Dear Friends,
The chains of your past don’t define who you are. If you’re new in Christ, if you’ve repented of your past and asked Him to forgive you, then He has. Your past is history. He’s forgotten all about it. Now it’s your turn. Don’t be chained to your past, friends. It doesn’t define you.
So, live in the present.
 
Chains of My Past
These chains of my past are too great to bear,
Its vice-like grip, holding me fast to this chair.
These chains of my past are like poison to my soul,
Injecting its venom, keeping me from being whole.
These chains of my past are visible to no one but me,
And all I’ve ever wanted is to just be free.
 
These chains of my past aren’t always so clear,
Sometimes the grip is so light, I don’t even know it’s there.
But the chains never leave me, they’re here to haunt me of my past,
Draining me, killing me, how much longer will I last?  
 
These chains of my past are too strong to break,
The grip only tightens, leaving me trembling in its quake.
These chains of my past, I’ve tried and tried to break free,
But its grip is too strong, will no one help me?
 
The deep dark room where my memories are kept,
Keeping me chained to that chair as my friends around me wept.
But I can’t change, this dark room is my home,
Chained by my past with no place to roam.
 
But then on that day, my life turned from its doom,
I cried out to the Lord and a brilliant light filled the room!
I said, “God, please forgive me! I’m sorry for my sin!
I’ve let these chains define me, they must be gone for me to win!
I hate these chains of my past, and I want them no more,
Break these chains of destruction, throw them out and slam the door!”
 
Then the most blessed sound was heard as I glanced down with tear-filled eyes,
My chains were breaking! My chains were breaking! The Lord heard my cries!
My chains fell off! I found myself free. The Lord, my Savoir, had rescued me.
All I had to do, was see myself as merely man,
Because God can do things that no man ever can.
 
These chains of my past don’t define who I am,
I’m no longer its victim, I’m a different man!
Now I live my life in the light, I try to shine it bright wherever I go,
And I spend my days getting stronger and trying my hardest to learn and grow.
 
I now talk with others who bear the same chains that held me,
I tell them about the One who can break their chains and set them free.
I’m no longer the man I was, but a new body has taken my place,
Those chains are forever gone, not even a scrap of metal in their place.
 
Sometimes I think back to who I was before,
But those memories are so dark I just step back and slam that door.
So instead, I raise my hands to Heaven, my Bible clutched tightly in my fists,
With tear-filled eyes and a trembling heart, I glance down at the scars on my wrists.
The scars are there for a gentle reminder, of the life I lived before,
But they aren’t here to haunt or define me, because I don’t live that life anymore.
I thank God for breaking those chains, they’ll never again have their grip on me,
I thank Him for His mercy, love, and kindness. Because now?
Now, I am finally free. 
© 2018 Aleigha C. Israel 

​Have you ever gotten homesick? I mean literately home sick.
 
I remember the week when I first felt the truth of those two words.
My sisters and I left with my father on a business trip. We had such a wonderful time, and the memories we made are still etched in my heart and mind.
But it was the first time I’d left the rest of my family behind. And it seemed that part of my heart had stayed with them.
I was literately sick after the first few days, and my stomach was in knots. I can’t describe the feeling that went through me when I was finally home again!
 
Do you ever feel that way when you’re thinking about Heaven? Do you ever want to go home so badly it hurts? Do you ever get so tired of striving, trying to stay upbeat against the wickedness and not letting it consume you, that you just say, “Lord, I want to go home!”
 
I’ve felt that way before. Many times, actually.
I think it’s only natural that we long for Heaven, that we long to see His face and be in His presence. He is our Father after all!
 
But I’m not quite sure that we need to long for Heaven with such intensity that it causes us to grumble about our present home. Actually, I’m pretty sure that’s not the case! Now, don’t get me wrong, we should earnestly desire and long for Heaven, to be with Him in eternity. We should hunger for that “day of rejoicing,” when we’ll “sing and shout the victory!”
But I think that we can turn our longing into a telescope lens that points straight to Heaven, keeping in sight that goal, our prize, our home. Keeping it in sight at all times so that we’re constantly asking ourselves, “Will this matter in Heaven?” or, “Is this a good use of my time here on earth?”
 
Why are we here?
I believe there’s a few answers you can give to that question. The first and foremost being that we’re here for His glory. (Isaiah 43:7, 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Psalm 86:12)
 
Now, you’ve probably heard that before, but have you ever put a lot of thought into what it means?
Let’s define the word glory. One definition of glory is “to take great pride or pleasure in.”
So, I think it’s safe to say that God put us here on earth so that He could take pleasure in us. After all, don’t you think that most artists take pleasure in their masterpieces? Now, that might seem like a prideful way of thinking, saying that we’re His masterpieces, but it’s true. (Ephesians 2:10)
 
So, back to our purpose here on earth.
Our purpose is to give Him glory, or in other words, we’re here so that He can take pleasure in us giving Him glory. Read 2 Corinthians 5:9. It says in that verse that our ambition should be to please Him.
 
So, what does that mean for us? How do we take this title and apply it to our lives?
 
Well, if we’re hateful to those around us and are constantly seeking out things that appeal to our flesh, then do you think God is taking pleasure in that? 
I think it’s safe to say the answer to that question is, “no.”
 
So, I’m pretty sure the answer to the question above, “how do we apply this title to our lives,” is to do things that bring Him glory. Or in other words, do things that will please Him. 

Here are a few ways we can do that:
 
          1. Have a desire to learn more about Him (Philippians 3:10, Isaiah 26:9, Psalm 73:25)
This includes studying our Bibles and trying to learn all we can about our Heavenly Father. And not just reading, but learning, yearning, and taking great delight in it!
 
          2. Strive to keep a “will this please Him?” attitude (Romans 12:1, Ephesians 5:8-10)
Let’s start asking ourselves with everything we do, “is this pleasing to Him?” Not only that, but once we’re born again, we’ll have an earnest desire to please Him in all that we do!
I think this will cut down on a lot of useless things we spend our time doing!
 
 
          3. Take delight in His creation (Colossians 1:16)
He made the sun for His glory. He made the earth and the butterflies and the pretty blue sky and bright red roses all for His glory. But He also gave them to us, so that we can take pleasure in His workmanship and give Him praise and glory.
So, this week, take a deep breath of the fresh air, and take a minute to watch the birds flying in the sky. Take a moment to study the pretty purple sunset and yes, take a moment to, “stop and smell the roses.” He made them for us, so let’s enjoy them.
 
          4. Get along with others (Hebrews 12:14-15, Colossians 3:13-17)
He made your siblings, He made your spouse, He made your mother and father and friends. They’re all a part of His masterpiece, just like you. You’ll be living in Heaven with these people! So, the least we can do is get along with them here on earth. Let’s take special time this week to get along nicely with others. Even if they’re hard to be around. Just remember, a lot of people have it worse than this. 

So this week, let’s do something together. Let’s constantly ask ourselves, “is this pleasing to Him?”
And if it’s not, let’s throw it out. Throw it out and replace it with something that will bring Him glory.
When we all get to Heaven, it’ll be a day of rejoicing. I long for that day. I long for that peace and joy. I long to worship in His presence for eternity.
But we’re here for a reason. We’re not dead yet, because the Lord has a plan for our lives. He has a plan for your life.
So let’s spend our time here on earth with wisdom, making sure to bring glory to Him in all that we do.

We’re His children. He’s our Master.
Let’s be good and faithful servants.

I'm giving away a FREE e-book bundle!!
The winner of the drawing will receive two e-books of their choice! 

They can choose between: 
Apples of Gold (poetry)
The Pen of the Writer (poetry)
Sweet Meditation (poetry) 
A Higher Ransom (novel, book one) 
A Dim Reflection (novel, book two) 
Hidden Treasures (devotional) 


ALL you have to do to enter, is subscribe to my friends blog below! (And trust me, she has the BEST blog on the planet, so you won't be disappointed!) 

If you subscribe RIGHT NOW, then my friend will also send you an e-book of her novella when she's finished writing it!

Oh, and don't forget to let me know that you subscribed in the comments, so that I can enter you in the drawing!! 

Thanks, friends!!

​(This drawing ends on the 23rd of Jan.)

​
​2017 was an amazing year! We’d be here all day if I started telling you about all the blessings the Lord bestowed on us, and on my writing life. So, I’m boiling it all down to a few fantastic findings that the Lord led me to in 2017.

Beware, once you discover these amazing resources there’s no going back!
So, buckle up and get ready for the ride!

Again, we’d be here all day if I began to even scratch the surface of how absolutely phenomenal this writing workshop is for young writers!
If you’re under 30 and you’re looking to get serious about your writing, check out this site below. (Or if you’ve been looking to encourage your son or daughter in their writing, then look no further!)
There’s a free Facebook community and the paid program is also getting ready to open for registration again. In my words, it’s a community of encouraging writers where you can learn, grow, and celebrate your achievements together. Not only that, but there’s a full content library decked out with just about everything you can think of! If you’re struggling with motivation and writers block, check out the motivation section. If you need to brush up on your “show vs. tell,” knowledge, then there’s that too.  And the list goes on!
Top all that off with the fact that you get access to some pretty amazing instructors! Instructors that will do their best to help you reach your dream of getting traditionally published, which is the best part of all!
Really, this was my highlight of 2017. I’m not sure where I’d be in my writing if it weren’t for this program!
I went from having no email list, to over 200 subscribers. And from less than 200 site views a month, to over 2,000! My progress since joining this program has reached places I never knew I could reach.
So if you’re looking to bring your writing to the next level, check out the website below and think about signing up for the paid program when it opens again soon! =) 

Check out The Young Writer Community! 

​So, apparently this site has been around for just a little while. And so have the founders, Brett and Alex Harris. BUT, I just happened to be falling behind a little and only discovered it last year. =(
This is a site for teens and young adults, but I think people even older than that can benefit from reading some of these posts!
Something they speak a lot on is “a rebellion against low expectations.” Because, people just don’t expect much out of teens in our day and age. And that really needs to stop. Because young people can do SO much! Yesterday, I came across the scripture in Jeremiah, where it says, “don’t say I am only a youth, for you shall go to all to whom I shall send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.” And then a quote by Wilberforce that I heard this morning, “We are too young to realize that certain things are impossible... So we will do them anyway.”
There is SO much that young people can do in our society today. They just need encouragement, resources, and faith in God to do them.
TheRebelution also publishes articles by young writers. This is a really big focus at TheRebelution and getting an article published here isn’t as hard as you might think! I’ve personally never submitted an article (which is still on my list of things to do)but I have a bunch of friends who have. Their articles, and other ones as well, have been such a source of inspiration and knowledge!

​Check out TheRebelution! 

   3. Google Docs ​

This is my more practical find of 2017. And it’s possible that most people already know about this, but I’ll include it anyway! =)
 
Google docs is a fantastic way to write, organize, share and edit documents. And what I love about it is that everyone is working on the same document, not separate ones. This has been such a time saver for my writing life this year!
 
Check out Google Docs! 

,
There’s a reason we don’t own a TV. (The reason is because my brother accidently broke it.)
And there’s a reason that when we did own a TV, we kept it in the closet and only pulled it out to watch family movies every once in a while. But, we won’t get into all that!
When we were staying with our grandparents for Christmas, we watched a good bit of TV. (Thankfully, no one went through withdrawal symptoms when we got back home from vacation.) During all our TV watching, a commercial kept coming on advertising for a device called “Wonder Bible.” In short, it’s an audio bible on a small device that can easily be carried around the house. It also has a few songs on it, too.
Well, my nine-year-old sister kept seeing the commercial. Finally, she asked if she could spend her Christmas money to buy this device. And since there was a deal going on, you guessed it, I decided to buy one too. =)
We didn’t know what to expect and so we eagerly awaited its coming. And, we weren’t disappointed!
This is definitely the best money I spent in 2017. You won’t even believe how many chapters of the Bible you can listen to while you sweep the house!
This is definitely a fantastic thing to spend your money on!
 
Check out the Wonder Bible! 

Do you have a favorite find from 2017? Let me know in the comments, I’d LOVE to hear it!

One of my absolute favorite poems comes from the pen of C.T. Studd.
This poem rings truth in every sentence and conviction can come easily as you read the words!
Our church put this poem to the tune of “Faith of Our Fathers,” (and it works really nicely!)

This week as I was reading, “Don’t Waste Your Life” by John Piper, he quoted a few verses of the poem because it falls so perfectly in line with the message of his book. That prompted me to share this poem with you! If you haven’t heard it before, I pray that once you do, you’ll never forget it! And I hope that you’ll embrace the words of this poem and keep them close to your heart and mind.

Are we living our lives for Christ?
This morning I received an email. The email presented a question that completely impacted me. The question was, “If my life was the only evidence that Christ was alive, would anyone be convinced?”
It wasn’t just the question that impacted me, but the fact that it was exactly along the lines of this post I had already planned!

It’s so important we understand that we only have ONE life to live. We don’t have any second chances. If we keep this in the forefront of our minds, I guarantee you we’ll spend less time on frivolous things. We’ll start thinking about how we can better serve others and wonder if the things we're doing will matter for eternity. 

We only have one life; how then shall we live it?
As we go about our week, let’s remember something really important; we do only have one life, one chance to live for Christ.
And only what’s done for Him shall last.
 
​
Only One Life
Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
 
Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
 
Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
 
Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill,
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
 
When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
 
Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
 
Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
 
Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last. ”
 
 

​I believe in aliens.

Phew, there, I said it! I’ve been needing to get that off my chest for quite a while now.
No really, seriously. For weeks, I’ve been looking forward to writing this post, but only now got the courage to sit down and write it. Why? Because WHO in their right mind would stay subscribed to my blog posts after hearing me utter such a phrase?!
Now, before you do something drastic and book me a room at an asylum, just let me explain….
I believe in aliens, because I am one.
Okay goodness, I guess that didn’t help my case out much at all, did it?
Well, if you’ve stuck with me this far, then you might as well stick with me to the end, right?
I can just hear the phone call now,
“Hello, this is Central State Hospital, how may I help you today?”
“Um, yes, I’d like to book a room for two, please.”
 
Okay, all kidding aside, I really do want to explain to you why I can claim the title of “alien,” and how at the end of this post, you’ll probably never look at yourself and your “home” the same way again! Because, uh, yeah, sorry to break it to you, but if you’re a Christian, you’re in alien too!!
But, what is the definition of alien?
According to Oxford, the word alien has a few different definitions, but we’re only going to be dwelling on the first one this morning. And that one describes alien as, “Belonging to a foreign country.”
Now, if someone who lived outside the USA came to the USA, then it’s safe to call them an alien, right? Because, they don’t belong here, they belong somewhere else. The USA is not their home. 
We, as Christians, don’t belong here on earth. We belong in Heaven. We’re only camping here until the Lord sees fit to take us home. And our home in heaven? That’s where we belong. That’s where we’ll live with Him for eternity, surrounded by fellow believers, worshiping our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We’re constantly reminded in scripture that this world is not our home (Hebrews 13:14, 1 Peter 2:11-12).
And get ready for this, Peter says in 1 Peter 2:11-25 that we’re strangers and pilgrims, and in some versions of the Bible it even uses the word, “aliens.”
Are you convinced yet? I hope you are, because we’re now leaving the “convincing stage” and going on to the application. And that would be, “how should we conduct ourselves as aliens?”
By reading 1 Peter 2, we get a lot of insight into how we should act here on earth. It’s broken down into three key parts. And they all have to do with submission. And we know that submission comes from humility towards others.
So let’s look at those points together! 

1. Being Lights for Christ

“Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:11-12)
 
Peter is telling us how we should behave as aliens. =) He’s making it quite easy and clear. He says we should withhold from indulging our flesh and giving into fleshly lusts and desires. He says that our works should glorify God. Why? Because this world is not our home. Since that’s the case, it’s going to be easy to want to “fit in,” while we’re here. I mean, who wants to stick out? But that’s exactly what we should be doing! We should be sticking out and our lives should be so different than those of the world, sharing His light with everyone we see, and making it evidently clear that we don’t belong here. And then people might ask what makes us so different and we’ll be able to give an answer for the hope that lies within us (1 Peter 3:15).
 

     2. Submit to government“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.” (1 Peter 2: 13-17)
 
Peter says here, that we must submit ourselves to local, state, and national authorities. Benjamin Franklin once said, “The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of man; and if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?” That’s true on so many levels. The lack of respect for our president, local and state authorities are truly saddening. We don’t have to agree with the president on every topic in order to show him respect. We don’t have to even like the work he’s doing in order to submit ourselves to his authority. These men and woman were put into office because God wanted them to be. They were selected because God wanted to raise them up. We don’t have know why, or question God’s reasoning, all we have to do is trust Him and know that His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). So let’s do something. Let’s endeavor to show the utmost respect to the authorities the Lord puts into our lives. Let’s not mock, or make fun of them, but give them the respect the Lord commands. He put them in our lives for a reason, and that reason is ultimately for our good.  

      3. Submit to masters“Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:18-25)
 
The key point in these verses aren’t speaking primarily on submitting to masters. Rather, it’s speaking on being wrongly accused and suffering needlessly. It’s talking about submitting to those higher than you, even if that means you’re being wrongly accused. I’m sure we can all think of at least one scenario where we were wrongly accused. It probably seemed like the end of the world, and this is especially the case among children. But all we have to do during these times is think about the One who was wrongly accused to the point of death. And so we’re given the wise advice to give these matters to the most righteous Judge that ever lived. So let’s try something this week. If we find ourselves in a situation and we’re being wrongly accused, let’s just give it to Jesus and let him deal with it for us. Isn’t that nice that we have our own personal lawyer? He’s the judge, lawyer and jury all wrapped into one, and we know that no matter what, He’ll always rule in our favor. He knows whats best for us and His plans are perfect, far more perfect than we will ever be able to fully imagine. 
 
​
 
As we go about our day, in a home that really isn’t our home, and a world that really is just a camping ground until we get to our real home, let’s remember one thing; Let’s remember to try and make the best of our stay here. Let’s light the world on fire for Christ. Let’s give a good name for Him and do our best to glorify His name.
This isn’t our home. We don’t belong here. We’re aliens until the day the Lord sees fit to take us home.
 
I don’t know about you, but I’m proud to be an alien.
I’m happy that this isn’t my home and that I won’t be living here for eternity. I can hardly wait for the day when we’ll be with Him forever, In a place with no more sorrow and no more pain. Where no one dies and no one is cries. A place that’s built with love and laughter as we worship our King together in perfect harmony.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to finally be home.