Romance...........

The Bible describes God as the most passionate, pursuant, and perfect lover. The Bible not only speaks of passionate love between men and women... but it shows God as the ultimate lover... in the courting of His human creations. Between God and us lies the greatest of all Romances!!!

We dont normally think of God as a romantic lover in the way that romance and passion is shared between a man and a woman. But it is the romance between Him and us that He wishes to symbolise in our passionate quest and desire for oneness with the opposite sex. There are many different kinds of passions but none quiet as intense as the passion of lovers... except God's passion for us. The desire... the passion... the chase and ultimately the marriage of the husband to the wife... and Christ to the church.

Romantic love is distinct throughout Scripture. *Will a girl forget her finery or a bride her ribbons? Yet my people have forgotten me over and over again.* God is a passionate lover... and passion can fuel anger. God desires us for His bride! *For as a young man weds a maiden, so you shall wed Him who rebuilds you* Pretty intense.... huh?

God is the perfect lover.... He vents His frustration and then whispers, *I will still woo her, I will go with her into the wilderness and comfort her*(Hos 2:14)

He comes to us and takes on the nature of the most lowly slave. he walks with us and experiences our greatest sorrows and our most heart felt joys.... heals the sick and casts out demons.

We still turn our backs but in the end there is no fighting it. We have been caught by our true and only husband. We have seen that love really does reign over death... love is stronger than life itself... in the end its hard to comprehend why we ran so hard from this perfect lover.So finally the bride is made new. Very soon the wedding of all weddings will begin. Heaven will open and the bridegroom will appear on a white horse. And so God romances us the same way that we romance our husband or wife.

Fall in love with God

Hugs...Love... &

**Then when you call, the Lord will answer. "Yes, I am here," He will quickly reply.
~ Isaiah 58:9**

What is Prayer?

The purpose of salvation is to restore lost people to relationship with God our Father. Through the cross of Jesus, the barriers to that relationship were removed. When we begin to trust God once again and turn from our sin, He comes into our lives to begin a new relationship of love with us. God is in every true Christian (Romans 8:9,10; John 14:23; Revelation 3:20; 2 Corinthians 13:5). Our faith and love towards God will lead us to recognise His presence with us, to talk with Him, to listen to Him, to sense Him. This is prayer. We express our thanks, our faith, our love, our hopes with God in prayer, and we receive from Him answers, assurance, guidance, peace, strength, power, revelation of who He is and what He wants to do. (Matthew 7:7-8; John 16:13; Philippians 4:6-7; Ephesians 1:17,18 ).

For true Christians, prayer is "communion with God". Through prayer we actually experience relationship with God. The quality of our prayer life then determines the quality of our relationship with God. Prayer is talking with God. Prayer is listening to God. Prayer is enjoying the presence of God. It can take many forms - for example: worship, confession, thanksgiving, praise, petition (asking for things), waiting (silent, listening and sensing of God) and warfare (command). If we are baptised in the Spirit we can pray with the spirit, in languages unknown to us but not to God. (1 Corinthians 14:2,14).
Prayer is not simply saying words. It is not repeating formulas. God is looking for heartfelt relationship. We are told by Jesus not to make meaningless repetitions of words when we pray. (Mathew 6:7).

Grab a cup of coffee... maybe a pastry and spend some time today with your Father in Heaven.

It really is that simple. Everyone talks to themselves from time to time... why not talk TO God!?!

Have a terrific Tuesday and a wonderful week!

Hugs.... Love... and

**I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray.
~ Psalm 17:6**

Words are powerful!!!

You're worthless! You arent smart enough to help! You're only good for one thing!
You need to grow up. You arent teaching your children anything good!
You arent the woman I thought you were! You need to get over it and seek help!
You're too short. You cant do that. That was dumb!

We take the things people say to us to heart whether we intend to do so or not. Words have ways of sneaking past our defense mechanisms and penetrating deeply into our soul. We might try to disregard or shrug off the things others say to us, yet we find ourselves recalling the hurt, the sting, or the doubt those words stirred up. The words from family or of a friend, neighbor or mere acquaintance can affect us for better or worse.

Instead of accepting and indoctrinating someone’s offhanded comment, we need to take those words before God. We need to ask Him if the words are true. What is His opinion of the issue?Particularly when someone’s words rub us the wrong way, we need to hold these words up to the light of His Word. By doing this, we will feel His peace. We will experience the freedom of being released from the hold these words have had on us.
Don’t let the words of others inflict unnecessary harm on you. We say things we shouldn’t every day—never realizing the mark we leave. And yet, the very thing someone said without thinking can so easily penetrate our hearts forever. God loves you. He wants to free you from the falsehoods you have mistakenly adopted as truth in your life. Take time today to seek His truth in your life. Spend time reading His Word to hear what He has to say about you. Don’t just take someone else’s word for it!
Dear Lord, Please help me to let go of the hurt I have held onto because of what others have said to me. I want to know what You have to say to me instead of believing the wrong things. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Show & Share...
This is a scarf I made for a very dear online friend for her birthday! I sure hope she likes it! Its my own pattern... I'm kinda proud of it. Its really simple... but the look is what I'm proud of.
I need to write up the pattern.

This is a scarf I made for my Grandma-in-law. She's a RedHatter. I thought this would be a fun scarf to where to her meetings and such. Choose your words carefully today.... and show love instead of criticism.

HUGE HUGS
LOTS OF LOVE ...
AND BOUNTIFUL

“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty.” Jeremiah 15:16

Good Morning....

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

A crisp winter morning... the snows of days before have melted.... the sun is bright.. the sky is clear and my heart is at peace. How can I be in this place, with this life, resting in my God’s arms? Rewind my life and you would not believe that I could be here, reading my Bible, praising my God.
I didnt always make very good decisions in my youth which left me feeling worthless. Those “feelings” then led to more unlovely decisions and soon I had to look up to see pond scum. Trying to lift myself up, then inevitably crashing, created a circle of defeat. I was in the gutter.
I knew about God, but didn’t know God.
What in the world was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I just get it right? For years it was my own effort, my own thoughts, my own decisions that created the brokenness in my life. Sure there were temporary moments of possible peace, but when failure arrived again, crawling into the gutter seemed only natural.
Then I met Jesus through Ken who had needed to seek out the answers of ... "whats really next after death?" I spent alot of time fighting with myself and Jesus... How could He love me and forgive all my sins so easily when I couldnt forgive myself? That was one of the first major changes for me.... to forgive myself and LET Jesus love me. I discovered that without making some changes, there really wasn’t any room for Him in there. I stopped trying to understand and just except His love and began a journey to know my Savior. Mine was a slower process than Kens. When I faltered, my natural tendencies wanted to find the nearest trench, yet the new creation inside wanted desperately to spread wings and fly above it.
God calls to each of us day-by-day, minute-by-minute. He uses creation and circumstances and people we haven’t even met, to bring about His purposes, His plans and His hope. Sometimes He works like an overnight sensation, but more often than not, He touches and changes us one predicament at a time.... and its never promised it would be easy... Either way, we are guaranteed a gutter-free life when we seek His face.
Dear Lord, how insufficient we are at finding our true path in life. We need You to navigate our steps. Our own efforts at trying to be good are never good enough, we need You to take us by the hand today and lead us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


Yep......... Show & Share time...
This is Michael's puppy. Puppy started out as his travel buddy when we took our first REAL vacation and drove to Arizona years ago. Well... Puppy has become very loved over the years... he's great to cuddle with when you're sick... when you're scared... or just when you need to hug on someone. A couple years ago... Michael had asked me to make Puppy a sweater... I did. Then he asked me to make him a pair of pants. So the trip home from Arizona this last Christmas I made Puppy a pair of pant.


I recently shared a picture of this blanket... but wanted to share it once more showing the ribbon I wove around the edges for some contrast.

This is a charity square being sent to a lovely lady on the 'ville who is putting together a comfortghan for grieving parents over the loss of their 16 yr old son.

Have a great day and a wonderful week!

hugs...

Love...

**Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.
~ John 10:9**

Marvelous Monday...

Praise God for all that is new. New year... New life... new chances... new commitments... new love... new friendships.......... and a new day to blog. (especially since my computer was down for the last week)
I do apologize for not tending to my blog. My laptop decided it needed a nap. But with the help of my wonderful husband taking it to the computer doctors... and them giving it a good cleaning and a bit of TLC... I'm up and running again. Whew!
God has moved quite a bit in my life this last week.
I've learned alot and been blessed in many different ways.
Have you ever had an issue that you prayed and prayed about... that you told God and everyone else that you were giving it to HIM. ... that you would trust Him and let Him do the work? Okay... now have you ever done those things and then put your two cents in? Well... I sure did.... and have been. You see.. .this 'Family issue' I've been writing about recently really took its tole. I was finally hit with my own words. I truly meant from my heart for God to take control of this issue.... but I kept trying to help it along. I would send invitations to school and sport events with no response and no show. I sent cards and such in the mail... again.. no response. Recently I sent Christmas gifts .... I finally got a response from one of the family members this issue concerns.... but not one I wanted. The gifts were returned.
I was already having a hard time dealing with not being with my family for Christmas and then that! While sitting in prayer a day or two after the gifts were returned... God clearly showed me that I was butting in. How in the world was God suppose to do His work if I kept sticking my nose in His business?! I just wanted to help.. I wanted to show them I loved them and that I was trying to reach out. God said, "Tammy........ all of your good hearted actions are wonderful...but if you want me to work in this situation and in their hearts... you need to stop standing in my way. Stand next to me my child... not in front of me! Let me show them who I am so they will continue to see me through you!" wow.............okay. I felt so much better after that. I was at total peace with the idea that I was going to just let God fix this. Days went by... I continued to feel completely calm and at ease that God was handling it all. What I didnt really expect was that it was going to be within that very week. All these months of riding that emotional rollercoaster.. now showing signs of coming to an end just days after me really letting go. I received a phone call wanting to meet. Wanting to talk. The first communication from them. Thank you God!
We need to really mean what we say! You say you forgive someone.... as much as you want that to be true... you need to really do it... not just say it hoping it will come true. You say you want to let God be in control... you want Him to fix a situation... touch someones heart.. heal someone who is sick..... then you need to get out of His way and let Him do those things. Saying it is great... doing what you say is harder... but what has to be done. Do you really think God doesnt know what you're doing or how you feel? He knows your heart... but your actions prove different. Talk to Him... say it out loud.... tell Him you want for an issue to be fixed... someone to be saved.. or healed... but you are having trouble staying out of His way. You'll be amazed at what comes next. God is so good!
Prayers would be appreciated for my family issue to start healing with this meeting. I'm hoping this is really an open door.

Show & Share...
I made this stocking cap for my daddy for Christmas this last year. You see... my daddy passed away 4 yrs ago this coming Father's Day. The last 8 months of his life he spent in the hospital and rehab. During that time he made stocking caps for as many nurses as he could. Well... I decided that this Christmas... daddy was going to get a stocking cap of his own. Here is one side... with the year.. and some snowflakes.

This is the other side. Daddy was the 73rd heart transplant patient at the hospital he received his new heart.... which gave us an additional 10 years with him.

Here is daddy wearing his new stocking cap. Doesn't it look nice on him?

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

huge hugs...

lots of love...

and Bountiful

**Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."
~ John 8:12**

A good day for alot of Show & Share...

Good Morning..................
Well... lets start this all off with a couple pics of the birthday present I made for Michael.
This is a RaceTrack Bag. Michael loves matchbox and hot wheel cars. So... I had Ken get him two new packs of hot wheels and I made him this bag. He loves it! He can take his cars with him in this handy bag.... lay it out flat and have a way to play with them. This is great for giving Michael something to do when we go out. Especially like out to eat... poor kid gets bored after he has colored all there is to color on a kids menu.
Here it is closed up...............
and now open to play......................... and I guess Charlie wants to play cars.... or he is just being a stinker wanting to be in the picture.
This is a scarf I made myself. I joined a CAL (crochet-a-long) on the 'ville of 12 scarves of 2009. We are to make a scarf each month that we just like or may have some meaning to us for that month. Maybe its just a color scheme... or maybe they want to make a scarf that represents that months birthstone ... or flower... etc. I chose to make a scarf each month in dedication to family or friends. So... as you see... this month is dedicated to Michael... as its his birthday this month and he's my sweet little super hero. I chose a pattern I had never done before... and the color green due to it being the awareness color for issues of the kidneys. As you all may know.. Michael was diagnosed in 2005 with Nephrotic Syndrome... which is a kidney issue. So... this is my Michael (SuperHero) Scarf!


Now this is for a swap I'm in. Its a dishcloth swap. Well... if you all know me as well as you think you do... you know I wont just send one dishcloth.... so .. I made a dish drying cloth to set your clean dishes on to dry next to your sink... and then there is the 12c point round dishcloth in the corner there with the bottle of dish soap that will all be packaged up for my swap partner and sent off this week.

These next two pictures are of scarves made to donate to the Special Olympics this year. As a matter of fact... I will be mailing these out with the few I had already made and any others I get made by the 15th.

Here is a Granny'ghan I made for a friend of Kens ... who's wife just had a baby. I really like how the shading came out.

With what was left... I made this scarf for a friend of mine for her birthday this month.

This is a scarf I made just to try the stitch. I like it! I'll tuck it away for someones birthday or maybe to send to one of the charities I'm helping with.

This scarf was made to try the yarn. A soft chunky yarn in a shell stitch. Really soft and the pattern looks nice. Again... I'll save this for a friend or charity.

Scarves for victims of abuse

These are this months scarves I will be sending to a wonderful lady that gives these to a Crisis Center.

And there you have it............. my show & share for today.

Have a Wonderful day... and a better tomorrow!

huge hugs... lots of love

and bountiful

**Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.
~ Philippians 4:6**

Happy Birthday Michael.........

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday dear Michael...

Happy Birthday to you!!!

Wow............. where did the years go? I cant believe my little super hero is 10 yrs old now!
As you may be able to see........... we took our celebration to Chuck E Cheese! This is our favorite Birthday place.
Mommy loves you Michael............ Happy Birthday sweetie!

hugs, love and

**For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God's mercy toward you will win out over His judgment against you.
~ James 2:13,**

Praise God in my storms...........

With the latest of insanities in the family saga............ Michael in this relapse... and learning this morning that little Miss Molly has also relapsed............. this song has brought me comfort.
I want to share it with you all................... listen close to the words... take them in and Praise God for He is with you!!!



hugs... love and



**Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.
~ 1 Peter 5:7**

Blessing others

I totally forgot to share this before we went on Christmas vacation. Little miss Molly has Nephrotic Syndrome. I met her mum through my blog. She is such a lovely ladies... I am just so blessed to call her *Friend*

Now most of you know that Michael encouraged me to make Prayer Blankets for children with Nephrotic Syndrome up at the hospital he goes to.... well....... I told Michael about Molly and he said.......... *so you're going to make her a prayer blanket then ... right?* Um......... well gee... of course.... *whew* After some thought... I reached out to a group of ladies on the net for help... wanting to make a super care package for Molly with the Prayer Blanket as the start.

The response was awesome and I sent Molly a big box of goodies! Books, doll, scarf, game, stuffed animals, the prayer blanket, a cupcake purse I made and filled with goodies... and much more.

The package made it to its destination safely.......... Molly and her mum were so excited I received a wonderful phone call full of thanks!!! Molly's mum even sent a little note of thanks to the lovely ladies that helped......... through her blog.

I would like to Thank all that helped... either by making something.. sending something along or by simply praying. This was GREAT!!! God Bless you all!!!

Huge Hugs.... Lots of Love

and Bountiful

**God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
~ Matthew 5:7**

One of God's little Superheroes

Shhhhhhhhhhhh.................

This is what it looks like when a Superhero is worn out!

Brave little Michael... got up this morning with his legs in pain. He tried to go to school... but ended up coming right back home. I got him comfy on the couch.... with heating pad under his legs... covered in an afghan my Aunt made many years ago. He sat and did the home work that was sent with him until he couldnt take it anymore... he fell right over .... curled up and went to sleep. I got a pillow under his head and tucked the heating pad on top of his legs. I stood there looking at him... thinking... *thats my little superhero* You cant tell by this picture... but he looks so frail! He has lost alot of water weight and then some. With the relapse he gained 15lbs of water... he lost all that in the last few days... and has now lost about 5 more off his regular weight.
He's tired... his appetite isnt great and his muscles ache. He's still on the high dose of prednizone until his protein levels reach zero.... then we can start the weaning process to get him back into remission.
I stood there looking at my little guy wondering ... If I believe without a doubt in my heart or head that Michael is healed from Nephrotic Syndrome.. yet the lies from satan have come to be seen... What does God want from me? Is there something I'm missing? Have I not done something I should?

What does God want from you and me? I wish that every one of us would make the answer to this question the driving force in our lives. If we would only give it some genuine consideration I believe that we would be changed. I dont want to just go through the motions of serving God. I dont want just a superficial commitment to God. I want to know God is real in my life, and I want Him to know that I mean business. What about you? Do you want to know the answer to that question?
1) God Wants Our Acknowledgement
"Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Ps. 46:10
* Although we aren't ignorant of God, many choose to simply ignore Him,
**Our lives become so involved with people, events, and things that God is seldom, if ever, considered.
**It is sad to say that many who name the name of Christ get so busy that God is left out of their life, or He is conveniently ignored until some crisis brings us back to Him.
* Some intentionally ignore Him.
** There are many who refuse to acknowledge God even exists,
**God's Word says that they are fools!
**They may deny His existence now, but God declares that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!
*When we acknowledge God properly there will be:
**Confession
a. of sin
Proverbs 28:13, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."
b. of salvation
Romans 10:10, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness: and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
c. of the Savior
John 4:15, "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God."
** Admission
a. of our own weakness in the flesh
b. of our inability to help ourselves
c. of our total dependency upon Jesus Christ
d. Jesus said, "without me ye can do nothing." Jn. 15:5
e. Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13
**Commission
a. We will commit our ways "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Pr, 3:6
b. We will commit our life, Paul said, "For me to live is Christ…" Ph. 1:21
c. We will commit our will, Jesus said, "Not my will, but thine." Lk. 22:42

2) God Wants Our Allegiance
* Moses asked, "…Who is on the Lord's side let him come unto me." Ex. 32:26
* Joshua challenged.. "Choose you this day whom ye will serve." Joshua 24:15
*Elijah questioned, "...How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow Him." I Kings 18:21
*Jesus commanded, "And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple," Lk. 14:27
** We give our allegiance.
1. to political parties
2. to clubs and organizations
3. to our jobs and employers
4. to schools and colleges
5. to all sorts of community and social projects
6. to family and friends
** But God wants us to give Him our allegiance first!
1. "No servant can serve two masters.,."
2. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God,.."
3. "Why call ye me' Lord, Lord and do not the things which I say?"
** Where does our allegiance lie? We will make time for what is most important in our life. Does God have our allegiance?
Colossians 3:2, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

3) God Wants Our Availability
* He doesn't need to use us!
**Often we mistakenly get the impression that God couldn't get along without us.
** It is an inflated self-evaluation that leads us to this conclusion.
**Ro. 12:3, "For I say.. through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more s highly than he ought to think..."
**The Lord wants to use us, but He can use someone else if we aren't willing.
* He does want to use us!
** Acts 9:1?6 2. Paul had to be willing to be obedient to God before God could use him in such a mighty way.
**God wants us to be obedient to Him so that He might use us in His service.

So... I stand firm.... I believe in my God... I love God.. I trust God..... I have complete faith that God will do what is best for me and my family! Through each and every trial.... my eyes... my heart.. and my mind must stay focused on God! I must rejoice in all things.... even the tough times in my life. If not for the trials... I will not learn and grow. If I dont learn and grow... how will I ever be able to do what God wants!

Huge hugs... lots of love
and Bountiful

**No, O people, the Lord has already told you what is good, and this is what He requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
~ Micah 6:8**

How to stay focused on God!

Good Morning.............

In our fast-paced world, it is easy to get caught up in the daily grind and lose sight of our true purpose in life - the worship of God. Each believer, in striving to remain focused upon God, has his or her own way of keeping that focus. Each individuals needs are different. One person might memorize a Scripture verse each week; another might have a private Bible study each morning; yet another might have a goal of sharing the Gospel message with at least one person every week. Each of these things keeps Christ at the forefront of one's mind.
Also, each of these activities has something in common. Each is something that believers can do in order to keep their focus where it needs to be. This is surrender—surrender to Jesus Christ, to God. Surrendering one's whole life: needs... worries... pains... joys... praises. Surrendering the physical... the emotional... the mental... and the spiritual.
Consider the following verses:
Romans 12:1 "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?"
Luke 9:23: "Then he said to the crowd, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.'"
Romans 6:13: "Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God."
A surrendered life is all about trust. It is trusting that God has your best interests at heart. It is trusting that His Word can be believed and taken at face value. It is trusting that all of your needs will be met. Surrender takes the focus off of self and places it upon Christ, and is demonstrated by obedience.

Have a wonderful Focused Day!!!
Hugs and Love.............

**Whoever pursues godliness and unfailing love will find life, godliness, and honor.
~ Proverbs 21:21**

Happy New Year!!!

Well.... I know I'm a few days late........ I do hope you will forgive my absence. We took off on a trip to Arizona to have Christmas with Ken's family. Then off to LasVegas to spend time with Ken's grandparents. It was a Great trip! I loved seeing the family.... the boys loved spending time with everyone ... seeing new things... enjoying the weather.. .and Ken loved being able to spend time with his family. I have to be honest... as much as I loved spending time with this part of my family... It was the hardest Christmas since Daddy died. As hard as I tried to put on a happy face... I know my broken heart showed through.... with my moments of distance and quick to snap attitude due to not having any other way to shed it. Being shut out of some of 'my' families lives makes it really hard to feel loved through the holidays. No matter how much my husband and kids try to show me love... the pain of others seem to take over during Christmas.

Here is Ken with his boys.............. bunch of handsome guys they are ... huh?!!!!


Ken's Grandparents with the boys. I love this picture! I love you Grandma and Grandpa!!!

This is a picture of Ken's folks with they grandboys.

*Patrick, Grandpa, Kenyon, Grandma, Michael w/Olivia, Kain, and David.

Yes........... you are looking at a picture I took of the boys in the back of the van playing RockBand (which they got for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa Carlton) Patrick on Guitar.. David on drums... and Michael singing away. This was our entertainment on the trip home.
We drove over/through/around Hoover Dam. Stopped to take a few pictures and I managed to get in one... heheheheee

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” Colossians 3:13

The words, "...our wonderful and close relationship would end like this." followed by a phone call of "she needs closure" ... pierced my heart. It was an intense personal knife. These words came from ones I love. I didn’t understand. I still cannot comprehend the cold, unfeeling words written and said by ones who had always demonstrated a gentle and kind personality. The hurt haunts my thoughts. I question, “Why?” At times, I want to retaliate with my own bitter words. Sharp retorts spring to mind, but then the Spirit of God whispers, “Forgive.”This brings to mind one of my favorite stories in the Bible when Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive someone. Thinking he would impress Jesus with his own willingness to grant forgiveness, he asked, “Seven?” I think Jesus probably smiled as He replied, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times (Matthew 18:22).” Oh, how I wish I could have seen Peter’s face.

As I reflect on this each day, I long to follow the model of Jesus. People smirked, ridiculed, and laughed at Him. His disciples often misunderstood Him. The religious leaders criticized Him. However, no matter how people treated Jesus, He never retaliated. He responded with gentleness and love.

Forgiving someone can be difficult, especially when you feel you are innocent in the situation. With invitation after invitation to school events... cards and Christmas gifts sent.... I receive No response. Nothing from them!! How can you shut someone out of your life like that? How can ones heart become so cold? Whatever happen to 'unconditional love'? Nonetheless, God’s truth doesn’t change, for even in difficult situations His command is to forgive. He commands us, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3).

With those thoughts, I will “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” It will not be easy and will require much prayer to keep my hurt pride from lashing out at my loved one. Although the words, “She needs closure” still do not make sense to me, *I'm Not Dead!* I will decide not to hold on to my personal hurt. I will personally forgive as Jesus has asked me to do.

Lord Jesus, enable me to forgive those who hurt me. Remind me to keep the unity of peace as far as it is within my ability. Grant me an extra measure of the Holy Spirit to love those whom I need to forgive. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

So... with that... I move into this New Year with more determination to try harder to stay focused on my God. Thanksgiving.. Christmas and New Years came and went with some of my family shutting me out. Its going to be a bumping ride this year... but I have to take it! As long as I stay focused on God ... He will get me through it! I will stumble... and have bad days... but Praise God .. He is there to pick me up.

Huge hugs... lots of love... and Bountiful Blessing through this New Year!

**For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
~ 2 Corinthians 4:17**