Tag Archives: Forgiveness

by | January 18, 2013 · 10:31 pm

Self forgiveness, why is it so important

IMG_1265-001Self forgiveness, why is it so important to forgive yourself? Well if you can not find forgiveness for yourself in your heart how are you to forgive others or to accept the forgiveness God has for you? Besides those facts, you will have to feel the guilt and/or shame of your mistake which will keep you distracted from serving God and living your life fully.  Forgiveness is a part of love, if you are having a hard time forgiving yourself you may also be having problems loving yourself unconditionally. Learn to forgive yourself for you are not any worse or better than any other human when it comes to making mistakes or sin. We all are imperfect so we all have many flaws within our self.

Don’t waste your life living in the past and reliving the mistakes you have made, repent, forgive yourself and be forgiven then go forward and avoid making the same mistake or ding the same sin. Stop being a judge of yourself and of others leave that to God himself. Be blessed, Be thankful and Love one another unconditionally.

Ray Barbier

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by | January 14, 2013 · 5:58 am

We are to serve God, not our own selves

Why is it we have such a hard time trying to be brotherly/sisterly to one another? As children of God we are supposed to be compassionate, caring, loving and not judgmental. We seem to cling on to the fleshly desire of serving ourselves and following our own will than serving God an his will. Out lusts, greed and our drive to be successful in the world seems to come before our spiritual needs. We are to serve God, not our own selves and when we do something we are to do it as if we are doing it for God himself. We are to forgive and bless not only our friends or family but even enemies and those who we call strangers.

This world is set up to keep you trapped in a consumer minded maze of living hand to mouth with little money to save nor time to enjoy with friends and family. We focus too much on what we can buy for our loved ones and even for ourselves and less on the fellowship and companionship we should be enjoying. We lost the sense of what loving each other as spiritual brothers and sisters is all about. We need to focus on God’s will and the love he wants us to share with one another.

Concern yourself not of the sins of others, for their sins are something that is between them and God. Forgive those who need forgiving and bless not only friends and family, but enemies and strangers as well. We are to love and be supportive of one another.

Ray Barbier

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by | October 28, 2012 · 1:17 pm

Life is a short thing to experience

bnf0422 Your heart can guide you rightly and it also can lead you wrong, Temper your heart  with the mind  and use the heart to empower the mind. Be humble and put the ego to the back of your mind. Be compassionate and understanding so that when it is time for your judgment , you will be judged in the same manner. Be at peace with yourself so you are able to find peace with everyone and everything else. Remember life is precious and the time we have to live is short in the scheme of things. Live in love and love to live for love is the greatest power besides faith that we have been blessed with. A love with conditions is not love, it is just a complicated emotional relationship.

bnf0424Forgiveness is easy to give, therefore forgive totally so both you and the one who you forgave can move forward.  Forgiveness frees you from the hurt and  the anger you feel and releases the one you forgive from their guilt as well. Being that life is so short I myself can not see any reason to hold on to a grudge for any length of time. It consumes way too much energy and tends to make the one who carries it unhappy and/or grumpy.

p10053Cherish each moment you have with those you love and care about for there is no guarantee that you or they will be here tomorrow.  Get off your computer, tablet and put away the game system. Get out and live life instead of hiding away in your house so much. Balance the time at home and out in the world, for you don’t want to waste time nor miss out on life since life is a short thing to experience.  Most of all remember the old saying: “Life is what you make it” and then go out and make life as complete and happy as you can.

Get out and live life, live it to the fullest and do so with compassion, understanding and love.

Ray Barbier

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by | September 24, 2012 · 6:36 am

The Past

The past serves as a tool for learning by the choices that we have made. It also can be a weight that holds us back if we can’t let go of either the mistakes we have made or the memories that we have. The most common thing that holds us back is a memory of a tragic circumstance or a failure that we feel responsible for. Remembering such things are not designed to hold us back,
instead they are for the purpose of healing. Sometimes it takes having forgiveness for the things we have done as much as for the actions of others.

Some things are just circumstances that we could not control and we want to hold our selves at fault for them. We should remember that the past is the past and that we need to forgive and forget so we can live life instead of reliving  the past.

Ray Barbier

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by | August 24, 2012 · 5:33 am

What matters is how I act and how I treat others

002The night is coming to an end and the morning is about to begin. The sleepiness is fading with my first cup of coffee as I reflect on things from the day before. I have realized it doesn’t matter what others think about me and what others may say. What matters is how I act and how I treat others through out my life. I also found out that no matter what you do you will never meet the expectations or standards others set for you. All you can do is be yourself and do your best at what ever you do, be good and kind to others in hopes that they will return the kindness.  I also found there are several types of friends, there are acquaintances, colleagues, fair weather friends and real / close friends. The hardest to find of course are those that are close / real friends, they are the ones that tell you how it is when needed but always stick by you through good times and bad.

One must always be true to themselves and be the best person that they can be. Superficial things such as good looks, wealth and social statuses are fleeting and hallow in substance. Self love, compassion and the desire to improve ones self are almost as important as showing compassion, love and charity to others. If we can not love ourselves and / or show compassion to ourselves then how are we able to share those things with others.

Be true to yourself, Be compassionate, loving, be understanding and have forgiveness for everyone including your self.

Ray Barbier

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by | August 4, 2012 · 11:30 am

Sword in hand or Fishing for Souls?

yellingI have watched so many people being angry and hateful towards sinners, the sinner can not help whom they are for it is the sin within them that makes them do wrong. Since the garden of Eden we have been plagued with sin within our blood. Those who fall to sin are not really bad people per se they are just victims of sin.. Many of sinners are great people they just have sins that they are weak to and many are trying to battle it on their own and do not realize the only way to beat sin is through the grace and salvation of Jesus Christ. When you face sin alone you are going to fail, but if you face sin through Christ you will prevail. Faith is all that is required to defeat our sinful nature. To have anger or hate towards a sinner is a sin in its self, for Jesus taught us to be forgiving and have compassion on our brothers and sisters. Instead of condemning a sinner we are supposed to be supportive of a sinner and help him or her find the right path to salvation and / or redemption. Even the most pious of people have fallen to sin at one time or another and probably will a few more times in their life. The more faith a person has the less they are tempted and the stronger they are against the sin within themselves. We should also remember to be forgiving of our own sins for through Jesus we can forgive ourselves and others of all sins besides the one.

angel-prayers_w453_h725The goal is to rid our desire to sin, we may still stumble from time to time but we must do our best to resist the desire to be sinful. Repentance is a must in the process for if we are not genuinely sorry for our sins then we will not be forgiven. God wants to forgive us and give us salvation and that is why he sent his only begotten son to live among us, die on the cross and to be resurrected in order to give us freedom from our sins and to provide salvation. He wants us to be forgiving, compassionate, understanding and wise people not judgmental, angry and hurtful as some seem to show others they believe by their actions. What gain can you or a sinner have by being bitter, angry, hurtful or judgmental. You can not bring sinners into the grace of god or to the salvation Jesus brought us through such negative means. You can not force someone to believe or to have faith, they must choose and welcome such within their own heart and mind by their own will. Forced belief is not true belief, it is only a fake belief done out of fear of retribution.

p10056Jesus did not go around with a sword in hand forcing people to follow him, instead he used the technique of fishing for their souls and hearts. He put forth the truth and the good news of Gods love before the people and they followed by their own choice. Ignite someone’s mind or heart and they will follow you willingly and until the ends of the earth. Force them to believe or to follow and they will betray you or abandon you at the first opportunity they can. They will never truly believe or commit themselves to your teachings. So spouting out how they are evildoers or how they have no hope of salvation and they are bound for hell is not the right way to bring them into the Salvation that Christ offered all of humanity.

Offer a stranger your coat and you will warm not only their body but their heart. Offer a stranger nothing and then their body and heart will only know the coldness of the world.

Ray Barbier

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by | July 26, 2012 · 9:29 am

Be a Force for Good

Forgiveness: The Real F-Bomb

Why are you so angry, why do you take that anger our on others? Are you blaming others for the mistakes you’ve made and now are paying for? Stop being so angry, stop avoiding responsibility for you past actions and learn to forgive yourself as well as others. What is done is done and all you can do is ask forgiveness and try to learn from those mistakes. Life is way too short to stay angry, sad or depressed for any length of time. Life is a gift and should be celebrated, cherished and shared with those you care about . Be not selfish but do not neglect your own needs, be charitable but never leave you or those closest to you in need. Put God and Jesus first, Your family and the needy second then take care of yourself. Be peaceful, compassionate, understanding and forgiving.

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Be a force for good, teach compassion and forgiveness to all that you meet. Respect the right for others to believe different than yourself. Never have hatred for a sinner only despise the sin for you are not free of sin yourself. Walk in faith not in fear, seek the truth and speak the truth or say nothing at all. Give respect to all and be respectable in your thoughts, words and actions. Be a bringer of peace not a bringer of discord or dismay. Love thy neighbor, enemy and all other forms of life on this beautiful planet called earth. Live in today, worry not of yesterday nor of tomorrow.

 

 

Live each day as if it was your first and may be your last, enjoy the gift of life God granted you and show thanks in every form you can.

Ray Barbier

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution By license.
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by | May 21, 2012 · 5:05 pm

Self Compassion: The act of having compassion on ones self.

MP900427738   We tend to forget we should show compassion not only to others but to ourselves as well. For compassion starts with one’s self and radiates outward just like love. Though it is possible to be compassionate towards others and not yourself though it tends to exhaust your energies . When you learn to have compassion for yourself and how to love yourself you have more love and compassion to share with others and it becomes like a second nature to you. We all need compassion and love in our lives if we want to admit it or not, no one person is an island upon themselves. We are social creatures by design and require some interaction with each other and support from each other as well. Trying to stand alone and face this world with no help at all is a self-defeating act and surely will fail in the end. Yes you can succeed for quite some time going it alone but in the end it will overwhelm even the most empowered individual. Our strength comes from family, friends and colleagues that God blessed us with.

bnf0424 To have compassion upon yourself is to forgive yourself for your shortcomings and the wrongs you may have committed in your past. It is also the realization that you are but human and are incapable of being perfect be it physically,mentally or morally. We are both physical / Animal and spiritual therefore we have the instincts simular that of the animals. The spiritual side of us is what strives to overcome those primal instincts but as long as we are in flesh we must fight against them. No matter how hard you try you will fall to one or another of the animal instincts within us, all we can do is pray for forgiveness and go back to fighting the good fight. This is where we must have self compassion for if we can not be compassionate upon our own selves for the sins we fall to then how can we have compassion or forgiveness for the shortcomings and sins of others.

RBM001122 The fight against our flesh is a loosing battle if we do it alone, but with the compassion, love and helping hand of God we can have the strength to resist the flesh. Though God will never fail us it is our own nature to sin so there is always a chance we may fall or back slide. That is when repentance and prayer comes into play and is the answer to those times. There is no one who can be perfect or overcome all temptations , for we are creatures born in sin. One of my favorite quotes from the words of Jesus is when he spoke out to the crowd who was going to stone a woman accused of adultery to death. “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. ”. No person is without sin so none of us have right to judge or to execute another person over sins committed. This not only applies to other people but to our own selves, we don’t have the right to judge ourselves or persecute ourselves for sins we committed. We only have the right to pray for forgiveness and to do our best to avoid committing the sin again.

We must practice repentance, compassion, prayer and the be willing to accept our salvation from Jesus Christ.

Raymond Barbier

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by | May 19, 2012 · 1:12 pm

On this road of life we must make the best choices we can

MP900426559On the road of life we will have both good times and some not so good, it is part of life and the contrast between the two helps us appreciate the blessings we have. We may no be able to avoid all the pain, suffering and adversities of life but we can learn to get through them with the love and support of family and friends. The challenges of life are but the character building experiences we go through and hopefully overcome.  To smile while your world seems to be falling apart may be odd but between faith and the fact there are things we can not change or avoid we can either let them keep us from happiness or rise above them and smile. Acceptance of our shortcomings and inability to control every aspect of life is something we must learn to do . When you accept the fact some things are not in your control you learn to let go of all the guilt and pain related to those things.

Besides accepting those things we can not change we also need to be aware of the things we can and change them for the better. We are responsible for the things that are within our grasp to change. Our destiny is within our own hands and the choices we make daily is what guides us to our fate. Though some external force can alter your life course but you can choose to change it back as well. We can either walk a path of our own choosing or allow others to choose it for us. Either way we are solely responsible for the path we choose and all we do in life. The choice to choose or not is ours and the way we interact with others is our responsibility. In the end we all have to face the results of our choices in life, we all will be held accountable for all we do. This is why you should be sincerely remorseful for the wrongs you done and seek forgiveness and through compassion we should freely give forgiveness to others. It is the right thing to do.

On this road of life we must make the best choices we can and be compassionate along the way. We should be quick to listen to advice and open to share it as well. But remember the advice you give you are responsible for and should think twice before giving it out. Always be sure of what you say for the power of words can do much harm as it can good. The power of thought as well can do great good but is capable of great evil as well.

Be aware of your thoughts and words and the consequences they can bring.
Raymond Barbier

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by | May 15, 2012 · 11:34 am

Faith, Friends and Family

CB100292 Faith, Friends and Family are the keys to a happy and fulfilling life. Christ taught us of forgiveness, tolerance, compassion and of true faith. Friends and family are the both the glue that keeps us together and the support system that keeps us from falling overboard.  Faith is the fuel as well as the foundation for our walk through life, without faith there is no hope and no salvation for us. To believe the promises as well as in his mercy is what we must do as we face the wickedness and immoral desires of our flesh. We should embrace the spirit of hope, compassion and love that god had put within us and shrug off the spirit of fear the world forces upon us daily. We also should stand strong against the daily distractions the world throws at us for they keep us from the things God wants us to do as well as experience.

MP900427741 We are not to judge and if we must judge do it by scripture but with mercy for we shall be judged in the same we judge others. We should love one another and overlook the shortcomings in others for we too are plagued with sin and faults. It is very common for us to dislike faults in others that we harbor within ourselves. This is why we should be merciful in our judgments when we choose to judge others. Love the sinner but rebuke the sin and forgive the trespass. We can not allow our pride or arrogance stand in the way of our love and compassion. No man or woman is greater or lesser than another, some may live a more fortunate life but this does not make them greater.  God gives all his children blessings if they recognize them or not and each of us are given an equal share in God’s grace.

Concept Far as those who either do not believe in God  or those who chose a different religion we should not forsake them for God gave each person the right to choose their own path. We should love them as siblings and pray for their souls. We should not hate someone of other faiths for they too are one of God’s children and we should love one another. We can not and should not try to force our beliefs on others for several reasons. Mainly because a forced belief is not a true belief and the fact salvation comes from freely accepting Christ not by being forced. We should respect each others right to follow and believe in the way we choose. Too many mistakes have been made by religious zealots in the history of man when it comes to religion.

003Though I know my ideas and beliefs could be wrong just as easily they could be right. I do not claim to be an expert nor that all I believe is the only answer or even the right one. But They are here for you to read as well as to ignore. May god bless you and thank you for reading.

Raymond Barbier

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