Sweets & Sandals

Come join us for GIRLS NIGHT this Thursday, June 27th at 7:00p for Sweets & Sandals at Daybreak Church in Carlsbad.

Wear your flip-flops, bring a sweet treat and come as you are! It's an evening that will warm your soul and put a smile on your face. So if you're free, please join us! I've been given the opportunity to speak and share my full story of Her Little White Dress. 

It would be great to see your sweet faces and please consider this an invitation to bring a friend as well. You don't have to go to Daybreak or another church to attend this event--it's open to all ladies! If you have any questions or need directions send me an email at jessica.delinde@gmail.com or FB me. Hope to see you Thursday!

Much love,
xoxo
Jes


Daybreak Church

6515 Ambrosia Lane

Carlsbad, CA 92011

http://www.daybreakchurch.org/

You've Got Mail!

Hey y'all! 

As I write to tell you more about the summer of 2011, I find myself dealing with some of the same familiar feelings of rejection and loss. Those feelings reminded again me of how dependent I was on God’s supernatural strength to get up and out of bed in the mornings, to fall asleep at night, to eat, to exercise and to fight off paralyzing emotions and feelings of insecurity. I battled those things one prayer at a time, one day at a time, with God’s truth and love found in the Bible.

Although I slept much better last week than I did that summer, I still found myself drowning in thoughts of inadequacy, despair, and feelings of loneliness and rejection. They were consuming my head and I begged God for some encouragement and truth to get the lies out of my heart. Thankfully, I remembered a verse that I had seen a few days before. 

“But I trust in God's unfailing love; my heat rejoices in His salvation. I will sing to the Lord for He has been good to me.” Psalms 13:5-6

 

Those words are true! I do trust in God’s unfailing love. I believe that God is who He says He is in the Bible. 

   

I'm grateful to have a placed saved for me in heaven through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross.

 

I am thankful for all of my many blessings. God has been good to me. 

 

 Whew, truth! Just what I needed for my heart to settle. The encouragement came through a phone call from my sweet cousins (just calling because they wanted to talk to Aunt Jes!) and a crazy, funny (hey y'all!) email from a friend that brightened my day. Sometimes we have to ask to be reminded of the truth. It's okay to ask God to show us how much He loves us AND to ask our friends and family for help when we need it most. One of the BIGGEST blessings of my life also happened that summer of 2011 … when I asked and God provided.

In mid-July of 2011, I found out the judge had signed all of the divorce decree documents and it was just a matter of a week or two before I received my copy in the mail. I dreaded going to the post office and I hated the fact that going to check my mail was making me sick to my stomach. Ugh. But the worst part of it all is that I LOVE getting mail! (I mean, who doesn't?!) So I had this idea! I emailed my friends and family for a favor and asked them to send me some mail – a note, a care package, the Sunday comics —anything fun and lighthearted so that when I opened that little post office box, the good outweighed the bad. And let me tell you …that idea worked!

The first time I went to check my mail after sending that email, my mailbox was stuffed full! I pulled out letters and postcards from across the country! It was UNBELIEVABLE!

I could hardly believe my eyes! I cried all the way back home to the apartment ... and the divorce decree wasn’t even in there! I was overwhelmed with love from my family and friends who had sent mail. Cards of encouragement and love came each time I opened my post office box for the next two weeks and when the divorce decree finally arrived, it didn’t seem to hurt as much as I had anticipated.

We don’t have to do this life alone. God’s love is always enough! Sometimes His love comes from an indescribable peace, confidence and a smile, or in a "thinking of you!" text message from a friend, an unexpected act of kindness from a stranger or a sweet embrace. God puts people in our lives for a reason. Let them love on you, pray for you, and help you need you need it most. That's why we have family and friends!

Thank you so much to everyone who sent cards and letters that summer. I promise never forget the love you showed and the precious words I read. Thank you! Thank you! 

 

Much, much love,

 xoxo

Jes

“Because of God’s unfailing love, we are not consumed. For His compassion never fails.” Lamentations 3:22

“But I call to God and the Lord saves me.” Psalm 55:16 

The Arkansas Trip: Part 2

Hey y'all! 

Jumping right back into the Arkansas Trip, the other big prayer that God answered was the miracle of forgiveness. The ability to forgive my husband for the hurt and pain was a pure miracle and gift from God. As Christians, we are commanded to be compassionate and forgive each other just as Christ Jesus forgave us. (Ephesians 4:32). The good Lord knows, I’ve needed much forgiveness and I am responsible to extend that same grace to those around me….those who love me, who adore me, AND those who have hurt me.

Forgiveness, for cryin’ out loud. That word stinks sometimes … and other times it has never sounded so sweet.

At first I didn't have the "want to" to forgive him. He hurt me and the covenant in OUR marriage had just willingly been broken. There was betrayal and pain … mess ups and mistakes. But I knew I had to honor the forgiveness I've received in my life (I believe God has forgiven me of everything I've ever done wrong, or bad or mean in my life through Jesus' death on the cross) and I had to forgive as well.

Sometimes our feelings and emotions don't line up with what we are supposed to do. If I had waited for when "I felt like it,” then that forgiveness may have never come.  But thankfully it did. Through the sweet and gentle Spirit of God, I committed that I would be obedient to God by forgiving my husband for the hurt and pain his decisions caused. I hope and pray he’s been able to forgive me as well. (It takes two, remember?!)  

Some days were better than others, but let me tell you it was TOUGH! The heartache didn't instantly go away once I decided to forgive him. It almost made it hurt a little worse because in my head it felt okay to justify why I was holding onto the pain. But deep down, I knew that as long as I held onto that grudge of bitterness, heartache, rejection and disappointment, it would control me…and those were things I did not want to be characterized by. It’s hard to think that emotions can control our lives, but resentment and bitterness do just that in the meanest and most subtle way. They take the joy out of living, damage relationships, harden hearts and suck the life right out of you and those around you.

To be honest, I think my husband could have cared less if I forgave him or not. He had moved on and I was the only one standing in the way of myself at that point. A girlfriend told me that “forgiveness is like taking your hand off of the other person’s throat.” Whoa. Let that mental picture sink in for a minute. Forgiveness is an on-going process and is a necessary one in order to get on with life and move forward.

I could write so much more, but if you get one thing out of this post, it’s this: forgiveness is freedom. I know, it’s easy to justify and argue the truth when you have evidence of someone hurting you, but it’s not all about us sometimes. (That last statement has gotten me a time or two.) God has bigger plans for each of us, but He needs us to let go of things, so that He can do His perfect work. It’s hard, trust me, I know! Please know that I’m not down-playing any hurt or pain that someone might have caused you. Painful heartaches, rejection, and disappointment are all real and forgiveness doesn’t always instantly make things better or easier. But God DOES heal all wounds and will make things better. We just need to let Him.

If you’re still unsure about this forgiveness thing, take a look at this message titled, “I’ve got a friend who…can’t seem to forgive someone.”   It has some great and powerful truths in it.

Forgiveness through God's grace has been the most instrumental piece in the healing of my heart and the ability to move forward with my life. Without it, I don't know where I'd be today. 

Love ya tons! Will write soon.

xoxo,

Jes

Praying that God will soften our hearts to forgive others. God forgave us and I pray that through His almighty power, we will too. Don't let something in the past hinder you from enjoying the present or from the excitement God has planned for your future.

 “In Jesus we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” Ephesians 1:6-8

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Colossians 3:12-14

 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Luke 7:46-48