Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

‘Home is where they have to take you in.’ I am not sure if I got this quote verbatim, attributed to the famous poet Robert Frost. I thought about it for awhile. It is from our family we learn grace. We mess up badly and it is, often, our family that forgives us when we return home. No matter how badly I messed up I can return home and start afresh. Grace is a gift. There is no other way to put it. I don’t deserve it. Every person is flawed and makes mistakes. And we return home. No matter what we did.

Tags: every person is flawed, every person makes mistakes, forgiveness, God, grace is a gift, home, our family, return home, Robert Frost, start afresh, we learn grace
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Peace always revolves around grace.  Each party commits mistakes.  Conflict always exists.  There can not be peace without grace.  And grace does not come about without forgiveness.

If you talk about conflict between nations, there are always atrocities committed by both parties.  Conflict is on-going.  The only thing that breaks the vicious cycle is forgiveness.  We don’t earn that.  Only grace enables a nation to forgive the other.  Then the cycle is broken.  It is done one person at a time.

Let us get more specific.  Let us talk briefly about Iraq.  Thousands of civilians in that country lost their lives in the fray and civil unrest.  No one talks about them.  Many civilians died.  Many people are mourning their close relatives who died there.  Yes, many Americans died there or were injured, too.  And their survivors are mourning them, also.

There is only one thing that will stop the carnage–forgiveness brought on by grace.  And as I said before you can’t earn it.  Each party has to forgive the other.  Vengeance does not solve anything.  That only happens by grace.

Tags: conflict, forgiveness, God, grace, peace, peace and grace and forgiveness, war and conflict in Iraq
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People who think they are perfectly normal create havoc around them.  Never get mad at them.  They think how could you possibly get angry at me.  Little old me.  ‘I did nothing wrong.’  Such people are narcissistic to the nth degree.  They can’t accept being flawed.  And each person is flawed.  So they have no idea of the damage they do around them–the mistakes they make.  I know perfectly well I am a little crazy and make mistakes.  So is every person.  It is those people who can’t accept they are flawed and make mistakes who create havoc around them for they can’t judge they had a hand in the impact of those around them.  Every person is flawed, sins and makes mistakes.  And when you do, all you can do is ask for forgiveness from the ones you hurt with your actions.

Tags: ask forgiveness, each person is flawed, flaws, forgiveness, God, make mistakes, narcissism, sins
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Everything is given by grace I am reminded again.  And the spirit of mercy.  Both are closely related.  You can’t have one without the other.  My wife has gone through a hard time with me, again.  And I know I don’t deserve her forgiveness.  I have done nothing to deserve that.  But she has bestowed me with that.  And all I can do is to thank the One above me for that gift.  So Jesus thanks, again for that free gift.  Grace and mercy.  I did nothing at all to deserve that.  So, thanks, again.  Everything is by grace.

Tags: did nothing to deserve that, everything-is-by-grace, forgiveness, free gift, give thanks, God, grace, grace and mercy, Jesus, my wife, spirit of mercy, thank the One above me
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I am convinced God, the Almighty whatever name you chose to call “The Higher Power” created marriage for only one reason — to teach one another how to love.  Each human is very much flawed.

And we are all sinners.  The vows say for better or worse for a reason.  Sometimes we get sick.  And each of us know we will not make it out alive in this world.

Each person is flawed.  A marriage exposes those flaws you possess to your fellow partner.  And somehow you need to work out your differences.  Forgiveness is the glue that makes it all work.  If you don’t forgive your mate at the end of the day, bitterness sets in.

We need a clean slate at the beginning of each day.  Learning to love one unconditionally frees the other.  A marriage forces you to learn how to love properly another human being.  And tests us like nothing else.

Sure, God created Eve for Adam was alone but nevertheless they both were very flawed when they came out of the Garden.  Both of them now faced sin (and their very flawed nature).  Marriage forces you to love in a way no other institution does.

Tags: "The Higher Power", Adam and Eve, bitterness, clean slate beginning each day, each human is flawed, for better or worse, forgiveness, forgiveness is the glue, freeing, God, love unconditionally, marriage, marriage vows, teach us how to love, The Almighty, the Garden of Eden, we are all sinners
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There is nothing sweeter than forgiveness.  It was only two days ago tempers between my wife and I flared over finances.  (Is there anything else couples fight over?)  Sure, but that seems to be a big area of disagreement.  Sparks flew between the two of us.  I did not act too nice or becoming.  She slept terribly that night and the only reason I didn’t was I took a pill at bed time.  We resolved our differences when both of us were calmer.  Sometimes you have to sit on opinions.  It really does no good to state your side over and over, which I did.  I forgot I needed to give my partner time.  The next day after the argument we hugged and made up.  There really is nothing sweeter than forgiveness.

Tags: anxiety, argument, couples, fight, finances, forgiveness, hugged, made up, my wife, opinions, resolve differences, sleep, tempers flared
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We never meet the expectations of our mate.  Sometimes they are reasonable.  Sometimes they are not.  Each of us are very flawed.  Another way to say the same thing is each person sins.  Not one would say they are perfect (or never makes a mistake).  That is why forgiveness at the end of the day is so important–to wipe our slate clean.  We never completely meet the expectations of our mate.  It is impossible.  We are all imperfect.

Tags: each person sins, end of the day, expectations, forgiveness, God, make a mistake, our mate, perfect, sin, we are all imperfect, we are flawed, wipe our slate clean
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Can fear and love exist at the same time?  They can but not too well.  One can not love freely if you are afraid.  Somehow you have to settle your fears–your fear of rejection, of being close, of being transparent.

Nothing is permanent.  Love is fluid.  It changes from day to day.  That is why commitment to one another is so important.  It rides out the rough moments and if you know in back of your mind you are loved that is all you need to know.

Fear only gets in the way.  Forgiveness at the end of each day is the glue that makes it work.  No one said love was easy.  You have to put aside your fears.

Tags: commitment so important, fear, fear gets in the way, fear of being close, fear of being transparent, fear of rejection, forgiveness, God, know you are loved, love, love is fluid, nothing is permanent, put aside your fears, rides out the rough moments
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From every death comes a rebirth.  My first marriage had ended and it was painful.  My first wife decided it was easier to end it than to fight for it.  It took me a lot time to work through the hurt and to forgive her.

Miracles happen all the time.  Often they occur over a span of time.  And from death, comes rebirth.  When I least expected, another woman came along.  She was a miracle.

It was someone I knew for years.  From death, comes rebirth.  Lynelle was a miracle.  I really was not sure I could let another woman to enter my heart.  Love is often a miracle.

The pain of being separated from my two kids was severe.  I did not forgive my wife for a long time.  I felt she stole my kids from me.  But a miracle happened.  Forgiveness came along.  There is no easy way there.

Lynelle was a miracle I did not expect.  From death, comes rebirth.  And that is always a miracle.  Only He can provide forgiveness.  And that is always a miracle.

Tags: easier to end marriage than fight for it, first marriage, forgiveness, from death comes rebirth, God, God forgives, God provides forgiveness, hurt, love is a miracle, miracles, miracles over time, my wife, painful divorce, separated from my kids
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Sometimes you just have to let things go.  It does not matter if you or your mate was right.  You have to give your mate a clean slate every day.  ‘Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath’–lines from the New Testament.

The devil uses unforgiveness to pit one mate against the other.  And we are all imperfect.  And each day each person make mistakes so it is important to let them go and start the day afresh.

There is wisdom in those lines from the Bible.  If you do not forgive the other for their failures, resentment builds and drives a wedge between you.

Forgiveness allows you to love your partner fully and with humility.  Each person knows in their heart that they are not perfect so why should you expect your partner to be otherwise?

Tags: Bible, clean slate every day, devil, don't let the sun go down on your wrath, drive a wedge between you, everyone makes mistakes, failures, forgiveness, God, humility, know in your heart, let things go, love your partner, New Testament, no one is perfect, resentment, start each day afresh, we are all imperfect, who is right, wisdom, your mate
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The smallest social unit within your family is your partner.  Do you treat him/her with kindness and love.  It matters.  How can you possibly treat others with love and kindness if you can not even treat the person who is closest to you that way?

Of course, kindness starts off with you, your thoughts, your self talk.  If you can treat yourself with tolerance and love, fully aware you are flawed and forgive yourself for blundering and, also, ask others for forgiveness when you have hurt them.

I find it interesting in the Lord’s Prayer it states, ‘And forgive our debts, as well as we forgive our debtors’ (Matthew 6-12).  You have to ask God for the forgiveness of you sins first before can you can forgive others for hurting you.

If you love those who God puts in your life (and it starts off with your mate) you can transform the world.  Never discount the power of one.  Every movement started off with one person so never discount yourself.

Tags: ask for forgiveness, Bible, blunder, forgive others, forgive yourself, forgiveness, God, hurt, kindness, Lord's Prayer, love, love others, Matthew, never discount yourself, our debtors, our debts, self talk, social unit, the Bible, the power of one person, thoughts, tolerance, transform the world, we are flawed, your mate, your partner
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I don’t understand hate but what I do know love, forgiveness and kindness would transform this earth if it was practiced by everyone.  I know it is not an easy formula for peace.

Humans (including myself) are very flawed.  It does not matter what you do for a living.  Some may be impressed by that but what most people remember is how you treated them.  If it was with love and kindness, they may remember that for a long time.

Forgiveness is in the equation because humans make mistakes with one another and hurt one another.  It does not matter if it was intentional or not.  It just happens.

And forgiveness give us a “clean slate” and lets us start afresh with one another.  And forgiveness has a price.  It is not easy.

I read in a book all God asks of us is to forgive each other.  Wouldn’t that transform the world if everyone did that?

And this starts in the most basic social unit–the family.  And then make wider circles:  your neighbors, your state, your country.  And it has to start in the family first.

Tags: clean slate, forgive each other, forgiveness, God, how you treat people, hurt each other, kindness, love, neighbor, peace on earth, social unit, start afresh, the family, transform the earth, we are flawed, we make mistakes
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