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Sunday, December 23, 2007

Yesterday's Baggage

Hey siestas! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. I have been so busy with work and etc. I turned in my two weeks notice yesterday so I can concentrate on my courses. I am so excited there was too much drama there and it got to where it was more of a hassle.

Also, I could use some extra prayer if you think of me. I want to be a doer of the word and not just one who hears the word and walks away forgetting what she looked like in the mirror of God's word. I have had some obstacles put before me that I just need to hurdle over in the power of the Holy Spirit.

=) have a great day! I am off to church and then to work! fun!

From www.walkintheword.com Pastor James MacDonald

Yesterday's Baggage
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:12-15
Kathy and I laughed today at some pictures we found of us when we first moved to Chicago from Canada in the mid-1980’s. We retold some stories from those days and shook our heads at how young we were “back then”-how wonderfully clueless.
In those early years, we didn’t yet realize how life has a way of piling up on you. You just don’t see it when you’re young. By the time you flip a few pages on the calendar, you can look back on choices you wish you had made differently and situations you hoped would have turned out better. All of a sudden a few years, then a few decades have gone by, and stuff has really started to pile up.
Life moves so fast. It’s easy to just stick unresolved conflict and hurts in a drawer. Then something else happens and since the drawer has filled up, you find a spot on a shelf somewhere. And let’s say you move to a new place, so now you pack up all that crud and put it in a box in the attic of your new place. Before you know, you need a serious garage sale and I’m not talking about dumping old lamps, baby clothes, and exercise equipment. You need to get rid of all the harbored hurts of times when people disappointed you, all the rejection you’ve stuffed away, and all the situations that unfolded the way you hoped they never would. Unless you deal with these burdens God’s way, no matter where you move to get away from it, you’ll drag your carry-on baggage with you.
Has anyone ever told you that God didn’t make you with the capacity to carry forward all that negative weight from your past? He doesn’t expect you to. He gives you His ability to forgive in order to free you from the hurt of relational failure. Colossians 3:13, “bear with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgive each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
The older I get, the more I realize that if you want the kind of life that God promises you, you must become an expert at forgiveness. You need to be the best person in your family at forgiveness-the best person at your church and work, the best person on your street at this all important biblical, necessary, required skill.
I’ve said it for years, “there are no enduring relationships without forgiveness.” Is there someone who you need to forgive? My guess is that the Lord is bringing their face to your mind right now. Ask Him to begin His work of mercy and grace in your heart. The last thing you need in 2008 is yesterday’s baggage.

13 comments:

Fran said...

Oh, I loved this Jenny! I hope you had a good day, I hope your Christmas if FULL of Him and His love, and let's go into 2008 with NO baggage!

Have a wonderful Christmas!
Hugs~
Fran

Susan said...

Hey darlin'. Thanks for the address! You seem so busy and stressed some days...glad you are focusing on classes and that you put in your two weeks notice. I'll be thinking about you all and praying for you over Christmas!
Love ya. Susan

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Consider it done (prayer). I hope you have a wonderful CHRISTmas!
Because of Him,
Leigh

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas Princess!! I will continue to pray for you, you and that Morgan are so precious to me! Love her pic on the top of the blog!

BethAnne said...

I pray you have a wonderful Christmas filled with Jesus. You have such a sweet heart for the Lord and it shows in your writing - you are an awesome example to your baby girl and a blessing to me.

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Today is Christmas Eve.
Merry Christmas, Jenny Hope.
Without Christ there is no Christmas.
Blessed,
Leigh

Susan said...

Hey Sweet Jenny.

I had skimmed this post earlier, but today, Christmas Day, for some reason (?!) I was led back to it to read it and read it again.

I'm holding onto so much baggage! Who knew?! lol.

I have been in such a snit with my spouse this week (month, okay...YEAR) and I haven't been able to get out of it and past it. But this post slapped me upside the head and made me realize what the problem-o was. Unforgiveness. I don't have anything major to forgive him for, but the daily life annoyances I seem to just hang onto. And satan keeps bringing them to mind over and over so taht they ARE daily annoyances. I'm thankful that I finally got what the prob was.

So, my main goal for 2008 is to forgive my husband. Start fresh today.

Thanks for helping me to get here!

Love ya...Susan

P.S. The fact that he gave me a STUNNING diamond heart necklace doesn't hurt either! (it's true...gifts are my primary love language!).

Jackie said...

I hope you have a good day- merry christmas- I love you!!

Heather said...

Girl I love your new header pic! Morgan is SOOO cute!

Merry christmas to you 3! Hope you guys are well and enjoying your day!

Charity said...

Hope you are having a merry Christmas!!

Tam said...

Merry Christmas Jenny! Praying for you now...

Love you so much!

Tam

ocean mommy said...

Oh Jenny, this was such an awesome word. Thank you for sharing it.

steph.

The Ugly Beautiful said...

Thanks for commenting me! Your baby is gorgeous! It's fun to have new friends on here! :) You going to the blog conference? I want to but havent signed up yet. Well keep in touch! And yes, you should go to Israel someday! It is surreal! I only got to go bc my mom paid! :)