forgiveness and love

I have been able to replace a lot of the books/devotionals that I lost, lately.  I missed them for sure!  And in the here and now, I am really diggin' this one...

the uncommon woman

making an

ordinary life

extraordinary

by Susie Larson

But let's be serious... my life is ANYTHING but ordinary.

I have learned a lot from spending a little time in this book & in the Bible, and the one thing that is so universal to living a healthy, loving, and fruitful life is

forgiveness. 

It's the lesson of all lessons, that is for sure. One part in particular has really helped me in some of my personal struggles and battles that I have found myself in lately. 

I have always considered myself a forgiving person.  I like to move on, learn, and grow... but I have recently begun to realize that I've got some major problems about how I go about the forgiving process that sometimes makes situations worse for me. I'm a forgiver, but I'm also a fighter.  I stick up for myself and sometimes that brings upon some of the petty things that turn little situations into big messes... the speaking of my own mind when it is not the nicest of things, and the 'revenge' mechanism of getting back at someone that I felt had hurt me or wronged me, and the twenty-something year old attitude that I sometimes display a little bit too proudly. 

Many of my forgiveness battles would have just been so much simpler if I had just skipped all of that pettiness and lost the attitude and just turned it all over to God and let Him tell me what to do and how to handle it. 

Because we all know His thoughts are A LOT wiser and full of love than fiesty little Baily Jordan Jones's when she's emotionally charged and angry.  If I just knew when to keep my mouth shut and lost the attitude, I think I could and would have avoided some of the struggling relationships I have found myself in. 

I've learned in this book that it's common to have those petty faults, to want to put my guard up and play defense for myself, and to try to hurt someone else when I've been wronged... but the uncommon woman - the one that lives an extraordinary life, forgives by turning it over to Christ and having the Lord show her the way to dealing. 

And trust me, I've learned this:

if i want to win the war,

the Lord must fight my battles.

Susie Larson says this and I highlighted the heck out of it:

"If you have Jesus in you, you have it in you to walk this way: LOVING, FORGIVING, and INTERCEDING for those who don't get you, who have hurt you, and who don't deserve your love.  You have it in you to be tough against the lies of the enemy and tender toward the things of God."

So, I turned a major difficulty in my life over to the Lord and I have already seen Him guide me in more positive ways.  When I was fighting 'the battle' without the armor of God and without regular & daily prayer, I was not getting ANYWHERE.  But after diligent prayer and constant faith in the Lord handling my distress, I took a step in the right direction.  And I can say it is the "right" direction because it was what God laid on my heart to do.

Do I expect my decision to be answered and resolved right away?  No.  I know that in every relationship, no matter the depth or closeness of it, TIME must do it's job as well.  I realize  that all I can do is continue to ask for forgiveness, and to forgive others, and to go on living a life that glorifies God. 

I'm grateful for my devotions, His word, and the lessons that I learn from spending some time in them each day.  It is a wonderful feeling to start your day with scripture and be reminded of all the wonderful things He does for me and has planned for me.

Do you have any

favorite devotionals?

1 Peter 5:6

Humble yourselves, therefore, under

God's mighty hand, that He may

lift you up in due time.

I love and miss this guy so much! He's been sick with some pretty mean sounding allergies and a sinus infection all weekend - so please pray for him to get better soon! Hopefully I'll get to see him soon... we're in the process of figuring it out but we've DEFINITELY figured out that sometimes things happen and plans have to be remade!  It's nothing he and I aren't used to - trust. Haha, we joke all the time that we are pretty much the King and Queen of Anything But Plan A.  We are good at rolling with the punches and that's why he's my best friend.  It's pretty much magical how well we go together and I'm glad he appreciates me as much as I appreciate him.  Oh, and p.s. I got this really awesome video sent to me via our mutual family friend Lynn of the wedding Clay and I were in when we were like 3 and 4 years old. (Crazy, huh?) The vid is absolutely precious and brought tears to my eyes and reminded me how much the Lord works in such funny and MYSTERIOUS ways... you know, even 19/some odd years later. But if you're reading this Lynn, thank you! And if you're reading this Leisa, thank you for helping me find such a wonderful guy in Clay! :) Love you all...

then

now

peace and love

bai