It happened one day on the school playground when I was in 5th grade. A girl who I thought was my friend suddenly called me a “blockhead.” As all the surrounding kids laughed, she went on shouting that my head was too big for my… Continue Reading “Choosing to Let My Shame Be Covered”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Abased, Accused, Anguish, Bad Reputation, Blame, Condemnation, Condemned, Conscience, crime, Crisis, Culpability, Degraded, Discredited, Disgraced, dishonor, Dishonored, Dismay, Embarrassed, Embarrassing, Embarrassment, Error, Fault, guilt, Guilty, Humbling, Humiliation, Ill repute, Infamy, Loss of Face, Mortified, Notoriety, notorious, Offence, Put Down, Regret, Remorse, Repentance, Sad, Scandal, Scandalized, Self-Condemnation, Self-disgust, Self-hatred, shame, Shameful, sin, Sorrow, Stain, Stigma
Posted on January 13, 2025
by Jeff Herringshaw
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For as far back as I can remember, I have known the words to the old hymn: Amazing Grace. But the truly amazing thing is how long it has taken me to understand them. The lyrics were written by John Newton, an Anglican minister,… Continue Reading “Choosing to Accept an Unlikely Rescue”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Amazing Grace, Condemnation, Condemned, Damn you, Damned, Dirty Rotten Sinner, Extend Grace, Fair, Fair Play, Fairness, Faith, Forgiven, Gift, Good News, Gospel, Grace, Gracious, Humble, Humility, hymns, Jesus, John Newton, Just, Justice, Let Go, love, Nano threads, Receive Grace, Release, Released, Rescue, Rescued, Right, Salvation, Saved, Self Righteous, Self-Righteousness, Sinner, Undeserved Favor, Undeserved Gift, Unforgiven, Unforgiveness
My father was a boy during World War 2. He often heard of atrocities that America’s enemies, the Japanese and the Germans, were committing. According to the stories, those foreigners were the villainous aggressors, and they were seeking to come to our country to… Continue Reading “Choosing to Love My Enemies”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Bitterness, Condemnation, Condemning others, forgive, forgiveness, Grace, Hate, Hatred, hostility, injustice, love, Love your enemy, Merciful, Mercy, Persecution, Prejudice, Righteous Anger, Self Righteousness, Sending others to hell, sin
“I will kill as many of them as I can.” A young man from Prizren, Kosovo said this to me quietly through clenched teeth. Not knowing how to respond, I replayed the story he had just told me. It was July of 1999, and… Continue Reading “Choosing to Avoid the Spiritual Black Hole”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Atonement, Bitterness, Black Holes, Blood, Condemnation, Cycles of Sin, Eternity, forgiveness, freedom, Gravity, Innocent Blood, Kosovo, Pride, Redemption, Resentment, Revenge, Self Righteousness, Self-Sacrifice, Serbia, sin, Stubbornness
Posted on November 15, 2021
by Jeff Herringshaw
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The note was addressed to the leadership of our ministry, but for some reason it was put in my box to deal with. A few weeks earlier our facility had been used as a wedding venue. Several of our ministry staff volunteered to help… Continue Reading “Choosing Not to Accuse”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Accuse, Accuser, Accusing, Allegations, Bitterness, Blame, Condemn, Condemnation, Condemning, forgive, forgiveness, guilt, judge, judging, Judgment, Merciful, Mercy