Overcoming The Heartaches of Life (Part 2 of 2)

Think about that day.

No makeup on my hair, and a binding grace and when I wear makeup.

I don't think your little boy loves you so much, actually believes your Mrs. America. I said I said your really was more today on Focus on the Family from Sherry Rose Sheppard thanks for joining us on John Fuller in your hostess book as president and other Jim Daly juncture row. Sheppard has come a long way from an angry, depressed, overweight teenager to Mrs. United States 1994, and now she's a Bible life coach and a best-selling author affect Sherry's his princess series has sold over 1 million copies in 17 language that is pretty amazing. That's gotta bless her even more than being of the pageant winner. I would think I've all but it does and it really does speak to the hunger that women have for the message that Sherry offers. Get a copy of the book that kind of launched the series from us here at Focus on the Family. It's called his princess love letters from your king. Yeah, it's a very encouraging gift book and if you missed part one of Sherry Rose the store yesterday. Please get in touch with us. We can send you the entire message on CD or audio download, and you can also get it through the app for smart phones. This right and that you can find all the details@focusonthefamily.com/broadcast or call us will tell you more 800 the letter a in the word family right were to start today with a brief recap to help you get caught up.

Here's Sherry Rose Sheppard on Focus on the Family very dysfunctional Hollywood home. My father was a disc jockey in Hollywood. My mother was an actress and married and divorced three times each. I've been a part of five blended family. I know what it's like to have your foundation shaken and every time I settled into a waste. There was another divorce, another affair another thing changed and I very angry and I made a lot of choices when I was a young girl and those poor choices turned me into a person that I didn't want to be when I was 16 I was 60 pounds overweight.

I was addicted to. I was angry and I was depressed coming king came to me if I was going to the party after the one I had a crush on him and thought he was most adorable thing that ever son that excited me and I want you. You look like a way out and you look like you belong on the beach and I ran into the bathroom and looked in the near promise to myself that I would never be fat or ugly or made fun again and I went on a mission to put myself physically, but that particular night I was so broken by the things that this young man had said that when I was on the beach at the party trying to impress my friends and bury my pain.

I almost don't need a drug overdose. I was brought home from the hospital and I went into my bathroom and I was laying on the floor and I was in my stepmother came in and she's on the floor with me and she put her arms around me and she said Sherry goes you can't change them on. You can't change your dad, you can't change your friends.

You can't change the things you've done, but you will make the right choices. From this day forward, you can change the rest of your life. But when we first made me over since my mother was a beauty queen and my father was a disc jockey from Hollywood that hosted beauty pageant want to experience anyone as beauty pageant. Even though I lost the way.

Even though I finally had the attention of boys and even though I improve my grades.

I got enough drugs and those are all good choices. I still didn't feel good about my life. It was that I'll be happy when syndrome and I was in bondage.

When I called Barbie bondage, plastic perfectionism, something that doesn't exist I was a people pleasing approval addict. I wanted the approval of man.

I was at the praise.

I love the people notice my weight loss. I love winning pageant. I was addicted to and I was severely bulimic and I begin to cry myself to sleep every night just like I did when I was a little girl and my parents were fighting in the other room and I checked myself in a hotel and with a bottle of sleeping pills with the intentions of taking my life to be honest with you pills and I cried at the top my lungs, God, do you exist what the word of God says if you seek him with all your heart that you will find him. I was a desperate girl with a bottle of sleeping pills bulimic. Thank God you exist and I fell asleep that night holding the sleeping pills and the Lord brought back a memory.

To me the drug dealer that gave me the LSD that almost took my life on my prom night, a Christian, invited him to a youth camp and he gave his life to Christ he came back the next week and start hanging out Bible tracts and he spent all of his junior and senior telling everybody in the whole campus. Jesus was a way to start a Bible set on our campus. When I went to high school. It was no problem having a Bible study on campuses and it grew often, this young man from this wretched, angry drug dealer to this sweet face would come up to me and you get in my face and he, I'm praying for you and Jesus is your answer.

God answers prayers and if he can transform the life of a young drug dealer that almost took my life from his drugs. He sold me and had him. Prayer may tell me that he is praying for me and that Jesus is the answer to my life and I remembered that in that dream when I was holding a sleeping pill sleeping in the next morning I got up and I wondered a little bit about Jesus and God didn't waste any time because the boyfriend of mine that wasn't even a Christian set would you like to go over tonight to my grandparents house for dinner when his grandparents were missionaries to Albania and when missionaries pray for you just get saved because they wrecked your sinful life and all the joy that their lives and their lives cause me to thirst for righteousness, and they asked me what do you want more than anything I said I want to be Miss USA said, let me tell you about the greatest crown of all it's not a crown appointed by man. It's the crown of life appointed by God. And if you will accept Jesus as your Savior he will do exceedingly abundantly more than you'd ever dared to dream helper asked for way better than any worldly crown. I said I can't I'm at, you said when you're ready you call on the name of Jesus, and he'll answer and I'm sure they faithfully prayed for me because 30 days later in a hotel room again with a bottle asleep tells this Jewish American Princess that Jesus if you're the son of God. If you are the Savior. If you could transfer my life like you transform my friend the drug dealers life.

I pray that you come into my life and that you would transform me, not in a church by myself in hotel room, me and God. The next day I went to work at a health club and two girls walked up to me. Obviously, God ordained and said are you a question. I said I have no idea. I think so and I told them what happened and they said your Christian and they discipled me for two years and two years of discipling me they would say to me someday you can speak and share this story across the nation. You are now daughter of the king. Your name is now been written in the book of life and praise God I got interceded those people to teach me the word and I stand before you tonight is a former drug addict, bulimic from a dysfunctional home, he who the sun is bright is free indeed he does sound as separate is free indeed.

We don't need to impress each other with how perfect we are. We don't we need to bless each other. Do you know that if you will pray that God will use you to be a blessing you won't care about impressing each other anymore and you will find those intimate friendships that your longing for because when you do that you take the focus off yourself and it becomes on God using you to bless someone else and proverb says those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed right we need more self-confidence. Our young people and older women, all women do not need to be building their life on self-confidence that can be shaken, how many of you know self-confidence can be shaken. We need God confidence. We need God confident that can't be shaken.

Self-confidence can be erased in one person, sentence God confidence we were created to fit into an image of this world.

We were created to stand out.

We really do need to be that salt because our world right now has lost its craving for God because we are not seeing ourselves the way God does war not causing them to thirst for righteousness yes my pastor said you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink, but he said you can feed them salty peanuts in our life is the salty being in our choices. And if we don't get a grip on who we are in Christ because I think for me the greatest deliverance. As for myself, how many of you can say amen to that I cause most of my own problems.

We are his princesses daughters of the most hiking I was in New York with my husband and I never been to the big city not really one of the pastor's wife that we minister were nice enough to take us into the city and before we went in. The four of us prayed for divine appointment and all day put it on by Woodhead to trip someone to go divine appointment. They move so fast in New York City but it was 10 o'clock that evening and we were there in this wonderful little bakery. Two girls walked up to me and said are you a celebrity. I said I my father created the heavens and the earth. He's the King of Kings said my father the king.

The king of kings you know who God is said well yes we know God is the word Jewish. I said so is there and I begin as you well when they said what we got. Went to get a drug rehab you only perfect people go to church so let me share with you a story and as we begin to share one girl was talking the other guy was the scene she began to cry uncontrollably and she said are you guys angels we are far from angels. I said, but this morning believe it or not, the four of us got together and we said God. We know there's someone in this city that need to know that you love them and need to know how special they are to you and God ordained this moment.

10:00 PM in this restaurant in New York City so you can have your name written in the book of life and become his princess. We pray with. We prayed with them.

They should not be an exceptional story for a Christian, they should be a daily occurrence. Now many of us don't have the gift to talk. Praise God we have some that have the gift of listening and you may say well I don't know comfortable talking to a stranger you can walk by and pray for stranger you can show grace, you can do in active service is amazing how God can use as we all have different gifts is that he uses in different ways is that, do we do here to be used by him. What is abundant, exceedingly abundantly. You know from experience. If you have been used by the Lord, you gain great God, confidence, and it's an awesome feeling it better than any makeover is not a feeling of knowing that your life made a difference in someone else's is the most awesome hi you could ever imagine better than any shopping spree better than any five day better than any new house better than anything is knowing my life mattered.

My life changed that person's life because of the power of God working in me that's the exciting things, the weight loss could change my body change my life can change my life. It can only change my body and make up could cover up my blemishes, but they can cover up my insecurities close could make me feel cool, but they could make me content and attention, which I was addicted to could make me feel popular, but it could not give me purpose it couldn't fill me up boys could make me feel pretty but they can take away my pain. I think it's great to become the best version of you.

I really do. I think that God wants us to become the best version of ourselves physically, spiritually and emotionally. I truly do and we felt great when the best version of ourselves. But when who God has made us to be were saying is not enough because when the comparison game.

If I was like her five talented like her.

Then I could be used of God to instead of just becoming the best version who God has called us to be in walking and that God confidence. He I used to think that the best version of my hair wasn't enough because I only have four pieces and I wanted big hair really bad case being raised in southern and northern California. There's lots of big hair.

There so I never have the Baycare so I happen to see an infomercial that said I could have Baycare so I bought a pound of it went down to my bottom. I think all over the country.

So I walked in here with hair extensions. You don't know I don't have Baycare so I couldn't wait to get to my next booking my Baycare I open it all over the place because I'm so into that here does belong to me like you to speak like this we know. I will get me to do my second session and hugs Mrs. even such a blessing to us and she's like you just told me and unclipped, but I haven't so teased outside to tease my hair so much of finally attacked me that I didn't notice that she and okay so I'm speaking my spine out all around me like this. The Lord say to me, even the numbers of hair on your head. I know any of those in the best version of ourselves.

My office deliverance was from here bondage you when I became a mom I begin to think about my relationship with my mother even though I had a wonderful relationship with my stepmother, who invested great things in my life when I was pregnant with my son. I truly began to think about. I need a relationship with my mom.

I just don't want to pass any generational curses over to the next generation by my own unforgiveness and hypertension pretty well because I had a great stepmom love me that I have talked my mom is 14. You know, corseted but I had my doctor in denial. So I convince myself I did not and so I met my mom a letter to let her know that she was can be a grandmother and I wanted her to meet her grandson to be back in my life and been a lot of years since my parents divorce divorce when I was 13 and I got a box in the mail for my mom that I was very excited about that was a gift and had my baby shoes and at my birth certificate and it had my baby close and pictures and had us to come on my birth certificate. I wish you'd never been born. No one cause me greater pain than you see. What we don't deal with our pain in our past. We do whether we want to or not pass it on to the next generation.

My mom loved me but she was paralyzed by pain. She belong to love me. She wanted a daughter, all her life, just like I wanted a daughter all my life, but she was paralyzed by the pain of her passing wasn't free by God to love me the way that she wanted him. I cried out to God to feel like it's my fault that my parents divorced. I don't feel like it's my fault that I'd make a choice to live with.

I don't feel like I did anything wrong. God and I felt the Lord to say to me either to but I went to a class and threw a bucket of tears.

I wrote a letter to my mom asking her to forgive me for whatever I had done to cause her to regret giving birth to me, never once bringing up anything that she or my father never done today.

My mother is born again, God has restored everything that's been lost. I want to tell you something tonight you want to have the abundant life. The exceedingly abundantly more than you'd ever dream.

It comes from obedience. Obedience brings a breakthrough.

There's no other way.

There's ways that seem right. But in the end it leads to destruction, but obedience brings a breakthrough in Deuteronomy chapter 30 Moses his last words before he died he said to God's people. God wants to bless you, but your blessing is dependent upon your obedience, and he says if you don't obey the Lord. Not only will you rip yourself off of the blessings of God, but you lift his shield of protection off of you. Obedience brings a breakthrough as my dad would say lose the battle and when the war God's amazing. He does exceedingly abundantly more than we ever dare to ask dreamer hope for. I never dreamed I would be in the ministry either. I had no idea the plans that God had for me. I know he says he has plans to give us a hope and a future. And God opened up a gift inside of me that I didn't even know I had through a very embarrassing moment. My husband went to seminary at Talbot University and I was sitting at a dinner with him was several university professors and their wives, and one of the women in front of everybody said I heard you were fat Jewish and on drugs. What happened I begin to share my story and when I left at dinner. I said to my husband.

I am glad I never have to do that can and a few weeks later that same woman called me at my home and she said I'm the director of a Christian leadership organization. We have 400 leaders from across the nation come in Arizona.

Those wondering you know that short story that you so graciously shared with us at dinner. I was on if you could come and share your story for these leaders as a first quality I am not coming and sharing my story with 400 Christian leaders that have never sinned before.

She said Sherry Rose God and pull you out of that dark place for you to keep it to yourself.

He pulled you out so you can pull others out. Also being Jewish. You can manipulate me by guilt, so I took her up on her offer. She gave me 45 minutes in which I took 15 and ran off of the platform. A few weeks later she said we have a few messages on my voicemail of women from different parts of the country that would like you to come and share their women's conferences. I said what is it with these Christian women I'm not a speaker and they will never forget when I return. The first phone call and they asked me what I charged to come and speak and I said let me get this right you want to pay me to come talk about myself. That's a job I could do all my life. There's only two things I love to do and that's eating and talking. I had no idea the guy was going to take the one gift which I didn't even realize was a gift and use it for him.

He is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we ever dare dream hope for first Corinthians 29 as it is written, eyes have not seen nor have ears heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things in which God has prepared for those who love him. If no one ever affirms you if you never get the things that you think you want. You have it all.

If you know Christ you have been chosen by the God of the universe to represent him as his princess are character arc. Character is what can a car about the future our choices is what's going to rebuild America are character our choices the way we see ourselves. The Bible says we have the power of life and death in our tongue.

Do you realize that we can use our words to change the course of life by one timely word certainly heard word today on Focus on the Family Sherry Rose Shepard reminding each and every one of us, but we've got to reach out to those around us who are hurting and who need encouragement. It doesn't take much to make a difference in a person's life. That's right, John insurer Rose can use our encouragement as well.

Seven years ago.

She received a serious cancer diagnosis but she's been fighting back and giving God the glory while continuing to minister to women across North America, but recently she's had a bit of a setback and she is asking for prayer while she undergoes intensive treatment through November, so please pray for this godly woman of encouragement you know the Lord works so powerfully through Sherry Rose.

In fact the last time we are this message. We had an avalanche or positive response including notes from two women who said her story saved them from suicide. Think about it is remarkable. I'm so excited.

The focus along with Sherry Rose could be a conduit for the Lord to help those two women particularly and who knows how many others pull back from the brink of suicide that is were focus wants to be standing in the gap for people who were at the end of their rope and who don't know where to turn. That's why we have a counseling department here. That's why we have resources and tools to help you get on a better pathway and feel God's peace in your life.

Don't hesitate call and let us know what's going on and will provide you some biblical wisdom, and if needed, introduce you to your creator Jesus and he will begin making the crooked things in your life straight right were here for you and her number is 800 K in the word family call and I have a conversation with her staff.

Maybe request a callback from one of our caring Christian counsel.

It's actually that easy. We had another call or respond to this program by saying my ex-husband was abusive and in the midst of my deep suffering. I gave up on God. But today by accident are heard. Your program was Sherry Rose and I felt like it was God's gift to me. I called your 800-number received prayer and some resources to help me reconnect with the Lord. I have a sense of peace for the first time in years. Thank you Focus on the Family know that's wonderful, Jim and having that sense of peace is such a gift from God. One of the reasons I love working here is because of things like that. This program in particular.

People respond with thanksgiving for what God has done and it's a reminder of all the pain that so many people experience the tremendous ways God equips the body of Christ to respond through a counseling team here where the staff according resources like our magazines, websites, these broadcasts there's so much focus has offered to people in their struggles and Focus on the Family is like a treasure chest of resources and help and I really God's goodness and that sounds kinda corny but it's true. We have the goods and we want to share them with you. If you're in need of you know I always enjoy it when people say they accidentally heard Focus on the Family we get several of those comments every month and I just know the Lord has had that plan from the beginning of the universe. Think of it in that moment a woman would turn on her car radio or a man would come across the podcast and here is exactly what they needed to hear the Lord is the one that orchestrates those divine appointments and were just happy to play whatever role he has for us. It really is an honor to be tools in his hand for ministry and I want to invite you to join us as we impact the lives of people who need help and hope Focus on the Family is a nonprofit ministry supported by friends, just like you, we can't do this alone and together we are touching lives and making a difference. I hope this testimony of Sherry Rose and of others who were touched is motivation enough to help you support this ministry and when you make a donation of any amount today I'd like to express our appreciation by sending you a beautiful gift book written by Shirley Rose Shepard called his princess love letters from your king.

It's a timeless scriptural reminder for women of all ages of their worth and value as God's daughters you can think of a better book to help equip young woman to give her that godly confidence needed to make her way in this world and get your copy when you call 800 K in the word family 800-232-6459 or donate online and request that book@focusonthefamily.com/broadcast next time Bill and Pam Farrell share encouragement for your marriage came. I asked the question several years ago in what what has really made our relationship with Jesus on what theory is good but what really made it work and what we came up with was we decided early on to be tough on ourselves and tender on each other, on behalf of Jim Daly and the entire team.

Thanks for listening to this Focus on the Family podcast take a moment please leave a rating podcast app that helps others find this great content and ensure about this episode with the French culture on John Fuller and Buddy back next time.

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