Monday, January 12, 2004

Mellowing Out

Nothing special for my birthday. Eleanor took me out to George's Hamburgers Friday afternoon. I went out to dinner with Brad and Regina and their son Saturday night, but it was planned far ahead of time and was not a birthday dinner. The 11th was a pretty normal Sunday.

I truly understand now what I did. While K, M, and L all made mistakes in dealing with me, pastor reminded me that that is between them and God. I cannot change their minds; I must work on myself and do my part in this, regardless of whether I think they have done theirs. I also must take my punishment, whatever it is. This punishment is from God, not from them, and so I can bear it.

Hebrews 12:4-11 -

4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

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