I Refuse To ---

 

"I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead..."   --- Philippians 3:13

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"First of all, when you said if something were to happen to you, one of your regrets would be having Tom and Naomi going through your possessions. When I read that, I thought, hallelujah, you've shared your lives for a long while now, said what needs to be said, helped each other, and loved one another, always. I guess what I'm trying to say (I'm still sick with some virus and a fever so my brain lags a bit)is that most people would be overjoyed if that were the main drawback to (their) demise."

Pam's comment (above) to my last post reminded me of a huge reason I'm different than many Christians: I refuse to roll around in condemnation. Or fear. Or yeah, regrets.

(Oh, and the 'loved one another always' line isn't, uhm, accurate. Some days we 3 barely even like each other.)  ツ

What I believe? If we desire to consistently "love life and see good days" we must be tough in the Holy Spirit! 

Determined. Unshakeable, focused, asking for forgiveness when we mess up--then moving forward deliberately next time remembering our lesson--then doing what we learned. 

"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."   --- 2 Corinthians 7:10

And who wants anything which produces death?

What does determination look like in my life?

I refuse to believe God's mad at me.

I refuse to even think God's no longer performing miracles.

I refuse to compare myself with what God has other folks doing for Him.

I refuse to believe God hasn't forgiven me for certain sins.

I refuse to worry about high prices, bad government and my future.

And I refuse to hold onto past regrets, but instead, fix, repair, what I can then move forward in a joy which believes next time I'll make better choices.

Growing in grace, moving forward in joy is a struggle, difficult, when we view ourselves differently than God does: dearly loved. Forgiven. Unique. A delight to His heart.

So today? Let it go! The unfixable regrets of things done--or undone and impossible. Release the doubts that God can still do what He's always done: miracles of change.

Let's all guard our hearts, only allowing seeds of faith to land, germinate and grow there. Refusing all bad seeds the moment they appear, again and again, until they no longer even blow our way.

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."   --- 1 Peter 5:8

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."   --- 1 John 1:9

Thanks, Pam, for wording your comment as you did. I knew it would lead me to a new blog post and that's always much appreciated! Oh, and the Holy Spirit never overwhelms me so that's why, I believe, He gave me just one thing to work on--decluttering for the sake of my family.  ツ

And I do hope you and your granddaughter are both feeling much better today!

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" A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways....So refuse to worry..."   ---    James 1:8, Ecclesiastes 11:10

Ariel Bisset's latest video is a delight as always. Wow.

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Oh, and finally I'm sharing this: The 10 favorite books I read in 2022:

1. Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus by Joyce Magnin

2. The Exiles by Hilary McKay

3. Never Sit if You Can Dance by Jo Giese

4. Cake by Joyce Magnin

5. You Can Start All Over by Marjorie Hillis

6. Revealing Heaven 2 by Kat Kerr

7. By The Light of the Study Lamp by Carolyn Keene

8. The Mystery of the Fires by Edith Lavell

9. Death of a Garage Sale Newbie by Sharon Dunn

10. Mystery of the Red Carnations by Mary C. Jane

There comes a time to actually live what we've spent our lives learning.

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

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 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15