What are the words you wonder about in the middle of the night, the quiet moments, the carpool line?
What are you afraid to believe but really, really wish you could?
I’m loved,
I really can do this.
I’m chosen for a purpose.
Whatever it is, it’s scandalously true.
Not because you dreamed it up. Or you think it would be nice. Or maybe you’ve finally earned it.
It’s true because the God who spoke the world into being has whispered his heart to you too…
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him {Psalm 103:11}
I can do all this through him who gives me strength. {Philippians 4:13}
This is what the Lord says…”I have called you by name, you are mine.” {Isaiah 43:1}
We don’t have to just wish. We can deep-in-our-bones know. Easy? Nope, not in this fallen world. But with the One Who Loves Us and each other it really is possible.
What’s one truth your heart is holding on to right now?
–Holley Gerth, author of You’re Already Amazing
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This is so beautiful! Thanks for the encouragement! (haha! I’m up really late reading this too!)
He’s near to me right now. I can stop and He’s here. This is nice.
thanks, just started reading the book, it is all timely
What a blessing to read this post this morning. I am going through a difficult turn of events and many of the things you wrote were whispered to my heart last night. It helps to hear them yet again!
One truth my heart is holding on to right now is that God keeps His promises, it gives me hope for the future .. and it makes me grateful, what a beautiful God we have !
Have a blessed weekend, Ruth
He knows the plans he has for me. I just need to sit back and hold on because he loves me completely and will take care of me no matter what!
Not too long ago, a very precious friend of mine-a friend like no other-thrust me from her life with nary a backward glance. Now, I am currently in the middle of a very painful srparation which will likely end in divorce. My spirit and soul have been so badly wounded, and for awhile, the darkness overwhelmed me. I just needed to know that I was worth loving, even just a little bit. But because my trust was so shattered, I built up walls around myself.
But this morning, I am SO THANKFUL for a God who so very gently dismantles those walls and whispers to me of His love. God and I still have alot of wall to go, but HE IS FAITHFUL.
I’m praying for you in this difficult season of life.
May you continue to have a thankful spirit, and feel His great love around you!!
Dearest “Just me”,
I will put you on my prayer list ~ it has been 3 years now since my divorce, going on 6 since my separation.
I know only, too well the shattering of your heart; how it feels. I am so very, very sorry…It was never meant to be this way…
Just Me,
Praying that the sweet love, grace & mercy of almighty God surround you know & that you feel His presence in your dark place! Don’t listen to the lies of the evil one–You are a Beautiful Creature created in the image of God!!
Praying for you sister!
Praying for and with you this morning, sister!
Its been 3 years since my separation and 1 1/2 years since my divorce … I know ur pain.. It’s the pain I still feel .. You and all those who are going through the same thing are in my prayers..
Hang in there…I don’t mean to sound trite….but it is true…it does get better. The walls do come down, you are able to breathe…the big, giant, deep lung full of beautiful sweet air and look around and see….life!
I have been divorced 7 years…it took a long while…very long…and the road was winding and full of potholes but you do eventually get to the end of this journey and there is PEACE…and LOVE…and LIFE!!!
I am now re-married (I told myself never again…ha ha) to an amazingly wonderful and Godly man…so I am now on a new journey…down a different road.
Thank you all for the comments, I love to read them all and learn and grow so much from them and thank you so very very much Holley for being the heart and light of God for so many of us!! May HE truly bless you as YOU bless us!!
Holley’s post touched my heart, as always. But “Just Me”, your post touched my heart too. I have been where you are also, and I know exactly where you are and how you feel. God got me through, and He will never leave you as you walk hand-in-hand through this storm. He is faithful, and he loves YOU, just as you are. And trust me, you will come through this on the other side more beautifully refined, stronger, and even more amazing than you are now! Praying for His grace and mercy, comfort and love to be with you each and every day! Remember Jer. 29:11…the best is yet to come!!
Dear Just Me,
I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
The walls you put around yourself are there to protect you from more hurt at this time. When you are ready, you will slowly bring them down. But only when you are ready will this happen. Allow yourself time.
Do know that God will put new people in your life, to encourage you and help you move forward through all of this.
Be good to yourself, you deserve all the goodness God has planned for you.
God Bless,
C.
thanks, holley…i needed that! now i’m singing, ‘the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases….” may we each hold the truth in our hearts today and bring honor to our Father Who loves us so much! <3
Holley, love to wallpaper my mind with this truth…”These things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!”–Habakkuk 2:3 TLB…I wrote a blog about it here… http://bethwillismiller.blogspot.com/2010/02/slowly-steadily-surely-time-approaches.html
Thank you for this Bibleverse ! You cannot imagine what those words mean to me,.. although being patient is the hardest part of all ! Thank you so much, may the Lord Almighty be with you and give you peace, Ruth
Love that verse! So encouraging!
I so needed to read this post this morning. Thank you! God’s been reminding me that He HAS called me to be a mother, a wife, and a servant, during this season of my life. I often feel like I don’t “get to do what I want to do”, forgetting that I’m more than blessed with two beautiful and healthy children, and a hard working husband. God is faithful.
I so needed to hear this….because I dont feel loved at all-
Dear Linda, I pray for you today, that you may feel the love of God. Mac Powell sings a beautiful song that encouraged me a lot when I felt unloved and depressed… May Jesus show you what Love sees when He looks at you ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2zHk95UnsE
Live courageous, with love, Ruth
Oh dear Sister,
There were times that I didn’t feel loved at all. Didn’t feel worthy of love. Especially His Great Love.
But you are!! He created You. You are chosen. He CARES for you, and about you!! And if you were living in the house across the street, I’d have you for tea, let you sit in my garden, watching my grandkids play and butterflies flutter by. I’d want you to feel how loved you truly are.
Don’t believe the lies of Satan, the lies of man, the lies of this world. Our brains will lie to us, and tell us we aren’t worth all HE has made us to be. Believe HIS words. HIS love. Read them over and over again. Write them on your heart, on your mind, on your bathroom mirror. Put HIS words around your house, in your car. Remember the words that tell you how He loves you, and how we can love Him best. Love Him first. Love Him and receive His love.
You are cared about, cared for, and I’m here to witness that to you. HE is there for you ALWAYS.
Praying for you to feel His embrace…
Linda, you are loved. Asking God to show you that in a new and very real way. Sending a hug your way…
The truth I’m holding on to is this: He can do it again.
A few years ago God moved us effortlessly from MO to KY. I felt like a baby chick in His hands, and every detail came together with ease, our needs were abundantly met, and He covered each hurdle with steps and a slide.
Now, with the possibility of a move from KY to NW AR, I wonder if He would do that again. It’s hard for me to think of it as a reward for a measure of obedience, I want to learn and grow and know He uses trials to accomplish that! But would He just choose to bless me abundantly again, with another effortless move? Does He do that to show His favor? I don’t know, but IF He chooses to open that door for the move, I’ll walk through, obediently, even through a hard season (if He wills it to be – I’ll cling closer to Him!).
Either way, we’re sure of His Great Love.
Thanks for the reminder!!
Thank you, Holley for sharing and whispering God’s encouragement to me today. Hugs in Him…
Thank You I needed the this encougement. So much happening around me. I know the Lord loves me but seeing words for me just makes my heart swells knowing that I am loved and He will never leave me.
Sandra,
I will pray for you, sweetheart…
Your friend from facebook 😉
Sandra Crittenden,
Don’t believe those lies of evil one! Believe that you are beautiful, loved and made in the image of Almighty God! He cares soo much for you and your situation!
Praying sweet blessings on you now!
I love this message.
I am just late on finishing up “you’re already amazing”. I was a bit too busy to follow along with the Bloom Bookclub this last time, but I am catching up and loving it.
Thanks Holley for being real, for being obedient and for reminding us all of Who God is!
Thank you for reading my little book, Merissa! 🙂
Holley,
Loved loved loved the message–timely & true! I’m holding on to the truth that God made me in His image and gave me talents that only He knows where to best use them.
Tired of job that seems to be going no where–trusting God for His blessings and assurance!
I hold the truth in my heart that He is sovereign and in control no matter how it looks in the midst of circumstances. There are so many stories in scripture that teach that, even the very death of the One that holds all things together. His followers thought that the plans had gone all wrong…as do we in our situations as we try to follow the Lord today!! God bless you all today!!
I’m holding on to the truth that the things He has planned for me will come to pass. It can be so hard to trust this truth, but He moves in small ways and I am reminded again that He is faithful to complete what He starts. Thank you for this reminder.
Sometimes I think we don’t even realize how badly we need to hear something until we actually hear it.
Then someone reads into our hearts, says the words we desperately needed to hear, and we realize, “Oh. That’s what I’ve been waiting for.”
I wrote this in my journal yesterday…as I wrestled with these same kind of questions.
I close my eyes
to help me think
to help me see
more clearly
what it is I’m not seeing
but I do see it
with eyes of faith
the eyes of my heart
a heart indwelled
this is how I know
what stirs inside of me
is what He’s doing for me
All I have heard for years are Satan’s lies – and it feels as if God is not speaking to me. Satan tells me that God has left me, that my pain and loss are God’s punishment (for what, I’m not sure), and that God isn’t listening to my heartfelt pleas.
Thank you for reminding me that is not true. Right now, maybe the affirmation is more intellectual. I am praying that I eventually feel it as well.
Yes, it takes time to move from our head to our hearts. Keep holding onto what’s true. Praying for you, Kristy!
I just last night wrote a post about the first time my heart was broken, and how no one spoke Truth to the lies I was told. As a child, it’s difficult to speak Truth to yourself, I think – so when I was badly broken and no one spoke Truth to me, the lies buried deep in my heart and festered there, budding more lies. I’m desperately clinging to the promises that the King has made for my life – the plan, the love, the worth. I know it’s all true in my head, but there is a disconnect between my head-knowledge and heart-knowledge.
So the Truth my heart is trying to cling to right now is that I am worth it, I am loved, I am special, and the plans He has made really are as wonderful as He has promised them to be.
Thank you – that is exactly where I am. Clinging to God’s promises, while Satan feeds me the lie that my whole life is proof that God has abandoned me.
I am chosen and I am innocent are the truths I am clinging to right now. Accused of something I did not do. Lost a job over it. Betrayed by a loved one.
So sorry, Katie. Asking God to be your comfort and Defender.
I’m holding onto the truth that God has big plans for me, that someway, somehow I will become a mother (through infertility or adoption) and that in the end I will look back and see His fingerprints as I crawl through the darkness of now.
I have walked that path, Amy, and know how difficult it can be. Praying God brings you through this desert and grants the desires of your heart.
I needed to be reminded of God’s love for me today but I need a friend too. I stayed home from church today because I am tired of sitting by myself in a row every Sunday. I wonder if it’s because I’m older. I’m known as a really outgoing, friendly person but I can never seem to connect with anyone at church at more than a superficial level. I moved from a very friendly church last year to serve God in another state and am yet to find close friends. Because I live outside of the US I don’t think anyone ever responds to my comments because of the time difference. I get really blessed reading how some of you respond to the comments and I hope someone one day will respond to me. Does that sound pathetic? sometimes it’s just good to say what your heart is really thinking. thanks for letting me rave on.
You are not alone. I know I have felt that way many times – and I wonder if I even make an impact there before we have to move on. Church should be family….and sometimes we forget that! But, God loves you. Continue to do His will, and try not to be discouraged! He has a plan, even when we don’t know what it is.
I hear you, Denise, and I’m glad you opened your heart and shared these words. I’ve been in seasons where I have found myself without the friends my heart longs for too. I think as women we all go through that at times. Don’t let the enemy tell you that it is just you or it is your fault. Asking God to bring you the fellowship and friendship you need. XO
I get this! Often times I can think of those I love and appreciate, but friendships that are growing, good “girlfriends” . . what’s that??!
I find it so easy to be jealous of those that seem to have-it-together (organized); two parents actually involved in their child’s life; probably not dealing with the secret addictions and hang-ups I have been; and friendships they’ve known forever . . . but I’m not them, and they are not me, and I can’t compare. . .I don’t know what my tomorrow or theirs holds. . . perhaps I’ve isolated myself, and haven’t even realized . .
Hi Denise,
You are being heard! And remember God hears the cries of your heart, even before you utter them. Loneliness is hard. And sometimes I too feel lonely, even when surrounded by people. There is no substitute for a real friend, a one-on-one friend who you can share your heart with. I find sometimes I forget that I can ask someone to join me for coffee or a meal. I pray that you would have courage and confidence in the Lord today to ask someone to join you.
Lord, please open a door of friendship today to Denise. Allow her to notice the person who like her could use a friend. And give her your Holy Spirit to be bold enough to extend herself to another in friendship. And while you’re at it Lord give Denise today blessed assurance that you are with her and you love her so, so much. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Bless you friend.
Lord, I pray for Denise….giving thanks for her courage in posting on (in) courage, and praying that You would fill her with a sense of Your great love for her and Your presence! Lord, please wrap her up in Your arms of love and fill her heart with the assurance of Your closeness to her, now and always…and please be with her as she goes through this transition to a new state and seeks to find her way in a new church. Please grant her friends, people with whom she can really share her heart…please draw her to the right people who will provide wonderful friendships for her! Bless her for her obedience to You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Nothing separates me from the love of God, and He ordains my steps. I don’t have to wish! Love that.
I am amazing, just the way I am, despite unhealthy choices.
I am loved.
I am capable, through God – “You can do all things through him who gives you strength”
I do not need to compare.
I am me – unique, special, beautiful and no better then anybody else.
I want to thank my friend Sara for sending this to me and Holly for writing it. I needed to hear this. I have made a big decision in my based on where I felt God wanted me to go. My whole life I have always been scared to step out of comfort zones for fear of making the wrong choice. This time I felt God was guiding me to career change that means going to school at night and working during the day while still trying to be a good mom/wife. I am not sure I wanted to do this or even will be able to handle it. It involves a lot of hard work, dedication and sacrifice not just from me but my kids and husband also. I am scared but I know God is with me and has guided me each step of the way this far and he will continue to. So again thank you for this wonderful encouragement
Holley,
The one thing I wish I could believe is that I am able to make my children feel the intense love I have for them in ways that make them strong and healthy. I also want them to know and feel the love of God to make their lives complete, and that they never have to go through any doubts in their lives of ever not being loved and cherished.
Your words are always a great encouragement, Holley. Thank you. I find I really need to stay in the Word so I don’t stray from believe the Truth. And you shared some powerful Words!!
Mt heart is holding on the the truth that I can trust JESUS & Depend on Him ( even when I try to be the one in control of my job situation) My whole weight is on HIM, because He carries me. Gods word says that if I seek him with my whole heart he will show me which path to take –] Thank you Father ! I am ever grateful for Jesus, my Husband and my freinds who are all such a source of encourgement to me. Blessed to be able to pray for the ladies on this site as I know the JOY of prayer. Thank you Holley you are a Gift from God !
A gal in my office shared this site with me – and I have been so blessed by your words and sharing of scripture. Thank you for allowing Jesus to use you in this incredible way. May He continue to bless your ministry and expand it so that more may know Him and His love for them.
Abundantly Blessed,
Jamie
Oh how I needed these words today…THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart…
Today the pastor at our church preached about the two people who walked away from Jerusalem after Christ’s death. As they walked Jesus joined them and walked along with them but they didn’t recognize Him. Then later when they ate with Him and realized who He was they rejoiced that even when they didn’t realize it He was walking with them. That is our promise today . Even when we are down and circumstances are not what we want He is walking with us. What peace and assurance that is.
I can do all this through him who gives me strength. {Philippians 4:13} This verse is one that I say over and over each day as I head into teach at an urban middle school…I so need this encouragement. Thank you Holley!
The truth for me today is that God is true to all His promises. I need to go speak to my aunt who is in her last days in rehab. The family needs reconciliation (her and her daughters) but she also needs to hear peace in her life. I go armed with God’ promises and the knowledge now that I can do this through the One who gives me the strength to do it.
So refreshing to hear the true in the midst of so many lies.
I used to believe it…that I was secretly worth something, that the specialness in me was just buried, deep inside, under an unfortunate outward appearance that displays insignificance. Now, I wonder…is there any hope of finding a me who matters?
You do matter ! God loves you beyond comprehension, and He has a purpose for your life.. I pray for you that you may experience His unfailing love. Just watch this testimony and I hope it encourages you like it helped me through a time of despair : http://inspirationmanifestation.com/218/no-arms-no-legs-no-worries-nick-vujicic/
I wish we could talk from face to face, I would tell you about Gods amazing love, .. with love, Ruth
muchalone,
there is hope in king Jesus, there is hope in the Lord. i tank God that you visted this page and that you poured out your heart. I want you to know that i have prayed for you and will continue to do so. God, is right by your side , right now and it’s all because you are indeed a very special person to him.
I am glad that you shared this note withus Holley it is truly appropriate even if we’re all up late just reading and encouraging each other.
God bless.
Thanks, Holley! I just started reading a book on embracing God’s promises, so this was very timely!
He has brought me to it and He will continue to bring me through it.
So many great thoughts come to mind! Most important Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
– and after a weekend of disappointment and grumbling this was my verse of the day:
“Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
– these two are turning my frown upside down! I know that ALL things work together for good for those who love the Lord. I trust Him with everything even when it doesn’t appear to me in a nice neat little package. My heart is broken but only HE can put it back together!
Wow. This is not what my heart was hearing the night before you posted this. It seems like the truth is sometimes harder to believe than those hateful lies that Satan whispers in the quiet of the night. Oh, Lord, please block my ears from hearing lies and open only to You and Your words!
Yes! Thanks for the inspiration, Holley. Needed it today 🙂
Dear Holley and staff, I am so very grateful for your continuous writings and encouragements on-line to fellow believers and all. . My husband and I have recently, end of January, moved from Canada to Costa Rica — a huge move after living 16 years in our home in Calgary, and all my life in Canada. My health has been poor with 6 surgeries over the last 4 years, BUT GOD, has guided and protected us through amazing struggles and challenges and undoubtedly through the encouragements I have received through Heart to Heart with Holley. You don’t know me, but most of the time you would think God put those words there just for me. His grace and mercies are phenomenal!! People all around this world are being touched and transformed by the Word of God! I am just one! Thank you for your faithfulness to our dear Lord Jesus Christ! I have been released from 20 years of depression, have been healing from several serious surgeries and now am seeking God’s provision for us as we try to find a quieter and less expensive lifestyle here in costa Rica. Re-evaluation of life’s priorities, cultural and language challenges, searching for a church family, restoration of health, and daily searching God’s word for ways we can minister to each other and to others practically and spirituallyae some of our challenges. And life moves on, ever closer to the day we shall meet Him FACE TO FACE!!! God bless you dear ones! With His deep, deep LOVE, thank you!
Carol
[…] 2. What Your Heart Needs to Hear Most Today […]
what a gift you have to encourage the world with your words … God has enlarged your tent in ways beyond belief …
my heart is holding onto the belief of following my creative passion … to break down barriers and create freely a style of my own … to discover through my collage, what is my true style.