Forgiveness
Today is Ash Wednesday. For some of you this means fasting, not eating meat, going to church and perhaps getting ashes on your forehead. For others, it simply marks the first day of Lent–the long 40 days of going without something that you love in order to make a sacrifice and honor Christ in your life. At my church we’re doing 40 days of fasting and prayer. I will find out tonight just what fasting means, but I have a feeling it will be like my former Episcopalian days when my Mom wouldn’t let us eat anything between meals during Lent. And no meat on Fridays or Ash Wednesday. We ate a lot of fish.
So in preparing for the 40 days of fasting and prayer, I still find myself thinking about the habit ingrained in me to give something up for Lent. I remember the year my next door neighbor and best childhood friend, Louise, gave up chocolate for Lent. I’ll never forget the look on her face on Easter morning when she ate all the chocolate she could get her hands on.
Giving up chocolate? I could do that. Giving up all sugar? Yep, I could do that, too. I could give up a lot of things. But instead I am going to do something different. I am going to take up something for Lent.
I am going to start being a woman who forgives and hopefully forgets.
Forgiveness has always been difficult for me. Forgetting? Even harder. I have never been a woman who can let things roll off my back and ignore the negative. Sometimes I think I live in the negative, feeding off it as a way of life. My mother is a wonderful inspiration to many, including myself. Yesterday we were talking on the phone about my pastor’s sermon on Sunday in which he discussed Angels and Demons (we’re still dealing with prophecy and the Book of Daniel). I learned on Sunday that there are angels among us. My father, who is always on the other line when I call home, commented that he knew that because my mother is an Angel. And as much as I think she is one I know from Sunday’s sermon that all the angels are accounted for and unfortunately when we die we don’t go to heaven and earn our wings.
My mother is an inspiration to many because she always sees the glass half full. She always finds the good in the bad, the pretty in the ugly, and knows better than anyone I know how to find a silver lining in every single cloud she sees. She is also a very forgiving person, always ready to forgive and always ready to forget. So you see the glass half full thing and forgiveness go together. I can’t live in the negative and take up forgiveness for Lent. I have to move in with my mother in the world of optimism.
Join me?
And here are today’s freebies for the “Boy Oh Boy!” Download a Day kit at Divine Digital:
This freebie can be found in this thread at Divine Digital:
http://www.divinedigital.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1452
And here is the blog freebie for today. Please remember that this is personal use only, a gift from me to you. Please don’t share the download link or the file. Send friends here to download. And comments? I read them! So leave me one..
I’ll be back on Saturday with the next “Boy Oh Boy!” freebie!
Until then,
Cyndi
I can forgive, but I cannot forget, is only another way of saying, I will not forgive. Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note – torn in two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one. ~Henry Ward Beecher
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. ~Mahatma Gandhi
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. ~Lewis B. Smedes
Forgive all who have offended you, not for them, but for yourself. ~Harriet Nelson
Fantastic! Thanks so much honey! :-*
You inspire me..just wanted you to know!! <3
Thank you, Cyndi! Love this kit and freebie.
Wow, that’s the ultimate thing for Lent, huh? Very inspiring. Thank you for the freebie.
THank you for the freebie and thank you for making me think!!
Wow, those are powerful quotes you added at the end. I have been working through 1 Corinthians with my ladies book club. One of the things I have been trying to practice is the attributes of love. Love keeps no record of wrongs. Your post and these quotes are an encouragement to keep at it. I wish you well as you begin this journey for Lent.
Thank you so much!
thanks a bunch Cyndi!
great add on
Fabulous as always! Thank you so much Cyndi!
Love the add on. thank You
Thanks very much for your sharing and also for the wonderful extra parts to this daily download!!
I have the same trouble with forgiveness….I think you have figured out what so many miss….I mean , I know that for me, sometimes forgiveness feels like a bigger sacrifice than any THING that I could give up..letting God in to work in me the way He wants to, instead of holding onto the “junk”.. I don’t know if this commment was even lucid.:-) But, thanks for a thought-provoking post and a great reminder for my life.
Thanks so much! And thanks for sharing from your heart on your blog. I’m trying to get better with mine, you’re kind of my inspiration in that area!
Thanks so much!! Love the freebie and such a wonderful post
Thank you so much, you’re extra generous!!! =)
Thanks Cyndi!!
Sometimes you are more thought provoking than I am prepared for, thank you for that
And thanks for more lovely B-O-B pieces!
I think sometimes people don’t realize the value of forgiveness. My perspective is that forgiveness allows me to move on in my life. Holding a grudge causes unhappiness, and doesn’t do a *thing* TO the person with whom you’re angry. Truly, they usually don’t care. It’s just easier for me to forgive, especially knowing that I’m not perfect, either, LOL!
Thanks for the fab freebies!
A most excellent message on a very trying day. I applaud your choice for Lent!
Thanks Cyndi! Have a great day!
Thank you very much for sharing. These are terrific.
Great post and freebie. Thanks!
I’m touched to tears. You probably don’t remember, but the other part of “giving up something” was to “take something on” that will bring you closer to our Lord. For example, a daily quiet time, helping someone in need, etc. Forgiveness is a great thing to take on. And remember, “We love because He first loved us” 1 John 4-19.
thank you for this nice part
Thank you so much for this Freebie. I want to let you know that I posted a link to your blog in CBH Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, under the Page 8 post on Feb. 18, 2010. Thanks again.
Another great post.
For us, the sermen was to give up the letter T for Lent. As in canT. So asked to live “I can watch your children.” “I can find the time [to read the Bible, to visit a shut-in, to write a forgiving note…..
I have three boys and am so excited about this kit. Thanks!
Thank you very much for this freebie. I just wanted to comment on forgiveness…..I just finished reading The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers again. These books are so amazingly written and portray an unbelievable act of forgiveness….not to mention all of the other remarkable connections to scripture that they illustrate. If you have not read these books, I highly recommend them!
TFS your wonderful work. And you always have such great food for thought. Wonderful!
Thanks for the freebie! My “boy ” is almost 21! Momma told me long ago that I could add-on instead of take away during Lent. This year I am trying a daily Prayer Journal. You are an inspiration!
Thanks so much Cyndi! I love your mother! Just from your description! She must be one wonderful person! Would so like to be like her! Thanks for sharing and for the freebie!
Thank you for your bonus blog freebies. Your witty humor is refreshing. Stay away from the Diet Coke… Switch to decaf if you take on the habit again.
Today is the first time I’ve seen your blog (found it through a blog train) – and I want you to know how much I appreciate your words, especially this particular blog post about forgiveness. Powerful stuff, and I needed to see it see it at this time in my life (perhaps the Lord shined the Shine On blog train for me to see). I will be following your blog. Thank you for all the wonderful freebies – and for your words of inspiration!
I love your message on forgiveness! It is now after Easter and we should all remember to forgive as we have been forgiven! Love your designs..divine digitals is a favorite spot and it is fun to get to know who Cindi is!