How many times have I told myself I will never, never, never ___________(fill in the blank) again.

Only to fall again. And again. And yet, again.

My friend, Dina reminded me of how often we as mothers do this. We promise to never, never, never lose our temper with the children again. We promise to never, never, never eat a whole bag of Mint Milano cookies after a bad day (guilty as charged!).

To be honest, what a terrible way to live. It's impossible to get it right all the time.

Can I accept that I am so utterly human that I will continue to fall, fail and disappoint myself and others through out my life?

How then to avoid the miry pit of despair and find strength to fight the good fight?

One word: forgiveness.

I ask for forgiveness from those I've hurt. I forgive those who've trespassed against me. I forgive myself. I receive the forgiveness that Christ offers me.

Forgiveness is the life-saver flung to us across the seas of sin; it is our last hope for peace in this world.

Forgive. And then, most importantly, forget. Forget because love keeps no record of wrong.