Forgiveness and Letting Go

Day 3 – Sunday, May 30


Don’t you see Satan has stopped people from connecting to one another? He has spread strife everywhere. We who are Christians have to grow up and help each other. I have got to reach out to the loners, angry controlled, sad, hurting, fakers, and EVERYONE. How are we going to reach people if they hear and see us acting bad? I have a hard time faking a smile. I wear my life. But this past week in writing about my days and journey in my run. I felt the need to cover this. I felt like it was time to let it all go. I don’t need to be anger, selfish, bitter, sad, and a never happy Christian. I need to have joy, peace, kindness, love, and all the fruits of the spirit. I know I’m not going to be perfect, but I have to keep growing and learning. If we are judging and rejecting people who are different from us and our friends. We aren’t going to show them love. We have got to try and show them love and what it means to be a Christian.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 (King James Version)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205:22-24&version=KJV

I heard this song called, “American Honey” by Lady Antebellum. One of the verses says, “Get caught in the race Of this crazy life Tryin' to be everything can make you lose your mind I just wanna go back in time”. That line in the song is about the truth. It can make you lose your mind. I have had a lot of people trying to tell me how to be and who to be. I need to be more in shape, more manly, write neater, walk better, speak more, and talk better. This is who I am. I guess I don’t fit the mold and the stereotype. But you can’t please everyone. You can change yourself and lose who you are on the inside, but you won’t be you then. You were created to be you and only one! If you needed to be that other person God would have made you like them. Be yourself!

In Natalie Grant’s book called, “The Real Me”, she shared her story about trying to deal with looking her best. If you have struggled or are struggling with an eating disorder this book is for you. She struggled with an eating disorder in her life. She is trying to help others see that you need to be the real you.

Natalie Grant says, “Sometimes I feel like the world is made up of two kinds of people: people pleasers (those who so need to be loved and accepted that they go to great lengths to be loved and yet never feel they deserve it), and people who are never pleased with anything (those from whom the pleasers try so desperately to get love and attention but who can’t seem to see beyond their own wants and needs).” Page 46

We all want to feel loved and loveable. But we all want to be accepted and included. I know it hurts who people rejected you and hurt you. We all say hurtful things to one another. So it’s important to forgive one another. I know it’s hard but its way harder not too. Carrying that hurt is very agonizing. It only hurts you. I know because this was me. I wasn’t enjoying my life. It doesn’t hurt the other person. The other person is living life and enjoying it and you’re not. You’re carrying around the pain and hurt. You have to let it go. It frees you to forgive one another. I know pain hurts a whole lot. But sometimes the person doesn’t even realize they hurt you. You have to forgive them anyway. This weekend was a forgiving weekend for me. And I had to let the comments go and stop letting them define and control me.

I know what it is like to hurt someone too. We are all fallible people and need to ask for forgiveness every day. We all make mistakes. I know I too have said and done things I shouldn’t have done. I am sorry for every single thing I have done to hurt someone in any way. Thank God his love never changes for us. He never gives up on us, even when we give up on ourselves. God forgives us the first time, when we ask for forgiveness. So it is extremely important to forgive one another.

Most things we fight about and get upset about are so small in the scope of life.

I want to share this powerful life changing video with you. It gives me the chills.

Here are some of the lyrics to “So Small” By Carrie Underwood:

“What you got if you ain't got love The kind that you just want to give away It's ok to open up Go ahead and let the light shine through I know it's hard on a rainy day You wanna shut the world out and just be left alone But don't run out on your faith Cause sometimes that mountain you've been climbing Is just a grain of sand And what you've been out there searching for forever Is in your hands And when you figure out love is all that matters after all It sure makes everything else seem So Small”

Here is this impacting video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEQj6RrQbgA

This week, Joyce Meyer told us a secret on her show. “Want to know a secret? We will even tell the people watching by TV. Here’s the secret: The better you treat people, the happier you’re going to be.” The message is called, “Imitate God’s Giving”. Next Joyce said, “It’s like how many more times are we going to have to the bible study on forgiveness before we get around to realizing that when you forgive somebody, you’re going yourself a favor. Why should you waste your life being mad at someone that’s out having a good time and couldn’t care less if you’re upset? Come on, we got more smarts than that.”

“For if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:14 (Amplified Bible)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%206:14&version=AMP
“And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (Amplified Bible)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=esphesians%204:32&version=AMP

I went 1.61 miles on my running for St. Jude’s. I burned a total of 99 calories. I took 3413 steps. Any amounts of donations helps find the cure for the children.
“All patients accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard to the family's ability to pay.” From St. Jude Website

This is why it is important that we help raise money for the children. We could help save their life and countless others. It can only happen when we all come together.

If you could make a small donation visit the link below: Every little bit helps.
http://www.mystjudeheroes.org/hopenow

I also went swimming today for the first time in a while.

Day 4 – Monday, May 31

I went a total of 0.91 miles today. I burned a mass sum of 48 calories. I took 1923 steps. I also went swimming today. Anything to help me get stronger.
Day 5 – Tuesday, June 1

I went a full amount of 2.19 miles today. I flamed a total of 131 calories to the highway to health. I took a grand total of 4639 steps today.
Day 6 – Wednesday, June 2

I went an entirety of 3.38 miles in my journey of a 5K. I burned a mass total of 203 calories. I took 7145 steps in my run/walk.
Day 7 – Thursday, June 3

I smothered a total of 236 calories today. I went for a grand total of 3.85 miles today. I took 8136 steps.

I went swimming a few times this week. I am committed to getting stronger and healthier.

"Its mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. St. Jude has treated children from all 50 states and from around the world." "The daily operating cost for St. Jude is $1.5 million, which is primarily covered by public contributions." I got this from St. Jude.

If you can help in any way please do. Thank you for anyone who has donated and read this whole post. I hope it helped you in some way. Get out there and make a difference! 

Feel free to share this site with your friends.

In closing the post. Here some of the lyrics to “The Words I Would Say” by Sidewalk Prophets:

“Be strong in the Lord and, Never give up hope, You're going to do great things, I already know, God's got His hand on you so, Don't live life in fear, Forgive and forget, But don't forget why you're here, Take your time and pray, These are the words I would say.”

Here a video of the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thLdWPr32yY

Learning to Heal

Week 7

Day 1 – Friday, May 28

Today, I took the day off on my running a 5K.

Day 2 – Saturday, May 29

God didn’t create us to be depressed in this lifetime. He wanted us to enjoy our life every single day. I have been putting off sitting down and writing this. Today, I got really depressed. Sometimes I feel like I don’t even know how to smile and laugh a little. I tend to be serious minded. I am not trying to make you get depressed too. I write to try and help others and myself. I know what’s it’s to carry all of your baggage from your past. I carried anger and my hurts around daily. I have always had the Simon’s in my life. I can even be the Simon. Everyone tries to tell me who I should be. I need to agree with what they are saying. That’s what they are telling me. But that is what Satan wants me to believe. They are the judges and they rule my life or so it seemed that way. I have been called names from a too z and I let them define me. I received the comments and opinions and I let them run my life. Since they seem to know so much right? They define and rule me? Wrong they don’t.

I got knocked down by the wrongs and hurts. But I had to pick myself back up with God’s help. You can’t let life knock you down. As Dolly Parton has said, “We have to get over what is bothering us and get back to living”. She said that statement for her introduction to “Better Get To Livin’” on her “Live From London” album.

Here is the official video for “Better Get To Livin’”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKeulwZ3sGE

I have been called fat in some terms and that comment scared me because I let it. I have been called gay and picked on and rejected from time to time. I let someone tell me, I am fat and who I need to be. I didn’t want to relive the pain. I didn’t want to hear that comment. I was insecure. I didn’t know how to love me for me. Not be in love with me. But just like me.

So this weekend, I got knocked down and stayed in bed. I withdrew yet again from the world. I thought if I didn’t open up and get to know people they couldn’t hurt me. But that was just a lie from Satan. I wanted to be accepted for who I am. There are so many people that need and want to be accepted. I looked the last time, I went to a store and most of the store was teenagers. Not one of them looked happy. When are we going to love people for who they are? So what if they’re not the most popular people! Fame and looks won’t last forever. I had to let down my walls and live a little. You don’t have to be so serious all the time. Yes, we do need to take some things in life seriously but not everything. You can laugh and smile! I had to heal, which is painful. But if you don’t heal and let God heal you. You will continue to be broken. God can take your broken pieces and use them to help others. You can get back to living your life! I know what it’s like to be knocked down and broken. Believe me. So why did I write about this? I needed to and let it all out. Life is way too short to not heal and love again. I know it’s hard when it’s someone who is in your family, someone you thought was your friend, or maybe even your parents. But I had to be happy again. I have let it hurt me for far too long. I had to change my thinking and lighted up and have some fun.

You can’t stay in bed all the time and hide from the world. You have to out there and live. Even a Christian Artist, Mandisa got told who to be and hid in her own bed for a little while. She let Simon’s comments bother her. America was watching her to see how she would react to Simon’s comments. She chose to forgive him on live television. I don’t know if I would have responded the same way.

Listening to music is something I enjoy. So, I watched Good Morning America because one of my favorite bands was on there today. Sugarland performed a few songs in Times Square. Jennifer Nettles and Kristen Bush know how to live life to the fullest and smile and perform.

“Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God— soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God.” Psalm 42:5 (The Message)

“Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed; neither be confounded and depressed, for you shall not be put to shame. For you shall forget the shame of your youth, and you shall not [seriously] remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.” Isaiah 54:4 (Amplified Bible)

I am going to start enjoying my everyday life. Life is way too short to hang on to this depression and self-pity. I am going to be happy and be me. Not someone else. I will let God take control and help me change and be who he wants me to be. A song that helped me along the way was one by Faith Hill. It’s called, “This is Me”.

Some of the lyrics are: “Yeah I have my addictions and keep my share of secrets and things you'll never see I get selfish and defensive And pay too much attention to my insecurities Oh I'm just like everybody else I try to love Jesus and myself I don't know what you believe or what you think of what you see but this is a part of me what I do and who I am all my impurities Are right here on my sleeve This is me”

Listen to the song below:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=29981356

I went a total of 1.47 miles today. I burned a total of 106 calories. I took 3106 steps today.

Tomorrow’s post will be on forgiveness.