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Arising Hope 2012
February, 2012
| We Are One By Angela McMahan |
new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have
loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye
are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34-35 (KJV)
I had an unthinkable, unimaginable and horrifying wrong committed against me
several years ago. This person was ugly and ruthless and caused a considerable
amount of pain and problems in my life. To make matters worse she worked in the
same building I used to work in and attends my church. It was a tremendous
struggle to forgive her because although I wasn’t in any kind of relationship or
friendship with her, she continually kept harassing me and doing things to cause
problems. Also, being a survivor of domestic violence the situation completely”
triggered” me! In my heart I just wanted her to leave me alone, so I could forgive
her and move on. This was becoming impossible because everywhere I went there
she was. I was in a situation that I thought would never end.
Eventually the stalking and harassment stopped (thank God). However, even
though she was finally gone from the situation and my life, I was left with the
devastating scares of her actions. Physically I was no longer having to deal with the
situation but I was tormented in my mind. Fear, worry and doubt engulfed me. All of
a sudden when in public I felt guarded; constantly looking over my shoulder. I was
working my recovery program trying to forgive her but it didn’t work. The harder I
tried to get over it, the more hate, resentment and bitterness that was developing
in my heart. See until the action stops it is almost impossible to forgive. TD Jakes
said in a resent sermon:, “You can’t forgive someone who is constantly hitting you!
You have to make them stop, then work on forgiving.”
I tried every trick and tool I had ever learned on how to handle difficult people and
how to forgive them but nothing was working. I carried rocks with their name on it, I
wrote in my journal for hours, I wrote countless forgiveness letters and I even sent
her flowers anonymously. “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who
curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use
you and persecute you,” Matthew 5:44 Nothing was working!
Then I read this statement: “My nature is an unconquerable peace, therefore
nothing or no one in the world can be against me. All experiences come to me to
promote my reclamation of peace, that I may in turn, acquire wisdom and power.
” Suddenly my paradigm had shifted and the way I was looking at this situation
changed. I no longer saw this person as my enemy but rather as an opportunity to
go higher in my relationship with the Lord. It was giving me a genuine ability to put
my faith in action. “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith
but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and
destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed
and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body,
what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
James 2:14-17
It is easy to love those that love us. Yet it is something altogether different to show
love to others we don’t like. Forgiving her didn’t mean that we were going to be
best friends and hang out together. Nor did it mean that I was a door mat that
would continue to allow her to treat me any old way. It meant releasing me from the
situation to see more deeply what God was trying to show me through this
experience. It was more about what He wanted to do in and through me:
To teach me that I might not be able to control other people’s actions but I can
definitely control how I will respond to them. I can keep my peace and joy in all
situations and circumstances. I can set boundaries that say if you continue to
harass me I will get a restraining order and you will have consequences. Every time
I felt I was allowing myself to be controlled by my anger I would meditate on that
statement above and peace would come back.
I’m not sure who is driving you crazy right now but they are not worth it. Safely get
yourself out of the situation, forgive them and move on. Nothing and no one is
worth depriving yourself of the abundant love, peace and joy that God has for you
in this life.
NOTE from Angi: NOTE: Stalking is a serious crime! If you are someone you
know is being stalked please seek professional help either through your
local police department or contacting Arising Hope at 303-280-3180
Memory Verse
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor
powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other
created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)
loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye
are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34-35 (KJV)
I had an unthinkable, unimaginable and horrifying wrong committed against me
several years ago. This person was ugly and ruthless and caused a considerable
amount of pain and problems in my life. To make matters worse she worked in the
same building I used to work in and attends my church. It was a tremendous
struggle to forgive her because although I wasn’t in any kind of relationship or
friendship with her, she continually kept harassing me and doing things to cause
problems. Also, being a survivor of domestic violence the situation completely”
triggered” me! In my heart I just wanted her to leave me alone, so I could forgive
her and move on. This was becoming impossible because everywhere I went there
she was. I was in a situation that I thought would never end.
Eventually the stalking and harassment stopped (thank God). However, even
though she was finally gone from the situation and my life, I was left with the
devastating scares of her actions. Physically I was no longer having to deal with the
situation but I was tormented in my mind. Fear, worry and doubt engulfed me. All of
a sudden when in public I felt guarded; constantly looking over my shoulder. I was
working my recovery program trying to forgive her but it didn’t work. The harder I
tried to get over it, the more hate, resentment and bitterness that was developing
in my heart. See until the action stops it is almost impossible to forgive. TD Jakes
said in a resent sermon:, “You can’t forgive someone who is constantly hitting you!
You have to make them stop, then work on forgiving.”
I tried every trick and tool I had ever learned on how to handle difficult people and
how to forgive them but nothing was working. I carried rocks with their name on it, I
wrote in my journal for hours, I wrote countless forgiveness letters and I even sent
her flowers anonymously. “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who
curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use
you and persecute you,” Matthew 5:44 Nothing was working!
Then I read this statement: “My nature is an unconquerable peace, therefore
nothing or no one in the world can be against me. All experiences come to me to
promote my reclamation of peace, that I may in turn, acquire wisdom and power.
” Suddenly my paradigm had shifted and the way I was looking at this situation
changed. I no longer saw this person as my enemy but rather as an opportunity to
go higher in my relationship with the Lord. It was giving me a genuine ability to put
my faith in action. “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith
but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and
destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed
and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body,
what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
James 2:14-17
It is easy to love those that love us. Yet it is something altogether different to show
love to others we don’t like. Forgiving her didn’t mean that we were going to be
best friends and hang out together. Nor did it mean that I was a door mat that
would continue to allow her to treat me any old way. It meant releasing me from the
situation to see more deeply what God was trying to show me through this
experience. It was more about what He wanted to do in and through me:
To teach me that I might not be able to control other people’s actions but I can
definitely control how I will respond to them. I can keep my peace and joy in all
situations and circumstances. I can set boundaries that say if you continue to
harass me I will get a restraining order and you will have consequences. Every time
I felt I was allowing myself to be controlled by my anger I would meditate on that
statement above and peace would come back.
I’m not sure who is driving you crazy right now but they are not worth it. Safely get
yourself out of the situation, forgive them and move on. Nothing and no one is
worth depriving yourself of the abundant love, peace and joy that God has for you
in this life.
NOTE from Angi: NOTE: Stalking is a serious crime! If you are someone you
know is being stalked please seek professional help either through your
local police department or contacting Arising Hope at 303-280-3180
Memory Verse
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor
powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other
created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)
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| TESTAMONIALS |
| POEM We never know where our path with Jesus will lead. I have known since I was eight years old, that my path would be to help others along the way, and to my surprise it has been that way with people and animals. I wanted to be a nurse real bad and travel with it, but God had different plans. I have no regrets so far in life. I would not be the person I am today if I had not had Jesus walking beside me. I don’t like saying good-bye, so I just want to say “I will see you around sometime,” and just maybe our paths will cross again someday. I love and care for each one of you. It has been a great pleasure to be here. My life has taken another turn. I wish I could tell all my stories to you, but maybe one day they will be in a book for all to read. So take care and God Bless. Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. |
| Crystal-ACDF I knew I was going to be sentenced to 2 years so I went on one last bender taking every & any drugs I could get my hands on started running with this guy that I didn’t really know and I let him shoot me up with heroin. Before I knew it he hit me with a baseball bat in the back of my head, stole my purse with $832.00, took my rings of my hands, stole my phone and just left me. I woke up the next day at 2:00 in the afternoon went to my neighbor’s house and called for help. The ambulance came and I had a concussion and bruises where he hit me more once. So I knew when I came to sentencing that me going to jail is God saving me because I would have ended up dead sooner or later. I am thankful for this class. |
| HIGHLIGHT: Mile High Flea Market Space C67. Come out and see our wonderful store at Mile High Flea Market at I-76 and 88th Ave, Space C67 in Commerce City! We are open Friday, Sat and Sun year round from 7am-5pm. All items are only $1.00 and 2 items for $1.00 on all clothing items. 100% of the proceeds support our program. |
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| Good Morning Angie, Your recent newsletter really put things into the proper perspective; let go and let God. It seems strange that I had to relearn this lesson, as I had put into practice the very act of letting God take control and saw the results of what faith can do in just a remarkably short period of time. So now I have come full circle as it were, and I believe that the breakthrough that I have been praying for is just around the corner. No, I still do not have a job, but I feel that all this is about to change. I had been worrying about all of this for quite a while, but your newsletter about the calming of the storm and your cat made me realize that all is well. Hope you and your family had a very Merry Christmas, and it is my wish that you have a joyous and prosperous New Year. Again Angie, thank you for the spiritual lift. It really helped me out. |
| Happy New Year! Thanks for the newsletter, I will be sure to share. Sorry about your little kitty, but you see that everything works out in the end with a positive outlook! Sorry to hear that ya'll didn't make it for the grant, but never give up. There will be many more opportunities in the future. Continue to do the good work that you provide for a very worthy cause. |
Huge THANK YOU’s to Good
Shepherd United Methodist
Church, Mountain Pine Women’
s Club and all of our monthly
donors for your continued
generosity and support!!!
Shepherd United Methodist
Church, Mountain Pine Women’
s Club and all of our monthly
donors for your continued
generosity and support!!!
Donation Pick-Up Day
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Call 303-280-3180 to schedule a
pick up!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Call 303-280-3180 to schedule a
pick up!