Anger, Hate and Forgiveness

Ever have one of those vine weeds in your garden? You know the ones that you try to pull and the weed actually has roots and branches that run under the ground from one end of the garden to the other and then some. No matter how much you pull that darn weed is still there. If you don't get every little piece of it out it comes right back, you have to get every speck of root out to get rid of the pest.
Anger and hate are just like that weed! Something gets to you, you stuff it down inside you and it takes root. There it grows, just like that weed. It begins to take over your body, your mind and your life. It makes you think irrationality, do things you wouldn't ordinarily do. Eventually it becomes your way of life, and you don't even realize it happened. You can't run from it, but you will try to share it with others. You are infected with it!
The only weed killer is Forgiveness. You have to forgive quickly before the roots take hold and it is to late. Well, I say to late, but really you can always forgive, it is just harder once that weed has consumed your life.
God calls for forgiveness. He demonstrates it throughout the Bible. It is so important to Him that it is talked about over 50 times in the Bible (the number varies depending on translation, but the topic is the same). He tells that if you want his forgiveness you have to forgive yourself. This topic is so important that the word "Forgiveness" is written in 14 verses in the New International Version of the Bible, but the word "Forgive" is written 64 times!! Over and over we are told we can't have what we can't give.
If you don't forgive that root that takes hold turns to hate. Hate...ah the Devils ultimate playground. He moves on in your life and gets comfortable. Your life begins to spiral downwards, your anger grows, everything reminds you of that one wrong that started it all. You can become someone no one wants to be around, that person in the neighborhood that no one wants to talk to because you are just down right cranky! Now don't think you can run from it, really you are just running from yourself. You can move to China, but hate and anger is just going to tag along. Life won't be any better for you there, you just take your baggage right along with you.
Now lets talk about forgiveness. As I said this is an important topic to God. I believe he has put this towards the top of His list because He doesn't what his children carrying around this weed with them. It ruins His beautiful creation, YOU! He knows that once that seed is rooted the chances of the Enemy taking over are almost a sure bet, at least for quite some time!! He put this act of forgiveness in place for our protection. Really, think about it, someone does something to you, big or small, they go about their life when they are done. You walk around angry, then hateful..remember where they are? Yep still going on with their life, oblivious to the fact that you are miserable. That anger and hate and forgivingness only makes YOUR life miserable, ok and those around you now aren't to happy either, but you get my point, right? The impact of that hate and anger doesn't ever reach the person that caused it, it just trickles down to those who had nothing to do with it!
So, how do we forgive? How do we forgive someone for something really awful? You just do! You ask God to help you. Trust me He knows all about it! Ok, you aren't comfortable with that, don't squirm, listen up. Then just do it! You don't even have to see that person face to face, you just have to forgive in YOUR heart. Let it go, write it down, burn it, yell it in the woods, but let it out and let it go.
There is a fantastic book on forgiveness. It is called "Forgiving the Dead Man Walking". It is written by Debbie Morris and is available on Amazon. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is dealing with this issue. Her story will shock you, her ability to forgive will astound you and truly touch your heart.
Its time to let things go and move on to the wonderful life right in front of you!!! Its time for a brand new day, a new start. Try it, the flowers will smell sweeter, the sky will be a more beautiful shade of blue, you will smile more, love more and most of all you will be happier for it!!

Well Now You Know......

Something has pumped my cookies. Aren't you lucky enough to get to hear my thoughts on it!
I know I promised you my thoughts on Political Correctness, so here are some of them.
Lets start with Kenneth Cole's "faux pas". Ok, so a bunch of Egyptians don't like their president (bear with me, I am NOT a big news watcher) and have decided to make a mess of their own country to let him know. Well, whatever works, hope they realize someone has to clean it up. So..Kenneth Cole (a big time fashion designer for those of you like me who are completely out of the loop) "tweeted" this: "Millions are in uproar #Cairo. Rumor has it they heard our spring collection was available online...." This set off people saying he was insensitive to what was going on and he removed the tweet. I say BLAH BLAH BLAH!! I mean really...REALLY? Why on Earth is this a problem? Did Kenneth Cole go out and tell these people to riot and act like fools just to promote his clothes line? Now that would be wrong. I am so tired of people getting in an uproar about things that are trivial! LET IT GO PEOPLE!!! There are more important things in America to worry about other than if everyone has selected the proper words when they speak as not to offend ANYONE.
Think about that, is it really possible to never offend ANYONE? There will always be someone who doesn't like something that is said. Especially when you are speaking to a large group. Haven't we learned that you just can't please everyone? Today everyone is so worried about offending people that they change words daily to where no one can keep up with what is proper to say anymore. Is there one person in charge of that task? I would like to have the "word chooser" job. What are the requirements for that position? I really don't think they would hire me!
Ok, on to the next topic! Did anyone see the story on the woman on Dr. Phil who put hot sauce in her sons mouth when he lied and made him take cold showers? In fairness I didn't see the show, I am not a fan of it, but I read an article on her. She is now arrested and charged with child abuse because PEOPLE were outraged and got the police involved saying she was abusing her son. Ok so I have to say cold showers are a bit over the top for my taste. We tried hot sauce, but my daughter liked it, so soap was our choice. Now here is what gets my cookies...we are not to correct our children for lying, how about stealing? Is that a correctable offense? Is there a manual telling us the legal way to teach our children to be respectable, responsible adults? Do people realize that these children will one day be leaders of our country? Wait, sorry I forgot that being truthful is NOT a requirement for that job.
So, we can't spank, use soap,or hot sauce so that leaves time outs. Well those work for toddlers (insert eye roll here). How about for older children, lets say 6 and up. Are we allowed to send them to their rooms? What form of punishment is allowed? Maybe if we went back to the day when you got soap or hot sauce in your mouth for lying and cursing and a spanking for misbehaving this world wouldn't be such a mess. Maybe, just maybe, the jails wouldn't be so full, kids wouldn't think they were above the law, and we just might raise decent, respectable children.....but I guess that wouldn't be politically correct!