The Traveling Man with Sole (Soul)!
Little Maddie:
My wife Jamie and I have two beautiful little girls. Jilian is 4 and Maddie is 2. Maddie is in the midst of potty training and is now speaking more thoughtfully, just plain growing up.
One of the biggest feats to overcome is to wean her from the pacifier which we call the "faffy". The faffy is Maddie's security blanket and can be a terror for us if we go anywhere without it!
Jamie has really been starting to prepare her mentally that a time is coming where she will have to be a big girl and part with the faffy. Well this morning Jamie calls me and tells me that Maddie just decided to throw all her faffies in the trash; she is ready to be a big girl! That was quite a step for Maddie, although I don't think she realized the full impact of the act at the time, and it was a step back for me. Getting that news this morning was like a punch in the gut! I'm just not ready for Maddie to be my big girl. She is still so tiny, compared to her sissy, and I still hold her like my baby. Jilian has always been very independent but to see Maddie exhibiting some of the same qualities is scary. I guess I feel like she is starting to slip away from me.
One thing I must say is that Jamie is a true trooper! I can't imagine what the next few days will be like going through the faffy withdrawals. In fact as hard as this is for me I know it must be hard for Jamie as well and yet she does not baby our girls. I am so impressed with how my lovely wife raises our children, with loving care and yet building them up to be independent. I love you sweetie and I'm glad that we get to do this all over again with our little one on the way!!
More on Forgiveness:
The other day Jamie had a friend fall into sin and then confess it to her that same morning. Jamie promptly forgave her friend in Jesus name.
When she told me the story my first question, before she told me that she forgave her, was "Well did you ask her why or how it happened?" "She was doing so well how did she fall?" Then Jamie hit me with it, "I just told her that Jesus forgives her" she said. At first I didn't know what to say and it didn't sit right with me. Then it became clear! That is exactly how the Lord forgives!! When you confess He forgives and then He FORGETS! It's really that simple. It's not that He considers what you were doing 5 minutes ago and that you really knew it was wrong and did it anyway, He just wants you to come back to Him and put the sin behind you and walk with Him anew.
"Thank you Lord for your love and your forgiveness"
FORGIVENESS:
My wife, Jamie, has really been a blessing to me as of late. Actually, she has always really been a blessing to me but lately the Lord has given her the word of forgiveness which has been a blessing to me as well as others around her.
At one time or another we all fall short and fall into sin. Here is where the road divides. We will either recognize it immediately and run back to the Father to be forgiven or we will feel shameful and unworthy to approach Him. I must say I fall into the latter more often than the prior. It has always been fairly easy for me to forgive, it's just not as easy to be forgiven. This is where Satan can really gain some ground in separating me from my Lord, and because I feel shame I don't spend as much quiet time in prayer then it becomes easier to sin and forward into the downward spiral I go. The only way to get free is to confess and then be forgiven!
One of the most powerful experiences in my life was to confess my sin to a brother in the Lord and then to have him forgive me in Jesus name. What a freeing experience! And instead of feeling like I was off the hook and I could sin freely and be forgiven freely I actually felt strengthened to resist sin and walk in the freedom of His forgiveness.
There is a lot to this and it can really get pretty deep. Just read Gal. 5:1 as it says "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." More to come as I ponder this further... and a hug to
Unc Gregg!
Hello,
I've been interested in the "Blogging" process for a while now and decided to finally take the leap and publish a blog myself. Mostly I just need a place to park all my thoughts at the end of the day so that my mind doesn't just keep swimming. Anyway, thanks to Joe Boyd, Gregg and Heidi Stokes for introducting me to this outlet and I look forward to spending a few evenings with you all in the future.
