How many of you have the feeling of total fogiveness???

As a wife, companion, mother, friend, lover, sister, light of your home...yourself? Tonight I want to talk to your heart-the part that is worthy of forgiveness. For those times when !ou think you have failed, only to fail again, and that wound is a reminder of the time "efore. That time someone said something not very nice a"out you or your children, and you hold that lil# scar on your heart, not releasing it, not forgiving yourself for "elieving it, not letting go. That time you looked in the mirror and didn#t see the image you wanted to see. $ot forgiving yourself for what goes on inside your head, for running out of time, or %ust feeling e&hausted. Those times you feel guilt, sorrow, sadness, unworthiness, %ust overhwhelmed, have that epic mama fail, or don#t feel you are "eing the wife or companion that your hus"and' "oyfriend deserves...I think we have all "een there at least once... (e as woman put so much on ourselves, it seems it is impossi"le to forgive ourselves. )**+ $,(-. TH,/, I- H*0,. /omans 12 12 says 3/e%oice in hope, "e patient in tri"ulation, "e constant in prayer3 The past has no hold on you, once you seek the cross. /omans 14 15 -tates 3 6ay )od of hope fulfill you with %oy and peace in "elieving, so that "y the power of the Holy -pirit you may a"ound in hope3. I have hope. I am a work in progress and thankfully )od is always steps ahead of me. I want )od to restore me. I want you to focus on how )od see#s you through His eyes and not your own. *ur -avior is a )od of forgiveness. He is our 7ltimate /ole 6odel, -o if He forgives you, then why is it so hard to forgive ourselves.....???? 8ust as -hane 9a&ter said on -unday, (e are one stretch away.... reach out, ask for forgiveness and the accept your forgiveness for yourself. I grew up in a home where forgiveness was not a part of our lives....If I got into trou"le my mom would start all the way "ack from when I was little, going on for hours, anything to crush my spirit...I grew up watching my mom har"or resentment, feed on hate, thrive on making me feel guilty, even for things that had nothing to do with me as a child, tearing me down, so that she felt "etter a"out herself...I used to resent my childhood, or the lack of one. I used to pray 3)od, get me out of here.3 I started going to church at age 14, first with a friend, then on my own. 9ut I truly didn#t get forgiveness until I started coming :s;uare 4 years ago. And that "rings me to where I am today. 6atthew 4 :: tells me 39ut I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you3 At first I said *7<H. 9ut now, I say 39ring it on.3 I started to reali=e that I couldn#t "lame my mom for tools she didn#t have. (hat did my mom teach me? (hat lesson could I turn this into? (hat and who is my sandpaper? 6y -avior, that#s who. He showed me that I knew e&actly what I didn#t want to "e like as a wife and mother. He "lessed me with His sandpaper, refining me edges, softening my rough spots, shaping me into who I am

today. 6aking me reali=e that is was ok that I didn#t fit into the world I grew up in. He "lessed me with mom2mom, showing me that I was normal, that I was worthy of )odly friends and that I didn#t have to try to "e perfect. 9ecause, 9oy that would "e e&hausting work and setting me up for failure... He helped me to forgive myself for holding it all in, not "eing transparent. 9ut now I reali=e that to fail forward I can take all my e&periences and He will place someone in my path that I can come up along side and share with them, support them and make their "urdens a lil# lighter. I have learned to appreciate my "umps, "oth "ig and little. I thank )od for molding me early on. It wasn#t until 4 years ago I finally felt forgiveness for "eing a teen mom. I had asked )od for forgiveness, "ut alway carried the "urden of what others thought. I didn#t reali=e I needed to seperate my sin, from my "lessings. I let others make me feel getting pregnant was my sin. $ope. Having se& "efore I was married was my sin. )od "lessing me with my daughter and almost 24 years of marriage, my "lessing-)ods forgiveness, me-forgiven. I finally knew what it felt like to forgive myself for not forgiving myself. It feels...weightless. 6ark > 24 says 3Then 8esus laid his hand on his eyes again, and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly.3 6ark 11 2: tells us 3Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, "elieve that you have received it and it will "e yours3 He is a forgiving )od and wants you to forgive yourself. He is in the restoration "usiness. ?et Him restore you. If you don#t think you have the tools, look around the room. !ou are surrounded "y woman that are countless resources. )od does not want you to shrink "ack and "e destroyed, He wants you to "elieve and "e saved. He". 1@ 5A I know that I am a work in progress. I still look in the mirror and wish for 4 more pounds gone, or a few less krinkles around my eyes. I still tend to "lame myself when my kids act a cuckoo..I still wonder what I should "e doing "etter as a wife and mother or ;uestion if I am a good enough friend. I still get mama guilt....-ee....still a work in progress....9ut I am trying and all that....the enemy. ,veryone here has a story, a circumstance, a moment. !ou are worthy of forgiveness and forgiving yourself....!ou are loved "y )od that gives you unending grace and mercy. !our -avior has forgiven you, now its your turn. +o not let the enemy win. ?isten to your )od and seek what plans He has for you. *nce you lighten your "urdens and recogni=e the ama=ing )od molded woman He created, you will then see yourself through His eyes. 9e ready. Forgive yourself. The "est resource I can offer you is your "i"le, all your answers are in there. If I can leave you with one last verse it would "e 2 Timothy 5 1B 3All scripture is "reathed out "y )od and profita"le for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness. ?et Him "reathe over you and your circumstances. $ow its your turn.