Thursday... This is such a special time of the year.

Thursday... This is such a special time of the year. It really is.

Do you love the songs of Christmas? Joy to the world. That's a great song, isn't it?

The Psalmist in 2:12b (NLT) writes, "But what joy for all who take refuge in him!" And that is so true! I prayed for five in my family who headed off to school this morning. One who is an Executive Director, one who is a School Counselor and three who are students. And each one of them take refuge in Him because they have a relationship with Him. What joy that is even in the major unrest in our schools. Do you have that joy today.?

And then over in Ephesian 2:8 (NLT), "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this, it is a gift from God." It is a tremendous gift from God.

I love to give gifts. I love to watch people open gifts especially those that I have taken the time and effort and money to buy something that hopefully excites them. And I know that is true of God. It excites Him when we believe and accept His salvation. That is a tremendous gift from Him.

Paul continues in verses 9, "Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." We can't boast about any gifts that we will get on Christmas day. We didn't do anything to get them. Someone else did all the work and effort to give you that gift. Yes it may give you great joy but it also gives them great joy to give it to you.

He goes on, verse 10 says, "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

What if we would open the gift and then throw it off to the side and then say, "Oh that was nice, what's next?" But we do that all the time when we don't accept the greatest gift that has ever been given to us. This gift is a masterpiece that was paid for by God's Son giving His life and then coming to life.

So what a joy there is to accept and take refuge in this masterpiece that God has given to us.

Verse 7 says, "So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus." That is such, such a tremendous gift! Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is!

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is! Look at this, Proverbs 5:21-23 (CEV) says, "The Lord sees everything, and he watches us closely. Sinners are trapped and caught by their own evil deeds. They get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control." That is true of so many. Now look at this, Luke 15:1-7 says, "Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, 'This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them.' Then Jesus told them this story: If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? And when you find it, you will put it on your shoulder and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, 'Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep.' Jesus said, 'In the same way there is mo...

Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together!

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together! They really do. And this is what caught my attention this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2. Verse 1 (NRSVUE) says, "My child, if you accept my words and treasure my commands within you." Verse 3 (NIV), "Indeed i f you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, Verse 4, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, Verse 5, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." And verses 9-11, " Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." There will always be some effort we must do, some ifs for the thens to be realized in our lives. So many of us want to understand without the ifs. But the thens are so worth, so very worth the effort. Verses 5-6 in the Ampli...

Todays Beginning

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