A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....05-04-05...Ten More Finest Excuses

Mama_Bear

[Mama_Bear]

"God Bless our Troops" indeed! Thanks for bringing your graphic and reminder to us. Can't hear it or say it too often.

Our troops are my heroes! :-)

[Dubya]

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you" (Colossians 3:13, NIV).

---

Risky Reconciliation
by William C. Frey

Reconciliation, said Paul, demonstrates God's power to heal the past, the present and the future: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1-2, NIV).

In Jesus, God heals the effects of the past and restores the friendship with the Lord that was discarded because of sin. This relationship transforms our present and gives us hope for the future.

Reconciliation can also bring healing on a larger scale. One of the most significant events in the life of the Christian Church in the 20th century has been the East African revival, which has seen millions of people come to faith in Jesus Christ since the 1930s.

The revival began when a young man in East Africa read Mark 11:25: "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins" (NIV).

The man was overcome by the knowledge that he was harboring hatred for a brother. He believed that he could not continue to pray until he had done something about it, so he bicycled 50 miles to confess his sin and seek reconciliation.

The brother was moved to tears, and the two men experienced the healing love of Jesus in such a powerful way that they were visibly changed. Friends noticed the difference, and when they heard the story, they too were moved to repentance.

So the revival began. One act of reconciliation between brothers led to millions of acts of reconciliation with God.

Although reconciliation is risky, Jesus makes it clear that it is our calling: "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15, NIV).

If we wait to seek reconciliation until those who have offended us repent, we may be waiting until the trumpet sounds. But if we take the initiative, that may be the very thing that frees others to repent. At the very least it will bring us back into a right relationship with the Father.

The story is told that one of President Abraham Lincoln's advisers once chided him for his lenient treatment of those who opposed his policies. "You must destroy your enemies, Mr. President," the adviser said.

Lincoln replied, "Do I not destroy them when I make them my friends?"

Isn't that the way God treats us? Isn't that what restoration through reconciliation in Christ means? We, who were God's enemies, have been made God's friends.


Prayer
Lord, thank You for forgiving me. Thank you for reconciling me to Yourself. I praise you for calling me Your beloved child. Help me today to seek reconciliation with others whom I have wronged and those who have wronged me. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

[DollyCali]

Hi there Sarah... you are getting some photo editing skills I see...lol. great work & thank you. HOpe you are well

[Mama_Bear]

I thought of protesting & later figured that life is much to short. SO WHAT?

Absolutely!

BTW, I meant to tell you several times and keep forgetting.....you have a beautiful family. I saw some of their photos at Amy's Place. I can hear your pride when you talk of them. That's a good thing and a blessing. :-)

[armymarinemom]

Sarah? Been playing with photos for a long time. LOL.

[Mama_Bear]

Nothing wrong with that! ;)

I agree. :-)

[Mama_Bear]

"It" was done at 6:30 & Billie gave me a passing grade!

WONDERFUL!!!

[Mama_Bear]

I am going to bid you all good night and sweet dreams. Thanks for being a part of our Finest thread. HUGS!!

[LadyX]

"I never outgrew my love for stuffed bears...guess that's kinda obvious, huh? LOL"

Must confess whe I waas little, my favorite toy to hold at bedtime was a panda bear like this one, only smaller and much more 'svelte:'

I used to kinda tweak his nose,
and over time wore it down quite a bit...
Mom saved it, and mailed it to me when I had
my first baby, and Steve loved it just as much as I did!

So much so, it didn't take but a few months before the panda's nose had been rubbed right off that sweet little face!

Case of "like mother; like child."

[Mrs.Nooseman]

What a wonderful story and memory!

[DollyCali]

I'm sorry I was (thought I was) responding to Annomy..etc.
You are paul's sis aren't you? I have done many FReepes with him in NE Ohio & we are both members of the Heritage club

[LadyX]

"you know the stuff pack rats have & stick "wherever"."

Oh, but I have already revealed to The Finest Family I am
a Pack Rat of The First Degree, Dolly...

I, LadyX, do hereby declare
** I AM A PACK RAT-Aholic!! **

furthermore, i cannot be cured..:((

don't wanna be, either
so there...

[LadyX]

I have a lot of cough, cough... "treasures" - and when I leave to Go Up There, my daughter, Jennifer, will be The One to sort through them all, poor child.

Something pleased me greatly this winter. She had always loved an oil painting I had done of Mr.McKinley (Denali) in 1971, a composite of 3 slides I'd taken in 1965, and long ago asked if she could have it one day.
Since her two older brothers had not broached the subject, I agreed.

Turned out Steve wanted it, too, and said so.
To my delight, she said at Christmas, "Oh, we already worked that out - I will have it one year, Steve the next - and alternate every year!"

Do I have wonderful kids, or what?!!

[DollyCali]

Happy Birthday Lead Penny.. I hope your day was filled with joy & spent with people who you love.

[LadyX]

Okay - it's late and really, I'm going to bed after this one..:))

"Mr.McKinley (Denali)"
is not to be construed as Mr. Denali McKinley - LOLOL

but is Mt. McKinley, AKA "Denali"

Night, all---

[DollyCali]

you and I have a great deal in common.. really - each post you make, gets more eerie..

FUnny when I saw your daughers name I have one child a son. I was SURE he was a she & Jennifer was the chosen name.

Well, I got a Jeff instead!

and he too will have the joy , as he curses me under his breath, do dispose of my treasures..

lol

night.. I am truly wasted/fatigue/falling asleep at the wheel...

tomorrow..

[jkphoto]

Just now managed to get online. It has been one of those days at the studio. Thanks for all the great photos from "our" family album. I don't remember many of them and it is great to look at them again.

Thanks again!

[LadyX]

"Just now managed to get online."

That computes, jk, since I have to share this computer.
What's bad is we both are retired, and thus stretch use over 24/7..:))

Suspect Mama_B tends to...well... it a bit!

[LadyX]

"I was SURE he was a she & Jennifer was the chosen name."

My Jennifer was born in 1962, before the name was so popular. I loved the name Jeffrey, too, and considered it as one if I had a third son one day.

Nan and I and Lakeside and I "operate in a parallel universe" as well..:))
After I had left the Miami area (Coral Gables), Nan as a young married woman went there, and her her first 3 chidren were born there, the first named Brian.
Had Jennifer been a boy, I was poised with Brian Andrew (the latter my father's middle name, and now the middle one of a grandson) as the name!

We laugh a lot over the similarities in memories and events and thoughts...we are indeed Sistahs of The Spirit.

Now Lakeside, too, comes up with "echoes" of things...

Our circles in life have certainly overlapped, Dolly, living in Florida and North Carolina and Ohio, and I'm happy to claim 'kinship' with you!

[Mama_Bear]

Suspect Mama_B tends to...well... it a bit!

Hey, I heard that! LOL!