The first part of 13 basically says: be a good citizen. But I like the distinction my version comes up with in vs 7: respect to those in authority and honor to whom honor is due. There are many people in authority that we don't agree with, or can honor due to their lack of integrity, kindness, generosity etc -- but we can still treat them with respect. Others, however, are in authority and live with the fruits of the Spirit -- those deserve not only our respect, but our honor! (I'm reading Unbroken again -- lot of people in authority in that book that did not deserve honor)
13:11 - a call to take our relationship with God seriously.
I love the counsel in 14 about not arguing over the nonessentials (vs 1), letting everyone making up their own mind (vs 5), letting God be the judge (vs 10) and
the main point in all this is to honor God and be grateful for what God has done for you (vs 6) how simple is that? A life filled with gratitude instead of bickering.
I like that take on honoring authority vs respecting the position Linda. I was in conflict as I read the beg of 13 as I have no respect for either main political party in our country right now. Or I guess I should say honor but I respect the position, the job.
13:13 Paul puts quarreling & jealousy in the same category as immorality & sexual promiscuity. I love that! We tend to think the former is not as bad as the latter but they all can divide churches & families. They all misrepresent Christ.
Yeah, 14 was good at reminding me about taking the beam out of my own eye before I try to get the speck out of my brother's or sister's.
You nailed it - a life of gratitude is way better than nitpicking at each other. We look better when we smile out of a sincere heart than when we're dogging everyone's latest move or word out of their mouth & judging them. We tend to have a sour or bitter look - very unhappy. And we all know how that attracts people to Christ - NOT!!!!
Learning a bit about generational curses/sins, so it was interesting to see that in this reading with Isaac lying to Abimelech just like his father did. Same sin, same fear/lack of trust. Then Jacob lies as well, same fear/lack of trust in God to do as He said He would. Learned from one generation to the next.
Abimelech must have been a very young king when Abram first went into his country. Same with his army commander. Now, he's gotta be pretty old when Isaac passes through.
This reminded me of Ptr Jon's sermon Sabbath.
I was also encouraged by how God worked & blessed in spite of the lies, lack of trust, the fear. It's exactly how He works today....in spite of us. All so His will is completed. Just blows my mind that He is so patient & still teaching us, despite our lack of learning, lack of confidence in His obvious ability to come thru for us.
True Chris -- I thought the same thing about the generational lies -- I wonder if Abraham had shared his trust fall with Isaac; or if saying "she's my sister" was a common practice back then. But yes -- encouragement that God works with our weaknesses and struggle with trust.
Sure was a reminder of the sermon last week.
OK -- here's where I laughed this morning. I'm struggling with the thought that my little girl will be leaving physically in a few days -- and that emotionally and physically she will be separating from us and joining with her man and his family (his family is moving to their city) In doing this mom struggle -- I was thinking about Rebecca's choice; and so what reading does God customize for me this morning?? Hee hee -- you can run but you can't hide from God!!
Rebecca's men folk said the choice was hers a couple of times -- but you'll notice that Rebecca's mom in vs 55 says "let her stay with us a week or ten days, then she can go" This tells me that mom was having a tough time letting go (thanks God for that glimpse!) But still mom had to let go, wave good bye and away she went.
Who woulda thought being a mom could be so tough? At least I have skype, cell phones, texting & email -- for poor Reb's mom - - there was none of that. Still -- there is a change in the family dynamics; another reminder to put our trust, loyalty, sense of worth in God.
This morning I read a neat article that Sarah Palin wrote: thought I would share it with my bloggers; here's the closing thought:
"My family understands that up ahead, some days will be better than others. We will adapt and juggle things and work through it. But Trig applauds the day. And that’s what he teaches us. That’s our priority, and we’re blessed by it."
Wow Linda, that is so neat to see how God ministered to you in your struggle. He is so good at encouraging us & showing us that it is possible. And then like you said, He's given us technology to make it even easier than it was back in the day. So at least you know you'll still be able to talk with her. I can't imagine the tear in your heart though.
God does the same for Gideon. Let's him hear a prophetic dream that encourages him to fight. I was trying to picture the men going to "battle" with a horn (musical instrument) in one hand & a jar of clay (domestic item) in another. Not exactly a masculine picture! But God doesn't emasculate them, they do get to pursue & fight, what men love to do. But it's pretty obvious Who did what in the initial battle. I think it must have encouraged them to pursue & battle those that ran.
I want to be open to see the little things/ways today, that God will give me to encourage me as well in my daily battle. Eyes & hands open to receive & give as He directs.
Kindof neat that Gideon wouldn't be the ruler, but directed them to the Lord -- sad, tho that he asked for all the gold to make his own personal "idol" disguised as a breatplate.
I could not understand the tree parable that Jotham yelled out -- anyway, he must have been pretty brave to do that in front of his enemies.
Abimelech is a scarey guy -- wouldn't want him ruling over me.
I appreciate once again God's use of an outcast in Jephthah. His daughter is pretty noble too.
18:1 Lord, I love you. You are my strength, my defender, and my Savior -- that pretty well sums it up -- He is the One that does all the work.
I love the picture in vs 16: "He reached down fro heaven, took me, and pulled me out of the whirlpool of death". I can see myself spinning helplessly down down down -- totally helpless.
THEN in vs 19 "He surrounded me with stillness" THAT can't happen with a TV in the corner of the room. I'm learning to appreciate stillness more and more.
Another word picture in 19:1 - - so many times I'm in awe of the heavens, the home of the sun.
and I love the honesty of David in vs 13"Keep my from being stubborn and from willfully sinning against you. Only You can free me from the controlling power of sin (whirlpool talk) and help me live an innocent life."
David also goes deeper than most of us in vs 14 -- not only asking for good words, but good thoughts -- sounds very Sermon on the Mountish to me!
In 13:3 Job again puts his case to the Lord -- not with man; Job is determined to ignore their accusations and take his case up with God.
I like how he says in vs 5 "If you would only stop talking, that would be the wisest thing you could do!" When someone is grieving -- they need a friend to listen, not judge.
Job's proclamation of trust in vs 15 is really amazing; and in my version (16) it says in the end it may all turn out for my good. Job is able to look ahead - through the pain of the moment. That's what I want to be able to do -- again, to embrace pain, trusting in His plan (I got a looong way to go here -- but God is being patient with me. I see pieces of encouragement from Him from different sources as I walk my journey)
in vs 19 Job is ready to be held accountable, but only from God -- not his friends.
14:1-3 sounds very much like Ecclesiastes -- who came first? Solomon or Job??
I ready 14:10-22 in a translation as well as my paraphrase. It sounds to me like Job believed that when you die, you stay in the grave, waiting for the resurrection. especially vs 10, 14. Also in verses 21 it talks about man being unaware of what is happening on earth once he dies (I've often heard it said that someone who has died is watching on from heaven). Actually -- a lot of stuff happens after a loved one dies that you wouldn't WANT to know about -- it wouldn't be a blessing for the person up in heaven, that's for sure. I like the idea of resting, waiting for the big finish that God has planned:)
I read Job & Isaiah this a.m. I did like Job pleading his case with the only One he could trust. AND I really liked how he told his friends to shut up! Obviously though, they weren't good listeners since there are more chapters.
Seems like the people in Bible times understood death pretty good. Over & over they talk about not having any say or knowledge of anything happening after one dies. Hezekiah says the same in 38:18 today as well. I'm wondering if the early Christian church brought that in when they brought purgatory in to get $$ into the church.
35:3,4 tells us to encourage each other with promises of God's word (previous verses). He is faithful. We all are/have been/will be on both sides of the giving & receiving of this encouragement. If we were all down at the same time it'd be a disaster!
35:8 is different in 2 versions I checked. One says that even a fool who walks God's way can't get lost & the other says that fools won't walk there at all. Makes them sound hopeless & I can definitely say I have been a fool this week. But everything is possible with God so even a fool can change & be forgiven & become a true seeker after God's heart. So I like the version(s) that say they might be on the road too.
It would be hard to have a trusting heart as the Assyrians pour out all their boasting words. I would be more trusting if God immediately hit them with a bolt of lightening as they were speaking! I'm learning however, that trust involves getting to know someone. It's not instantaneous. Sometimes it is done quickly out of necessity but to really give up control to God, the relationship has to develop & go deep.
We're pretty good at the surface level trust, but totally giving up the ultimate control of our future to Someone we can't see doesn't happen in a blink of the eye. We usually aren't willing to go those extra steps that take us there. We're like cheaters who play cards & always have a bailout "Ace" up their sleeve or in their boot. Or at least, we THINK we do.
And I need to stop now & let someone else share! ;)
I can't imagine how it would be to know that you had 15 more years to live -- a count-down; how would it change you, would you revel in the time left, or would you be so aware of the shortening time that you fretted and stewed - hmmm, glad I don't know.
BUT I do like Hezekiah's praise of God in 38:15 on -- He gave credit where credit was due. Seems like this should be our prayer daily for the life and breath He gives us. I want to live more like this - in a grateful condition - too many times I'm consumed in worries or bogged down in undefined fears (it's the snake around my ankle Chris!)
In 39, the paraphrase narrative is more descriptive than in the translation. Vs 2 says Hezekiah felt honored that they had come -- and it also brings out that He showed them everything but he did not tell them about his God and what He had done for him in answer to prayer. (Maybe he did, but it doesn't record that he did) So God's response in vs 6 from God is that the Babylonians won't respect Me as the God . . . but will remember everything you showed them.
This is a reminder that when we meet people to look for ways to point them to God -- tricky, as you don't want to be pushy -- but to be open to the opportunities God opens up. I think God opened this opportunity for Hezekiah. H was all about praising God to His peeps or in the comfort of his own palace, but when it came to the Bab friends - he failed:( Can't judge him tho -- as I've failed here too -- so listen up Linda, God has a lesson here.
Here's my version on 35:8 "a broad highway will be there, called the Highway of Holiness. Sinners will not travel on it because they will not be there. It's only for those who have walked in His way. No one will every go astray again".
I like this, as it sounds like Heaven to me -- a far cry from the "narrow is the way" road that we are on now! But then, we will NEVER go astray, or even be tempted to go astray! and the people that make it to the broad highway are not the ones that make mistakes (that'd be me), but the ones that walk in His way - - the ones that keep heading toward Him (reminds me of repentance -- a turning toward Him:)
I am thinking of how Jesus cast out the demon from the boy but the disciples weren't able to. Jesus tells them it's because they don't have enough faith. And yet, in C 10 they did go out & cast out demons, heal, etc.
What I see here is Jesus being able to use us & show us that He is using us (C 10). And yet we still have a deeper surrender, a deeper healing to achieve. So in C 17, Jesus doesn't want them to be content where they are in the relationship with Him, but to continue to grow.
Seems like they were reliant upon what "they" had done in the past & their trust/faith started to shift to themselves. The fact that they had more work to do in their own hearts is shown in 18 where they argue about who is the greatest in heaven. And then in 19 when they try to stop the children from coming to Jesus.
I'm thankful that God does use us where we are when we surrender to Him. I'm even more thankful that He doesn't leave us there, but grows us so we can be restored into that fullness of a relationship with Him.
Yeah Chris -- I think you're right - they were reliant on what THEY had done; others - as Jesus points out later rely on their WEALTH. Satan nabs us wherever he can to get us to rely on anything except God.
Jesus tries so hard to make this clear to them/us. vs 20 "I'm saying this to tell you that there's no problem too big for God"
and I like the way the CW states 18:3 "Unless you change and become as TRUSTING and HARMLESS as this little child, you cannot even be admitted into God's kingdom." I'd thought of the trusting aspect, but not the harmless aspect. It's when we try to solve things in our own power and timing that we end up causing ourselves and others pain.
18:7 "a terrible day is coming for those who destroy people's faith in me". I was thinking about the DVD I saw last night, and the push on Christians to "DO" instead of relying on what He's "DONE". I think Salvation by works is a real destroyer of people's faith in Christ.
I also liked the wording in 18:17 "if he doesn't listen to the church, then treat him as an unbeliever who needs to be brought back to the Lord". There is always a redemptive attitude -- not ignor him, curse him, abuse him -- but basically, treat him with respect and dignity - - as one who needs to be restored.
and finally, I like the CW in 18:22 "it is not a question of how many times, but a question of your own attitude. If our attitude is right, you'll forgive him seventy times seven because you love him". I can sometimes forgive through gritted teach, cuz it's the "right" thing to do, but putting attitude in the equation makes it SO much more difficult (usually because I don't WANT to forgive) Thank goodness I can fall back on 17:20 "there's no problem too big for God" Here's the big problem -- ME!
The first part of 13 basically says: be a good citizen. But I like the distinction my version comes up with in vs 7: respect to those in authority and honor to whom honor is due. There are many people in authority that we don't agree with, or can honor due to their lack of integrity, kindness, generosity etc -- but we can still treat them with respect. Others, however, are in authority and live with the fruits of the Spirit -- those deserve not only our respect, but our honor! (I'm reading Unbroken again -- lot of people in authority in that book that did not deserve honor)
ReplyDelete13:11 - a call to take our relationship with God seriously.
I love the counsel in 14 about not arguing over the nonessentials (vs 1), letting everyone making up their own mind (vs 5), letting God be the judge (vs 10) and
the main point in all this is to honor God and be grateful for what God has done for you (vs 6) how simple is that? A life filled with gratitude instead of bickering.
I like that take on honoring authority vs respecting the position Linda. I was in conflict as I read the beg of 13 as I have no respect for either main political party in our country right now. Or I guess I should say honor but I respect the position, the job.
ReplyDelete13:13 Paul puts quarreling & jealousy in the same category as immorality & sexual promiscuity. I love that! We tend to think the former is not as bad as the latter but they all can divide churches & families. They all misrepresent Christ.
Yeah, 14 was good at reminding me about taking the beam out of my own eye before I try to get the speck out of my brother's or sister's.
You nailed it - a life of gratitude is way better than nitpicking at each other. We look better when we smile out of a sincere heart than when we're dogging everyone's latest move or word out of their mouth & judging them. We tend to have a sour or bitter look - very unhappy. And we all know how that attracts people to Christ - NOT!!!!
Learning a bit about generational curses/sins, so it was interesting to see that in this reading with Isaac lying to Abimelech just like his father did. Same sin, same fear/lack of trust. Then Jacob lies as well, same fear/lack of trust in God to do as He said He would. Learned from one generation to the next.
ReplyDeleteAbimelech must have been a very young king when Abram first went into his country. Same with his army commander. Now, he's gotta be pretty old when Isaac passes through.
This reminded me of Ptr Jon's sermon Sabbath.
I was also encouraged by how God worked & blessed in spite of the lies, lack of trust, the fear. It's exactly how He works today....in spite of us. All so His will is completed. Just blows my mind that He is so patient & still teaching us, despite our lack of learning, lack of confidence in His obvious ability to come thru for us.
True Chris -- I thought the same thing about the generational lies -- I wonder if Abraham had shared his trust fall with Isaac; or if saying "she's my sister" was a common practice back then. But yes -- encouragement that God works with our weaknesses and struggle with trust.
ReplyDeleteSure was a reminder of the sermon last week.
OK -- here's where I laughed this morning. I'm struggling with the thought that my little girl will be leaving physically in a few days -- and that emotionally and physically she will be separating from us and joining with her man and his family (his family is moving to their city) In doing this mom struggle -- I was thinking about Rebecca's choice; and so what reading does God customize for me this morning?? Hee hee -- you can run but you can't hide from God!!
Rebecca's men folk said the choice was hers a couple of times -- but you'll notice that Rebecca's mom in vs 55 says "let her stay with us a week or ten days, then she can go" This tells me that mom was having a tough time letting go (thanks God for that glimpse!) But still mom had to let go, wave good bye and away she went.
Who woulda thought being a mom could be so tough? At least I have skype, cell phones, texting & email -- for poor Reb's mom - - there was none of that. Still -- there is a change in the family dynamics; another reminder to put our trust, loyalty, sense of worth in God.
This morning I read a neat article that Sarah Palin wrote: thought I would share it with my bloggers; here's the closing thought:
"My family understands that up ahead, some days will be better than others. We will adapt and juggle things and work through it. But Trig applauds the day. And that’s what he teaches us. That’s our priority, and we’re blessed by it."
Wow Linda, that is so neat to see how God ministered to you in your struggle. He is so good at encouraging us & showing us that it is possible. And then like you said, He's given us technology to make it even easier than it was back in the day. So at least you know you'll still be able to talk with her. I can't imagine the tear in your heart though.
ReplyDeleteGod does the same for Gideon. Let's him hear a prophetic dream that encourages him to fight. I was trying to picture the men going to "battle" with a horn (musical instrument) in one hand & a jar of clay (domestic item) in another. Not exactly a masculine picture! But God doesn't emasculate them, they do get to pursue & fight, what men love to do. But it's pretty obvious Who did what in the initial battle. I think it must have encouraged them to pursue & battle those that ran.
I want to be open to see the little things/ways today, that God will give me to encourage me as well in my daily battle. Eyes & hands open to receive & give as He directs.
Kindof neat that Gideon wouldn't be the ruler, but directed them to the Lord -- sad, tho that he asked for all the gold to make his own personal "idol" disguised as a breatplate.
ReplyDeleteI could not understand the tree parable that Jotham yelled out -- anyway, he must have been pretty brave to do that in front of his enemies.
Abimelech is a scarey guy -- wouldn't want him ruling over me.
I appreciate once again God's use of an outcast in Jephthah. His daughter is pretty noble too.
18:1 Lord, I love you. You are my strength, my defender, and my Savior -- that pretty well sums it up -- He is the One that does all the work.
ReplyDeleteI love the picture in vs 16: "He reached down fro heaven, took me, and pulled me out of the whirlpool of death". I can see myself spinning helplessly down down down -- totally helpless.
THEN in vs 19 "He surrounded me with stillness" THAT can't happen with a TV in the corner of the room. I'm learning to appreciate stillness more and more.
Another word picture in 19:1 - - so many times I'm in awe of the heavens, the home of the sun.
and I love the honesty of David in vs 13"Keep my from being stubborn and from willfully sinning against you. Only You can free me from the controlling power of sin (whirlpool talk) and help me live an innocent life."
David also goes deeper than most of us in vs 14 -- not only asking for good words, but good thoughts -- sounds very Sermon on the Mountish to me!
In 13:3 Job again puts his case to the Lord -- not with man; Job is determined to ignore their accusations and take his case up with God.
ReplyDeleteI like how he says in vs 5 "If you would only stop talking, that would be the wisest thing you could do!" When someone is grieving -- they need a friend to listen, not judge.
Job's proclamation of trust in vs 15 is really amazing; and in my version (16) it says in the end it may all turn out for my good. Job is able to look ahead - through the pain of the moment. That's what I want to be able to do -- again, to embrace pain, trusting in His plan (I got a looong way to go here -- but God is being patient with me. I see pieces of encouragement from Him from different sources as I walk my journey)
in vs 19 Job is ready to be held accountable, but only from God -- not his friends.
14:1-3 sounds very much like Ecclesiastes -- who came first? Solomon or Job??
I ready 14:10-22 in a translation as well as my paraphrase. It sounds to me like Job believed that when you die, you stay in the grave, waiting for the resurrection. especially vs 10, 14. Also in verses 21 it talks about man being unaware of what is happening on earth once he dies (I've often heard it said that someone who has died is watching on from heaven). Actually -- a lot of stuff happens after a loved one dies that you wouldn't WANT to know about -- it wouldn't be a blessing for the person up in heaven, that's for sure. I like the idea of resting, waiting for the big finish that God has planned:)
I read Job & Isaiah this a.m. I did like Job pleading his case with the only One he could trust. AND I really liked how he told his friends to shut up! Obviously though, they weren't good listeners since there are more chapters.
ReplyDeleteSeems like the people in Bible times understood death pretty good. Over & over they talk about not having any say or knowledge of anything happening after one dies. Hezekiah says the same in 38:18 today as well. I'm wondering if the early Christian church brought that in when they brought purgatory in to get $$ into the church.
35:3,4 tells us to encourage each other with promises of God's word (previous verses). He is faithful. We all are/have been/will be on both sides of the giving & receiving of this encouragement. If we were all down at the same time it'd be a disaster!
35:8 is different in 2 versions I checked. One says that even a fool who walks God's way can't get lost & the other says that fools won't walk there at all. Makes them sound hopeless & I can definitely say I have been a fool this week. But everything is possible with God so even a fool can change & be forgiven & become a true seeker after God's heart. So I like the version(s) that say they might be on the road too.
It would be hard to have a trusting heart as the Assyrians pour out all their boasting words. I would be more trusting if God immediately hit them with a bolt of lightening as they were speaking! I'm learning however, that trust involves getting to know someone. It's not instantaneous. Sometimes it is done quickly out of necessity but to really give up control to God, the relationship has to develop & go deep.
We're pretty good at the surface level trust, but totally giving up the ultimate control of our future to Someone we can't see doesn't happen in a blink of the eye. We usually aren't willing to go those extra steps that take us there. We're like cheaters who play cards & always have a bailout "Ace" up their sleeve or in their boot. Or at least, we THINK we do.
And I need to stop now & let someone else share! ;)
I can't imagine how it would be to know that you had 15 more years to live -- a count-down; how would it change you, would you revel in the time left, or would you be so aware of the shortening time that you fretted and stewed - hmmm, glad I don't know.
ReplyDeleteBUT I do like Hezekiah's praise of God in 38:15 on -- He gave credit where credit was due. Seems like this should be our prayer daily for the life and breath He gives us. I want to live more like this - in a grateful condition - too many times I'm consumed in worries or bogged down in undefined fears (it's the snake around my ankle Chris!)
In 39, the paraphrase narrative is more descriptive than in the translation. Vs 2 says Hezekiah felt honored that they had come -- and it also brings out that He showed them everything but he did not tell them about his God and what He had done for him in answer to prayer. (Maybe he did, but it doesn't record that he did) So God's response in vs 6 from God is that the Babylonians won't respect Me as the God . . . but will remember everything you showed them.
This is a reminder that when we meet people to look for ways to point them to God -- tricky, as you don't want to be pushy -- but to be open to the opportunities God opens up. I think God opened this opportunity for Hezekiah. H was all about praising God to His peeps or in the comfort of his own palace, but when it came to the Bab friends - he failed:( Can't judge him tho -- as I've failed here too -- so listen up Linda, God has a lesson here.
Here's my version on 35:8 "a broad highway will be there, called the Highway of Holiness. Sinners will not travel on it because they will not be there. It's only for those who have walked in His way. No one will every go astray again".
ReplyDeleteI like this, as it sounds like Heaven to me -- a far cry from the "narrow is the way" road that we are on now! But then, we will NEVER go astray, or even be tempted to go astray! and the people that make it to the broad highway are not the ones that make mistakes (that'd be me), but the ones that walk in His way - - the ones that keep heading toward Him (reminds me of repentance -- a turning toward Him:)
I am thinking of how Jesus cast out the demon from the boy but the disciples weren't able to. Jesus tells them it's because they don't have enough faith. And yet, in C 10 they did go out & cast out demons, heal, etc.
ReplyDeleteWhat I see here is Jesus being able to use us & show us that He is using us (C 10). And yet we still have a deeper surrender, a deeper healing to achieve. So in C 17, Jesus doesn't want them to be content where they are in the relationship with Him, but to continue to grow.
Seems like they were reliant upon what "they" had done in the past & their trust/faith started to shift to themselves. The fact that they had more work to do in their own hearts is shown in 18 where they argue about who is the greatest in heaven. And then in 19 when they try to stop the children from coming to Jesus.
I'm thankful that God does use us where we are when we surrender to Him. I'm even more thankful that He doesn't leave us there, but grows us so we can be restored into that fullness of a relationship with Him.
Yeah Chris -- I think you're right - they were reliant on what THEY had done; others - as Jesus points out later rely on their WEALTH. Satan nabs us wherever he can to get us to rely on anything except God.
ReplyDeleteJesus tries so hard to make this clear to them/us. vs 20 "I'm saying this to tell you that there's no problem too big for God"
and I like the way the CW states 18:3 "Unless you change and become as TRUSTING and HARMLESS as this little child, you cannot even be admitted into God's kingdom." I'd thought of the trusting aspect, but not the harmless aspect. It's when we try to solve things in our own power and timing that we end up causing ourselves and others pain.
18:7 "a terrible day is coming for those who destroy people's faith in me". I was thinking about the DVD I saw last night, and the push on Christians to "DO" instead of relying on what He's "DONE". I think Salvation by works is a real destroyer of people's faith in Christ.
I also liked the wording in 18:17 "if he doesn't listen to the church, then treat him as an unbeliever who needs to be brought back to the Lord". There is always a redemptive attitude -- not ignor him, curse him, abuse him -- but basically, treat him with respect and dignity - - as one who needs to be restored.
and finally, I like the CW in 18:22 "it is not a question of how many times, but a question of your own attitude. If our attitude is right, you'll forgive him seventy times seven because you love him". I can sometimes forgive through gritted teach, cuz it's the "right" thing to do, but putting attitude in the equation makes it SO much more difficult (usually because I don't WANT to forgive) Thank goodness I can fall back on 17:20 "there's no problem too big for God" Here's the big problem -- ME!