A before and after

    My life has been a mix of ups and downs on the roller coaster of life. I know for a fact that I am not perfect, you can see it in the wreckage of my past. I have plenty of skeletons in the closet and scars on my heart. But as we are looking at my past you can also see how much I have grown and changed and became the young women and mother I am today.
     I am still a work in progress and I am learning new lessons very day. And I could not have done any of this on my own. If it wasn't for Jesus I would be down a very very dark path! The lesson I learned today, during my bible study time, is that I should look differently then who I was before Jesus.
     Acts 3:10 says "And they knew that it was he which sat for alms a the Beautiful gate of the temple and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which happened unto him."
     Peter and John had just healed this man (through the power of Christ). He had been lame since birth and was carried to the temple everyday to beg. But when Peter and John came by they didn't have money for them but something much more incredible!
    "...silver and gold I have none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk!" Acts 3:6

     He jumped up from his mat and he ran and jumped into the temple to pray. And every one saw this man who they knew to be the one sitting and begging. Now he was so different! He was running and jumping and he was headed to the temple to pray! All they had to do was take one look at this man to tell that he was different and that it was Jesus who saved him!
    I want my life to look like that. I want people to say hey that's the girl who used to _________,  and  _____________, but look at her now! I know I still have a long way to go and a lot of times I have no idea what direction is going to get me there! But I know that sometimes its "not for me to know the or the seasons (Acts 1: 7)."  So I will take comfort in knowing that God has me in his hands and every thing is going to be ok.


Someone elses words :)

      But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” (v. 6)
JR Miller writes:  “We may study the way Peter showed kindness to the beggar. There are a good many people who cannot give money to the needy–but they need not therefore do nothing. “Silver and gold have I none–but what I have–that give I you,” said Peter. He was a poor man. He had left all to follow Christ. He had no money with him that day to give to any beggar, and he might have heaved a sigh, dropped a tear, and then passed on to his evening prayers. But that was not what Peter did. He did not conclude that because he had no money with him, therefore he could not do anything for the poor man. He would give what he had to give.
      Money is not the only thing people need. It usually the poorest alms that can be given. Kind words are better, love and sympathy are finer. So far as we know, Jesus never gave money to anyone–and yet there never was such another giver of blessings as He was. We cannot impart the same large measure of help that Jesus gave–but we can give the same kind of help. There is not one of us who cannot give to other things, which will enrich their lives far, more than if we put money into their hands. We can give a cheering word, if nothing else, to some weary one in the way; a word will brighten his heart for many a long mile. Courage put into a tired heart, sympathy into a sorrowing heart–are better than any gift of gold. None of us are too poor to give something to others. If we cannot give silver or gold–we can certainly give love and sympathy, which are better than money.”