Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It’s a day for remembering all we have to be grateful for. This day is especially important to me because I remember the gift of life.

On Thanksgiving day over 40 years ago, my mom had a stroke at the tender age of 30. What should have been the worst day of our family’s life turned into the beginning of a series of God-ordained events that brought about a miraculous healing along with the strengthening of our family and our faith.

May you be blessed this day and every day. And, may you also remember that every day there is a reason to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!

The eBook version of “Lessons From God” will be available on Amazon for $2.99 from Nov 27 – Dec 3. Paperback version is also available at regular price. This is a short-read book that makes a great stocking stuffer or inspirational read to start off the new year. It was truly a labor of love to write and share personal encounters I’ve had with God throughout my life that show His heart toward us and the great lengths He takes to empower His people. My prayer is this book will be a blessing to everyone who reads it.

It’s hard to believe it’s almost the third anniversary of the release of my book “Lessons From God.” This book is so special to me because it shares a lifetime of experiences that the Lord used to help me learn and grow as a person. What has touched me the most is the response from readers who have reached out to let me know how the book has touched them or helped them in their own journey.

“Lessons From God” is available on Amazon.

I love my morning walks, and so does our dog Captain! While I took in the beautiful fall scenery, he enjoyed splashing and running in the water.

Forgiveness is a key component of grace. God freely forgives us. Sometimes, the Lord asks us to extend grace to others by forgiving them. At times, we also need to forgive ourselves. 

Forgiving someone is about you, not the other person. The only person unforgiveness hurts is yourself. It is the equivalent of you drinking poison and expecting the other person to be harmed. When you hold onto an offense, you inadvertently allow that offense to have a hold over you. Unforgiveness also gives the enemy access to you and your life. 

You might have a valid reason to be upset or hurt by someone’s actions, but it isn’t worth your health. Forgiving them doesn’t mean you have to stay friends with them or like their behavior or even them anymore. Forgiving them doesn’t mean that you are pretending it didn’t happen. 

When you forgive someone, you are releasing them to God. You make a conscious decision that your freedom and well-being are more important than holding onto a grudge. Unforgiveness can hinder the flow of God’s grace in your life. Forgiveness gives God’s grace access to heal both of your lives. 

Sometimes, the person we need to forgive is ourselves. When we mess up, we are tempted to turn inwards. If not checked, guilt and shame can run rampant and keep us trapped in an unhealthy cycle of self-condemnation. When we condemn ourselves, we are judging our own lives, which we do not have the authority to do. During self-condemnation, we will either subconsciously or intentionally deny ourselves the grace the Lord offers us.

This is an excerpt of the book, Lessons From God by Tanya Vezza.
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