When you forgive, it’s for YOU, I told the girls at Balcony Girls this week.
Not only is it a gift you give to the person who has wronged you, it’s also a gift to yourself.
How fitting, just in time for Valentine’s Day when we’re suppose to show love to one another, many times through the giving of gifts.
Forgiveness is …
Forgiveness is an act that shows grace (or favor) to another person.
The girls ate Mini Weenies and Barney Butter KISS cookies as we talked at the table. I usually join the girls at the table. It’s quite fun!
Vicious cycle …
I told the girls that when you don’t forgive, it’s like a vicious cycle – bitterness, revenge, bitterness, revenge. And I explained how revenge and anger can physically and emotionally destroy a person!
Forgiveness releases the bad feelings toward the person who hurt you.
Think about this …
• After you forgive, does the hurt or angry feeling immediately go away?
• Does forgiving require us to sometimes keep forgiving over and over?
• Can you make someone forgive you?
Their answers varied, depending on each girl’s circumstance and what she’d experienced!
Cause for forgiveness …
This question got a lot of heat! What things can girls do to each other, which cause you to have to forgive?
• Gossip
• Betray
• Manipulate
• Exclude
Then we started dipping pretzels and adding Valentine sprinkles. Oh, and eating them!
Your turn to ask …
What about when you ask for forgiveness from a friend, I asked the girls.
• Make sure your apology is sincere (we role played sarcasm!)
• Explain why you did what you did
• If you were wrong, then admit that you were wrong
• And never have a friend do it for you!
Sometimes I have to rein the girls in – they tend to get excited and jump to new topics. This particular lesson I really wanted to drive the point home.
2 gifts …
I explained to the girls that another beautiful gift that you can receive, when you ask for forgiveness, is when your friend apologizes too!
After all, aren’t two gifts better than one?
Read about Balcony Girls ONE YEAR AGO, here. You can also read many more BG lessons, which are listed on my sidebar.
Read about My Children’s Valentines Gift – a post on a visit to an Assisted Living center, here.
Thank you, Darcy, for my newly designed Reluctant Entertainer button! Feel free to copy and paste the code on my sidebar directly onto your site, and share the 4RE LOVE with others! If you already have my RE button, you might want to grab this one instead.
Hi, I'm Sandy. Five years ago I stocked up on beautiful glasses from the Dollar Store. As I started writing about dinner parties, I realized that this “icon” portrays a great message. It says that dinner parties are attainable, they are affordable, and that they can be beautiful even when on a budget. 
This is a wonderful lesson to teach the girls. I hope they remember it their whole lives long. It would be so easy, wouldn’t it, if we could all just keep the Lord’s commandments to us? When we do, life is a whole lot easier. They are infinitely practical.
BG’s sounds like a great thing to me! And those desserts looked pretty great, too…
XO,
Sheila
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Thanks for leaving your comment on my blog! You are one of the places I love to visit… I don’t have kids, but the idea of entertaining has always been something I think about but would like to do more of–if you know what I mean.
Love what you are doing with your girl’s group; that’s just awesome!
God bless all your efforts in your outreach to them…
PS How did you put the “heart” in your comment? That’s really cute…
PSS How did you find me?
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I think these BG posts are my favorite, Sandy! Such wonderful life lessons. Girls can be so cruel to each other! Forgiveness….it’s such a good habit to have….and it’s hard for girls…of ALL ages!
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What a great lesson and a wonderful way to teach it. Forgiveness…so important!
Have a great day!
Jen
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I so enjoy reading the important lessons you share with the girls. They will last a lifetime!
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I always love reading the lessons of the Balcony Girls! Very wise.
And how do you make those little hotdogs?
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Forgiveness is a gift for all involved!
What wonderful food and snacks…so fun!
Happy Valentines to you 4 Reluctant Entertainer:)!
-sandy toe
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Sandy,
Thanks for the button! I added it. Also, thanks so much for the encouragement as I start my new blog!
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What happens when you are betrayed and then you betray them..you apologize and they never do..leaving you a hole in your heart?
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Sandy,
I love, love, love this lesson! When we don’t forgive someone, they usually don’t even KNOW it–and WE suffer. Well said, my friend. Love your lesson.
Oh, and the chocolate pretzels? YUMMO!
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Hey Sandy I love when you give glimpses into your talkes with the girls! Maybe I could join the balcony gals group:)!
I agree forgiveness is more for us…and it is also true when we don’t forgive we block God’s grace from flowing to all people!
Hugs!
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Wnderful lesson…and very true. It will eat you up if you don’t. What yummmmmys you have ! Great to visit another Oregonian. cherry
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It is so nice to meet you..What a wonderful lesson to teach the girls..as well as for the rest of us to remember. Forgiveness is such and easy thing to do..Your desserts look so yummy… Thanks for the visit by my blog to see the toile tablescape.I so appreciate your visit…
hugs ~lynne~
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It is so nice to meet you..What a wonderful lesson to teach the girls..as well as for the rest of us to remember. Forgiveness is such and easy thing to do..Your desserts look so yummy… Thanks for the visit by my blog to see the toile tablescape.I so appreciate your visit…
hugs ~lynne~
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Ah, Forgiveness… one of those topics that warrants continual reminders, challenges and encouragement.
Thanks for doing just that once again for my own heart!
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Tonight we were using Stumple Upon and came across a video about forgiveness. It was so touching! Thanks for your beautiful post!
-Kim
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What a wonderful ministry you have with these young ladies. How sweet that some of them will remember these lessons and apply them in the future with their own daughters. Forgiveness is at the very heart of the Gospel and we need to remember how much we have been forgiven so that we will forgive more freely. Blessings on you and the B.G’s!!
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What a wonderful lesson – I always like your BG posts.
And that’s a great idea for an easy treat~
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Beautiful lesson & beautiful treats!
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What a great lesson, and choclate covered pretzels, yum!
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Such an important lesson, I just love reading the posts about BG girls. Looks like yummy eating took place too….
LuLu
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i’m sarcastic quite a bit of the time, and i think the people in my life are pretty confused when i’m being sincere. that’s probably not a good thing…
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Beautiful Post. Hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day:)
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this is an amazing post and a wonderful lesson for people of all ages!
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