 By: Ethel Chadwick
bagelsandblessings.com No one said it’s easy being a follower of Yeshua. Every day there are temptations. When your spouse or significant other snaps at you for no reason, are you tempted, just a bit, to say something clever and terribly sarcastic? When someone cuts you off in traffic, don’t you want to shout at them and honk the horn? Just yesterday I was at the theater with my best friend. We were quietly (or so I thought) chatting about something, when suddenly a man from across the aisle yelled at me – he said “EXCUSE ME, WILL YOU SHUT UP???” I just stared at him with a blank look on my face. I was surprised, shocked and stunned. For a brief moment I imagined myself walking over to him and slapping him across the face and yelling at him to be nice to the elderly – or something like that. But he looked around my age or a little younger, and besides, that wouldn’t be very Messiah-like. I was pretty upset for a few seconds. You can be sure that for the rest of the movie I didn’t utter a peep. But a strange thing happened. The Holy Spirit gently nudged me to go over to him after the movie. (Inside I was thinking - hey --- why should I go him? Shouldn’t he apologize to me???) I walked over and said, “Sir, I’m so very sorry.” He thanked me for the apology. Whew! I sure felt better! So, just keep on trying to be kind, no matter what. Sometimes the other person doesn’t deserve it, but hey, we received grace and mercy when we didn’t deserve it too. Ethel
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 By: Ethel Chadwick
bagelsandblessings.com If God’s word is true when it says your Abba loves you so much, then why would you ever let someone take advantage of you or repeatedly abuse you? Beloved sisters and brothers in Messiah, if you could only see yourself through His eyes. Because God loves you, forgives you and wants you to experience blessing and joy, He does not want you to allow others to hurt you. Someone once taught me that we teach others how to treat us. And I think it was Eleanor Roosevelt that said “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Sadly there are too many people, both men and women, who stay in abusive relationships because they think that’s what they deserve. Or maybe they were abused as children and they never think they can or should be treated better, and they are a bit too comfortable because it’s familiar. Dear friends, you are precious and greatly loved. You deserve to be respected and cherished. Please don’t let anyone abuse you – not ever. Because He loves you, you can love yourself. And when you love yourself you don’t let anyone put you down – NOT EVER! Tell someone – tell your Pastor, your Rabbi, your doctor, your best friend. Even tell the police if you feel your life is threatened. Don’t let anyone touch His anointed! And that is YOU! Ethel Chadwick  By: Ethel Chadwick
bagelsandblessings.com Shalom friends! Taking a break from writing about romance, today I just want to encourage you in your friendships and the way you meet new people. How many times have you said “We’ll have to get together for lunch!” – but it never happens and you didn’t really mean it. Please be careful to say only what you really mean. When my husband and I moved to Rochester, NY from NYC in 1993, well-meaning congregants said things like that to us, but very few actually invited us. In fact, it took one family three years to finally invite us to their house! We all love to meet new people and make them feel welcomed. Just be very careful with your words. Don’t give someone the impression that they are your new best friend and you’re going to have coffee with them every Tuesday --- unless you actually want to do that! Please continue to be kind, loving, compassionate and friendly to people, and as you feel led, invite them to lunch or to your home. The important thing is to be open to what the Spirit is saying to you and to be honest with your intentions. Keep loving, keep smiling! Ethel Chadwick |
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