Month: April 2026

Forgive

/ James Penner / Leave a comment

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13

The words “I forgive you” do not cross our lips as easily as they should. We have a unique ability to hurt others, and an even more unique ability to hold on to that hurt. Sometimes you just need to mix up that scrabble board in your mind and figure out a way to get the message out.

Forgive

Christ did it as he hung on a cross, and even found a personal justification in doing so by saying, “Father forgive them, for they just don’t know what they are doing.” Ignorance of the law doesn’t hold up in a United States Court, but it was enough for Christ to forgive us and lift our burden. Pay it forward today and forgive someone.

Take Out The Trash

/ James Penner / Leave a comment
“forgetting those things which are behind, I press forward…” Philippians 3:13

A few years ago there was a sanitation workers strike happening in my neck of the world. As you can see from the photo above I watched what started as a seemingly insignificant few extra boxes next to a dumpster grow into something that the Grinch would behold as his prized garden on “Mount Crumpit”. Yet even growing piles of refuse contain a valuable lesson, a reminder to take out the trash.

We carry around with us a lot of trash.

We carry hurt feelings, grudges, and past mistakes that fester within us and pretty soon start to look very similar to the image above. Today, the apostle Paul reminds us that in forgetting those things which are behind, we can press forward. Why not take out the trash in your mind and leave it at a curb called the cross. Jesus has already paid the price to take on and carry out our garbage. Consider making today trash collection day.