Tag Archives: Choices

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I Have Decided…

When I was a child, we used to sing a song in Sunday School called, “I Have Decided To Follow Jesus.” The lyrics go like this:

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me, I still will follow,
Though none go with me I still will follow,
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry till I see Jesus,
My cross I’ll carry till I see Jesus;
No turning back, No turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

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Nearsighted And Farsighted

I’m continuing to ponder the ways that we see others and ourselves. These are all thoughts that I have worked through over the years as I have wrestled with how to see myself and others–especially difficult people.

In the last few days, I have been thinking about being nearsighted and farsighted in how we see others and ourselves.
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Offenses and Expectations

This is the fourth in a series about forgiveness. Click here to read the first post in the series. 

I want to take a moment to discuss various types of offenses. One thing that has been very difficult for me as I struggled to forgive, was the many well-meaning people who advised me to be more loving and more forgiving. We do have to be loving and forgiving, of course, so they advice wasn’t wrong in and of itself. However, I would try to explain that I have forgiven my family. I understand their wounds and dysfunctions, I don’t hate them, I love them, I have compassion toward them, I grieve over the loss of relationship, I do not hold their wrongs against them, and I pray for them often. Yet, there is a block in our relationship because while there are offenses I have let go, there are also things I remain firm on and will not surrender. I never could explain what the block was, why I felt that some things must be released, while other things must not. So I think it appeared that I hadn’t forgiven.