mistakes

Sandcastles

Posted on by Shawn

Sandcastle

We spend much of our time on artificial pleasures in order to fill a void, but it’s never long before God reminds us that He is the only source of long-lasting fulfillment.

Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will cause you to rest. (Matthew 11:28 AMP)

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me…For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30 NKJV)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. (Psalm 32 AMP)

Because the summertime is swiftly approaching, I’ve been thinking a lot about the many days I will spend at the beach enjoying the long-awaited warm weather. As I googled some tropical destinations I would like to visit, I started thinking about the beach trips I took when I was younger. I used to be fascinated by the array of the beautiful sandcastles that were scattered all over the beach. I wasn’t much of an architect myself, but I remember sitting and marveling over the creativity and the detail some of these structures had. But as the day went on, at some point, a huge wave would come and suddenly those beautiful, intricate structures were leveled into a puddle of sandy mud in a matter of seconds. It didn’t matter how far from the shore those structures were built, eventually the tide would rise high enough to reach every last one. That part always made me sad because I knew how much time went into their creation and now there was nothing to show for it. Read More

Do Yourself A Favor…

Posted on by Shawn

ForgiveThis October, I attended a women’s conference at my church and one of the sessions dealt with forgiveness and God’s grace. During that session, we talked about how God desires to forgive us and give us a fresh start once we confess. The discussion then moved on to how we should extend that same grace to others. Then, the leader walked over to a folding chair and sat it down in front of the podium. “Think about the person or persons who have offended you and place them in this chair,” she said. “After you have thought about it for a moment, I want you to forgive them. Say it and forgive them with your whole heart.”

As I sat in my seat processing the task given to me, I suddenly had a problem. Images of all the possible candidates for that seat flashed through my mind one by one. Former schoolmates from the days when I was bullied, previous employers, family members, past love interests…but no one seemed to click for me. “I’ve already forgiven them,” I thought. Suddenly, it became very clear who really needed to take that seat.That person was ME.  Read More