God has made beauty from the ashes in my life!

There is a song, "Dear younger me", by Mercy Me, that talks about what you
would tell your younger self if you could. "Then you could be One step
ahead Of all the painful memories still running thru my head I wonder how
much different things would be". For many, what would we truly say or
change if we could. I look back at all the decisions, good and bad, that I
have made, and understand that it is those decisions that have made me who
I am today. My first thoughts were, DON'T take that first drink, stay away
from drugs, especially meth, don't look at porn. More importantly, look to
Jesus for help, not to people or relationships. I think of *Isaiah 61:1
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To
preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those
who are bound 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for
ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of
heaviness...* God has made "beauty from ashes" in my life. Through all the
pain that I have experienced, I know one thing for sure, Jesus loves me and
I am alive because of Him. And now, I am able to help so many others get
through their own hell, all because of the hell that God has helped me get
through. For those of you that are going through "Something", know that
Jesus loves you and I do too!

Douglas