Guest posting today is wonderful Anaiah Press author, Katy Eeten, author of A Heart Held Captive. She writes about a topic we've all dealt with--guilt. Thank you, Katy, for your insightful words and welcome to One Ringing Bell.
I love ice cream.
And chocolate.
And just about any dessert you can
imagine. (Except bread pudding. That’s just wrong).
But if you’re like me, you know what
happens when you eat too much. Not only does the scale reflect your behavior,
but more convicting is the twinge of guilt you feel about overindulgence.
Guilt comes in all shapes and sizes –
from the simple act of eating too many sweets, to the regret you experience
when you say something you shouldn’t or the remorse you feel over a sinful
pattern of behavior you can’t seem to shake. Guilt is a natural human response to wrongdoing.
But what you do with guilt is what
really matters.
You can choose to wallow in it, let it
define you, and believe you’re unforgivable because of your actions.
You may choose to ignore it and continue
to have a cavalier attitude toward your sins.
Or you can let it lead you to
repentance, recognizing that Jesus died so you could be forgiven and not be held
captive to your sins or to your past. His death and resurrection have freed us
from sin’s grip, though it takes an active, daily choice to live in that
freedom and recognize when we’re headed down a wrong path.
Emily Jenkins, an ER Nurse in my book A Heart Held Captive, struggles with the
concept of forgiveness and grace. She feels the need to earn God’s love and
make up for the mistakes of her past through good works. She learns trying to
earn God’s forgiveness is like telling Him Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t enough for
her.
The verse 2 Corinthians 5:17 comes to
mind when I think of Emily’s journey in this book. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.
The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (NLT).
What a wonderful truth to let soak into our hearts today!
Physical
therapist Cole Pearson had his share of shallow relationships. But a year spent
focusing on God opened his eyes to what he really wants in life. When he learns
ER nurse Emily Jenkins volunteered to pay for a foster child’s therapy, he is
inexplicably drawn to her generous spirit. If only he can convince her to take
things beyond their casual conversations at the clinic.
Emily is a prisoner to her past mistakes and insists on paying a price God never asked her to pay. When she finally allows herself to grow closer to Cole, her faulty theology is shattered and her wounded heart begins to mend. But when tragedy strikes, Emily is sent into a tailspin. Can Cole help her grasp the freedom of God’s grace, or will she revert back to the captivity of her old ways and shut Cole out of her life for good?
What a wonderful truth to let soak into our hearts today!
Physical
therapist Cole Pearson had his share of shallow relationships. But a year spent
focusing on God opened his eyes to what he really wants in life. When he learns
ER nurse Emily Jenkins volunteered to pay for a foster child’s therapy, he is
inexplicably drawn to her generous spirit. If only he can convince her to take
things beyond their casual conversations at the clinic.Emily is a prisoner to her past mistakes and insists on paying a price God never asked her to pay. When she finally allows herself to grow closer to Cole, her faulty theology is shattered and her wounded heart begins to mend. But when tragedy strikes, Emily is sent into a tailspin. Can Cole help her grasp the freedom of God’s grace, or will she revert back to the captivity of her old ways and shut Cole out of her life for good?
Katy Eeten lives with
her husband, Jason, and their two school-age sons in southeast Wisconsin,
despite her dislike of cold weather. She works full-time in the business world,
but her true passion is writing. In addition to A Heart Held Captive, she is the author of Christian romances Blast from Her Past and Christmas in Meadow Creek. When she's
not working or writing, she enjoys taking walks or bike rides, baking, playing
the piano, and spending time with her family. Learn more at her website.
Please also consider author Beverly Varnado's novel about forgiveness, sacrifice, and what a legacy really means. A key really can open more then a door. The Key to Everything.
