They stole my identity, but I will not let them steal my soul. This was a great line from a show my wife and I recently watched. One of the main characters had their identity stolen. It wasn’t just their money that was stolen. They were also robed of their integrity and the trust of their employer, which could have cost them their livelihood as well.
Wait there is more! Their financial loss was so great that, though they were very accomplished in their field, the courts treated them like a child! They had to have someone else pay their bills, handle their finances and ultimately give them a weekly allowance. It was pure humiliation!
How would you react once the person was caught? Anger would be justified. Hatred? Bitterness? What made it worse was that the person who stole from them not only was a friend, but showed no remorse over what they had done. In fact, the culprit blamed the person they stole from for what had happened!
Feel like forgiving? Nope. I once read, “Life is much easier when you learn to accept the apology you never got.” This is so true! Biblical forgiveness is not about the person who wronged you. It’s about not letting them steal your soul.
Yes, we seek justice and restitution, but what if it never comes or the person never cops to what they did? Biblical forgiveness is about working through your pain to be free of what they did to you. People can hurt you, but is that any reason to let them destroy your life?
Think about it. You can either wait for them to ask, which may never happen, or you can forgive in order to be free to enjoy your walk with Jesus and become more like Him. (Remember this statement, “Father forgive them”?) Experience the significance of forgiveness. It sure beats letting the other person continue to rip you off.
Set Free N“O”www

Take a look at the picture. It’s a leaf on a road. What makes it significant is what is on the leaf and what is not on the pavement. The night before this picture was taken, it snowed a good half inch. The snow fell on the road. It fell on the trees. It fell on the houses. And it fell on the leaf.
The snow that fell on the houses and trees stayed well past sunrise. The snow that fell on the road melted right away into water and then dried in the morning sun, leaving the pavement dry. The snow that fell on the leaf melted into water.
Here’s the point. Those around you need Jesus water. They are so burned out on the world not meeting their needs that they’re like the snow that simply melted and then evaporated, leaving them as dry as the pavement. You are that leaf in their life. You’re on their path of life. As a secure child of God, you can be the bearer of Jesus water they need because you’re choosing to let Jesus meet your needs. You’re staying moist and supple despite life’s attempts to suck the water out of your life.
You are a secure, significant child of God. Each time you allow Jesus to meet your needs, you become a living example that Jesus really does work in the world in which you and they live. Today, choose to live out the significance of one. Choose to be the bearer of Jesus water to those around you.
“S”et Free Nowww

Wow. It was one of those deep chest inhales of fresh mountain air that makes you go, “Ahh,” with a smile on your face. I went out this morning on a walk-talk with Jesus just after it had finished raining, which brought out the fresh smells of the pine trees and the wet ground. You could even hear the calming sound of the creek water running along side the road.
It was a great way to start off the day. The freshness reminded me that each day is a fresh new day to give thanks for who the Lord is, especially on a Monday, which is always a hard day to get started.
Remember that you not only get a fresh start each Monday, but each opportunity is a fresh start to choose to draw closer to and become more like Jesus. Take a deep breath. Hear the calming voice of Jesus. Then choose to go, “Ahh,” as you enjoy a closer walk with Jesus and victory over your drug of choice.
Set “FREE” Nowww

I’ve got houses with dogs on almost every street where I walk and talk with Jesus. One night while walking, I let them get to me…bad. I’d bark back at them, which only made them bark all the louder. I know, smart move on my part. It was just that all the barking was getting under my skin and I simply reacted.
On another night time walk and talk, it was the same houses, same dogs, same barking; yet this time, I simply laughed. Their insistent barking didn’t bother me, let alone keep me from enjoying my walk-talk with Jesus.
It was the same situation; yet the results were totally different. Why? It was what was going on inside of me that matter. I was wrestling with something one night while the next time I passed by their howling, I was in a different place…mentally.
Sometimes the chains that prevent us from being free are more mental than physical. Jesus set us free. Why, then, do we let others keep us in chains? Our reaction (using our drug of choice or experiencing a sense peace) to life (like barking dogs) is based upon where our focus is – inner thinking or physical stimuli. Choose Jesus. Laughter is indeed good medicine.
Set “FREE” Nowww

No, I’m not one of those who start talking about Christmas before Thanksgiving. I’m talking about the seasons that I’m experiencing right now in Colorado. The aspen and maple trees are turning beautiful shades of deep red and bright yellow. It’s pure joy to take the walk and talks with my Jesus here.
The picture aspen grove has trees right next to each other, where some have dropped their leaves while others are still crammed full. They are probably from the same root; and yet, are reacting to the weather completely different.
As a child of God, be comfortable in the skin God gave you. As His workmanship, you don’t get to create who you are. This is the sole prerogative of the King. It’s your job to accept how He’s made you and then follow wherever He leads. It’s pure joy to operate how He made you, not how He created someone else.
Just as some trees shed their leaves at different times, you’ll bear fruit at different times than other believers. You are a secure, valuable child of God. It’s okay to be who He made you, a valuable lesson from this time of year.
“S”et Free Nowww