Insight on Forgiveness "Essential #7"

I have been reading a book by Michael R. Ellison who is CEO of TriVita. The title of his book is "10 Keys to Create Wellness" and "10 Keys to Create Wealth".

I was reading Chapter 7 on "Forgiveness", and I began to focus and identify every significant mistake in my life. I made a decision to write letters to those people who had hurt me, and I was letting them know I was forgiving them for the hurt that I had experienced. I also declared that I was setting these thoughts from my memory, and I now had freedom in my heart and mind. I asked the Lord to forgive me, and I received His forgiveness. I forgave myself.

I began to see a patern with each letter I wrote: that none of these people had done anything to hurt me. My thoughts and ways were different from theirs, and I couldn't accept their ways or thoughts so I felt rejected, and I didn't meet their approval.

Then I took a note card and began to list different people that I wanted to bless who are in my life now. This would help me to focus on the present instead of the past. When I spoke blessing over others, I discovered that I began to forget about myself.

I shredded those letters that I had written to people for they wouldn't even had any idea of the incident or that they had hurt me. Because of the freedom that I gained by forgiving and writing those letters, I sensed a physical feeling from my throat to my chest and that healing was going on in my body.

"Develop a Relationship with God" Essential #10

What happened when I developed a relationship with God? My relationship with God began to develop when I would spend time reading the Bible for He was talking to me as I read His Word. I began to tell Him that I loved Him with all my heart, strength, soul, mind and might. I began to discover that He was intersted in every little thing that I did, and He wanted to be involved in it. He was there all the time, and I didn't have to talk to an answering service.

John 15 - tells us that as much as God wants communication with us so should we want that communication with Him.

Jeremiah 29:11 has a plan for you and it is a good plan.

St. John 14:26-27 tells that He wants to lead us, direct us, guide us, and teach us.

I encourage you to develop a relationship with God, for He is interested in every little detail that concerns you. Talk with Him like you would talk to a friend about your problems.

"Develop Acceptance" Essential #9

Have you felt if you didn't meet someone's standards that your self-esteem went way down? There were many times in my life that this happened to me because I wanted approval from people so much, for that was the way I felt accepted. One day I began to see that as long as I looked to people for my acceptance I could easily be let down. Either I didn't meet their standards or they didn't meet my standards. I wanted my dad's approval so much when I was growing up. I remember one time I was backing the car out of the garage, and I bumped the wall a little. I didn't do anything to the car for I was going very slow. My dad told me that I moved the wall some, and to me he focused on my mistakes that from that day on I didn't feel that I had met his approval. Therefore that is why I always strove for his approval.

Ephesians 1: 6 tells that we are accepted by God. Read Chapters 1-3 in Ephesians and it tells you so much more how you are accepted by God.

Psalms 139:14 tells us of our acceptance of how God made us.

Luke 15: 11-32 tells us how the Father accepted his son when he came home no matter what he had done with his money.

Luke 6: 12-16 tells us how Jesus accepted His disciples for they came from different walks of life.


I encourage you to see yourself for who you are and not put your dependency on people; for they will let you down. There is one person who will not let you down and that is Jesus, for He gives grace and accepts you unconditionally with His love. He may not like what you do, but He will always love you unconditionally. Learn to accept others for who they are just like Jesus accepts you. Be flexible to accept change.

"Practice Gratitude" Essential #8

Have you had someone give you something and you didn't know what to do with it. Has God done something for you and you didn't tell Him thank you? Could you be thankful when something didn't work out the way that you wanted it to? I can remember when I was teaching and I would receive presents from my students at Christmas especially or on my birthday. I am thankful that when they gave me a present that I really couldn't use that I could sincerely tell them "Thank you" from my heart. This gift was something that they wanted to give me, and they were giving it to me from their heart. There was a student in my room that was so excited about me opening his present at Christmas that he could not wait for me to do so. He didn't have it in a beautiful box wrapped with beautiful paper. The present was right inside the card. I took the card out of the envelope, and I saw a beautiful necklace that had my initial on it. I still have that necklace, for it is very special to me. It was given out of love.

I Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to give thanks for every little thing and this means be thankful even when things don't turn out our way. The more we begin to be thankful for our food, what God has done for us and how He has taken care of us, for our friends, or our parents, the better person we will be, for we are not thinking of just ourselves.

Mark 8:6 tells us that people were thankful for their food.

Psalms 136:1 tells us to give thanks to God!

I encourage you that when you are feeling down that you begin to write a list of things that you are thankful for, and you will see that negative spirit in you (envy and discouragement) go away because you were willing to be thankful!

"Be Forgiving" Essential #7

Have you told others that you forgive them for what they have done to you? Have you told God that you forgave Him for not doing things your way? Did you ever tell yourself that you forgave yourself for your mistakes? One day I sat down and wrote a letter to myself, and I began to write, "I forgive you for not meeting other people's standards and for your mistakes that you have made."I listed the mistakes and by the time I completed my letter, I could honestly say that I loved Jan. I looked myself in the mirror and I said , "I love you, Jan."

Genesis 50:17 tells us how Joseph was able to forgive his brothers for what they had done to him.

Matthew 18:21-22 Jesus told Peter that he was to forgive seven times seventy.

Ephesians 4:32 tells that we are to forgive one another.

I encourage you to write or call if there is someone you have not forgiven. Tell God also if you haven't forgiven Him because you were angry when He didn't do things your way. Be sure and don't forget to forgive yourself. Be sure you don't take care of things outwardly only, but take care of things inwardly.

"Give and Receive Love" Essential #6

Have you told others that you love them? Have you ever told God that you love Him? I would always let other people know that I loved them by giving them a little gift or doing something for them, and I told God that I loved Him for I would spend some quiet time with Him. There was one person though that I didn't tell that I loved her. I couldn't tell myself that I loved me until one day I was to write a postcard to three people that I loved. I wrote one to a friend, one to God, and the last one was to me. I told myself how much I loved me no matter how many mistakes I made, and how I was loved even if I didn't meet people's standards. From that day on it was so much easier to look myself in the mirror and say "I love me."

I Corinthians 13:4-7 tells us how love is patient, love looks for the best in the person, love is kind, love doesn't get angry or upset at every little thing, love does not envy, love isn't rude, love isn't self seeking, love doesn't remember the wrongs.

Matthew 26:7-12 tells us about a woman who poured expensive perfume on Jesus and the people were mad at her for doing this. Jesus turns around and asks them why they are acting like this because she has done a beautiful thing. For when she did this to Jesus, she was preparing Him for His burial.

John 3:16 tells us how God was willing to give His only Son so that we could have the opportunity to repent of our sins and receive Him as our Lord and Saviour. God loved us so much that He wanted to make the way possible for us to receive Jesus into our heart, so we could share with others.Then they could do the same and receive Him into their heart.

I encourage you to call someone or write a postcard to someone and tell them how much you love them. Tell Jesus how much you love Him by spending some quiet time with Him. Do not forget to write a postcard to yourself and tell yourself how much you love yourself. Once you begin to give and receive love you will be a different person!

"Enjoy Activity" Essential #5

Have you realized how it could be helpful for you to enjoy activity and what it would do for you? I remember when I was working for a library, but Technical Services was moved to a separate building that only had one floor. I would go to the break room for break everyday, but I noticed that I was sitting most of the day. I realized that I was hardly getting any exercise. So I shared with a friend of mine that we should start walking during our break and that is what we did. In fact, others began to join us.

When we look at Exodus 12, we can see one way that the Israelites got exercise by walking. Look at Jesus and other people in the New Testament: they got much exercise by walking, because that was the way most people traveled.

Exodus 15:20-21 tells there was dancing after the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea and the Egyptians were drowned. II Samuel 6:14 tells us David danced for the Lord. Psalms 150 also talks about dancing and praising the Lord!

I encourage you to start doing some kind of exercise that you enjoy for that will help you with muscle weakness, poor circulation, weight gain, breathlessness, etc. After all, our body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost and we need to do things to help take care of it.