Of all the classes I took in high school and four years of college, I don’t recall any of the curriculum's focusing on forgiveness. Now, had I been a theology or religion major, it is a sure bet that the concept of forgiveness would have been a prominent teaching throughout my education. Some may say that an understanding of forgiveness would come - or should come from attending Church, reading the Bible, or other areas of faith formation. For me, my faith and understanding of Christian principles did not begin to take root until I was twenty-three years old and had already said, “I do” to my spouse. I was spiritually tender at this time and just getting my feet wet, so the deep and wide concept of forgiveness was truly foreign to me. If I were to label what my perception of forgiveness was at this time of my life, a good description would be “forgiveness is letting someone off the hook” - a choice that didn’t even register on my values spectrum as a “control” person. My … [Read more...]
The Daily – Always a Work in Progress…
Longtime readers know that I am pretty open about my struggles. One of them is anger. I have written several pieces on the topic. You would think that my hard head would have mastered this struggle by now. Well, you would be wrong. It is a daily battle for me. Don't get me wrong, I am not flying off the handle all the time. I have definitely seen growth in the area. However, just when I am starting to think I have a handle on it, something occurs that makes me realize I am by no means where I want to be as far as anger is concerned. Do not say, I will repay evil; wait expectantly for the Lord, and He will rescue you. - Proverbs 20:22 (amplified) We all have people in our lives that we struggle with. I find the person I struggle with the most is my husband. I believe it is why God is having me do the Proverbs 31 and Beyond course. You see, He is teaching ME through what I write. You simply benefit from my hard head! LOL! Seriously, I think many of us misunderstand the above … [Read more...]
Haven of Refreshment
A new year is upon us. It is unnerving to think how quickly 365 days come and go. Many of us reflect back and hope forward during this moment of time between what has happened and what is yet to come. And when we take account of where we've been, who we are, and where we are going many of us vow to incorporate change in our lives whether through resolutions, new commitments or purposeful intentions. Reflecting on my personal journey of 2010, I am especially thankful for the blessing of my marriage. For my husband and I, it was a bountiful season of new love, deeper respect, profound communication and a spiritual awakening to a covenant built upon humility and service. If I were to state my intentions for the new year, they would be a commitment to continue deepening my relationship with my spouse through prayer, sacrifice, daily communication and making the choice to love when it would be easier to withhold forgiveness, even in the little things. Although I feel extremely … [Read more...]
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