Hows your day????

All dressed up & ready for the Christmas Eve service @ church were Caleb on far Rt & Abigail on far Lft played Mary & Joseph! Noah next to Abigail played a sheep & Beth & Belle sat cheering wildly with mum & dad!

These brothers are very protective & inquisitive of their littlest sister...

'Don't tell me I am not cute!'

Friends - I don't know if you sometimes base your day upon your circumstances or your emotions, but I have been learning to recognize that circumstances and emotions do play a contributing factor in our days, however they are not to be the primary deciding factor in our day! Does that make sense? Observe your feelings, & your circumstances - but chose to be a thermostat instead of a thermometer. Take every thought captive. Think on what is pure and lovely and good.

I often become discouraged when I discipline the kids out of anger, I speak harshly to my wife, someone is rude to me or my wife & kids, or worse yet - someone tries to cut in front of me while I am driving & I am singing my worship tunes... How selfish are they? - Then I am flooded with thoughts of condemnation! "looser", "you want to be a WHAT?" "You can't get along with anyone, what makes you think you can live in a community?" and then I recall scripture that I have hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Him, which says -He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it, until the day of Christ Jesus. Or - There is therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and - If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness - and one of my favorites - God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. - This reminds me that I can try to hide my sin from my wife, children, mates or I can repent & confess it and deal with it now! For God sees it all & he is opposed to pride.

I challenge you to run to the cross & confess your sins and find freedom. Oh there will be consequences and there will be pain, but the joy and freedom in Christ - the one who was pierced for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities that we might have life - forgives us! Restores us! Renews us!

When you are having a bad day - your thoughts are haunting you - your feelings are running away on a roller-coaster ride - think of what God did for the world... gave his only begotten son!

because...

His Holy & Righteous Wrath had to be Satisfied!

That is love!