Letting Go of Offenses...Let It Go!

Isn't it funny how you "preach" things only to be slapped with what you preached about shortly after?  I had posted my blog post about being humble and, surely, the next day I exploded.  Talk about humbling....

It happens to all of us.  We try to help others and we end up feeling like we got the short end of the stick.  Or, we sacrifice something in some way and we feel as if it was clearly not appreciated.  We all have had these scenarios happen to us but, when they do, how do we stop from harboring bitterness?  Because we all know how UGLY bitterness really is.

In Joyce Meyer's Beauty for Ashes series she says:

“First, let me say that it is not possible to have good emotional health while harboring bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness.  Harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping your enemy will die!  Unforgiveness poisons anyone who holds it, causing him to become bitter.  And it is impossible to be bitter and get better at the same time!”

Let me tell you firsthand, those words are SO VERY TRUE! 

When you become bitter, everything changes you....the way you feel about all circumstances, the way you feel about others and, more damagingly, the way that you feel about yourself.  It is a downhill spiral and you HAVE to find a way to let it go and let it go quickly!

We have to understand that FORGIVING does not mean that you are condoning what has happened.  It just means that you are letting go of the strain that is slowly killing your heart and soul.  You have to forgive the action.  I mean, you REALLY have to forgive!  Forgiving does not mean that you are a doormat now that you have forgiven.  It just means that you are giving others the grace that God gives us on a daily basis.  Think about this Bible scripture:

Mark 11:25-26:  “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.”

And, don't forget about the verse that states:

Matthew 18:20-21:  "21Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."

That's forgiving someone 7 x 70 times, which means keep forgiving until you have found true forgiveness!

We have to keep in mind that the enemy (Satan) is after our happiness, after our hearts.  He wants us to be broken.  He wants our lives to be lived in chaos and distress.  He wants us to not enjoy one single minute of this glorious life that God has given us all.  He is out to kill, steal, and destroy.  When he is able to do this, this will put a huge wedge between ourselves and God and we surely do not want that!

Take a long look in the mirror.  Sincerely look at yourself and see if your heart has hardened, check to see if you have been living under an enormous amount of unneeded stress, see if you feel bitterness towards others.  If so, it's time to lay it all down at the altar, lay it down at the feet of Jesus.  He wants to forgive you but you need to forgive others.  We all do.

Love always wins!

~ Amy

Bible Journaling - A Fun Way For Deep Devotion!

Is this not stunning?

I recently found a group on Facebook about Bible Journaling and let me just say that I am so intrigued!  Once I stumbled upon it, I just kept Googling even more information and pictures.  To me, it is amazing and, also, I wonder WHY have I not heard of this until now?!?!?!?! 

What is Bible Journaling?  Well it appears that you can buy journaling Bibles (if you can find them - it seems like they are hard to find) and these Bibles have large margins on the side of each page to "journal" your thoughts but, as an example from the picture above, people are picking their favorite scripture verse on that page and making art with it...inside of their Bible.  Now I know some of you will think that a Bible should not be used for this purpose and that is okay.  We are all adults here and we are entitled to our own opinions but I think Bible journaling would be an EXCELLENT way to spend time in devotion because you would be meditating on that particular scripture and you are allowing to be creative with how it is laid upon your heart.  So, to me, it is a win/win situation!  I think this would be an excellent way to get your children involved too with buying their own journaling Bible.

I am going to go to my local Christian bookstore and see if they offer any journaling Bibles.  I am so excited to start doing this!

But what if you don't have a journaling Bible?  Well, I have researched that as well and I have seen some people draw their scripture on a piece of paper and place it in their Bibles in the area of the scripture.  And some try to incorporate the journaling part on any found blank space in their Bible.  It really depends on what you want to do and your preference but I thought this was such an awesome, awesome way to spend reflecting on favorite verses, and also wouldn't something like this be so heartfelt to leave to one of your children when they become grown?  So many possibilities!

What are your thoughts? 


~ Amy

***The above picture was from a member of a Bible Journaling Facebook group.  Her name is Meredith Jordan.  I think she did a FANTASTIC job!  Such an inspiration! ***

FREEBIES...We All Love Them!

I know I have missed a few posts last week so I am adding several FREE links today.  These are 100% FREE as of today. 

Make sure you LIKE my Facebook page so you don't miss out on these.  My email subscribers do not get these posts until the day after - that is why I try to post things very late at night or very early morning so, when they do receive my email, it will be on the same day - sometimes it doesn't work out like that though.

Okay....onto the FREEBIES! 

When God Whispers Loudly:  This is a short book - only about 14 pages.  I downloaded it last August and I didn't realize it was so short.  Let me just say - THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!  Here is a little bit about the book: 

How does a promotion compare with this: to see my children grown and successful: committed to God and enjoying the peace only He can bring--to see my wife, cared for and surrounded by them, a loving family knit so close together? If I'd been promoted, it could in no way have added to this great treasure."

"Yes, I will tell them. I will call them, and I will tell them this same message I've been telling you for so long...this message you chose not to hear. Why did you ignore me, dear child? I told you every day, and showed you in a thousand ways, but you were too busy to listen. How loudly must I whisper before you hear Me?"

They're instructions, not memories--God sent me instructions in my dream. "

Above paragraphs are some of the written words by this author in this short enlightening story about listening to your inner conscious, to be still and know I am God. This author wrote a brief story about how a father worrying about his family was engrossed in the earthly realm obsessed with earning the money to pay for shelter, food and clothing for his family. So involved he missed the spiritual messages surrounding him every day, calling out for his attention. Until a promotion is taken away and he is angry at God for his misfortunate and being distracted gets into an accident.

Not to give any spoilers this reader will tell you to read to the conclusion to see the transformation this father and family go through suffering through the darkness to come into the light. This author should develop this narrative into a short story or spiritual messages.

Glimpses of Heaven: 

Trudy Harris began her career with Hospice in 1981, eventually becoming the president of the Hospice Foundation for Caring. This collection of more than forty true stories of Harris's patients offers readers an incredible glimpse at what lies beyond and what the living can learn from the dying. Her patients have described to her visions of angels and loved ones who have gone on before, the sounds of ethereal music, colors that did not exist on earth. She has been with hundreds of patients as they took their last breaths and knows the kinds of questions that both the dying and the loved ones they are leaving behind ask.
• What do you say to a loved one who is dying?
• What happens when we die?
• How can you make a dying friend feel safe?
• Does a dying person really see angels, hear music, or see friends and family members who have already died?
Tender, heartbreaking, and eye-opening, Glimpses of Heaven offers a window into the world beyond and life after death.

 

Bigger Than Impossible:   Impossibility is not a period at the end of faith's sentence. Faith, in the life of the believer, is meant to be tested. Without adversities faith will never become strong and overcoming.

God has not planned crises, pain and disaster to enter our lives as a dead-end to faith's venture. Many situations vaunt themselves as "impossible", but when they are stripped from their "I" and "M" and become dependent on God, they become "God-possible".

In this book:
• Live life victoriously as you learn to rely on God.
• Learn how to overcome all life’s obstacles.
• Watch depression and anxiety disappear.
• Understand why God is allowing you to experience mountains.

Each chapter of Bigger Than Impossible highlights a specific area of Lydia Chorpening's difficult past, and contrasts it with Scriptures which make God bigger than the seemingly impossible. By utilizing the complete assurance of these Biblical concepts you will develop your trust in the God who is bigger than impossible.

~Amy