Give it and You Will Get it

Forgiveness is the mental, emotional and/or spiritual process of ceasing to feel resentment, indignation or anger against another person for a perceived offence, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution.

Forgive and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37

If we hope to receive forgiveness ourselves--we MUST forgive. I didn't say it. The Bible did. Wow. We ALL need forgiveness, each and every last one of us. We all need it, but are we all granting it? Something to think about...

Miami...Lessons

A few tidbits that I learned while in Miami on the High School Student mission trip:

1. Teenage girls are hilarious.

2. Teenage girls can be brutual and heartless to their friends.

3. Teenage girls can be fiercely loyal and nurturing to those same friends.

4. Teenage girls could not communicate without the word "like".

5. Teenage girls are shallow.

6. Teenage girls are deep.

7. I miss being a teenage girl.

8. But I'd never want to be one again.

Commitment

Song of Solomon 8:6
6 Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death.

Ruth 1:16-17
16 But Ruth said, "Don't beg me to leave you or to stop following you. Where you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.17 And where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. I ask the Lord to punish me terribly if I do not keep this promise: Not even death will separate us."


What amazing families and marriages we would have if our society made this level of commitment to God and to their husbands/wives on their wedding day. WOW. What a different place this would be. Everything changes when we do things the way God designed them to be done. He designed this institution this way to bring us joy and comfort and support and protection, and to keep us from overwhelming hurt and pain and anger. I have seen the blessings flood over my life in the situations where I have changed my path and got onto His. WHAT A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I look forward to taking His path down the road of Commitment. I look forward to what that will mean in my life and in my family. I am sure it is something I cannot yet fathom. But I do know that changing my ways to His ways on this road that I am currently on has been a blessing bigger than I could have ever dreamed. It is like night and day. Coming out of the pitch black darkness into the warm sunlight. God has been faithful to me. I will be faithful to Him and to my sweetheart...always, without end. The verses above say it all. That will be the legacy I will leave behind...love and unwavering commitment. Wow, so beautiful.

Far Away

I love this song. I hadn't seen the video until it was sent to me yesterday...wow. (Thanks, W.)
So, I wanted to share it with anyone else who might stop by here. Enjoy! Get the tissues ready.

Miami, Here I Come!

Woo Hoo! I'm going to Miami...

Can't wait!
Details later...

Zacchaeus and the others...

Last night at my Bible Study group, all of the children that were there (which all happened to be girls) ended up singing all kinds of "church" songs. It was really cute and lots of fun. It brought back all kinds of memories for me. Do you have a favorite kid's church song from back in the day that you secretly still love? I have many...here are a few:

1. I Have the Joy Joy Joy Joy Down in my Heart! (It's funny though, I was thought it said that I had it on TUESDAY...instead of TO STAY! Huh, I wonder why I figured it was just on Tuesday's? Weird!)

2. Roll the Gospel Chariot Along (Anyone know that one?? I particularly liked the part that said, "...and if the devil's in the way, we will ROLL RIGHT OVER HIM!" I really got into that part!)

3. God Told Noah to Build Him and Ark-y Ark-y....Build it out of Gopher Bark-y Bark-y!

4. Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man and a Wee Little Man was HE!

5. I Don't Wanna Be a Pharisee....Cuz Pharisee's Are Never Fair, Ya See! I Don't Wanna Be a Sadducee, Cuz Sadducees Are Always Sad Ya See!