T.G.I.F. -Thank God I'm Fabulous- (testimony series) by Tina Johnson-Bale

T.G.I.F. Thank God I'm Fabulous
by Tina Johnson-Bale (TJB)

It’s Ok to be confident if you know where you confidence lies-
To consider thanking God for yourself might seem foreign to many, but think about how amazing YOU are for a moment. Take a careful look at the complexity of your hands and feet, your skin and hair, the complexity of your eyes or the sound of your voice! Even consider how every scar is there to point out how your body has been created to heal itself! If we were not designed this way, no Band-Aid or antibiotic would work.  It is humbling to think of how God is so powerful and mighty, yet took such care into fashioning us!

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" ~Psalm 8:3-4 (New International Version)

It has taken me a very long time, but I can say that I like myself now. It has not been an easy road, as for most of us, but I am learning to appreciate me.

“T.G.I.F {Thank God I'm Fabulous}”, was written on a friend’s wall and I decided to embrace it because scripture back it up…

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~ Psalm 139:14 (New International Version) 

I continue to wage war against the images society has pinned as perfect. I have come from such a warped self-image. At one point in my life I can remember looking in the mirror and seeing myself as grotesque and obese. I was weighing in at 82 pounds and 22 pounds from my goal weight. How is that even possible? It is possible because the enemy was programming me through years of sexual abuse at the hand of adult men young and old who should have been protecting me. These key male figures were under the same yoke of bondage to their mind and living by the lust of their own flesh.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  ~2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (New International Version)

We have an enemy of our souls and he will take hold of our mind if we let him and our grip on reality will be compromised. Do not be mistaken, he wants us dead.

Take those thoughts captive declare they are false and be in the Word of Truth which is God’s written word of the Bible. When we look into scripture we can see that God is glorified in us. We are His creation and when we are confident in Him and see ourselves through His eyes we can live to the potential He desires for us to. Just look at us, we are created in His image.

Thank YOU, Lord, for loving us and choosing each of us. You love and care enough to ensure we continue to be transformed into Your likeness. It is all YOU and you choose to bestow Your transforming grace upon us.

A little about Tina...
Tina lives in Western Canada with her husband and four children, two dogs and cat. She is currently studying toward her Bible degree through online resources while serving the Lord in her home and community in however she can. Her passion lies with helping others find freedom from bondage and learn to walk in the freedom of a life in Christ.

© 2011 All Rights Remain with the Author
Web: http://shawnsgivingthanksdaily.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150327530757809

A Simple Testimony (testimony series) by Shona Neff

A Simple Testimony
by Shona Neff

Have you ever heard or read a testimony that kept you on the edge of your seat as events unfolded? There are some wild stories of God’s amazing grace and unfathomable love that beckon to an unbelieving world. Mine is not one of them. It is plain. It is boring compared to some, but it is still divine!

No bells or whistles decorate my story. It started with the yearnings in a little girl’s heart. Desires of all shapes and sizes vie for attention in our hearts, but it’s pretty miraculous that the desire to know God beat deep in my being.

Actually, it all started with the construction of a beautiful church not far from my childhood home. I longed to be a part of the congregation. My family attended church during my pre-school years, but for reasons unbeknownst to me, we stopped going. I found out later that herding a family of seven in one direction on a Sunday morning took a toll on my parents.

My desire to attend that church grew as I watch the building take shape brick by brick. All these years later I’ve never set foot in that building. However, I am happy to report that, because of the little spark in my heart so many years ago, I ultimately set both feet firmly in God’s kingdom.

It took time for that spark to grow, but almost 25 years after watching that church go up, my husband and I joined a Sunday school class filled with seasoned citizens. It was the only class in our new church that investigated the Bible verse by verse. That tiny spark incubated in my heart grew into an insatiable hunger for God’s Word. I also joined a women’s’ Bible study. I nourished myself on the divine feast that constantly stretched out before me and soon I was teaching the Old Testament book of Daniel. The flame was fanned.

Finally, when I studied Daniel 11 in order to teach it to the women in my study group, that little spark ignited! I got it . . . I finally got it! It didn’t take drama. It didn’t require a traumatic event. My story doesn’t stir the emotions like some testimonies. However, it is divine and heaven heartily rejoiced when I entered God’s kingdom with a genuine understanding of the sacrifice Jesus provided when He died on the cross.

Yes, it’s a simple testimony, but I am thankful that it is still good enough to be a child of God.

“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:8 NIV).

©2011 Shona Neff

BIO
Shona loves inspiring and equipping aspiring writers and speakers. She loves making the practical interesting, doesn’t let the status quo reign supreme, and understands that life doesn’t have to be so serious. Shona  is co-founder of StepUP Writing and Speaking Services. She is also a Personality Mechanic and you can visit her blog at shonaneff.com. Shona also enjoys radio gigs with KKIM Christian News and Talk in Albuquerque, New Mexico.