Life in the Desert

As we bring this sermon series to an end, I can't help but think....is unforgiveness our own personal 40 years in the desert? Are we really that different than the Israelites? They were disobedient to God, but isn't unforgiveness just as bad? How many years are we going to wonder around before we realize that God's way is the only way? If unforgiveness is the desert, then forgiveness is the promised land!!

I remember as a young married person, spouting off how I deserved better than... (you can pretty much fill in the blank there. My delusions knew no boundaries) The problem is, society backed this up. We are constantly being told that we deserve happiness. What society does not tell us is that no man or woman can bring that happiness. We will never be truly happy (or forgiving) until we make Christ the focus of our life.

I think Pastor Dennis hit the nail on the head when he said prayer can bring that healing forgiveness that we all need. Prayer always helps....always. I don't think anyone will argue that forgiveness is not easy, but hanging on that cross wasn't easy. Jesus died to get me out of the proverbial desert, so why would I put myself back there. After all, I think I have a hankerin' for some milk and honey!

Forgiving Others

I am pretty excited today, not just because I am blogging, because today I have a "cheat sheet". Thanks Pastor Dennis for the study guide!!!

Question number one calls us to discuss the reality of "turning the other cheek". Mathew 5: 44 talks about praying for your enemies. Maybe this is a good way to start, just praying for them. I take it a step further and pray the Lord heal my heart towards them. (This is way more effective than praying that He fix them.  I've tried that before too....it never works!)

Question number four asks us to reflect on guilt, shame, and anger. Pastor Dennis mentioned that anger and unforgiveness go hand in hand. So many of us think that we have the right to be angry. Almost like we have earned it. I can picture the devil sitting on my shoulder whispering things like " How dare they." and "You don't have to take that.".

Lastly, I really liked 5c. "The person who turns the other cheek is saying, in effect, try again. I deny you the power to humiliate me." In essence, when we are angry at someone, that person has the power. Denying them of that, well, it actually takes a very strong person. Very strong, indeed.

So now is your turn. What parts of the sermon spoke to you? Did you have any "aha" moments? Let's keep the conversation going.

Am I smarter than a monkey???

Am I smarter than a monkey? It probably depends on who you ask and what day you ask it. Today is a good day, but who knows what tomorrow will bring.

The real question is can I let go? It is not as easy as it sounds. Actually, sometimes it may feel impossible. I think there are times that we tell ourselves that we have forgiven, when we really haven't. You know the drill, you see them at Wal-Mart and head down the fishing isle to avoid the person. (They make fishing poles in pink now, right?) That is a sure sign that you are not quite there yet.

So what do we do when we want to forgive but aren't there yet? Pray. Ask God for the ability to forgive that person. I think that saying the words can be therapeutic. This is definitely a prayer that may need repeating, but in the repetition omes healing. After all, God granted me forgiveness....who am I to deny someone else?

So what are your thoughts on forgiveness? Let's start the conversation. Just remember, keep it positive.

God Bless

Do you believe what you Pray?

Do I believe what I pray? My fist reaction is "of course", but do I? How many times have I prayed one way then prepared for the opposite? How many times have I prayed for a safe flight from KCI then worried the entire time. Or how about praying for rain then washing my car just hours later. Actually, that shouldn't count because that is a guarantee that it will rain.

What is prayer without faith? I once read that after you ask God for something, you should not ask for it again. The prayer has been received, asking again show a lack of faith. Before you start to draft your letters of discontent, I am not saying that I subscribe to that theory. Prayer is how we communicate with our Lord and Savior. As Pastor Sanchez said, it is how we have a personal relationship with Him. I don't know about you, but I repeat myself with my family all of the time. So repeating myself with God is just telling him whats on my mind that day. But what that statement has done is change my heart when I pray. I now know that if I never asked for another thing as long as I live, that God would give me what I needed. He always has and he always will. But we have to remember that what we need and what we want are two different things.

So that brings us to our 2nd point, which was be careful for what you pray for. I think we all know that to be true, but we never think it will be applied to us. When Kendyl was little, I would ask in prayer that God make me a better parent. Then do you know what He did? He turned her into a teenager. And not just any teenager, but a teenage girl!!!! What better exercise in parenting than 24/7 exposure to the roller coaster emotions of a 13 year old girl. But I can honestly say that I am a better person (and parent) for having gone through it. The point is, God rarely does the obvious and He certainly does not make it easy. There is no personal growth in easy and He has to good of sense of humor to do the obvious.

So, this is the point where everyone chimes in. What were your thoughts, concerns, and questions after the sermon? Post your comments below, but first some ground rules. Be positive, mom's rule applies here. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Be prayerful, pray before you post and remember that your comments will be seen by everyone. Yes, that includes God.