I was am a guest blogger for my friend Misti Boone today.  Go check out her blog.

http://thebarnprincess.com/2015/02/

FORGIVENESS

Wow I had a real busy end of 2014 and beginning of 2015. I almost got my first post in by the end of January, but February 1 is not bad. Especially for a bad blogger like me. :)




My word for the year is "RESCUE." For lots of different reasons. Lots! I will explain that in another post perhaps. But today I want to talk about forgiveness.




The word forgiveness has been tossed around in conversation a lot lately. When that happens I usually get to looking and digging for it. So I did some searching. In the NIV the word “forgive” appears 42 times in the OT and 33 in the NT. The word “forgiven” appears 17 times in the OT and 28 times in the NT. The word “forgiving” appears 6 times in the OT and 1 time in the NT.



Most of the references for the word forgive refer to that of “forgiveness of sin”. Not mine to yours or you to me, but us to HIM. Forgiveness of sin is the ultimate forgiveness and is only granted in the person of Jesus Christ. (Psalm 51:4).


Of course there are the verses, that to be honest, we as Christians like to throw at each other. Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” And we all know this one Matthew 18:21-22- “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” These verses should give us cause to pause and examine our lives. God does not lie and neither does His word. But I think we throw these around to prove our point, which is usually based on a judgment we have passed on another. (Myself included in that comment.)

Now before I go on. I whole-heartedly believe that the word of God is alive and active and true. I live my life by it. (Not perfectly I might add, but I try.) In reading the “seventy-seven times” scripture, nowhere does it say that these are different “offenses”. Folks, life is messy and hard and wonderful and painful and broken and God knows that. I believe that scripture is there to show us that sometimes, we may have forgiven something and then it creeps back in and we have to forgive it again. Why? Because we are human and life is messy.

These words from William Paul Young’s book “The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity” sums it up best. “Forgiveness is not about forgetting. It is about letting go of another person's throat......Forgiveness does not create a relationship. Unless people speak the truth about what they have done and change their mind and behavior, a relationship of trust is not possible. When you forgive someone you certainly release them from judgment, but without true change, no real relationship can be established.........Forgiveness in no way requires that you trust the one you forgive. But should they finally confess and repent, you will discover a miracle in your own heart that allows you to reach out and begin to build between you a bridge of reconciliation.........Forgiveness does not excuse anything.........You may have to declare your forgiveness a hundred times the first day and the second day, but the third day will be less and each day after, until one day you will realize that you have forgiven completely. And then one day you will pray for his wholeness......”

Powerful! And I completely agree. There are those that I have forgiven, from individuals to institution, and they continue to be deceptive or destructive in the lives of others. I do not trust them and I am not, nor will I become, under the present circumstances, their cheerleader. And yes, sometimes I am angered, by their lack of character and what appears to be complete disregard for Scripture. (I’m sure others have thought that of me. Remember live is messy.) Forgiving doesn’t mean reconciliation or over looking wrong doing. It means that you keep forgiving until you don’t need to, which my guess will be when I cast my crown at the feet of Jesus. But in the meantime, I may have to “let go of a few throats”….I guess maybe “rescue” it turning out to be an accurate word after all.

MORE

As I thought of my blog and writing goals for 2014, I had to look at how this year began.  In the first 6 days of 2014 I have spent time with wonderful, single friends from church; spent time with friends (married and single) just because we wanted to; shared some fun moments and encouraging moments with friends at work (can someone say “giant candy bar”); spent the night and caught up with an old friend from NarroWay Productions; saw my best friend's daughter (my Emma) get married; saw friends from college (from 30 years ago); saw almost everyone I knew from when I was a resort missionary in Florida (Driggers and Wagler families included); talked to my supervisor from Florida (from over 20 years ago) and talked to one of my dear friend’s daughters who called to tell me that her mother had unexpectedly passed away.  It is like my life has passed before my eyes in the first week of 2014.  It was both wonderful and painful all at the same time.  I felt like George Bailey.  I got my own look at my life.  People telling me they love me and how much they missed me and let’s not let another 20 years pass before we see each other again and some told me what a difference I made in their life.  The truth is; they have made much MORE difference in mine.  

Like many people, I chose a ONE WORD this year.  The word that kept coming up in my mind and in my devotions and in my devotional emails and on-line communities has been MORE.  I know that is usually not a “Christian” friendly word.  It almost seems selfish, but it is the “word” God lead me too.  And MORE can mean so many things.  I’m not the girl that looks at the class ½ full or ½ empty.  I look at it as a spill waiting to happen.  So I when I chose MORE, I did so with fear and trembling.  What if MORE means more loss, more heartache, more conflict, more illness, more questions, more doubt….MORE of anything that I did not want to happen.  But I chose it none the less.

I decided that I would strive to have MORE of Christ, MORE love, MORE blessing, MORE ministry, MORE serving, MORE joy, MORE praise, MORE of trusting God, MORE giving, MORE receiving, MORE laughter and MORE of God.

I have lived so much of the last seven years in LESS.  Less of life!  I have worried over food and housing and income and clothes and ministry and so many things.  Some of the less, I had no control of; some of it was all me.  So I stepped out on faith for MORE, mainly MORE of Christ and getting closer to God.  2014 has had MORE of everything.  All the things I feared and all the things I hoped for.  Life has just been MORE.  And I have learned that my life has been MORE than I had realized.  “Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to immeasurably MORE than all we ask or imagine, according to his power at work within us.” God really does MORE for me, because he knows what is best, even when it doesn't feel that way. My heart’s desire is not to get more from Him, but to be MORE for Him.

MORE for him.  

"The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength" .   Amen to that.  I am going to make this short today, but at least the "bad blogger" in me showed up.  :) When I think of this verse, I am reminded of a complement someone once gave me.

I love to study God's word.  Even though I battle with the time to (or time management), like everyone else. I've been told I'm a good Bible Study teacher.  I don't see it.  I feel it's more like me discovering stuff for myself and then going  "hey, did you know ___________?  I didn't!!"  Apparently, that works.

Once I was at church, studying for a women's retreat I was leading on "joy".  I had been there all day.  It was a Wednesday and I was coming downstairs to join my church family for dinner. (That might be a Southern thing, but we like it.)  I passed a friend in the stairwell.  He said "Hey Kristy, you look.........." and he stopped, looked at me (okay...he starred) and took a dramatic pause.  Alright, more like a long, uncomfortable pause.  I was beginning to wonder what he was going to say.  Did I look tired, sick, awful, beautiful, deadly, what?   How did a look?  And then he said with a smile..."Why, you look joyful!" (He seemed surprised.)  Then he turned and left me there all by myself, in the stairwell of my church, pondering what a "joyful" person looked like. I'm still not sure I know.

I took it as a complement.  Actually, it's one of my favorite complements ever!  Psalm 16:11 says "you will fill me with JOY in your presence".  Being in the presence of God can and does make one joyful.  I had spent all day with God. I guess it showed in my face.  (I envision Charlton Heston in the "10 Commandments" coming down from the mountain with his face all aglow...I know I can be a bit dramatic.)

And God's joy is our strength.  Even for a "bad blogger" like me.

"The Power of Encouragement", what a topic!!!!  This is the topic for our (in)courage link up today.  (in)Courage has already encouraged me to not be “a bad blogger”.  I've done more blogs this year than in the last two—combined.  (Read below if you can’t relate to the "bad blogger" image.)

Can I just say that I have never thought of myself as an encourager or even a “positive” thinker.  I know the power of God and the power of trusting in His word, but God did not make me a natural born encourager. 

As a matter of fact, I’m the girl that can find that cloud with a rainstorm that will turn into a hurricane before I’m the girl that finds the silver lining any day.   Some may call that “negative thinking” but I call it reality.

That’s just the way I roll.  

I have that snarky, curt, quick, in your face sense of humor and as a comedian, it has served me well.  As an encourager, not so much!

But I struggle with the positives.   I struggle with encouragement. 

It is not my spiritual gift.  

Yet I find myself in middle of “encouragement”.  Lately others have been so encouraging to me.  Encouraging me about things I never thought I was very good at.  And I have tried to encourage others.  If I see something I like, such as a purse, a book, a haircut, or accessory; I have been complementing people.  I found myself in the emergency room last week and I found myself “encouraging” every nurse that stuck me with a needle and didn't make me cry.  (I have “bad” veins, the kind the roll, hide and collapse and I don’t cry easily so the “snarky” in me resisted that a bit.)  But one nurse told me, “Thanks, I’m kind of new at this.  I try not to hurt people.”  I replied, “Well, you are in the right job sister”.  It was nice to see her smile, even if it was 4:30 in the am.

There is power in encouragement. 

Something I am learning to do better.  Don’t worry, I’m sure there will still be a part of the snarky, in your face, bad blogger in me from time to time.  But hopefully it will be followed by an encouraging word or two.

 

Romans 12:8a in the NIV says “if it is to encourage, then give encouragement…”  I say, if it’s not your gift, and it is SO NOT MINE, try anyway.   It is powerful just the same.

About 18 months ago, I joined an on-line community called (in)courage. http://www.incourage.me/

I’m not sure how I found them or how I actually got involved.  I just know that I did and that I am so glad that I did.  At first, I just received their blogs by email.  Now, you may know, I am a bad blogger.  I completely envy those who can seem to accomplish this task with ease and grace.  To be honest, after reading their blogs, I know that there is nothing easy about accomplishing this task and that it is only because of God’s grace that they (or we or I) ever get anything worthwhile done.  Being part of this community has been a wonderful experience. 

Last year I was an “emergency host” for their (in)Real Life Conference and this year I was a “real” host.  (I guess if I were to stick with the theme, I would be an (in)Real Host.)  I so enjoyed hearing the stories from the keynote leaders and from the ladies that attended this year’s retreat at my host site.  http://www.incourage.me/inrl-conference

I also have done the (in)Bloom Book club http://www.incourage.me/channel/bloom and two sessions ago joined a community group for single women.  What an amazing and unexpected blessing these ladies have become to me.  That group has done a book study and a “single” topics study.   But I found a safe, encouraging, joyful, community of women that love to laugh and cry with each other no matter how far across the globe. 

I am supper excited to be leading a community group for the summer session of 2014.  I can’t wait.  My co-leader is Michelle Krajecki and you are going to love her.  Our group is called (in)Word.  (See I can stick with a theme.)  http://www.incourage.me/inword

(in)Word is a group for women who love words.  A group for women who love The Word and love the words that make up other’s story.  The word “inward” means in the mind or soul; mentally or spiritually. This group will be reading a book that help us look inward so that we can make a difference in our outward world.  For the summer session 2014 the (in)Word group will be looking at the words of Holley Gerth in her book “You’re Already Amazing”.  http://www.dayspring.com/holley_gerth_you_re_already_amazing/

Registration for these groups begins today.  

Michelle and I would love to have you join us.  So click on this link and register today.  http://www.incourage.me/inword

Confessions of a Bad Blogger (Part 2)

I am a bad blogger. There, I said it, yet again. (See post from July 2013, it shouldn’t be hard to find, there were only two in 2013.  I told you I was a bad blogger.)  I started 2014 off well, with my January blog being done by January 7^th.  February 28^th rolled around and no blog.  I blamed it on having three less days that month to accomplish this task.  Then March 31^st rolled around.  I blamed that one on the pollen.  It’s April 30^th and I still haven’t written that creative, funny, entertaining, life changing blog.  Well, let’s be honest, there is still a lot of pollen in the air. 

I have even recommended to several of my artist friends (comedians, musicians, photographers, actresses -okay more like “Drama Queens”) to do one simple thing.  Take a weekend and write twelve blogs, one for each month.  All those ideas you have, just run with it, do nothing else and all you have to do from there is copy, paste and post.  Done!!! 

*Sigh*

I am a bad blogger. 

To be honest, I have a hard time journaling.  Whatever made me think I could do a blog? 

I used to journal all the time.  From age 16 to age 26, I was faithful to write in my journal daily.  At 26 years of age life changed for me.  And I mean changed.  Life had just gotten so hard the last thing I wanted to do was remember every single last detail.  So I made the decisions to stop writing in my journal.  When I was a child we called it a diary.  I guess journal sounds a little more spiritual and mature but for me it was allowing me to hang onto anger and resentment and hurt and distrust.  I had to walk away from my journal.    That was over 23 years ago.  I haven’t picked one up since then.  Well, not in the traditional meaning of the word.   I have a journal that has all my comedy routines in them.  (It’s always a good to write that down.)  I have a journal that I use for sermon notes.  I have a scripture and quotes journal, where I write down verses and sayings that mean a lot to me and encourage me.  (I have a LOT of the same scripture written down repeatedly by the way.)  And I have a journal that I write in when I do a book study or a word study in scripture and I have a prayer journal.  I guess my prayer journal is more like a daily journal than the others I use.  The prayer journal has more personal prayers and maybe some events, but not like it used to. 

Not writing in a daily journal made me wonder, have a lost part of my story?  I don’t think so.  I help host and (in)Real Women’s Conference last weekend and I loved hearing everyone stories.  Our stories do matter, but my take away from the weekend is that “God wants to be the hero of our story.”  And I believe he has done just that for me.  By my not “writing” down all those things that have happening, I don’t have a clear memory of them, but the memory of that time period will always be clear to me.  Why?  Because I don’t remember EVERY detail, but I remember what God did.  I remember what He held me through, how He turned something I never thought I would get over into 20 years of laughter.  I remember that God my hero.  I don’t have to try and be my own. I don’t need to journal that to know that.   He has proven it over and over.  He also wants to be the author of my story.  Hebrews says is the “author and finisher of our faith.”  We need to let him write and BE the hero of our story. 

Scripture also say in Habakkuk 2:2-“Then the Lord replied:  “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald my run with it.”  Deuteronomy 3:19 also says “Now down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them.”

Our stories are worth re-telling.  They are designed to be a witness and to teach. 

So, now I am convicted…I can’ t promise that I can undo this “bad blogger” thing, but I can promise that I can share about my Hero.  The one who died on the cross so I didn’t have to.  The one who loved me to the point of death and the one whose story is the thread that ties all our stories together. 

May this bad blogger always remember that.