Merry Christmas!

I pray you that despite the chaos that is surronding you at this moment...that you are filled with PEACE. 
 
It seems like we are living in a time filled with uncertainty.  It is comforting to know that our God is a sovereign God.   We cannot see the future...but He can.  We are without understanding, but He understands.  While we lack in wisdom, He is filled with it.  He is good & He is full of love for His people.  So much that while we were yet entrenched in our sins, He sent His only Son to earth, to live and then die for us.  To save us from our sins. 
 
This is from my Bible reading this morning.  It's found in Isaiah chapter 40 verses 10-15.

¹⁰ Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
 ¹¹ He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
 ¹² Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
 ¹³ Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
 ¹⁴ With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?

¹⁵ Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.

 

We truly serve an awesome God.

May you be blessed this Christmas!

MY stuff!!!

We had a message in church on Thanksgiving that’s been on my heart a lot lately.

My sister Nancy, for those of you who don’t know her, is mentally handicapped. She’s been that way since she was 2 years old when she contracted encephalitis. The thing about Nancy is that she LOVES her stuff. She crams it all into her purse and tries to carry it all with her wherever she goes. At times her purse is unbelievably heavy! About every other weekend my mom has to distract her long enough to quickly sort thru her latest collection of treasures to purge out the garbage & stuff that isn’t needed in order to lighten the purse so it doesn’t hurt my sister to carry it. If Nancy sees what she’s doing she gets VERY upset w/my mom. She doesn’t want anyone messing w/her stuff!

And it hit me…I’m like that.

I don’t like when God messes w/MY stuff. I don’t like when he purges things out my life….things that I think are MINE or even relationships that I think I’m ENTITLED to. Sometimes I find myself holding on to things so tightly!! My knuckles are white with strain as I try my hardest to keep track of MY stuff!!!  I stress, I worry, I am ever watchful….and it’s exhausting!

On Thanksgiving I was reminded of this again. The message really hit me...that I am not entitled to ANYTHING..period. Everything I have is my Father’s. I didn’t earn it, and I most definitely didn’t do anything to deserve it…and yet more times than not I find myself clutching it all fiercely to my chest, holding onto it for all I’m worth.

That sermon has challenged me to be thankful for the people & things that God has entrusted to me, but then in turn, for me to trust that He knows what’s best for me when he gently takes things away that have become too heavy for me to carry. I know He probably gets pretty frustrated with me & my "MINE" attitude!  I am so thankful for His grace and patience:)  I love Him.