Forgive Regardless...

There are times when the person you need to forgive is wrong.  

They don't ask for your forgiveness.

They don't care if you forgive them.

They scoff about your pain.

Regardless, forgive.

Choose to forgive.  Ask God to give you the strength to let go.  

God will honor your request and will stand with you.

While you won't always feel release immediately, you will be set free.

Let go.

Receive God's peace. 

10 Things about Forgiveness

Forgiveness 09/15/2014 Top 10 thoughts on FORGIVENESS: 10. We are forgiven as we forgive. 9. Forgive 70 X 7 (the idea is as many times as it takes) 8. Forgiving someone one time isn't necessarily going to take care of it for all time. 7. Every time pain emerges, you need to forgive that person (s) again. 6. Sometimes, it's like peeling an onion.  God only lets us deal with a little at a time, so when the pain comes to your mind, you are dealing with another layer of pain. 5. We do not have the power and strength to forgive on our own. 4. God does possess the strength to help us forgive.  Rely on God's strength. 3.  Forgiveness is not a feeling...it's a choice. 2. Choosing to forgive does not mean you are giving others the right to mistreat you, abuse you, or bully you.  God NEVER chooses bad things to happen to you. 1.  Forgiving them does NOT mean you will be in relationship with them again.  It means you are letting go so God can deal with it. www.lotsagrace.org

God is Calling

Most of the time we tend to think we are calling for God and we aren't being heard. 

Truth is, God is calling us 24-7 and we are not hearing, listening, and sometimes wanting what IS being offered. We are deaf because we don't understand.

Still, God calls. 

The #1 way to hear is to sit in silence with God. Total silence. You and God. 

...for as long as it takes for us to begin to understand the movement of God. 

Waterfall by Chris Tomlin says, "I want to move when you move."  

Problem is, we can't do that unless we are connected. 

God continues to wait. Calls. You. 

Writing with Grace and Flair

I've been getting a lot of questions about writing (mostly on Pinterest) and wanted to share a few thoughts about giving and receiving "grace" with you works and with things you read.

I happen to believe that giving grace is important.

Why?  Because you can take the same essay and turn it into 4 different English professors and you would get 4 very different grades.  You could even run the alphabet.

I've had professors, editors, and critics love my work and hate my work.  Either way works for me because my question back to them is, "did it broaden your perspective?"

If it did, then I succeeded.  If it didn't my follow up question is, "are you willing to allow your perspective to grow?"

I think that's what grace and writing is all about.  We may not all agree, but you will read my work and consider the possibilities.  Then you will give me the right to my viewpoint.  You don't have to agree.  Just let me be me.  Right for me.  Not always right for you, but you allow me to think differently than you.

For some reason it's really important to me to give others grace...the right to be who they are.  The right to:

their own theology
their own philosophy
even their own ideas about raising children

For me?  I prefer a bit of flair, lots of laughter, and loads of grace!


www.lotsagrace.org

10 Reasons to surround yourself with people who know how to LAUGH

10 reasons it's important to be with people who know how to laugh:

10. They laugh and

9.  They don't take themselves too seriously so

8. They are light-hearted so

7. You laugh more and

6. You're more fun to be around so

5. You have more friends and

4. More people to laugh with then

3. Life seems easier to do and

2. The tough times aren't so difficult. 

1. And the #1 reason: When you're being stupid it doesn't matter because they are stupid with you.

Worth More than Gold

What does it look like to:

Surround yourself with people who you can trust? 

First, it doesn't mean you isolate yourself from the world.  

It means you know who you can really trust and you share deep thoughts and dreams with people who support you. 

It means you are careful with what you share until you're sure. 

It means you gauge sharing and receiving. 

Takes time...

is worth it!

Developing friendships with people who really care about you is worth more than gold. 

Work

As I observed Labor Day this year I found myself being contemplative about work.  Now, most people would say, "Ugh!" and I have to admit there are days when I feel that way.  

However, I've been in a place where I couldn't find a job or was freaked out that lay-offs were coming!  YIKES!  In light of that, having a job is a blessing. 

Now, I've worked as a Railroad Clerk, a Day Care provider, a waitress, a newspaper editor, a photojournalist, a still photographer, a framer (not in the sense of housing but in the sense of framing art), an office manager, a worship coordinator, and a mortgage specialist. Everytime we moved, I had to find a new job and sometimes that was good, other times kinda sad. 

What I've found from working all of those jobs is that while work is good, it's the people who make or break the job.  The most unlikely position for me (as a creative junkie) has been being a mortgage specialist. What changed how I see my job is the people I work with. As I have good days and bad, there have been people who have come along side me and shared in my successes and failures. It's almost as if when I failed I didn't fail alone.  

My prayer for you is that you have compadres who share your journey and support you along the way. 

Surround yourself with people who know how to laugh, who forgive quickly, who are there to pick you up when you fall, and who believe in the person God created you to be.  

There can be no greater friend. 

Deb