Relief Instead of Revenge!‏

Proverbs 19:11 "A man's discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression. Are you aware of the joy-stealing effect an unforgiving spirit is having on Ur life? If Ur bitterness is deep enough, you've virtually stopped living ...It's not worth it. U need to come to terms with this lingering, nagging issue now. The peace and contentment and joy that could be yours are draining away, like water down the drain of an unplugged bathtub. It's time for U to call a halt to the dispute: the disharmony must be refused...Start by telling God how much it hurts and that U need Him to help U to forgive the offense...Get rid of all the poison of built-up anger and pour out all the acid of long-term resentment. Your objective is clear: Fully forgive the offender. Once that is done, U will discover that U no longer rehearse the ugly scenes in your mind. The revengeful desire to get back and get even will wane, and in its now-empty space will come such an outpouring of relief and a new spirit of joy that U won't feel like the same person. HugsBobOX

Laughter is Serious Business written by Scot P

Laughter is Serious Business

A great number of people have the perception of God as the sober inhabitant of a beautiful but austere kingdom.  Certainly someone to be in awe of,  and without any doubts to be respectful of.  Yet someone to laugh with – well... not so much.  But when we look into God’s word, we may be surprised to find that God indeed, is deeply invested in the lighter side of life.  Take into consideration  the word rejoice, in various tense forms, appears in the New International Version of the Bible an amazing 181 times. The word joy surpasses that, being recited 218 times.  The word joyful  adds 16 to the total number.  Henceforth leaving the word repent  in the dust at 39 appearances and the word judgment with 132 mentions.  The word sober  (clear minded for those of us in recovery) is mentioned but twice.

 In addition, the word rejoice is quite often used as a command:  “Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4).  “Our Lord God Almighty reigns.  Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!” (Revelation 19:6-7).

 Our God is not a gloomy Gus who likes to break up our fun and subdue our laughter.  Rather He is a God who encourages joyous outbursts of all kinds.  Perhaps it’s because He knows even better than we, that we have a great deal to be happy about?

 We all admit we enjoy laughter, and as inconceivable as it may seem, so does God.  So the next time you giggle, chuckle, laugh or guffaw, imagine Him right there along side of you!  Don't take life too seriously, be willing to laugh. Laugh with others, laugh at your own self, and laugh with God.  We were created in His image.

It is the soul that is not yet sure of its God that is afraid to laugh in His presence.  George MacDonald

God bless, Scot

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.            Proverbs 17:22 NIV

The Important

I’ve learned that the great challenge of life is to decide what’s important and to disregard everything else. We are such amazing creatures, we human beings. We get so busy and so involved with the rush of living that all too often we spend our most productive years in the pursuit of things that are not really important to us. When one stands back and gets some perspective on this situation, it seems quite foolish indeed. Yet, when we are in the middle of it, whatever “unimportant” activity we are investing our time and energy into seems quite legitimate. For some of us, it is only as we start to grow older that we realize that the important has been put aside for the expedient. No wonder our lives feel out of balance to us sometimes. We are not investing in our “importants” and we are squandering our valuable days, weeks, and years on things that really don’t matter that much to us. Luckily, we always have the option to stop, to back off, and to reevaluate what is important to us. Devote one day a year to taking stock. See how you are spending your time. List what is important to you and see how the two relate. Always be open to seeing the excuses you are using to justify doing “unimportant’ things. Share this information with someone close to you. Be accountable! Hugs,Bob