Category: forgiveness

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forgiveness heart Jesus peace

Let the Light In

Recent, beautiful, cool, sunny day with Batman, our youngest son and me working on clearing a spot for some family sporting activities!

“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” — Mark 11:23-26, KJV

Peach here: Reading these very familiar verses this morning got me to thinking. About forgiveness. Our mind is a funny thing. I have discovered that in my mind, (and I don’t think I’m alone) that I will tuck away, without even being conscious of it, little stacks of names that I need to forgive. I think I have forgiven them, but on occasion, when I inadvertently ‘bump into’ one of those names, I realize, there’s a stench, a lingering grudge, a savored offense, possibly, for some super special names, maybe even a touch of bitterness.

I quickly make the choice when this occurs, by faith, to purposefully forgive, and move on, to realize the grace I’ve freely received and also need to freely give. Not because the people who I need to forgive are worth it. That may or may not be the case. But, because Jesus and what HE has done for me, HE is worth it! And I’m worth that choice, too!

Forgiveness absolutely lightens our load. Unclogs the arteries of our hearts. It let’s His Sonshine into our hearts and minds.

It’s a choice. A decision. An act of faith. And when we choose it, it sets us free. sometimes, we have to choose, and decide, and choose again and again, (because it may come back to our remembrance every once in awhile).

But, it is always a choice worth making. A choice that we honor Jesus when we do so. Making this choice, this decision positions ourselves for freedom, for His light and peace, hope and joy to have room to move in our hearts.

It doesn’t matter the triviality or the bitter pain of the offense, when we grasp them, and hold onto them, they become poison to us.

We forgive because He forgave us. We forgive because keeping the hurt turns to bitterness, and causes unnecessary woundedness to take up space in our hearts, where creativity and hope are meant to reside.

Recently we’ve been working as a family to clear some space on a lot, knocking down the underbrush and taking out a few extra trees, to make some more open space.

Now there’s room to run and play, and see everything in all directions.

“Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life” — Proverbs 4:23, YLT.

And that’s what our hearts need. Be gracious, because Jesus is, and we are His, and it results in a healthy heart and soul.

Today, I’ve been taking inventory, and letting the Holy Spirit guide me through my stacks, to make sure I throw them out, after CHOOSING to FORGIVE!

“So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, IF you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples.

And you WILL KNOW the Truth, and the Truth WILL set you free.” — John 8:31-32, KJV.

Borrowed from our oldest son. Free indeed.

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choices Encouragement Fear forgiveness Heritage Humility

Failure

Young men used to lie about their age to be able to fight for this country. Now they are offended by certain cartoons 🙄
We as parents have failed to protect our kids from society’s idea of what’s right and what is wrong
…the world according to Batman

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Easter Faith forgiveness God grace Hope Jesus Love

Day 3 He is Risen

Matthew 28: 1 – 6

1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

2 And behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

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bible Faith forgiveness God grace Hope Uncategorized

Day 1 of 3

Matthew 27:62 – 66

62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

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bible choices Encouragement faith family forgiveness Gratitude Life Love memories parents Relationships remembrence thankful thought patterns thoughts

Choices

“…I PLEAD WITH YOU TO WALK holy, IN A WAY THAT IS SUITABLE TO YOUR HIGH RANK, given to you in your divine calling. WITH TENDER HUMILITY AND QUIET PATIENCE ALWAYS DEMONSTRATE GENTLENESS AND GENEROUS LOVE TOWARD ONE ANOTHER, especially toward those who may try your patience. BE FAITHFUL TO GUARD THE SWEET HARMONY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AMONG YOU in the bonds of peace…” — Ephesians 4:1b-3

Peach says:

A wise woman who I miss very much, taught me when I was very young, that when we become elderly, and are at or near the finish line, we can at times, become sort of caricatures of ourselves, depending on the choices we make in our lives.

Sometimes, as the end is in sight, we may not have all the strength of our reasoning in its normal state. Our reasoning, or our governing of ourselves, I should say, may be a bit relaxed or off balance from in our younger days.

Whatever we have fed in our lives may end up holding the larger sway. All the more reason to each day, walk in the Spirit, because when we do, then we do not “fulfill the lusts of the flesh”, Galatians 5:16b, as each decision makes a path in our heart and in our mind. The Word tells us, to not to be “conformed to this world” but instead to be “transformed by the renewing” of our mind (Romans 12:2).

The wise woman I knew, she worked in healthcare, and had seen a lot of this latter stage of life for people, who were not feeling themselves. It was a cautionary tale for sure.

I guess I have had some cause to think about the culmination of the daily little choices we make, and what those choices do to us in the inside of us, the most real part of us. Those things we choose to think about, and either appreciate or fester over. I don’t want to be one who festers. I want to be one who appreciates. The sunshine, my husband, our good health, our children and grandchildren, our siblings, that we have had good parents, greatest of all our salvation and relationship with Jesus!

I don’t want to waste time on the real (hurts) or imagined (worries). I want to process them, somewhat like laundry, learn from them, forgive myself or others, give it to Jesus, move on. —“Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, [once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” — 1 Peter 5:7

I know some hurts are monumental, and it’s easy to say. “But, you don’t know how badly they have hurt me” and to that, I say you are right. But, I also know you deserve to live and love, and enjoy what is here right now. Don’t let them rob you, not one more day. Not one more minute.

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this ONE THING I do, FORGETTING THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND, and REACHING FORTH unto THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEFORE, I PRESS TOWARD THE MARK for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” — Philippians 3:13-14

Love either near (those in your now circle) or from afar (those in your past), pray for them all, every day, but that doesn’t mean they get to sit in prime real estate in your head carving their initials. Evict them from your heart, as well as the well rehearsed pain.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are TRUE, whatsoever things are HONEST, whatsoever things are JUST, whatsoever things are PURE, whatsoever things are LOVELY, whatsoever things are of GOOD REPORT; if there be any VIRTUE, and if there be ANY PRAISE, THINK ON THESE THINGS.” — Philippians 4:8

Remember, our Father God sees our end from our beginning (Isaiah 46:10) He has good for us, if we will accompany Him to the future He has yet ahead for us!

“ This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. BUT THEN I WILL COME TO YOU AND DO FOR YOU ALL THE GOOD THINGS I HAVE PROMISED, and I will bring you home again. For I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU,” says the Lord. “They are PLANS FOR GOOD AND NOT FOR DISASTER, TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE. In those days when you pray, I will listen. IF YOU LOOK FOR ME WHOLEHEARTEDLY, YOU WILL FIND ME. I WILL BE FOUND BY YOU,” says the Lord. “I WILL end your captivity and RESTORE YOUR FORTUNES.” — Jeremiah 29:10-14

What inspired this? The passing of time, the loss of relationships, the finality of the passing of a good and precious life and the vacuum that has made. The choices we who remain make now, to hopefully live leaving a trail of love, hope, joy, affirmation, faith, and much grace, for our loved ones to follow. May our trail be clear, filled with good things to help them along their way!! — “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 11:1

Thank you for stopping in!! It means so much to share these thoughts in hopes it might encourage you along your way!!

I leave you with the closing of a favorite poem of mine, by Robert Frost, who I so enjoy!

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

Love, Peach