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EASTER
Easter is a time of celebration and renewal. We celebrate the life, death and resurrection of our great example, Jesus Christ. He came to save us. He came to show us the way. For He is the way, the truth and the life.
As Jesus overcame the world, so we overcome the shadows we call problems in our lives; we renew and awaken ourselves to the aliveness of Spirit within us. As Jesus taught us, it is “As ye believe.” “According to your faith be it done unto you.” “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Stop thinking about the difficulty, whatever it is, and think about God instead. We remember that God is all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing, and everywhere present in every moment. And as we remember, our problems fade in the presence of our Almighty God.
Easter is a time of forgiveness. Jesus, again being our greatest example, on the cross, stated, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” What better example could we have? Jesus also taught that before we pray, if there is someone that we are holding at fault, that we need to go and clear up the problem and then return to pray. Some teach that you do not need to go in person, but you can send a letter, or even, in your heart, forgive and release the past.
“Holding a grudge against someone is like taking poison yourself and expecting the other person to die.” This is one of my favorite lessons from Reverend Sally Rutis. And as we release our thoughts of past pain and suffering through the process of forgiveness, our lives will become more revitalized. It will be reflected in our physical bodies, our relationships, and our creativity expressions. We will also have a closer relationship with God.
Easter gives us the opportunity to pay attention to the miracles in our lives. With God, no miracle is too big. As Jesus overcame death and resurrected to a new life, we too can overcome our pasts and move into a fuller, richer, and more loving experience of life. Each day we can be renewed with the loving Spirit of God. All we have to do is ask. And He will answer. That is His promise.
Processes for Forgiveness
Think of person or situation.
Say to yourself or aloud:
I forgive you totally and completely
I release you and I release me
You are free and I am free
I wish you peace, love and happiness
Cut the cords that tie you together.
Surround the person or situation in loving light.
Learn to separate the person from the behavior. Practice seeing the other person as a child of God who has forgotten his true self. Remember each of us has our own perspective to every given situation. Since each of us views and experiences life through our own colored lenses, all tinted differently from our past experiences, we act and react differently as well.
We don’t know the other person’s story.
But we do know that all actions are either an act of love or a call for love.
Ask for God’s help in removing the poison of resentment. Experiment with different techniques: prayer, meditation, and visualization.
Begin each day by asking the Holy Spirit, “Who should I forgive? What should I forgive?”
Keep in mind that we can use forgiveness work on ourselves as well.
We forgive ourselves for past actions or times when we feel we could have done better.
Easter Prayer
God, You are all powerful, all knowing, all loving, everywhere present
Today we thank You for Your gift of Jesus Christ
We thank You for sending us a great example of how to live and how to love
We thank you for Jesus’ example also of how to forgive
For He is the perfect example for us
We thank You for all of the blessings in our lives
For all of the people and experiences that make up our lives
We thank you for the opportunities that are presented to us each day in order to help us grow and experience a richer, fuller life; an expression of who we are
We ask that you help each and every one of us to become the person
You created us to be
And we thank You for Your love and presence in our lives
As we go forth and renew our lives in Your loving Spirit
Now and forever Amen Thank You God
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