Forgive Us Our Trespasses...

On certain routes that I drive, there are spots that I dedicate to prayer.  Not for any special reason other than that's when I know I won't be distracted by much outside stimuli and that I usually drive through this space alone most times.


A couple days ago during my drive through one of these spaces, I begin my regular ritual of prayer, giving thanks and praying for protection and healing of this crazy world.  But before I could get the first sentence out, something spoke to me...   Sidenote:  I'm a HUGE believer of trusting my intuition and listening to that something when I feel I'm hearing it.  The thought that came was, "Instead of just thanking Him, or asking for His protection, maybe we should pray to God for forgiveness.  Forgiveness of whatever we've done to offend Him."  ...and so I did and it felt like an answer...at least the beginning of an answer. 


God's word says where two or three gather in his name, He will be there in their midst.  Matthew 18:20, right?  Today, regardless of when you're reading this, take a couple minutes, seconds, out of your day to ask God for forgiveness.  "God forgive me, forgive us"...it's as simple as that.  No long drawn out thing is needed on this one. 


Sincerely, in my heart, I believe we need to do this.  I believe it will help. 

Friendly Enemies

Do you remember the movie, "Count of Monte Cristo", where the main character, Edmond, is falsely imprisoned by his jealous friend, Fernand?  Edmond later escapes, find treasure and proceeds to exact revenge on those he felt betrayed him.  In this movie, the betrayer, Fernand, appears to be very wealthy and pretty much has all a young man could ask for, whereas, Edmond is closer to "poor" in terms of wealth.  At one point in the movie, Edmond questions why his friend hated him so much and his friend's reply was "because you're the son of a clerk, and I am not supposed to want to be you." Profound...huh?

There are times in our lives when we encounter folks who, from the outside, seem to have it all but for whatever reason, they remain focused on you.  It doesn't matter if you're struggling and just getting by, if you show one iota of happiness, they're there, ready to pounce on your joy.  Most times, these "pouncers" come in the form of a so-called "friend", much like Sir Fernand in the Count movie.

The "Edmonds" in these scenarios are often well-intended, loyal, even slightly naive to it all...they make excuses like, "Oh, that's just him, he doesn't mean any harm." or we dismiss it all together because, naively, we expect folks to act and be the same way we are.  Most times the attack is very mild....a rumor here, a lie there.... but trust and believe, if given the opportunity to crush you, it would be taken without hesitation.  Some of us are lucky and wake up to the maliciousness before the individual ruins a part of our lives; others go through hell before realizing "Friend" is worse than ANY of our worst enemies.

I'm writing this post as a warning...yeah, sounds ominous but not taking heed to the damage a fake friend, aka "pouncer", can cause in your life, not to mention your self esteem, can have MAJOR consequences!  I know for a fact I've been lied on, gossiped about and I can't lie that sometimes I wonder what is floating around the listening person's head due to these lies.  But I can't let it stay on me; I can't make myself responsible for finding and filtering out lies others have chosen to accept about me.  I have, however, grown to a point where a rule of life is to always depend on ME to determine the credibility of another person, purely based on my own personal experience with them. Yeah, I'll listen and keep information in the back of my head like scribbled notes on a notebook but I won't let someone else's stories, lies, opinions make that determination for me.

Anyway....all of that to say this, please be careful who you call friend; who you share your intimate details or life events with. Be mindful of that one person who's always around when you're feeling low but can never be found when you're on a high.  Watch the ones who can never give a compliment without adding a criticism.  Just be careful y'all, because sometimes our enemies wear the faces of our dearest friends.

Peace and Love!

Just Imagine....

Do me a favor....without reading ahead, think on one issue or roadblock you are facing today.  It could be anything, a relationship you'd like to be "better", a business idea you have, ..whatever it is you're currently facing and need an answer or pathway to.  Now, read the next paragraph, not moving ahead until you've done what that paragraph requested.

Now, that issue you thought of....  Imagine if you could have that issue turn out exactly as you'd like it to.  Not the steps it would take to get there, just the end result of that issue.  Think about the details of the results, from where you would be, what you're wearing, how you'd feel. The things you now worry about, you no longer have to worry about.... Think of it all.  Take your time to build it up however you need the end result of this issue to be....Once you have it all in your mind....stay there in that space for a moment...for a few minutes...and really FEEL it.

In that moment, did you feel the reality of the situation?  Did you feel the change in your breathing, your thinking?  Did your body relax?  Did you smile or feel your body straighten with pride?  Did you feel as if you were there, if only for the moments you concentrated on it?

Okay...

What was the purpose of all of that you ask?  You FELT it!  I wanted you to feel it. If you can feel it, see it, imagine it, you can get to that space.  This exercise has allowed your consciousness to realize what you want is indeed possible.    

Now YOU have to believe it.  <3

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