Page 19 - Cornerstone Connection Magazine - Volume 22 - Issue 7

2021 This year is a symbolic new start, or at least that’s what we
tell ourselves. How about we start with God, Whose the one
Everyday can be a new and fresh start. Every moment, we Perfect Being that can complete us like nothing has or can?
can make the right or wrong choices. Choose to walk back, Stuff, relationships, a new car or house, or success are just
to run back as the prodigal son did. It’s never too late to worldly, temporary fixes to a problem that only God has the
ask God to reconcile you to Him. Isn’t that what our hearts answer to.
long for? - Hope and love, to be accepted by our Maker? In I want to change, to truly be better and closer to my Savior.
a world that seems so lost and far gone, even the people who If you feel this way, like I feel, and want His unconditional
do believe seem to be missing the crucial piece that ever has love, then we must accept Him and truly know He forgives
and ever will matter - Jesus! He is pure love and forgiveness if we turn from our old selves and let Him make us a new
of sins. He saves us from ourselves and makes us whole in Creation. We get in the way of ourselves and block His
Christ. forgiveness and Blessings by not forgiving ourselves, by
For so long, I was mixing the law with Grace, saying I holding onto the past and carrying around shame and guilt.
believe in You, Lord, yet I was trying to win my battles on my Repentance is a gift that God has given us. Simply open it and
own in an epic war that I could never win alone. We have the say from this moment forward, from this day on, I want to be
King of The Universe ready, standing by whispering in our better, and the only way I can be is if I let Him have complete
ears, “Let Me fight for you. I know your pain, weaknesses. control of my life from A to Z. Surrender and let the chains
I am here to take that pain away, to show you that your fall to the ground, broken and never to be put on again.
strength comes from Me.” Why do we do this to ourselves? Today is the day, and I’m not going to wait any longer. I’m
Has it ever worked in the past? It never has for me, and I Yours, and You are mine, Lord. “I have been crucified with
am only now starting to realize that I must have Faith and Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I
Believe in His Grace to be made whole in my weakness. I now live in the body, I live by Faith in the Son of God, who
can’t earn it; it’s simply not possible. loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NIV). ✝

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