FLO ~ March 11

It was another wonderful night at FLO (for ladies only). Please mark your calendars RIGHT NOW for next month's FLO. You don't want to miss it! It's the second Tuesday of the month, next month it is on April 8.

We had a wonderful meal. Ronna made delicious spaghetti and garlic bread. Everyone really enjoyed the meal as well as the fellowship. The ladies who helped put together the meal really went the extra mile to make sure everything was delicious.

As we entered the sanctuary, we were given a backpack to wear, and then we were instructed to keep it on until told to remove it. It was a little cumbersome, not too light. Some had a soda inside, some had decorative rocks. These backpacks were meant to represent unforgiveness. It's ugly. Unforgiveness is like taking poison, and then expecting it to hurt someone else. It just doesn't. It only hurts you. I know I personally was glad to remove my backpack. Forgiving someone, regardless of the hurt they have done to me, or the desire to have my forgiveness... it's so important to grow and move forward in Christ.

Pat talked about three aspects of forgiveness. We must forgive God, others, and ourselves. The four stages of dealing with grief are shock ... denial... anger... and then acceptance. Sometimes we get stuck in denial, or maybe anger.

Some scriptures shared were:
He has removed our rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12
"If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15
"Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you. If you forgive others, you will be forgiven. If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving-large or small-it will be used to measure what is given back to you." Luke 6:37-38

Thank you Pat for sharing such an important message, and for sharing it from your heart.

Here are a few pictures from the evening!