Behind The Music: Donna Stuart

Fri, 2 Jan 2009 13:51:07 -0600

Hello ladies!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I hope you all can say that 2008 was a beautiful year and that you are excited about what the Lord will do in and through you in 2009. I know it has been a while since you have heard from “THE BUTTERFLY BLOG”, but there have been a lot of things happening that we are very excited about. All the women who contribute to “THE BUTTERFLY BLOG” are growing and learning and eager to let you know what the Lord is doing. Tune in to hear more from us here.

With the blog in mind, I wanted to let you in on a little of what has been going on in my life this last year. In May of 2008 the Lord took me back into the studio after 5 years of writing to record a new album, “HELP ME BELIEVE”. I am very humbled and excited about this record and wanted to let you know that some more blog entries are available for you to read that are directly related to the stories behind the music.

I have created an extension to “THE BUTTERFLY BLOG” called “HELP ME BELIEVE”. This site is actually a place to visit and read the stories behind the songs and what God has put on my heart to share with you. Like “THE BUTTERFLY BLOG” you can read and even comment as you’d like.

Stay tuned to “THE BUTTERFLY BLOG” for new entries coming this new year from some of the women you have met and some you have yet to meet. I am excited to receive these new blog thoughts and to hear how they have impacted you in your journey.

Much love to you today friends!

peace and hope,
donna

Having our Mindset on the things of God: Kay Altic

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:51:21 -0500

Hey there Ladies!!! I hope you are having a blessed day. I know I am. My sweet friend Kay has just finished up her blog for “the yellow butterfly” today which has completely rocked me. I know that I struggle so much with what today’s entry is about...taking my thoughts captive and not believing the lies the enemy continues to throw at me. I hope you find this to be practical fighting tactics to use every day as we combat the issues we women deal with.

Kay is one of my best friends in the world. She has been a source of wisdom and grace to me over the last 7 years. Not only is Kay an amazing teacher, she is a beautiful & loving wife, mom, daughter and friend. She and her husband, Jerrell live in Houston, Tx with their 1 1/2 year old boy Jayk and are currently expecting another little man, Judah. Kay has a love for the Word. Her devotion is inspiring and brings joy to my heart. I pray you are blessed as I have been by the truths shared today.

peace and love,
donna

I have recently been reading through the Gospels in my quiet times. I started with Mark, because I studied Matthew not too long ago. One morning while reading Mark 8:31-37, God really touched my heart.

In this portion of scripture, Jesus is talking to his disciples and explains to them that He is going to suffer all kinds of hard things, die and then rise from the dead 3 days later. Peter’s response to Jesus, was to pull Him off to the side and rebuke Him. Jesus then turns to all his disciples and addresses Peter with, “Get behind me Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

whew.

As I read this passage of scripture I was overwhelmed with how often my mind is on “the things of men” and not “the things of God.”

It may seem like Jesus’ response was too strong, but if He didn’t die on the cross and rise from the dead there would be no salvation for us. Jesus knew that it was Peter’s flesh that was controlling his thoughts. I’m guessing Peter was probably a bit confused, afraid, sad and maybe even a little mad that Jesus would even let these things happen. So Peter reacted in those emotions.

Now let me say this: Emotions are holy. They are designed by our Holy God who responds to us with a gamete of emotions: joy, sadness, anger and jealousy are just a few. The big difference here is that we, if we are not mindful & prayerful, will respond in our bent and broken selves with flesh-driven emotions rather than Spirit-led ones.  
I will never forget someone sharing with me the statement that “emotions are a great companion but a horrible master”, meaning that emotions are wonderfully ordained by God, but cannot rule our life. Because to be honest often I may not “feel” like walking with God or obeying him, but obedience is what Christ desires. But the awesome thing is that I can go to God with my “fleshly” desire and honestly tell Him how I feel and allow Him to give me the strength to walk in obedience.

Jesus goes on to say in scripture that if we are to follow Christ he/she must “deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul.”

In these few verses I believe God shows us what to do when we have those fleshly emotions that seem to overtake our minds... If it is a lustful thought, a insecurity about who we are or what we look like, a prideful desire or controlling spirit, a desire to compare ourselves with others (these are just a few that I can struggle with)…whatever our flesh delights in that particular day…HE SAYS DENY!!!

Refuse to agree friend…
Refuse the temptation of the enemy to believe lies, walk in lies and live in lies…
This is the only way to walk in freedom!! 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”…We have to look for the way out when we are tempted with our minds. The first reaction must be to DENY and call it what it is… a lie from the enemy…fleshly driven and fleshly satisfied…

Pray that God will show you when you are being tempted because often we don’t even realize that what we are experiencing is temptation.

So we must:
... Deny those thoughts that are contrary to a Spirit-led life no matter how real they feel
... take up your cross DAILY. Take those thoughts to Christ so they die with Him on the Cross.
... and follow me. Choose to walk in obedience – Follow Christ

Let’s not forfeit our soul on things that are of no worth; like following the passions of this world.  
It all starts in our mind.

As girls I think it is often so hard to deny the emotions that seem so real and so right to us, but can actually be from our flesh… influenced by the enemy’s lies.

…Pray daily that your mind will be set on the things of God and not the flesh.
...Ask God to help you to daily walk in the Truth of His Word.
...Believe that He hears you when you cry out to Him and will be faithful to meet you in those moments of temptation and Help you Get Out!

Wait on the Lord: Christy Nockels

Mon, 2 Jun 2008 21:51:04 -0500

Howdy Ladies!!! Hope you are having an outstanding summer!! I’m guessing you’ve gotten a little bit of a break now that school is out. And, those of you attending summer school, I hope you could breathe a little before it started back up again. Thanks for working so hard in this season of your lives girls!
 Well, today’s blog is a major treat!! My sweet friend Christy was cool enough to take The Butterfly Blog to a new level. Even if it meant feeling a little silly while sharing insights and staring into a tiny camera. tee hee.

A lot of you probably know Christy Nockels by her music, or her teaching. She and her husband Nathan have been leading worship for a little over a decade. Many of the songs that we hold dear to our hearts, Christy wrote and led us in such as; “Knees to the Earth”, “The Purest Place”, “Take Me There” and “Holy Roar”. Christy and Nathan have been a big part of the Passion chapter of our lives as well. Nathan produced a lot of the cds we worship God through in our cars and living rooms, while Christy led us girls as a Woman of Valor at the conferences and on the cds.

Over the last few years Christy has begun to teach us the things she has learned along the way as a Christian woman. Her “Postures of the Heart” talk has personally challenged and comforted my soul as I have walked through who I am as a woman.

Not only is Christy a great singer/songwriter/worship leader/teacher/ illusionist, she’s also a great mother of 3. Noah, Ellie, and Annie Rose are her three beautiful children. I was just kidding about her being an illusionist, however her husband has an uncanny resemblance to Edward Norton. I digress. : )

I am so excited that you get to hear from my sweet friend today. She’s honest and humble and she loves you girls very much. Pray the Lord gives you ears to hear what He has for you today.

peace, hope and love,
donna

Remember: It’s not IF we suffer, it’s HOW we suffer

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 12:15:59 -0500

 Ladies, You are in for such a treat. One of my best friends in the world...actually on the other side of the world is writing for “The Butterfly Blog” today. This remarkable woman, whom we’ll call “Rescued Remnant” for security purposes, lives with her husband and 4 beautiful children in a culture that is a smidge different from our western one here in “The States”. Rescued is an amazing wife, mom, daughter, sister and friend. She has a deep desire to tell others of her redeemer, Jesus. She loves to read, cook, and promote relevant conversation. She is also quite the insightful writer. That is why I have begged her to write for “the butterfly”. My life has been drastically impacted by this Amazing woman, and it would be a shame to keep her all to myself. God has used “Rescued” as an instrument of wisdom, friendship, laughter, and above all, grace in my life. I hope that you will find that to be true in yours as well.   be blessed, donna 

“These past few years, the Lord has impressed on our family exactly what it means to suffer, both its purpose and process. My husband and I are living in a restricted access country. I don’t like the term “closed country”, because our God is too big for that to be true. (I digress.) So we are living here, trying to learn the language, love the people and live as Christ would have us. Some over-glorify the missionary life—the truth is, we simply live life…in another place. Most people think we are irresponsible and crazy for bringing 4 small kids overseas. Being single or childless is never a prerequisite for being obedient to the Lord’s calling.
I’ve been drawn to the process of suffering mostly because of the people I minister to on a daily basis. Many of them know much less Bible “knowledge”, but live radically obedient lives. Some of them know nothing more than Jesus died for me and took away my sins and yet when persecution comes, they are faithful to the end. If you haven’t read “The Heavenly Man” by Paul Hattaway, it is a must read regarding the persecuted church. Recently, a good friend of ours said “we MUST suffer, it only makes us stronger!” They understand that “all those who wish to live a godly life WILL be persecuted.” (2 Tim. 3:12) When they suffer, they consider themselves being honored by the Lord for living a godly life . This is so backwards to our Western thinking. We seek comfort and ease of life. But if we are to be refined, we must get near a fire. There will be pain and there will be suffering. But without it, there will be no refining. And if we aren’t being persecuted for our faith, are we truly being faithful followers?
I Peter 4:19 says “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” It doesn’t say, grovel in your sufferings, complain to your friends-even if it is in the form of a “prayer request” or curse the Lord for sending suffering your way. Hebrews 12:6,10 talks about the Lord disciplining the ones He loves. If God didn’t care for you, he would let you continue in your former ways. It’s not if we suffer; it’s how we suffer.
The Japanese missionary Esther Ahn Kim (from “Faithful Woman and their Extraordinary God” by Noel Piper) looked for ways to seek suffering as training and as sanctification. She would buy rotten fruit and sleep on the floor with no blankets in the blistery winter nights so that she would be prepared to be imprisoned one day for Christ’s sake. Even when she got a headache, she would contemplate how this would better prepare her to serve the Lord. How often do we see our frustrating circumstances in this light? She was so detached from her daily comforts, that when the Lord DID call her to go out to Japan, it was no big deal to leave her earthly home and life to go and serve Him in another place. She was so focused on understanding the Lord’s hand in ALL things that she did not have time to grumble or complain. Sometimes the more difficult suffering does not come in persecution alone, but the suffering of living a Godly life. Choosing to live in an “unsafe” neighborhood, buying used cars, eating not to the point of gluttony, taking a pay cut because integrity is more important than success. The list could go on. We are to suffer because our lives are to look radically different than those around us. So overseas or stateside, our lives should be sacrificially joyful on a daily basis. Remember: it’s not IF we suffer, it’s HOW we suffer.
We don’t know what tomorrow may bring, but we need to be prepared at anytime to suffer in an extreme way. Would you be ready tomorrow, if God called you out to do ministry in the Middle East? What if you need to change your major your senior year because the Lord is demanding that of you? What fears of suffering are slowing your sanctification and hindering your ultimate enjoyment of the Lord?”

 NOTE: If you are interested in the books Rescued Remnant spoke of.... scroll to the top of the page and click on the resources provided.

Sharing: Whitney Prosperi

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:54:22 -0500

Hello Ladies! Welcome back to The Butterfly Blog. It has been a while since our last entry, but boy do we have exciting things coming your way. I am super pumped to “share” with you a great friend of mine, Whitney Prosperi. Whitney is a constant source of wisdom, laughter, encouragement, and FUN for me. It has been a joy to share life with Whit and her family. She is a very articulate author and has a tremendous heart for girls. She writes for Youth Specialties, Point of Grace, The Song of Solomon Bible Study, and has published two of her own books, LifeStyle and Girls Ministry 101. I hope you enjoy Whitney’s addition to the Butterfly Blog today. I know I have.
-donna
I don’t share well. I remember one particular dinner where my date had the audacity to let his fork wonder over to my salad plate. Before he could pick up a leaf of romaine I pulled my plate away with the warning that it was my salad and I don’t share. What I meant was that I don’t like to eat or drink after anyone – and this is very true – but it came across a little short. I should also probably let you know that he had been helping a friend move all day so he was very hungry. (Thankfully he wasn’t moving me.) And he’s diabetic so when he should eat, he should eat.
Flash-forward ten years: I married that guy and we are sitting at our dinner table. Our two daughters nearly take each other out over the last crumbs of an old brownie that I had made from a box last week. They don’t share well either. I guess it runs in the genes.
Now flashback. Way back. Jesus sends two disciples to pick up the donkey He will be riding on when He enters Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday. He says, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and He will send them right away.” (Matthew 21:2-3) So I’m wondering about the owner of that donkey and colt. He (and I’m assuming it was a “he” since women didn’t own much of anything back then) must have had the sharing thing down pretty well. He had a donkey, the Lord needed it and it was settled. A simple way to live.
Lately I have felt the Lord telling me in so many gentle ways to release. Release my plans, my schedule and my things. My family. My health. My – well, you get the picture. Release me. Let the “my” go and replace it all with “His” It’s all His anyway and I would be a fool to think that I could do any better with my life than to release it to the purposes of God. I hear the challenge to open up my hands and let go of everything I am and everything that I have. A wonderful place to be. A scary place to be.
What if I let go of the plan and He changes it? What if you do? Will you open up your hands and release all of those things you hold so dear? Your agenda? Your “rights”? Your stuff? That one relationship? What will God do? I don’t know and you won’t either. But you can know that He will use you in ways you can never dream. He will take your little life and use it for a greater purpose. Your hands and your heart will be wide open before Him. And in releasing you will receive.
Jesus put it this way: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)

“But simply to drop all our dreams and ambitions and preferences and to have no mind about it at all, but be willing for God to shift us anywhere on life’s checkerboard, or bury us anywhere in life’s garden, counting not our lives dear and loving them not unto death, gladly yielding ourselves for God to please Himself with, anywhere and any way He chooses – that is rarely done.” (Author Unknown)

If you’d like more info about some of Whitney’s books, roll over them at the top of the page.

Blessings!

Let Me Be A Woman: Elisabeth Elliot

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:47:25 -0600

Hey ladies, welcome back to the Butterfly Blog. I hope you had a fantastic winter break. Today’s blog is going to be a little different than normal. When we initially launched “The Yellow Butterfly” I mentioned that there will be an assortment of women whose journeys will be highlighted so as to help us with our journeys as Christian women. I thought it fitting to start us off with one of the most influential women in my Journey... Elisabeth Elliot.

Elisabeth has written many books over the last 5 decades. She has a tremendous story about romance, love, trust, evangelism, waiting, motherhood, singleness, heartache, bravery, perseverance, and above all... Faith. I don’t want to give too much away right now. I will provide some links at the end so you can learn more about Elisabeth and the God who shaped and still uses her.

Though Elliot has written many helpful books such as, “Passion and Purity”. “Keep a Quiet Heart” and “Through Gates of Splendor”, my absolute favorite is “Let Me Be a Woman”. God has used this book tremendously in my life in many different seasons... when I was single, dating, engaged, and still now, as I am married. I have no doubt he will continue to use “Let Me Be a Woman” as Ben and I begin to have children and then grandchildren.

Today I’d love to introduce you to some excerpts from this life changing book. I am merely taking some of the passages I have underlined in my personal copy and am sharing them with you so that you will RUN and get this book and experience the life change as I have. I call “Let Me Be a Woman” my prescription book for girls... that is next to the Bible. I even lent my underlined & high-lit copy to Ben as we journeyed towards marriage to let him know the kind of woman I want to be. So with that said, take a look at some of these brilliant quotes from Elisabeth to her daughter Valerie, and I believe to you and me.

“We are called to be women. The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman. For I have accepted God’s idea of me, and my whole life is an offering back to HIm of all that I am and all that He wants me to be.” Chapter 15: God Sets No Traps

“Single life may be only a stage of a life’s journey, but even a stage is a gift. God may replace it with another gift, but the receiver accepts His gifts with thanksgiving. This gift for this day. The life of faith is lived one day at a time, and it has to be lived--not always looked forward to as thought the “real” living were around the next corner. It is today for which we are responsible. God still owns tomorrow.”
Chapter 10: One Day At A Time

“Womanhood is a call. It is a vocation to which we respond under God, glad if it means the literal bearing of children, thankful as well for all that it means in a much wider sense, that in which ever woman, married or single, fruitful or barren, may participate--the unconditional response exemplified for all time in Mary the virgin, and the willingness to enter into suffering, to receive, to carry, to give life, to nurture and to care for others. The strength to answer this call is given us as we look up toward the Love that created us, remembering that it was that Love that first, most literally, imagined sexuality, that made us at the very beginning real men and real women. As we conform to that Love’s demands we shall become more humble, more dependent--on Him and on one another--and even (dare I say it?)more splendid.” Chapter 17: Masculine and Feminine

“When you make a choice, you accept the limitations of that choice. To accept limitation requires maturity. The child has not yet learned that it can’t have everything. What it sees it wants. What it does not get it screams for. It has to grow up to realize that saying Yes to happiness often means saying No to yourself.” Chapter 21: A Choice is a Limitation

“One of the most joyful discoveries of life is that in recognizing, affirming, and comforting another person we find ourselves recognized, affirmed, and comforted.” Chapter 26: You Marry a Person

“In order to exercise authority it is necessary to obey authority.” Chapter 38: Authority

“If two people agree to dance together they agree to give and take, one to lead and one to follow. This is what a dance is. Insistence that both lead means there won’t be any dance. It is the woman's delighted yielding to the man’s lead that gives him freedom. It is the man’s willingness to take the lead that gives her freedom. Acceptance of their respective positions frees them both and whirls them into joy.” Chapter 49: Love Means a Cross

I hope that reading through just a fraction of the insight and truth that Elisabeth Elliot has written in her book, “Let Me Be a Woman” has been enough of a teaser to make you want to read more. Please pick up a copy of this book. You can purchase it online or even at one of your local bookstores. I have provided a link at the top of the page...just click on the book next to Elisabeth’s photos. If you’d like to learn more about other books by Elisabeth Elliot you can click here.

It was great sitting with you today ladies! Much love to you, and remember that being a woman doesn’t make you a different kind of Christian, but being a Christian does make you a different kind of woman. Happy reading!

peace, love & hope,
donna stuart

Help Me Believe: donna stuart

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 20:35:03 -0500

Lately the Lord and I have been writing songs specifically for girls. These songs highlight our uniqueness as women and state the truth of us being daughters who are redeemed and washed clean, but also have struggles while waiting for that future promise of our glorification.

There is one song in particular that has been a springboard for me to deal with what I think of myself by remembering who God is and what He did to redeem me... a bent and broken girl. I figured this first blog would be a great place to tell the story behind this song... it actually happened this time a year ago...

I received an email from a friend who I’ve actually looked up to for a long time. We had just basically met, but we definitely had a connection being that she began leading worship when I was in college and I considered her a great example of the kind of leader I wanted to be. In the email she said she was coming to College Station to do a college women’s retreat for one of the churches in town and that it would be “rad” (clearly showing her age... ha ha) if she could stay at my house. My other dear friend whom I lovingly call “La” would pick her up at the airport in Dallas and drive her down where the three of us would spend the rest of the weekend together.

Now I was pretty excited and honestly a little nervous because I felt the Spirit nudging me to tell her my story... which for the record I don’t just run out and do. But after praying about it for a few days and talking to my sweet husband Ben, I felt sure that my story will indeed come up and ... it did.
After the first night at the retreat the three of us got back to my house and ate some snacks, built a fire in the back yard, sang a few songs, and talked. During our conversation the time came where I shared some of my life experiences ... some great...some covered in shame.

My friends were wonderful. They laughed with me and they cried with me. They asked me questions and they told me honest things about themselves too. I was amazed. One, that God had given me friends who truly love Him, and two, because they didn’t sit across from me in judgement, but in love.

The rest of the weekend was pretty great. The retreat ended well and my friend did a wonderful job teaching beautiful truths to the young girls. That Sunday they left to go back to Dallas, I went inside and decided to take a nap. When I woke up from my nap I experienced something that severely rocked my world.

A voice.

A mean, hateful voice.

One that sounded like it had known me for years. It was close and loud and said such painful things like, “How could you tell them? You are so shameful! You have shamed her! You have shamed your husband! You have shamed every girl you’ll ever talk to! You are dirty! You’re a waste! You have shamed YOUR GOD!!! You should NEVER have told your story!!”

Initially I didn’t know what to do. The voice was like a swarm of bees in my head. I couldn’t grab hold of a thought that I knew to be true... the only thing I could think was,,, “Jesus Help Me Believe... Jesus Help Me Receive”. I didn’t even know what that meant but I continued to say it to myself while I looked for the phone to call my friends for help.

They had not yet gotten back to Dallas, and “La” actually answered the phone knowing it was me with, “we’re still driving.” I told her I knew but that I needed their help. I gave them the gist of what was happening and they began to pray as they drove. They spoke truth over me and petitioned the Lord for my safety and peace. They asked Him to give me truth about who I am and what He has done in my life. They ended the phone call by stating they loved me and that Jesus loves me and Redeemed me. I told them thanks and hung up.

I felt a little better. Still in my mind there was that phrase that I kept repeating, “Jesus Help Me Believe... Jesus Help Me Receive” mixed in with ”you’re so shameful and dirty.” I grabbed a pen and paper and walked out into the backyard and sat down by the fire pit. Facing the setting sun I prayed again, “Lord Help Me Believe... Lord Help Me Receive.” My heart began to calm as I stared into probably the most calming sunset I’d ever seen. God knew exactly what I needed.

I am a bit of an aesthetic guru. I like things that paint a picture typically within the mood of the scene. The Lord’s painting for me that Mid-October evening was with a pallet of light blue, soft yellow, and bright white. The brush stroked clouds were almost of a feminine persuasion... what I mean is, they were whispy...girly if you will.
I think he knew I needed whispy.

Then as if i couldn’t take notes fast enough, I began to write...

“All that I’ve done and all that’s been done to me drove nails through Your hands hard and fast to the tree. And the lies that I live and the shame in my story  You covered with blood for Your Name and Your glory.”

I let out a relieved breath and began to cry... I knew it was truth and that He was using the Word in my heart, my two friends’ faithful prayers, and that beautiful sunset to speak truth to my soul. Christ died for me a horrific, brutal, and beautiful death. He hung on a tree and became a curse so that I wouldn’t have to experience death. He took my shame and forgave me that day. And He did it all for His Name and His glory.

My words began to pour out in prayer.

“Jesus help me believe. Jesus help me receive  that this girl You’ve created You have redeemed. Lord help me believe this. Lord help me receive that this daughter You’ve rescued,  You’ve washed her clean.”

I knew He heard me. I could feel confidence flooding back into my heart and the members of my body. I had an overwhelming Joy that was not containable. My response: WORSHIP

“So I raise outstretched arms with my knees to the earth, and I bow low my heart for in You is my worth. And I SHOUT from this mountain great JOY in my soul HALLELUJAH KING JESUS! In You I am whole!”

I couldn’t help but worship... I still can’t. This was the truth about who God is and what He did. He saved me and washed me and He doesn’t hold anything against me. He is my Joy! He humbles my heart to bow low. I feel the weight of His glory. I am whole because of Him... He made me whole.

But... though I am His daughter... holy and blameless, I still have this body that is not yet glorified. This means I will forget from time to time to trust.

“And when I am tempted to believe something less I run to Your WORD embracing forgiveness Thank You for Loving and  Thank You for healing me.”

With tears of Joy that covered the previous tears of fear, I watched the sun go down on that day feeling loved and cherished and confident in my Redeemer and full of Hope for that day He returns.

There are two things I was challenged with that day that I would like to challenge you with today.

All of us have had something bad happen to us from someone else. And all of us have done something bad to someone else. So the first line of this song pertains to all of us as humans, specifically as women. This means there are two avenues of FORGIVENESS that happened the day Christ died on the Cross for the world.

1. If you are a Christian... Someone who trusts that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, then you are forgiven. Jesus FORGAVE YOU for everything you have done and everything you will ever do. And because you have been forgiven for violating a perfect and holy God YOU MUST ALSO FORGIVE THOSE WHO HAVE VIOLATED YOU. This means let go of your bitterness towards those who have hurt you, though you are deeply scared.   If you have not forgiven the ones who have sinned against you, confess to God your unforgiveness and ask Him to move you to forgive. Ask Him to soften your heart and pray for love for that person. I personally believe Christian counselors are a great help. I suggest asking someone you trust to tell you about a counselor in your area you can go to. Forgiveness is a journey friend and it’s not easy, but I promise you will not know the fullness of God’s love if you try to do life through the veil of unforgiveness. YOU HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN...SO FORGIVE.
2. If you are anything like me, it is a very hard thing to FORGIVE YOURSELF. If we cannot forgive ourselves for the things we have done, we truly don’t believe that Christ’s forgiveness is powerful or true. The heart of this mindset is SELFISHNESS...IDOLATRY --> This means you hold yourself higher than God and are treating yourself and your sin as an idol.  PLEASE walk through forgiveness for yourself. We need you! You have things unique to you that the body needs and you can’t fully live if you are paralyzed by your sin. Go to a friend and tell them your story and let them love you and see you the way the Father does... REDEEMED and LOVED! Ask God to help you Believe you are redeemed and washed clean, and to Receive forgiveness and these truths. By the way... there is nothing so vile that God won’t forgive. I know you think that telling your sin to someone else is the most terrifying thing. I promise you there will be healing as you confess one to another and pray for each other.

I love you sweet friend. Feel free to pray these words...
 “JESUS HELP ME BELIEVE, JESUS HELP ME RECEIVE”

peace, love & hope,
donna

To hear “Help Me Believe” scroll to the top of the page and press play
or feel free to visit my myspace for a live version of the song www.myspace.com/donnastuart