When people don’t hold grudges, a few powerful things tend to happen-both for the person and the relationship.
I have spent too much time in my life holding grudges. When I finally let it go, I received emotional freedom, which freed me from emotional energy.
I think that every one of us are responsible for ourselves. I take care of me and don’t worry about anyone else garbage
If someone gives me a reason to want to hold a grudge it simply tells me exactly who they are. At that time I can choose to stay or walk away. We all carry some garbage, and sometimes they spew that garbage that garbage on to us.
I let them carry their own garbage. I do not have to bleed for their wounds.
I have a general rule, I have low expectations on humans act a certain way. If they do then I’m good.
But, remember not holding grudges isn’t the same as tolerating mistreatment. My father always told me A lion doesn’t have to roar all the time, but when it does everyone listens. Act when it’s absolutely necessary. and your actions will be powerful.
Holding grudges doesn’t help anyone, it hurts the person holding the grudge the most.
The lesson: People will hurt you, but if you react they can continue. If you respond you are in control. Don’t give others power over your emotions.
To stand firm means having clarity in the midst of the chaos. Every battle we face begins in our minds, and our choices. It does not matter what chaos is around us.
In order to have clarity, we have to have control of our thoughts. When we learn to take every thought captive and submit it to Jesus. We are only as free as our minds. We cannot be passive in this matter. It takes effort to engage in the war over our minds.
We are the gatekeepers of our minds, not God. We must be attentive to them. The thoughts we don’t take captive will hold us captive.
“Prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” -1 Peter 1:13
“Take every thought captive” -2 Corinthians 10:5. “Set your minds on things that are above, not things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2).
We can choose Jesus over selfishness. We have to make an intentional, daily choice to draw close to God. The reality is that we are either drawing closer to Him or further away.
Each of us are being shaped and molded by someone or something. Is it Jesus? Holiness means being totally dedicated to God. We are either all in or all out. There is no good in being lukewarm, or sitting on the fence. In Revelation 3:16 God it says,
So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold -I am about to vomit you out of my mouth.“
There is no way for us to live holy and set apart without the power of the Holy Spirit.
“As children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as in your annoyance, but just as He called you is Holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior, because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am Holy’”
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children” -Ephesians 5:1
Remember that this world is not our home. We must learn to choose Jesus over culture. Don’t be consumed by what the world thinks. As followers of Jesus, we are to conduct ourselves with reverence (fear) of God. I heard it said that “fear God is to be terrified of being away from Him.”
“And if you call on Him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile” -1 Peter 1:17.
“The remarkable thing about God is that when we fear God, we fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you will fear everything else” -Oswald Chambers.
This one may be a tough one but choosing Jesus over family. I have a difficult time with this one. Today I would put my husband or children first in every circumstance. Right now my heart could not take. But I know there will come a time I will have to turn my allegiance completely to Jesus.
Sometimes theree can be a cost of relationship in order to fully live for Jesus.
When our allegiance is tied to what is or what was there can be clear tension in family relationships.
1 Peter 1:18-21 speaks of choosing Jesus over family.
“Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold. But with the, precious blood of Christ, like that of the lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead, and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
Choose Jesus over tribe. Do you know who your people were before you were saved? There may be unbelievers that you regularly interact with. But, our calling is to represent Jesus before them. When Jesus comes into our hearts, we learn how to love others rightly. All other people become ones whom we need to show the love of Jesus to.
1 Peter 1:22-23 tells us,
“Having purified your soul by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly (sisterly) love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God.”
I know people whom I don’t associate myself with too often, because they choose not to follow Jesus. They say they believe, but don’t live like they do. I love and pray for them and show them what it means to be a follower of Jesus, but I separate myself from their way of life..
It is only God’s will, Word, and work that will work permanently in our lives. We need to be people who find clarity in the Word of God (The Bible). We need to find our entire lives in the Word of God. Only His Word will last forever. Only His truth will prepare our minds to choose Him over all else. When truth rests in our hearts, we’ll live from one degree of freedom to another. Remember the good news that was preached to you and dig your roots into it.
1 Peter 1:24-25, (ESV)
“For all flesh is like grass and all glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the Word of the Lord remains forever. And this Word is good news that was preached to you.”
Forgiveness is often seen as weakness, an act of surrender, or denial. Yet, true forgiveness is neither passive nor gullible. It is an act of strength, a deliberate choice to release a grip of pain and allow healing to begin. It’s like a river that carves its path through mountains and deserts. Forgiveness can flow through hardened landscapes of a human heart.
I wasted so many years in unforgiveness being too stubborn to release the secrets that I chose to keep to hide a past I didn’t want anyone to see. Not knowing if I let go of the bitterness in my heart, I would be able to heal and move on. That it wasn’t excusing or forgetting my past.
At the core, forgiveness is not about excusing the harm. It’s about acknowledging the pain we feel without allowing it to define us. It’s doesn’t erase what was done, its about reclaiming our power to move forward without dragging the weight of bitterness behind us.
A river is wide, persistent, and unyielding. Perhaps it begins in a small place with hesitation or resistance, just like the thoughts of forgiveness that rise in us quietly in our hearts, a place that’s still bruised. A place where we confront our pain, but still wonder if there is any ounce of humanity left in us in others and ourselves. Maybe there’s a trickle of hope that some forgiveness will be possible. One day we will be able to forgive ourselves as well as others.
One day there their be a river instead of a wall that was used to block further pain. A river that swells with empathy, clarity, and courage. That it is strong enough to carry away resentment and fear.
Forgiveness requires humility, the willingness to accept that we, too are capable of making mistakes. That we deserve grace for our mistakes just as we are called to extend it. This reciprocity doesn’t mean ignoring justice or accountability, it means recognizing that holding onto hatred often punishes the bearer more than the offender. Understanding that peace is more valuable than pride in this way forgiveness becomes a form of wisdom.
When we see that forgiveness is an act that is seen as a path to peace and also a force for healing. The process is never easy, but it is always possible. A reconciliation through the river of forgiveness.
We are often driven by retribution, and a decision to forgive can feel like we are swimming against the current. But, when we choose to forgive, not once but again and again, we can find ourselves carried forward by something larger than ourselves.
Forgiveness is not the end of the story, but the beginning of a new one. One that’s shaped not by wounds, but by the wisdom we gained from them.
To forgive is a decision to live freely, and to trust that even the deepest pain can be transformed. Like a river, forgiveness will always find a way forward.
Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home.
The furthest I’ve ever been from home was to San Antonio Texas. Driving it is about 18 hours from where I was living.
This state was founded in 1718 by Spanish missionaries. And it is where “The Alamo” and, “The River Walk“ is located.
I was there for a 5 day conference for a volunteer veteran organization. While there wasn’t much time for sight seeing, I did manage to see a few sites and do some shopping.
I spent 5 days returning home and did see some sites. Fredericksburg Texas, and took in its beauty.Roswell New Mexico where the ufo/alien lore is known.
It was a memorial trip . One I hold on too for sure.
I know a lady who speaks of doubt and unbelief once in a while. I never really thought about it before. The last few days it’s been on my mind – do we really understand what doubt and unbelief are? So, I began reading about it. And you know I have to share.
I have heard the unbelief comes from not having “enough faith.” Yet, the Bible is clear that God honors faith. I think maybe our understanding of how doubt and unbelief specifically hinder that faith in our, lives is lacking.
On the subject of faith, we hear that it is anything from “a living channel of trust between us and God,”and even a spiritual force. But, faith is not how we get God to work in our lives. Faith comes with communication from God concerning His will in the situation, based on the promises in the Bible. And believing is a process of being consistent with what we hear from God. I believe having faith is not enough. Having the ability to believe is not enough. We must act on that ability by being consistent with what we believe.
If we look at the account of Peter walking on the water in Matthew 14:22-33, we can see that Faith is hearing Jesus say, “come,” and believing is actually throwing his leg over the side of the boat.
When Peter began sinking Jesus stretched out his hand, and took hold of him and said to him, “you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
It comes down to knowing God’s will and then knowing we have a choice. How we respond to God’s voice determines whether we are in faith, doubt, or unbelief.
The definition of doubt is “a feeling of uncertainty or lack.”
Jesus says in Matthew 21:21, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith, and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, “Be taken up and cast into the sea, it would be done. All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.
When I was diagnosed with bladder cancer, the doctor told me I had 1 year to live if they couldn’t get all the cancer removed. After a baseball-sized tumor was removed from my bladder, it was touch and go for a while. To say I was scared was an understatement. My children were still relying on me, and I wasn’t ready to die. I had all but given up when I decided that I was not going to let Satan win. From that point on I began getting better. Every time I would get a cancer treatment or checkup, I would tell the doctor “I am healed.” Eventually, my checks would come back “cancer-free.” I was healed. That was faith without doubt.
James 5:15 says,
“And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he had committed sins, he will be forgiven.”
This verse emphasizes the power of faith-filled prayers offered by the elders of the church, that can lead to healing, and restoration by God. This is the scripture I stood on for years. Having people from church pray for me weekly.
I believe that too many people think that all roads lead to God, and all good people go to heaven. People rely on the man behind the altar at church too much, we’ve gotten lazy, too many think that once a week a church or watching a teacher on the internet constitutes getting into heaven. It takes more than 1 day at week to get into heaven. It takes more than believing what the man behind the alter is saying. It takes studying the message he puts out there.
Unbelief is described as a lack of faith, a refusal to trust in God, and can hinder blessings, limit God’s work, and even lead to eternal separation from God.
Unbelief throws us down when we are lifted up. Faith brings us near to God when we are far from Him, and unbelief puts us far from God when we are near to Him. We shouldn’t let ourselves be destroyed because of our unbelief in God.
Brokenness leading to strength is recognizing your own imperfections and vulnerabilities which allows for greater self-awareness, a deeper dependence on God, and an increased compassion for others which ultimately leads to a more authentic and purposeful life.
It involves a humble surrender of pride, a transformation from self-reliance to reliance on divine grace, and a shift from despair to growth and healing.
To make this happen I think you need to want to change -really change. Want it so bad your teeth ache.
It’s all about surrender and humility. Having recognition of your personal limitations and surrendering those things to God.
Choosing to have a different perspective on life that offers mercy, love, and provision. A perspective to foster a deeper dependence on God.
It’s a process of acknowledging your own weaknesses, failures, and addictions that leads to an honest understanding of yourself. It can be a long and painful process, but if you don’t give up it can lead to a full and peaceful life.
Through brokenness, you can allow God to work, bringing healing, recovery, and the power to overcome past hurts.
When we have a godly sorrow instead of a worldly sorrow we can rise from, a brokenness that can lead to true repentance and a life that leads us out of worldly sorrow that only leads to despair and spiritual death.
I spent too many years in worldly sorrow, blaming God for my brokenness. But, what I didn’t recognize was that God sometimes uses brokenness to deepen our understanding of who Jesus is. When I realized this I knew I had to allow Him into my heart (and soul) I didn’t just have to gain a new perspective of His mercy and provision, but I had to learn to depend on Him. To develop a more complete comprehension of who I was.
Experiencing suffering and brokenness helped me to cultivate empathy and compassion and a deep understanding of the way others struggle.
Many years ago someone prophesied over me, that I would become a bridge for others. Since then I have tried to be that bridge to help others through their struggles. A bridge that leads others to hope, love, and mercy. A bridge that offers blessings instead of insults.
Tears of joy are born from love, hope and deeply emotional connections.
I am an emotional person. I can cry tears of joy, with something good that has happened to a person who has been struggling.
When someone decides to be water baptized. They have said the sinners prayer, but seeing it, and knowing they died to their self and has chosen a renewed life.
Something about pet adoptions -that second chance at love pulls on my heart strings.
Some say joy is quiet, but sometimes, it shouts through the silence, and runs down your face in the form of tears.
I began this blog so I could get my thoughts out of my head. I began to blog because I knew there was someone out there who had similar experiences in life that I had. And maybe, just maybe they could not feel so alone.
But this blog has turned into a way to share knowledge about Jesus. And how to live according to God. They Bible. Basic instructions before leaving earth.
Too many people seem lost on how to walk with Jesus. I think this problem can’t or won’t fix itself. We must learn. Most churches are not teaching the basic principles on what it is to truly follow Jesus.
Action is a necessary part of our relationship with Jesus. Many people think it’s okay to go to church one a week or listen to a sermon online and they are good with God. But if you read the Bible at all you will realize that God wants us to be active, not passive.
There are many times in our lives when trials and tribulations seem to consume us. David in Psalm 42:3 said, “My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?” David was longing for God’s presence here.
God certainly has not forsaken His people, but at low moments all of us could testify that there are times when it feels like He has. So, what can be done to be reassured that He did not forsake us? How do we find the hope of God’s care when we are feeling low, and in the grind of inner turmoil? I know what David did, he talked to himself. In Psalm 42:4 he says,
“These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me, how I used to go with the crowd, and led them to God’s house, with a voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day.”
David said these things to himself. Sometimes healthy positive self-talk is good therapy. He was saying in Psalms, 42 that when he is blue, he will call to remembrance the past days of victory when he felt God’s presence. In effect saying, “those were the days, those were the days of blessing, joy, and thanksgiving.” After remembering these days, he asks his own soul,
“Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise Him for the saving help of His presence.”
David’s remembrance of God’s past faithfulness should really encourage him.
When our souls are in turmoil it helps to look back to past victories and call to mind specific things God has done for us. Remember the Lord of your past is the Lord right now -God is unchanging.
One thing I’ve learned, is to not only focus on your immediate circumstances or you will likely miss God’s work in your life.
When life gets hard, step back remind yourself of God’s promises. Widen your perspective to what He might be doing through a time of difficulty, remind yourself that you just don’t want to faithful when things are easy. Ask God for wisdom, and then resolve yourself to pass the test in front of you with unwavering faith.
Interview someone — a friend, another blogger, your mother, the mailman — and write a post based on their responses.
My interview would be with a police officer. A do know a few police officers. Family friends I’ve heard about the life they have chosen.
Being a police officer is an incredibly demanding job, both physically and emotionally. It’s not just about enforcing the law, it’s about handing the aftermath of violence, crime, and often heart wrenching situations.
Overdose calls -officers often are the first on the scene, having something called Narcan that is used to save their lives.
They strive to arrest the people who sell drugs that don’t care who they kill, or what they do for their money. Police officers are thrown into violent confrontations and tense stand offs.
Violence is part of the landscape for many officers. Domestic violence, gang violence, death and trauma. They are part of that.
The mental and emotional burdens they endure is intense. They have ways to cope with the trauma they see everyday that the public eye sometimes doesn’t understand. And this trauma can lead to PTSD, anxiety or depression. This is compounded by societies expectation of how “people think they should act.”
Being a police officer is constant strain and exhaustion as they are often forced to move from one crisis to another. It’s a fast paced, high pressure environment that doesn’t leave much room for self care.
The human toll of this job it real, and the emotional scars aren’t always visible. They end up carrying a heavy burden that is not only difficult for them but is full of hard to understand for people that live outside the profession.
It’s a life full of difficulties, moments of heroism, and the ever present weight of knowing that the next call could bring something tragic.
The way some people treat police offenders is down right pathetic.
It’s a life they have chosen to protect us. Yet they are disrespected by so many. It’s about time people start realizing what they go through for us -the law abiding citizens.
The police officers I know wouldn’t trade their jobs for anything. But they also have to deal with the aftermath of societies baggage.
People wrongly believe a whole group is bad based on the actions of one person due to a combination of cognitive biases or evolutionary instincts. Our brains can mistakenly apply negative attributes to make all members of the group. It’s an awful way to think.
From Pity to Praise 