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Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

Living “Loved”

I have something really important to tell you today. Lean in close. Really let this get past your self-doubts and into those assurance-seeking places in your heart…

God is absolutely crazy about you!
Yes you. The beautiful one sitting there looking at the screen.

I know it’s hard to believe sometimes, but it’s true. You fill God’s heart with absolute joy and every day you take His breath away with your smile.

Just a slight glance in His direction makes Him pause. He loves the unique way you do things. He really enjoys watching others love on you and bring out His best in you. And He’s not critical of your mistakes like you sometimes think, or waiting for you to do something productive. He simply delights in you because you are His. And that is enough.

It took me 20 years to understand and 10 more years to truly believe this was the reality of God’s love for me. The same was true for my friend Sheri Rose Shepherd who I’ve asked to be a girlfriend guest blogger with us today. Like many of you, I’ve been blessed by God’s words written through her, so today I’m giving away a copy of her book, “His Princess.“ More about that in a minute.

Sheri Rose is a woman who can relate to almost any woman’s battle. A former Mrs. United States, she grew up in a dysfunctional home and was severely overweight as a teen. As a young woman, she battled depression and an eating disorder. In spite of an English teacher telling her she was “born to lose” and a learning disorder—Dyslexia—Sheri Rose has (in God’s strength) become a Best Selling and award-winning author. Sheri Rose is also an internationally known speaker and Bible life coach.

Today, in my devotion on P31 and Crosswalk, I shared about God’s lavish love for us and how He wants us to live “loved” because we are. Then I asked Sheri Rose to share with us what she believes is the most important thing for women to know, so we can grasp the depth of God’s love for us. Here is what she said:

People often ask me, “How did you break free from your painful past and the lies and learn to embrace truth.” To be honest, I still have to fight the lies I’ve believed about myself. It seems to be the battle each woman I have met faces.

Many of us have experienced what I call “Spiritual Identity Theft.” We’ve somehow lost our confidence in who we are in Christ, and we feel worthless or wounded by someone’s words.Others of us hold in our hearts a false identity. We believe a lie about ourselves and we have allowed that lie to define us.

I understand what it is like to feel worthless and walk with a wounded heart from hurtful words. Perhaps you’re just recognizing the root of the lie you have been living in.Maybe it was hurtful words spoken to you by a father or mother, brother or sister, teacher, boyfriend or husband. Maybe it was an employer who thoughtlessly felt like dumping lies on you.

I don’t think those hurtful words are easily forgotten but I do know healing and wholeness can become reality in our lives when we learn how to embrace God’s truth.You do not have to let others’ hurtful words define you anymore. They did not give their life, as Jesus did, to prove your worth. We are Daughters of the King of Kings whether we feel like it or not.

Let me be a spiritual mentor and give you the three keys to unlocking lies and finding your true identity, I call it “a truth makeover.”

1. Know the Truth. You Are…

  • Chosen By God (John 15:16)
  • A New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  • Holy and Pure (1 Peter 2:9)
  • A Trophy of His Grace (Ephesians 2:8)
  • His Princess Warrior (2 Timothy 4:7)
  • His Beloved Bride (Psalm 45:11)

2. Speak The Truth…
Whenever a lie is spoken to you or a lie enters your mind, speak this Truth out loud…
“That is a lie. My worth is not in what anyone else says about me or what I feel at the moment.”

3. Fast Off Speaking Lies
Try a seven-day fast by not speaking anything negative about yourself or repeating any lies that have been spoken over you or about you. If possible, ask a friend to hold you accountable to speak only truth.

4. Read this Love Letterfrom God:
My Chosen Daughter,You are royalty even when you don’t feel like a princess. How you feel about yourself will never change the truth of who you are in Me. You are My treasure, and I have chosen you. If you ever begin to doubt your significance, just look to the cross and remember I gave my life to prove your worth. I see your heart and I know you fight to find truth. So start by recognizing who I am: the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and your Daddy in heaven. Saturate yourself in My truth and you will discover how loved and treasured you are.

Love, Your Lord who is Truth

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Thank you Sheri for sharing your heart and God’s amazing love with us today. And thank you for so generously giving away2 FREE Bible Life-coaching sessions! What a huge blessing for one of our girlfriends that gather here today. And there is more!


Living Loved Give-away

***********************

To enter to win, click on the word “comments” below this post, and type in the white box. Sheri Rose and I would love to know your first name, your age, where you are from, who you will invite to do the Bible life-coaching sessions with you or who you’d give the extra of my message on CD to. Please be sure to sign up for email updates in my right sidebar (so you will know if you win), or leave your email in your comment so we can notify you. I’ll announce the winner next Monday, March 7th.

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Comments

  1. Good Morning! My name is Sharon and I am thirty-12 (kind of like 30-something… I just am not ready to enter a new decade-group, so I decided to stay in my thirties!) 🙂
    I live in South Dakota which by the way is still below zero today!

    If I win, I will share the goodies with my new daughter-in-law. It would be such a blessing to her sweet soul! It would be a perfect gift for her as she starts this new chapter in her life and desired to be a godly wife.

  2. Hi Renee,
    I am almost 40 (in July) and I find myself believing all the negative comments I have heard about myself. So much so, that it has lowered my self-esteem and self-confidence. I know God loves me but sometimes I just really have a hard time wrapping my arms around the idea of just how much. I would love to have one of the cds that could help me grow in my knowledge of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I would love to share this CD with one of my friends, Celia, who struggles with her own insecurites everyday. This would be such an uplifting experience for us to share this together and to hold each other accountable to not believe the lies we have been told.

  3. Hi, My name is Gina. I'm 36. Thank you for always posting such encouraging thoughts and scriptures. It is hard getting through this life without feeling a little beaten up. I appreciate your honesty and ability to be brave enough to be real. This was definitely what I needed this morning as I'm going through some difficult things and trying to put the past to rest. I have to constantly remind myself that God is there, he loves me, and everything is going to be ok.

    If I received either prize, I'd share with my friend who comes from a similar background to help her remember who she is in Christ when the pain of the past comes up over and over.

    Thank you again for reminding us of the truth of who we are in Christ.
    Gina
    [email protected]

  4. I am LaVonna, I am 41 and I live in New Brunswick, Canada. I would share the books and cds with my sistas in my local church via our budding library.

    Today is my first visit to your blog and I needed to hear the truth you spoke. Thank you for mowing down the whispered lies that were starting to take root in my heart. I AM loved by God… AMEN!!!

  5. Good Morning, my name is Anne – thank you so much for your words this morning. You have no idea how much I needed them. I am 51 have know the Lord most of my life but only now really realizing He loves me the same as everyone else. I am in recovery from a eating disorder that has controlled the past 10 yrs of my life and God is opening doors for me to be able to help other adult women with these issues. Your CD's and coatching would be of great value to me so that I can continue to learn and help others. Thank you for all you do

  6. Hi, my name is Amada and I live in California. I am 41 years old.

    I would share the the materials and coaching with my
    sister in law who, like me, loves the Lord, but hasn't been able to live free from the horrible hurts of the past.
    Thank you for this well needed message.
    God Bless you all in your amazing work.

  7. Hello, my name is Tricia and I am 37 yearsold. I am from Sandusky, Ohio, but have called Scottsdale, Arizona my home for many years now. I will invite Kelly, a young lady in my Bible study to do the Bible life-coaching sessions and give the extra CDs to. She is the youngest in our bunch and has a lot of questions. I feel led to lead her!

  8. On the day I celebrate the love that my husband and I share, our 12th anniversary, I needed the reminder that he is not the only one that loves me. I've been battling the "why" question and trying to rest in God but it's been a struggle lately as I deal with self induced infertility. I know in my head that God catches each of my tears in His hand, but I sometimes begin to believe the lie that He doesn't care. Thanks for showing me that I need to refute that thought each and every time it pops up.

  9. Hi I am Tracee. I am 44 years old and live in Gastonia,North Carolina. I love hearing from all of you. Someone from your group came and spoke at our church and was wonderful. I am a chaplain at our local hospital and see lots of tough situations. It really helps me to read what you write in your devotionals. I would probably take the extra cd to our office and give it out to people I encounter in the hospital who I think would benefit from it. The extra coaching season since I believe is on the computer I would give to dear friend. One of our closest friends died this week and it has been a tough week. Thanks so much for all you do and allowing God to shine so strongly through you.

  10. Hello,
    I'm 37 have a 2 year old and another addition arriving in a month or so, so will be a mom of two children. I too have battled some past issues, still sometimes they resurface.
    A friend through MOPS told me I need to read His Princess, so I have it on my list of books to get. How timely this post is as I am leading a women's bible study next week. I love to share the coaching with a friend of mine that just recently took over as MOPS leader.

  11. My name is Dana and I am 34. I didn't realize until now that I am grown, that I was raised in an abusive (emotionally) household. Now I am married to someone that is finally realizing his abuse and working on it. I need this for myself and my mom, who has believed all those lies for so many years.

    -Lousiana

  12. Hi Ladies,

    I enjoyed your teaching so much. It's similar to our discussion at prayer group last night. Many of the 10 or so women struggle with who we are in Christ. One with depression, another with alcohol, and yet another with sexual identity. I'm 57 this month and it's taken me a long time to really believe that I am who God says I am and to love myself despite my struggle with weight. I would love to share your teachings with my prayer group ladies. I live in Birmingham, AL.
    Blessings, Deb

  13. I am Brenda 44 years old and I live in Brooklyn, NY..I would invite my friend Jamillah and My friend Eva who is very ill. GOD continues to open doors for us I look forward to walking through this door…

  14. Hey Girls!!

    My name is Heather Mead I am 35 yr old happily married stay-at-home mom with two girls 15 and 5. I find myself putting on several different hats daily. I love to read your blogs it starts my day off in the right direction!!

    I would love to share the cd's with a beautiful friend that is now a new mom. She is struggling to keep her marriage healthy while struggling with her faith. I would love to share that we all struggle at times but we need to stay on the path that the lord has chosen for each of us.

    Again thanks so much for the inspiration that you give me daily.

    Heather Mead
    Evansville, IN
    [email protected]

  15. Good Morning Ladies, I'm Deborah, 57, living in Birmingham, AL. Today's message hit my heart because many of the younger ladies in my weekly prayer group are also struggling to believe the truth about who they are in Christ. I would love to share your teaching with them. Sincerely, Deb

  16. This is tough. I turn 42 next week….am overweight and have never been so in my life. It has made me depressed and exhausted to get around. I just joined a weight loss group and am moving forward after the death of my Mom in August of last year…it has been very hard to accept her death. At the same time my hubby lost his job but was blessedly able to return to his old one again. We have many things to be blessed for and I am learning to concentrate on those instead of the negative all the time. It is time to let go of the past and move forward. I would share this opportunity with my friend Lisa who has been my closest friend forever. She is awesome and I love her to bits. Thanks for this great message, I'm printing it out and putting in my journal.

  17. Renee, I am Mary Lynn and really appreciate your devotional at P31 this am. It is something that I really needed to be reminded of. The key verse is actually my birthday verse! I am almost 44 (March 17) and have recently moved to Ohio from Georgia. I am trying to hear God's leading in this next season of life. It is not easy to wait and trust some days. So again thank you for your encouraging reminder that God is loving me despite myself. I would share with my sister in Alabama. Thanks again for your encouragement!
    [email protected]

  18. Hi ladies, I am 37 and from Mustang , OK. Loved this blog so much. It spoke to me so much. I would love to win these wonderful gifts and if I won I would share it with my friend Mary, who is in the same boat as myself in our spiritual journey, We help each other through things and she is a true soul sister! 🙂

  19. Good morning, Renee & Sheri,

    In the quiet & freedom of my now empty nest, several "elephants in the rooms" of my inner house have become quite obvious–I have run out of excuses to ignore them, to keep them quietly in the corner. I am learning to let my Father help me, and Zephaniah 3:17 is my guiding verse! (I have had the verse printed up on business cards & share the reminder, as the Spirit guides me, to women I meet in my work as a Mary Kay consultant.)

    If I received the coaching or the cd's, I would share them with my 20-something daughter, who is walking with the Lord through a chronic illness, while working in her first professional position, 600 miles from "home".

    Thank you for your ministering to us, Maysie Grace