forgiveness

I have a good relationship with my family. Sometimes we have disputes or arguments but I still love them. Love is seeing past all the bad things and forgive them despite what they said. No family is perfect.

Corrie ten Boom is our prime example on forgiveness. It wasn't her family that caused problems. It was the Nazi government who put her family in a concentration camp where her sister and father died. But still, even though it was hard, she forgave them. Then God blessed her greatly and she got to travel around the whole world to tell others about the power of forgiveness. My favorite example, that Corrie used in her talks, is a piece of paper and a dot on it. Most people would say that they would just see the dot but Corrie saw the rest of the paper. You see most people focus on the bad of people like their family and what they did to them, but Corrie focused on the rest of paper which is all the good of that person. That my friends, shows forgiveness.

hmm.....have you a happy list?

Long time ago, I learned from a friend that happy lists are good. You have a choice whether you can be grateful for what God has done for you or be sad all the time. James 1 says that we are to count it all joy, despite trials. So think on the happy things.

Here are a few my happy things:

*New glasses

*Chatting with friends

*Being able to pray for friends who on the mission field or are just needing prayer

*Laughing out loud with the family despite losing to Scrabble.

*Tea with friends

*Getting things cleaned up in the morning.

*Late night McDonalds....

*Safety while driving by myself

*Ice-cream

*A friend saying hello who I haven't talked to in awhile.

*Learning new things

*Enchiladas for lunch

*a good sermon at church

y'know--God showed me today....

It just happened to me today...the big plan I had for this year got changed. If God is in control of our lives and if we let Him be in control of our life, He will guide us even if it means changing our plans. That means that He guides to a better path in our life and even though we may not see it: guess what?!? It's gonna be much better because God gives us good gifts and His way is better then we ask or think.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.--Is 55:8.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.--James 1: 17


P.S. Hope your new year was grand! Mine was...I got to spend with dear friends of mine....
 

Amy Carmichael said...

Give me the love that leads the way,
The faith that nothing can dismay,
The hope no disappointments tire,
The passion that will burn like fire,
Let me not sink to be a clod:
Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.