Get My Goat???

A while back a childhood friend sent me an e-mail out of the clear and the blue, it was a 3 line e-mail which really packed a punch. It said:

Dear Annette,

How are you?
Have you talked to Susie Q?

(Obviously I changed the name to protect the innocent.) Short and sweet right? Or is it sweet? Susie Q was a good friend of mine for many years, sadly our friendship ended due to her mental illness and inability to tell the truth. I miss the old Susie Q, but do not trust the one who was around when our friendship ended. That being said, if she called tomorrow and needed help, I would do anything in the world to help her because I love her. The author of the e-mail knew the situation and knew I had not spoken with her in 11 years. I never knew what I did to provoke such an e-mail. My husband declared it was some kind of passive/aggressive woman thing and she was trying to get my goat for some reason.

On the one side I could feel my emotions switching into high gear. Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought of Susie Q and the great times we had over the years, her dear, sweet husband - my 1st boyfriend who died of cancer in 1999, and then I felt anger trying to build toward the author of the e-mail. I could feel a Mount Vesuvius impression coming on in a big way. Then I thought wait a minute Annette, if you explode and act ungodly in this situation you will have to repent, you will expend energy crying and being angry which you can hardly afford to expend, and you will probably never speak the author again because you will say things which cannot be taken back.

I really had to pray about it. I never spoke to the author about it because we haven't been close friends in years and years. I hug her when I see her and guard my words when I speak with her. I hope my walk with the Lord as well as hers brings us into maturity as Christians and we make a positive impact for Christ wherever we go.

I know I must follow Christ's teaching concerning forgiveness no matter how I feel.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Sometimes it is hard to forgive, but forgiveness brings life and wholeness. If it were not possible Christ would not have told us to forgive.

02/23/2012 - Thankful Thursday

I can't believe it is the last Thursday of February!

I am thankful for:

Time spent with Kathleen and Tess at Bible Study

A card from Sandy which brought much cheer

Worship with Annette G

A letter from Kosovo

Time with my husband even though it involved the making of deer sausage

The freedom to attend church, worship, and pray

Comparisons

The other day I thought back to the pre-teen and early teen years and the numerous ways I tried to push the envelope; such as playing rock albums just loud enough to get on my father's nerves. I was known to play certain songs over and over if he disliked them. He was a sergeant in the Houston Police Department's criminal intelligence division and then narcotics division during those years. Yes, I did crank up Eric Clapton's Cocaine frequently, then one day the album disappeared, it did not take highly developed detective skills to determine my mother was behind the said album's disappearance.

On a few occasions when being disciplined by my parents, I somehow thought it was wise to say at least I am not as bad as ________ or at least I don't do drugs or something equally as dumb. Comparing my bad behavior to others' worse behavior did nothing to appease my parents or soften the punishment. Bad behavior is bad behavior, it stands on it's own "merit" so to speak.

I am astounded when I hear Christians try to justify sinful behavior by comparing themselves to others or compare their Christian walk and deem it better than someone else's walk. God does not compare us to one another, He loves us equally, we are all the apple of His eye. He sent His Son to die for us, to take on our sin and iniquities. The next time you find yourself comparing your Christian walk or sin or lack of sin to others, stop, repent, and pray.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Memory Verse 02/15/2012

I am astounded we are 1/2 way through February and it is time to memorize another verse. I am memorizing John 10:30

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

It is good it is a short one because I still stumble a little over John 10:29.

It is nice to sow a few verses from John in my heart as I read through the Bible with a couple precious sisters this year. We finished Leviticus and are now in Numbers. Hello Deuteronomy - Here we come! I cannot lie, I grew a little bored reading Leviticus.

Please share the verses you are sowing into your heart this year.

The USA, God, and Elections

I don't want to start a political debate, I am not bashing anyone for voting for the candidate he or she feels is the best qualified to lead our nation, but I am saying all of this to say: I am tired of the campaign, I am tired of most candidates' rhetoric already and if I were made queen for a day, I would pass an irrevocable law which limited campaigning for the primaries to 2 months, all primaries would be held in the same month, and campaigning for the November election would begin October 1st. (Have you ever read such a run on sentence in your life?!?!?!)

As a Christian I am to live a Christ like life, I am to pray for people and issues not yell and scream about them and have a negative, judgmental attitude. Should I condone sin? No. Should I vote for people who seem to support ungodly principles? No. Should I pray for all candidates to be men and women of integrity? Yes. Should I pray all candidates know Jesus as Lord and Savior? Yes. Should I pray all candidates are filled with the wisdom of the Lord and make righteous decisions in His sight? Yes.

I pray we have godly attitudes as 2012 progresses and I pray we lift the candidates up in prayer. Lastly I pray the USA is found to be a sheep nation and not a goat nation.

I will now climb down from my soapbox.

January 2012

What happened to January 2012? I had projects and goals to meet by January 31, some of which I made some I did not. It is time for a new memory verse which is John 10:29

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

At the rate 2012 is progressing; Easter, the elections (and thankfully no more campaign ads, speeches, and maligning other candidate's character), Thanksgiving, and Christmas will be here before we know it...so don't procrastinate, go out and live for the Lord and serve Him.