I want my love to be enough for you. I’ve been waiting and looking for Adam to come back, but God has and is changing my focus back to him the way it’s supposed to be. I want to draw from his well of unconditional love for I’m learning in his presence, I am satisfied. Love the video Renee!!! God is in you and this study is amazing!!! I’m so glad that God brought me to this study, for I am learning so much!!!! Amazing!!!!
Renee , this video reminded me of a time in my marriage when I had the things I thought I wanted but at one point something happened and I wasn’t happy anymore but i didn’t know why. When people asked me what I wanted all I could say was “I want to be happy” And when they asked what would make me happy, I couldn’t tell them because I didn’t know myself. But what you said touched me and reminded me just how far I have come thanks to Jesus. I am happy and more content then I was. Before the only end I saw was suicide. Now I see living for Christ one of the greatest things ever. Thank you for all you do.
Thank you Renee!! I needed to hear and be reminded of this truth today!!!:) Thanking God for you and all those who have helped you provide this excellent resource for all of us women! Such a blessing, such an encouragement, such a gift!! Thank you for sharing your beautiful heart, gifts AND your time with us! I forwarded your offer to many of my friends who have purchased your book and have also joined your generous online study offer – we all LOVE it!!! Your book, this study and all the resources that go along with it have been an oasis for me- truly life giving water for a dry & thirsty soul!!!:) Many blessings to you & your family! Praying you have a very Blessed, refreshing & restful Mothers Day!:)
Thank you for the reminder that only Christ can fill my heart. And oh what peace he gives.
How timely and comforting this reminder is for me Renee! This past week, I had to bury my brother who committed suicide. He was a wonderful man but a man without hope. I prayed earnestly through the years for him to accept the message of Christ’s love and sacrifice for his soul. Being with the family brought with it not only the grief of saying goodbye to my “big brother” but also the painful reminder of parents who have cut off all relationships with me, my husband and children because we represent a family of faith in the ministry which is not welcome. My heart has longed all my life to be loved by my parents in the way my four brothers were loved, thinking this would be what would make me completely happy. Although the knowledge of this lie is obvious in my head, my heart often wrestles to connect with it, and once again, as I offered the comfort of Christ to my family throughout the week, my heart grieved deeply as this comfort was met with rejection and hostility in the midst of such a difficult and heartbreaking situation. Yet, once again removed from the pain and back home, I stand completely loved and accepted by my God who has continually filled me with such intense love to overshadow what has been taken. “He has loved me with an everlasting love and has drawn me with lovingkindness.” Jer. 31:3
This was a great lesson. I have only had three cigarettes in the past nine days. Today I found a pack and smoked one feeling like I am weak and trying to fill up my self confidence with my addiction. Thank you for showing me I don’t need to do this anymore, that I can let God fill those empty places. I really needed this message today.
Bless you, Peggy! He will fill that void!
Renee~
God has been showing me that I am lacking in my walk, faith, inheritance, because I haven’t accepted it. I carry hurts, rejections, scars and this affects my ability to accept more of him. I’ve been saved 16 years and am ONLY JUST started to let him dissect me. I am SO HUNGRY for him. I am SO HUNGRY to see who I AM to HIM. So HUngry to have the victory of my royal inheritance flowing through my body and my life. I sit here surrounded by my stuff..and still am listening to your message and crying….NEVER…by the way, do I go to the blogs and nevermind LISTEN to your personal message. I recieve proverbs 31 mesaages and you so intriqued me with what you have learned that I followed you to your blog. It was only the alluring words you used….pretty please….don’t leave without hearing my message…your concern for me. Your longing to share with me what God has shown you…..is EXACTLY what I needed. Thank you. And of course….I would love a copy of your book. This is only the beginning of a sanctifitying journey. I want to be HOLY like he is HOLY.
Thank you for your message today, it was truly timely and I felt as if God spoke directly to me. I have been praying, longing and asking him for a good Christian mate for the longest while, and sometimes even have taken things into my own hands and (of course) it didn’t work out. Today, I understand completely that only He can fill my empty spaces, my loneliness, my tiredness, my searching for love, for God IS love.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Please continue to pray for me as I give him my entire heart so He can fill it up with His unfailing love.
God bless you as you bless others!
I don’t usually comment but here it goes. 🙂 There have been so many times in my life I have felt this way and said it to my husband. I feel like I’m missing something in my life. Each time I never knew exactly what it was and I would buy the new furniture, feel like I needed to change my career path but Nothing would work until I began praying Again. Asking God to help me thru this lonely part in my life and even though it helped I still didn’t feel fulfilled until I realized my all still wasn’t focused on Him. I still struggle with this everyday. Finding myself trying to eat healthy, workout to lose weight, changing jobs and my list goes on. I really appreciate your words today because they have given answers to Why life feels empty and incomplete. I need to not only pray about the things going wrong or right in my life but pray and seek God’s Love in all I do. Thank you again for shraring and being a living testimony of how truly amazing God is.