You might be wondering at the change of photo on my header here, on Face Book and my website. No real reason....just in the mood for something different.
Also, if you haven't heard yet, I am ever so happy to inform you that my novella, Keri's Christmas Wish is finished and has been submitted to a publisher!
I'll keep you posted on the details.
Meanwhile, please welcome Colleen Coble back to our blog with something she thinks about....
Forgiveness is a real hot button
for me. I’ve seen so many lives changed when a person chooses to forgive the
unforgiveable. But there’s one area I feel is harder than any other—forgiving
yourself.
We all mess up and fall short of
the goal we set for ourselves. Sometimes that failure can hurt other people
even more than it hurts us, and we wrestle with letting go of the shame we take
on in those moments. Forgiving ourselves is crucial if we want to move past our
failures and reach our full potential. How do you do that? This is what works
for me:
1. Identify the
fact that you have shame about something.
You can’t deal with something if you keep it
buried.
2. Remind
yourself that everyone fails.
As a Christian, I look at examples in the
Bible of people who failed but were still forgiven and used of God. David is a
prime example.
3. Take
responsibility for your actions.
Too much of the time we make excuses for
ourselves. You can never get past the way you feel if you don’t face the facts.
You disappointed or hurt something. That’s a fact.
4. If you can
make amends, do so.
Apologize or do anything else that comes to
mind to show genuine remorse.
5. Talk it out
with a friend.
There’s something about sharing your burden
that makes it lighten. Another perspective helps us see things more clearly.
6. Actually forgive yourself.
When that shame rises up, speak aloud to
yourself and say, “That’s over and God has forgiven me. I forgive myself as
well.” After a while you actually start to believe it.
In Mermaid Moon Mallory was still dealing with shame from something
she’d done ten years earlier. Ten years is a long time to carry that weight
around, but some people carry it all their lives. You don’t have to!
Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or
finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award,
the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier,
National Readers’ Choice and the Booksellers Best.
She has more than three million books in print and writes
romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Coble is CEO of
American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband, Dave, in
Indiana.
To keep up with Colleen Coble, visit www.colleencoble.com, become a fan on Facebook (colleencoblebooks) or follow
her on Twitter (@colleencoble).
Mermaid Moon can be purchased at Amazon.
You are so right, Colleen! Forgiveness is definitely Something to think about!
Hope you all enjoyed today's post. Check back each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!
Until later....take care and God Bless.
PamT
"Inspirational with an Edge!" ™
"Inspirational with an Edge!" ™
13 comments:
It's so true - forgiving yourself can be the hardest part. Well said, Colleen.
It seems a lot of people are fairly unforgiving and see a character who forgives someone as weak. It actually takes strength to forgive someone. And more to forgive yourself. Thanks for sharing this post! Best wishes for MERMAID MOON!
I agree with MJ. Forgiveness is a strength. Love is power. And more courage is needed to walk away without extracting revenge or having the last word than not. Thanks for your post.
P.S. I volunteer shelving books at the local library, and your books are always in circulation. So happy for you.
I believe we must accept the fact that we are only human and therefore fallible. When we understand this, we can forgive ourselves.
Colleen, it seems many Christian virtues can be done well by almost anyone: kindness, concern, so on. But forgiveness separates the men from the boys. It takes God's heart to be genuine in forgiveness. Thanks for your good advice. Cheers
Boy do I agree with you all that forgiveness can be difficult to say the least!
But when we know how valuable it is in setting US free...we tend to do so more quickly (if not easily)...although sometimes we have to remind ourselves that we've forgiven So-and-So for Such-and-Such.
I hope Colleen gets a chance to drop by but if not THANK YOU ALL for doing so!
Good luck and God's blessings.
PamT
Very good advice. I just wish it was easier for me.
Thank you so much for the list. I really needed to read that right now. Good luck with sales.
One time the pastor at my church made a mistake and I remember her ssying, "If God can forgive me, I can forgive myself." It was one of those aha! moments for me. I've never forgotten.
Colleen, I love this post.Forgiveness can be so tough and we need to be reminded how important it is to forgive others and ourselves.
I am so sorry I didn't stop by yesterday. This is an excellent post! Very wise words. Your book sounds like an awesome, emotional read. Best wishes!
Thanks for the comments, friends! I hope the post was helpful!
Especially like "forgive yourself." So important! Nice post.
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