Category: Cheyenne’s Posts

Cheyenne's Posts

{Testimony} Cheyenne

UYM

Written By: Cheyenne Ranta

I am not my past.  I’m not my mistakes.  I’m not the shame and guilt that has built it’s home in my mind.  I’m not the girl that everyone doubted.

If you knew me before God got a hold of my life, only then would you understand how far I’ve actually come.  I’ve hurt a lot of people because I only cared about what I wanted.  I numbed myself into not caring what anybody said or thought, including God.  And in the end, I hurt myself more.  I lost myself, my friends and I fell far from the path of God.  I had to hit rock bottom before I realized how much I really needed Him.  I believe wholeheartedly that God can completely change someone if they allow Him to.

That’s exactly what He did for me.

I attended a church camp over this past summer and the Evangelist was talking on the topic of forgiveness.  It wasn’t just about learning how to forgive other people when they wrong you, but also on how to forgive yourself.  My heart was pounding the whole time.  Memories of things that I had done played over and over in my mind.  It felt like I was drowning in the guilt and shame.  At the end of the sermon, he opened up the altar for anyone who would want to come and pray.  My heart dropped and I felt weak in the knees but I knew I needed to go.  I hated what I was feeling, but most of all I hated myself.  I was the first one to the altar.  It felt so far away!  By the time I reached the altar, I fell to my knees and started pouring out my heart to God.  I cried out saying, “God I don’t want to feel this way anymore. Lord, I have done everything except  what You have asked of me. I’m so sorry. I am opening up my heart, body, mind, and soul completely to You. You know the many mistakes I have made and how many times I have willingly walked away from You. I feel so much guilt and shame for the things I have done. Lord, I need Your help in letting it all go and placing it in Your hands and never to pick it back up. I realize, Lord, that I can not live without You, and  how much of a need there is for You in my life. Please forgive me, Lord, for anything I have done that has not been pleasing to You. Change me, Lord, and mould me into the woman You want me to be.”

It felt like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders.  And the tears that were once tears of shame, turned into tears of joy.  That was seven months ago.  God has been a faithful God.  I’m continuing to learn and grow in Him and my life has never been better.  He changed me completely and is helping me to see my full potential.

When the fear of the past comes crawling up on me and the devil tries to remind me of who I once was, I quote to myself Isaiah 44:22,
” I have swept away your offences like a cloud, your sins like
 the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

My God is a forgiving God!  He forgave me of my sin, changed me, wiped my slate clean and gave me a fresh start.  I don’t know where I would be without Him.

He’s so worthy of praise!

Until next time,
Cheyenne❤️

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UYM turns 8 Months! 

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Today is the day!! We turn 8 months!!! Wow! What a journey it has been, walking in full-time ministry with The UYM Team! We are so amazed by how faithful God has been to our ministry. The thousands of lives that have been changed, touched and restored…brings tears to our eyes.

Thank YOU dear friends and family, for your support and encouragement! Uniquely Yours Ministries, wouldn’t be the same without you ❤️ We love y’all and we can’t wait to see what God has in store in the future! Happy 8 months!!!! 

Much love! Until Next Time,

~The UYM Team

Chats With Cheyenne, Cheyenne's Posts

{Chats with Cheyenne} Trusting the Father

UYM

Written By: Cheyenne Ranta

The best advice ever given is from our Father from up above.  So let me start this off with some scripture.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  Jeremiah 17:9

We have a bad habit of going with today’s motos of the world, such as
“follow your heart” or “if it feels good, do it!”  It’s the world we live in.
We see it everywhere.  But as girls and young women, we don’t have to be that way.  We have the ability to change. to lean on the facts and truth of the Bible which states:

“Whoever trust in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” Proverbs 28:26

This means trusting the Lord, and learning from His Word and applying it to our lives.  Having the ability to separate your feelings from truth is so important.  Those two things have a lot of control over all of us.  That’s why having the right mindset and wisdom is critical in this world today.

For example, I have a friend (I’ll call her Ally for the sake of protecting her identity) who started to fall for a guy who was not good for her.  Her heart was whispering to her, go for it if you love him, but she knew deep down that he was not a Christian and it would only drag her away from God.  Ally ended up dating him.  Everything about her changed.  She quit going to church, got into the wrong crowd, which then resulted in a unwanted pregnancy.  When drugs were mixed in with all of that she lost her baby’s  life and almost her own.  She hit rock bottom, and it was then that Ally realized that you can’t trust your heart.  It could have been avoided if she would have only listened to what God was telling her deep down inside.

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”  Proverbs 12:15

When we decide to trust our hearts, we end up making a lot of unwise, selfish and ungodly choices.  Sadly, sometimes the choices we make are unchangeable and we live with the consequences for the rest of our lives.

God’s truth written in the Bible is unchangeable.  Unlike our emotions, we know that we have a solid foundation in Him.

Jesus is the way the truth and the life.  John 1:6

Until Next Time,
~Cheyenne

Cheyenne's Posts

{Chats with Cheyenne} Standing Firm

UYM

Written By: Cheyenne Ranta

Looking out at the dismal trees, I noticed one in particular that stood alone.  At one time it stood proudly with vibrant  leaves that swayed in the wind.  Now it seems slanted and barren from fighting the cold winter days.

This reminds me a lot of our walk with God.  We have our days when we are full of life, but then there are other times where the colour in our lives has dimmed.

But does that mean that our God is not in control?  NO!  He has a plan for us.
In time, those vibrant leaves that were once there will grow back and be as beautiful as they once were.  We go through many seasons in our lives.  Sometimes it’s like we are fighting the winds of life with everything we have.  It seems that if we give in even the slightest, our world will collapse around us, like the tree branch cracking under the pressure of the snow that has built up on it.

Many friends have struggled with the winds of insecurities and the feeling of not being worthy.  And so have I.  But how comforting it is to know that we are able to trust our God, who knows exactly what He’s doing.

The desolate tree stands firm despite being void of leaves and colour.  And so can we!

He sees, hears, feels, and knows everything that we may be going through and he promises us that He will NEVER leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6 ), because He has a perfect plan for us.

Be encouraged.  In due time God will bring back life and colour to your gloomy days.  So stand firm, my friend!

Until next time,
~Cheyenne

Chats With Cheyenne, Cheyenne's Posts

{Chats With Cheyenne}

UYM

Written By: Cheyenne Ranta

The best advice ever given is from our Father from up above.  So let me start this off with some scripture.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  Jeremiah 17:9

We have a bad habit of going with today’s motos of the world, such as
“follow your heart” or “if it feels good, do it!”  It’s the world we live in.
We see it everywhere.  But as girls and young women, we don’t have to be that way.  We have the ability to change. to lean on the facts and truth of the Bible which states:

“Whoever trust in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” Proverbs 28:26

This means trusting the Lord, and learning from His Word and applying it to our lives.  Having the ability to separate your feelings from truth is so important.  Those two things have a lot of control over all of us.  That’s why having the right mindset and wisdom is critical in this world today.

For example, I have a friend (I’ll call her Ally for the sake of protecting her identity) who started to fall for a guy who was not good for her.  Her heart was whispering to her, go for it if you love him, but she knew deep down that he was not a Christian and it would only drag her away from God.  Ally ended up dating him.  Everything about her changed.  She quit going to church, got into the wrong crowd, which then resulted in a unwanted pregnancy.  When drugs were mixed in with all of that she lost her baby’s  life and almost her own.  She hit rock bottom, and it was then that Ally realized that you can’t trust your heart.  It could have been avoided if she would have only listened to what God was telling her deep down inside.

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”  Proverbs 12:15

When we decide to trust our hearts, we end up making a lot of unwise, selfish and ungodly choices.  Sadly, sometimes the choices we make are unchangeable and we live with the consequences for the rest of our lives.

God’s truth written in the Bible is unchangeable.  Unlike our emotions, we know that we have a solid foundation in Him.

Jesus is the way the truth and the life.  John 1:6

Until Next Time,
~Cheyenne

Cheyenne's Posts, Guest-Writers

Staff Christmas Memory Countdown! 

UYM

  
Written By: Cheyenne Ranta

When you think of Christmas, you think of presents, twinkling lights and snow falling outside your warm, cozy house. You stress about getting the “perfect” gift, whether it’s for your brother, sister, parents, or friends. You’re preparing your house and baking all sorts of mouth-watering foods for your Christmas party. You run from one end of the house to the other, making sure everything is just right. The aroma from your freshly baked apple pie is filling the house.

You stop to take a deep breath, taking in the smell! Your house is full of loved ones and laughter! Gathered around the warm fire you know that all the long hours of preparation was worth it. Everyone enjoyed the tasty food and complimented your beautiful decorations. You smile, thinking “Everything is perfect!”
But is it?
While you’re out trying to find that perfect gift, baking, decorating and having your house filled with loved ones, remember that there is someone out there dreaming for just that. Some do not know what it’s like to be surrounded by friends and family for the holidays or even at all! There are some that have approached Christmas with dread. Many families spend the holidays with endless fighting, refusing to take responsibility for their actions. Christmas can bring financial burdens to families, making Christmas shopping stressful. Then there is a loss of a loved one that causes the aching of the heart when you see the empty chair. There are many that Christmas brings heartache to.
We are so absorbed in our own lives that we don’t even realize that there are so many people who would “die” to have what we have, while we selfishly want more. Some of us may be blessed enough to have all the exciting things that comes along with Christmas, but that’s not really what it’s all about.
I don’t know what you are going through, but I know personally that Christmas has not always been cheerful.
When I accepted Jesus into my heart, He gave me Hope, Joy, and Peace! He gave me a new outlook on things! He helped me to realize that you may not have the best decorated house, or you might not get to see your family or your heart may be aching from your loss, but take comfort.  
No matter where God has placed you, let me encourage you that Jesus is, and always will be,

the Perfect Gift.
Until Next Time,

~Cheyenne