Thinking about Christmas past

Missing people with whom I was friends and no longer talk to. Makes me sad to think that I have done things and things have been said to separate us. It’s not just my fault. It took both people in the relationship to get us where we are now. I know that these relationships probably can’t be repaired. This season of renewal I’m letting the bitterness and resentment go. I can’t get the other folks to repair the relationship. I can hope that with time we can all forgive each other. Or if not we can be polite and move in our own circles. 

Jesus is our Savior

"for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:11‬ ‭NASB‬‬

• Jesus saves us from our sin. He does not save us in our sin. 
  
• He went to the cross so he could save us from our sin 
• He is not mad at us. He is mad about us. 

If you feel shame that is from the evil one not from God. 

The first gift. Total and complete forgiveness. 

• We often won’t forgive ourselves so we can not believe that Jesus forgives us. Pride stops us from from forgiving myself. (Personal note--I think maybe I have finally learned how to do this. )
  

The second gift is peace. 

• 
  
• "Those who love Your law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble."‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:165‬ ‭NASB‬. 
  
• Jesus is the Prince of peace. "Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!"‭‭.      2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭NASB‬.    
  
• Three things that steal my peace. Guilt and grief and grudges will put me in my home made grave. (Personal Note...grudges can be hard. I will feel like I have given up a grudge and then I, reminded of it again. I am making an effort to give up the anger I have been feeling from the summer and let go of the hurt.). These three things turn into resentment. (Personal Note...yup I recently wrote a letter to provide some closure for myself and while I’m happy to have it behind me but I need to let go of the anger and resentment. I like to talk these things out and I realize that not everyone does. A lot of people just like to let it go ). 
  
• "Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."  Acts‬ ‭2:38‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Secrets of the right path (psalm 23) sermon notes from Sunday

A. Who do I let in my life.  

• Some people will just be in my life because we share DNA. be around people who have s teachable spirit and can teach us. 
• If they discourage you and speak death into your life banish them from your life. 
  
• We should be around people who minister to us who we can minister to. 

B. Make sure you know who to honor

• Every sin in our life deals with honor or lack of honor in our life. 
• Am I submitting myself to the authority of God’s word. 
• Am I going to honor my spouse ?  

C. Control your thought life 

• Romans 12:2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
• Speak what you expect 
• Stay away from negaholics. 
• Luke 6:45 "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart."
• Matthew 15:19-20 "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.""

D. Excel in your present task 

• Put it in your mind and heart that we are going to do the very best job we can at whatever we do. 
  
• Don’t get In a hurry. 

E. Is God pleased with the direction I am going. Do I have the nod of God

• "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32:8‬ ‭NASB
• ‭‭If you have the spirit of disruption you should settle down so that God had time to work on us and give us peace 
• Never make a decision without a Godly counsel. 
• Where there is no counsel people fall proverbs 11:14
• Psalm 1:1. "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!"
• ‭‭Watch God bless you so you can stay on the right trail. 

https://www.facebook.com/kara.lively.5/videos/1136104753233562/

Back to work

Michael and I had a bout of illness that laid us up for 2 weeks. I don't think I have ever taken 2 straight weeks off in my adult life and certainly not for an illness since I have been a grown. It was as bad as when I had mono as a senior in HS.  Today I finally ventured out into public and started trying to be among the living again.  We missed the Christmas ride this past weekend because we were sick. I don't think that I ever missed a Christmas ride. It was sad.

I know that I am spending too much time thinking about the past.  I have things I want to fix, but yet I don't want to apologize for them. I want to be apologized to. I want others to take responsibility. In the end no one takes responsibility and we all remain silent. I have written some heart felt letters to some people...don't know if I will send them. On one hand I think about being honest and clearing the air and maybe finding my way back to some friends. On the other hand, I feel like I will be the only one taking responsibility and then I will get angry, even if I don't say so. In the end things don't change.

I like closure but I'm finding other people don't. I don't know how to find closure without communication.  I don't know how to get other people to communicate and talk even if it means having an argument. I'm ok with tears being shed and voices being raised to get to a point where a solution is reached.  So many people would rather just forget and walk away.  I don't know how to trust again without clearing the air. I don't know how to mend a friendship when I know other people have been meddling and those people are dishonest pot stirrers.

Someone recently said to me if you have one loyal friend in your life then you're doing pretty good. I thought this was a sad state of affairs that we may only have one person that we can really trust in our lives. I thought how happy I am to have that person in Michael, but it makes me sad when I think about all the people I have always thought were my loyal peeps and then found out they weren't...hence the letters I have written that I don't know if I will mail or not.

I am grateful to the people I have in my life to whom I am loyal and are loyal to me. I am sad this Christmas season to be missing the people left behind. The branches and twigs who have fallen away.