Dear Ashley, An Open Letter to Myself...

She opens her mouth in wisdom and the teaching of kindness is upon her tongue. -Proverbs 31:26
Dear Ashley,
  
            You are finally the big 3-0. No fancy balloons, no photoshoot; although, that would be lovely, no fancy getaway( I am so planning one). You have created a strong foundation for yourself that essentially will carry you the rest of your life. A few things you have learned in your wise years:

YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH…
Value Yourself:  You always used to think in order to feel valued or accomplished you had to work your butt off and finish every and any task that was given to you. It is ok to say NO  and not feel bad about it.  It is perfectly fine to put it down for tomorrow. Sometimes you have that voice of fear talking to you and saying, “you should have, you could have.” You worried so much that, at this age already you should have your masters degree but in fact different things happen for different people at different times. Walk with confidence that you cannot compare yourself to others. Above all love yourself enough to know that no matter what or where you are in life YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH! God is with you and you will not fail. 

IT IS OKAY TO BE SINGLE…(read my Single and Saved blog post) 

Life is not the Hollywood movies you watch , so cliché to say, I know. I cannot even begin to tell you the countless nights your pillow held your tears because you felt ugly or  that something is wrong with you. Sometimes it hits you out of nowhere, all of a sudden, this overwhelming sadness rushes over you. You get discouraged and upset and feel hopeless, sad, and hurt. You have had so many “crushes” in your lifetime but for some reason they were never “the one” There is nothing wrong with you. You have to believe that sometimes in life God doesn’t give you a life that you want but a life that is pleasing to him. Marriage and children may not be written in your plans and you have to be okay with that. It takes strong person to remain single in a world that is accustomed to settling with anything just to say they have something. Whatever God has in stored for you, accept it.

GRACE, AMAZING GRACE…

If you have learned anything these 30 years of life is that GRACE CHANGES EVERYTHING.  Grace which is undeserved, unmerited , unearned but favored by your merciful God.   Having grace says that although you are flawed, you are cherished. All your mistakes now serve a purpose instead of bringing shame upon you. God tells you in 2 Corinthians 12:9; My grace is all you need. You learned that where sin runs deep, your grace runs deeper. You are not perfect, you make mistakes, you mess up but God’s grace is bigger than your sins. By the grace of God, I am what I am. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Love your biggest fan,


Yourself
August 31, 2018

Comments

  1. UnknownAugust 31, 2018 at 7:11 AM

    This letter is so powerful and written beautifully. You are such a lovely young lady. I remember when I met you, very young right out of high school. I can't believe you are now 30. I have watched you become the beautiful and smart young lady you are today. Just remember always trust in God and he direct your path. HAPPY BIRTHDAY....

    CAROLYN HARRIS

    ReplyDelete

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