More from Eat Pray Love...

Yes...I am still reading through this book; funny that I thought this summer I would have even more time for pleasurable reading...not finding this to be true, sadly.
Even worse, I am not far into the book at all! I am still in Italy...maybe that is because I don't want to leave Italy with her...I want to live there vicariously through her, and enjoy all that Italy has too offer. Although, I must say...I am a getting a little tired of hearing people talk ill of Venice...let the little people like me dream of this amazing, romantic, idyllic city floating on water...not a depressing, smelly, rat infested place. I have heard this from a few people. I want to go! I want my dreams to be real: riding in a gondola while relaxing in the arms of someone who adores me, and taking in all the culture, the history, the stories, the romance of Venice...so please just let me dream! LOL.
Anyways...Elizabeth is describing the "sinking melancholy of Venice" and she goes on to say how she does not allow the atmosphere of her sad surroundings pull her into a depression state...a matter of the mind she knows all too well from her past. She congratulates herself and her healthy new mindset, "Somewhere in me I am able to recognize that this is not my melancholy; this is the city's own indigenous melancholy, and I am healthy enough these days to be able to feel the difference between me and it."
I love this...OK, yes I am loving this whole book, but, yes...I love this. A friend and I were just talking about cycles of repetition that we seem to get stuck in our lives. Culture has a way of making us believe that we can never stop the broken record, never heal from history, never move on from our past, never break the cycle,never be free from generational curses, never recover from roots of insecurities/depression/negativity/addictions/anxiety/ect....
Plug in your sad song...your struggle...your repeated offence.
But I am here to tell you this is a lie from the pit of Hell.
WHO THE SON SETS FREE IS FREE INDEED! WITH THE POWER OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST FLOWING IN US...WE CAN BE FREE FROM ALL THAT MESS!
We don't have to have our life on repeat mode! Each morning is a new morning! A gift from God! A fresh new day and a chance for a change. Let me also add this because I have been there...on repeat mode...I have been in the deep, dark, lonely pit of despair playing over and over again in my life, and I know what may go through someones mind...so let me add: "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans) If you have found yourself stuck on replay do not read this and began asking these questions: great I am going through that right now, am I too far from God? Am I too much of a mess to find the Messiah to heal me and pull me from this pit? Am I am horrible person and that is why I keep falling backwards? Am I just a failure? The answers to these lies being whispered in your mind from the deceiver himself: NO!!! So do not accept that condemnation!!
I am writing this after just having a flashback of insecurities battles plow their way through my life this weekend and finding myself falling again to it's false condemning concepts!
You are a child of God and He loves you...no matter where you are at in your faith right now...the Father can find you! I promise...no wait, better yet...His word premises this: Deuteronomy 31:8
"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
He is there. He has always been there. He will always be there.
And He can change your life is such a powerful way...IT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME! YOU NEVER HAVE TO GO BACK!
Paul says, "Forget those things which are behind you, and press on towards the goal" (Philip)
You can overcome! "We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus" (Romans)
Our mindset is a choice...so we must choose wisely. BE POSITIVE!
And know that today is a new day, the day that the Lord has made, so be glad and rejoice in it! Even if you made a poor choice yesterday...make a good one today and give your life over to Christ...His hands are big enough to hold you, His ways are wise enough to lead you, His heart is large enough to love you unconditionally, His promises are enough to give you hope, His peace is enough to sustain you, His comfort is enough to relax you, his joy is enough to renew you, and HIS FREEDOM IS ENOUGH TO BRING YOU ABUNDANT LIFE!
Live it in Jesus name!