Change

When we let God take our messes and turn them into miracles, the Father has the ability to use our mistakes for our good if we will only trust Him. 

Isaiah 61:3 says He will give us "beauty instead of ashes," but I find that many people want to hold on to their ashes, the cinders of the past, as reminders of their shortcomings and failures. 

I encourage you to let go of your ashes and reach for something new. 

Too many people live in the past, feeling like they'll never have another chance. Do you need a second chance? Ask God for a second chance or a third, fourth or fifth, whatever you need. God is full of mercy and long-suffering. His loving-kindness never fails or comes to an end. 

The Bible says that He has removed your transgressions from you, so you don't have to hang on to them anymore. Jesus came to lift burdens, but you must be willing to let them go and believe He is greater than your mistakes. Give Him your ashes today.

Experience a New Beginning. The Bible is filled with stories about people who experienced new beginnings. Moses became a leader after being a shepherd for 40 years. Paul hated Christ until God renewed him and made him the greatest apostle of all time.

When we receive Jesus as our Savior, it is the ultimate new beginning. We become new creatures with an opportunity to learn a new way of living. But the first step to experiencing that new life is believing that it's available to you.

Ephesians 4:23 says we must be constantly renewed in our minds and attitudes.

It's easy to read about great people in the Bible and think that you are nothing like them, but when you start to think that, you need to renew your mind right away. Choose to think according to God's Word, not how you feel. Receive His love and experience a new beginning. Life will become so much sweeter if you live with an attitude that says "God is completely changing me from the inside out. He's giving me a new beginning and there are greater things ahead."