FORGIVENESS

For the past several weeks I have noticed God’s hand in my life in the little things.  The most recent is getting the right appointment times confirmed for our trucks.  We have difficulty with a couple of warehouses and when the trucks run a tight schedule they invariably give us some obscure time that just won’t work……but not lately.  God has really been handling things for me and Kit and we are so very thankful.   

God cares about the little things as much as the big things in our lives.  I have prayed so many prayers for my family and God has been so faithful to hear them!  Yesterday, I got some bad news.  I wasn’t surprised but I was heartbroken.  But it seems as though my prayers have been answered again.  After praying and crying for several hours yesterday and today I received some encouraging news!  Things are better and better is a good thing!

Why is God so faithful to us?  Can we ever be good enough to earn His love?  Do we deserve His mercy?  Of course not; He loves us in spite of our selfish desires and our sinful nature.  Jesus goes to the Father for us and pleads our case to Him.  When God sees us He sees us covered in the blood of our Savior and He shows us mercy.

We are all sinners and we all make little mistakes and we all make big mistakes that we are genuinely, painfully sorry for.  If our Heavenly Father can forgive us we should be able to forgive each other.  Forgiveness relieves us of stress which leads to healing which leads to joy. 

Our happiness is contingent on our current situation but joy comes from knowing God and depending on Him for our every need.  We must trust that with God all things are possible.  When we seek Him with all of our heart He will  make right that which is wrong and mend our broken hearts.  He is a loving God and He is never far from the brokenhearted. 

Scripture

Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!  Psalm 34:8

When I am filled with cares, Your comfort brings me joy.  Psalm 94:19

I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world."  John 16:33

Where is Christmas?

What happened to the spirit of Christmas? 

I am forced to watch commercials while I exercise because we don’t have TIVO in that room.  I hate commercials.  Especially during the Christmas season.  The ones that bother me the most are the ones that change the words to well known holiday music to try and sell me products which claim to make me thinner, prettier, younger, more active, sexier, healthier…the list goes on and on. 

Every commercial tried its best to convince me that I needed to buy their product this “holiday season”.  They are targeting Christians but leaving Christ out of their advertisements because they don’t want to offend anyone.  Well, I’M OFFENDED and I’m the Christian they are targeting.  Who else is going to buy their “holiday items”?  

Christmas has become an excuse for over consumption and over indulgence.  The marketing experts have known  this for quite some time now and take full advantage of our need for more stuff. The store displays for Christmas go up the day after Halloween, completely bypassing Thanksgiving. The only significance Christmas holds for most retailers is that it’s their busiest time of the year ($$$$).  I wonder why????

I’m afraid if we (Christians) don’t stand up and make our voices heard that in the not too distant future the meaning of Christmas will be lost completely.  Christmas is not the celebration of stuff it is the celebration of the birth of the Savior of the world.  From this day until December 26^th will you please join me in saying “Merry Christmas” to everyone you encounter?  Whether you deal with them in person or on the phone end your conversation with “MERRY CHRISTMAS”.  

Thank you and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Scripture

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."  Matthew 1:21

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."  Matthew 1:1-2

Joy Unspeakable

What is the source of your joy?  I’m not talking about happiness because happiness depends on our circumstances.  If our circumstances are good then we are happy if our circumstances are bad then we are unhappy. Supernatural Christian joy is independent of our circumstances. When physical strength, personal wealth, health and friends disappear; when our circumstances fill us with fear or we are consumed by grief our joy is still ever present because our joy comes from a relationship with God; He is the source of our joy. 

One of my favorite verses in the bible is Deuteronomy 31:8;”The Lord is the One who will go before you.  He will be with you; He will not leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid or discouraged”.  This verse got me through the most traumatic events of my life.  First when we lost our grandson, Caleb, to SIDS on Christmas Eve of 2006 and second when our daughter in law and two grandchildren were in a horrible auto accident that left our four year old grandson, Jason, paralyzed from the neck down.  Although I was grieving and filled with indescribable pain, my Joy never left me. 

Life is filled with events that we would rather not live through but we survive them and we become stronger than we ever would have been if they had never happened.  I wish Caleb had never died and I wish the accident never happened but………those events have brought me into a closer relationship with God.  If I had not experienced such deep anguish I would still be a happy little sinner thinking that all is right in the pit of my lukewarm Christianity. 

Without God we are mere humans ravaged by sin and unworthy of living.  The sacrifice of Jesus Christ saved me and you from death, a death that we deserve!  Because of faith in the risen Savior we have the promise of eternal life.  That alone should fill us with joy unspeakable.  

Scripture

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.           Romans 14:17