The past is gone, cast it off.

I was in church this morning and my pastor was talking about Jacob. He spoke mainly about the part in Genesis 32 when Jacob was wrestling with the angel of the Lord. I found it very innteresting that this was the first time in his life that Jacob had seen something through to the end without lying, cheating or running away and at this point he already had wives, concubines and children!
I'm 21 years old and apart from one thing I have never seen something through to the end. I left university with no qualifications after my second year, I've lied and stolen, especially to my parents. I gave up on my A-levels before I even started, I did them, but I didn't go to lessons because I couldn't be bothered to be honest. I have a friend who has heard my latest plans a million times and always knows just what to say, he always tells me that it's a cool idea but knows that it will never happen.

This is not happening any more, my name is not lier, cheater, stealer, failure, quitter. I don't know what my name will be when I get my white stone, but I know what my name is now. I know that my name means 'Holy One' and I know that I am set apart for something. I have been convicted to live my life for Him and only for Him. He has blessed me abundantly and I have taken it for granted, He's given me friends, a family, a job, passions (children, youth, Burundi and music), an incredible man who has some of the same visions as me. I will be more thankful for what I have been given, what I continue to be given, what I will be given in the future and I will not stop until I am called home. I won't stop asking for blessings, I won't stop asking Him to bless others and I will never stop loving him.

A lot of things changed for me in Burundi and the main one of those was my relationship with my Lord and Father. I also learned that He can still use people no matter what their past is, we are set free by the blood of Christ Jesus, our redeemer and we should be rejoicing in that, not getting caught up in the trials, tribulations and trivialities of the world.

Remember 'Be in the world, not of the world.'

throw off your old nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God - trule righteous and holy.
Ephesians 4: 22-23