Category Archives: Gratitude

Blogroll, Creativity, Excuses, forgiveness, Friendship, Gratitude, Growing, mindfulness, Personal, Suffering, Uncategorized

Forgiveness Is Freedom!

I woke up and fond myself in a prison of my own making. It’s bars were comprised of the memories which I had woven together with my unwillingness to let go and forgive those who had wronged me. I eventually discovered that I was my own judge and jury and that to be free, all I had to do was forgive, let go and the bars that held me in and kept me from moving forward would melt away and offer me sweet freedom to live, really live the life I was created for.

Forgiveness is not for the other person, it is for you and me. When we forgive, it offers us the opportunity to obtain our very own peace of mind. When I seek to get even with someone else and attack them because I feel they have done me wrong I am really attacking myself, for in the spirit, we are all connected. Getting them back does not fix my thoughts and so I’m still stuck with a very serious problem.

This is why our thoughts are so powerful, because what I am thinking about you is really an expression of what I am thinking about myself, because through our Creator we are all connected and the same. God is love and we were created by love, in love and for love. Love unites us, joins us together and makes us one.

This love has the power to set us free to live an amazing and blessed life or we can abuse it and totally miss what we were created for. Real love does not just love self, it also loves others. And real love leads and empowers us toward forgiveness, for forgiveness is freedom. I don’t have to live a life addicted to pain, love sets me free, if I will just claim and enjoy my freedom.

One of the greatest powers we have been granted is the power of choice. We choose to give power to what someone did to us and empower their wrong, so that “the wrong” is calling the shots in our life and living or we choose love which leads to forgiveness and live in the power of our created purpose and enjoy the freedom that allows blessings to continue to flow into and through our life.

It really is all a matter of where you decide to invest your faith. What do you really believe in? Do you believe in the love you were created for, by and in? If you really believe, then you have all the power you need to overlook and overcome any sin committed against you. Face your feelings, feel them, work through them and then choose love which leads to forgiveness, which always ultimately sets you free to live the miracle.

Love is the way, forgiveness is the challenge and freedom is the reward…

Blogroll, Church, Family, Friendship, Gratitude, Growing, Ministry, Personal, Uncategorized

Why Go To Church?

I talk to people almost everyday that have given up on their struggle to find a church they are comfortable in and I have to admit that even while I’m not out there trying to find that special place, because we’ve been blessed with a very special fellowship at Grace Place, but I certainly understand the struggle. I once heard that if you find the perfect church, don’t go, because you will mess it up.

There are some great benefits in going to church, even if it’s not perfect. Below are a seven reasons why I think everyone should make and take the time to participate in church every chance you get.

1. You Have A Chance To Meet God!

2. You Might Bless Someone Or Someone Might Bless You!

3. You May Hear Something That Takes You To A Whole New Level!

4. If You Do Nothing Else, It’s A Great Time And Place To Practice Gratitude!

5. Interactions With Others Open Up All Kinds Of Possibilities!

6. It’s Possible You Might Get Inspired To Discover, Grow And Use Your Spiritual Gift.

7. It’s A Small Investment With Big Return!

Church, Discipleship, Family, Friendship, Gratitude, Growing, mindfulness, Personal, Uncategorized

Overcoming Fear With Love!

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The Beetles used to sing a song: “All You Need Is Love!”, which became a very big hit for them. And the whole song is pretty much the title repeated again and again and again. We know it’s what we need and most of us, when we are honest with ourselves would admit that love is what we really want. And while many of us have our moments, the truth is, we were created for much more than just moments.

I used to believe that the opposite of love was hate, but I have come to believe that it is so much more than just hate. At the very heart of hate is fear, which I think is the true opposite of love. I’ve noticed in my own life that I am drawn to love or fear. When I start getting away from love, it is not to hate, but fear, which can later manifest into hate.

In this world we live in, we often find ourselves caught up in this tug of war between love and fear, because our ego tells us that we are what we have, what we do or who people think we are. The real challenge is that most of this takes place in the back ground, below the surface and often without our noticing, until it’s already moving us away from what really matters.

God is love, so God, who is love created you in love to be love. Stop for a minute and let the truth of that statement simmer in your heart and mind. Now here is the powerful truth each of us needs to get a hold of, believe in and put into practice: We have the ability to choose! We can choose to live in love and it’s power to help us become all we were created for and so much more or we can chose to live in fear, which will ultimately take us to a place of hate, which will keep us for away from the blessings we were created for.

Here are three things we can do to realign ourselves with the perfect love we were created in and for:

1. Remember You Are God’s Special Creation Of Love!

2. Love God, Yourself And Others!

3. Bless Others And Allow Yourself To Be Blessed!

1 John 4:18 says: There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.