Issued a Brand New I.D. (2021)

 Thoughts from some of my past writings definitely have shown how far I've matured with my journey of discovering my own personal identity in Christ..

"Identity Confusion is the number one killer of Kingdom Advancement on “this Earth as it is in Heaven“… Identity Confusion is what I keep hearing over and over again…
Not Knowing WHO you ARE, or WHERE your Strengths ARE, or WHAT your Gifts/Talents ARE, or being AWARE of Your Weaknesses, or WHEN you are Triggered/Tempted, or ACCEPTING of your flawed genetic make-up.. You ARE human.. You WILL make mistakes… You WILL NEVER be 100% of anything on this earth for as long as you have breath in your lungs except certainly 4/4’s dead once you’re long gone unfortunately. However, YOU CAN strive to have qualities of a moral human being that actually tries to bring goodness to this world.. The guilt I feel for my part in contributing anything opposite of love is unreal despite how small it may be…" (Excerpt from Jan 2019)

A double-minded believer is someone who is constantly living in a state of compromise. Half of you lives for God, while the other half lives for your bad habit. Hence, you are "double-minded."

As you consider whether or not that experience describes your current situation, here are 7 characteristics of a double-minded believer:

1. There are two major influences which fuel your thought life.
2. You have a history with both of your major influences.
3. You find yourself compromising your thought life in one primary area.
4. You are led by the Holy Spirit, except when that other issue is driving your thinking.
5. You only experience real peace in your heart when your mind is under God's control.
6. You find yourself giving into old habits very easily.
7. You would love to only be drawn to the things of God.

Inspired by the Book of James

"Being double-minded is to be double-souled or double-hearted, to exist with divided loyalties and allegiances. Double-minded people are easily swayed by doubt or uncertainty, which is the opposite of a follower of God. In the same way that multi-taskers feel more efficient while actually performing more poorly, a double-minded person is not just inefficient with each focus but lacks the fortitude necessary to receive the blessing of wisdom because the pursuit of wisdom requires faith that is whole and undoubting. A double-minded man hedges his bets, attempting to maintain a grip on both independence and dependence, but dependence on God is only dependence when it is complete."

 One reason as to why this topic fascinates me is because so many believers privately struggle with things contrary to God's original intention for us. We're not perfect individuals and are far from it, but we are supposed to strive to be like Jesus regardless of our shortcomings. I can speak for myself that I am not holier than thou and I'm not on a high horse, but I carry myself higher because as a Christian and follower of Jesus, that is what I am supposed to do. It is not a requirement to be lowly in my spirit just because I am to walk with a moral compass regarding God's desires of me. Of course, people will always find a reason to bring you down, but if Jesus was persecuted then we as believers are no exception from experiencing the same.

2005- 15 years of age

 My personal testimony has been shared in my previous blog on WordPress for "KingdomofAndersonville" starting from birth up to the present; however, I first accepted Christ at a super early age. I got baptized at 13 years of age, but I didn't have a whole picture of all that entailed at the time. I remember experiencing a lot of depression early on and I learned what that was around age 11, but I found that my best coping strategy was to press in hard to my academics and focusing on achieving success. I eventually found that even though it made me feel good, academics were also attached to mental stress that would still affect my overall wellness and confidence as a person.

2016- age 26

Believe it or not, mental breakdowns can have a way where it can draw you right near God's presence. Depression, Anxiety, and Grief can definitely humble a person. I know this because it happened to me. I never thought in a million years that would happen because I found so much if my identity with academic success which grew my pride within myself. God definitely humbled me in those moments making me totally reliant on trusting only Him. I am thankful for his grace and for his mercy.

2017/2018- 27 or 28 years of age

Mom, Bonita and I (2021) Age: 32