“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
#nolongerheldcaptive
Tag: Love
Self acceptance…
#nolongerheldcaptive
God has good things…for me.
Celebrating a day in history…
I will not be silenced…
My voice matters.
My opinion matters.
My words matter.
My thoughts matter.
What I have to say matters.
How I feel matters.
My questions matter.
My disagreeing with you matters.
Standing up for myself matters.
Speaking up matters.
What I like matters.
What I don’t like matters.
Telling my jokes matter.
Telling my story matters.
My choice matters.
My dreams matter.
My disappointments matter.
My goals matter.
My style matters.
Being comfortable in my own skin matters.
Being confident matters.
Being unsure at times, matters.
Taking my time to process my feelings matters.
Being sad matters.
Being happy matters.
Being angry matters.
Laughing out loud matters.
My smile matters.
My quirkiness matters.
My “no” matters.
My “yes” matters.
Saying exactly what I mean matters.
Having boundaries matter.
Being kind to myself matters.
Being kind to others matters.
Practicing self-care matters.
Loving freely matters.
My brown skin matters.
Being myself, even when others say it’s “too much” matters.
Being free spirited matters.
Letting go of what I can’t control matters.
Liking myself matters.
Loving myself matters.
I matter.
~ denise marie
lean into his presence…
This week I was feeling a lot of anxiety. Between the pandemic, friends and family battling sickness, the loss of so many lives, the violence, the financial struggles of many, racial injustice and the chaos in our nation, I found myself struggling to hold onto my peace. My emotions fluctuating from sadness, to anger, to fear as I battled my own thoughts to bring my mindset back to a place of peace.
Then I heard a still small voice that said, “Lean into his presence.”. At that very moment I knew he was calling me to him.
One of my favorite lyrics in a song by Elevation Worship goes,
“In Your presence there is freedom
In Your presence there is hope
In Your presence there is healing
Love restores me, I am whole”.
In my moments of distress, I am learning as I lean into his presence, my anxiety surrenders to Him.
Lean into his presence.
~ denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
**side note**: I am a firm believer in Jesus and Therapy! God provides us with resources that if we are willing, can come alongside us and help us in our journey. My regular appointments with my therapist and support from my sponsor in Celebrate Recovery, are vital parts of my healing!💗
a hope deferred…
I recently met up on zoom with two friends that I have known for 35 years. Though our life had taken us different directions and we tried to talk over the phone occasionally, but us three haven’t been together in one place for 27 years, we quickly were able to pick back up where we left off and that same connection that brought us together 35 years ago was naturally the same connection we had on the zoom call. We laughed and cried as we reminisced, caught each other up on our life and made plans to get together on zoom regularly.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12
After our call, in the middle of the night, I woke up and clearly heard the words “a hope deferred”. I knew exactly in that moment what God was trying to tell me.
For years I had longed to be in touch with these two friends, missing them, needing them, allowing feelings of rejection or unrealistic expectations of them to cause me to create scenarios in my mind that were not accurate. Looking back, simply picking up the phone, to let them know how I felt, would’ve put an end to my questions or to scenarios which were not accurate. Reconnecting with my friends fulfilled the longing in my heart and brought me so much joy.
So if you are sitting on the sidelines, watching an old friend or even a family member live their life through the lens of social media but afraid to reach out and really reconnect, I want to encourage you to pick up the phone and let them know you care. It doesn’t matter how much time has passed, It’s not too late to let someone know you miss them, or that your sorry and that you love them.
~ denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
The mask I wear…
– John 8:36
**Artist Credit: Bri Wenke**
#nolongerheldcaptive
Intentional living…
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
When the waves come crashing…I will trust you.
Wherever You would call me,
Take me deeper than my feet
could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior”.
⁃ Oceans by Hillsong United
This summer, I had an overwhelming need to go to the Ocean, so I told my husband and the next day we drove to Santa Cruz.
As I stood there on these rocks on the beach, I watched the water go from calm to all of a sudden the waves came crashing violently and then the calmness of the water subsided as the waves went back out to sea.
I was so fortunate to capture this photo at the exact moment of impact.
As I watched in awe, I heard God sweetly whisper, “trust me”.
Unbeknownst to me, my life would change four days later, when I survived a pulmonary embolism.
As I heal, this picture is a constant reminder of how we all face the unexpected crashing of overwhelming situations that disrupt our life. But even in those uncertain times, God promises to be our firm foundation, as he continuously whispers “trust me”.
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety”.
– Psalm 18:2
~ denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36 #nolongerheldcaptive
Loving you…
