Simply Redeemed

GRACE <3 God's grace amazes me. I know this is a statement used all the time but FOR REAL ! Everyday He extends His grace to us.  Everyday although we chose to use our bodies for instruments of sin, our bodies are the very place where He allows and WANTS His spirit to reside. You know what else makes me stand in awe? The fact that because His spirit is living and active in those who have trusted in Him, we can extend grace to others and receive grace from others. I have experienced this semester more than ever the coming together in community with other believers and extending and receiving grace. You would think coming to someone and sharing the most shameful things about tour life would be awful and discouraging and leave you feeling embarrassed. But because of grace, it has the opposite effect. It feels like their is a weight lifted off your heart and you can feel Jesus literally sitting there with you and the brothers and sisters in Christ you have come to. It

So.... HUGE STRUGGLE. Jealousy. It's not a pretty thing. It consumes your thoughts, heart, emotions, self-esteem and worst of all puts hatred in your hear for others...especially the ones you are closest to. Now my first encounter with this disgusting sin that I can remember and took its toll on all the above was in high-school within my youth group. It involved a girl who I considered a dear friend. She IS pretty, talented, loving and many people look up to her and want to be around her. Instead of seeing all the Lord gifted me with, I was too busy looking and wanting to be her. Needless to say the relationship was broken by ugliness and hate and years of friendship were lost. The struggle did not end with the friendship. The jealousy continued and so did the hatred in my heart. For years, there was no forgiveness, just bitterness. Here years after, I am much more confident in who I am. But that silly little sin still has a grip on me. I look around at my dearest friends a

I have always struggled when it comes to guys. I sadly am one of those girls who has always felt like she needed to have a guy telling her her worth to really feel that she is anything.  Thinking back, I cannot remember a time I did not have some form of guy there for me, if I was technically single, I still had a few guys on the side I strung along to make myself feel good...and sadly I hurt a lot of them. For this I am still ashamed and hope they have forgiven me. Anyways, that's the back story in a nutshell to what the Lord is revealing to me now. The serious relationship I was in before the one I'm in now (the one I can actually count as a legit relationship) was NOT glorifying to the Lord. I'm going to be super honest and real in the next few sentences...although he and I never slept together, there were many things in our relationship that were meant to only be experienced within the marriage relationship. We were FAR to emotionally involved and in many ways ac

My heart has been breaking recently. No matter how optimistic I try to remain there is no escaping the fact that the enemy will be daily attacking us. Because of this fact I know we must constantly be on guard of his schemes and be prepared to defend and ready for war. I have been becoming more and more aware of how real spiritual warfare is. My heart breaks and I cry out to the Lord to fight for my friends and family who have fallen into the hands of then enemy, for the precious souls of the children at my church’s youth night who have all odds against them. So many times I wish and even try to fight the battle for them and then realize I’m struggling enough to fight my own battles the enemy has snuck into my life. Maybe we allow defeat to overtake us too soon. Many times I feel knocked down, off track and confused by the things life throws my way, but I wouldn't call it defeated. I think defeat is when you choose to stay in that position of confusion and hurt. If you fall and st

Written December 4, 2011 My heart literally hurts tonight. It is shattered. Broken for my loved ones.I see many people I care for so deeply hurting and lost, and I can literally feel the pain inside my heart. One part of me wants to yell at them telling them how selfish and stupid they are...but that is only because I know that hurt they are feeling or are going to feel because of their actions all too well and I would NEVER want them to have to feel that pain.I have felt the pain of death. I have felt distance and numbness from God. I have felt shame for my sins. I am FAR from perfect. I have and still do struggle with pride, selfishness, lust, jealousy, hypocrisy, fear...and probably many other things...I have been blinded from truth and have believed the lies of the enemy, but The loving Father has divinely saved me out of my death and failure, and blessed me with friends who hold me accountable. I have now seen that all these things lead to death and destruction. I know sometimes

A journal entry from 2.3.10 Daddy, last night when I couldn't sleep, I thought of my life right now and it is kind of like I am facing a big brick wall. The wall is all the stuff that is holding me back from you Father. I know you are on the other side calling for me, waiting to embrace me. It is my decision to sit there and think "I can't break down this wall" or to pound at it, never giving up, no matter how hard or how long it takes, no matter how unmotivated I feel, just pound at it until it falls and I feel Your warmth again. I really cannot wait until the day I can be with You. Soon and very soon. I know right now it feels like eternity, but once I am there it will be ETERNITY. It will be wonderful. I'll be with the one I love, with unveiled face I'll see You. Now this goes to show that every Christian goes through dry seasons, or season when they feel they are completely separated from  God because of things in their lives. And yes the  separation 

You know, I can go awhile with being alone, but a whole day alone i cannot do. When I am alone to long, thoughts consume me, and not the kind of thoughts anyone would want their head to be filled with. Memories of my hardest days come when I am alone. The day when I lost my brother, the day I lost my best friend, the day my heart was shattered by the boy I thought I would be with forever, the boy who knew me better than anyone, thoughts of the day I was asked to leave somewhere I loved and had made huge sacrifices for, thoughts of my past mistakes, lies from the enemy telling me that these things happened because I am not worth it, that I have nothing to offer, that I will never ever overcome my hurts habits and hangups. These are the things that fill my head when I am alone for too long. The enemy knows that I am most vulnerable when I am alone, and that is when he attacks. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT The enemy is under Christ's feet and I am made free as a child of the Lord. But I have

Today I am in awe. In awe of the Lord. I am filled  with excitement at the fact that death no longer has it's sting. Christ tasted death for us all that this may become true. I am excited that the curtain was torn and now I may come into the presence of the Lord with confidence and there is now no separation  because of my sins. I can now draw near to God in full assurance because sin has been dealt with and because sin has been dealt with through Christ, death has been dealt with as well. We will one day see our loved ones who were in Christ that have past! PRAISE JESUS . I am excited that the enemy is under God's feet and we are made free . All these truths fill my heart with joy and hope. All these thoughts were brought about by John Mark Harts wonderful sermon yesterday. Here are some verses to read: Heb 10:19 Acts 20:24 Heb 2:9,14 1 Cor 15 Matthew 27:45-54 Heb 4:15-16 Watch: ALIVE IN US.

So I am new to this whole blogging thing so bear with me while I figure it out. I love journaling, so I figured I might as well share a little with the world. So here goes nothing...my first post: I'm Kacey Lynn <3  I know I don't have all the answers, but I daily read a book that does.  I know that I'm not always quick to forgive others who wrong me, but I follow a God who is.  I know I'm not always the greatest at listening to others problems, but I pray to One who is.  I know I have so many flaws and imperfectipons, but I follow Someone who has not one.   I know I don't have it all together, but I believe in a Savior that does.  I know I can be filled with pride sometimes, or should I say all the time, but I follow a Humble  Servant who has nothing but humility within Him.  So as I come to these realizations I ask that you don't look at me, but please focus on the Jesus that lives in me!  I don't pray for humility, I pray for a better unders