At times it may seem as though you and your past are one. Sometimes we fail to differentiate between what has happened to us and who we are today. If you have a hard time getting beyond that damaging mind-set let me encourage you right now. You are not your past Although you are changed and shaped by past experiences who you were yesterday does not control the person you have the potential to become tomorrow.

When we want to let go of a situation no matter what it is we must be able to "bless" it. When you bless something you sanction it giving it your approval and endorsement freeing it to go forward with your cooperation and support.

God uses our conscience. He knows we can only start over when we are not condemning ourselves anymore.

The reason to forgive ourselves is not because we feel like it or because we want to see ourselves as blameless but because we limit what we can receive from God when we hold on to our past. He wants to do so much more than we could ever imagine. Forgiving yourself starts with believing in God's incredible love for you and accepting His amazing grace and mercy. If God Almighty can forgive us who are we to hold on to what He has not only forgiven but forgotten

We will never move out of the present and into the future with all God has planned for us if we cling to dwell in the past.

I pray that former rejection and deep hurts will not color what I see and hear now.

When you choose to focus on today and all the possibilities that lie ahead you automatically release your grip on yesterday. Layers of the past gradually fall away and you are soon set free