To Err Is Human, to Forgive Is Divine

Adele's Inspiration Cafe Blog:

 To Err Is Human, to Forgive Is Divine

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."   Ephesians 4:31-32

Forgiveness. I don't know about you, but I find forgiveness really hard. Both asking for it and providing it to those who I feel have hurt me. Really hard. Yet, every now and then, it is brought to my attention that I have hurt or offended someone. At times, though never intended, we all hurt people we care very much about and must ask forgiveness. Sometimes we are the one who asks for forgiveness, other times we are the one on the forgiving end of things. In a way, it is all part of the seesaw of life relationships. In the past, I have noticed that sometimes it is harder than others to ask for forgiveness, especially where feelings are concerned. That is where discernment comes in from today's Holy Scripture, to rescue us from our own awkwardness with forgiving.

When we forgive others, we are fulfilling our own circle of faith in Jesus Christ. For un-forgiveness is a plague that, left unchecked, can cause more heartache, emotional upheaval, physical illness, and most of all, spiritual unrest in a hurting soul. Do we really need to forgive others? The Bible says categorically, we are called to forgive 70 times 7, that is, over and over again. But how is that possible in light of our humanness??? 

Today's Scripture specifically tells us we must put aside our anger and press on in faith to love one another as God loves us. Do we expect to be forgiven when we ask for it? Surely that hope prevails! Yet when we understand that we are forgiven to the degree that we forgive others, forgiveness suddenly seems necessary and possible through Jesus Christ. 

Personally, I often call upon and defer to Jesus to intercede when I am called to forgive and it is difficult. Alone I can do precious little, with Him, all things are possible!

Adele M. Gill  |  Copyright 2015

God's Promises For You!

God’s Promises For You!

"I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel and watch over you." Psalm 32:8

I have a book called "God's Promises." and refer to it often, lest I forget God's plan for my life. God's promises are true and enduring through good times and bad; His mercy endures forever.

God's promises are taken from both the Old Testament and the New Testament, giving timeless wisdom to all who seek it in the name of Jesus. This Holy Scripture passage above is especially valuable because it is contains four promises in just a single sentence.

I will instruct you: God promises to give us instruction for our journey, discernment we can lean on and embrace along the way. For me, He accomplishes this through scripture passages, prayer, circumstances, and through other people, Yes, Jesus has many ways that He communicates with us, but we have to be open to His promptings through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Show you the way you should walk: Jesus is with us through the power of the Holy Spirit gently guiding our words and actions. We have free will, and the capacity to get off course, and wander or walk away from God as we try to depend on our own devices. We must dedicate each day to His Divine Will lest we get lost in the peril we consciously or subconsciously choose for ourselves. The Holy Spirit is most present and powerful when we follow God's way rather than our own.

Give you counsel: When we lay our life in God's hands and ask for Him to lead us, things just seem to go better. The fog and cobwebs are cleared away, and the path is made straight.  We are able to put one foot in front of the other and breathe in the rich blessings He has for each of us. Resist his counsel, and you stand alone in the rain of your making

Watch over you: God watches over, comforts, and protects all who seek Him in earnest, providing a "Passive security system" for all who seek His face in prayer. Follow Him with all your being, and see the splendor of His presence in your life!

For Jesus is the Great Healer, the Awe-Inspiring Comforter, the Mighty Protector. Savior of the world, He stands in wait for you to but call His holy name to bless you profoundly with all that is good!

Adele M. Gill  |  Copyright 2015  |   www.theinspirationcafeblog.blogspot.com

Rejuvenation

"For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens."      Ephesians 6:12                 

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As some of you know, many years ago, I fell into major depression. It was a deep, dark, and lonely time that required a brief hospitalization, My doctors and family wondered if I would ever find my way back from the depths of torment to a like of normalcy.There were 2 reasons for it:

1) I did not think I could live one more day in poor health, unable to walk, speak swallow or breathe easily. My vision was blurred, with double vision at times, and I could not imagine how I could press on
2) Though I did not understand it at the time, I was flooded with nightmares and corroborative flashbacks from untreated childhood trauma. I didn't even have a language for what was transpiring emotionally, and just getting through each day was a big deal for me.

 It took about 12 medication combination changes to help me pull out of it. Together, these factors in my life presented the perfect storm. Eventually, my medical team found the right combination of medications to get me back on track, and for that I am truly grateful. But there is more to the story...

During this harrowing life experience, I learned a lot about myself and life, especially about my faith, from a wonderful Psychiatrist at the hospital. Keep in mind that when someone is in deep depression, they are often unable to pray it through themselves. It took time, and the prayers of others were vitally important as they prayed fervently on my behalf, for which I am eternally grateful.

My Middle Eastern doctor, Dr Hanita Sawhney, was likely one of the people God sent to help lift me out of the depression. Recognizing that I am a religious person, she encouraged me along by talking with me about my feelings, God, Jesus, and my faith beliefs, something often omitted from psychotherapy. She challenged me to let go of some things I held onto with clenched fists to allow me to reach for my faith with both hands. She challenged me in every way to reach for God's waiting hand. And helped me reestablish my connection with God as part of my treatment. This was so life-giving. Before I knew it, my faith was restored and I was able to pray simple prayers again, such as "Heaven help me!" and regained the desire to live. In that way, she was a blessed life saver!

Though Psychiatry generally keeps faith separate when treating mental illness, reaffirming one's faith can be important to help people renew their belief in God during such harrowing times. When all seems lost, God will get you through your greatest challenges and obstacles in the most glorious ways if you or your loved ones simply call upon Him in your times of need. For even and especially when all seems lost, Jesus will step in as only He can and save you, removing you from harm's way. His unconditional love and mercy endures forever!

If I could tell someone who is struggling one thing, I would remind them, "If God is for us, who can be against?" For there is no principality in all the earth that is greater than He who is inside you. There is no problem too big to solve with Jesus at your side. The Lord is kind and merciful, just waiting for you to let Him into every circumstance!

Adele M. Gill  |  2015 Copyright   |  www.theinspirationcafeblog.net

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Embracing the Christmas Spirit

I am always impressed by the kindness and good energy people share during the Christmas season. People just seem to naturally go out of their way to go the extra mile to make everything just so for the Holidays. They donate more freely to the poor and those among us in need, and remember the sick. They send cards to share the warmth of the season, and place beautiful bows on gifts they give to others.

On Christmas day, they go out of their way to make sure that everything is really nice as they elicit memories from holidays gone by from years past. The good linen comes out, and, for some, the exquisite china. People go to great lengths to make sure that everyone has their favorite holiday cup of cheer: That is, mulled cider, special wine, mixed drinks or Shirley Temple’s for children and non-drinkers.

We light candles and extend extraordinary hospitality, some even try to embrace good will, opting for forgiveness in the name of Christmas.

In fact, the hospitality seems endless as we go from place to place sharing and experiencing the Christmas Spirit.

Is it possible that in the midst of all the holiday trappings, we find the true meaning of Christmas takes us right back to what Jesus told us in the Gospel right from the start:

Love God with all your heart above all others, and love one another.

In a way, this season serves as a reminder that behind all the gifts and excitement, behind all of the hustle and bustle, we are all in need of God’s love and love from one another. In my mind, there is no greater medicine than kindness, compassion, empathy, and encouragement.

Is it possible that annually, through the ‘Christmas Spirit’ indeed, that we discover, yet again, that we are loved & lovable and therefore naturally more loving?

Now imagine this for a moment. Imagine what this world would be like if we extended such love to one another all year through? What if we regularly tried to make amends with those we don’t love as we should, and spent our days looking for opportunities to lighten the load of others?

What if we took the opportunity to pray regularly for those in most need of God’s mercy and care? Perhaps it would be a big step towards having the ‘Christmas Spirit’ extend throughout the year.

Today, I stand before you, and pose a challenge that I also intend to try to live out. Let’s all try a little harder to forgive others this year. Perhaps if we strive to become encouragers of others, we may even succeed at it! Let’s try to avoid unkind gossip and try to build each other up. Let’s try to complain less and become better listeners for each other.

You see, through the eyes of faith, the Christmas Spirit is actually the Holy Spirit of Jesus, meant to be embraced and extended to others year round. As followers of Jesus, it is how we were meant to be. We were not put here to gossip, complain, envy or loathe each other. We are here to love each other and be supportive of others, rather than always being on the receiving end. The mystery here is that through the power of the Holy Spirit, everyday can be filled to some degree with the ‘Christmas Spirit’ of Jesus love for us.

May Our Dear Lord bless you and your family profoundly this Christmas season, and may He bless you with the Christmas Spirit throughout the New Year.

Adele M. Gill Copyright 2014

REJOICE!

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

According to M. Scott Peck in his book, The Road Less Traveled, ‘life is difficult.’

Clearly, this is truth, as sometimes things happen in life that may be out of our control. And sometimes things are challenging even when we are seemingly in control. Yes, life is difficult at times, but the saving grace is that as Christians, we can and do have the power to choose to place our trust in Jesus to help us. And He does!

Almighty Healer, Protector, Comforter, Savior, and Lord, Jesus is with us paving the way through our day in silent and unpredictable ways, providing abundantly for all who seek him in earnest. It is, indeed, a wonderful thing to place oneself in the Lord’s care! Worthy of our trust, Jesus is ever-present like no one else in this life could ever be for us.

The focus of all our gratitude and praise, He goes before us, behind us, and walks side by side with us through this life as we place our trust in Him. Steeped in unconditional love, pulling ever closer to us in our times of great need, He wraps His loving arms around us offering us practical support, shelter, protection, encouragement, salvation from life’s cares and salvation for all of eternity.

Yes, Jesus, also known as Emmanuel--God is with us-- gives us great reason to rejoice in Him as we strive to make Him The Center and focus of our lives. For beyond the deafening sounds of a hectic and chaotic life, Jesus stands in wait for us to step aside from mayhem and share our heartfelt pleas, our asking for His help, in any and every circumstance.

This close relationship with Jesus is the reason for Christian rejoicing. With awe-inspiring peace and joy in Him, we have ample blessings to share with others. Because of this close relationship with Jesus, even, and especially in times of great turmoil, we can more easily see the good in others, even the undeserving. We can handle difficult situations, feel His love, and reach out to encourage others to seek Him with confidence as we proclaim:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: Rejoice!” 

Copyright 2014 Adele M. Gill

www.theinspiraationcafeblog.blogspot.com

Rejuvenation

"They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength,

 they will soar on eagles’ wings..." Isaiah 40:31

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In my life, when I have found myself facing really tough life challenges, I used to hope and pray that the Lord would help me 'get through it' and keep me hopeful; able to move forward from the grasp of disappointment, frustration, pain and infirmity. However, that has changed exponentially as my belief in the saving power of Jesus has evolved. As time changes all things, so it goes with my prayer focus.

Hope is always a good thing to pray for, but now I set my sights a bit higher, while praying for stronger faith, contentment, peace and joy in every circumstance. I find myself growing in acceptance of 'what is' --even if just for today. I have learned to reconcile with life on its terms, with the divine confidence that God is in control of my life since I placed it all squarely in His loving, healing hands.

For, to take on today and the 'what ifs' of the tomorrow would be far too intimidating and overwhelming. Simply put, mankind was designed by God to handle just one day at a time. That's it!

Even, and especially, in the face of tragedy, this much is true: The Lord can best use us to build His Kingdom when we are simply living out each day, depending on Him at every turn to the best of our ability. 

The world will tell you you are in control of your own destiny, but I suggest that is far overstated. Actually, as human beings, we are in control of our free will alone. We decide what we choose to think about, what we do, where we go. And we decide to stand down and give up, or step up in prayerful confidence and seek God's help during devastating times. Hard as it may be to believe, we have the power to elicit Jesus' holy intervention at any time for ourselves and others.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is closest to the blessed sick, the poor, the broken-hearted, and the grieving, those in most need. Rest assured, when you need Jesus the most, He is there with you and for you. Through the power of the Holy Spirit He is working out all things for good, [Romans 8:28] despite how things may appear to you at any given time.

So go on...Take a deep breath and rest assured that you are never alone in your times of great need. Omnipotent Almighty, the Lord is lifting you up on eagles' wings and strengthening you for whatever is ahead. Pray for whatever you need, and trust Him... He has the master plan and holds you in the palm of His righteous hand.

Adele M. Gill   |   Copyright 2014