OH HAPPY DAY!!!! Today I turned 36!! Maybe you’re wondering what the heck Im so excited about? Most people stop welcoming another year as soon as they hit 30…and so did I…until this year. Many of you may recall my birthday last year…others of you became friends with me afterwards and may not be aware…that one year ago today I posted a public confession that began: “TODAY ON MY 35TH BIRTHDAY, I AM CONFESSING TO THE WORLD THAT I AM AN ADDICT. I Have Committed Suicide Of The Young Girl Of 34 Suffering From Addiction And Have Been Reborn In The Body Of Woman With A Spiritual Affair And Heart For God.” https://facebook/notes/elisha-hain-ortiz/my-addiction/10151840512415431 This confession and testimony tells how I spent 35 years worshipping a man and chasing love…and how for 35 years I suffered. The Lord showed me that he was never going to let me succeed at placing a man or anything else before him. One year ago, He broke me down enough that I submitted to Him and asked Him to remove my desires…and He did. For 35 years, our Lord loved me enough to break me, then last year He rebuilt me into a vessel that He has used to love on others, that He has done impossible things through and that He has blessed and given value and complete happiness that can never be taken away and that will never abandon me!!! He has given me more in one year than everything I was working to achieve the first 35 years without Him!! I have to tell you what happened today…every morning before I even get out of bed, I read the “Verse of the Day” on the Bible App on YouVersion. Do you know what today’s verse was?: 1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses” HE IS ALWAYS TALKING TO US!!! Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of selling everything I own and becoming a missionary but I spent my entire life chasing love instead and losing all hope for my dream. I have to share with you some of the things the Lord has done since I gave my life to Him. Please know, I tell you only to bring honor and glory and praise to my Heavenly Father…not for myself for I am still a sinner and always fall short of what He wants me to be. Everything that has happened was Him working through me…I just allowed Him to use me & my children. - The kids and I have attended small groups at church and serve in the ministry teams - We have ministered to others in the hospital through music and Michael now sings in the Worship Team - Local community service for Harvesters, City Union Mission and spent Christmas day delivering meals to shut-ins, played dominoes with a complete stranger and prayed with him - Donations and service for disaster relief in Oklahoma, Branson, Joplin - Bella’s book drive yielding over 1500 books that led to us tutoring Nepali refugees and now has become an official book ministry where we have sent books to 4 countries already - He used our church family to teach us about stewardship, tithing and faith in God’s provision. I used to be paycheck to paycheck and was always in the red. I began tithing and in a budget it shows I’m negative $900 every month, but yet somehow I always have extra every month. - Completed 50 hour certification as a Stephen Minister, providing Christian love & support to people going through certain trials and hardships in their life - My son graduated from Highschool and has chosen a Christian college majoring in intercultural missions - He has healed us from sicknesses, fixed our car, saved our home, given us food, clothing and even more so that we can share that with others. - Every problem that comes our way, we give to Him and He makes it right. - Attended the International Conference on Missions and later my testimony was used to call us to serve on the mission field in Africa…where my children and I had the opportunity to love on those suffering from poverty, illness and evil worship. We shared our testimonies and preached messages to churches and villages, led Bible Studies and devotions for Womens group, Youth Sports and Men’s Prison and loved on people with severe injuries in the clinic. - We have already seen the ripple effect of the Lord working through us and its effect on us and others. - He has given us beautiful people to love us near and far…all around the world. - I begin and end my day reading His word and have almost read the entire Bible for my very first time! - My children have a heart for God, for serving others and walk in truth! I AM A SINNER BUT ALL OF THIS GOD DID FOR ME IN ONE YEAR!!!!!! THIS IS A LIFETIME OF BLESSING AND SERVICE IN ONE YEAR!!! I AM VALUED! I HAVE PURPOSE! I AM LOVED! I SHOW LOVE! I AM COMPLETELY HAPPY!! WHO CAN SAY THAT?!! The glory of Jesus Christ and His salvation does not begin when we pass away! It begins here on earth as soon as you let Him be Lord of your life! My glory in Him began one year ago today when I put Him before me! In one year, Satan did not win me back for my Lord and Savior protected me and has me forever! Today I celebrate NO TURNING BACK!!! This is just the first year…can you imagine where we will be in 10 or 20 years? If you are unhappy, unsatisfied, or maybe have everything but something’s missing…drop everything now and run to Him. I can help you. He loves you and wants to give you so much! Every single thing on this earth will never satisfy us the way He can. Psalm 73:24-26 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 18:37:02 +0000
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