...hold grudges!

Aside from my own perspectives about life being too short for things, I asked my family, friends, and colleagues for their thoughts. Today's particular issue is one I struggle with like many people do, but nonetheless, it is an issue that must be worked on and worked OUT, if you know what I mean. The quest to conquer grudges is like the Spartan trying to conquer Xerxes, however, in real life, by the grace of God, we can prevail over the grudges. Grudges do not go down without a hard, and sometimes long, fight.

Here's what some had to say about grudges:

"Being angry at someone for any length of time is harmful to you. It's just a waste of time. It's best to forgive and let go. Give that grudge, frustration, anger over to God. Let it go. When you start holding grudges you start some stinking thinking. You start making up little scenarios. You drive yourself nuts! Ya gotta move on. It's best to enjoy life."

"Life's too short to hold a grudge, resentment, or guilt. In fact, I would include anything that would be a weight or hindrance to becoming all that God has planned for you to be or accomplish."

"Life's too short to stay angry with anyone."

For someone like myself, who is very convicted about justice and who cares that people treat others the right way, it's very hard to just let things go because then it feels as though there is some kind of permission granted to those who are being hurtful. The truth is...that is NOT the truth.

By holding grudges we are imprisoning ourselves to our own hurt and anger. We must let go in order to live in the liberty we THINK we are gaining by tacking someone up on our mental, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey wall.

NEXT WEEK: The little things...

...not eat cheese!

For those who cannot indulge themselves in this heavenly creation because it messes with your stomach, I'm sorry, but maybe you can just dream about it for the day. Considering I just had pizza for lunch with my family, I'm gassed up (pardon the pun - oh, sometimes I crack myself up!...) to discuss one of the luxuries of life - cheese.



There's nothing heavy about this post today (unless you decide to gorge yourself after reading this, but please don't do that), so incline your ear to me. Cheese is one of those comfort foods I always get excited about when the opportunity to eat it arises. If you think about it, cheese really does make everything taste better. There's macaroni and cheese, cheeseburgers, cheese fondues, nachos, cheese/fruit bites (eaten together), cheese/crackers, cheese/meat slices (eaten together), cheese on your pizza, cheese on my pizza, string cheese, cheese toast, cheese dips, cheese toppings, cheese balls...what else can I say? I'm sure you can add your own idea.



It's amazing that there are so many choices of cheese anywhere you go. Think about it, you will find cheese when you're on the road at the pull-off quick mart. You will find cheese danishes and bagels and cream cheese at a bakery. You will find a plethora of cheese in the deli section of your local grocery store, and the yummy gourmet types are usually in the refrigerated center case. Everywhere you look there's cheese! It's like the world is one big Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but for cheese. Can you imagine floating down a creamy, lazy river of melted Brie while you're passing trees made of Parmegiano shavings that are gracefully falling to a ground made of chunky Gorgonzola? Oh, how I can only dream....



NEXT WEEK: Grudges

...worry about your pants getting stuck in your shoes

To enlighten you about this week's title: I have a particular pair of pants that I like to wear with a particular pair of shoes. The only thing about this partnership is that when I rise up from my seat, the pants end up getting stuck between the back of my shoes and my foot heels, so I always have to pull my pant legs out. Well, one day I was in a job interview wearing these pants and shoes. The time had come for us to wrap things up, and even though the interview went very well, I was feeling a little nervous still (who wouldn't?) and forgot to make sure I fixed my pants before getting up. All at the same time, the ladies started holding out their hands to shake mine and I was working on fixing my pants. I ended up shaking one lady's right hand with my left hand, all the while telling them that my pants were stuck in my shoes and trying to make light of it by giggling and my face was turning red from embarassment because I couldn't believe I was even experiencing all of that.

They chuckled with me about it a little (maybe for sympathy?....), but I didn't want to act like I had it all together, not fix my pants, and then have THAT be the last thing they remember seeing of me. It ended up being awkward no matter what. I called a friend to tell her how the interview went, and all I could focus on in speaking with her was my pants issue! I kept saying, "I'm such a dork, I'm such a dork!" She said, "If they really like you, they won't care about that. They will see past that to who you are really are, and how you will benefit them."

I know, "What IS the big deal? Those kinds of things happen to everyone." That is correct, and THAT is the point: it's NOT a big deal at all, but it overtook me and it was all I could think about. It was a true wardrobe malfunction, and what would make me so special to not have some silly thing like that happen to me?

When we get into situations that matter a lot to us, we want every little detail to work out perfectly...but every little detail does not always obey us. We have to be okay with that, and what's more...we need to focus on the TRUTH of the situation. For me, the TRUTH of the matter was that I had a great interview, and I actually ended up getting the job! Aren't you glad that pants and shoes can't determine the outcome of our lives? Ahh, the process of learning how to pick battles.

NEXT WEEK: CHEEEEEEEESE!!!