"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then, you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will." Romans 12:2
This is a pretty hefty verse and one that has literally transformed my life. Before God took me to a place where He could teach me one-on-one and only He could grow me, I wanted to do things my way. I wanted to live life my way and then ask God to save me when I messed up. Thankfully, by His grace, He has saved me from a lot of messes I have gotten myself into, but I have learned that by spending time in His Word and prayer and being a DOER of the Word, that I can save myself a lot of heartache because He will lead me where He wants me to go. I am not saying that the path He leads us on will always be easy and trial-free, but there is an overwhelming sense of joy and peace because you know He's with you, even through the hard times.
When Josh and I started praying for me to stay at home full time, we had no idea how or if everything would work out. We expected a tangible answer, a concrete sign that we would be able to stay afloat financially if I quit my job. We never got it while we were praying, but God did give us an overwhelming sense of His will. He spoke to us, provided confirmation, and gave us a sense of peace that passes all understanding. On paper, we would not make it on Josh's paycheck alone. He had to have a different job or I had to continue to work, but we could not get past the fact that He was asking us to trust Him and step out on faith. So, we did. It wasn't until after we committed to the decision that I would stay at home full time after this school year that Josh got a new job. We stepped out on faith because that's where God was leading us and He caught us and provided for us. Even with Josh's new job, we have enough to pay the bills and some groceries. No medical bills, no savings, no clothes, nothing extra. We have no idea how God will provide, but we know His will and we know His promises.
First, God had to transform our thoughts. Our minds had to be transformed, like He says in the verse above. Our natural mind says we have to have the money first before I quit my job. God says we don't. God says all we have to do is trust Him. In Luke, He promises that nothing is impossible with Him. In Isaiah, He says "for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. The answer we were looking for was "our way," not God's way. God works on faith. Hebrews describes faith as "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Josh and I were sure of what we hoped for (me staying at home) and certain of what we didn't see (the money).
A lot of people claim they don't know God's will for their lives, but they don't want to stop living according to their will. No one will ever know someone else's will unless they get to know them. Once God is able to transform our thinking, He can do great things through us. We don't have to have the answers we seek; we just have to trust Him. "Without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He earnestly rewards those who seek Him" Hebrews 11:6.
If we are trying to discern God's will for our lives, then we must allow Him to transform our mind. We must not conform any longer to the way the world lives, but be willing to live according to His Word, even though it means we're different. He has only good things to give us (Romans 8:28). He wants to bless us, but we have to have faith and trust that He will provide in His timing, not ours. He wants us to live the abundant life that only He can provide (John 10:10)!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Nonextreme Couponing
After seeking God first, then seeking counsel from some amazing godly friends, this is what I've learned in my couponing journey thus far:
1. Everything I do is for God's glory (Colossians 3:23, 1 Corinthians 10:31); that includes my work, parenting, being a wife, exercise, household chores, serving others, etc.--this includes couponing.
2. Couponing should not consume my life, only God should (Ex. 20:3-4).
3. I am not couponing to rip off stores or steal all the good deals from others. I am doing it to help provide for my family and to be a good steward of the money God blesses us with (Luke 16:10).
4. When I pray before making my grocery list and completing the shopping process, God is faithful. He always provides the savings we need & He always shows me my mistakes so I can improve the next time.
5. There needs to be a balance between saving money and eating healthy. I am not going to buy all the "dirt cheap" grocery items just because they're a good deal if I don't think it's in the interest of my family's health.
During my first 2 weeks of couponing, I saved $70 and saved $85 the second 2 weeks (we shop every other week unless we see good deals between those times). God is faithful in teaching me through His Word, great friends, and helpful websites and I am still learning how to maximize our money when it comes to groceries. :) Thank you to everyone who is helping me learn how to glorify God in everything I do & I appreciate everyone's feedback as I learn this process.
1. Everything I do is for God's glory (Colossians 3:23, 1 Corinthians 10:31); that includes my work, parenting, being a wife, exercise, household chores, serving others, etc.--this includes couponing.
2. Couponing should not consume my life, only God should (Ex. 20:3-4).
3. I am not couponing to rip off stores or steal all the good deals from others. I am doing it to help provide for my family and to be a good steward of the money God blesses us with (Luke 16:10).
4. When I pray before making my grocery list and completing the shopping process, God is faithful. He always provides the savings we need & He always shows me my mistakes so I can improve the next time.
5. There needs to be a balance between saving money and eating healthy. I am not going to buy all the "dirt cheap" grocery items just because they're a good deal if I don't think it's in the interest of my family's health.
During my first 2 weeks of couponing, I saved $70 and saved $85 the second 2 weeks (we shop every other week unless we see good deals between those times). God is faithful in teaching me through His Word, great friends, and helpful websites and I am still learning how to maximize our money when it comes to groceries. :) Thank you to everyone who is helping me learn how to glorify God in everything I do & I appreciate everyone's feedback as I learn this process.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Extreme Couponing
For the past few years, I have seen people post pictures on Facebook, displaying the awesome deals that they earn from couponing. Since I will be staying at home full time after this school year, the skill of couponing has intrigued me. I want to be good at it. I want to help my family save as much money as possible. So, I decided to start a quest to be a successful couponer! My first step was to seek counsel, so I emailed a couple of friends who are really good at it. While waiting on their responses, I decided to take the initiative by reading blogs and watching tutorials on YouTube. I saw videos of people who actually got paid for buying products. One girl spent about $.27 on $98 worth of stuff. I want to know how to do that.
I understand that some women do it to honor and serve God financially through saving money for their families, which is why I want to do it, too. I want to be faithful in my role as a stay-at-home mom. I am not staying at home to sit around and enjoy the ride. I have a job to do. Along with raising Nora-Kate, I believe my job is to organize my home, make it functional, and save us as much money as possible.
Anyway, last week, I decided to read blogs, watch tutorials, and do whatever I could to learn the art of couponing every night from 8-10. I sacrificed my workouts and school work to learn how to coupon. We had to make a shopping trip that week, so I took the advice I read on the blogs and used the weekly ads to plan our meals and grocery list. Then, I proceeded to get my coupons together. Once that was finished, I added up the cost so I would have a good idea as to how much to expect to spend once I got there. I pulled all my coupons and packed up my weekly ads with my coupons. Friday night I went shopping. It was my first attempt at couponing. I only saved us $70. I spent the same amount that we normally spend; I was disappointed. I was expecting this really awesome amount of savings, like I only spent $50 for $150 worth of groceries. I guess I need more practice.
After a week of studying the process of couponing, I have some questions I'm wrestling with. I understand the concept of honoring God with my money, but what about my time and health? It seems that the couponing process takes a lot of time. Of course, it may not actually take that much time once I get practiced at it. It also seems that the products I get the best deals on are not very healthy items, such as breakfast foods filled with sugar and potato chips. I don't want my family to eat sugar for breakfast and snack on chips all the time. I like our healthy meals. I'm wondering if there is a balance in the whole thing. The fact that it's called "extreme couponing" makes me a little skeptical. The only thing I want to be extreme in is my relationship and love for Christ and others. With everything else, there needs to be a balance so that it doesn't become an idol. I did see some healthy foods on sale, though, such as cereal bars, healthy cereal, whole grain pasta, etc. So maybe I just have a lot to learn. Maybe once I get some practice and get used to the process, I will become quicker and quicker and save us more and more money.
If you have any comments or thoughts about the whole couponing thing in light of honoring God with your time and health, I would love to hear them. Maybe it will help shed some light for me and give me a new perspective. I'm looking forward to what I have to learn!
I understand that some women do it to honor and serve God financially through saving money for their families, which is why I want to do it, too. I want to be faithful in my role as a stay-at-home mom. I am not staying at home to sit around and enjoy the ride. I have a job to do. Along with raising Nora-Kate, I believe my job is to organize my home, make it functional, and save us as much money as possible.
Anyway, last week, I decided to read blogs, watch tutorials, and do whatever I could to learn the art of couponing every night from 8-10. I sacrificed my workouts and school work to learn how to coupon. We had to make a shopping trip that week, so I took the advice I read on the blogs and used the weekly ads to plan our meals and grocery list. Then, I proceeded to get my coupons together. Once that was finished, I added up the cost so I would have a good idea as to how much to expect to spend once I got there. I pulled all my coupons and packed up my weekly ads with my coupons. Friday night I went shopping. It was my first attempt at couponing. I only saved us $70. I spent the same amount that we normally spend; I was disappointed. I was expecting this really awesome amount of savings, like I only spent $50 for $150 worth of groceries. I guess I need more practice.
After a week of studying the process of couponing, I have some questions I'm wrestling with. I understand the concept of honoring God with my money, but what about my time and health? It seems that the couponing process takes a lot of time. Of course, it may not actually take that much time once I get practiced at it. It also seems that the products I get the best deals on are not very healthy items, such as breakfast foods filled with sugar and potato chips. I don't want my family to eat sugar for breakfast and snack on chips all the time. I like our healthy meals. I'm wondering if there is a balance in the whole thing. The fact that it's called "extreme couponing" makes me a little skeptical. The only thing I want to be extreme in is my relationship and love for Christ and others. With everything else, there needs to be a balance so that it doesn't become an idol. I did see some healthy foods on sale, though, such as cereal bars, healthy cereal, whole grain pasta, etc. So maybe I just have a lot to learn. Maybe once I get some practice and get used to the process, I will become quicker and quicker and save us more and more money.
If you have any comments or thoughts about the whole couponing thing in light of honoring God with your time and health, I would love to hear them. Maybe it will help shed some light for me and give me a new perspective. I'm looking forward to what I have to learn!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
My Hero
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9
If anyone has weaknesses, it is me! I have struggled with weakness my whole life, just as everyone does, whether they like to admit it or not. Some of my weaknesses, among many others, include a tongue that I can't keep in check, impatience when I can't get things accomplished, crankiness when I'm hungry or tired, selfishness, insecurity, and the list could go on. The point is not to bash myself, but to lift up Jesus that much more because, despite the fact that I live in weakness, He wants to use me for His glory. On my own, I will fail Him every day. I have tons of positive qualities and talents that He's given me, which I try to use for His kingdom, too, but there is an overwhelming feeling of excitement and joy that overtakes me when there is a problem or situation that is too much for me to handle on my own and God takes over and saves the day. I love it! I delight in it!
I am glad that I have weakness so that I can see God's amazing qualities and work that much more clearly. I think this will be my family's anchor verse for this next phase in our lives. There is no way that we can make one income work on our own. We are too weak. We can't make us have more money; additionally, we will be tempted to spend money when we need to save and, I am sure, make other financial mistakes along the way, some of which could be "costly." It will be so important for us to stay in His Word, in prayer, and in counsel with those who are wiser and more knowledgeable about things than we are. I cannot wait for God to show up and see how He is going to provide for us and move in ways we never thought imaginable!
One of my co-workers, after I told the gang that I wasn't returning the next school year, said "Look at you! You're glowing, you're so happy!" I told her that the glow was not from the fact that I get to stay at home with Nora-Kate (although that makes me INCREDIBLY happy!), but the glow was from knowing that the only way we will survive is by God showing up and providing. I love it when He is all we have because HE IS ALL WE NEED!
2 Corinthians 12:9
If anyone has weaknesses, it is me! I have struggled with weakness my whole life, just as everyone does, whether they like to admit it or not. Some of my weaknesses, among many others, include a tongue that I can't keep in check, impatience when I can't get things accomplished, crankiness when I'm hungry or tired, selfishness, insecurity, and the list could go on. The point is not to bash myself, but to lift up Jesus that much more because, despite the fact that I live in weakness, He wants to use me for His glory. On my own, I will fail Him every day. I have tons of positive qualities and talents that He's given me, which I try to use for His kingdom, too, but there is an overwhelming feeling of excitement and joy that overtakes me when there is a problem or situation that is too much for me to handle on my own and God takes over and saves the day. I love it! I delight in it!
I am glad that I have weakness so that I can see God's amazing qualities and work that much more clearly. I think this will be my family's anchor verse for this next phase in our lives. There is no way that we can make one income work on our own. We are too weak. We can't make us have more money; additionally, we will be tempted to spend money when we need to save and, I am sure, make other financial mistakes along the way, some of which could be "costly." It will be so important for us to stay in His Word, in prayer, and in counsel with those who are wiser and more knowledgeable about things than we are. I cannot wait for God to show up and see how He is going to provide for us and move in ways we never thought imaginable!
One of my co-workers, after I told the gang that I wasn't returning the next school year, said "Look at you! You're glowing, you're so happy!" I told her that the glow was not from the fact that I get to stay at home with Nora-Kate (although that makes me INCREDIBLY happy!), but the glow was from knowing that the only way we will survive is by God showing up and providing. I love it when He is all we have because HE IS ALL WE NEED!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
A Faith Journey
Well, finally, I can share with the world that I will be a stay-at-home mom at the end of this school year. Thanks to God and His answer to prayer, we have made the decision for me to stay at home because we know that is the next calling on my life.
I strive to live my life according to God's plan. I felt Him calling me to be a teacher (I had no desire to be a teacher on my own) and I felt Him leading me to the school where I currently teach. Because I followed where He led, I met my husband, worked with some of the best colleagues anywhere, worked with some of the greatest students, and have grown tremendously in my walk with Christ.
The decision that Josh and I are making for me to stay at home was very difficult. I have had conversations with several people about finances—about how to afford vacations and how any family can live off of one income with our world's current economic status. I had those conversations because I felt God tugging on my heart to stay at home full time, but I didn't see how we could afford it, so I started asking people questions. However, God taught me something unexpected. He taught me that, where it is good to seek counsel (Proverbs 20:18, 12:15), I am also living a life of faith. Faith means that I don't have the answer before I make a move. Otherwise, it's not faith. He's also taught me to completely and unashamedly rely on Him for everything in my life and He has never let me down. So, when I asked people financial questions, they gave me good advice, but I could never find the answer as to how to make the calling on our life (me to stay at home full time) into a reality. Our numbers didn't add up on paper. We knew that He was asking us to make this move and have faith that He would provide, so we have to do that. Even if He chooses not to provide for us, that's His choice and we will still praise Him because He is good no matter what happens to us.
Working at JCHS allowed me to learn two main things. One, I am not here for myself. This life is not about me. It's about others and helping them. My co-workers have seen me make many mistakes and I will make plenty more as I work as a stay-at-home mom, something I have no idea how to do, but that's how I learn--from the errors I make. We grow exponentially when we make mistakes and learn from them. I never mind making mistakes and I don't mind that people see me fall. I do, however, get upset if I don't learn from my mistakes and do better the next time.
The other thing I've learned is that nothing I put my hand on to accomplish apart from God will succeed. I have been fairly successful at my teaching job because God was with me. If I continued teaching next year, I wouldn't be successful because it's not where God wants me. As much as I love my job and my co-workers, I have to make this move for personal reasons. I have a daughter who needs me and a God Who is asking me to trust Him, so I am planning to act. Maybe one day, I will teach again in the public education arena, but I will always do whatever I feel like God is asking me to do because I will never succeed on my own. I am held accountable to my Father and I cannot face Him in eternity one day and tell Him that I didn't follow His call because I didn't have faith for Him to provide what we needed, even though that is one of His many precious promises in His Word (Philippians 4:19).
I am so excited about the new chapter in my life. I am excited to see God show up, the ways He will provide, and the acts He will accomplish through our lives. When He is in control, everything is possible! I know that we will see abundantly more than anything we could ever ask for or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). I am excited about being led to a place where I have nothing else to lean and rely on besides Him. He is everything we need!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
God's Desires in my Life
"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
This verse has always been my favorite in God's Word. Don't misunderstand me--I love all of God's Word, even the verses that challenge and discipline me, but I always go back to this verse no matter what is going on in my life. I cling to this verse. However, as long as I have loved this verse, my perspective of it has changed over time.
Initially, I thought "Awesome! God loves me, so He wants to give me everything I want! All I have to do is faithfully read His Word and spend time with Him and I will have everything my heart desires." I have desired a lot of things during my stay on Earth. Some were stupid, immature, and selfish, but others were selfless, pure, and innocent. I have desired things that were not good for me and things that I thought were good for me at the time, but turned out that God had other ideas for me. God has allowed me to experience some of all of those categories. He has given me the things that weren't good for me so that I would turn to Him. He has also granted a lot of positive desires that I have held close. He has not always given me everything I want when I want it. God is a great, loving, and sovreign God and He knows what's best for me in His will. Therefore, He (thankfully) does not give me everything I want.
Over time, He has taught me what that verse really means. It does mean that He will give me what my heart desires, but as I truly and whole-heartedly spend time with Him and delight in Him, His desires eventually become my desires. I become so intimate with my Savior that I want what He wants for my life. Then, my will conforms to His will and before I know it, I am desiring and asking for the exact same things God longs for me to have, things that will benefit His kingdom, not just things for myself. If I have learned one thing during my 30 years of life on Earth is that I am NOT here for myself. I am here for others; I am here to worship God and bring glory to His Name as best as I know how, not come up with a wish list to present to Him.
I do believe that God cares about everything that matters to us, even the little things that others might think are insignificant. The desires may actually seem selfish or not God-centered at all, but God wants to hear all of our thoughts and desires. He knows them already, He just wants us to stay in constant communication with Him and share EVERYTHING with Him. He wants us to include Him in every part of our lives. God has helped me develop the discipline of taking every desire to Him, no matter how little or selfish it might seem. When I share a thought or desire with Him, He is faithful to show me whether it was a selfish or selfless desire, whether I should have a desire like that or not. For example, I wanted to make my husband Oreo truffles, his favorite dessert, as a Christmas gift. We were on a budget and I had already purchased his gift, but I wanted to do something extra special for him to show him that I love him. God placed it on my heart to make Him Oreo truffles. He LOVES Oreos and I never make the truffles just for him. If he gets any, he always gets the leftovers from someone else's "order." Anyway, I had to make them on a night that he had band practice and wouldn't be home until late so he wouldn't suspect anything. I had no idea what time he would be home and he had just started a new job and hadn't received his phone yet, so he had no way of communicating with me about his estimated time of arrival. The practice site was about 45 minutes away, so I knew I had some time, I just didn't know how much time. I also had to wait until Nora-Kate, our daughter, went down for bed at 8. So, I had from 8:00 until who knows when to make the truffles and they be a secret gift on Christmas morning.
As soon as I put Nora-Kate in her crib, I raced to the kitchen to start my quest. I got all the ingredients and equipment out and made the filling. Then, I melted the white chocolate that coats the outside of the truffles and proceded to roll the Oreos and cream cheese into individual balls. The only problem was that the mixture was not hard enough to stick together and, instead of rolling into little balls, the filling was sticking all over my hands. This was not going according to plan. I had to put the filling into the refrigerator and hope that it would harden in enough time for me to make the truffles and wash, dry, and put away the dishes and clean up any evidence I might have left behind. When I realized that putting the Oreo mixture in the fridge was going to take up valuable time, I sent up a prayer to God. "Father, I believe that my desire to make Josh Oreo truffles came from You. Therefore, it is not my gift but Yours. I would really love for the truffles to be a surprise, which means I would like to wash the dishes and clean up the evidence before he gets home. If that is Your desire also, I pray that You would allow me to do that. If not, I know he will still appreciate the surprise and enjoy the truffles." I made up my mind not to get upset, but just to enjoy the thrilling challenge of making the truffles and hiding the evidence before he got home from band practice. And I did. It was fun because God was right there with me and He did allow the mixture to harden just enough for me to finish making the balls. I had everything made, cleaned up, and put away 10 minutes before Josh walked in the door. It was a seemingly very insignificant request that I sent up to God, but He cares about those. He allowed me to finish my Christmas surprise for my husband.
As this new year of 2012 begins, it is my challenge to you to remember Psalm 37:4 and to include God in every part of your day, even your thoughts and conversations. He will show up and you will be surprised by the joy and contentment His presence brings in your daily life.
This verse has always been my favorite in God's Word. Don't misunderstand me--I love all of God's Word, even the verses that challenge and discipline me, but I always go back to this verse no matter what is going on in my life. I cling to this verse. However, as long as I have loved this verse, my perspective of it has changed over time.
Initially, I thought "Awesome! God loves me, so He wants to give me everything I want! All I have to do is faithfully read His Word and spend time with Him and I will have everything my heart desires." I have desired a lot of things during my stay on Earth. Some were stupid, immature, and selfish, but others were selfless, pure, and innocent. I have desired things that were not good for me and things that I thought were good for me at the time, but turned out that God had other ideas for me. God has allowed me to experience some of all of those categories. He has given me the things that weren't good for me so that I would turn to Him. He has also granted a lot of positive desires that I have held close. He has not always given me everything I want when I want it. God is a great, loving, and sovreign God and He knows what's best for me in His will. Therefore, He (thankfully) does not give me everything I want.
Over time, He has taught me what that verse really means. It does mean that He will give me what my heart desires, but as I truly and whole-heartedly spend time with Him and delight in Him, His desires eventually become my desires. I become so intimate with my Savior that I want what He wants for my life. Then, my will conforms to His will and before I know it, I am desiring and asking for the exact same things God longs for me to have, things that will benefit His kingdom, not just things for myself. If I have learned one thing during my 30 years of life on Earth is that I am NOT here for myself. I am here for others; I am here to worship God and bring glory to His Name as best as I know how, not come up with a wish list to present to Him.
I do believe that God cares about everything that matters to us, even the little things that others might think are insignificant. The desires may actually seem selfish or not God-centered at all, but God wants to hear all of our thoughts and desires. He knows them already, He just wants us to stay in constant communication with Him and share EVERYTHING with Him. He wants us to include Him in every part of our lives. God has helped me develop the discipline of taking every desire to Him, no matter how little or selfish it might seem. When I share a thought or desire with Him, He is faithful to show me whether it was a selfish or selfless desire, whether I should have a desire like that or not. For example, I wanted to make my husband Oreo truffles, his favorite dessert, as a Christmas gift. We were on a budget and I had already purchased his gift, but I wanted to do something extra special for him to show him that I love him. God placed it on my heart to make Him Oreo truffles. He LOVES Oreos and I never make the truffles just for him. If he gets any, he always gets the leftovers from someone else's "order." Anyway, I had to make them on a night that he had band practice and wouldn't be home until late so he wouldn't suspect anything. I had no idea what time he would be home and he had just started a new job and hadn't received his phone yet, so he had no way of communicating with me about his estimated time of arrival. The practice site was about 45 minutes away, so I knew I had some time, I just didn't know how much time. I also had to wait until Nora-Kate, our daughter, went down for bed at 8. So, I had from 8:00 until who knows when to make the truffles and they be a secret gift on Christmas morning.
As soon as I put Nora-Kate in her crib, I raced to the kitchen to start my quest. I got all the ingredients and equipment out and made the filling. Then, I melted the white chocolate that coats the outside of the truffles and proceded to roll the Oreos and cream cheese into individual balls. The only problem was that the mixture was not hard enough to stick together and, instead of rolling into little balls, the filling was sticking all over my hands. This was not going according to plan. I had to put the filling into the refrigerator and hope that it would harden in enough time for me to make the truffles and wash, dry, and put away the dishes and clean up any evidence I might have left behind. When I realized that putting the Oreo mixture in the fridge was going to take up valuable time, I sent up a prayer to God. "Father, I believe that my desire to make Josh Oreo truffles came from You. Therefore, it is not my gift but Yours. I would really love for the truffles to be a surprise, which means I would like to wash the dishes and clean up the evidence before he gets home. If that is Your desire also, I pray that You would allow me to do that. If not, I know he will still appreciate the surprise and enjoy the truffles." I made up my mind not to get upset, but just to enjoy the thrilling challenge of making the truffles and hiding the evidence before he got home from band practice. And I did. It was fun because God was right there with me and He did allow the mixture to harden just enough for me to finish making the balls. I had everything made, cleaned up, and put away 10 minutes before Josh walked in the door. It was a seemingly very insignificant request that I sent up to God, but He cares about those. He allowed me to finish my Christmas surprise for my husband.
As this new year of 2012 begins, it is my challenge to you to remember Psalm 37:4 and to include God in every part of your day, even your thoughts and conversations. He will show up and you will be surprised by the joy and contentment His presence brings in your daily life.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Christmas 2011
God's gift to man: JESUS
Every Christmas, my family makes wish lists, then hands them out to relatives to use as a reference for gifts. We have some relatives who express a very selfless and heartfelt desire to give my husband, daughter, and me exactly what we want and, if possible, everything we want. Unfortunately (from to their perspective), like most of us, they have a budget. It hurts them that they can't grant every desire of ours every Christmas; and not just ours, but everyone on their gift list. They would love to be able to give everything to each one of us because they love us that much. They have so much love for us that their only desire is for us to have everything we want.
God has a similar love for us, His creation. He loves us so passionately that He wanted to give us everything. He desires to have a relationship with us, so when sin entered the picture, He chose to provide a way for us to cross the great divide and commune with Him, to know Him, and to walk with Him. He sent His only Son, Jesus (John 3:16), to die on the cross for us. To be beaten, battered, and scarred even though He was innocent. To shed His blood for us and endure such an agonizing and painful death for us. All of that was necessary for us to spend eternity with Him in heaven. He took all of our wish lists, which Jesus was not included in, and lovingly gave us what we really NEEDED, not what we wanted. We all need Jesus because that's all that matters in this life. We are here to love and worship Him forever and to lead others to this amazing and sacrificial love for humankind.
Therefore, this Christmas, while you're reviewing your loved ones' wish lists, think about what they need instead of what they want. Everything on our wish lists will pass away. Nothing will go to eternity with us and nothing will remain when life on Earth ends. Jesus is the only One Who will last forever.
Every Christmas, my family makes wish lists, then hands them out to relatives to use as a reference for gifts. We have some relatives who express a very selfless and heartfelt desire to give my husband, daughter, and me exactly what we want and, if possible, everything we want. Unfortunately (from to their perspective), like most of us, they have a budget. It hurts them that they can't grant every desire of ours every Christmas; and not just ours, but everyone on their gift list. They would love to be able to give everything to each one of us because they love us that much. They have so much love for us that their only desire is for us to have everything we want.
God has a similar love for us, His creation. He loves us so passionately that He wanted to give us everything. He desires to have a relationship with us, so when sin entered the picture, He chose to provide a way for us to cross the great divide and commune with Him, to know Him, and to walk with Him. He sent His only Son, Jesus (John 3:16), to die on the cross for us. To be beaten, battered, and scarred even though He was innocent. To shed His blood for us and endure such an agonizing and painful death for us. All of that was necessary for us to spend eternity with Him in heaven. He took all of our wish lists, which Jesus was not included in, and lovingly gave us what we really NEEDED, not what we wanted. We all need Jesus because that's all that matters in this life. We are here to love and worship Him forever and to lead others to this amazing and sacrificial love for humankind.
Therefore, this Christmas, while you're reviewing your loved ones' wish lists, think about what they need instead of what they want. Everything on our wish lists will pass away. Nothing will go to eternity with us and nothing will remain when life on Earth ends. Jesus is the only One Who will last forever.
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