Merry CHRISTmas

Christmas is such an amazing time of year. It is my favorite time of the year. Everyone seems nicer and happier. It seems like there is more love in the air. However, Christmas can also be very stressful. All of the decoration hanging, gift buying, present wrapping and card sending can really be taxing. Sometimes it seems like you will never get everything accomplished before the big day. When Christmas day finally comes, it is over in a flash. Ripping through all of those presents can often leave many people feeling empty and unfulfilled. All of that preparation . . . and then it's over in an instant. Why do so many people feel like this at Christmas time?

I feel that it is because we often put too much focus on the wrong things. Don't get me wrong, we do the decorations, tree, gifts, etc in my family. It has become a special Christmas tradition. But we also focus on the most important gift ever given, the gift of a baby in a manger who was destined to sacrifice his life so that we could live. Jesus is the ultimate gift of love and life. I have caught myself focusing so much on all of the other details surrounding Christmas that I almost forgot the most important part - CHRIST! He is the reason we even celebrate Christmas. Please take the time to read Luke 2:1 - 20:
¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

 ⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

 ⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
 ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
 ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

These are the words the Lord has given me about Christmas:
Focus on me in the midst of this season, my child. You must celebrate me and the birth of my son, Jesus Christ. Think not only of how he humbly came as an infant child but also of how he sacrificed his life for you in the most amazing gift ever given - the eternal gift of love and freedom. Ponder these things as you celebrate with your family and friends. Celebrate in the name of Jesus and make these things known to those you love.

May you all have a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends. Please take the time to remember Christ in Christmas! Glory to God in the highest!
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A Fresh Perspective

The following are the first words that I have received from the Lord. I received them during one of the busiest times of my life. We were having a house built and we did a fair amount of the work ourselves. We had to make so many decisions at the time that I couldn't hardly focus. And then I can remember overwhelmingly feeling like I needed to write something. I wasn't to write just anything, I was to write a salvation piece. I can remember sitting among my paint samples, home decorating catalogs and floor plan sketches writing these words like a woman possessed. I felt and still feel that these words are not my words. It is difficult to explain, but I felt like an instrument. These words just flowed through me. Honestly, I could never write anything this amazing on my own. I feel like God wants these words to be shared with as many people as possible. I believe that is the reason he moved be to start this blog: to share his words and his work in my life with others. Please, please, please pass this site on to your family and friends. I want to reach as many people as possible with God's words. These are the first words the Lord gave me:

     I used to be dead inside and I didn't even know it. I would wake up in the morning, prepare for my day, go to work, come home ,eat supper, watch TV and go to bed. I was going through the motions of everyday life. I was living my life without actually feeling much of anything. I figured this was probably normal. After a while, life just becomes monotonous.
     Something was missing. I just couldn't pinpoint what that "something" was. Maybe it was a better job, a bigger house, a slimmer body, a happier marriage, the baby that I wanted so much . . .

     I was constantly striving for some seemingly unattainable goal. When I would finally achieve a goal, I was left feeling empty, frustrated and unfulfilled. I always wanted more. I was never happy; never quite satisfied. I was blinded by the negative aspects of every situation. Everything and everyone in my life fell short of my high expectations, including myself. I didn't like myself or my life and I couldn't even explain why.

     And then I found a new life: a fresh perspective, a clear focus, a sense of joy and peace, forgiveness for all of my shortcomings, a bright light shining through the darkness, an awakening in my heart.

     I found all of this and I wasn't even looking for it. I didn't know I was missing it or that I needed it. I didn't even know what "it" was. It had never been a part of my life before; not because I didn't want it but because I had never known it.

     "It" changed my life; not overnight, but gradually and subtly. Sometimes the changes were easy and joyful, like a heavy weight being lifted from my shoulders. Other changes were painful and difficult to bear. I now realize that those challenges were meant to serve as sandpaper, to smooth our my rough edges, polish me, and make me the best person I can be. I even continue to change now. I'm sure that I will be changing throughout the rest of my life.

     Honestly, "it" was not an "it" at all, but a "he." He loves me unconditionally. Every time I ask him to forgive me, he does so without question or hesitation. He is my best friend; always here when I need him and even when I think I don't need him. He knows me inside and out, even better than I know myself. He never does or says anything hurtful or destructive. He gives me strength when I am weak. He always builds me up and never tears me down. He loves me so much that he endured tremendous pain and suffering for me. He died for me; paid for my sins so that I wouldn't have to. His love for me is so great that he wants me to spend eternal life with Him in paradise.
     He does all of this for me and he will do it for you, too, if you want him to. His name is Jesus. He is ready to come into your heart and into you life. You need to find a quiet place by yourself and ask him to fill your heart with his presence and take control of you life. Now, take a deep breath and read the following scripture:
Romans 3:23: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23: ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:16: ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:3: ³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]”

John 14:6: ⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Romans 10:9,10: ⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
2 Corinthians 5:15: ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Revelation 3:20: ²⁰ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

     If you feel in your heart that you are ready to start a relationship with Jesus and receive your eternal salvation, then please pray the following prayer:
     Heavenly Father, I have sinned against you. I want forgiveness for all of my sins. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again. Father, I give you my life to do with what you want. Lord, please help me to live my life for you, daily seeking your will for me and casting aside my own sinful ways. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
     It doesn't end there.Now you have to try to live your life following God's will and not your own desires. Live to please God and fulfill his purpose for you. Relinquish control to him and he will bless you. "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised" (Hebrew 10:36). "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus: (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Read God's word frequently and live by those words. The bible says, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22). Praise the Lord throughout each day. "Through Jesus, therefore let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess His name" (Hebrews 13:15). Find the right church for you and attend regularly to worship God and fellowship with other Christians. Hebrews 10:25 reads, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
     Just knowing about Jesus is not enough, you must know him on a personal level. Trying to be a good person will not gain you entrance into heaven, you must walk with Jesus daily to experience God's eternal, magnificent greatness. Jesus said, "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:32,33).
     Walking with Jesus will not erase all pain and suffering from your life. You will still experience hardship, sorrow and temptation. The Lord wants you to find strength and comfort in Him always, especially when you are struggling. "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall: (Psalm 55:22). Know also that "God is faithful: he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it: (1 Corinthians 10:13). God himself will never tempt you. "For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed: (James 1: 13,14).
     God knows that you aren't perfect and never will be. He knows that you will still make mistakes. According to Ecclesiastes 7:16, "There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins." Continue to recognize your sins, confess then to Jesus and ask forgiveness for those sins. "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy" (Proverbs 28:13). He will forgive you of all your sins if you ask him. God's word ways, "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more" (Hebrews 10:17).
     God wants us to be like him and like his son, Jesus. The Lord put Jesus in this world to live as a man so that he would experience our pain and be an example for all of us. learn as much about Jesus as you can and try to live your life in his perfect example. As stated in Ephesians, we are to "be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (5:1,2).

     Jesus will be with you at all times; through good and bad. He said, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). Jesus wants to come into your life and into your heart. "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.: (Matthew 11:28-30). Seek him always!

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Salvation

Before I go any further, I need to share how I came to know Jesus. It is a long story, so stay with me.

My husband, Mike, and I had been married a few years when we decided we wanted to add a child to our family. We were not Christians at the time and neither of had really been exposed much to the things of Christ. We did not attend church. We were spiritually clueless. We had no idea what we were missing and we really didn't give it much thought. Anyway, we tried to conceive for a couple of years without success. We sought medical attention with a fertility specialist. We underwent multiple rounds of various invasive testing. I took fertility pills a couple of months with no response. I then started taking fertility shots twice a day. I had ultrasounds every other day to monitor the progress. Finally, the third month I took these injections, we conceived a child. We were ecstatic.

This is me very pregnant.

My pregnancy proceeded well. However, I had an unsettling feeling. I felt like we needed to start going to church. I didn't really know why I had this overwhelming desire. I think it had something to do with raising our child in a church because it was "the right thing to do." We tried a few churches and finally found one that was right for us. We continued to be unsaved. We attended worship services about every other Sunday. Our baby, Ryan, was born. He was precious and we loved him more than we could ever imagine.

Mike and Ryan

Me and Ryan

We continued to attend church about every 2 -3 weeks. Pastor Greg gave wonderful sermons each Sunday. About one year after we started going to church, I can remember being at home one day when I just felt like I wasn't living right. I had always tried to be a good person and do what was right. I felt the Lord calling me to Him. That day in my home, I accepted Jesus. I asked him to come into my life and take control. I acknowledged that He sacrificed His life for my sins so that I could be with the Lord and spend eternity with Him in heaven. He paid my ransom and rose again. He lives today, within me and all of those who believe in Him.

At first, my salvation wreaked havoc on my life and in my marriage. Mike couldn't understand why I was different. Many arguments and a lot of tears resulted. Mike then came to know Jesus and accept Him. Everything got a little easier after that. We still have trials and hardships, but we have Jesus there to help us through them. We are far from perfect. Jesus died for us so that we could be perfect through Him. Think of it this way. You come before God on your judgement day. He will only accept those who are perfect into heaven. The Lord asks you, "Are you perfect?" You stand behind Jesus and say, "No but Jesus is perfect and he has me covered."

Jesus paid my ransom and He paid your ransom, too. He's just waiting for you to ask Him into your life. Imagine what He can accomplish in you and your life if you let him! Matthew 6:33 reads "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Are you seeking Him?
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